The weekend's action across Europe’s top five leagues delivered a rich tapestry of performances that will be decisive come the end of the run-in as some put in impressive numbers, leaving others on the receiving end.

From game changing brilliance in decisive title race to individual masterclasses that tilted the balance in relegation battles, the latest round of fixtures reminded us why this stage of the season often produces football at its most dramatic.

Players in this week's nomination are the those whose fingerprints were all over defining moments, whose form has shifted narratives heading into the season's final stretch.

From the Premier League to La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, we spotlight the best of the weekend, while offering insight into how they shaped results and why their impact could echo into the weeks ahead.

Nicolas Pepe and the Stars of the Weekend in T5 Leagues 

English Premier League: Cole Palmer of Chelsea

Finally back amongst the goals after a lengthy drought, Cole Palmer was much more than just the goal—he was the heartbeat of Chelsea’s biggest performance of the Premier League weekend.

Up against the Premier League champions elect, Palmer delivered a standout display that not only ended his personal goal famine but also powered Chelsea to a crucial 3-1 victory over Liverpool, their first win against the Reds since March 2021.

The result ended a nine-game winless streak in all competitions against Sunday's visitors and handed Liverpool just their third league defeat of the season.

Chelsea got off to a flying start in Sunday’s late kickoff, opening the scoring in the third minute as Enzo Fernández swept home following a clever assist from Pedro Neto.

After nearly an hour, the lead was doubled thanks to a Jarrel Quansah own goal—crafted by Palmer, who danced past his marker on the right and delivered a teasing low cross that was deflected in by Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool responded late, with Van Dijk heading in from an Alexis Mac Allister corner for his third league goal of the season. But Palmer would have the final word, converting a stoppage-time penalty after Moises Caicedo was fouled by Quansah.

It was his first goal since January, ending an 18-game barren spell and securing a massive win for Chelsea in their push for UEFA Champions League qualification. The Blues now sit fifth, level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle United.

Spanish LaLiga: Nicolas Pepe of Villarreal 

A performance that served as a reminder of why Arsenal once invested £72 million in his talent, Nicolas Pepe was head and shoulders above everyone else in La Liga over the weekend.

The Ivorian winger inspired Villarreal to a dominant 4-1 victory over Osasuna, delivering a goal and two assists in a display that underlined his resurgence under Marcelino García.

Coming into a fixture Villarreal hadn’t won in their last two outings in this fixture, Pepe was handed his third consecutive start—rewarded for his match-winning assist in the previous game, and he repaid that faith with a performance filled with end product.

Villarreal struck early through Ayoze Pérez, who converted from a Dani Parejo assist in just the second minute. With Osasuna pushing for an equalizer, Pepe provided a crucial breather by teeing up Thierno Barry for the second goal just after the half-hour mark.

Six minutes later, the game was all but decided as Pepe and Perez each completed a brace of assists and goals respectively, establishing a 3-0 lead.

Although Rubén García pulled one back for the visitors midway through the second half, Pepe extinguished any hopes of a comeback with a well-taken header from Álex Baena’s cross in the 71st minute.

The result not only tightened Villarreal’s grip on fifth place but also brought them within touching distance of fourth placed Athletic Club, who dropped points at Real Sociedad.

For Pepe, the goal marked his first since September’s win over Las Palmas and brought his La Liga tally to seven goal contributions—five assists and two goals—in a timely return to form for Villarreal.

Italian Serie A: Charles de Ketelaere

Atalanta are looking to seal their place in the UEFA Champions League next season before the final game of the current Serie A season and they put in some show against already relegated Monza.

A 4-0 win sees them extend their unbeaten run to four with their third win in that time taking them five points clear of fourth place Juventus, leaving them with just four away from sealing their UCL progress notwithstanding the result of the other hopefuls.

On the day, Charles de Ketelaere was the hero, as the Belgian scored two of the four, while Ademola Lookman and substitute Marco Brescianini added the remainder to complete the scoreline in a very comfortable match on the road.

Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui was also not missing from the fun as he set up two of the four goals, including the opener to De Ketelaere 12 minutes into the game.

The Belgian received the pass from the Italian striker, beat a couple of challenges before firing past the helpless goalkeeper for his first Serie A goal of 2025.

Ten minutes later, he doubled the lead for Atalanta, pouncing on a sloppy defending by the host. Ademola Lookman made it three from another Retegui assist two minutes after the restart before Brescianini scored late on to seal the win.

Charles de Ketelaere, our player of the weekend in the Serie A, scored twice, more than 16 of the other 17 teams in action starting on Friday night and as many as the other one, Udinese.

After enduring a prolonged run of poor performances, the former Club Brugge teenager has now 13 goals across all club competitions, taking him one within his total for Atalanta last season.

German Bundesliga: Alexander Bernhardsson of Holstein Kiel

The relegation battle in the Germany topflight will go down to the wire because none of the teams wants to succumb with just two more gameweeks to go.

On Sunday, Holstein Kiel did their chances of at least reaching the relegation playoff a world of good thanks to a massive win on the road at Augsburg, inspired by their 26-year-old striker, Alexander Bernhardsson.

The Swedish international is having his best time of the season in the run in as he takes his tally to five goals and one assist in his last five games, which constitutes a significant percentage of his seven goals and two assists in 17 Bundesliga games.

Coming off the back of a massive win last weekend, a seven goal thriller against Borussia Monchengladbach, Kiel took the lead at the end of the first quarter in Augsburg, from a penalty won by Bernhardsson and converted by last weekend hero, Shuto Machino.

Bernhardsson doubled the lead five minutes before the half time break, heading home from close range to establish a cushion for the visitors, to the frustration of their host, who has created better chances but could not beat Thomas Dahne in goal for Kiel.

Their day went from bad to worse six minutes after the restart, as Alexander Bernhardsson completed his brace on the counter, getting on the end of a Steven Skrzybski's through ball to slam into the bottom left corner.

The host had their consolation goal in the 90th minute but the contributions of Bernhardsson, who played just 56 minutes in the game was worthwhile, and was enough seal a convincing win, which leaves them a point off playoff place.

With two more games to spare, at home to Freiburg and away to Dortmund, Kiel will hope they can build on their current run, and cause more upset to secure the only playoff spot.

French Ligue 1: Maghnes Akliouche of AS Monaco 

Maghnes Akliouche played his way into our nomination in the run-in having previously featured in the early months of the season for his impact at AS Monaco.

The young playmaker was at the top of his game again on Saturday, inspiring the club to 3-1 win over Saint Etienne with a goal and an assist, ensuring they hold on in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Akliouche, who had only found the back of the net once in his most recent 15 games across all competitions was making his first-ever start in this fixture, having been left on the bench by coach Adolf Hütter in the reverse fixture.

It took less than two minutes for the Frenchman to open the scoring, firing into the bottom right corner from the center of the box for his seventh goal of the campaign, following a pass from teammate, Caio Henrique.

The visitors restored parity five minutes after the hour mark, but Moatasem Al Mustati restored Monaco's lead three minutes later, before Akliouche set up Folarin Balogun for the much needed cushion, as well as the final goal of the game.

The assist was Akliouche's ninth in the Ligue 1, leaving him one shy of the most in the competition this season—his overall inspiring outing ensured Monaco earned their 17th League win of the season, and places them in third place with just two more games to go.

Akliouche is our player of the weekend in the Ligue 1, and the Monaco man, who now has a direct involvement in 13 Ligue 1 goals this season will hope to replicate such performance in the coming games, to help secure the UCL ticket for next season.

Ultimate Player of the Weekend 

Nicolas Pepe is the ultimate player of the weekend in top five leagues with his three-goal involvement in an important win for Villarreal in LaLiga.