Empoli stunned Juventus early as Mattia De Sciglio’s fourth-minute header gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, though the former Juve player chose not to celebrate. Juventus survived a scare when a 15th-minute Empoli penalty was overturned by VAR, and despite chances from Nico Gonzalez and Kenan Yildiz, the Bianconeri trailed at halftime.
The second half saw a dramatic turnaround: Kolo Muani equalized in the 61st minute, and three minutes later, Timothy Weah’s deflected strike put Juve ahead. Empoli’s Youssef Maleh was sent off in the 84th minute, and Juventus capitalized with Dusan Vlahovic scoring a stunning solo goal in the 90th minute. Francisco Conceicao added a fourth in stoppage time, sealing a 4-1 comeback victory for the Bianconeri.
“We showed a great desire to fight and the boys deserved to win. They had the will to stick together. I congratulate the boys who won the game with great character. When we don't win we are the first to be angry, but I see that the boys always give everything. From Kolo Muani I expect even more because he is a great player, he is helping and will continue to help. Renato Veiga immediately understood his role: in a great team with large responsibilities and he did very well today. [Weston] McKennie and [Manuel] Locatelli had great games, never stopping and constantly communicating with their teammates. The direct style is part of our game and is very important, plus we have players who are good at running in behind and we must exploit these characteristics that we possess. We work every day to win, the boys work hard every day to achieve success and I am very proud to coach them.” - Thiago Motta
Arsenal were clinical as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday which marked the latest crushing defeat for Pep Guardiola's side in a season full of them.
The Gunners took the lead just two minutes in when Martin Odegaard scored, capitalizing during a moment of unsteadiness for City's defense. Erling Haaland scored an equalizer in the 55th minute but that evenness was shortlived, with Thomas Partey scoring just two minutes later. Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelley made it three in the 62nd minute, while the next blow came in the 76th minute courtesy of Kai Havertz. Ethan Nwaneri added a fifth in the 93rd minute to close things out.
Sunday's game against City was not the only big game for Arsenal this week. They head to Newcastle United on Wednesday for the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinals, and the Gunners carry a 2-0 deficit after the Magpies' surprise win in North London last month. Arsenal then have the weekend off after being eliminated from the FA Cup and resume their Premier League campaign on Feb. 15 against relegation favorites Leicester City.
Arsenal may still be six points behind Liverpool – who have a game in hand – in the title race, but they remain one of Europe's most consistent teams as they extend their unbeaten run to six.