The Pulse of Football

Nov

2025

Preview: Barcelona head to form side Celta Vigo

Celta Vigo and Barcelona go head-to-head at the Estadio Abanca-Balaidos in LaLiga, as Hansi Flick’s side look to close the gap at the top of the table. Celta Vigo are on a run of eight games without defeat, winning their previous five matches in all competitions.

By Matt Smith

It was a thrilling encounter the last time these two sides met, with Raphinha scoring a 98th-minute penalty to secure a 4-3 victory in LaLiga back in April. Borja Iglesias, who has been among the goals for Celta this season, scored a hat-trick that day.

Team news

Celta look set to be without Williot Swedberg, Javi Rueda, Hugo Álvarez, and Ionuț Radu for their game against Barcelona this weekend. Iván Villar should be between the sticks in Radu’s absence.

For Barcelona, Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Raphinha, and Pedri all remain on the treatment table. Andreas Christensen and Joan García have been unavailable of late, but they are edging closer to returning to the squad.

Eric García is the latest player to join the injury list, suffering a potential broken nose last time out.

Celta Vigo’s bizarre home run

Interestingly, both of Celta’s victories in LaLiga this season have come away from home, with Claudio Giráldez’s side struggling on their own turf. At home, in LaLiga, they are still searching for their first victory, and since an opening day defeat, they have drawn all five of their consequent league games by the same 1-1 scoreline.

There’s no doubt they look difficult to beat this season, losing just twice, but they have struggled to get games over the line. In their opening nine games of the league campaign, they failed to win, but they’ve now secured three points in two matches on the bounce.

Barcelona struggling at the back

Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Barcelona this season, which is no surprise considering the attacking talent Hansi Flick has at his disposal. Conceding chances has been a real issue, and is a key reason why they are falling behind Real Madrid in the title race.

Barcelona rank eighth in LaLiga for xG conceded, which isn’t at the level a side that want to win the league would expect. Flick’s side average eight shots on target per match and have created 40 big chances this season, more than any other side in both metrics, but they need to tighten up at the back if they want to catch Madrid.

Fermín the man of the moment

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal take a lot of the credit in the Barcelona attack, but it’s Fermín López who has been the standout player in the final third over the last few weeks. The Spanish midfielder has provided eight goals and assists combined in his last four games in all competitions, making the number 10 position his own of late.

Fermín is keeping Dani Olmo watching on from the sidelines at the moment, and he’s becoming undroppable for Flick in the attack. He’ll be one of many players for Celta to watch out for in this game.

Prediction

Barcelona should have too much for a side who have struggled to pick up wins this season. We’re going for a 3-1 away victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Rayo meet Real in Madrid

Rayo Vallecano welcome Real Madrid to the Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday afternoon as the leaders look to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.

By Ross Kilvington

Real must bounce back from Liverpool defeat

Until Los Blancos travelled to Anfield on Tuesday night, they had won six successive games, including two in the Champions League.

Xabi Alonso was outdone on his return to Merseyside, however, despite Real dominating possession throughout the match.

They have a five-point lead at the top of the table, which could be stretched to eight should three points be secured on Sunday, as Barcelona don’t play until the evening.

Kylian Mbappé failed to register any shots on target against Liverpool, while Jude Bellingham succeeded with just one dribble and missed a glaring chance.

Remarkably, the Frenchman has scored in all but one of Madrid’s 11 league matches this season, leading the race for the Pichichi award by six goals.

Alonso will be hoping his team can bounce back to winning ways against Rayo Vallecano, extending their lead over Barcelona in the process.

Rayo Vallecano can cause Real Madrid problems

Rayo Vallecano have enjoyed a decent campaign thus far. Four wins from 11 league matches has them 10^th in LaLiga ahead of Saturday’s matches. Furthermore, the club are unbeaten in the Conference League.

So far this season, Rayo have defeated Real Sociedad and drawn against Barcelona domestically, utilising an effective counter-attacking strategy which has worked wonders.

While the recent 4-0 defeat to Villarreal skews the figure, Rayo had conceded only ten goals in as many league matches this season.

As such, Madrid will have to be at their best to break through this stubborn defence on Sunday.

Team news

For this massive tie against the leaders, Rayo will be without the services of Abdul Mumin, who is out with a knee injury. Pep Chavarría is suspended and therefore wont be available for the match, while Luiz Felipe remains a doubt and he will be assessed closer to the match.

Alonso will be missing several key players for the short five-mile trip across Madrid to take on Rayo.

Indeed, Argentinian starlet Franco Mastantuono won’t return until after the international break after suffering a groin injury. He missed the clash against Liverpool in midweek.

Elsewhere, Dani Carvajal is out until 2026, despite making a brief return against Barcelona in October. Defender Antonio Rüdiger could be missing for another few months yet after suffering an injury in September.

David Alaba is a doubt as he aims to make only his fifth appearance of the campaign.

Prediction

Rayo have certainly pushed above their weight recently, backing up an impressive eighth place finish last season by starting the current campaign solidly.

Real should have more than enough quality to seal another three points in the league this weekend, however, especially if Mbappé and Vinicíus Júnior click into gear.

Given Alonso can lead his men further clear at the top of the table, we predict the away side to emerge 2-0 victors.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from LaLiga on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: Title chasers Manchester City and Liverpool face off in a pivotal clash

Two of the Premier League’s top three are involved in this weekend’s headline fixture, which could well determine the next twist in the title race.

By Neel Shelat

City returning to full strength

Injury issues were a big part of Manchester City’s problems last season, and they haven’t had a fully clean bill of health so far this term either. Rodri hasn’t been able to hit the ground running on his return, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush have missed a fair few games each, and a number of defenders have come in and out of the squad.

Going into this game, though, Mateo Kovačić is the only confirmed absentee, so Pep Guardiola will have the opportunity to pick from pretty much all of his options.

Another tough test for Liverpool’s thin defence

While a lot of attention went to Liverpool’s attacking renovation in the transfer window, their lack of investment in defensive depth perhaps did not get as much scrutiny as it deserved. It certainly has come into focus now, as injuries have further limited Arne Slot’s options. Giorgi Mamardashvili has done well enough in place of Alisson, but Giovanni Leoni’s long-term absence has forced Ibrahima Konaté and the 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk to start almost every game together.

Although the Reds are going into this fixture on the back of successive clean sheets, they conceded in each of their 10 matches prior to the win over Aston Villa last weekend. They will definitely need to be on their A game to stop Erling Haaland from adding to his tally of 27 goals in 17 games this season.

Have Liverpool found the formula for their attack?

The quest for balance in the team has been the story of Liverpool’s season so far. They got off to a flying start with seven straight wins, but were soon derailed and lost six of the next seven. The number of attacking options and different full-back profiles have possibly given the coaching staff too many options to pick from, but they might well be hoping to have landed on something successful in the win over Real Madrid this week.

The most noteworthy omission in this lineup is Cody Gakpo, who often looked to be a bright spark in an otherwise faltering attack in that string of defeats. Alexander Isak may be back in the squad after missing the last few games due to a groin injury, but he likely won’t be fit to start.

Can Mohamed Salah deliver on the big stage again?

After enjoying arguably his best-ever season last term, Mohamed Salah has gotten off to a concerningly quiet start this time around. He does have an incredible record against City of 13 goals and eight assists in 23 appearances, so this should be a great opportunity for him to silence the doubters and extend his side’s head-to-head unbeaten run to five games.

Prediction

Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 in both of their meetings last season, but the two sides seem much more evenly matched now. A score draw or 2-1 win either way could very much be on the cards.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Arsenal visit fourth placed Sunderland

Few would have had Sunderland hosting Arsenal as a top-four clash at the start of the season, but the Black Cats’ excellent start has them about halfway to safety only 10 games into the campaign.

By Karl Matchett

Tricky road starts now

Régis Le Bris and his team might be preaching about either surviving or thriving behind closed doors, but it’s really only the latter which matters in reality. Two years running, the promoted teams have gone straight back down again but at least one of the trio to come up last year looks capable of bucking that trend. Even with an excellent spine put together – goalkeeper Robin Roefs looks a steal, Omar Alderete has performed well in defence and Granit Xhaka has brought nous and quality on the ball in the centre – there will be an acknowledgement around the club that the early fixture list was kind. Now starts a much bigger test of their top-flight credentials, but Sunderland face it with all the confidence built up over the past three months: Arsenal today, then the other members of the top five – Bournemouth, Liverpool and Man City – within the next four weeks or so. How many points they take in this run, before several stars depart for the AFCON, might be very telling.

*Sunderland’s best rated players this season, led by former-Arsenal and Xhaka*

Back line puts Gunners in all-timer territory

Quite aside from the fact Arsenal are simply a very good team, there’s a key reason they win so many matches. No, not the set pieces – well, yes, that too – but their defensive resolve. José Mourinho’s 04/05 vintage Chelsea conceded 15 goals in a single season, an average of 0.4 per game and the long-standing Premier League record in that regard. Arsenal have currently seen just three in ten get past them – a 0.3 average and, extrapolated over the season it would be just 11 or 12 conceded all year. That same Chelsea team conceded nine away from home; Arsenal have let in only two thus far. Still, you need a title to go with the numbers, which means the emphasis for Mikel Arteta’s men remains on winning, not just not conceding or losing.

Recent form

Sunderland have lost just one of their last eight matches, a superb run pushing them into fourth place. Following a home draw with Everton last time out, they’ve won two of the last three. Arsenal give that some perspective though: ten straight wins in all competitions after an easy Champions League win in midweek.

Team news

Habib Diarra is out and the aforementioned Alderete needs to be assessed following concussion.

For Arsenal, the attacking absences continue to grow with Viktor Gyökeres now sidelined too, in addition to Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Ødegaard.

Key player

With Gyökeres missing, if this isn’t to be a battle between two of the league’s most impressive goalkeepers this term then someone must step up at a key moment. Declan Rice often takes that mantle for the Gunners and with two goals and two assists he’s joint-most productive for Arsenal in the league. He’s above 94% of midfielders for xA per 90 this term and 75% for xG per 90.

*Declan Rice’s passing stats per 90, Premier League 2025/26*

Prediction

A narrow but again solid away win, probably involving a corner: Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Inter Miami vs. Nashville, the decider

Inter Miami continue their quest for the MLS Cup, but have been taken to a game-three decider by Nashville SC in the first round.

By James Nalton

Having suffered a shock exit at this stage of the playoffs last year, losing a game-three against Atlanta United, they would not have wanted to be in this situation once again in 2025.

After failing to win any of the other competitions they entered this season, everything is on the line for Javier Mascherano’s side as they return to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night.

MLS 2025 Award winners

All of MLS’s individual award winners, bar the MVP, are now known.

Lionel Messi’s presence as the only Inter Miami player to feature anywhere in these shows how reliant they have been on the Argentine star in 2025.

MLS releases the voting results for the top three for each award, and there were no Inter Miami names among them, while Messi was their lone representative in the league’s best XI.

The full list of award winners so far is below:

Defender of the Year – Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Goalkeeper of the Year – Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)

Coach of the Year – Bradley Carnell (Philadelphia Union)

Young Player of the Year – Alex Freeman (Orlando City)

Newcomer of the Year – Anders Dreyer (San Diego)

Comeback Player of the Year – Nick Hagglund (Cincinnati)

Messi has already claimed the Golden Boot award as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals, and should be a shoo-in for the MVP award, but these results show that Inter Miami’s continued participation in the playoffs will depend heavily on how well Messi performs.

Luis Suárez suspended

It might come as no surprise that Luis Suárez has once again found himself suspended for violent conduct.

On this occasion, he aimed a studs-up kick at Andy Nájar during the 2-1 defeat at Nashville’s Geodis Park last weekend, and didn’t miss.

The incident was not picked up on by the referee or the VAR at the time, but MLS has retrospectively fined Suárez and banned him for one game.

Inter Miami released a strongly worded statement, commenting that: “Inter Miami CF accepts and respects the decision made by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.

“At the same time, the club wishes to express its concern about the precedent set by re-refereeing a play that had already been judged by the match officials and VAR, and its confidence that the same standard will be applied in the future to all on-field situations, in any match and involving any team.”

Opposition watch: Nashville SC

This will be the final edition of Nashville SC watch in 2025, which has become a regular column in Inter Miami coverage thanks to the frequency with which the two teams have met.

It will be the 19th matchup between Nashville and Inter Miami, as the team from Tennessee join Atlanta United as the opponents to have faced Inter Miami the most since they arrived in MLS in 2020.

Nashville created several good chances in game two of this playoff series as they ran out 2-1 winners, only conceding when Lionel Messi scored in the 90th minute.

Striker Sam Surridge had every reason to expect inclusion in the 2025 MLS best XI, having scored 25 goals this season, but didn’t feature — something that may motivate him and his teammates to prove a point this weekend.

Prediction

Inter Miami should get the job done at home, but Nashville will be encouraged by the favourites’ shock defeat to Atlanta at this stage last season.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every MLS game live this season with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: Spurs looking to continue good run against Manchester United

It’s a repeat of the Europa League final at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime as Spurs take on Manchester United, and hopefully it’ll be a better game than that was.

By Ian King

Neither Spurs nor Manchester United are the finished article yet

If there’s one thing that can be said for both Spurs and Manchester United ahead of this match, it’s that both teams are more serious than they were at the end of last season. Neither are the finished article yet. Spurs have done pretty well in terms of results, but have stood accused of flattering to deceive in terms of performances. Manchester United started as weakly as they ended last season but have improved in recent weeks, as though Ruben Amorim’s plan is starting to come together. But it remains the case that neither team are entirely predictable yet.

Spurs set a record against Manchester United in 2024-25

Spurs set an unwelcome record for Manchester United last season in becoming the first team ever to beat them four times in one season; both matches in the League, in the Carabao Cup and in the Europa League final. But their good record against United doesn’t end there. It’s been eight games since United last won this fixture, and that takes us back to October 2022.

Manchester United’s route to success in this game will start with stopping Spurs’ pace

The talk of The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week has, of course, been Micky van de Ven, whose “Run, Forrest, run!” goal against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League was reminiscent of Son Heung-min’s Puskas Award-winning goal against Burnley in December 2019. Van de Ven is an unusual player, injury-prone yet capable of being a cheat code three or four times a season, and he can hurt Manchester United both defensively and when he turns up in attacking positions.

As a Thomas Frank team, Spurs break quickly, so Manchester United’s central defence will need to be on top of their game. As such, United could need to be on their toes and that should mean a busy Saturday lunchtime for Matthijs de Ligt, who’s been accused of being “too slow” in the past but can put in a decent sprint when the mood takes him.

Will this match be time for the grand return of Lisandro Martínez?

Spurs still have an injury list the length of a chimpanzee’s arm, featuring James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Kota Takai and Lucas Bergvall, who will all be absent. There’s better news on the Mohammed Kudus front, though. He missed the Copenhagen match after picking up a knock, but should return for this one.

Manchester United’s attention with regard to injury and suspension is focused entirely on one player. Lisandro Martínez hasn’t kicked a ball in anger for them since February, but is due to return imminently, though whether Ruben Amorim decides to give him an extra couple of weeks for fine-tuning over the forthcoming international break remains open to question.

Spurs & Manchester United are improved upon last season, but both remain mildly unpredictable

If the 2025 Europa League final was a demonstration of where these two teams were at that moment in time, so will this match be a test of the progress that both have made since then. Spurs were dismal against Chelsea last weekend, as evinced by the enthusiastic booing they received at the final whistle.

But while FC Copenhagen were hardly the most testing of opponents during the week, a 4-0 home win in the Champions League has quelled much of the steam that was starting to emerge from the ears of Spurs fans following last weekend’s debacle against Chelsea.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are much improved in attacking positions this season. But, as may have been guessed from them spending a ton of money on attacking options during the summer while completely ignoring their defence, they still have a soft underbelly that can be attacked, as Nottingham Forest demonstrated with their two goals in five minutes last weekend.

Spurs and Manchester United have both made progress since the end of last season. They’ve both moved from “predictably bad” to “decent yet slightly unpredictable”, and going into this match in 6th and 8th places in the Premier League respectively is more like where both may realistically expect to end this season.

But on this occasion, the pace that Spurs have in attacking positions is a clear threat to the Manchester United central defence, and that may prove to be the tipping point between the two on this occasion. I’ll go for Spurs to win 2-1, but as remains the case with these two teams, it could really go either way.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Can Luciano Spalletti vision get The Old Lady singing again?

Former Italy and Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has taken over at Juventus with the Turin club in need of a new direction.

By Graham Ruthven

Luciano Spalletti is already getting his sleeves rolled up as Juventus manager, although not literally. Were the 66-year-old to do that, Bianconeri supporters would see the giant Napoli tattoo their new boss has on his forearm. It’s a link to a rival many fans wish wasn’t there, but it’s also a reminder of why Spalletti has been hired in the first place.

Juve need a new direction. It’s been that way for a while, going back to when Maxi Allegri departed at the end of the 2023/24 season. That season wasn’t an outright disaster. The Old Lady finished third, their highest finish for four seasons, and lifted the Coppa Italia. Stylistically and tactically, though, Allegri-ball had run its course.

Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor both failed to transition Juventus into a new era and so Spalletti has taken over to do something his predecessors couldn’t. Winning won’t be enough. The Turin club also wants to play a modern, dynamic brand of football in line with what many of their rivals have been playing for years.

Spalletti’s most recent job was short-lived. He lasted less than two years as Italy manager, leaving his position in June as the Azzurri’s World Cup qualification chances hang in the balance. International football wasn’t a good fit for a coach who needs time on the training pitch to get the most out of his players.

At club level, though, Spalletti’s last job couldn’t have been any more successful. He guided Napoli to their first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona playing a style of football that lit up Serie A. This is the sort of success Juventus want Spalletti to replicate in his new surroundings.

The early signs have been positive. Spalletti’s tenure as Juve boss started with a 2-1 away win over Cremonese. A 1-1 draw at home to Sporting in the Champions League was less positive, but the new manager is already moulding The Old Lady in his own image. Some of his tactical tweaks have been fascinating.

One of those tweaks has been the use of Teun Koopmeiners as a centre back. Spalletti quickly identified a lack of progression out of defence as a fundamental issue and has deployed Koopmeiners, a midfielder by trade, as a solution on the left side of the back three.

“I feel much better in this position, because I am not a forward who plays with his back to goal, where I played in other games,” said Koopmeiners. “I told the club that too, and I told Spalletti. I had already played this role many years ago in Holland and it is where I feel comfortable. I am a player who wants the ball, to pass to my teammates, to push everyone else forward, and I can do that with a midfielder and another defender near me.”

Spalletti has continued to use wing backs, as Allegri, Motta and Tudor all did before him, but has done more to push those players into the centre of the pitch to create overloads. Against Cremonese, Weston McKennie was positioned as one of the dual number 10s. A few days later against Sporting, he was a right wing back, but he occupied a similar area of the pitch in both games.

This has a lot to do with Spalleti’s view of the game. “Systems no longer exist in football, it’s all about the spaces left by the opposition. You must be quick to spot them,” said the experienced coach during his title-winning time at Napoli and the principles of relationism over positional play are already there in Juve’s set-up.

Whether this will work for Juventus and the group of players Spalletti has inherited remains to be seen. At Napoli, he had difference-makers capable of exploiting the spaces left by the opposition Spalletti references. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen are match-winners. Do Juve have players of that ilk?

Kenan Yıldız could be one such figure. The Turkish international was one of the few Juventus players who took a step forward under Tudor. Yıldız was moved into a more central role where could impact games more directly and quickly became The Old Lady’s creator-in-chief and primary goal threat.

Up front, Spalleti has options, none of them outstanding, though. Certainly nobody at Osimhen’s level. Dušan Vlahović has started both of Spalletti’s matches in charge so far, and scored against Sporting. However, the Serbian remains clunky in possession and erratic in front of goal. Jonathan David and Loïs Openda are alternatives.

As Italy’s biggest and most successful club, Juventus want to return to the top as quickly as possible. It’s been five years since The Old Lady last won the Scudetto. Three other teams have won it in that time and one of them was guided by Spalletti. He is already putting in the groundwork for his next triumph.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Maxi Allegri is working his magic with Milan once again

Massimiliano Allegri’s arrival in Milan during the summer of 2010 proved to be a seismic move for one of the most successful clubs in Italy.

By Ross Kilvington

By the end of the 2010/11 season, Milan had claimed their first Scudetto since 2004, before Allegri led the team to the Supercoppa early the following season.

Since then, the Rossoneri have won just three trophies – a single Serie A crown alongside two Supercoppa titles – which for a club the size of Milan, is proof of just how far the mighty have fallen.

Last season, an eighth place finish was the club’s worst since finishing tenth in 2014/15 and a change was needed ahead of the current campaign.

Step forward Allegri. After two successful stints with Juventus, the 58-year-old returned to the San Siro.

Early indications suggests he is brewing something special once again in Milan.

AC Milan are in the mix for another Serie A title

Prior to the clash against Roma last weekend, Milan had won five and drawn three of their first nine league games.

The only defeat came against Cremonese on the opening weekend of the campaign, but Milan have gone from strength to strength since.

A 2-1 win over Napoli is the obvious highlight, yet the clash against Roma proved Allegri and his men are right in the mix for a first Scudetto since 2022.

With only five goals conceded after nine games, the capital side boasted the best defensive record in the top flight. In contrast, their attacking output was the worst out of any team in the top half of the table.

As such, this intriguing tie would give further indication of whether both teams had the stomach for a title fight.

In the end, the game was settled by a single piece of magic from defender Strahinja Pavlović, who covered nearly the whole length of the field to get on the end of a wonderful assist by Rafael Leão to score the only goal.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved Paulo Dybala’s penalty with just ten minutes to go. This could certainly turn out to be a vital one come the end of the season.

After ten matches, the Rossoneri occupy third in the table, a solitary point behind leaders Napoli.

The feel-good factor has returned to the San Siro. Maintain this sort of form over the coming months and Allegri could be well on his way to leading Milan to only a second Serie A title since 2011.

His summer signings have certainly played their part, including one veteran who is enjoying an Indian summer of his own…

Luka Modrić is rolling back the years at AC Milan

It was a busy summer in Milan for the new manager. Out went the likes of Malick Thiaw, Tijjani Reijnders, Theo Hernández and Noah Okafor, who made a combined 151 appearances between them.

Despite losing a plethora of experience, Allegri was undaunted. In came Christopher Nkunku, Koni De Winter, Adrien Rabiot and Pervis Estupiñán among several others.

Luka Modrić was the standout arrival, however and has demonstrated that age is simply a number.

The Croatian midfielder ranks in the top 6% for chances created per 90 in Serie A this season when compared to other midfielders (2.26), while also ranking in the top 6% for touches per 90 (83.21) and the top 8% for interceptions per 90 (1.54), underlining his class when both defending and going forwards.

Against Roma, Modrić completed seven passes into the final third, while recording six ball recoveries. After a season with Real Madrid which many felt would be his last at the highest level, Allegri is managing to eek every ounce of magic out of the 40-year-old maestro.

While the veteran is pulling the strings for a Milan side, having players such as Leão and Christian Pulisic in front of him had his made his job easier to showcase his creative talents.

AC Milan’s attacking stars are spearheading title charge

While Nkunku and Santiago Giménez have just one goal each this season, it is the outputs of both Leão and Pulisic which could fire Milan to Serie A glory.

Indeed, the American began the campaign in superb fashion. Helped by having Modrić generating chance after chance, Pulisic scored four goals and grabbed two assists across his first five league matches.

Despite missing the last four Serie A games due to a hamstring injury, the 27-year-old still ranks first in the league for shots on target per 90 (1.9) and second for goals per 90 (1.11) this term.

*Milan’s top rated players in Serie A this season*

In his absence, Leão has been the focal point of this Milan side. Since returning from injury against Napoli in September, the winger has notched three goals and an assist.

He has been deployed in a more central position, but Leão is embracing this change.

The Portuguese star ranks in the top 7% for shots on target per 90 when compared to his peers (1.75), along with ranking in the top 14% for fouls won per 90 (2.99), proving how much of a menace he truly is when in full flight.

Allegri stated that Leão “has extraordinary qualities” following a pre-season friendly against Liverpool. If he continues this rich vein of form, Milan will be in a great place over the coming months.

Having led Milan to trophies before, Allegri clearly understands that success is the bedrock of this great club. He took a risk returning in the summer. So far, it appears to be paying off.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

FotMob Interview: Erin Cuthbert on Arsenal vs. Chelsea, the biggest rivalry in the WSL

True rivalries are relatively young in women’s football. More often than not they are inherited from their male counterparts, forced onto the women’s game as a marketing ploy without the necessary history to back them up.

By Girls On The Ball

Nothing could be further from the case, however, when it comes to the derbies between Arsenal and Chelsea. When these two meet, fireworks tend to follow. The Jonas Eidevall knee-drop, the Emma Hayes shove and the infamous “sockgate” (when Arsenal turned up at Stamford Bridge) are amongst the most recent incidents in a battle that has intrigued over the years.

Saturday’s game at the Emirates will be no different and the stakes could not be higher. For while this derby is the epitome of a true rivalry for what it brings on the pitch, Chelsea undoubtedly have the bragging rights. In 21 meetings, the current champions have come out on top 12 times and one must go back to December 2023 for Arsenal’s last win in the league. In addition, Sonia Bompastor’s side are currently unbeaten at the top of the Barclays WSL and know that Arsenal must win to keep their title hopes alive.

At the heart of it once more will be the effervescent Erin Cuthbert whose experience of this rivalry goes well into the double figures.

“It’s no surprise that I love these types of games,” she says with a smile. “I love the atmosphere. I love rivalry in football and I think that should never go away. I think Chelsea-Arsenal is huge, especially in the women’s game, and it’s something that players relish. But the other part of me, the more rational part, is telling me it is just another three points. You can’t overthink it. Don’t make it bigger than what it is.”

“[My favourite] was the FA Cup Final at Wembley in the December [2021],” she remembers. “I played right-back and I think it was me against Caitlin Foord on the wing. I had such fun. It was bodies on the line. I think me and Millie [Bright] slide-tackled each other at one point to get the ball out of play.”

The no-nonsense, straight-talking Scot is a core member of Bompastor’s team. Now in her ninth season at the club, she has transitioned from a youngster to one of the more experienced players and from a forward into one of the best central midfielders in the league.

“Did I think a young girl from Scotland would survive eight/nine years at such a big club playing pretty consistently? Probably not,” she reflects. “But I’ve grown with that role. I’m a player who loves the competition. That’s what I enjoy most in training – how much everybody wants to win; how much it matters when you lose a small-sided game. I lost today and I was off in a terrible mood for half an hour before I recovered and said well done to my teammates. It’s because it matters and if it matters every day, then it’s going to matter on a weekend.”

The 27-year-old has been key to Chelsea’s impressive start once again. An energetic, box-to-box midfielder, she has played an integral role alongside Keira Walsh, a partnership that has been developing ever since the latter joined the club in January.

“We are building a connection,” she says. “I think we’re two very different central midfielders but we do complement each other. She’s trying to give me a bit of the calm and I’m trying to give her a bit of the intensity.”

Cuthbert’s desire to be front-footed and involved in the attack has been on show. She sits third highest in expected assists (1.9), chances created (13) and key passes (13) this season.

“Over the last couple of games, I’ve maybe seen myself in higher areas, trying to be more involved in attacks and linking the midfield to the front line,” she says. “It’s always about balance as a central midfielder.”

She will have to be at her balancing best once again against Arsenal on Saturday. For despite the Gunners’ inconsistent start to the season, Cuthbert is well aware of the multiple threats Renée Slegers’ team can present.

“They still have quality all over the pitch,” she states. “I’ve watched a lot of their games this season. I think [Alessia] Russo is in good form. Obviously, Mariona [Caldentey] can unlock a defence at the snap of a finger.”

“I think they’re going to be a really aggressive team at home”, she continues. “We’re going to have to be ready for a bit of an onslaught early on and be switched on because a team like Arsenal can punish you. I think we have given up too many chances this season and they punish you for those chances so we need to be really structured with a calm head.”

“Most of all, it will be trying to give my experiences of playing at the Emirates because it is a really tough place to go,” she continues. “You can’t hear each other speak. You can’t give information or tactics or communicate. A lot of it has got to come off feeling which is very different and maybe what we’re not used to.”

Chelsea are a different outfit with Cuthbert in the team. On Saturday, they will once again need her energy, fight and desire if they are to overcome their arch-rivals; someone who absolutely lives for these games. For as the Scot says, “We love a wee scrap but that’s the nature of football. If you don’t love that then why are you playing?”

(Cover image from IMAGO, with additional imagers from Girls on the Ball)

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Nov

2025

O’Neill is back and aiming to steady the ship at Celtic

Martin O’Neill is unexpectedly back at Celtic and is holding things together as the Glasgow club implodes around him.

By Graham Ruthven

Brendan Rodgers’ departure as Celtic manager and the manner of it was so shocking that Martin O’Neill’s return to the club after two decades away was treated as a mere footnote. The morning of his interim appointment, the Irishman had been on national radio tipping Hearts for the Scottish title. Nobody expected him to be Celtic manager again, least of all him.

At first, O’Neill’s return appeared lazy, maybe even reckless. Now 73, the former Aston Villa and Leicester City manager hadn’t worked in football for six years. His last stint at Nottingham Forest lasted just five months. Before that, O’Neill’s previous tenure at a club was at Sunderland over a decade ago. He is, in many ways, yesterday’s man.

And yet yesterday’s man is doing an admirable job of pointing Celtic in the direction of a brighter future. O’Neill has won the first two matches of his second stint in charge, guiding the Hoops to the Scottish League Cup final with a 3-1 win over Rangers in the Old Firm Derby on Sunday.

Celtic needed extra time to see off their fiercest rivals who played much of the match down a man after Thelo Aasgaard’s red card, but there was enough in the performance to suggest O’Neill has made a meaningful difference. The obituaries of Celtic’s 2025/26 campaign may have been written too hastily.

It’s not just O’Neill who has made an impact, though. His two assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham have been hired to lead training on a day-to-day basis and their influence is already obvious in the way Celtic are now approaching matches. The intensity is back in their game.

Maloney’s influence was especially noticeable against Rangers on Sunday. Indeed, the former playmaker was down on the touchline for much of the match, offering guidance and encouragement. When the game went to extra time, it was Maloney rather than O’Neill who led the team talk.

As a figurehead, O’Neill has the shoulders and personality to face the notoriously harsh Scottish media and handle the pressure that comes with being Celtic manager. He’s done it all before, after all. In Maloney and Fotheringham, though, he has two accomplished coaches behind him to prepare the team on the pitch. The balance in the dugout is good.

*O’Neill during his previous spell as Celtic boss*

Celtic still have problems. Their squad is lighter than it has been in a long time after a disastrous summer transfer window that saw the Scottish champions get weaker, not stronger. This is particularly true of the attack where Celtic are lacking genuine top-end talent.

Johnny Kenny has shown the sort of level few saw in him before O’Neill’s arrival, scoring three goals in the two games Celtic have played under the legendary Irishman. Callum Osmand is another previously under-utilised forward who O’Neill has turned to. The teenage Welshman scored his first Celtic goal against Rangers.

In terms of proven attacking quality, though, Celtic are thin on the ground. Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, Matt O’Riley and Adam Idah were all sold by the club over the last year or so and the Scottish champions have been slow to reinvest that money, spending just £10m in the summer window on new additions.

Hearts are setting the pace at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. The Tony Bloom-owned outfit have adopted a data-driven recruitment model and have unearthed a number of stars capable of deciding a match, as a couple of them did in Hearts’ win over Celtic in Rodgers’ last game.

This time last year, Aberdeen were enjoying a similarly fast start, but quickly faded. This time, Hearts’ challenge feels more substantial. Derek McInnes’ rotated his team for Saturday’s game against Dundee and still oversaw a comfortable 4-0 victory. The Jam Tarts will surely strengthen again in January.

Whether O’Neill will still be in charge of Celtic by then is unknown. “Well, secretly, you would love to,” the 73-year-old said when asked if he would like to lead the Hoops out in next month’s Scottish League Cup final. “Look, we’re in the results business and all of these things can change.

“I was actually at Midtjylland’s game against Nottingham Forest, where they were just too strong for them, really, and that was at the City Ground. And then we’ve got the Kilmarnock game on Sunday. So, honestly, these games, it’s all about results and that will determine whether the board might think about taking their time. If we’d got beaten today, I might not even have seen Thursday.”

Nobody could have predicted the way this season would go for Celtic. O’Neill likely thought his management days were behind him. Now that he’s back in the dugout, though, the Hoops might wish to keep him there until another way forward emerges. O’Neill’s return might have been a footnote in the Rodgers debacle, but it could be a headline in the success of Celtic’s season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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