The Pulse of Football

Jan

2025

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 20

The first weekend of 2025 is now in the history books. With it, is a number of surprise results from across the Premier League. Struggling teams like Manchester United and Crystal Palace took points off of title chasing Liverpool and Chelsea. Arsenal were held by Brighton while Manchester City scored four goals for the first time since August in the English top-flight.

By Sam McGuire

So we know what happened. However, we don’t know who made the FotMob Team of the Week or why they made the XI. Read on to find out.

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford

Pickford was on the losing side this weekend as Everton fell to defeat against Bournemouth. However, he didn’t deserve to be. The 30-year-old earned himself an 8.8 rating for his showing at the Vitality Stadium. He made seven saves and faced shots with an Expected Goals On Target value of 3.02. He conceded just one goal though, late on in the second half as the hosts ramped up the pressure. Without him between the sticks, it could’ve been a battering for the Toffees.

Right-Back: Matty Cash

Cash helped Aston Villa return to winning ways against Leicester City. The right-back earned a FotMob rating of 8.1 for his showing at Villa Park against the Foxes. He completed 89% of his passes, carved out two chances and attempted four dribbles in what was a impressive display. The 27-year-old won six of his seven tackles, made three ball recoveries and won 11 of his 16 duels.

Centre-Back: Dean Huijsen

Huijsen is, of course, making his weekly appearance in the Team of the Week. He’s been a regular in the XI over the past month and his performances are consistently impressive for a Bournemouth team on an eight-game unbeaten run following their 1-0 win over Everton last weekend. The youngster didn’t score this time out but he still put in a solid showing, completing 84% of his passes, winning 100% of his tackles and winning five of his eight duels. He also made nine clearances as the Cherries kept their clean sheet in a win that kept them just one point behind Manchester City.

Centre-Back: Lisandro Martínez

What a time to put in arguably your best performance of the season. Martínez opted to step things up while playing away at Anfield against the Premier League leaders. He scored the opening goal with what was an unbelievable finish into the roof of the net from a ridiculous angle against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He put in an all-action display, making four clearances, three interceptions and recovering the ball on three occasions. The Argentine also won 60% of his duels against Liverpool to earn himself an 8.3 rating.

Left-Back: Keane Lewis-Potter

The versatile Brentford player made the XI for his showing against Southampton. On the day, he was deployed at left-back and he put in quite the performance. The 23-year-old had two shots, scored one goal, created two chances and finished the game with a pass success rate of 100%. He won 50% of his tackles, 60% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels as the Bees romped to victory.

Midfield: Ross Barkley

Barkley was the star man for Aston Villa in their 2-1 win over Leicester City. The 31-year-old opened the scoring for the hosts from the edge of the penalty area. His placement turned a shot with an xG value of 0.08 into one with an Expected Goals on Target value of 0.61. He picked out his spot and hit it. He also completed 98% of his passes, completed 100% of his dribbles and recovered the ball on 10 occasions. Barkley also won eight of his 10 ground duels in what was a dominant display.

Midfield: Mikkel Damsgaard

The Denmark international has found his groove in more of a central midfield role as of late. The 24-year-old claimed an assist in the hammering of Southampton. He created five chances on the day, attempted three dribbles and was involved in nine duels. Damsgaard put himself about and had a huge impact on the game for the Bees.

Midfield: Bruno Fernandes

There had been some concerns over whether Fernandes was the right man to lead this Manchester United team after a few erratic performances this season. He emphatically answered them against Liverpool on Sunday with an eye-catching display. He left Anfield with an assist having created four chances for the Red Devils. The skipper completed 100% of his dribbles, regained possession eight times and won 82% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels. He stepped up when Rúben Amorim needed him most.

Attack: Bryan Mbeumo

The Brentford forward is having the most productive season of his career and we’re only just into January. He netted twice against Southampton to take his haul for the season to 13. He also claimed an assist to take his haul to 16 goal involvements in 20 starts for the Bees. Only Erling Haaland (16) and Mohamed Salah (18) have more goals than the versatile forward. How showing against the Saints, a game in which he created five chances, earned him a FotMob rating of 9.5. He was also switched on defensively too, winning two of his three tackles and five of his eight ground duels.

*Mbeumo shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Attack: Erling Haaland

Haaland was back amongst the goals as Manchester City racked up a 4-1 win over West Ham. The No. 9 wasn’t heavily involved, attempting just two shots and 17 passes, but he netted twice and racked up an xG haul of 0.95. The City forward also won three of his four duels to highly the duality of his game these days under Pep Guardiola.

Attack: Raúl Jiménez

Jiménez continued his fine form this season, scoring twice for Fulham in the 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town. The Mexico international kept his cool from the spot on two occasions to level for the Cottagers as he took his tally to eight for the campaign.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Preview: Arsenal and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup semi-final, first leg

Arsenal and Newcastle United meet in the first of the EFL Cup semi-finals, but which of these two clubs needs a trophy more, and who might want to remain focussed on the League instead?

By Ian King

Two forms sides

Both teams come into this match in rich veins of form. Following their 1-1 draw at Brighton on Saturday, Arsenal are now ten games unbeaten and with their title chase back on. Newcastle, meanwhile, made slightly harder work of beating Spurs than had been expected at the weekend, but have now won their last five in a row in the league. Arsenal have beaten Bolton, Preston and Crystal Palace to get this far, while Newcastle, who entered a round earlier, have already beaten Nottingham Forest, Wimbledon, Chelsea and Brentford. On paper there’s not much between these two.

History

Newcastle have won three of their last four home matches against Arsenal, but the bigger issue comes when they’ve had to travel south. They haven’t beaten them away since 2010, and furthermore Arsenal have won all three of their previous meetings in the EFL Cup. You have to go back almost 73 years to the 1952 FA Cup final for Newcastle’s last win against Arsenal in any cup competition.

A chance to rotate?

With this being the Carabao we can probably expect changes from both Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe, but that opens the door to the question of who wants it more. Newcastle haven’t won a major trophy since – depending on whether you consider the former of these to be ‘major’ – the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup or the 1955 FA Cup. Arsenal haven’t won anything since the 2020 FA Cup. So the greater question here is probably who’ll take a greater interest in trying to end their dry spell in this competition.

Team News

Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Raheem Sterling (knee), Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are all missing for Arsenal, while Kai Havertz has been getting over an illness and may not be available, and there are doubts over Ethan Nwaneri following his early withdrawal at Brighton. Jurrien Timber returns from suspension.

Fabian Schär and Bruno Guimarães are both suspended for Newcastle, while Nick Pope (knee), Callum Wilson (thigh) and Jamaal Lascelles (knee) all remain injured. Lloyd Kelly, Sean Longstaff or Joe Willock could be drafted in. But as ever with the Carabao Cup, expect changes from the weekend.

Prediction

So, how important is this match to these two teams, then? For Newcastle, this year marks the 70th anniversary of their last major domestic trophy; so long ago that the competition they’re playing in tonight didn’t even exist at that time. For Arsenal, with the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Premier League still to play for, it may be a slightly lower priority. With Newcastle’s strong recent defensive record, it might be time for them to take something from a trip to Arsenal for the first time in years. With that, I’m going for a 1-1 draw, leaving all to play for at St James’ Park in the second leg (being played 5 Feb).

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid face minnows in the Copa Del Rey

David and Goliath, giant-killing exploits…domestic cup matches are all about the possibility, the opportunity and at times, the inevitably one-sided – and Real Madrid travelling to tiny Deportiva Minera fits that bill precisely.

By Karl Matchett

Madrid’s patchy record in the Copa

Carlo Ancelotti is used to fighting for major honours, the biggest pieces of silverware in the game. This year once more he’ll be expecting to go the distance in Europe and retain top spot in LaLiga, with Real Madrid a force domestically and abroad. But in the Copa del Rey, they’ve triumphed just once in the past decade. Weakened teams, priorities elsewhere and an opponent potentially facing the game of their lives can all mix to become a real banana skin for the top sides in the country.

Ancelotti with little reason to take risks

Minera ply their trade in Cartagena, a port city on Spain’s southeast coast in the region of Murcia. With a stadium holding around 2000 and a team which has just been promoted to the Segunda Federacion – that’s the fourth tier of Spanish football, where the group teams are allocated to play in are based on geographical location – this isn’t so much David against Goliath, more like David’s pet dog against a giant. Minera are tiny: they were in the seventh tier in 1980, haven’t been higher than the third tier ever and are eighth in their table, hardly among the mightiest even at their own respective status.

Even with alterations, rotations, youngsters getting a chance and those out of favour being handed minutes in the team, Ancelotti must surely feel his side will have too much, technically and physically, for a team who have never played even near the level of Los Blancos. Given they faced Valencia three days before and Mallorca in the Supercopa – with the travel that involves – three days later, there’s even less reason to suspect Ancelotti will go anywhere near full strength.

Recent form

Real went unbeaten in four in league and Champions League before Christmas, and reclaimed top spot in LaLiga following the dramatic victory over Valencia, on Friday, in their first match of the new year. By contrast, Minera’s only win in the last five was a penalty shootout success in the Copa – against another LaLiga side in Alavés, following a 2-2 draw.

Team news

Real Madrid continue to be without Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Éder Militão for the long haul. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé will surely all be rested after featuring against Valencia, but seniors such as Andrii Lunin, Dani Ceballos and Endrick might get rare starts. Minera’s best-known player – relative term here, perhaps – is likely Arturo Rodríguez, who spent a brief period with Dundee several years ago after playing at Cordoba.

Key player

As an international of some pedigree already, if Arda Güler is given the nod to start he’s an obvious star who will be leagues beyond anything Minera have seen or can cope with. Even he might not play in truth, depending on how Ancelotti manages players’ minutes, but in 600 LaLiga minutes only, he’s averaging 1.25 shots per 90, 2.67 chances created and 74 touches of the ball.

Prediction

No #Cupset this time around – Real Madrid’s much-changed side should pick up a win by several goals: Minera 1-4 Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Inter meet AC Milan in the Supercoppa

The first trophy of the 2024/25 Italian football season will go to one of the Milan clubs as they will face off in the final of the Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia.

By Neel Shelat

Both sides looking to match rivals’ successes

Inter and Milan are two of the most successful clubs in Italian football, so it should be no surprise that they have some of the biggest trophy hauls in the Supercoppa Italiana.

Inter’s recent record as three-time defending champions has taken their tally up to eight, just one off record champions Juventus. Milan are close behind them with seven, so they will be looking to restore parity with their city rivals in this respect.

A reunion in Saudi Arabia

Despite their previous success, Inter and Milan have only met twice in the Supercoppa. Their first clash was in 2011 when goals from Zlatan Ibrahimović and Kevin-Prince Boateng won Milan the trophy in Beijing, while Inter eventually got their revenge a couple of years ago in Riyadh.

That match kicked off a streak of victories in the Derby della Madonnina for the Nerazzurri, who had the chance to set a head-to-head record of seven straight wins earlier this season. However, it was Milan who scored a late winner to mark one of the few highlights of Paulo Fonseca’s tenure in charge of the club.

Sérgio Conceição’s chance to make an instant impact

Milan hired Sérgio Conceição just a few days before the Supercoppa, tasking him with staging a turnaround after a pretty disappointing first half of the season. His contract reportedly includes a unilateral termination clause that the club can exercise at the end of the campaign, so the pressure is on him to convince them of his suitability for the job. Silverware of any form will go a long way for his case, so the Supercoppa will surely mean something to him.

The Portuguese tactician will have to pull off something pretty special if his side are to defeat the defending champions in the midst of a period of subpar performances. A run of just one win in four Serie A fixtures across December cost Fonseca his job, after which Milan’s Supercoppa semi-final win against Juventus came about thanks to a cheap penalty and freak own goal rather than an overly convincing display. With injury doubts surrounding four attackers including Rafael Leão and Samuel Chukwueze, Conceição will also have to fashion a makeshift front line for this match.

Inter firm favourites

Among many things, the form book favours the defending champions. Inter have won 13 of their last 14 domestic fixtures, including the Supercoppa opener against Serie A title rivals Atalanta.

Simone Inzaghi’s side have certainly looked quite close to their very best in recent months, showcasing exceptional attacking play with slick passing and perfectly executed positional rotations. They are the top scorers in Serie A this season with 45 goals in 17 games, so they should have more than enough firepower to contend with the potential absence of top-scorer Marcus Thuram in this match. The Nerazzurri also are on a run of five consecutive clean sheets, so their defence will be a tough nut to crack.

Prediction

While Milan’s players continue to familiarise themselves with Conceição’s tactics, Inter should be backed to get a resounding victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the Supercoppa final and every game back in Serie A live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Preview: Old rivals clash in the Premier League as Liverpool face Man United

Manchester United travel to Anfield on Sunday to take on the rampant Premier League leaders Liverpool.

By Sam McGuire

If form played a part in this fixture, it would very much be a case of David versus Goliath as these old rivals meet for the second time this season. However, we know that form counts for very little when the Red Devils take on the Reds.

The season so far

Liverpool are riding high at the top of the Premier League with 14 wins from 18 matches. Their only defeat in any competition this season arrived back in September. Since then, the Reds have been almost flawless under new manager Arne Slot.

Following back-to-back draws with Newcastle United and Fulham, Liverpool have won three on the bounce in the Premier League and have scored 14 goals in the process. Ahead of Saturday’s fixtures, the Merseyside club had a six point advantage at the top of the table with a game in hand (the postponed Merseyside derby) over nearest rivals Arsenal.

They have the player of the season at their disposal in Mohamed Salah. The 32-year-old has racked up 30 goal involvements in his 18 appearances and have either scored or assisted in 11 successive English top-flight matches. He is the form player, not just in the league but perhaps in the world.

The supporting cast are pulling their weight too with Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz being amongst the goals recently.

The Reds top the charts for goals scored (2.5) per game and have conceded the joint-fewest (0.9 per game). They’ve kept the joint-most clean sheets (eight) and have carved out the most big chances (81). Slot’s side have been the best in the Premier League and deserve their place at the summit.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have had a season to forget. Erik Ten Hag was dismissed earlier in the campaign and was replaced by Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese tactician guided his new club to a 2-1 win over Manchester City recently but that is their only win in their last six Premier League matches. They’ve lost the other five.

They find themselves in 14th position and are without a clean sheet since the 4-0 win over Everton on December 1st. The Red Devils are averaging just 1.1 goals per 90 and are conceding 1.4 goals. Their underlying numbers are just as worrying, with an expected goals total of 26.9. For context, Liverpool’s xG this term is 42, and United have played a game more.

Arguably the most enlightening stat to highlight the incredible gap between these two sides this term is that Liverpool have missed (47) almost as many big chances as United have carved out (48).

Previous encounters

Liverpool won the first clash of the season between these two teams at Old Trafford. A Salah-inspired showing earned the Reds a 3-0 win. Things have changed since then though. There’s a new man in the dugout for the Red Devils and the pressure isn’t on him to beat Liverpool at Anfield. They’re going to want to frustrate the hosts and dent their title challenge. A draw would go a long way here for Amorim and United. Ten Hag, meanwhile, had to have a go at Liverpool in August.

The dynamic is different. The pressure is on the Reds so it will be interesting to see how they break down a United side who will want to soak up pressure. It was the same tactic deployed by the Red Devils last season as they went unbeaten against Liverpool and knocked them out of the FA Cup. Again, though, it was different. That was Jürgen Klopp versus Ten Hag. This is Slot versus Amorim.

The injury situation

Liverpool are without centre-back duo Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konaté for the clash while Conor Bradley is still ruled out following an injury he sustained against Real Madrid in November. The Reds are also without the suspended Dominik Szoboszlai after he picked up a fifth booking of the season in a brief cameo against West Ham United.

United are expected to be without Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Mason Mount for the visit to Anfield. Bruno Fernandes is set to return to the starting XI having missed the defeat to Newcastle United following his red card against Wolves.

On paper, Liverpool are missing two starters while United will be without one.

Prediction

It has to be a Liverpool win, doesn’t it? If they are serious about winning the title, this has to be three points on Sunday. They need to be breezing past struggling sides like United. We’re go with a 3-1 win for the Reds.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Man City aiming to maintain momentum against West Ham

Manchester City host West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as Pep Guardiola’s side look to gather some momentum after a win last time out. Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui will be feeling the pressure as he hopes to bounce back from a disappointing 5-0 hammering at home to Liverpool.

By Matt Smith

West Ham have little success at City

The Hammers haven’t won at the Etihad since 2015, with City winning 12 of the 13 times they’ve faced each other in Manchester in the Premier League. The last three games between the two teams have seen Guardiola’s men secure 3-1 victories, with City winning the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign thanks to an Erling Haaland hat-trick.

Dias yet to return

Guardiola has confirmed that Rúben Dias is ‘getting better’, but he’s set to be unavailable to face West Ham on the weekend. Ederson has returned to training, and the City boss hopes he will back soon.

It’s looking like City will have a similar squad against West Ham as they did versus Leicester last time out. Providing a small update on Rodri, Guardiola hopes that he will be ready at the end of the season.

Haaland back among the goals

Despite scoring 14 Premier League goals so far this season, Haaland hasn’t hit the heights expected of him in recent weeks. With the Norwegian being City’s only out-and-out striker, when he’s struggling to find the back of the net, Guardiola’s side find it difficult to pick up results.

*Haaland shooting stats, Premier League 2024/25*

His attacking numbers still look freakish, but before the win over Leicester City last time out, the former Borussia Dortmund man had scored just once in seven games. He was back among the goals last time out, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him scoring with ease in the coming weeks.

Star man Bowen on the treatment table

Julen Lopetegui has confirmed that it’s ‘not good news’ for Jarrod Bowen, who is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Hammers will now be without their captain for the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

Elsewhere, Tomáš Souček and Guido Rodríguez are back in contention after suspension, but Łukasz Fabiański will be unavailable.

Time for Füllkrug to step up

It’s been a disappointing start to life at West Ham for Niclas Füllkrug, but without their top goalscorer Bowen, he’s going to have to step up. Michail Antonio is also on the treatment table, meaning Füllkrug can make the centre-forward spot his own.

The German international hasn’t been given much of a chance to impress, but the Hammers are going to need someone to carry the burden left by Bowen. It could be his time to stamp his authority.

Prediction

Without Bowen, it’s difficult to see the Hammers getting a result at a place they notoriously struggle. Carrying on the trend, we’re going for a fourth 3-1 victory in a row for Manchester City.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Chelsea look to put their festive form behind them at Palace

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca didn’t look particularly jolly after seeing his side fall to a shock 2-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Ipswich town in their last game of 2024, while Crystal Palace secured a much-needed win over Southampton.

By Alex Roberts

Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson made sure Chelsea’s shocking Christmas form continued, leaving them winless in their last three games over the hectic festive period. So much for good will to all men.

Palace, on the other hand, weren’t gifted their win over Southampton and had to come back from 1-0 down after Tyler Dibling’s 14^th minute opener to secure all three points and put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

Bah humbug

Chelsea’s poor run of form over Christmas has seen them fall down to fourth and talk of a potential title charge become nought but a whisper.

Sean Dyche was their very own ghost of Christmas past, warning Maresca’s side of what was to come as they failed to beat his struggling side, drawing 0-0 in the first game of their three-game winless streak.

Then there was Marco Silva, the ghost of Christmas present. Chelsea went 1-0 up, and everything seemed right in the world for the Stamford Bridge crowd, but it soon soured, and two late goals secured Fulham’s first win at Stamford Bridge in 45 years.

Liam Delap acted as the ghost of Christmas future. The man Chelsea see as a potential new striker tore them apart, later showing them a grave that had “Chelsea’s 2024-25 title hopes” engraved upon it.

It’s not all bad for the eagles

Oliver Glasner’s lads had a rough start to the season after looking so promising at the back end of 2023-24, failing to secure a Premier League win in their first eight, including a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the reverse fixture.

They have since picked up some form, losing just two of their last 11 league games, winning four and drawing five in the others. With games against Leicester City and West Ham, clubs in similar kinds of positions as Palace, coming up in January, they have every opportunity to start 2025 with a bang.

Eberechi Eze also seems to be back to his best, scoring a belter to beat Southampton after struggling with a few little injuries in the first half of the season.

A timely Reece James return

Axel Disasi seriously struggled in the defeat to Ipswich, failing to win a single tackle and ultimately being responsible for their second goal. It’s not entirely his fault; he simply isn’t a right-back.

Reece James is back from injury, making the bench in both defeats to Fulham and Ipswich but Maresca is airing on the side of caution when it comes to giving him serious game time again.

The right-back still has the ability to be a key player for Chelsea, the game against Palace may well be his rebirth.

Trevoh Chalobah will be missed

The lanky centre-back won’t be allowed to feature against his parent club on Saturday and he will be a huge miss for Palace after scoring the equaliser in their win over Southampton.

As a matter of fact, Chalobah is their third highest Premier League goal scorer so far this season on three goals, just one behind Ismaïla Sarr and the second highest scoring defender in the competitions all together.

His presence at both ends of the pitch will be a huge miss for Palace.

Prediction

While Chelsea haven’t been fantastic, Palace’s struggles in front of goal will likely be a factor. We’re going to go with a 1-1 draw in South London.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: History repeats itself as Barca face Barbastro test

Barbastro and Barcelona meet in the Copa del Rey for the second season in-a-row with Hansi Flick’s team in desperate need of a positive result to build some momentum.

By Graham Ruthven

Familiar foes

It was only a year ago that Barcelona travelled west to face fourth tier Barbastro in the Copa del Rey round of 32 and the Catalans will make the same journey to take on the same opponent in the same competition this weekend.

Last season, Barca won 3-2, edging a match that was more competitive than many had predicted. Indeed, the lower league side made a good impression against a strong Barcelona team that included most of their big names.

Barbastro will enter Saturday’s cup match on the back of a four-game unbeaten run and having already knocked out Espanyol in this season’s Copa del Rey. They could make it a Catalan double by shocking Barcelona.

A Barbastro win would be one of the biggest upsets in Copa del Rey history and there is belief around the fourth tier club that they can at least push Barca. A sold out crowd of 6,000 supporters will make this a difficult experience for Flick and his players.

Key players

While Barcelona will have a sizeable talent advantage on Saturday, Barbastro have a number of key players who could hurt the top flight team.

Andres Barrera is enjoying an excellent season at left wing back, registering seven goals and two assists in 18 appearances. Marc Prat will also pose a threat in the centre forward position with Javier Albin and Ander El Haddadi also expected to feature in the attack.

Flick is expected to field a strong lineup as Barcelona look to move on from a challenging period which saw them relinquish control of the title race at the top of LaLiga. The Catalans must build momentum again.

Nonetheless, the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski could be rotated out of the team with the Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia just around the corner. Ansu Fati, however, could be given an opportunity to make an impact.

Gerard Martín, Eric García, Pablo Torre, Ferran Torres and Fermín López could all be in line for a start with Barcelona fresh after a two-week winter break.

Team news

Reports claim Ronald Araújo could make his first appearance of the season after returning from a long-term injury while Wojciech Szczesny could also be handed a Barcelona debut after joining the club as a free agent two months ago.

Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Lamine Yamal and Marc-André Ter Stegen remain unavailable for Barcelona while Dani Olmo will miss out due to the messy registration saga that is still playing out. Pau Víctor is also caught up in that situation.

Lamine Yamal will soon be back in training, but the Euro 2024 winner is still some way off featuring on the pitch for Barcelona who are desperately missing the creativity of their teenage prodigy.

Prediction

We know that Flick’s high defensive line is vulnerable and likely to concede, but just like last year, we believe the Catalan giants will have enough firepower to see off the plucky upstarts from the fourth tier: Barbastro 1-3 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Gunners aiming to continue positive run at Brighton

While Arsenal are on a winning run of three Premier League matches, Brighton are struggling for form amid something of an injury crisis. Saturday’s match has plenty riding on it for both teams.

By Graham Ruthven

Contrasting fortunes

It wasn’t so long ago that Brighton were flying high near the top of the Premier League table. Indeed, the Seagulls lost just one of their opening nine fixtures as Fabian Hürzeler made a strong start as the club’s new manager.

Now, though, Brighton are on a winless run of seven matches, although Monday’s 2-2 away draw against Aston Villa could give the south coast side a platform to build on as they enter 2025.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have breathed new life into their title challenge with successive wins over Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town and Brentford.

The away victory over Brentford on New Year’s Day was particularly impressive given the recent injury suffered by Bukayo Saka. Missing their most productive winger, the Gunners were able to produce a 3-1 win after falling behind.

Key players

With Saka sidelined through injury for the foreseeable future, Gabriel Jesus is expected to once again start in Arsenal’s forward line at the Amex Stadium. The Brazilian’s return to scoring form has come at a good time for the Gunners.

Ethan Nwaneri also caught the eye against Brentford and it’s possible the teenager could keep his place in the lineup, giving Arsenal dynamism on the right side of the attack. Gabriel Martinelli will likely start on the left.

Declan Rice could return to the lineup after starting on the bench against Brentford while Myles Lewis-Skelly may come in at left back having forced his way into the first team in recent weeks.

Predicting the Brighton lineup is trickier given the number of injuries being suffered by the Seagulls, but Hürzeler will probably build his attack around João Pedro who registered a brace of assists in the recent draw against Villa.

Simon Adingra and Georginio Rutter will also give Brighton threat in the final third with Carlos Baleba crucial to Brighton’s chances of stopping Arsenal finding rhythm in the centre of the pitch.

At the back, Bart Verbruggen will have to be in top form to keep out the Arsenal attack with Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke expected to start in front of the Dutch goalkeeper.

Team news

Brighton have a long lost of injury absences and concerns for Saturday’s match with no fewer than six first team players expected to miss out.

Evan Ferguson, Danny Welbeck, Mats Wieffer, James Milner, Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Jack Hinshelwood will all be sidelined with wing back Pervis Estupiñán also a doubt. Brighton’s squad depth is being tested at the moment.

Kai Havertz could miss another match through illness while Jurrien Timber is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Brentford.

Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu will also be sidelined through injury as Arsenal emerge from a hectic Christmas schedule.

Prediction

The Seagulls may have to wait another week to break that run without a win, with the Gunners most likely to extend their run on the South Coast: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2025

Preview: In form Newcastle travel to Spurs for the early kick-off

Spurs begin 2025 out of form and with a patchwork defence, which is not the ideal state in which to be facing an in-form Newcastle United.

By Ian King

Two sides heading in opposite directions?

Spurs enter the new year with their Premier League season already running out of gas. They’ve only won once in the League since beating Manchester City six weeks ago and there were few signs of improvement in their last match, with yet another two points dropped from a winning position against Wolves.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have recently recovered their poise after an underwhelming autumn, during which they won just two of eleven League matches. They arrive in North London having won their last four in a row, having scored 13 goals and conceded none whatsoever.

History suggests a goal fest!

Historically speaking, when these two meet there tend to be goals and big wins. Their last eight meetings have brought 37 of them, including 6-1 and 4-0 wins for Newcastle and 5-1 and 4-1 wins for Spurs. Spurs supporters with longer memories may shudder at the memory of a 7-1 defeat at St James’ Park in December 1996, a 6-1 defeat there in the FA Cup in 1999 or their 5-1 loss there in May 2016.

Key players

As with some other clubs, Spurs’ 2024/25 has thus far been partly defined by who’s been absent rather than who’s been fit. There haven’t been too many bright spots, but the performances of Dejan Kulusevski have become increasingly important to them.

Alexander Isak is the form player for Newcastle, having scored six goals in their recent four-game winning run, including a hat-trick at Ipswich and their opening goal at Old Trafford on Monday night. But the supply line is equally important; Jacob Murphy, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon have 14 assists between them so far this season.

Team News

Destiny Udogie is the latest name to be added to the Spurs injury list. He has a hamstring injury, while Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario remain injured, and Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended.

For Newcastle, Fabian Schär is suspended after picking up another yellow card against Manchester United (Lloyd Kelly is likely to replace him), while Kieran Trippier was withdrawn and is doubtful. Sven Botman is understood to be close to returning, but Callum Wilson, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles all remain injured.

Prediction

Somewhat surprisingly, Spurs’ recent 6-3 defeat against Liverpool was the first time they’d lost a league match by more than a single goal this season. Couple that with them being the second-highest goalscorers in the Premier League and their position going into this match might not quite be as hopeless as it at first appears.

But in recent weeks Newcastle have found the much-cherished equilibrium of scoring a lot of goals while conceding very few, and considering the dark clouds that have settled over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium of late and that history of big wins, a 3-0 Newcastle win would only turn the heat up further under Ange Postecoglou.

(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.