Contract negotiations are a delicate thing. Some NHL players prefer tuning them out all together during the season. Others might want the process wrapped up quickly -- but fairly -- and listen in on every detail year round.

The key is not to let those conversations be a distraction to what is actually being achieved on the ice.

Just ask Alexis Lafreniere.

He's the latest player to sign a long-term extension, inking a seven-year, $52.15 million pact with the New York Rangers last week on the heels of a breakout 2023-24 campaign where the 23-year-old tallied 28 goals and 57 points in 82 games. If Lafreniere continues that sort of growth his big deal will be a sweet steal for the Rangers.

Now that Lafreniere is locked in long term, who might be next to secure the proverbial bag?

There's already speculation around what the likes of Connor McDavid, Cale Makar and Kirill Kaprizov could receive on a fresh extension, which they're all eligible to sign beginning next July.

After conversations with league insiders, here is a sample of players --- from the obvious to perhaps more obscure -- that are poised to (possibly) get paid sooner rather than later. And with the NHL salary cap expected to keep climbing upwards from its current $88 million, there's (potentially) even more money to spare when those contracts are doled out.

The superstars

It was a gasp heard 'round the hockey world when ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported earlier this month that Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had turned down an eight-year, $88 million extension -- which would have made Shesterkin the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.

Make no mistake: Shesterkin will be paid handsomely at some point -- in New York or somewhere else if the pending unrestricted free agent so chooses. And that deal will recalibrate the market for goaltenders going forward.

"My guess is Shesterkin will get upwards of $11.5 [million] per," one agent said. "He's not going to settle for a lower number just because. I think the [Jeremy] Swayman situation proved that's no longer [a norm]."

Fair enough. Plus, Shesterkin has come a long way over the course of his current four-year, $22.67 million deal. He won a Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender following the 2021-22 season, and finished third that year in Hart Trophy voting for league MVP. He's perennially one of the NHL's top netminders and this season is no different; Shesterkin is 4-1-1, with a .926 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average, both of which ratios are top five in the NHL.

Shesterkin's position as New York's backbone makes his next contract the massive move worth watching for next -- and who knows? There could be more drama on the way there before pens hit paper.

Speaking of dramatics, there's been no shortage of those surrounding Mitch Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger has declined to comment publicly on extension talks, but they are happening behind closed doors. Marner's current mark of $10.9 million per year seems likely to rise, and he has two teammates as points of comparison in talks: Auston Matthews' $13.5 million per year salary and William Nylander's $11.5 million. Marner falls somewhere in the middle.

His camp has taken a "wait and see" approach with the Leafs thus far, testing the waters from training camp into the new season and watching how that played out. Marner's had a solid start to the campaign with one goal and 10 points in nine games, giving him the team lead in scoring. With that in mind, it would behoove the Leafs to get Marner's deal done now before any asking price starts to rise.

On the other hand, it's the postseason where Toronto has most wanted to see Marner at his best -- and where the winger has repeatedly faltered at being a certifiable difference-maker.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if Marner gets to the summer without an extension," another agent said. "It also wouldn't shock me if Marner was the next guy signed [to a big contract]. He's a dominant player. But how does [GM Brad Treliving] see that team's core now and going forward? It all factors in."

One marquee player who might not be satisfied quickly (or easily) by his current club? Mikko Rantanen. The Colorado Avalanche's top-line winger appears to have stalled out in conversations with the Avs about extending beyond his current deal worth $9.25 million per season. Rantanen has teammate Nathan MacKinnon's eight-year, $100.8 million contract as a comparison tool, and that's not necessarily the range Colorado sees Rantanen landing in -- even if Rantanen does.

Expect Rantanen to use a hot 2024-25 campaign -- in which he's now tied for third in league scoring with four goals and 13 points -- to showcase why he's worth a MacKinnon-like payday when the time comes to close a deal, in Colorado or somewhere else.

The core set

It's not like typically tight-lipped New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is going to tip his hand about Brock Nelson's future with the team. But, Nelson is a pending UFA and despite some rampant speculation the Islanders could move him at the trade deadline, there's a strong case to be made for paying the man to stay long-term.

Nelson's career has been on the rise for most of the past three seasons, over which he's led New York with 111 goals and 209 points in 244 games (that's with three consecutive 30-plus goal outings). Frankly, the 33-year-old has been showing up for a roster that's consistently short on scoring, and the fact he's getting better year over year makes extending him past this six-year, $36 million contract smart business for Lamoriello. Foundational pieces like Nelson are hard to come by.

It's a similar situation with Vancouver forward Brock Boeser. Despite an up-and-down run with the Canucks to date that included last season's disappointing finish to the postseason due to a blood-clotting issue, there's no denying Boeser's position as a steady force in Vancouver's offense. The 27-year-old had the best regular season of his career in 2023-24, pacing the Canucks with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games -- then added seven goals and 12 points in 12 postseason tilts before being sidelined. Those numbers -- coupled with a point-per-game start to this season -- should net Boeser a hefty increase on his current three-year, $19.95 million deal.

It may take a while for the Canucks to sort through their cap situation and find a middle ground with Boeser. And given how well he's playing, Boeser might not mind waiting, either.

Another core player that seems like a no-brainer for a long-term deal is Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett. Talks are ongoing between the Panthers and their pending UFA, and that's a great thing for both parties. Florida already sealed the (long-term) deal with Carter Verhaeghe this month, and taking care of Bennett is GM Bill Zito's next priority.

Bennett has eclipsed the 40-point mark in his last three seasons with Florida and gathered 20-plus goals in two of those outings, making him one of the Panthers' most reliable pieces up front. He's shown to be one of the league's prominent power forwards -- an increasingly rare breed -- and Bennett also packed a punch for the Panthers in the playoffs, averaging nearly a point per game in both of their runs to the Stanley Cup Final, in 2023 and 2024.

Bennett is wrapping up a contract worth $4.425 million this season, and while he should expect a raise of some sort, the opportunity to keep winning in Florida might be all the juice Bennett needs to get a more team-friendly deal closed and keep the good times rolling.

The rising stars

It's simpler, in some cases, to peg where established players (like those above) might land in terms of their next significant contracts. For the ones still putting down roots in the league? Trickier!

Take the Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie. He had a standout season in 2023-24, with career-high totals in goals (17) and points (39) through 76 games. Geekie entered training camp this fall with elevated expectations and top-six potential. Boston's uncharacteristically slow start to the campaign has seemed to put the entire team -- including Geekie -- in a haze, and the 26-year-old has just one assist in his first eight games.

What does it all mean in the grand scheme for Boston's pending RFA? Plenty. The Bruins have seen Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire in recent years, and it's guys like Geekie who can replace them into the future. That's not to say Geekie will be overpaid immediately, but it's in Boston's best interest to give Geekie a solid deal that solidifies his place as a premier part of their future. Doing so before summer could be a boost for Geekie's confidence.

The Dallas Stars have a comparably important player in Wyatt Johnston, who's also set to be a restricted free agent -- and who they would be wise to take care of in short order. Johnston has face-of-the-franchise potential after the last two seasons, during which time he produced 56 goals and 106 points. Johnston is also just 21 years old; given he's already become a cornerstone of the Stars' offense, that's going to cost them on a new deal.

Offering Johnston a long-term deal at around the same $8-$8.5 million a year salary that Dallas has doled out to teammates Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen should be enough to keep everyone happy. Johnston has been with Dallas on consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals, and the opportunity to stay in a winning fold is hard to turn down.

Exeter now have some respite from their league woes with the Premiership Rugby Cup taking over during the autumn international period.

With Chiefs missing just England's Henry Slade and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, along with Wales' Christ Tshiunza, Baxter says he will set to work trying to fix his side's problems.

They face a trip to Championship side Cornish Pirates on Friday before hosting second-tier Hartpury the following week and then meeting Gloucester in their third pool game.

"This is like a mini pre-season for us," Baxter said.

"We've got a lot of hard work to do and there's going to be a lot of good, hard training sessions and there's going to be lot of players getting good game minutes until we settle into a way of playing that we're comfortable with.

"It's very hard. I don't like this. I don't like seeing the players looking the way they're having to look because of the levels of performance and the results.

"What do you do? Do you hide yourself away and run away from it or do you get on with it? Right here and now we're going to get on with it."

Bukayo Saka became the youngest Arsenal player to score 50 Premier League goals when he returned from a hamstring injury in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, but the winger was disappointed to drop two points after being on the verge of a crucial win.

Saka, who was injured during England's loss to Greece earlier this month, scored early to become the league's seventh youngest player to reach 50 goals at 23 years and 52 days, eight days older than when England's top scorer Harry Kane netted his 50th Premier League goal.

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler remains the youngest to reach the milestone at 20 years and 252 days, ahead of fellow strikers Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku, with Cristiano Ronaldo the fifth youngest.

"I hate to miss games, so I was buzzing to be back. I had this game in mind to come back for and I was feeling good out there, and I was happy to get an early goal," Saka told Arsenal's official website.

"We are disappointed. I feel like we didn't show our best selves for 90 minutes and it cost us in the end. We believe we should have won it."

Mikel Arteta also praised Saka's consistency as one of the positives in the match that saw key players Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber leave the field with injuries.

"After a few weeks off, the way he played and competed was exceptional. I think we had some big, big individual performances in the team," Arteta said.

Third-placed Arsenal, who lost at Bournemouth last weekend, now trail leaders Manchester City by five points. Arsenal continue their league campaign at Newcastle United on Saturday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When the season started, the Dallas Cowboys never believed they would be in such a predicament after seven games.

With Sunday's 30-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys are 3-4 and closer to the bottom of the NFC than a Super Bowl contender at the moment.

"We're disappointed," coach Mike McCarthy said. "Our men really had a good week of preparation. I thought there were areas of improvement. But still, we have a ton to work on."

The last time the Cowboys had a 3-4 record with a healthy Dak Prescott at quarterback was 2018. In 2020, the Cowboys were 2-5 on their way to 2-7, but Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle in the fifth game of the season.

The 2018 Cowboys were jump-started by a midseason trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper and finished the campaign with a 10-6 record, winning the NFC East and a playoff game. Only five players active on Sunday remain from the 2018 roster -- Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, right guard Zack Martin, cornerback Jourdan Lewis and special-teamer C.J. Goodwin.

The Cowboys will play at the Atlanta Falcons, leaders of the NFC South, next week.

"We know what it takes in this league," Prescott said. "You got hot, you get rolling, that's all you're looking to do. That's my point, that this is frustrating but nobody is giving up. Nobody is shook, as you can say, from where we're at. We just got to focus up, get ready to go on the road and got another good team coming up and do whatever we can do make sure we come out with a victory. Get even. Then worry about after that after this next road game."

The Cowboys' next four opponents -- the Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders -- are a combined 22-9 after each won on Sunday.

"We've got to go every Sunday by Sunday," Lewis said. "We can't think about the future. That's where we are now: thinking about that next game and that next opportunity."

Frustration, however, is growing. The Cowboys have lost four straight games to the 49ers, including two postseason contests and three in a row at Levi's Stadium.

Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs, still in uniform, came out of the locker room to confront a television reporter about a tweet during the game that appeared to question his effort.

"It really sucks," wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. "Especially coming here three times in the last three years. It's sickening."

Despite falling behind 27-10 after being outscored 21-0 and outgained 167 yards to 16 in the third quarter, the Cowboys still had a chance to pull out an improbable victory, but Prescott had four straight incompletions after taking over with 3:05 to play.

It was the end to a game Prescott would like to forget. While he threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Lamb, Prescott became the first Cowboys quarterback with two interceptions in three straight games since Troy Aikman in 1992, according to ESPN Research.

Prescott finished 25-of-38 for 243 yards and was sacked twice.

"I mean me, personally frustrated. Frustrated myself in my play. I imagine the rest of the guys are," Prescott said. "Not getting the win, two in a row now, sitting at 3-4. But I can definitely tell you that nobody's shaken or giving up. Frustration is very high. But it's a long season. I mean it's a long season. Division games, a lot are still ahead of us.

"Frustrated. That's the best way that I can put it."

LONDON -- Arsenal slipped further off the pace in the Premier League title race by twice throwing away the lead in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday. Mikel Arteta's team, who have finished runners-up to Manchester City in each of the past two season, are now five points adrift of Pep Guardiola's side.

Bukayo Saka had given Arsenal a ninth-minute lead after embarrassing Liverpool full-back Andrew Robertson to score, and Mikel Merino restored the Gunners' lead with a 43rd-minute header after Virgil van Dijk had equalised on 17 minutes. Mohamed Salah's 81st-minute equaliser finally secured a point for the visitors.

What was already a disappointing day for Arsenal was further tarnished by centre-back Gabriel Magalhães limping out of the game on 54 minutes with a suspected knee injury.

Liverpool show resilience to pass first big test

Arne Slot has repeatedly said that his Liverpool team cannot be judged until they have faced a big test against a big opponent, but the Reds' manager will now know that his side have resilience in abundance after fighting back twice to earn a draw at Arsenal. Last Sunday's Anfield win against Chelsea was a test against an improving team, but the trip to the Emirates was the first time Liverpool faced an opponent occupying a top-five spot this season.

The reality is that Arsenal were the better team and the one that displayed most creativity and carried the greater threat. Despite that, though, and despite Arsenal twice taking the lead, Liverpool still emerged with a point that enables them to stay ahead of the Gunners as Manchester City's closest challengers at the top of the table.

Slot's Liverpool are a different proposition to Jürgen Klopp's team -- the side the German called his "Mentality Monsters." They play a more disciplined 4-3-3 formation and midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister occupy the defensive slots in front of the back four. As a consequence, they are tougher to beat, but the flip side is that Slot's Liverpool lack the fantasy of his predecessor's side.

After nine games in charge, though, Slot's team are second in the table and just one point behind champions City. They lost at the Emirates last season when they were too open, but Slot has bolted the back door a little tighter, and he is getting his rewards.

This was another test passed. -- Mark Ogden

Arsenal's patched-up defence collapses

William Saliba played every single minute of Arsenal's Premier League campaign last season. His absence here -- the product of a red card against AFC Bournemouth -- posed Arteta a new problem in reshuffling his defence.

The Gunners boss opted to partner Ben White with Gabriel at centre-back while midfielder Thomas Partey started at right-back and Jurriën Timber recovered from a muscular problem to begin at left-back.

That quartet -- Arsenal's sixth different back four in nine league games -- coped admirably in the circumstances, but Arsenal's problems deepened in the second half. Gabriel was forced off nine minutes after the restart and later returned to the dugout to watch the rest of the game with his left leg heavily strapped.

The last Premier League match in which neither Gabriel nor Saliba was on the field was the final four minutes of Arsenal's 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in March 2023.

Jakub Kiwior was introduced, but Liverpool stepped up their search for an equaliser, and Timber -- starting his first game for 26 days -- faded, forcing the introduction of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly. Salah's equaliser came down that flank. Darwin Núñez evaded Lewis-Skelly and Kiwior got caught out of position as Salah darted infield to equalise.

Saliba will return from suspension, but Arsenal's defence -- so often a stable and reliable composition in recent seasons -- is being tested to the limit at present. -- James Olley

Salah's goal illustrates what he does best

Salah's 81st-minute equaliser for Liverpool was a classic example of what he does best -- and also a hint to Slot that he needs give the forward more scope to do it. Slot's Liverpool play a more rigid formation than Klopp's free-flowing side, and the downside of that approach is that it has taken away the freedom that Salah enjoyed under Slot's predecessor.

Against Arsenal, the 32-year-old spent virtually the whole game on the right of the Liverpool front three and he played to instructions by occupying the right flank of the pitch when the team went forward. At times, he cut a frustrated figure, looking like nothing more than a standard right winger obediently staying in his position and ensuring that the team shape remained solid.

The beauty of Salah, though, is his ability to cut inside or roam freely across the forward line. Think of all the great goals he has scored for Liverpool, and so many have been when he has glided off the wing and scored with an unstoppable left-foot shot.

At the Emirates, he did that once and it led to a crucial goal that earned a point for Liverpool.

When Núñez chased a ball down the right, Salah cut inside, attacked the space and waited for his teammate to deliver the pass. Núñez laid it on a plate for Salah, who scored once again to make a big impact for Liverpool. -- Ogden

Arteta's secret Saka plan pays off

Arteta is often evasive when answering pre-match team news questions, but the north London club went to special lengths in keeping Saka's availability under wraps.

Arteta claimed on Friday lunchtime that the England winger had not trained as of that point, casting strong doubt over his chances of recovering from a hamstring injury in time to face Liverpool. However, behind the scenes, Arsenal had been increasingly hopeful throughout the week that Saka could play some part and went to the unusual step of training at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

It is the first time they have done so since April, and sources suggest part of the thinking was to ensure the likely team stayed a closely guarded secret with only minimal staff allowed access to the stadium during the session.

Saka proved his fitness and started the game, beating Robertson with ease to score the opening goal after nine minutes. Aged 23 years and 52 days, Saka became the youngest Arsenal player ever to score 50 Premier League goals, and he hit that milestone while wearing the captain's armband.

His importance to Arsenal cannot be overstated, especially with Martin Odegaard still sidelined, and Saka once again delivered when it mattered.

He was replaced with five minutes to go, shortly after Salah's second-half equaliser. Saka would never normally come off in such circumstances, perhaps underlining just how much of a risk it was for him to play in the first place. -- Olley

Liverpool have a double full-back problem

Liverpool might need to replace two full-backs next summer rather than just one. All the focus right now is on Trent Alexander-Arnold and whether the right-back will sign a new contract at Anfield, but there are growing question marks over Robertson at left-back, too. This game at the Emirates suggested both could soon be phased out.

Robertson, who arrived at Liverpool in a bargain 10 million transfer from Hull City in 2017, has been as integral to the team's success in recent years as Alexander-Arnold on the opposite flank. The two defenders have been Liverpool's full-backs now for almost seven years.

They were both poor at the Emirates, though, and it is surely a valid question to ask whether they are suited to the way Slot wants his team to play.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, has had to temper his attacking instincts to fit Slot's system, but his defensive qualities have always been the weakest element of his game and he struggled against Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli, especially in the first half. With so much scrutiny on his future and whether he will sign a contract that would almost certainly make him the club's top earner, Alexander-Arnold needs to show more defensively to prove not only that he is worth the investment, but that he is Slot's best option in that position.

Robertson is four years older than Alexander-Arnold and it is beginning to show. The Scotland international was easily outdone by Saka for Arsenal's opening goal and he had a rocky afternoon before being replaced by Kostas Tsimikas just after the hour mark.

Liverpool need a new long-term solution at left-back, but from a football perspective, they might also decide to cut their losses by finding a new right-back, too. -- Ogden

Set pieces are Arsenal's strength -- and also their weakness

Arsenal have rightly been lauded as one of the finest exponents of set pieces in English football, but for the second consecutive weekend, they were undone when defending a corner.

After Bournemouth broke the deadlock against the Gunners with a well-worked routine of their own, Liverpool achieved first-half parity with another clever effort of their own. Alexander-Arnold swung the ball into the near post where Kai Havertz was beaten in the air by Luis Díaz before Van Dijk nodded in.

Havertz was also caught out in a similar position against Bournemouth. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton have conceded more goals from set pieces than the Gunners in the Premier League this season.

And yet, they remain potent at the other end. Declan Rice's superbly whipped 43rd-minute delivery found Merino, who produced a powerful header to restore the home side's advantage. It is the 27th goal Arsenal have scored from dead-ball situations since the beginning of last season -- a league high. -- Olley

Another entertaining weekend of European football action is in the books, with the main headlines going to Barcelona, sending a statement to Real Madrid with a 4-0 thrashing at the Santiago Bernabeu to remain top of LaLiga.

Meanwhile in the Premier League, Arsenal were unable to close the gap with league leaders Manchester City as they could only settle for a 2-2 draw against Arne Slot's Liverpool. Meanwhile, Cole Palmer continues to create an instant impact for Chelsea as he was instrumental in the Blues beating Newcastle United 2-1.

In Germany, there was further disappointment for Borussia Dortmund as they lost 2-1 to FC Augsburg, while Bayern Munich continued to set the pace at the top of the Bundesliga. In France, Paris Saint-Germain made easy work against their rivals Marseille in Le Classique and in Italy, Internazionale and Juventus played out an eight-goal thriller that ended in a 4-4 draw.

What else happened around Europe this weekend? ESPN's Weekend Review puts a bow on all the continental competition.

Premier League

Top takeaway: Reds snatch crucial point away at the Emirates

Following the 2-2 draw between Manchester City and Arsenal last month, the second big clash between two title contenders this season in the Premier League offered another top game.

As we wait for Liverpool against Manchester City on Dec. 1, Arsenal against Liverpool didn't disappoint on Sunday and also finished in a 2-2 draw. However, for the first time this season, Liverpool boss Slot admitted that his team, who had won 11 of their 12 games in all competitions, were second best.

The Gunners led twice but the Reds showed some character and great depth despite the absence of Diogo Jota. They never gave up while waiting for a mistake from their opponents. That mistake happened late and only after the North Londoners -- who were already without Martin Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba -- were further depleted by Gabriel's injury and Jurriën Timber's cramps. Their back four for the last 20 minutes consisted of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Mohamed Salah subsequently punished Arsenal's makeshift defence and the draw felt a bit fortunate for Liverpool, but hard to take for the hosts. Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola, was watching at home on his sofa and surely enjoyed both teams dropping points.

It meant that his City side was not only top of the table but one point clear of Liverpool and five of Arsenal.

Best match: Brentford 4-3 Ipswich Town

On paper, Brentford against Ipswich might not have appealing on a Saturday afternoon, but it should have been because it was epic. The visitors led 2-0 before Frenchmen Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo changed everything to put their team 3-2 up. There was still time for Ipswich to come back to 3-3 just minutes before the final whistle. However, Mbeumo's late dramatic 4-3 winner was enough to cap off an incredible game at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Best goal: Mateta's winner gives Palace their first win

Once again, this is more about the assist than the finish itself. Eberechi Eze's superb back-heel pass for Jean-Philippe Mateta for Crystal Palace against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was something else. And above all, it gave their team its first league win of the season.

MVP of the weekend: Chelsea's Cole Palmer

Another cold performance for the Chelsea star in their 2-1 win against Newcastle United. One goal, coming off a solo effort at the start of the second half which would prove to be the winner again and one wonderful through-ball for Pedro Neto who put it on a plate for Nicolas Jackson to score the opening goal. The England international might just be the best player in the Premier League at the moment.. -- Julien Laurens

LaLiga

Top takeaway: Barcelona's Clásico dominance dispels all doubts

There was a lot of talk ahead of Saturday's Clásico about the potential weaknesses in Hansi Flick's Barcelona, waiting to be exploited by Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and company at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barça's high defensive line was vulnerable to a pacey forward line. Iñaki Peña was a rookie liability in goal, and so was Marc Casadó in midfield. Also, none of the front three consisting of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha had ever scored against Real Madrid in LaLiga.

Instead, all of those projected weak points turned out to be Barcelona's match-winning strengths in their 4-0 thrashing of their archrivals. Mbappé alone was caught offside a career-high eight times by Barça's inch-perfect offside trap. Peña made four saves, keeping a clean sheet with an xG (expected goals) against of 1.48. Casadó, 21, excelled, playing a line-breaking pass from deep for Barça's opening goal. And all of Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha were on target. Lewandowski scored twice and could have had a hat trick, hitting the post with a straightforward chance.

It was hard to pick a highlight, but Yamal's top-corner finish -- with his wrong foot -- might have been it. "They [my teammates] said they didn't know I had a right foot!," he said afterwards. "I said I do, when I have to." Yamal is 17. Six of Barça's starters were 21 or under. No wonder Flick was doing somersaults on the touchline.

Best match: Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

Sorry. It's El Clásico. Were you expecting something else? This was a thrilling, statement win from Barcelona, confirming Flick's team as the best side in Spain, and one of the best in Europe. And it was also a chastening experience for the hosts, such a comprehensive defeat that it's already causing soul-searching about this entire Real Madrid project. Four goals, 10 big chances between both teams and enough storylines and debates to keep the Spanish media busy for weeks to come. What more could you want? Unless you're a Real Madrid fan, obviously...

Best goal: Lukebakio with a stunner

Both Yamal and Raphinha could easily have been awarded goal of the weekend, and probably should have -- we spoke about Yamal's finish above, and Raphinha's late scoop over Andriy Lunin was a delight -- but let's move on from El Clásico and celebrate some other highlights from this weekend. On Friday, Dodi Lukebakio scored twice to give a Sevilla team in desperate need of points a 2-0 win at Espanyol, his first goal an effortless shot from distance. Sevilla fans haven't had much to cheer about this season. Thanks to Lukebakio, they're now safely in midtable.

MVP of the weekend: Villarreal's Álex Baena

Lewandowski or Lukebakio's braces might have been recognized here, but let's go for Baena, who created a season-high seven chances in Villarreal's 2-1 win at Real Valladolid on Saturday. Villarreal are the third-best team in LaLiga this season, and Baena is a shoo-in for the best player outside the big two. It's hard for any non-Madrid or Barça player to stand out on Clásico weekend, but Baena managed it. -- Alex Kirkland

Bundesliga

Top takeaway: Şahin under pressure following yet another loss

The top teams in the Bundesliga experienced a horrible week in European competition. Other than Stuttgart who beat Juventus, everyone else suffered some sort of disappointment in the UEFA Champions League. Coming off a 5-2 loss at Real Madrid in which Dortmund conceded five goals in the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Schwarzgelben tried to bounce back against Augsburg on Saturday.

However, Augsburg had displayed strong results at home going into the game on Saturday, and Jess Thorup's side proved to be more than just a stumbling block for Dortmund once again. After scoring an early goal, Dortmund became surprisingly ineffective offensively for most of the game, ultimately losing 2-1.

With that result, Dortmund manager Nuri Şahin finds himself under considerable pressure. The desired turnaround following the managerial change during the summer has not come to fruition thus far. While the likes of Julian Brandt, Jamie Gittens and Donyell Malen might form an impressive attacking force on paper, they are not living up to their potential because, to a degree, Dortmund lack the necessary fundamentals in possession and thereby also remain defensively vulnerable.

For now, Şahin has the backing of Dortmund's higher-ups, as Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, confirmed after the game.

"I see the coach and his staff work with the team every day," he said. "Nuri prepares the team meticulously, and has worked out a matchplan for today as well. In the end, the team must execute it on the pitch." Nothing really has changed at Dortmund compared to last season. Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig may have also had disappointing showings in the Champions League, but these two at least get the job done in the Bundesliga.

Best match: Werder Bremen 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Werder Bremen fans had to wait 161 days for their team to score at home again, and they did so twice against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday evening. The 2-2 draw between these two teams also entailed a few dramatic twists, as Bremen's Felix Agu scored an own goal only four minutes after Marvin Ducksch had finally caused the goal anthem to be played again in Weserstadion. Romano Schmid who turned the tables on Leverkusen -- a side renowned for their late comebacks -- by firing in an equalizer in the 90th minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Best goal: Impressive strike from Toure

Following Serhou Guirassy's departure during the summer, questions were raised about whether Stuttgart would be able to fill the void up front. They certainly did. Not only have starters Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav impressed in many games thus far, but Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeneß can also seemingly count on his backups. El Bilal Toure scored the second goal for Stuttgart against Holstein Kiel after roughly an hour when Jeff Chabot intercepted a pass attempt by Marvin Schulz and then found Toure, a loanee from Atalanta, who needed no time to shoot the ball from 27 yards out into the upper right corner.

MVP of the weekend: Augsburg's Alexis Claude-Maurice

Alexis Claude-Maurice is finally making a splash in the Bundesliga following his move from Nice to Augsburg in late August. He picked up his first minutes on matchday six against Borussia Monchengladbach and scored only eight minutes after being brought on. Against Dortmund, Claude-Maurice's brace sent Dortmund home packing. That's quite the impact for a player that came on a free transfer. -- Constantin Eckner

What else you missed this weekend

Derby d'Italia serves up an all-time Serie A classic

We're nine games into the Serie A season, and we've already got a strong contender for game of the season. Internazionale against Juventus might just be the biggest match in the league -- it's known as the Derby d'Italia, Italy's Derby, for a reason -- and Sunday's 4-4 draw at San Siro lived up to its billing. Forget all the stereotypes about Italian football being defensive; this was anything but. Inter went ahead through Piotr Zielinski's penalty. Then Juve fought back, Dusan Vlahovic and Timothy Weah putting them in front.

Two goals in two minutes -- from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and another Zielinski penalty -- had Inter back on top, in a five-goal first half. Inter thought they'd secured the three points when Denzel Dumfries gave them a two-goal lead, only for a late brace from superstar-in-waiting Kenan Yildiz, 19, to make it 4-4. The two teams couldn't be separated, and that means there's still just a point between them in the table, with Inter second, four points behind leaders Napoli, and Juve in third. -- Kirkland

What. A. Match. #InterJuve pic.twitter.com/JIJNQadXKU

Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) October 27, 2024

Klose building coaching reputation

Remember Miroslav Klose? The all-time World Cup top scorer has transitioned into coaching in the past couple of years and is now in charge of 2. Bundesliga side Nuremberg. Last weekend, his team beat Greuther Furth 4-0 in the tradition-rich Franconian derby, causing Furth to sack both their head coach and sporting director.

On Friday, Klose's side made headlines once again, beating Regensburg 8-3 in what turned out to be a game-of-the-year contender. Granted, Regensburg are last in the league table and have seemed overmatched in many games, but it was nevertheless impressive how Nuremberg swept across Regensburg in the second half after the guests had staged a comeback before the half-time break, as they scored two goals making it 2-2 at the interval.

Nuremberg don't have the financial resources to compete with some of the powerhouses in the 2. Bundesliga, but they at least provide their fans with some excitement and goals -- something Klose became famous for during his active playing career. -- Eckner

Le Classique serves more controversy as PSG dominate

We will never know what would have happened if Amine Harit, the Paris-born and bred Marseille player, had not been sent off for a dangerous high foot on Marquinhos after just 20 minutes at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday night, but the red card did change everything.

Before that, PSG were very dominant and already 1-0 up but for a match being played 11 vs 10, there was no match. There was nothing that Adrien Rabiot, the former PSG midfielder and now playing in the south of France, and his teammates could do. In the end, they only lost 3-0 despite the Parisians creating many more chances. While Luis Enrique's side were wasteful in front of goal, and they have continued their incredible unbeaten run in Ligue 1 in Marseille: in the league, PSG have not lost there since 2011 and haven't there since 2017.

Hummels' nightmare debut in Roma's rout

Five months ago, Mats Hummels played in the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund against Real Madrid. He hadn't played an official game until Sunday night with his new club AS Roma, away at Fiorentina. And let's say that the evening didn't go well at all for the 2014 World Cup winner.

After coming on in the 67th minute, Hummels took just four minutes to score an own goal, adding further insult to what was already a humiliating 5-1 defeat. After only making the bench in the last few games, his very anticipated debut was an absolute nightmare. It will join a long list of terrible debuts with the likes of Jonathan Woodgate with Real Madrid or Chris Smalling more recently in the Saudi league. -- Laurens

LANDOVER, Md. -- Huddled in the Washington Commanders' raucous locker room, two half-dressed offensive linemen stared at center Tyler Biadasz's phone in amazement. They had just witnessed the Hail Mary live, and they wanted to relive it immediately after.

They pointed to the screen, expressed disbelief at what they saw -- and then played it again. It won't be the last time they rewatch Jayden Daniels' 52-yard completion to Noah Brown in the Commanders' 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears.

"I'm going to watch this a couple dozen times," guard Nick Allegretti said.

Though the final play was the most exhilarating, the fourth quarter featured several wild turns, beginning with an ill-fated attempt by the Bears to let a backup offensive lineman score their go-ahead touchdown.

Here's how the players and coaches in both locker rooms remembered the key moments of one of the most exciting finishes of the season.

The Bears had a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 6:21 left in the fourth quarter and Washington leading 12-7. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron sent in the heavy package with backup center Doug Kramer lining up in the backfield. It had been an effective formation earlier in the season with Kramer as a lead blocker, but this was the first time he took a handoff. Kramer never had control and defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton recovered the loose ball.

At that point, the Commanders had a 75.3% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.

Kramer (via Marquee Sports Network): I appreciate Shane for having the trust in me to call it. I made a mistake, dropped the ball on the 1-yard line.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus: No [thought of vetoing the play]. We've worked it, worked the mechanics of it, the handoff to him, and we've just got to do it better. It's just wedge blocking, and you're on the 1-yard line. You've got a big guy getting the ball. We've practiced it a lot.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams: Comfort level, 100 percent. It just didn't go that way, and we just have to execute. ... Definitely went over there and made sure Doug was all right. We still had time on the clock. ... Definitely encouraging Doug. He played well when he came in, and I know that mistake is bothering him, but I'm proud of the guys.

Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner: That was a great play. That's a big play. It put us in a position to do this.

As it had throughout most of the game, the Bears' defense held after the turnover, forcing a three-and-out. The Bears regained possession at their own 32 with 4:21 remaining. Williams marched the Bears to the Washington 12, and on fourth-and-3, he attempted a pass to Keenan Allen in the end zone. A pass interference penalty on Benjamin St-Juste kept the Bears alive, and two plays later, Roschon Johnson rumbled in for a touchdown with 23 seconds left. Williams hit tight end Cole Kmet for the two-point conversion and a 15-12 lead.

At that point, the Bears had a 97.9% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.

Eberflus: The defense's response to [the turnover] was excellent. Go three-and-out, force a punt.

We get it back to midfield and then our offense converts a couple times on third down, get 'em down there.

Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu: I was on the sideline just walking down telling guys, 'Head up, man. It's not over yet.'

The Commanders took over at their own 24 with 19 seconds left. Daniels hit tight end Zach Ertz with an 11-yard pass over the middle to set up first-and-10 at the 35, and Washington called a timeout with six seconds left. Terry McLaurin caught a 13-yard pass and was able to get out of bounds in time for one last play from the Washington 48.

McLaurin: We just wanted to give ourselves a chance to put it in a position for Jayden to throw the ball down there, and he has an unbelievable arm.

On the final play, Daniels held onto the ball for 12.79 seconds and scrambled 40.7 yards before the pass, the most yards traveled by any player before throwing a TD pass over the past five seasons. It's the first TD pass with a time to throw over 10 seconds in the NFL Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). From the time the ball was snapped until Brown caught it, 17 seconds elapsed.

The Commanders had a 1.4% win probability when the ball was snapped.

Daniels: They did a good job blocking, kind of extending, running around to give me enough time to throw the ball.

Allegretti: You're just trying to hit somebody in a different color jersey. Give Jayden a shot to rip the ball.

Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker: Obviously, we were trying to get him down. I mean, hats off to Jayden. Incredible legs.

Brown: He did a phenomenal job keeping the play alive and getting the best ball possible.

Washington right guard Sam Cosmi: Defenders rolled to the right, chasing him, stopped. We pushed them by Jayden, rolled back his left. Nick made a great block. [Daniels] set up and just chucked it in the air. All I saw was a black jersey come down with it and just went crazy.

Bears safety Elijah Hicks (playing for Jaquan Brisker, who missed the game with a concussion): It felt like that play was all day. It took forever. I feel like -- I don't know how long -- 17 seconds. That's crazy. ... With the play 17 seconds, and everything breaking down and guys running loose, you have ideal ways of doing stuff, and then it's like you see stuff.

Ertz: Jayden did a great job buying time. I've never been part of a scramble drill into the Hail Mary, so it was great by Jayden to get us all down there.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn: Jayden did a fantastic job of buying time. I don't know how long the play was, but it took a long ass time. Thirteen seconds? Yeah, I felt every bit of them.

Commanders running back Austin Ekeler: There was one moment I was like, 'Oh shoot' because he was getting chased down like, 'Oh, don't get sacked, don't get sacked.' And he obviously is very elusive, so he hung a right and then he got out of there.

After scrambling, Daniels heaved it toward the end zone, where five defenders were in front of Brown, who hauled in the game winner. The pass traveled 65.9 air yards, making it the third-longest passing touchdown by that metric since 2016.

Wagner: When he threw the ball up, you saw everybody was converging on where the ball was at, but nobody was behind the play. And as a defender, we're coached that there's always going to be a guy sitting behind and sitting in front, and so they're waiting for the tip, and you got to make sure you go get it.

Bears safety Kevin Byard: They're going to have a guy that's supposed to jump up and catch the ball. We're supposed to have a jumper, which I was. ... I just know it was a big scrum in there. And obviously they executed better than we did.

McLaurin: Jayden's kind of aiming for the tip man. We're going to have a guy in the back end line just in case it goes over. And then we got two guys in the front ready for it. ... I was ready for it to be tipped forward. Noah was ready in the back. Luke [McCaffrey] was ready to the side.

That ball fell right into Noah's arms. I don't think I've seen a Hail Mary fall that perfectly off of a tip drill.

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson: There should never be somebody wide open in the back of the end zone. I can't tell you who was supposed to be there. I don't know. We've all got to find a way to execute better down the stretch.

Brown: That happened to be my assignment for the Hail Mary. ... Ertz did a great job getting his hand on the ball, allowing it to get back to me, and we made the play.

Actually, it was Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson who tipped the ball. He posted an apology to Bears fans on social media afterward.

To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus .... The game ain't over until zeros hit the clock. Can't take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen. #Beardown

Tyrique Stevenson (@dreamchaserTy10) October 28, 2024

Ertz: I don't think I actually touched the ball. I don't know what the film says per se, but I'm taking the hockey assist for sure. I know I impacted the play, and Noah ended up with a touchdown and so we won the game. That's all that matters.

Daniels: I just heard people screaming and our sideline rush the field. That's how I knew.

Ekeler: The crowd let us know that he caught it. And so that was helmet off and everyone's running, and you see the eruption from the sideline, which is a moment I'll never forget from this day is seeing that sideline just come on [the field].

Allegretti: I looked up on the screen and saw the ball get tipped and I was like, 'Holy s---, there's a guy there and we caught it.' Never been a part of one. ... I saw it on the screen and didn't know who caught it until three minutes later.

At least one of the Bears thought a penalty could have been called on the final play.

Walker: I feel like a lot of guys definitely were held and blocked in the back. I seen one illegal blindside block, but honestly just got to finish on the quarterback.

Johnson: It's a Hail Mary, they're not going to call a holding, they're not going to call pass interference. It's a f---ing free play to beat your guy. My energy was on not letting my guy [McLaurin] get to the end zone. Hitting 'em, being physical. Just trying to do what I can to not let my guy catch the ball.

McLaurin: Jaylon Johnson pushed me on the ground. When we're in that situation, it's really anybody's ball. It's a free-for-all down there. Refs aren't going to call holding. Boxing out. It's physical.

It was the first game this century where each team scored a touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Daniels: That's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.