Liverpool lost the man who spent the money, and there is no replacement

Richard Hughes has formally stepped down as sporting director of Liverpool after two years, with the search for a successor led by Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon. The numbers behind those two years are what tell the story: 670 million pounds spent on transfers, among them the British record of 125 million pounds for Alexander Isak and up to 123 million pounds for Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. He was also the man who brought in Arne Slot to replace Klopp - a manager who won the Premier League in his first season, then was sacked this summer after finishing fifth. Hughes is now expected to move to Al Hilal, where Simone Inzaghi sits. So: the club first sacked the manager it hired, and now it is losing the man who hired the manager. Who exactly sets the course at Anfield?

Álvarez is waiting for January, and Barcelona is waiting for Álvarez

The story that refuses to die: Julián Álvarez still wants to go to Barcelona, and his people believe Atlético Madrid will offer the player up themselves in the winter window. The Argentine has a contract until 2030, but saying "I want to go to Barça" out loud has already cost him something concrete - Atlético fans whistled at him during the 2:2 draw against Villarreal. Against Sevilla (a 3:1 win) he did not feature at all. Barcelona pushed hard to sign him this summer after losing Ferran Torres and Lewandowski, but Atlético refused even to sit down with a domestic rival, so the Catalans took Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal as a temporary fix. With 49 goals and 17 assists in 107 matches for Atlético, Álvarez is good merchandise - but what is being sold here is a player who no longer wants to be where he is, and everyone knows it. That rarely ends well for the club refusing to negotiate.

Juventus awaits Amorim, and Milan cannot convert its chances

Milan travel to Turin with maximum points after two rounds under Rúben Amorim - four scored, one conceded. The style numbers are even more interesting: second in the league for big chances created (10), second for accurate long passes behind champions Inter, first for sprints per match. This is a team that runs and takes risks. The problem is that the same team also has the most big chances missed in the league - eight. Juventus for their part have three scored and zero conceded, which means Milan will have to be far more clinical than they have been. History at least is not catastrophic: after nine consecutive defeats in Turin, Milan have lost only one of their last six at that ground. Amorim opened his tenure brilliantly, but a brilliant start and a real test are two different things.

Elmas played an hour, and Atalanta lost a won match in stoppage time

This is a match that will be replayed on highlight reels. Atalanta went ahead through Ederson in the 47th minute and had everything under control at the Olimpico until the 89th. Then Mario Hermoso equalised in the 90th, and just three minutes later Matías Soulé, assisted by Dybala, completed the turnaround for 2:1. Macedonian international Elif Elmas started and stayed on until the 66th minute - and left the pitch while his team was still leading. Roma have a maximum nine points after three rounds and sit top; Atalanta recorded their first defeat. The same weekend Inter did the same to Napoli, from two down to 3:2. Italy, it seems, does not recognise a result before the referee's whistle this September.

Bashkimi finally won a match, but the bottom of the table has not moved

After five defeats in a row, Bashkimi from Kumanovo took their first points of the season - 2:1 against Skopje, at the Football Federation complex. Da Silva scored in the first half, Murati in the second, and new signing Ali Adem restored hope for the "pirates" in the 69th minute. A first win is a first win, but Kumanovo remain at the bottom of the table - which means these three points are not a turnaround, but the beginning of a possible one. The difference between those two things is decided by the next round, not this one. And the fact that a top-flight match is played on a federation pitch rather than a club stadium says more about the state of Macedonian football than any table.