Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.

Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch on ESPN+

Forwards

Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (1.50 FPPG, 34.7% available): The Red Wings are showing exactly how a midseason coaching change can go well. They are a different team with coach Todd McLellan at the helm, currently riding seven consecutive wins in eight total games since the switch. Kane is the biggest beneficiary from a purely fantasy perspective: Before the coaching change, Kane had just 30.8 fantasy points across 29 games played this season; since the change, he's posted 24.7 in eight games played. That 3.49 fantasy points per game (FPPG) is the elite level we were used to from Kane just a few seasons ago. His rostership across ESPN leagues had dropped to 50% before the change, but has bounced back to the 65% range. Check on his availability ASAP.

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.69 FPPG, 57.3% available): There is only one thing that Knies requires to become a near-lock for fantasy hockey lineups: A healthy Auston Matthews next to him. The Leafs superstar returned to action on Jan. 4 and Knies has five goals and three assists in five games since. The only asterisk here is that Matthews has had multiple absences this season with whatever is ailing him and we don't know when it might happen again. Knies used the first one to actually build some confidence without Matthews at his side, but during the recent six-game stretch, Knies had only 4.2 total fantasy points (0.7 FPPG).

Ryan O'Reilly, C, Nashville Predators (1.76 FPPG, 45.6% available): Somewhat quietly, O'Reilly has turned around a disappointing start. In fact, it's arguable he's back to lineup-lock status even though he's almost available in half of fantasy leagues. Before he missed three games in early December with a lower-body injury, O'Reilly had averaged 1.48 FPPG across 26 games; since returning from that injury, O'Reilly has 2.31 FPPG across 13 games.

Arthur Kaliyev, RW, New York Rangers (0.6 FPPG, 99.8% available): While the Rangers have somewhat stabilized a little -- kinda, sorta -- since a destructive losing streak in December, many question marks remain about the club turning things around. If the team continues to jettison assets, as the rumours suggested they might with key offensive players like Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, it will be worth keeping a watch on some of the talented scorers below them on the depth chart. A waiver snag from the Kings, Kaliyev has had an injury-riddled road to the NHL, but was a top-tier sniper in his junior hockey days.

See also:

• Morgan Frost, C, Philadelphia Flyers (1.46 FPPG, 96.5% available)

• Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary Flames (1.94 FPPG, 43.4% available)

• Jason Zucker, LW, Buffalo Sabres (1.67 FPPG, 74.9% available)

• Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.09 FPPG, 56.5% available)

• Kaapo Kakko, RW, Seattle Kraken (1.12 FPPG, 96.1% available)

Defensemen

Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks (1.92 FPPG, 74.7% available): With LaCombe's play in the past 10 games especially, it looks like he's going to be the surprise emergence as the young new fantasy play -- not Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov -- from the Ducks blue line this season. LaCombe is playing on the first pair with captain Radko Gudas and holding down the top power-play unit more often than not.

Ryan Lindgren, D, New York Rangers (1.48 FPPG, 97.9% available): Jacob Trouba made his way in the fantasy world by delivering hits and blocking shots from the Rangers blue line. Someone has to continue to do those things in his absence. The Rangers spiraled for a couple of weeks after Trouba was traded to the Ducks on Dec. 8, but Lindgren has started to come around with the rest of the team. In the past eight games, Lindgren has averaged 2.41 FPPG, an absolute elite rate for any defender.

See also:

• Erik Gustafsson, D, Detroit Red Wings (0.98 FPPG, 99.4% available)

• Martin Fehervary, D, Washington Capitals (1.60 FPPG, 95.8% available)

• Mikey Anderson, D, Los Angeles Kings (1.58 FPPG, 93.8% available)

Goaltenders

Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings (1.57 FPPG, 50.8% available): The first outing under McLellan was a rough one for Talbot, but things have become progressively better for the coach-goalie combo, who were previously paired with the Kings last season and during Talbot's best years as an Oiler. The save percentage hasn't been there in some of the recent wins, but the extra fantasy points from the Red Wings finally getting Talbot into the win column with frequency should be more than enough to keep this boat afloat. Step on board.

Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens (7.73 FPPG, 93.6% available): It will be interesting to see if the rookie gets a spin in the crease during the middle of this week, when the Habs have some off days and could easily run Sam Montembeault out into the weekend. Dobes has nothing but monster fantasy showings against only difficult opponents. It would be beneficial if we could see him take on, say, Utah Hockey Club (top 10 for opposing goaltender fantasy results) during a midweek, non-back-to-back contest. Regardless, continue to monitor his progress.

See also:

• Yaroslav Askarov, G, San Jose Sharks (2.28 FPPG, 90.7% available)

Short-term streamers

Adam Fantilli, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (1.47 FPPG, 84.9% available): With Sean Monahan sidelined for at least the rest of the week, Fantilli will continue filling in as the team's top center. That means rolling with the red-hot Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko on and off the power play. The schedule is playing nice as the Jackets have home games against the Flyers and Sharks before they head to New York to face the Rangers -- all solid fantasy opponents for top-six forwards.

Marco Kasper, C, Detroit Red Wings (1.03 FPPG, 99.5% available): The Red Wings, who also play the Sharks this week, not so coincidentally have a good schedule for top-six forwards. Kasper has been made a top-line forward by McLellan in recent outings alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and the move has started paying off with consecutive multi-point games.

Leevi Merilainen, G, Ottawa Senators (3.40 FPPG, 99.5% available): This week's schedule for Ottawa includes the Islanders on Tuesday, who rank second for most fantasy points to opposing goaltenders, as well as the Bruins on Saturday, who rank sixth. Of course, that glosses over a Wednesday night game in between with the Capitals, who rank 32nd and are fantasy goalie killers, but let's give Merilainen a chance here while Linus Ullmark is out for a bit. Merilainen has crested 300 minutes in the crease and may push Anton Forsberg for the backup role when everyone is healthy.

Ilya Samsonov, G, Vegas Golden Knights (2.91 FPPG, 50.9% available): If the Golden Knights hold their rotation between Adin Hill and Samsonov even, this could be a great week for Samsonov. He would get the Predators on Tuesday (4.31 fantasy points to opposing goalies) and Blackhawks on Saturday (2.32).

Petr Mrazek, G, Chicago Blackhawks (0.44 FPPG, 94.9% available): Another potential stream goalie, Mrazek and the Hawks have great matchups to start against the Flames and Predators, just make sure you get him out of the crease before the Golden Knights feast on the Blackhawks later in the week.

There are division rivals a team can't wait to face. Others, not so much.

Take the Washington Capitals, for example, who've already seen enough of their Metropolitan Division rivals in New Jersey.

"Thankfully, we're done with the New Jersey Devils this year," Capitals' coach Spencer Carbery joked in late December. "They've got a great team. We had some good battles against them. They've got a real good team, a well-rounded hockey team."

Theirs was an evenly matched series in the end -- with New Jersey the overall victor at 2-1-0 -- but Carbery's relief in being free of the Devils (for this regular season, at least) is a testament to how strong their rivals up I-95 have been this season. Washington is leading the Metro after all, but the Devils are hot on their heels battling for second place.

New Jersey is coming off a brutal 2023-24 campaign that produced a 38-39-5 record, and missed playoff berth for the 10th time in 12 seasons. One year prior, the Devils had been the league's Cinderella story, surging through their season (at 52-22-8) to make a powerful playoff push, and advancing past another major Metro rival -- the New York Rangers -- in the first round before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second.

The Devils' abysmal follow-up to that feat led to layers of fallout within the organization -- including coach Lindy Ruff's firing -- while raising red flags about the club's readiness to be true contenders. GM Tom Fitzgerald had tinkered long enough. When would we start seeing consistent results?

Well, we're about to find out. New Jersey is fourth in the Eastern Conference at 25-15-4 and firmly on track to the playoffs as the season's second half approaches. But will the Devils stay on course? And are they built to last? Other teams have been through setbacks and eventually flourished. There's a blueprint out there to go from zero to (postseason) hero.

What would that look like for New Jersey? And which past success stories could they use as a roadmap?

The great ones, it seems, all start with good bones.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE. Perseverance is, too.

The Colorado Avalanche needed both to become a behemoth.

Let's go back to 2016-17. Colorado finished last in the league that season, with a 22-56-4 record while allowing the most goals against and scoring the fewest. It was the worst season on record for the Avalanche since they moved to Denver in 1995 and the second-worst in franchise history overall.

So how did Colorado go from being a hot mess to making seven consecutive playoff appearances and winning a Cup in 2022? Glad you asked.

It started with establishing a strong core and building from there. Colorado was rooted to Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. Then GM Joe Sakic added critical pieces to the group like Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, Bowen Byram and Devon Toews. The Avalanche's nucleus rounded carefully into form.

Then there was picking the right coach. When Patrick Roy abruptly resigned in 2016, Sakic tapped rookie NHL head coach Jared Bednar as successor. And yes, Bednar's first go-around ended with the Avs as bottom-dwellers. But since then, he has solidly stabilized Colorado from behind the bench.

Then it was about key trades and free agent signings. Sakic brought on Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Toews and others -- including a No. 1 netminder in Darcy Kuemper to backstop Colorado on their eventual Cup-winning run.

All in all, it took years for Colorado to peak. But the climb was clearly worth the cresting views. And the Devils are attempting to follow a similar blueprint.

The Devils have a solidified core, with headliners Jack Hughes (already in his fifth NHL season), Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec.

Fitzgerald has expanded the Devils with other key skaters. He signed Dougie Hamilton in 2021 and continued bolstering the blue line with free agents Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon this offseason. The offense got a boost from Fitzgerald signing two-time Cup champion Ondrej Palat and trading for Timo Meier. His best work was trading for goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames in July, finally giving his team the consistent goaltending it lacked in recent years.

The GM is confident after letting go of Ruff -- and his interim replacement Travis Green -- that he's invested in the right coach with Sheldon Keefe. The Devils hired Keefe just days after he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in May after four seasons there. New Jersey is only the second NHL head coaching gig for Keefe, but the transition to New Jersey has been fairly smooth -- and generally well-received, based on early returns.

Piece by piece, Fitzgerald -- like Sakic -- has tried creating a roster to stand the test of time, where players align in a coach's system designed to take New Jersey over the top.

It's not easy. Health has been an issue for New Jersey. Last season, Hughes was limited to 62 games, while Hamilton was out for all but 20 (after he posted 74 points in 82 games the year prior). Meier was sidelined for 13 games and Hischier was gone for 11. Injury absences are among the inevitabilities that every team must simply endure. Much like a few growing pains.

Colorado found that out, too. Once they were back in the postseason field, the Avalanche failed to get past the second round for four consecutive years before the Cup victory. New Jersey might need the same postseason learning experiences -- something most of the roster doesn't have yet -- to be properly seasoned for a Cup Final run.

Because scaling that mountain requires a steady ascent, and Keefe believes his approach will provide New Jersey will the correct footing.

"Our vision is to win the Stanley Cup, and that's very clear," Keefe said during his introductory press conference. "To win the Stanley Cup, you have to make the playoffs, and it's about establishing a process we'll adhere to on a daily basis and ultimately see the sustained, high performance that will lead us to have an opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup."

Barring a second-half collapse, the Devils are on their way to seeing spring hockey return to The Rock. But how well-positioned is New Jersey to make the most of what opportunity awaits when they arrive?

FITZGERALD HASN'T LOOKED FAR for inspiration in retooling the Devils.

His goal was to recreate New Jersey in its own image, with a strong offensive skillset that would also have fans "reminiscing of the past Devils teams of being heavy [and] harder to play against."

He's referencing, of course, that star-driven golden age of New Jersey hockey which included three Cup wins from 1995 to 2003. Whether Fitzgerald is crafting a club with such capability will be reflected in -- and determined by -- New Jersey's postseason performance.

The biggest overhaul Fitzgerald had to make on this quest to contend was in the crease. Last season, the Devils churned through five different goaltending options and never landed on a suitable starter. Fitzgerald eventually traded would-be No.1 Vitek Vanecek (and his .890 save percentage) to San Jose and brought in Jake Allen to finish out the campaign. The Devils finished with the fifth-worst goals-against average (3.43) in the league.

The GM was aggressive in patching that particular hole when he acquired Markstrom from Calgary for a 2025 first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl. That move was projected to shore the team up where they most needed support -- and Markstrom has delivered in fine form. The veteran is tied for the second-most wins among goalies (20-8-3) with a .911 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average. And Allen is proving to be a fine backup (.901 SV%, 2.76 GAA).

That tandem gives the Devils peace of mind in goal that they haven't enjoyed of late. However, the goalies can't be all that makes New Jersey a tough out, as Fitzgerald wants them to be. And the Devils' recent skid is a prime example of what happens when the team's offense dries up -- and defensive details take a hit.

The Devils have been focused on grooming Hughes and Nemec to carry their back end. Hamilton, Pesce and Dillon are meant to be guiding that process. Markstrom should provide ample confidence that what does get through has a good chance to staying out. That's the way Fitzgerald drew it up, anyway.

"The fun part is building around the edges, building the complementary guys you need," Fitzgerald said. "Now you're putting together a contender, and you're checking off all the different boxes that contenders have. The last thing I was worried about (entering free agency) was the offense on this team. It was everything else that we needed to build up and check boxes, and we've done that."

The Devils haven't been immune to setbacks, though. On a six-game stretch from December into January the Devils were a woeful 1-4-1, getting outscored 19-11. There's been blame to go around -- the top skaters (especially Hischier) have slowed at 5-on-5, the Devils' bottom-six isn't producing at all and outside of the Jonas Siegenthaler-Johnathan Kovacevic pairing, there wasn't complete defensive buy-in. Markstrom did an admirable job holding the Devils in just about every game, which is further proof of his difference-making ability. But again, he can't do it alone.

And therein lies the big question for New Jersey: When their offense goes cold, is there enough juice defensively to keep them in contention? It's a problem Keefe is intimately familiar with from his time in Toronto. When the Maple Leafs' so-called Core Four (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares) didn't make it on the scoresheet, Toronto was generally headed for another L (particularly in the postseason). Is New Jersey doomed for the same fate?

"It's hard to predict what the playoff Devils can look like," one Eastern Conference executive said. "Can you compare this team to the one two years ago? Maybe. But they've arguably changed for the better since then. It does feel a bit like Toronto, though. Regular season success won't matter if New Jersey can't turn Hughes and those guys into playoff performers."

WHAT ELSE CAN Fitzgerald do to ensure New Jersey's best outcomes are still ahead? He should turn his attention fully towards the trade deadline -- where the Devils can't be complacent in their approach.

The team would benefit from boosting its center depth, and a source confirmed the Devils' interest in Montreal Canadiens' pivot Jake Evans as a potential target. Evans is having a career-best season in Montreal, with 10 goals and 23 points in 41 games, and he'd be an ideal addition to New Jersey's third or fourth line. The Devils might also look at bringing in pending UFAs like Brock Nelson or Yanni Gourde as low-risk, bottom-six depth options.

The Devils could explore some insurance for their back end, too, due to the club's injury history there (Hughes and Pesce have already been sidelined by ailments this season). Cody Ceci -- another pending UFA -- is an intriguing veteran option with playoff experience.

Any changes would have to complement what Fitzgerald has done to date. The hard work of building up New Jersey is already done. It just hasn't manifested in playoff success -- potentially until now.

Colorado showed how to go from worst to first. New Jersey's trajectory to this stage -- let's call it base camp -- has mirrored the Avalanche's past journey in multiple ways.

The NHL is a results-driven league, though. The Devils don't have much to show for themselves yet. But it feels like the door has been cracked on New Jersey's time to contend, and usher in the franchise's next winning era.

Are they ready for it? Let the (real) games begin.

Plans have been revealed for a revamped Welsh League Cup that could hand Wrexham a way into Europe, if the competition receives approval from the English Football Association (FA).

The plans were announced by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), who hope the re-launched competition will bring a 3 million ($3.6m) windfall into the club game, while also offering the winner of the competition a path into the qualifying rounds of a UEFA club competition.

The proposal would see Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County and Wrexham compete in a 16-team Welsh League Cup alongside the 12 JD Cymru Premier clubs, a league which will be expanded to 16 sides in 2026-27.

A source told ESPN that Wrexham are supportive of the plans as long as it receives FA approval and competing in the tournament doesn't impact their participation in the English Football League (EFL).

The FA are discussing this proposed competition with stakeholders, a source told ESPN. If the plans are approved, the competition would start next season.

"This will be a game-changer for the development of the game as we work to unlock the full potential of Welsh football," FAW chief executive Noel Mooney said. "It will unite Welsh football, improve the game at all levels, and deliver meaningful societal benefits across Wales making our clubs and communities more sustainable.

"It will generate significant additional revenue through a revamped Welsh League Cup competition with expanded participation of the four highest-ranked Welsh clubs that participate in the English football pyramid.

"This will be distributed throughout the JD Cymru Premier, Genero Adran Premier (Wales' top women's league) and grassroots facilities across the country.

"It also represents the spirit of collaboration and cooperation among football associations across the United Kingdom ahead of the home nations' joint co-hosting Euro 2028."

This competition is a key cornerstone of the FAW's Prosiect (Project) Cymru, as they seek to improve their UEFA coefficient, and therefore receive a larger cut of UEFA's financial distributions.

The Welsh clubs have agreed that any profit generated from the competition would not contribute or impact any financial regulations in the EFL or Premier League.

The plan has also been discussed with European football's governing body UEFA as well as the Secretary of State for Wales and the Welsh Government, but is reliant on FA approval.

The next step for Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and Wrexham is to consult with their respective supporter groups.

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is nearing a move to Paris Saint-Germain, a source has told ESPN, with the two clubs set to meet on Monday to finalise the deal.

A source told ESPN the deal is likely to be worth between 60 million ($61m) and 65m for the Georgia international who was the best player in Serie A when Napoli ended their 33-year wait for the Scudetto in May 2023.

At this stage, no PSG player is expected to be part of the deal with both Milan Skriniar and Randal Kolo Muani are looking at options other than Napoli.

Kvaratskhelia had been linked with Liverpool this month, and manger Arne Slot refused to be drawn on any potential move. However, a full agreement with PSG is expected on Monday with the player set to travel to Paris later this week to sign a contract.

Kvaratskhelia has already agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 leaders over a five-year contract. His deal at Napoli expires in June 2027 -- the club had wished extend his contract but he refused.

He told Antonio Conte that he wanted to leave this month. He had already wanted to go to Paris on the summer but Napoli closed the door on a potential move.

The wife of Arsenal player Kai Havertz has shared abusive messages she received on social media after Arsenal lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Sophia Havertz shared two posts on her Instagram story on Monday, including one where someone threatens to "slaughter" her unborn baby.

Arsenal were knocked out of the cup after losing on penalties to holder United. Germany striker Havertz missed a chance to win the game at the Emirates Stadium when firing over from close range and then had a penalty saved in the shootout.

Sophia Havertz expressed her disgust at the abuse she received after the match.

"For anyone to think it's okay to write something like this is so shocking to me... I hope you are ashamed of yourself," she posted.

In response to the threat to her baby, she posted: "I'm not sure what to even say but please guys be more respectful. We are better than this..."

Football authorities and the police have tried to counter online abuse toward players.

England's Football Association said last year it was providing funding of around 25,000 ($32,000) to help police clamp down on incidents at the European Championship.

At the previous Euros in 2021, England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were subjected to racial abuse on social media after missing penalties in a shootout defeat to Italy in the final.

World governing body FIFA has set up a Social Media Protection Service, which it says protects players, teams and officials from online abuse by keeping their social feeds free from hate.

At the Women's World Cup in 2023, 20% of the players received discriminatory, abusive or threatening messages, SMPS said, about half of which were anti-gay, sexual or sexist.

Enzo Maresca has admitted he feels "shame" about the treatment of Ben Chilwell but has reiterated that the full-back does not fit into his Chelsea plans.

Chilwell, 28, had made 70 Premier League appearances for the west London club in the four years before Maresca's arrival but has only featured once -- in the Carabao Cup -- this season.

Maresca, who took over as Chelsea boss last summer, said on Monday that he sympathises with the England international.

"Because players want to play more so there's probably chances for them to leave," Maresca said. "But Ben has been top. I have to say that, he has been top.

"Very professional, works hard. I feel shame because of that situation but in terms of behaviour, he has been very good."

Asked why Chilwell wasn't featuring, the Argentine coach added: "First of all because it is my choice. And because I can see Malo Gusto, Reece James or Marc Cucurella doing different kind of jobs during the game.

"I think Chilwell is a top full-back, doing that job up and down and given opportunity in past to win titles and be in national team, but I struggle to see Ben doing different kind of things."

Maresca said in the same news conference -- when discussing the fit-again James -- that he was "not a fan of full-backs going up and down."

He also spoke about reports linking young defender Renato Veiga, 21, with a move to Borussia Dortmund. Portugal international Veiga only joined Chelsea from FC Basel last summer but is said to be unhappy with his playing time, and his position -- Chelsea favouring him at left-back rather than centre-back.

"I'm not aware that there is an agreement for Renato," Maresca said. "Yesterday he was here working, today he will be working so he's our player. We'll see if something happens.

"We bought Renato from Basel, he arrived and played well in different positions and allowed him to join the national team for the first time in his life. Even if he was not playing in his position [centre back], probably him playing for international team means the position he is playing he is doing well.

"We are happy all players go to the international team, especially young players who join Chelsea, play in four or five different positions and gets the chance to play in the national team. We're very proud of that."

Chelsea are without a win in five in the Premier League and host Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

What a weekend! European soccer didn't disappoint, per usual, with a ton of talking points to discuss after a captivating slate of games. Barcelona thumped Clasico rivals Real Madrid to win the Spanish Supercopa, but more than the result, it showed how Hansi Flick's side can bridge the gap in LaLiga while Carlo Ancelotti must fix his star-studded team. In the English FA Cup, Man United advanced over Arsenal on penalties to reach the fourth round, but both teams got what they needed from Sunday's fiery, full-blooded clash.

Elsewhere, we have plenty to break down from Milan's wobbly win at Venezia, Trent-Alexander's performance for Liverpool in the FA Cup, João Félix's flashes of brilliance for Chelsea, Bayern Munich's labored win over Borussia Monchengladbach. Oh, and Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and even Jack Grealish.

Let's get to it. Here are musings and reactions to the most memorable moments of the weekend.

Clasico beatdown must have consequences, more for Real Madrid than for Barcelona

Maybe there's a parallel universe where Rodrygo's shot caroms in off the woodwork early in the second half, Barca don't go up the pitch to score directly afterwards, Wojciech Szczesny still gets sent off, Madrid score another and it's 4-4, and the sponsors/everyone marvels at both the spectacle of Barca's talents and Madrid's never-say-die attitude.

The worst thing Real Madrid could do right now is tell themselves that they have anything whatsoever to do with that parallel universe. Instead, after the 5-2 shellacking, coming on the back of a 4-0 humiliation at the Bernabeu in October and with another Clasico coming up in Barcelona towards the end of the season, the best thing to do is engage in some accountability.

It necessarily starts with Carlo Ancelotti, of course. He sets the team and sends them out; thinking you could cram Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham into some sort of 4-2-4 against this Barcelona side right now was a massive blunder. Having gone more conservative in the prior Clasico, he went out guns blazing in this one and got his backside handed to him from the start -- let's not forget the two huge early Thibaut Courtois saves.

Ancelotti will bear the brunt of the criticism and, to be fair, he's used to it. But let's not forget the elephant in the room: how this team was put together.

We've touched on it before. You're one of the best-resourced clubs in the world and you go into the season with a squad whose three best forwards are all natural left-wingers (and whose main midfield attacking threat, Bellingham, also gravitates to the left). Toni Kroos, your midfield general, retires and you think you can be competitive with a guy who turns 40 in September (Luka Modric) and another guy who is, well, Dani Ceballos. You've got two central defenders coming off season-ending ACL injuries, and it doesn't occur to you to add another centre-back to the squad.

This is classic "Panini sticker" approach: bring in the big names and let the coach figure it out. Mbappe is the most coveted player in the world? Got to have him -- no matter that Vinicius plays the same position. I'm out of central defenders? No sweat: Aurélien Tchouaméni is tallish, so he can play at the back. That Endrick kid who's the next big thing? Bring him in as well, even though he'll never get playing time.

Ancelotti may have solved these tactical conundrums in the past -- sometimes through strokes of genius, sometimes because it's football and you'll beat most opponents if you have better players and a standout keeper -- but it doesn't mean he (or anyone else) can do so in perpetuity. And it certainly doesn't mean it makes sense to continue building squads like this one, even if they do end up with silverware at the end of the campaign.

There's another negative side effect to the superstar-driven approach too. When they struggle, it's harder to make adjustments. That's why, you presume, Vinicius stayed out there for 76 minutes despite enduring one of his worst performances in recent memory. The guy is already banned in LaLiga for the red card he picked up against Valencia; he has been coddled and told the ban was unfair, so what would taking him off earlier have done for his state of mind? I can't say for sure, but I imagine that's precisely what went through Ancelotti's head.

Word from the club is that they won't acquire anyone new in January. If you're a Madrid fan, you hope Sunday changed their mind.

As for Barcelona, Madrid's deficiencies and self-inflicted wounds should not take anything away from their performance. However much Madrid played into their hands, Barca's stars performed. Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and, of course, Lamine Yamal will get the headlines -- righty so, given the technical quality they showed -- but credit has to go to the middle of the park. Marc Casadó, Gavi and Pedri played with an intensity and an intelligence that gave Barca the necessary platform to perform the way they did.

That's about them, sure, but that's also about Hansi Flick. Game-planning for this second Clasico given the circumstances (the Dani Olmo situation, the legacy of the first Clasico meeting this season) could not have been easy and yet he got just about everything right. Barcelona aren't perfect and there are bound to be plenty more bumps along the way. It's still high risk/high reward with Flick, especially because they've struggled against smaller clubs that sit deep, though with Gavi now fully fit that might change. But this Clasico win is a massive confidence boost.

Making up the six-point gap in LaLiga -- especially because it's not just Real Madrid they'd have to catch, but Atletico too -- might be beyond them. Yet after days like this, you'd have to put them among the top two or three favourites for the Champions League.

Boost for Ruben Amorim goes way beyond Man United's place in the FA Cup fourth round

Ruben Amorim won on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta lost. That would also have been the case even if the spot kicks had gone the other way, and it was Arsenal who advanced to the next round. Why? Because of what we saw in the preceding 120 minutes, and because the prize -- staying alive in the FA Cup -- is worth less than what happened on the pitch.

I don't mean to gratuitously diss the competition here. Yes, it's a trophy and an important one, but it's not how either one of these managers is going to be judged. Don't believe me? Ask Erik ten Hag. He won it last year and is now unemployed (and largely unloved).

More important, for both these coaches, was to get an emotional boost and provide a sense that their club is moving in the right direction. That part was settled in the 120 minutes before any penalty was taken.

Arsenal might have created more chances and bossed the expected goals (3.22 to 0.27), but most of that came in the nearly one hour of football they played with a man advantage. Oh, and it was in that hour of football that they missed a penalty and failed to capitalise. The upshot? More doubt about what they can achieve with Kai Havertz at centre-forward. It's not a view I share: I'm a Havertz believer, though it would be nice to have another option off the bench -- and without Bukayo Saka on the pitch. Doubt isn't what Arteta needs right now, and a win on penalties wouldn't have changed that.

As for United, yes, they created very little before and after Diogo Dalot's red card, but they stayed in the game and played with intensity and purpose. A bit like the Liverpool game, they looked like a side that was growing into what the manager wanted them to do.

Random moments like the Matthijs De Ligt block achieve outsize significance. It felt as if little lightbulbs were going off up and down the lineup. They punished their opponent's mistakes, kept their tactical shape and grew more disciplined with a man down even as their foe grew more frantic. Confidence in your manager is a thing and once again, they showed it. And just as with Arsenal, the outcome of the spot kicks would not have impacted this.

One more thing on the penalty "won" by Havertz when he collided with Harry Maguire's arm. I accept that some folks hate VAR; well, we got to experience a game without VAR, and we didn't just see a player conning the referee into awarding a penalty (as Havertz did, I'm sorry to say) -- we also saw a full-on melee afterwards with little in the way of disciplinary action. Not because the referee was bad, but because it's simply impossible for one refereeing team to keep track of a 20-man brawl.

Did not having VAR (as is customary in the third round of the FA Cup) really make the game more enjoyable? Or did it offer an incentive for players to get away with stuff?

New coach, same old Milan? Maybe, but it's not necessarily a bad thing

The recent comeback wins against Juventus and Inter en route to the Super Cup were exhilarating, but it was obvious that Milan were going to be judged by how well they do the bread-and-butter of cranking out victories in the league and moving up the table. And that's where things under Sérgio Conceição felt like they did under Paulo Fonseca, which is probably why boos rang out at the end of Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Cagliari.

Against an opponent that parked the proverbial bus -- and understandably so, considering that they're fighting to avoid relegation -- Milan had plenty of the ball and the chances, but failed to capitalise. Their 2.75 xG and 24 shots on goal (11 on target) end up meaning little when it's another two points missed. And adding insult to injury, there were no fewer than three distinct individual mistakes on Nadir Zortea's equalizer, from Youssouf Fofana's revolving door defending, to Theo Hernández getting lost, to Mike Maignan fumbling the shot.

It's the sort of stuff that infuriates fans -- and probably Conceicao, too -- the kind of stuff that played a big part of what cost Fonseca his job at the end of December. That said, Milan were aggressive and front-footed, the opportunities were there (think of Christian Pulisic hitting the woodwork or Tammy Abraham's missed one-on-one) and they did more than enough to win. That's a sign the foundation is more solid than the table suggests. And it's OK if this looks like Fonseca's Milan because that team, despite the self-inflicted errors, got a lot of things right.

Conceicao doesn't need to tear it down; he just needs to iron out the kinks.

Quick hits

10. It's now 14 wins in a row for high-flying Atletico: The narrative out of Sunday's 1-0 win over Osasuna was that this was old-school Atletico Madrid: defending staunchly and not dominating, but taking their chances at the other end. I'm not sure I agree, and the xG (2.33) back me up on the attacking end. They weren't overwhelming, and Julián Álvarez's goal felt like a collective brain fart from Osasuna's back line -- despite having three central defenders, Alvarez is somehow left all on his own? -- but the opportunities they did create were high quality and they were stingy in their own box. They remain a point clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga and their confidence is only growing.

9. Antonio Conte has his game face on as Napoli say goodbye to Kvaratskhelia: Sunday's 2-0 victory over Verona makes it five wins on the bounce for Napoli (in the league, that is, because that's the only competition they have left). It was dominant in a Conte way: an early goal, tight defending and then a second (gorgeous) goal from André-Frank Zambo Anguissa after the break for insurance purposes. More telling were his words on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is officially on his way out. Conte said he was disappointed that he wasn't able to persuade him to stay; Kvaratskhelia would have stayed, of course, if he had been able to get the pay rise everyone agreed he deserved. (What they disagreed on, of course, was the size of the pay bump.)

8. It's not the contract talks, it's Trent Alexander-Arnold: I made the point last week -- as did Arne Slot -- after the horror show against Manchester United, and it's valid this week after his surprise start against Accrington Stanley, in which he was the only holdover from last weekend's XI: you can't blame his contractual situation and the fact that he's a free agent in a few months when things are bad, because that same situation exists when things are good. And they were very good on Saturday as he led the team out as captain and notched a peach of a goal in a 4-0 drubbing. The reality is that Alexander-Arnold is exceptional going forward but sometimes suffers massive lapses defensively. That happened before his contract talks, and it will likely happen again after he signs a new deal, whether with Liverpool or anyone else.

7. Inter's bounce-back win is important, but so too were the late wobbles: Sunday's 1-0 win at Venezia is significant because it keeps the team within four points of table-topping Napoli: that's manageable with two games in hand. More significant, I think, is the way they bounced back from the gut-punch of the Super Cup defeat to Milan, in which a 2-0 Inter lead turned into a 3-2 defeat. Despite further evidence that they're not the same team without Hakan Calhanoglu, they were largely in charge for much of the game -- at least until the last 15 minutes or so, when they conceded more chances than Simone Inzaghi would have liked. If there is a cause for concern right now, it's probably at the back.

6. Unlocking Joao Felix is a delight for the eyes: Imagine if you could do that. Imagine if you could get Joao Felix to regularly offer what we saw him give Chelsea in the 5-0 drubbing of Morecambe on Saturday. He was facing a side one spot above the bottom of the entire English Football League, but no, your eyes did not deceive you. In the beauty of his two goals, you saw his grace, touch, balance, finishing, creativity -- all the things that are supposed to add up to a superstar. Except in his case, they don't. He might be the most technically gifted player at the club, but 5 years after his absurd 126 million to Atletico Madrid -- that's right, he's still the fourth-costliest player ever -- he still can't find a manager to give him regular playing time. (The most damning Joao Felix stat might be that since turning 21, he has never started more than 18 games in a season). Enzo Maresca would love to change that, but he's not so arrogant that he thinks he will succeed where so many others have failed.

5. Harry Kane's penalty rescues wasteful Bayern Munich: Some in Bayern-land are so concerned about not killing every game early that Saturday's 1-0 win away to Borussia Monchengladbach was seen as a disappointment. Gladbach had a couple of chances after the break and it was 0-0 until Kane's spot kick with just over 20 minutes to go. Could Bayern have dropped points? Sure, but they also put together an xG of 4.28 (to 0.35) and didn't concede a single shot until the second half. That they created so much without Jamal Musiala against a midtable opponent isn't a bad thing. If you're going to worry as a Bayern fan, worry about free agents-to-be Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies, both of whom were typically excellent.

4. Tottenham scrape past nonleague Tamworth, and it could be the end of extra time in the FA Cup: Tiny Tamworth away was exactly what Tottenham didn't want in the FA Cup: small ground, artificial pitch, a fired-up opponent, second-stringers not taking chances (read: Timo Werner), every neutral hoping for an upset in the name of the "Magic of the FA Cup." Tamworth kept it scoreless for 90 minutes, but the floodgates opened in extra time with an own goal paving the way to a 3-0 Spurs win. Maybe it's a coincidence, but The Times reported Monday that the Football Association was considering scrapping extra time and going straight to penalty kicks. With replays having already been eliminated, the traditionalists might be incensed, but the harsh truth is that the less actual football you play, the more chance the smaller club has of an upset, and going direct to spot kicks would have given a team like a Tamworth a better chance. As for the bigger clubs, you suspect the last thing they want to do is play an extra half hour on a frozen pitch in January.

3. Paris Saint-Germain reaping far less than they sow: It has been like this for a while now and theories vary, but Sunday's victory over Saint Etienne felt like peak Luis Enrique. The defending champions took 25 shots on goal and put together an xG of 4.07, but managed only to win 2-1. It's easy to point to the whole "recognised striker" trope, except for the fact that Gonçalo Ramos actually started in this game. (Randal Kolo Muani was elsewhere, presumably waiting to find a new home in the January transfer window.) With rumours that they're close to signing Kvaratskhelia, you wonder how many winger types are enough given that they already have Bradley Barcola, Lee Kang-in, Désiré Doué, Marco Asensio and Ousmane Dembélé.

2. Let's all pick on Jack Grealish? It rather feels that way. You might have thought that his first goal for Manchester City since December 2023 (in Saturday's 8-0 demolition of Salford City in the FA Cup) would have earned Grealish some respite from the critics. Instead, we got plenty of reminders that it had been 392 days since the 100m man's last goal. (Heck, because it was a penalty, when he next scores from open play -- if he scores from open play -- we'll get a reminder that it's his first goal from open play since 2023. Won't that be droll?) There's no question that Grealish has been a bust and that there were far better ways for City to spend that money, but bringing up his lack of goals kinda feels like punching down. Grealish is what he is: a guy who was vastly overrated by one of the most successful coaches in history, who then couldn't fit him into his system in a productive way and who failed to live up to his transfer fee or massive contract. Plus, he has the look the sort of player opposing fans love to hate. But he can't be the only scapegoat here.

1. Juventus disappoint (again) in derby, but look hard and you'll find two bright spots: As dull as Juve were in the 1-1 draw with Torino, and as angry as Thiago Motta was -- he even got himself sent off, raging afterwards about how unhappy he was with his team's lack of aggression -- there are two points of light. One is Kenan Yildiz, who scored and was a constant thorn in Torino's side. I'll leave it to others to determine whether he's the best Turkish teenager around (or whether it's Arda Güler), but it's wild to me that some were linking him to an exit over doubts about whether he fit Motta's system. The other is Douglas Luiz, who made his first start since October and bossed the midfield. I have no idea how or why he ended up on Motta's naughty step after his big summer move, but it's evident he can contribute to this team. Beyond that, Juve showed all their limitations (Dusan Vlahovic's absence is not an excuse) en route to their 12th league draw in 19 games. Nobody in Europe's Big 5 leagues has drawn more.