The headline story of Match Week Three turned out to be the contrasting fortunes of superstars Vejrgang and ManuBachoore - who kicked off their FC Pro Open campaigns on Monday night.

Joined by AntoniniGabriel, Abumakkah and seanldw in Group C, it proved to be far more competitive than many had previously predicted, with all five players holding their own against elite opposition.

Round 1

All eyes were on the titanic clash between Vejrgang and ManuBachoore in Round 1 - a clash which would have been worthy of the FC Pro Open Final.

The pair had previously met in the Group Stage of the 2023 FIFAe World Cup, with both players winning a game each. It was a tournament that the Dutchman went on to win, earning automatic passage to the FC Pro Open in the process.

Several months on, and there was still very little to separate them, as a nervy first half saw both players make mistakes.

Indeed, mistakes were a common theme in several of Monday night's games, with the all-Icon squad specifications, and new a patch update to FC 24 (introduced just last week), having a tangible impact on proceedings.

Nevertheless, both players improved in the second half, with the match highlight being a wonderful trivela shot from Manubachoore's Juan Sebastian Veron - one of the cheapest items on the pitch.

Jairzinho would strike moments after for Vejrgang to seal a well-earned 2-2 draw. "By far me and [Manu] are the best in the group," the Dane stated afterwards.

"So I knew that, in the end, a draw would be fine."

Meanwhile, the opening round also saw AntoniniGabriel face off against Bayer Esports player, seanldw. Having been level at the hour mark, Sean pulled clear in the second half to win a very entertaining match 6-3.

Speaking after his win, the German stated: "It feels very good. I was very lucky, he had many chances.

"I think I didn't play my best, but I'll take the win!"

Round 2

More drama would follow in Round 2, as ManuBachoore and AntoniniGabriel scored five goals between them in the first half alone of their match. The Team Gullit star was 3-2 up at the break, but Gabriel would capitalise on some uncharacteristic mistakes by his opponents to overturn the deficit - and win 4-3 thanks to an 87th-minute winner.

Two games in, and the reigning world champion was already in a spot of bother. Remarkably, he lost his second game despite having 91% possession of the football.

At the very same time, Abumakkah put on a defensive masterclass against seanldw, registering a rare clean sheet - almost unheard of in the FC Pro Open thus far. His 2-0 win was the perfect start to his campaign and a clear early indicator of his excellent form.

Round 3

By the midway point of Match Week Three in London, every player bar the world champion had won a match.

It was therefore vital for ManuBachoore that he, at the very least, avoided defeat to seanldw.

As it happened, another draw would follow for the Dutchman, who was undone by Cafu of all players - with the Brazilian's second-half equaliser making the scoreline 2-2.

As important as that clash may have been for both players, the real drama in Round 3 came in the other game taking place - between early pacesetters Vejrgang and Abumakkah.

The Dane's eventual 2-1 win tells only a fraction of the story, as had it not been for one of the most extraordinary goalkeeping performances in the history of esports, Abumakkah could have easily taken all three points.

A combination of Icon Petr Cech's brilliance between the sticks, and Vejrgang's positioning of his stopper, thwarted the Twisted Minds player time and time again.

The nature of the saves led commentator TN25 to claim: "I've never seen a performance like that before." Vejrgang somehow escaped with all three points and went into the final two rounds in a commanding position at the summit of Group C.

Round 4

Unlike the previous matches, Round 4 saw the group leaders close out two fairly straightforward victories.

In the case of Abumakkah, a 5-2 win over AntoniniGabriel, in which he raced into an early 3-0 lead, saw the Saudi player stretch clear of his immediate Group C rivals - and keep pace with Vejrgang.

Speaking of the RBLZ Gaming standout, he also earned a statement win in Round 4, dispatching seanldw 5-3 having also gone three goals up in the first half.

If extra points were awarded for style, then Abumakkah would have cleaned up in the penultimate round, having scored beautiful trivelas with Veron and Cafu.

After his fourth-round defeat, seanldw reflected on his night's work, and what he hopes to achieve when group C resumes in January, saying: "The first game [against AntoniniGabriel] was good, in the end I was a bit a lucky.

"The second game was against Abumakkah, there I was unlucky I think. Then against ManuBachoore, the draw was okay.

"And this game against Vejrgang, was also okay because offensively, he's one of the best players in the world...offensively he is unstoppable."

Round 5

Round 5 presented ManuBachoore with his final opportunity to earn a win in Match Week Three.

Sitting bottom of the group on just two points, anything but a win against high-flying Abumakkah would have made the task of qualifying for the FC Pro Open Finals in February incredibly difficult.

What transpired was another classic, as the world-class players traded blows from the first moment to the last.

ManuBachoore kept his qualification hopes alive by coming back from 5-3 down to level things up heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

However, in the 87th minute, Abumakkah severely dented his rival's FC Pro Open hopes, with Hagi's goal sealing a famous 6-5 win for the Saudi rising star.

With just two points from four matches, ManuBachoore's chances of reaching the Finals hang by a thread heading into the new year.

On the other side of the studio in Round 5, Vejrgang put on an attacking clinic, coming from 2-0 down to beat AntoniniGabriel 9-3 - the biggest win of the night.

In the aftermath, Vejrgang had an emphatic statement for those who doubted his mentality before the night's matches. He said: "It's funny that people are saying I have no mentality.

"But I played the first match - a draw - and then I won my next three." Ominous words indeed for his rivals.

Here's how things stand at the halfway point of Group C. As a reminder, each of the five players will return in January to play their remaining five matches.

FC Pro Live - Simakan Item Gets Big Upgrades

It was a good week for holders of Mohamed Simakan's FC Pro Live item, as Vejrgang's 10 points saw the item get two overall upgrades - as well as Alt positions and playstyle boosts.

Similarly, wins for AntoniniGabriel, Abumakkah, and seanldw mean that Angelo Ogbonna, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dele Alli all get +1 FC Pro Live item upgrades.

That's all for Match Week Three of the FC Pro Open, do join us again at the same time next Monday as Group D gets underway.

Until then, you can keep up to date with all the latest news and reaction on our socials and at ea.com.