5 Things We Learned From This Past Week’s Fixtures

FootballBias looks at the 5 Things we learned from this past week’s fixtures.

The third week of January has served as the ultimate stress test for the season’s leading narratives. This period has not merely tested those storylines, it has completely rewritten some of them. Between the sheer psychological chaos of the Africa Cup of Nations final in Casablanca and the emerging structural vulnerabilities in some of Europe’s most dominant league leaders, the past seven days have been a relentless showcase of high-stakes football.

As we transition from the crowning of a continental king to the grueling reality of mid-winter domestic campaigns, the footballing landscape feels more volatile than at any other point this year. This is a review of a week defined by a final that defied logic, a superstar whose absence crippled a giant, and
a title race in London that remains commanding yet strangely sterile.

1. The AFCON Final Was One of the Wildest in History

The showdown between Morocco and Senegal was a masterclass in atmospheric pressure and unpredictability, delivering a spectacle that will be discussed for decades. Senegal eventually secured a historic 1-0 victory after a grueling extra-time period, but the path to that single goal was marked by a series of events that pushed the boundaries of competitive sanity. The match reached its boiling point just before the end of regulation when Senegal saw a goal controversially disallowed and then a controversial penalty given to Morocco a few moments after, a decision that sparked such intense fury that the entire Senegalese squad actually walked off the pitch in protest. For several agonizing minutes, the final appeared to be on the verge of total collapse.

When the players were eventually convinced to return, the drama only deepened as Morocco’s penalty stood. Brahim Diaz stepped up with the weight of a nation on his shoulders but attempted an audacious Panenka that failed to find the net. This failure served as the definitive momentum shift of the match. Just four minutes into extra time, Senegal capitalized on the psychological deflections in the Moroccan camp as Pape Gueye struck the winning goal. It was a final that proved reputation and tactical planning count for little when a match descends into pure, unadulterated chaos, proving that at AFCON, the narrative is never truly written until the final whistle.

2. Barca’s Firepower Reduces Significantly Without Raphinha

Barcelona’s weekend performance provided subtle proof of a team that has become dangerously dependent on a single tactical engine. In their 2-1 defeat yesterday, Hansi Flick’s side looked like a hollowed-out version of their usual selves. Despite dominating the ball and creating a relentless stream of opportunities, the Blaugrana lacked the clinical, decisive edge that Raphinha consistently injects into the front line. The sheer volume of misfortune was staggering, with Barcelona hitting the woodwork an incredible five times throughout the ninety minutes, yet the lack of a finishing touch was the ultimate story of the game.

This loss is not an isolated incident but rather a confirmation of a worrying trend emerging under Flick. The last time Barcelona failed to win a match also coincided with Raphinha being absent from the starting eleven. Without his high-intensity pressing and his ability to turn half-chances into goals through pure directness, the Barcelona attack becomes far too predictable. While the system continues to generate a high volume of expected goals, the actual conversion of those chances has become tied to the availability of their big game specialist. Yesterday’s result vs Real Sociedad served as a massive wake-up call, proving that the squad’s title aspirations might currently be balanced on a very thin line, with Madrid now only one point behind.

3. Arsenal Need Attacking Dynamism Despite Their Seven-Point Lead

Arsenal remains the overwhelming favorite for the Premier League title, but the manner in which they are maintaining their lead has introduced a palpable sense of unease. Following two consecutive 0-0 draws, the Gunners find themselves in the strange position of being seven points clear at the top while simultaneously looking as though they have hit a creative wall.

While the defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba remains a world-class foundation that ensures they are almost impossible to beat, the lack of a spark in the final third is becoming a glaring issue for Mikel Arteta.

Recording 180 minutes of league football without a single goal is a red flag for any title-chasing side, especially one that prides itself on attacking fluidity. The attack currently looks static, struggling to find a way through determined low blocks that have successfully decoded the movement of Arsenal’s attackers.

While their rivals continue to stumble, allowing Arsenal to preserve their cushion, this gap could evaporate quickly if the dynamism that defined their early-season form is not urgently reintroduced. The wall at the back is holding, but the bluntness at the front is turning commanding dominance into a series of frustrating stalemates.

4. Lens Are Willing to Go the Distance Against PSG

After another win against Auxerre at the weekend, the narrative of Ligue 1 as a foregone conclusion has been officially challenged by the quiet, disciplined persistence of Lens. Far from the mid-season collapse that many predicted for the “smaller” club, Lens has matched the giants of Paris Saint-Germain step for step, maintaining their narrow lead at the summit of the table. Their success is built on a “champion’s way” of winning, the rare and valuable ability to grind out results and secure vital points even on days when the performance is aesthetically lacking.

By refusing to buckle under the pressure of the Parisian machine breathing down their necks, Lens has proven that their defensive discipline is enough to sustain a genuine, season-long challenge. They aren’t just winning; they are doing so with a psychological resilience that has caught many off guard. As the title race enters its most critical phase, the lack of typical “giant-killer” fatigue in the Lens camp suggests that we are witnessing the beginning of a historic run-in. They have turned a league often dismissed as predictable into one of the most compelling title battles in Europe.

5. Sadio Mané is Now Senegal’s Greatest Ever Player

The conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations has officially ended any rational debate regarding the hierarchy of Senegalese footballing legends. By leading his nation to the trophy in such dramatic and influential fashion, Sadio Mané has cemented his status as the undisputed greatest of all time for the Lions of Teranga. His role was far more than just goalscoring; he was the creative heartbeat and the emotional leader of a squad that had to navigate some of the most hostile environments imaginable to reach the summit.

Mané was named the Player of the Tournament (POTT), a fitting accolade for a campaign that showcased his undiminished quality even as he enters the veteran stage of his career. Having recently surpassed the 50-goal milestone for his country, Mané’s combined trophy haul and individual statistical dominance place him on a pedestal that is currently out of reach for any of his predecessors. He is no longer just a great player; he is a continental icon whose legacy was definitive long before the final whistle in Casablanca, but is now beyond any possible dispute.

The lessons of the past week have clarified the hierarchy of the 2025/26 season. Resilience has proven to be the most valuable currency in football, whether it is Senegal surviving the psychological warfare of a walk-off in a final, or Lens refusing to blink in the face of PSG’s financial might. However, the week has also highlighted how quickly momentum can stall when tactical dependency, as seen in Barcelona’s Raphinha-less struggles, or a lack of dynamism, as seen in Arsenal’s sterile draws, takes hold.

As we move out of the January gauntlet, the teams that will ultimately lift silverware are those that can solve their internal issues before the pressure of the spring becomes insurmountable. The road to the trophy is now much clearer, but for some of the world’s biggest clubs, it has also become significantly more difficult.