Conor Bradley can only be complicating Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract talks

Conor Bradley can only be complicating Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract talks

Depending on how you slice it, Conor Bradley’s emphatic rise could be making contract talks with Trent Alexander-Arnold easier or harder for Liverpool.


By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com


It is a luxury position for Arne Slot but, like with his goalkeeping situation and a number of others throughout the squad, one he knows may not last beyond the current campaign.

“You always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up,” Slot admitted as the winter transfer window closed and the visit of Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals loomed.

“The players that don’t play a big part at the moment, will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they go somewhere else? So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do.

“Of course we have some contractual situations that you don’t probably don’t know about! But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven’t extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.”

Much has been made of Slot walking into a squad built for success and it has undoubtedly smoothed his transition to life at the top, even though the Dutchman deserves all the credit for leading them to the top of the Premier League, into the Champions League last 16 and now the Carabao Cup final.

But there is a sense that the summer ahead could already be a defining one for what he himself describes as Liverpool’s “new regime,” and that could come with decisions on those beyond the trio of Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

Keeping those three players will be of paramount importance to Liverpool, but any developments in talks over new contracts will have ramifications on those around them in the squad.

Just as Giorgi Mamardashvili‘s imminent arrival from Valencia is expected to prompt a departure for Caoimhin Kelleher, the future of Alexander-Arnold appears tied to that of his esteemed backup.

Conor Bradley, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland international, made his 19th appearance of the campaign in Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Tottenham and in doing so gave onlookers further evidence that he can step into the breach if Alexander-Arnold does join Real Madrid in the summer.

His performance up against Heung-min Son was another marked by full-blooded energy and the desire to get forward and contribute in attack.

One perfectly timed slide tackle on an off-colour Son did the rounds on social media and in supporters’ WhatsApp groups, and equally impressive was his run from outside-to-in to meet Alexis Mac Allister‘s pass and, without breaking his stride, provide the touch for Dominik Szoboszlai to make it 3-0 on the night.

That was only his second assist of the campaign but there was a similar assured weight of pass to his first in the 2-0 victory over Real Madrid earlier in the season.

For many Bradley’s night vying with Kylian Mbappé – headlined by a recovery challenge on the French forward which geared Anfield into life – was proof that he can move up to be Liverpool’s next first-choice right-back, and his ability to step into the regular starting side with no fuss shows a replacement can come from within.

Bradley player traits

And that will only complicate Liverpool’s talks with their No. 66, perhaps knowing that, despite his status as a generational player, Alexander-Arnold is not exactly untouchable when it comes to his place in the side.

“I think it’s fair to say that, for many positions, we have two very good players,” was Slot’s assessment on his competition for places after the victory over Tottenham.

“So that’s for the right full-back position, for the left full-back position; we’ve got more than two good centre-backs and I can go on through the whole team telling you this.

“It’s also normal, if you work at a club of this magnitude and want to compete for every trophy, that you have more than 11 good players. The right full-back position is definitely an example of that.”

While Alexander-Arnold will know his value, his hand may be weakened by Liverpool’s faith in Bradley – and while keeping both players would be preferable, it could be that this summer brings a sliding doors moment for the pair.

If Liverpool are successful in agreeing new terms with Alexander-Arnold – which, as it stands, appears less likely than either Salah or Van Dijk – it stands to reason that, turning 22 in July and with nearly 50 games for the club under his belt, Bradley could push for the exit.

But if Alexander-Arnold prices Liverpool out knowing Real Madrid are willing to add him to their new generation of Galacticos, the club will know they have a readymade solution already in the squad.

As fans grow impatient with the lack of progress in talks with three of the club’s best-ever players, this serves as another example of the subplots that colour negotiations between Liverpool and their representatives.

Even with the respect all parties share, it remains a game of poker with many, many variables in play.

Slot has maintained that his desire would be to keep all three including Alexander-Arnold, who despite mounting concerns over his frequent muscle injuries has clocked the fifth-most minutes of any Liverpool player this season.

But the head coach will surely have a quiet confidence that, while any failure to extend Salah or Van Dijk’s stay will surely force Liverpool to the transfer market, there would be no such scrabble when it comes to the right-back spot.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss
Preview: Aston Villa meet Spurs in the FA Cup

Preview: Aston Villa meet Spurs in the FA Cup

Inconsistency, meet inconsistency. Despite erratic results, a big name all-Premier League clash in the FA Cup between two sides desperate for progress and trophies means Sunday’s game should be a hell-for-leather classic.


By Karl Matchett


Villa need a return, Spurs need a response

Aston Villa don’t really have the label of inconsistency in the way Tottenham Hotspur do, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t deserve it. Yes, they’re ten points above their cup rivals in league terms, but they also haven’t had their disastrous injury issues – and clearly have a bigger pull than them in the transfer market right now too, as was shown by the January face-offs they engaged in.

Axel Disasi opted for the Midlands over north London, while Marcus Rashford heading to Villa Park would not have been considered remotely probable even a couple of years ago. And he’s far from the only attacking reinforcement, with Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen joining last month too – though it remains to be seen how pleased the latter is after immediately being left out of the Champions League squad. How much can Villa get out of their new recruits in four months? It will be telling.

Just as telling will be Spurs’ response after they were hammered in the press for being hammered at Anfield. It’s not so much losing to Liverpool as the manner of their semi-final capitulation which irked some, and the long stretch without a trophy goes on a little longer. Can the FA Cup be their salvation? Not if they don’t find a way to get their own new forward Mathys Tel firing quickly – or perhaps get some of their injured defenders back on the pitch.

Matching form records

Home side: Eight wins in 23. Away side: Eight wins in 23. As above, Villa don’t have the same inconsistent tag, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. Villa’s winning runs tend to be more streaky, while Spurs earn scattered victories. Of late, Villa have won one and drawn two in their last five; Spurs have won three, lost two.

Team news

There’s injuries on both sides, with Spurs’ casualty list the longer. Disasi is cup tied, while starters Pau Torres, Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins are out, as well as Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley for Villa. Spurs are without (deep breath): Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Radu Drăgușin, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke and, presumably once again, Richarlison. Assuming they get a squad together, Micky van de Ven will be carefully assessed before playing a part to ensure he doesn’t rejoin the absentees.

Spurs and Villa’s last league meeting

Key player

As shown midweek, gaps in Spurs’ midfield and a slowness to react to dangerous situations will be costly. Villa have Morgan Rogers who is excellent at manipulating the ball and using space well. He averages two dribbles, 1.75 shots, nearly 1.5 chances created and 1.5 fouls won every 90 minutes in the league – he’s such an all-round handful.

Prediction

Spurs have a great record at Villa of late but those injuries are just too much: Villa 2 Spurs 1.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss in Aston Villa, Preview, SendAsPush, team_10252, team_8586, Tottenham Hotspur, World News
Preview: Barcelona keen to keep the good times rolling against subpar Sevilla

Preview: Barcelona keen to keep the good times rolling against subpar Sevilla

After the two Madrid clubs took centre stage last night, Barcelona will be keen to reinforce their title credentials against an underwhelming Sevilla side.


By Neel Shelat


Barcelona back on song in 2025

After a scintillating start to the season, Barcelona seemed to run out of steam towards the end of 2024. They won just one and lost four of their last seven LaLiga matches of the year, going from a six-point lead at the top of the standings to an equivalent deficit. However, they have looked much better since the turn of the year.

The 5-2 Supercopa win over Real Madrid must have done a world of good to their confidence as they went on to put five past Real Betis, staged a dramatic turnaround to win a nine-goal Champions League thriller against Benfica and scored 12 times in two recent fixtures against Valencia.

While it has not been all smooth sailing for Hansi Flick’s side as they have drawn a couple of games, it is safe to say that they are much closer to their best now than they were two months ago.

Ferran Torres delivering as Barcelona’s fourth forward option

One of the major issues Barcelona had to contend with in the first half of the season was their lack of quality depth beyond the first-choice front three of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Indeed, it was no coincidence that their downturn in form coincided with their teenage winger’s ankle issues.

Lamine Yamal still looks quite irreplaceable, but the good news for the Blaugrana is that they seem to have a decent backup for the other two as Ferran Torres has shown himself capable of doing a job in the more central positions. He has five goals and an assist in his last seven appearances, including a hat-trick in his second start of the year at Valencia in midweek.

As the stakes get ever higher in the second half of the season, having a rotation option like Torres could prove invaluable for Barcelona to not only get an impact off the bench but also rest their stars in certain games.

García Pimienta’s reunion with his boyhood club

García Pimienta was affiliated with FC Barcelona for well over half his life, starting as a prospect in their youth academy and going on to spend about two decades as a coach. However, he was sacked from the B team post in 2021 in a move that still confounds many, himself included.

The Spanish tactician was soon hired by Las Palmas, with whom he won promotion to LaLiga. His incredibly possession-based style of play attracted a lot of attention and earned him a move to Sevilla this summer, but he has not been able to turn around the fortunes of the consistent underperformers’ so far.

Sevilla’s last league victory over Barcelona was all the way back in 2015, so the likelihood of García Pimienta earning his first points against his boyhood club at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is quite low.

Prediction

All signs point to a comfortable multi-goal win for Barcelona.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss in Barcelona, Preview, SendAsPush, Sevilla, team_8302, team_8634, World News
Preview: Liverpool go to Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA Cup

Preview: Liverpool go to Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA Cup

Liverpool can build on making the Carabao Cup final during the week by taking another step forward in the FA Cup against Plymouth Argyle.


By Graham Ruthven


Is the Quadruple on?

Top of the Premier League. Through to the Champions League last 16 after finishing top of the 32-team league phase. Through to the Carabao Cup final. A win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup this weekend would add to the growing sense Liverpool could win the Quadruple this season.

By every measure, Liverpool are the strongest team in England right now, making them firm favourites to sweep aside their struggling Championship opponents on Sunday afternoon.

On the face of it, this could be a mismatch. Plymouth are currently marooned at the foot of the Championship table and are on their second manager of the season after Miron Muslić replaced Wayne Rooney. Argyle haven’t had their problems to seek.

However, the Devon outfit are fresh from a 2-1 win over West Brom and a very respectable 2-2 draw away to Sunderland which suggest Plymouth are turning a corner under their new manager. 

A win over the Premier League table-toppers might be beyond The Pilgrims, but Sunday’s David v Goliath clash could epitomise the ‘Magic of the Cup.’

Key players

Ryan Hardie bagged a brace against West Brom on Saturday and could be in line to start against Liverpool. Mustapha Bundu could drop out of the team to make way for the Scottish striker.

After the departure of star player Morgan Whittaker to Middlesbrough in the transfer window, Plymouth are lacking an attacking dimension. Whittaker’s stunning strike against Brentford put Argyle into the FA Cup fourth round in the first place.

Plymouth goals + assists, Championship 2024/25

January signing and former Rangers defender Nikola Katić made his Argyle debut against the Baggies and will likely start in the centre of a back three 

Arne Slot is expected to rotate his squad for the trip to Devon this weekend. This would have been likely anyway, but the exerts of Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur make it even more probable. 

Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa could all be in line for a start at Home Park. Even still, Liverpool should have the strength in depth to make the fifth round.

Liverpool goals + assists, Premier League 2024/25

Team news

Brendan Galloway, Kornél Szűcs and Joe Edwards are all expected to be sidelined through injury for Plymouth as they welcome the eight-times FA Cup winners to Home Park. 

Nigerian forward Muhamed Tijani was back on the bench for the draw away to Sunderland after missing a number of months of action with a hamstring injury. He could feature against Liverpool on Sunday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold missed Thursday’s Carabao Cup win over Spurs and could be unavailable for this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round tie. This might hand another first team opportunity to Conor Bradley.

Darwin Núñez started ahead of Diogo Jota in the win over Tottenham on Thursday and so the Portuguese forward could be rotated into the starting lineup.

Prediction 

Unless the Magic of the Cup springs a surprise, this should be a routine win for a rotated Liverpool squad: 3-0 to the away side.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss in Liverpool, Plymouth, Preview, SendAsPush, team_8401, team_8650, World News
Preview: FA Cup tie gives Brighton and Chelsea a chance to reset

Preview: FA Cup tie gives Brighton and Chelsea a chance to reset

It’s round one for Brighton and Chelsea on Saturday as the two sides face-off in the FA Cup before meeting again in the Premier League for a rematch nearly a week later.


By Alex Roberts


Both sides defeated lower-league opposition in the Third Round before being drawn against each other, with Chelsea’s second team earning a comfortably 5-0 win over Morecambe, while Brighton left Norwich with a 4-0 victory.

Dark horses don’t seem to be much of a thing anymore, but Brighton have it in them to beat the big boys on their day, and a statement win over Enzo Maresca’s side ahead of their second meeting isn’t hard to imagine, despite their stuttering form.

Christopher Nkunku set for a “bigger role.”

Chelsea saw several players leave in the January transfer window, mostly on loan, but Christopher Nkunku wasn’t one of them. The French forward has had to take a backseat under Enzo Maresca and is reportedly unhappy with his situation.

Speaking in his pre-match presser, Maresca confirmed Nkunku is set for a “bigger role” in the second half of the season. With Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both injury doubt’s, Nkunku will likely get a chance on Saturday.

Nkunku player traits

He hasn’t scored a goal since the 5-0 win over Morecambe, but that’s simply due to a lack of opportunity. With 13 goals from his 30 games, 13 of which have been starts, only Maresca knows why he hasn’t been given more of a shot.

7-0 is pretty rough

Brighton’s 7-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest in their previous fixture has brought up some uncomfortable questions regarding their young manager Fabian Hürzeler.

The FA Cup tie with Chelsea allows them to step away, reset a little, and take a breath, but should they suffer another heavy defeat, those dissenting voices are going to start getting louder.

Chelsea needed a four-goal Cole Palmer masterclass to get past Brighton the last time these two sides played, the last thing Lewis Dunk and co are going to want to see is that lanky genius running at them right now.

Starting to worry about Roméo Lavia

The young midfielder may be the next star to wander down that ‘wonderkid’ to ‘streets won’t forget’ pipeline after Maresca admitted he “still has a long way to go” in the recovery from his most recent injury setback.

Lavia has made just 13 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Southampton back in the summer of 2023, and while he’s been decent in those games, it’s starting to get pretty hard to justify the price tag.

In a perfect world, and FA Cup game against Brighton would have been the ideal opportunity for Lavia to show what he can do, unfortunately, no one knows when he’ll be back playing consistently.

Chelsea aren’t the only side with a problem between the sticks

Bart Verbruggen struggled big time in the defeat to Forest. Yes, we understand the pros and cons of playing out from the back, but, in fear of sounding too much like Tim Sherwood, sometimes you need to get it out.

Thankfully for the Dutchman, he could put Jota Silva’s goal down to mental and physical fatigue, but four errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season is less than ideal for any party.

Don’t expect it to change, it’s the gameplan now, which is fine, but it can be so frustrating for the fans. If it makes Vergruggen feel any better, only Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez has made more errors in the league this season.

Prediction

Honestly, this one could go either way. Never trust Chelsea to win a game they ‘should’, so we’re going to go with a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes. You can make a judgement on who wins it from there!


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss in Brighton, Chelsea, Preview, SendAsPush, team_10204, team_8455, World News
Preview: Table-topping Madrid Derby promises drama

Preview: Table-topping Madrid Derby promises drama

Just one point separates Real Madrid from local rivals Atlético going into what could well be a pivotal match in the Spanish title race.


By Neel Shelat


Referee under the spotlight

They say the best kind of game for a referee is one they are invisible in, but unfortunately for César Soto Grado, that will certainly not be the case for him in the Madrid derby. LaLiga’s match officials have been the subject of a fair few controversies in the past, but things have escalated recently.

The developments in the Negreira case over the last year or so have not helped matters, neither has Real Madrid’s aggressive approach to debatable decisions in recent times. Last weekend, for example, the club published an open letter complaining about some of the officiating in their loss to Espanyol.

Amid the back and forth of official statements from Real Madrid, LaLiga and the Spanish federation, Atlético Madrid pitched in with a social media post making light of the situation. However, things will surely get serious when Soto Grado takes charge of his third Madrid derby. He was the one who sent off Vinícius Júnior for violent conduct against Valencia in his last Real Madrid match, so he is quite likely to face a good deal of hostility in the Santiago Bernabéu.

Real Madrid’s defence further depleted

Injuries to key defenders have been a big cause of Real Madrid’s inconsistent form and performances this season. Eduardo Camavinga picked up a hamstring injury to join Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão on the treatment table last month, but the situation has gotten much worse in the last week. Antonio Rüdiger went off with a hamstring injury early on in last weekend’s loss to Espanyol and David Alaba was diagnosed with another injury later in the week.

Los Blancos have kept just two clean sheets in their last eight matches and let in as many as 12 goals. They will do very well to keep a shutout tonight with an expected makeshift centre-back pairing of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Raúl Asencio.

Atlético’s attack well-suited to exploit high lines

Unavailable personnel is not the only cause behind Real Madrid’s poor defensive record, as they have also made some very questionable tactical decisions. The nine goals they conceded in their last two matches against Barcelona highlighted the various issues in their high defensive line most clearly, but they are yet to make any major changes.

Atlético Madrid, for their part, will be delighted to come up against such a high line. Diego Simeone’s side have had their struggles against low blocks but really seem to thrive in open games when the likes of Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth can stretch their legs.

Goals almost guaranteed

Besides the attacking star power and defensive absences on both sides (including Robin Le Normand’s suspension), the recent history of this fixture suggests that the scorekeepers will not be left idle. The last goalless Madrid derby was over five years ago, while both sides have scored in their last eight meetings!

Recent H2H results

Prediction

All things considered, Atlético Madrid could well end up outscoring Real Madrid in what promises to be an extremely eventful and entertaining match.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


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Posted by Bill Biss in Atlético Madrid, Preview, Real Madrid, SendAsPush, team_8633, team_9906, World News
Preview: Man City face third tier Leyton Orient in the FA Cup

Preview: Man City face third tier Leyton Orient in the FA Cup

Manchester City’s 5-1 loss at Arsenal last weekend has been described as “the end of an empire”, but can Leyton Orient read them the last rites in the FA Cup?


By Ian King


Two sides on different levels

Well, we thought they were back. Prior to last weekend’s chastening loss, Manchester City had been unbeaten in their six previous Premier League matches, scoring 18 goals. The last time they failed to get past the Fourth Round of the FA Cup was ten years ago. The last time Orient got to the Fourth Round was in 2011, when they were beaten 5-0 by Arsenal following a replay.

Orient lost 1-0 at home to Stockport County last week, but prior to that they’d been eleven games unbeaten in League One, a run of nine wins and two draws which lifted them up to sixth place. In the last round of the Cup they beat Championship club Derby County 6-5 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road.

A history lesson from the pre-FotMob days

It’s now 49 years since these two clubs last met, with that last meeting ending in a 2-2 draw back in May 1966. They’ve met twelve times in total, with City winning eight of them. Orient’s last win against them came in a Second Division match in August 1964. The two clubs have met twice before in the FA Cup, in 1920 and 1926, with City winning both of those, 4-1 and 6-1 respectively.

Key players

The scale of the Arsenal loss may provoke Pep Guardiola to play a stronger team than he might otherwise have done. Nico O’Reilly could find himself back in the team. He scored his first senior goal from left-back in their 8-0 win against Salford City in the last round.

Another Nico, Nico González, arrived for £50m on transfer deadline day from Porto, but will any of their newest acquisitions get a runout?

González player traits

Grenada international Omar Beckles will be on for a busy afternoon at the heart of the Orient defence. He’s been there since 2021, after having risen from the non-league game to play for Accrington, Shrewsbury and Crewe.

Team News

Orient are expected to be at full strength. For Manchester City, Stefan Ortega will likely start in goal in place of Ederson, while their defensive shambles at The Emirates last week means that, having missed out on that one, Abdukodir Khusanov could start in the centre of defence. It’s likely to be a very different City team to the one that started last Sunday.

Prediction

Obviously, this should be a walk in the park for Manchester City. The gulf is enormous. Orient’s record transfer fee is the £200,000 they paid Oldham Athletic for Liam Kelly in 2016. According to publicly available information, City have ten players who currently earn that amount of money a week. City should run up a hatful but it’s the FA Cup – and frankly, when am I ever going to get the opportunity to do this again? So I’ll go for an optimistic 1-0 Orient win because we’d all neutrals would love to see that, wouldn’t they?


(Cover image from IMAGO)


You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Posted by Bill Biss in Manchester City, Preview, SendAsPush, team_8456, World News
Ousmane Dembele is in the form of his life as part of PSG’s new-look side

Ousmane Dembele is in the form of his life as part of PSG’s new-look side

Lionel Messi. Zlatan Ibrahimović. Ronaldinho. Edinson Cavani. Ángel Di María. Just a handful of players that have suited up for Paris Saint-Germain this century.


By Zach Lowy


Each have marked an era in football and staked their claim as an all-time great, but none have been able to score three goals on two consecutive occasions in a Rouge-et-Bleu kit. That honour belongs to Ousmane Dembélé, who became the first player in PSG history to score back-to-back hat-tricks last Saturday.

It has been nine years since Dembélé burst onto the scene for Rennes, quickly emerging as one of the finest talents in Europe and earning a transfer to Borussia Dortmund. He excelled in Germany and was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season, whilst he also spearheaded BVB to their first trophy in five years with a Man of the Match performance in the 2017 DFB-Pokal Final.

This piqued the interest of Barcelona, who splurged a club-record €105 million plus €40 million in bonuses to sign the French winger. Dembélé, however, never came close to justifying Barcelona’s outlay due to persistent injury problems and frustrating decision-making, before departing in 2023 as one of the worst signings in the club’s history. Six years after replacing Neymar Jr. at Barcelona, he was now tasked with replacing Neymar at PSG.

Dembélé’s career summary

Dembélé thrived on the biggest of stages, scoring in both legs vs. Barcelona to confirm PSG’s spot in the UEFA Champions League semifinals and breaking the deadlock in PSG’s 2-1 win vs. Lyon in the Coupe de France Final. And although he didn’t quite manage to fulfil expectations, racking up 6 goals and 13 assists in 42 appearances in 2023/24, he’s been able to take his game to the next level and emerge as PSG’s attacking talisman following Kylian Mbappé’s exit to Real Madrid.

There have been various ramifications from Mbappé’s exit. For one, PSG have gone from concentrating their attacks around the left flank to the right side, where Dembélé is mainly utilised. No longer reliant on one player to bang in the goals, PSG have transformed into a more fluid setup that’s predicated upon aggressive pressing.

“Mbappé’s absence has allowed PSG to win the ball back quicker and higher up the pitch, and that’s going to benefit Dembélé who can be there to pounce,” stated Luke Entwistle, the editor-in-chief of Get French Football News. “If he’s not winning the ball back, then his teammates are winning it and feeding him the ball in dangerous areas.”

PSG planned in advance of Mbappé’s exit by signing two of Europe’s most promising young strikers for a combined €165m (bonuses included) in the summer of 2023. However, with neither Randal Kolo Muani (since loaned out to Juventus) nor Gonçalo Ramos adjusting to Luis Enrique’s in-possession demands, the Spaniard has opted to go with a false 9 like Marco Asensio (since loaned out to Aston Villa), Kang-in Lee, or even Dembélé. 

Dembélé shot map, Ligue 1 2024/25

Dembélé’s technical quality has never been in doubt; it’s his goal-scoring ability that’s always come under scrutiny. Fans have grown accustomed to seeing him eliminate multiple opponents with a body feint before blasting his shot into Row Z. For a player who’s often struggled with the paradox of his abundance, and who, by his own admission, doesn’t know whether he’s better on his right foot or left, he can now keep things simple and pull the trigger before he has the chance to overthink it. Whereas in previous years, Dembélé would’ve had to wriggle past a sea of opponents and gradually make his way from the right to the middle, he’s regularly receiving in central areas, where he can allow his poaching instincts to take over.

His combination of speed, close control, and unpredictability make him a defender’s nightmare: show him outside, and he’ll use his 1v1 skills to evade the fullback and accelerate towards goal. Show him inside, and he’ll blast a ferocious shot towards or goal or provide a teammate with a flawless pass. It also helps that he’s formulated a lethal partnership with Achraf Hakimi down the right flank, with the Moroccan capable of bombing forward and allowing Ousmane to invert into the half-spaces.

“Ousmane’s role changes depending on the game,” said The Athletic journalist Alex Barker. “He’s been used as a touchline-hugging right winger an inside forward, a false 9, and in midfield. If Hakimi is playing at right back, Dembélé can drift everywhere. If it’s Warren Zaïre-Emery, it’s more likely Dembélé will be used to hold width. He has thrived more in tight spaces in central areas, using his incredible footwork to go directly at defensive midfielders and centre backs.”

Dembélé passing stats, Ligue 1 2024/25

Even when Dembélé was enduring a cumbersome start to his PSG career, Enrique threw his support behind the am-bipedal winger, stating: “He’s the most destabilising player in the world.” Today, though, he’s brimming with confidence, and the goals are starting to flow. With the exception of PSG’s match vs. Lens in the Coupe de France, Ousmane has scored in eight of his last nine fixtures.

Prior to this season, Ousmane’s previous career-best goal tally came in 2018/19, when he scored 14 goals in 42 appearances for Barcelona. He’s scored 14 goals in those last nine matches alone (19 across all competitions this season), and he has catapulted himself to the top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts after a sensational run of form.

At 27 years of age, it seems Dembélé is finally putting two and two together and living up to his world-class potential. He’s still capable of cutting through defences like butter with an impeccable pass and contriving a gilt-edged opportunity; in fact, only Rayan Cherki (0.59) is registering more Expected Assists per 90 in Ligue 1 than Dembélé (0.41). But now, he’s emerging as a high-volume shooter who finds the back of the net more often than not, and with 11 goals in six matches, he has scored the most goals of any player in 2025. The only question is – is this merely a purple patch, or the start of something new?

More than a few teams have suffered Ousmane’s wrath in recent months, including AS Monaco. Ousmane scored a brace against them on December 18 before scoring a 92nd-minute winner in the Trophée des Champions on January 5, and after being rested for their midweek cup tie vs. Le Mans, he’ll be looking to continue his scintillating form vs. the principality side.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


You can follow all the action from Ligue 1 on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Posted by Bill Biss
Amad Diallo: Ruben Amorim’s new talisman at Manchester United?

Amad Diallo: Ruben Amorim’s new talisman at Manchester United?

Sometimes, a career can be characterised by a single moment. For Amad Diallo, that moment came against Liverpool in an FA Cup quarter final clash at Old Trafford last season.


By Ross Kilvington


The young winger had missed most of the season due to a knee injury suffered in pre-season. Named on the bench for the cup tie, Amad Diallo was introduced with just five minutes of normal time remaining as the Red Devils trailed 2-1.

Antony sent the game to extra time before two more goals made it 3-3 and penalties beckoned.

Up stepped the Ivorian. United went on the counter in the dying embers, with Alejandro Garnacho playing the ball into Diallo. He took one touch before slotting home the winner with his left foot, sending Old Trafford into raptures.

Diallo goal in last season’s thrilling 4-3 win over Liverpool

It was a goal that has proved to be a catalyst for the winger to finally make his mark at United under Rúben Amorim.

Championship loan spell was the making of Diallo

Eyebrows were raised when Ole Gunnar Solskjær signed the 18-year-old starlet from Atalanta, paying an initial fee of £19m to land the player.

Nine appearances during his first 12 months in Manchester suggested Diallo hadn’t exactly received a fair crack at the whip, leading to a six-month loan spell at Rangers between January and May 2022.

A goal five minutes into his debut for the Light Blues should have kickstarted his career, unfortunately, this would be as good as it got for the teenager in Scotland.

He failed to even make an appearance off the bench during the Europa League Final, an occasion when his pace and explosiveness may have been a key asset in extra time. Returning to United at the end of the season, it was evident his next loan move had to be a success.

Diallo career summary from loan spells

As such, Sunderland proved to be an ideal destination for Diallo to finally showcase his extraordinary talents. The Ivorian spent the entirety of the 2022/23 season at the Black Cats, coming close to leading them back to the Premier League.

Bearing in mind the club had only just returned to the second tier, Diallo’s 13 league goals fired them to a sixth place finish, thus qualifying for the playoffs.

Furthermore, Diallo ranked in the top 5% for successful dribbles and goals throughout the campaign, while registering 1.39 chances created along with 4.94 touches of the ball in the opposition penalty area per game.

Momentum was hampered after suffering a serious knee injury against Arsenal during a pre-season clash against Arsenal in July 2023. Despite his fine season in the North East, it appeared as though his luck was running out to make an impression at Old Trafford.

Step forward Amorim.

Rúben Amorim has brought out the best in Diallo

Ahead of the current season, it was now or never for the 22-year-old. Failing to establish himself as a regular in the starting XI would likely have ensured his exit from the club.

Fully recovered from his injury, the winger finally got the chance he had been waiting for under Erik ten Hag, grabbing it with both hands. A goal against Brighton in just the second league match of the season saw the youngster at his best.

Racing on to a through ball, Diallo took a touch before cutting inside on his left foot, unleashing a shot which, courtesy of a deflection, nestled into the back of the net. 

A brace against PAOK Salonika in the Europa League followed in November, yet it has been under Amorim that the former Atalanta sensation has played his best football.

At Sporting, Amorim relied heavily on Viktor Gyökeres. The Swede soon emerged as a talisman for the manager, scoring 43 goals and recording 13 assists for the Portuguese side as they won another domestic title.

Although Diallo operates in a different position to Gyökeres, Amorim has given the player a platform to demonstrate just how good he can be.

Diallo Premier League shot map, 2024/25

Indeed, 11 goal contributions – six goals and five assists – have been recorded in just 19 matches under Amorim. His impact in the big matches has arguably been even more impressive.

Against Manchester City in December, United trailed 1-0, before Diallo scored a late winner to seal all three points. During that match, he also took four shots, won the penalty that saw the club equalise while even making four passes into the final third.

Another late goal came against Liverpool a few weeks ago. During the 2-2 draw, the winger succeeded with 100% of his crosses and dribble attempts as well as taking five touches in the opposition penalty area. Shining on the big stage has bolstered his long term prospects at the club.

Amorim’s typical 3-4-3 system sees the 22-year-old operate in his preferred position on the right flank, which has been a key aspect to his stunning form over the previous few months.

Diallo passing stats, Premier League 2024/25

Diallo’s selfless nature means he ranks in the top 10% in the top flight for both assists and successful passes. Additionally, a 44.7% cross accuracy ranks him in the top 3%, while Amorim’s philosophy is clearly working wonders for the African winger, who has won possession 26 times in the final third along with taking 124 touches in the opposition penalty area.

The 40-year-old has endured a tricky start to life in Manchester. If he can get Diallo to maintain his level of performance over the next few months, he may have found his new Gyökeres-like talisman.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


You can follow every Manchester United game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Posted by Bill Biss
The fight for survival in the Championship sees sides take to the transfer market

The fight for survival in the Championship sees sides take to the transfer market

With time running out and dice in hand, football clubs across the land have closed their eyes, given a shake, a throw and hoped Lady Luck is on their side. The transfer window casino has shut its doors and it’s high stakes at the bottom of The Championship.


By Sanny Rudravajhala


Survival brings so much hope. Stay up and a tilt at cracking into the top-flight always remains. Fail, and you’ll be taking on Premier League youngsters in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. So, where are we at with 16 games remaining?

Sinking Swans

I’m going to start with the side I’m most worried about. They aren’t even in the bottom three, but alarm bells are sounding at Swansea City. The form table has them bottom but the issues are much deeper for Luke Williams’ side. They’ve taken an incredible gamble in selling Matt Grimes, their ever-present captain and best performer (FotMob average rating: 7.21), to Coventry City and replacing him with Forest loanee Lewis O’Brien.

Grimes had started their last 88 Championship games, and when Frank Lampard is describing him as a ‘leader in the dressing room already’, you’ve got to seriously question what, if any, strategy is in place in south Wales.

Swansea are the poster child for the backlash at possession football for possession’s sake. They rank second behind Leeds with 61% of the ball, but what are they doing with it? It’s nowhere near the box, when you look at the data. They may be 17th but only Preston, Plymouth and Oxford have had fewer touches inside their opponent’s area, something fundamental for scoring! Their points return at home is equal-third worst in the Championship too. That reads even more painfully when Coventry left there with all three points, off the back of Swansea’s  5-1 capitulation at Norwich. They’ve run aground down by the River Tawe and, for whatever reason, the captain has abandoned ship.

Muslić looking good in Argyle

With his perfect beard, hair and poise in a puffer, Miron Muslić will certainly look better in the 2026 Plymouth Argyle calendar than Wayne Rooney has as Mr January for 2025. On the pitch it looks like we’re seeing a better team too. They showed resilience in their late draw at Sunderland and followed that up at a raucous Home Park in their turnaround against West Brom. 

Muslić hasn’t been afraid to throw in his new signings too. Tymoteusz Puchacz has impressed out wide in his five games and the imposing Nikola Katić did well to deal with whatever Albion threw at him on debut. Stealing the show was Ryan Hardie with his double off the bench. By far his best performance this season, Argyle need their No. 9 to keep firing for any chance of escaping the drop.

Norway to go for Derby and Luton

It’s a sorry state for both Derby and Luton, occupying the final relegation spots.

For Derby, bringing in defender Matthew Clarke from Middlesborough is great business and he was impressive at the start of the season. Having lost his place, he’s come to a club he knows well from loan spells and has a chance to strike up a pairing with new Norwegian defender, Sondre Klingen Langås. I know absolutely nothing about him but with a FotMob score of 7.0, he was at least performing well for Viking in the 2024 season. Another from Viking, arriving to these shores, is Lars-Jørgen Salvesen. The striker has opened his account already in their defeat to Cardiff but like Plymouth, Derby have taken a big risk with unknown entities in the Championship.

As for Luton, Matt Bloomfield was an interesting choice to replace the unfortunate Rob Edwards. A year ago, Bloomfield was fighting for his job but such has been Wycombe’s turnaround, concurrent with Luton’s demise, he’s now in the Bedfordshire hotseat. Results are yet to improve but his transfer movements might just do the trick.

FotMob’s roots are in Norway and I don’t know if that’s why, like Derby, they’ve also got their own import from the Eliteserien with forward Lasse Nordås. The 194cm tower from Tromso gives them another option but when it comes to Norwegians, Bloomfield had one man at the top of his shopping list. At just 22-years-old Thelo Aasgaard has seen it all in his short career. I myself saw him break into a Wigan team coming out of financial crisis and his loyalty to the Latics has earned them a decent transfer fee, whilst giving him enough time to develop into Wigan’s star performer, under the tutelage of Shaun Maloney.

Aasgaard shot map while with Wigan, League One 2024/25

Aasgaard can score all sorts of goals. He is good in the air and with both feet and his 95th minute winner, a free kick against Stevenage in what was his penultimate goal in a Wigan shirt, was a thing of beauty. 

In Josh Bowler and Isaiah Jones, Bloomfield has also found two experienced EFL players with points to prove. That reminds me of the side Rob Edwards took to promotion. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Luton have underperformed in all areas. 

The best of the worst: Hull, Pompey and Cardiff

Out of Hull City’s signings, I hope they make the most of Louie Barry, who has lit up League Two and League One on loan at Stockport from Aston Villa. There’s a reason he became the first ever English player in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy. He’s a special talent with an eye for the spectacular and I’m expecting magic moments whilst he’s moored in Humberside.

Will Portsmouth stop torturing midfielder Marlon Pack by playing him in central defence? The Pompey captain has been horribly exposed, especially with John Mousinho’s insistence on a high line and pressing from the front. Too often they’ve been turned around, and Pack has been the one caught out. Robert Atkinson on loan from Bristol City is looking the part and adding 20-year old Hayden Matthews should, I hope, allow Pack to get out from the back. 

I should end by mentioning the next worst side, Cardiff City, fresh off a 7-0 hiding from Leeds. Callum Robinson’s outstanding season is the only reason Omer Riza’s side aren’t further down the table. His double against rivals Swansea means he’ll never be short of offers for a pint in retirement and with 11 goals from an xG of 6, it’s clear the 30-year-old will magic up more moments before season’s end.

Robinson shot map, Championship 2024/25

Deadline Day is done and for the sides at the bottom, it’s time to see whether their gambles in the transfer market pay off. Will the dice read double six or snake eyes? We’ll soon find out.


(Cover image from IMAGO)


You can follow every game from the EFL Championship on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Posted by Bill Biss