Page 11 – The Pulse of Football

Aug

2025

Preview: Man City meet Spurs in lunchtime kickoff

Thomas Frank has had a decent start as the new Spurs head coach, but he’s about to run into a Manchester City team with a point to prove.

By Ian King

Early season expectations

There isn’t much to go on this season, but both teams got off to convincing starts to their 2025-26 campaign, with City thrashing Wolves 4-0 at Molineux and Spurs brushing Burnley aside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both teams went into the new season not quite knowing what to expect. City’s 2024-25 agony didn’t ease any at the Club World Cup, while Spurs start under the highly Spursy contradiction of having had their worst league season in 48 years, but having also won their first trophy in 17.

History

Spurs have developed a reputation as City’s bogey team in recent years, and true to form they beat them in two of their three meetings last season, including a 4-0 win at The Etihad last November. City’s last home win against them came in January 2023, when they beat them 4-2.

Key Players

If there’s one player in the Manchester City team with a point to prove in this match, it’s winger Jérémy Doku, who was barely involved at Wolves and was hoicked off midway through the second half, having achieved little of note. With the rest of his team having put in an outstanding shift, Doku’s relative absence means that he’s going to need to improve to keep that place in their first team.

Manchester City have a wealth of attacking options, so whether Spurs can get anything from this will come down to the competence of their defence. Step forward, then, Cristian Romero, whose agreement to a new contract with the club was a big deal, with rumours all summer that he could be on his way to Atlético Madrid. It was Spurs’ Champions League quality defence that got them so far in the Europa League last season, and they may need a similar level of performance from him on Saturday.

Team News

Phil Foden could return for City, though this match is likely to be a week too soon for the Spurs-linked Savinho, Joško Gvardiol, Claudio Echeverri or the long-awaited full-time return of Rodri. Mateo Kovačić is likely out until October.

Spurs have no new injury concerns this week, but they’ve got enough on their plate with the serious injury picked up by James Maddison in the Super Cup final and the ongoing absence of Dejan Kulusevski. Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma could return, though at the time of writing there’s no word on whether either will be ready in time.

Prediction

Playing against two of this season’s expected Premier League flotsam and jetsam last weekend, it was difficult to tell just how much these two teams have improved on last term, but Manchester City’s new signings have bedded in well and their team performance on the opening weekend was seriously impressive.

There’s been little from their two competitive games so far to suggest that Spurs haven’t significantly improved, but if Manchester City have got their mojo back it’s difficult to see how that would be enough to take much from this match. With so many goal-scoring options at their disposal, I’ll go 3-1 City, but the Frank effect coupled with Spurs’ decent record in recent years makes this slightly more difficult to call than it should be.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Statement: Physical Metrics feature outage

We know many of you enjoyed seeing our new physical metrics feature during the opening round of the Premier League last weekend.

By FotMob staff

We were just as excited – after purchasing the official data and spending the summer building this feature, it was great to see all the positive responses after the launch.

However, we were informed this evening that the physical metrics data is temporarily unavailable due to factors outside our control. This affects all score providers, not just FotMob.

That means we’re currently unable to display physical metrics for Premier League matches.

We want to stress that FotMob has followed all official processes and agreements in bringing this data to you, and we remain committed to providing it as soon as the feed is restored.

We sincerely apologize to everyone who was excited to see this new feature continue.

Thank you for your patience and for being part of the FotMob community that drives us to keep innovating for football fans everywhere.

(Cover image via IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: Graham Potter leads West Ham against former club Chelsea

There’s more optimism on one side than the other in the early knockings of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but London derbies can skew all and reset hopes. Any chance for the Hammers?

By Karl Matchett

Firepower vs. intent

Neither West Ham United nor Chelsea managed to score in their opening match of the season, though at least the Blues managed to keep a clean sheet thanks to a lesser-remembered rule and a VAR shout in their favour. West Ham were battered by newcomers Sunderland.

*Graham Potter’s coaching history expressed as win percentages and points per game*

While a one-off result in isolation should never be considered too much of a problem, the worry for Hammers fans will be the issues in evidence which are holdovers from last season. After a pre-season and a transfer window under Graham Potter, they would have hoped for better. An xG of less than 0.6 against a newly promoted team isn’t ideal and conceding two big chances against them is also notable – given that the Black Cats didn’t actually score either one. It could have been worse.

Which means, an increased focus on getting the ball forward and creating chances at the other end has to be the focus. Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen together should guarantee vision, movement and technical quality, but neither one registered a key pass last time out. Potter’s side needs to be more proactive as they kick off at home.

Rotation considerations

There aren’t many more-stocked squads in the top flight than Chelsea’s – as you’d expect, given the level of spending. But for all Enzo Maresca’s recent wailing at needing another centre-back, it’s further forward where he needs to find the right blend – winning matches by outscoring teams might have to be the way forward for a while.

So when does the centre-forward debate ignite? How many chances for last week’s trio behind the No. 9 – Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens and Pedro Neto – to gel, to have cohesion, to be a go-to combination?

Youngsters, expensive signings and new arrivals all want to earn those spots, with more still to come it appears. Maresca needs those in the side to make their mark rather than juggling potential starlets until something sticks.

Recent form

One game in there’s not much to take for the Hammers – fans would have been hoping for continuity after ending 24/25 winning two of the last three. Chelsea of course won the Club World Cup only a few weeks back, but 0-0 at home to Crystal Palace was a sluggish start.

Team news

Crysencio Summerville is back in training but won’t play after missing preseason. Otherwise West Ham are fine. Chelsea are missing Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile but Nicolas Jackson is back from suspension – presumably he won’t feature regardless?

Key player

If we’re looking for early season stardust it’s about time Palmer remembered why he’s so highly-rated: his last Premier League goal in open play was in mid-January. In seven months since he has one penalty and three assists – that’s not enough a player of his quality.

Prediction

West Ham to struggle in front of goal again and leave the fans wondering when the season really starts: West Ham 0-1 Chelsea.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Old Man Olivier Giroud is back in France

It’s been 13 long years, but the most handsome man in French football has returned home. After an unsuccessful spell stateside, Olivier Giroud has signed for Lille, and he’s already had an impact as the Ligue 1 season gets underway.

By Alex Roberts

Giroud joined LAFC in the summer of 2024, fresh off the back of arguably his best spell at a club having scored 49 goals in 133 appearances across all competitions for AC Milan. There was a lot of expectation when he went to California, unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as all parties had hoped.

At his previous club, Giroud was a perfect focal point, capable of linking up with other players in build-up, while offering consistent finishing and a penchant for the remarkable. His relationship with Lille favourite Eden Hazard at Chelsea is testament to that.

He had a quick start, scoring his team’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Crew in the 2024 Leagues Cup final before bagging again in LAFC’s 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup final.

Head coach Steve Cherundolo didn’t always set his side up in a way that would get the best out of Giroud, however, and minutes in the MLS were scarce. Cherundolo likes his side to work well in transition, using measured sequences of possession before quickly breaking up field.

At the ripe old age of 38, Giroud isn’t the spring chicken he used to be, and keeping up with the likes of Denis Bouanga, David Martínez and Nathan Ordaz was a real struggle for the Frenchman, which was ultimately reflected in his poor numbers.

With just five goals and three assists over his 38 games for LAFC, his contract was torn up, by mutual consent, after their forgettable FIFA Club World Cup campaign earlier in the summer. At least he got 45 minutes against Chelsea.

Just four days after leaving LAFC, he had signed for Lille, and Giroud would play in the French topflight for the first time since he and Montpellier shocked the footballing world with their Ligue 1 triumph back in 2011-12.

“I’m very happy and excited to be back in France, home. It made perfect sense to return to Ligue 1, 13 years after leaving it. I’ve always considered Lille a top French club. It’s a young and talented squad, which needs experienced players like me. So, I’ll also be there in that role,” he told the press after he was announced.

He clearly knows his role because he’s right, Lille do have a young squad with an average age of 25.3 years, although Giroud will have tipped the scales somewhat. It’s also unlikely he’s going to play every game this season, so he’s come in to make an impact when he can and help his younger teammates with the expertise and leadership he’s picked up along the way.

After a fifth-place finish in last season’s Ligue 1, star man Jonathan David decided to leave, joining Juventus as a free agent after a prolific five years at Lille. He’s not the first and is unlikely to be the last elite striker to walk through the doors at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

As the French national team’s all-time leading goal scorer, he has plenty of advice to give the young whippersnappers. Aaron Malouda son of the great Florent, is one of those players that should be hanging on his every word.

Bruno Genesio is the type of manager Giroud has had immense success with in the past. He prefers his side to dominate possession but is versatile enough to know when the game calls for a hoofed ball up to the big man.

In the early stages of last season, Lille had to contend with several injuries, but Genesio found a way, recording historic Champions League wins over Spanish giants Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, while also earning a 1-1 draw with Juventus.

Of course, Giroud can’t press as hard as David had to but can hold up play like the best of them, bringing in the likes of Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, Edon Zhegrova (if he stays at the club this summer), and Osame Sahraoui in the game and creating space.

We got a quick glimpse of what he could do in their 1-1 pre-season draw with West Ham. Midfielder André Gomes pinged a simple ball into the box, Giroud controlled it with his chest before spinning and smashing it beyond Alphonse Areola on the volley. Very old dog, same very old tricks.

For the sake of balance, he should have never had the chance. The West Ham defenders inexplicably step up leaving him in acres of space, hoping for an offside flag that was never going to come. That might be a running theme for them this season.

Giroud and Lille faced Brest in their first game of the season, and it didn’t take long for the handsome devil to make himself known. Eleven minutes in, he latched on to a lovely ball from Felix Correia, using his only touch to guide it past Radoslaw Majecki, becoming the clubs oldest ever Ligue 1 goal scorer.

The game ended 3-3, and Lille find themselves in ninth with a visit from early league leaders Monaco next up over the weekend. There is plenty of football still to be played, but Giroud only signed a one-year deal at the club, he’ll be hoping to get them back in the Champions League once the curtain finally closes.

From there, who knows, don’t be surprised if we see him scoring a bicycle kick against PSG at some point in the next couple of seasons.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Ligue 1 game on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Bundesliga 2025/26 season preview: Can anyone topple Bayern?

Will Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich stroll to another Bundesliga title or can any of the chasing pack catch them this season?

By Graham Ruthven

Bayern Munich could have skipped the final two games of last season and still been crowned German champions. Effectively, they could have skipped much more than that such was their dominance at the top of the Bundesliga. Nobody even came close to Vincent Kompany’s team as they finished 13 points clear of the rest.

After Bayer Leverkusen’s sensational title triumph of 2023/24, normal service was resumed. Xabi Alonso’s team couldn’t keep up the pace as Bayern won nine of their opening 11 league fixtures and never looked back. By mid-February, the Bavarians had a nine-point advantage that felt even larger on the pitch.

The champions will start their title defence with a home opener against RB Leipzig on Friday. RB Leipzig should be one of the teams capable of at least testing Bayern Munich, but last season’s lowly seventh place finish suggests they will once again be a long way from the Bavarians this term. Friday’s game could highlight the gulf between the two rivals.

Leverkusen showed what is possible by not only taking on Bayern Munich, but surpassing them two seasons ago. Alonso electrified the Bundesliga by forging a dynamic and exciting side that surged to the Bundesliga title, setting a precedent for others to follow. To date, though, nobody else has followed in their footsteps.

Alonso is gone, taking over at Real Madrid this summer, and so too is Florian Wirtz who joined Liverpool in a Premier League-record transfer. Jeremie Frimpong also made the move to Anfield while Jonathan Tah made the cross-Bundesliga switch to Bayern Munich, further strengthening the German champions.

Erik ten Hag has been hired to build on the foundations left behind by Alonso, but there will almost certainly be a transition period. Who will replace Frimpong’s energy and attacking threat down the right wing? Can summer signing Malik Tillman step up as the direct replacement for Wirtz? Will ten Hag stick with Alonso’s back three or shift to a new set up?

Borussia Dortmund might be best-placed to run Bayern close, at least on the basis of how they finished last season. Under Niko Kovač, the Black and Yellows turned around their season, ultimately finishing fourth and salvaging Champions League qualification when they had previously been closer to mid-table.

Dortmund lost Jamie Gittens over the summer with Mats Hummels also retiring. However, they have brought in Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland to provide some much-needed dynamism in midfield and still boast one of the Bundesliga’s most reliable goalscorers in the shape of Serhou Guirassy. Will Dortmund have the overall consistency, though?

Eintracht Frankfurt enjoyed an excellent 2024/25 season, finishing third behind only Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. However, The Eagles lost Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January and Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool last month, meaning they must find a way to replace the 30 league goals that have dropped out of their team.

Like so many Bundesliga teams, RB Leipzig have also said goodbye to some of their best players this summer. Benjamin Šeško joined Manchester United while Xavi Simons is widely expected to sign for Chelsea before the end of the summer transfer window. This, of course, is the Red Bull model, but it makes it almost impossible for Leipzig to build anything lasting.

Stuttgart could be competitive after holding on to prize asset Nick Woltemade. The 6ft 6” forward had been strongly linked with a summer switch to Bayern Munich after catching the eye for Germany at the U21 European Championships, but Stuttgart dug their heels in over their valuation of the player. That someone of Woltemade’s quality didn’t join Bayern can only be a good thing for the broader strength of the Bundesliga.

In truth, it’s difficult to envisage any of these rival sides having the quality and squad depth to truly challenge Bayern Munich this season. The Bavarians are entering their second season under Kompany and there’s good reason to believe they will be even stronger having absorbed more of the Belgian’s methods and ideas.

Bayern have also strengthened their attack by signing Luis Díaz from Liverpool with Tah, as already referenced, arriving from Leverkusen to give the Bundesliga champions greater security at the back. They might not be so vulnerable in defensive transition this season. That was one area of weakness they had to address.

The last two teams to get the better of Bayern Munich in a title race were something special. Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund did it in 2011 and 2012 with Alonso’s Leverkusen replicating the achievement last year. It will likely take something just as memorable for the Bavarians to be toppled this season.

(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.

Aug

2025

FotMob Opinion: The changing landscape for modern goalkeepers

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Robert Sánchez and André Onana have all become totems for opinions on the role of a goalkeeper in modern football.

By Graham Ruthven

The role of a goalkeeper is the simplest on a football field. Indeed, their purpose is to keep the ball out of the net. This is why they are the only player permitted to use their hands and so the goalkeeper position was not so long ago the easiest to assess. Modern football, however, has changed the parameters. The goal posts have metaphorically been moved.

Goalkeepers are now expected to play with their feet. It’s been this way for the past decade-and-a-half, possibly more. Ederson, Manuel Neuer, David Raya and many others have all reached the top of the sport as ball-playing goalkeepers whose role is to construct attacks just as much as it is to thwart them.

Somewhere along the way, though, something got twisted. Modern football is more confused than ever over the role of the goalkeeper. This has been highlighted by the discourse around many number ones at some of the biggest clubs in Europe this summer. Some want a modern keeper while others are reverting back to a traditional shot-stopper.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is the latest victim of modern football’s changing goalkeeping expectations. Last season, the Italian was instrumental as Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time. His performance against Arsenal in the semi-finals was especially crucial, pulling off a series of reflex saves.

Donnarumma, however, has never been particularly comfortable in possession and so Luis Enrique has effectively replaced the 26-year-old for the start of the 2025/26 campaign, bringing in Lucas Chevalier from Lille as someone who can help PSG build from the back. Donnarumma, despite having a Champions League winners medal around his neck, is free to leave.

*Donnarumma in the Champions League last season*

Manchester City have been most prominently linked with a move for Donnarumma, further complicating the narrative around keepers in the modern game. Pep Guardiola famously favours ball-playing goalkeepers, but with Ederson reportedly considering leaving could City have a more orthodox shot-stopper between the posts this season?

On the red side of the city, Manchester United are going through their own goalkeeping psycho-drama. They replaced David de Gea with André Onana two years ago in the belief that the Cameroonian would strengthen them as a possession-orientated side. Onana had earned a reputation for being one of the best distributors in Europe at Inter Milan.

However, Erik Ten Hag rarely utilised Onana’s ability to play directly into midfield while Ruben Amorim’s confidence in the 29-year-old has surely been shaken by a number of costly mistakes. It’s not out of the question that United could move for a new goalkeeper before the end of the summer transfer window.

*Onana in the Premier League last season*

Chelsea have been linked with alternatives to the error-prone Robert Sánchez despite boasting a stable of no fewer than eight goalkeepers. Meanwhile, Barcelona have replaced Marc-André Ter Stegen over the summer by bringing in Joan Gárcia from Espanyol, the thinking being that Gárcia is quicker off his line than the experienced German.

Across Europe, there is goalkeeping uncertainty that reflects the changing trends at the top of the game. Goalkeepers are under more scrutiny than ever before and their life has never been harder due to the shifting rules that dictate what they can and cannot do on the pitch. The position is going through a change.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) decision to permit goalkeepers to pass the ball to team-mates inside their penalty area from goal kicks led to more teams playing shorter passes from the back. Indeed, the percentage of goal kicks landing in the opposition half dropped to 67.8% from 75% after this change.

Counter to that, longer passes forward are now becoming more common as teams look for ways to vary their approach. Nottingham Forest, for example, played 60% of their goal kicks long last season. Newcastle’s long goal kick percentage stood at 48% as they got opponents turned and opened up space to attack with their physicality.

Every club wants a goalkeeper that can do it all. They want someone who can build out from the back, but also play long into the opposition half. Not at the expense of their shot-stopping ability, though. It’s still important for goalkeepers to be able to make saves and claim crosses, and this is where a course correction may be happening.

Dean Henderson and Matz Sels boasted some of the best Expected Goals Minus Goals Allowed numbers in the Premier League last season, combining to out-perform their underlying numbers by over six goals. Is playing out from the back really worth the number of points that simply having a good shot stopper is worth?

*Most ‘Goals Prevented’ in the Premier League last season*

Chevalier could make PSG even better. Manchester United might be stronger for replacing Onana. Manchester City might be a good fit for Donnarumma despite his relative weakness in possession. Different teams need different goalkeepers, but the discourse around the position shows no sign of abating.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow over 400 leagues and competitions on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: Inter Miami take on Tigres in Leagues Cup last eight

Inter Miami resume their Leagues Cup campaign on Wednesday night when they face Mexican side Tigres in the quarterfinals.

By James Nalton

This is the last round of the tournament that still guarantees MLS versus Liga MX matchups, and the winner of this tie will face the winner of Toluca and Orlando City.

Messi match fit

Inter Miami defeated LA Galaxy in their most recent outing, after two Lionel Messi-inspired second-half goals gave them a 3-1 win.

He entered the field at halftime alongside Rodrigo De Paul and led his team to victory with a world-class assist for Luis Suárez and an equally impressive goal.

Messi left the pitch immediately as the full-time whistle was blown, though, suggesting some kind of discomfort or unhappiness.

He was only just back in the picture following a hamstring injury picked up in the second Leagues Cup group game against Necaxa, which caused him to miss the final group game against Pumas and the MLS match versus Orlando City.

His hasty exit led many to believe that all was not well, either with the injury or some other issue, but Javier Mascherano has assured fans he will play: “Leo is fine,” Miami’s head coach said on Tuesday. “He has been training with the team, and unless something strange happens, he will be in the squad for the match.”

Cremaschi causes a stir

De Paul looks set to return in midfield for Miami against Tigres, likely in place of Benjamin Cremaschi, who has had a public falling out with Mascherano.

It will be interesting to monitor the involvement of the 20-year-old American attacking midfielder in the coming weeks after he exchanged words with his coach via the media, which is never a good idea.

“I’m frustrated, I want to play,” Cremaschi said last week. “I think the most important thing for me is to be at a very high level, and to get there, I need minutes and experience. I’ve played very little in these recent games, and I don’t think it’s because of my level. I go to the games and I have no idea where I’m going to play.”

Mascherano responded: “I understand he likes to play as a central midfielder. I also liked to play as a central midfielder, but when I went to Barcelona, I had to play as a centre-back because otherwise I had no chance to play.

“The door to my office is always open for anyone who may be mad or doesn’t want to play a certain position to come and tell me. I haven’t heard any complaints face-to-face. This is professional football. I decide where I think each player can give me their best.”

Telasco Segovia and Tadeo Allende could keep their places, with De Paul and Messi coming into the team.

With the increased competition at Inter Miami, Cremaschi might be wise to offer the hard-working versatility and availability this team needs around those star names.

Opposition watch: Tigres UANL

Tigres’ own Argentine attacking midfielder, Ángel Correa, leads the Leagues Cup goalscoring charts with four.

He scored a brace in games against San Diego and Houston Dynamo, and currently has the highest FotMob rating of any player in this year’s Leagues Cup.

Ozziel Herrera, Diego Lainez, and Juan Brunetta all provide an attacking threat, while 39-year-old Frenchman André-Pierre Gignac is the club’s all-time top scorer and still going strong.

*Tigres’ best rated players in the Leagues Cup*

Expect defender Romulo Zwarg to be heavily involved from centre-back. Also able to play in midfield, he keeps things ticking over in possession while being equally able to win the ball back on the defensive side of the game.

It will be a tough test for Inter Miami.

Prediction

Tigres might have too much quality for Inter Miami in a standout quarterfinal matchup that would be worthy of the final itself.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Richarlison leading the line for Thomas Frank’s Spurs

Richarlison has always been a bit of a divisive player.

By Sam McGuire

Eyebrows were initially raised when Everton paid £35million to sign him from Watford in 2018. If add-ons were hit, the fee could’ve potentially risen to £50million. At the time, this was a player with just five Premier League goals to his name.

Richarlison then netted 13 goals in back-to-back league campaigns for the Toffees and it appeared as though he would kick on. However, he then managed just 17 goals across the next two seasons. He was settling into the role of a good Premier League attacker, not a great one.

To the surprise of everyone, Spurs then made their move for him. Signing him for a fee believed to be in the region of £60million in the summer of 2022.

*Richarlison’s season summary since move to England (all comps)*

His debut campaign with Tottenham Hotspur ended with just one league goal. The following season, with Spurs selling Harry Kane, Richarlison was given more opportunities and he did finish with 11 league goals to his name, his highest return since the 2019/20 campaign. He couldn’t build on that though and ended last season with just four strikes to his name in the English top-flight.

The dismissal of Ange Postecoglou coupled with the hiring of Thomas Frank could’ve been bad news for Richarlison’s Tottenham career. A new manager, with fresh ideas, might’ve looked to cash in on the striker. There was interest in him from former club Everton too.

One week into the new season though and thoughts of a Richarlison sale seem ridiculous and far-fetched. The 28-year-old currently has the highest FotMob rating in the Premier League (9.12)!

The Spurs No. 9 was named in the starting XI for the season opener against Burnley just days after leading the line against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Richarlison was replaced after 71 minutes having netted two goals, one of which was a goal of the season contender.

“For the second goal we had 17 passes and every player in the team touched the ball and then an exceptional finish. I’m a bit disappointed as so early on we’ve had the goal of the season,” joked the Spurs boss.

The one-time Fluminense forward had the most shots of any player in the match against the Premier League new boys (five). He had the highest Expected Goals total (0.78) and the highest Expected Goals on Target total (1.83). The 50-cap Brazil international added real quality to his efforts with his shot placement, as highlighted in the latter two metrics.

Richarlison also ranked first for dribble success rate in the game (100%) and triumphed in five of the eight duels he was involved in.

On current form, he’s an undisputed starter for Frank. It will be hard, perhaps even impossible, for £65million 2024 summer signing Dominic Solanke to get back into the starting XI.

Heading into this campaign, the Brazilian was at the crossroads in his career. If he failed to make an impression under the new boss, he likely would’ve been moved on at the end of the season. However, if he could impress, the centre-forward position was there for the taking. Frank might’ve been the best appointment for Richarlison too.

The Danish manager has an incredible record with the likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. He could be the man to finally get Richarlison to 15 Premier League goals in a single campaign.

The No. 9 started only four Premier League matches last season due to injury problems. He’s already a quarter of the way to that haul and, by the sounds of it, he’s not going to be vacating the starting XI anytime soon.

“He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes,” Frank said.

“So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him. I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him. That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season. It is only the second game of the season, there is a long way to go but very positive with him.”

“Yeah, I think I always liked Richarlison. I always thought he was good when he played for Everton and when he came to Tottenham we know he struggled with some injuries.

“He was unlucky also so we are very aware that we need to build him and protect him because we can’t say we just played two games back-to-back, he did well both and we are out of the woods. That we need to prove over a little bit longer time but the first signs are good.”

If Spurs can keep Richarlison injury free, they have someone who could surprise people. He has missed a total of 58 matches since joining the North London outfit in 2022 but there’s always been a belief that he’s just one lucky season away from scaling his performances to new heights.

Ex-England striker Dion Dublin, speaking on Final Score, was another to praise Richarlison.

“Richarlison has everything he needs to score the goals but he just needs a bit of managing on and off the field. I believe he is one of these players where you have to massage his ego and say ‘You’re great, go and play, you’re playing every week’. Do that and I think you’ll get the rewards.”

If Frank can have similar success with Richarlison as he had with Toney, Wissa and Mbeumo, Spurs might’ve finally replaced Harry Kane.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

FotMob TOTW for the Premier League – Opening Weekend

Each week, we bring you our top rated XI from the Premier League.

By Bill Biss

The Premier League back! And so are our sometimes controversal and purely stat based match ratings!

Each matchday, our algorithm selects a XI in a formation that is designed to produce the best rated overall Team of the Week.

Over the weekend, Richarlison earned our best individual score (9.1), netting twice in Tottenham Hotspurs’ victory over Burnley. The Brazilian is joined by new teammate Mohammed Kudus and there is room for four players from Manchester City following their dominant performance at Wolves on Saturday evening.

You can check the Team of the Week following the completion of each matchday in the app! Simply search for the ‘Premier League’ and from the league profile, swipe across to the TOTW tab.

It’s the same process for all leagues and competitions where we have full data and you can see match ratings in the lineups!

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

Images from IMAGO

Aug

2025

Preview: Xabi Alonso takes charge of first Madrid game in LaLiga

Real Madrid are unbeaten on the opening matchday in LaLiga since 2008/09 and their 16-match record looks likely to stay intact when they take on Osasuna this evening.

By Filip Mishov

New coaches in both dugouts

Xabi Alonso‘s maiden, but curtailed pre-season at the helm of Real Madrid was perceived as far from ideal preparation after the hurtful defeat to PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup and ahead of the new season, although LaLiga’s runners-up comfortably won their friendlies, putting four past Leganés in Spain and four past WSG Tirol in Austria, respectively.

Furthermore, the Madrid’s squad is yet to be finalised with Rodrygo‘s future far from certain and Florentino Pérez always on the lookout for fresh additions.

In the away dugout at the Bernabéu, Alessio Lisci is set to make his debut as Osasuna’s head coach after the Italian replaced Vicente Moreno, who led Los Rojillos to a ninth-place finish in Spain’s top-tier last season. However, the newly-appointed tactician endured a difficult start to life as the Basque club lost three matches, drew twice and won only once during pre-season, which does not spark confidence ahead of the trip to the capital.

Key players

It is hard to look past by Kylian Mbappé as Real Madrid’s main man after the lethal Frenchman took over the iconic no. 10 shirt upon Luka Modric‘s release and amid Vinicius Junior‘s long-term uncertainty. Also, France’s captain scored incredible 44 goals in all competitions last season and claimed the Pichichi Trophy as LaLiga’s top scorer with 31 goals in the league alone. Additionally, the 26-year-old scored an impressive brace, recorded an assist, and earned a match high FotMob rating of 9.4 in the final pre-season test against Tirol a week ago.

Alessio Lisci’s Osasuna squad is in desperate need of creativity in the final third after Bryan Zaragoza left Pamplona at the end of last season, and interestingly, Osasuna tapped up Real Madrid Castilla to find a replacement and have consequently signed Victor Muñoz. The 22-year-old forward was Castilla’s second top scorer last season with 11 goals only behind Gonzalo García (25), and the Spaniard was also part of the squad at the Club World Cup over the summer. With that being said, Raúl’s protegee is expected to play an important role in Osasuna’s first team this season and beyond.

Team news

Los Blancos’ four new signings (Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Franco Mastantuono) are fit and available, although the Argentinean prodigy only joined a few days ago and he might have to wait before making his debut. Antonio Rüdiger is carrying over a suspension from last season, while Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Endrick are all injured. Unlike Xabi Alonso, Alessio Lisci has been given a clean bill of health at Osasuna and has a full squad to pick from.

Prediction

Given Osasuna’s last win at the Bernabéu dates back to 2004 and the corresponding game last season finished 4-0 to the hosts, anything other than a winning start for Xabi Alonso & co. would be a big surprise.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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