Late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski earned LaLiga leaders Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Espanyol.
Shell-shocked AS Roma followed up their midweek Champions League debacle in Barcelona by losing 2-0 at home to nine-man Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday.
Germany forward Mario Gomez, scorer of only one Serie A goal this season, struck twice in the first half hour to help Fiorentina beat Atalanta 3-1 in the Italian Cup on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Europa League matches played on Thursday.
Financially-stricken Parma have been hit with a further two-point penalty for failing to pay players' salaries the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have announced.
Napoli suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday when they lost 1-0 at lowly Atalanta while Serie A leaders Juventus surged on with a 3-0 win at Empoli, helped by a Gonzalo Higuain brace.
Sarri was without Cristiano Ronaldo for the trip to the Gewiss Stadium as the Portuguese forward recovers from a knee problem ahead of Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid in Turin.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday
Juventus will end 2013 five points clear at the top of Serie A after a 4-1 victory at Atalanta stretched their winning league run to nine games on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arsenal manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team's first away clean sheet of the season.
Barcelona's rampant trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all found the net at the weekend and unsung Leicester City found themselves in the record books when their England striker Jamie Vardy scored for the 11th straight game.
Diego Costa continued his rich vein of form as he helped leaders Chelsea to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa while Louis van Gaal enjoyed only his second Premier League win as Manchester United manager following a 2-1 victory against West Ham.
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