GOAL's key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including goals from USMNT stars that could be key in Nations League

All eyes may be on the transfer market as the European window nears closing, but for the U.S. men's national team's group of stars, this weekend was about what happened on the pitch – specifically goals and assists, and they came from all over the continent.

The most important arguably came in England's second division. Both Josh Sargent and Brenden Aaronson found the back of the net. For Sargent, it was a chance to further his USMNT ambitions. For Aaronson, it was a goal that moved his club one step closer to a potential Premier League return.

In the Premier League, Antonee Robinson continued his quest to provide an assist against just about everyone. He's on a record-breaking pace, and there's no reason to doubt that he could end this season in the history books. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace won't be in any history books but, they, too had a big win as the USMNT star stepped up to shut out Manchester United.

And then there's Italy, where Americans continue to contribute to two of the world's biggest clubs. Tim Weah provided a huge assist for Juventus as they look to climb up the table. Unfortunately for Milan, neither Christian Pulisic or Yunus Musah could provide the same magic, as Milan conceded a late goal to settle for a 1`-1 draw with eternal rivals Inter on Sunday.

Overall, it was a big weekend overseas. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.

GettySargent stepping up to fill striker void

When Folarin Balogun went down with injury, Ricardo Pepi stepped up for the USMNT. Now, Pepi himself is down and out, potentially for March's CONCACAF Nations League. And that leaves Sargent as the guy to step up – and he's certainly doing that at the club level.

After overcoming his own injury issues to return from a near-three-month absence in mid-January, Sargent is now back scoring goals for Norwich. He netted two on Jan. 25 in a 5-1 blowout of Swansea City to get his feet back under him. He then scored another this weekend, lifting Norwich to a 1-0 win over Watford.

He likely won't reach the heights of his last two seasons, in which he scored 16 and 13 respectively. But with seven this season, Sargent is still putting up numbers again. It's all coming at the right time, too.

There are numerous games between Sargent and USMNT duty but, if things continue on this path, there's a very real chance he's the guy in Nations League in March. It'd be a huge moment for a player that has been waiting for a chance, and in this form, he certainly will be feeling confident he can take it.

The most important thing is to stay healthy, as the rest of the striker pool can attest. Sargent seems back to his best, and the USMNT will need him to remain there.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAaronson pushes Leeds towards promotion

When he spoke to GOAL in the fall, Aaronson admitted his personal goal was ambitious, saying "15 goals."

Keep in mind he'd scored just 16 in the four seasons since he moved to Europe. But it's looking as if Aaronson might not have been too far off. He'll need to get hot at some point this season, but with the calendar now turned to February, 15 isn't totally out of the question.

The Leeds midfielder netted his eighth of the season in a 7-0 rout of Cardiff City, scoring his side's first in what turned out to be an epic blowout. With that eighth goal, Aaronson has now hit a career high, surpassing his first season at RB Salzburg after trading MLS for Europe.

Leeds sit atop the Championship and have a very real chance of returning to the Premier League. That's certainly been one of Aaronson's other goals since his first crack at England's top flight. He certainly looks like a different player these days – confident, getting his goals and potentially more to come.

Getty Images SportRobinson chasing down Liverpool stars

Mohamed Salah. That's the list. That's the only player in the Premier League with more assists than Antonee Robinson at the moment. And, suddenly, one of Salah's teammates' records looks to be in very serious danger, too.

With his assist in Fulham's 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday, Robinson now has 10 on the season, putting him only behind Salah's 13. Robinson isn't just chasing Salah, though. He's also chasing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who holds the record for most assists by a defender in a Premier League season.

The England star provided 13 assists in 2019-20 and, with 15 games still remaining, Robinson will have a very real chance of pushing for that mark. It's no guarantee, but Robinson will have hope. He's already levelled Steed Malbranque's club record for most assists, and it's quite clear that Fulham will continue to run their attack through the left-back.

There isn't a better player in that position in the Premier League, and Fulham knows it. Robinson is going record hunting and, with every big assist, he gets closer.

GettyWeah's fortunate assist helps Juve to big win

Let's be honest: Tim Weah didn't mean to get an assist. This wasn't some wonderful display of vision or passing finesse but, hey, they all count right? Weah got his assist and Juventus got their win.

Weah's assist came from an attempted long shot, as the USMNT winger banked the ball off Randal Kolo Muani and into the back of the net. Kolo Muani knew nothing about it, so he'll feel fortunate to get that goal, although he'd also scored one just three minutes before. Ultimately, those goals powered Juve to a 4-1 win over Empoli, one in which two Americans played their parts.

Starting at right-wingback, Weah's contribution was clear thanks to that assist. Fellow USMNT star Weston McKennie, meanwhile, was back in the heart of the Juve midfield after largely playing at wingback himself in recent weeks. It was a solid shift for McKennie, who went 85 minutes in a familiar position to make yet another point to Juventus boss Thiago Motta.

It was a big win for Juve, one that, at least temporarily, vaults them up to fourth in Serie A. It was also a bounce-back win following back-to-back losses to Benfica in the Champions League and to Napoli in Serie A. Momentum has been hard to come by but, if Weah's assist is any indication, luck may be on their side.