Weekend Wrap: Messi Solidifies GOAT Claim, Chukwueze Deals With Real, Chelsea Struggles and the 5 Takeaways

• Football fans were treated to yet another mouthwatering weekend round of action
• The top five European leagues gave fans value for money with plenty of excitement
• Sports Brief takes a look at the five big talking points which made all the headlines

The weekend is never complete without football action at the various match venues scattered across Europe.

While the Premier League served up some nail-biting encounters, setting up a sumptuous finish to the end of the season, there was a major upset in Spain as one of the El Clasico giants stumbled.

In Germany, FC Hollywood are on track for a record-extending 11th successive Bundesliga crown while elsewhere, Lionel Messi continues to etch his name in the sands of time in France.

Here are the five major takeaways from the Easter round of games across the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Ligue 1:

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New manager, same old Chelsea

The Blues continued to endure an all-time low this campaign, suffering yet another setback in a one-nil loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Caretaker boss, Frank Lampard was expected to breathe a new lease of life into a team short in confidence, following the dismal run of Graham Potter prior to his sacking.

However, the club legend began his second spell with the Stamford Bridge club on a disappointing note, which leaves Chelsea closer to relegation than the top four.

Arsenal blow title race open

The Gunners saw their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League reduced to six points after sharing the spoils with Liverpool in an exhilarating four-goal thriller, per Reuters.

Mikel Arteta's charges took a two-nil lead and could have (and should have) put the Reds to the sword in the first half.

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However, Liverpool were buoyed by the Anfield crowd and rallied back to grab a point.

With nine games to spare and City on the rampage, Arsenal will have to pick themselves up from the 2-2 draw and pursue their first league crown since 2003-04.

Lionel Messi solidifies GOAT claim

The mercurial Argentine playmaker was the star of the show as Paris Saint-Germain recorded their first win in Ligue 1 since March 11, with Messi scoring and assisting in their two-nil win.

Aside from helping Les Parisiens to victory against Nice, he also chalked a new milestone in his glittering career.

The 35-year-old became the most prolific footballer across Europe's top five leagues, surpassing fierce rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. He now has 702 goals, MARCA reports.

Chukwueze hands Madrid reality check

Fresh from ousting Barcelona from the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid had to beat Villarreal to keep their slim hopes of defending La Liga alive.

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Unfortunately, Samuel Chukwueze and his Villarreal teammates had other ideas - stunning the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium crowd as they twice came back to seal a dramatic 3-2 win.

Red-hot winger, Chukwueze was a thorn in the flesh of Madrid's defence and capped his performance with two brilliant goals.

Tuchel picks consecutive Bundesliga wins

While Chelsea endures a nightmarish campaign despite the managerial change, Thomas Tuchel continues to benefit from the new manager bounce effect at Bayern Munich.

The German tactician picked his first win as Bayern boss against Dortmund before consolidating his new side's position at the top of the Bundesliga with a narrow win over Freiburg.

A Matthijs de Ligt goal was enough to hand the Bavarians all three points ahead of a crunch midweek clash against Manchester City in the Champions League.