Page 12 – The Pulse of Football

Aug

2025

Preview: Manchester United meet Arsenal in opening round headliner

The summer break is already over, and the 2025/26 season is underway. The English Premier League looks set for a thrilling campaign, for which we should get a nice teaser when Manchester United and Arsenal face off at prime time on Sunday.

By Neel Shelat

Shiny new forwards on both sides

Both Manchester United and Arsenal have spent close to £200 million on transfer fees this summer, making some big moves in the process.

The Red Devils have set about revamping their entire front line, spending north of £60m on each of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and most recently, Benjamin Šeško. While they are all quality forwards, many have questioned United’s allocation of resources at a time of cost-cuts and clear needs in other areas of the squad. So, each of the trio will be under pressure to deliver from the get-go.

Arsenal took a fair while to decide their summer striker signing, eventually landing on Viktor Gyökeres. The Swedish striker has returned to England on the back of an incredible 54-goal season with Sporting, but the big question is how his qualities will translate to the Premier League. Besides him, the Gunners also spent around £50m on Noni Madueke.

Will United’s unchanged midfield hold them back?

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Carlos Baleba, who Brighton value at a nine-digit fee. The Red Devils might just be tempted to break their transfer record on him as his arrival would address a gaping hole in the squad in defensive midfield.

For the moment, though, Manuel Ugarte is expected to partner Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. The former’s lack of security on the ball and the captain’s risk-taking nature, in addition to other defensive absences, make it quite likely that United will have trouble building out from the back and establishing control in this game.

A need for improved intent from Arsenal

Arsenal are expected to be locked in a three-way title race with Liverpool and Manchester City. Both of their rivals are expected to look quite different from last season after some big changes in the summer, but the Gunners have preserved the core of their squad and only added a couple of additional pieces.

Continuity may well give them an edge, but they will need to seize the initiative to make the most of it. Mikel Arteta’s side were only sixth in the league for expected goals last term, at least partly due to excessively cautious tactics.

Fans will hope that the new forwards and added security in midfield (thanks to the arrival of Martín Zubimendi) embolden the side a bit more.

Arsenal aiming to extend head-to-head unbeaten streak

Although Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United last season, that game went down as a draw in the record books since it was decided on penalties. As a result, the Gunners are (sort of) on a six-game head-to-head unbeaten streak, one away from the fixture record in the Premier League era.

They have also won four and drawn one in the last five league meetings, matching their best run against United in the competition.

*H2H results, last five Premier League meetings*

Prediction

Arsenal are the favourites for good reason, so a relatively comfortable win is pretty likely.

(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

Preview: Chelsea meet Palace at the Bridge

The Premier League is back, not that it ever really ends. Excitement and anxiety rise in equal measure as the World Champions host the FA Cup and Community Shield winners at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Palace fans are in dreamland having won two trophies in their previous two competitive games, it’s just a shame things off the pitch have been a little more frustrating, to say the very least.

For Chelsea, a 3-0 win over PSG in the Club World Cup final, and subsequent pre-season wins over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan have given the Stamford Bridge faithful something they haven’t felt sine Todd Boehly an co. took over…hope.

Chelsea’s first Club World Cup casualty

It remains to be seen what kind of effect Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign will have in the playing squad and it’s impossible to say whether Levi Colwill’s ACL injury had anything to do with it but he’s unlikely to feature much, or at all in 2025-26, ruled out before the season even started.

Colwill’s injury comes at the worst possible time, at 22-years-old, he was starting to look the centre-back Chelsea needed, even scoring the winner against Nottingham Forest to secure the club’s top four finish.

Thankfully for Chelsea, their never-ending thirst for new players means they have plenty of options to replace him, with Enzo Maresca confirming that Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana are both fit to play.

A welcome boost…for now

Few would have predicted that Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze would still be Palace players by mid-August, likely including the owners, who have so far splurged just £2 million on a single new signing, Borna Sosa from Ajax. Notably, Palace started the exact same XI in the FA Cup Final and last weekend’s Community Shield win over Liverpool.

The Holmesdale Fanatics won’t be too fussed though, Guéhi and Eze are two of the league’s best players, keeping that at the club, even if it’s just for one more season, would be a huge boost as they seek more silverware.

We will see if they’re still knocking about come September, with Tottenham said to be so close to finalising a move for Eze that the creative mainstay of Palace’s side will not feature in this game, and Liverpool keen on adding Guéhi to their £300 million summer super team.

Cucurella is key

It feels like everything good that Chelsea have done over the past six months, the fluffy haired left-back has been at the centre of it. Maresca has given in a new position, a sort of ‘roaming full-back’ (coined by The Athletic’s JJ Bull).

While doing all the normal things a more traditional full-back would do, defending the flanks, bombing up and down the pitch, he also has the freedom to invert and contribute to attacking build up, often ending up as an extra man in the final third.

If Chelsea want to get their hands on that Premier League title come the end of the season, Cucurella may well be the man that takes them there. For now, Palace have been tasked with a job few have managed, keeping him quiet.

Prediction

Palace under Oliver Glasner have been an entirely different kettle of fish, well organised and compact at the back while the likes of Eze have had the freedom to impact the game further up the field.

Chelsea won’t have it easy, but considering they’ve essentially played all summer, they won’t have the same rust in their joints that Palace might. We think the home side will win this one 2-1.

(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

Preview: East meets West as Inter Miami host LA Galaxy

Inter Miami welcome LA Galaxy to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night where all eyes will once again be on whether Lionel Messi makes an appearance following an injury he picked up earlier in the month.

By James Nalton

LA Galaxy were the original MLS Galacticos, and their signing of David Beckham back in 2007 included a clause that gave the Englishman the option to buy an MLS franchise further down the line at a heavily discounted expansion fee.

That expansion franchise became Inter Miami, who have taken LA Galaxy’s status as the Galacticos of MLS. It means that even without Messi, there are numerous players to watch out for in this Inter Miami side, but could the Galaxy cause an upset?

Will Messi be back?

Photos from Inter Miami’s training sessions this week indicate that Messi is back on the field. They provided hope that he could be in line for some involvement in this weekend’s game.

The extent of his recovery from a hamstring injury suffered in the Leagues Cup match against Necaxa at the start of the month remains unclear, but the images of him back on the pitch indicate he could have some involvement in Saturday night’s game.

Coming back too early from such injuries runs the risk of a reoccurrence, though, and with a hamstring strain, it’s often wise to give an extra week to avoid possible further damage and an even longer layoff as a result.

That said, if Messi himself indicates that he is available, Inter Miami will usually involve him in some way.

No magic in Orlando

The upcoming game against LA Galaxy provides Inter Miami with a chance to redress the balance following a disappointing defeat last weekend.

When Inter Miami lose, they tend to do so heavily, and last week’s 4-1 defeat at fellow Floridians Orlando City was the second time this season they have been on the wrong end of this scoreline, having also lost 4-1 to Minnesota United in May.

They have lost five matches in MLS this season, and as well as those two 4-1 losses, there has been a 3-0 defeat at home to Orlando City and another 3-0 defeat away to FC Cincinnati.

Messi played in both of those games, so he’s not always the answer to their problems, though he did miss the 4-3 loss to FC Dallas in April as well as the most recent of the Orlando games.

There was also the 5-1 aggregate defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions Cup, which further highlighted the team’s defensive weaknesses.

On Saturday, however, Inter Miami will be eyeing a chance to score plenty of goals of their own and recover that goal difference against a team that are rooted to the bottom of the MLS table and have conceded the most goals in the league.

Opposition watch: LA Galaxy

Last season’s MLS Cup winners have had one of the worst title defences imaginable.

They went 16 games without a win at the start of the season, and have the worst defence in the league, having shipped 52 goals in 25 games.

There was a slight recovery in July when they won two of their four games, drawing one and losing the other, but a 4-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders last weekend doesn’t bode well for the trip to Inter Miami.

Losing striker Dejan Joveljić in the off-season in order to remain under the salary cap didn’t help, and neither did the departures of Gastón Brugman and Mark Delgado. The long-term injury to Riqui Puig has also hit them hard.

Amid all of this, veteran attacking midfielder Marco Reus is actually having a decent season, while Gabriel Pec and Joseph Painstil remain considerable attacking threats from out wide.

They also managed to progress to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which at least gives them something to play for now that their MLS season is a write-off.

Prediction

Whether Messi plays or not, Inter Miami should have enough to defeat LA Galaxy convincingly.

(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

Preview: Man City start new campaign with Wolves test

Wolves host Manchester City at Molineux in their opening Premier League game of the season, with Rayan Aït-Nouri returning to his former club for the first time since signing for Pep Guardiola’s side during the summer transfer window.

By Matt Smith

Both teams will be desperate to get off to a strong start after getting plenty of business done this summer, with Wolves having to contend with losing Matheus Cunha and Aït-Nouri, while City are hoping to build a squad capable of beating Liverpool to the Premier League title.

When the two sides last met, during the 2024/2025 season, Man City came out on top. Kevin De Bruyne, who left the club in the summer to join Napoli, scored the only goal of the game for the home side.

Team news

Guardiola confirmed to the media on Friday that Joško Gvardiol, Savinho, Mateo Kovačić, and Ederson will all be unavailable for the home side due to injury. Speculation has surrounded the futures of Ederson and Savinho in recent weeks, and they will miss out this weekend.

Vítor Pereira will be without Leon Chiwome, Yerson Mosquera, and Fábio Silva for the game against Manchester City. We could see new signings Jhon Arias, David Møller Wolfe, and Fer López make their debuts.

City have some catching up to do

Man City’s performances last season weren’t too dissimilar to see what we’re so used to seeing from a Guardiola side. The Manchester club enjoyed more possession than any other team in the Premier League, but the difference between them and Liverpool from a creativity standpoint was night and day.

Liverpool created a whopping 83.5 xG compared to City’s 69.2, and being more productive in the final third will be on the agenda for Guardiola. The addition of Rayan Cherki will certainly help with that, and they will be hoping to see Phil Foden have a resurgence of form.

Pereira must sort the leaky defence

Only the three relegated sides conceded more goals than Wolves last season, and it’s an area that Pereira will have no doubt been working on during pre-season. Losing Aït-Nouri and Nelson Semedo from the defence might not help, but it’s a chance for them to start afresh at the back.

Wolves have also lost the creativity and goals of Cunha heading into the new campaign, and they will be hoping the likes of López and Arias can replicate the Brazilian’s contributions.

Cherki to burst on the scene

City fans might be worried about losing the creativity of De Bruyne this season, but Guardiola’s recruitment team acted quickly to replace him. Cherki isn’t an identical player to De Bruyne, but he can certainly bring the creativity they need.

*Cherki’s passing stats, Ligue 1 2024/25*

The French international can also chip in with goals, and at the age of 21, he’s far from the finished product yet. He’ll no doubt be looking to stamp his authority on the Premier League.

Prediction

It’s difficult to see past a Man City win here. We’re going for a 3-0 victory.

(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

Preview: Barcelona visit Mallorca on opening weekend

Barcelona start their league title defence with a potentially tricky away match against Mallorca on Saturday.

By Graham Ruthven

On the road

There’s no place like home, not that Barcelona will get to experience any home comforts for a while. The Spanish champions will start the defence of their LaLiga title with a run of three away games starting with Saturday’s trip to Mallorca.

Barca won’t return to the renovated Camp Nou until September, meaning Hansi Flick’s side face a challenging start to the 2025/26 campaign, not least because Mallorca could be awkward opponents.

The Balearic islanders finished a respectable 10th in the table last season, just four points off European qualification. Mallorca, however, have struggled against Barcelona in recent times. Indeed, they haven’t beaten the Catalans since 2009.

At their best, Barca are a force of nature. Their attack is arguably the strongest in European football right now, scoring 102 goals in 38 league games last term.

However, Flick’s insistence on an exceptionally high defensive line means opponents frequently have opportunities of their own against the Catalans. This is where Mallorca will fancy their chances in front of their own fans.

Key players

Vedat Muriqi can be a handful on his day. The Kosovan striker will lead the line for Mallorca this weekend and could challenge Barcelona’s backline through his physicality and aerial threat.

Sergi Darder and Takuma Asano are expected to feature in the final third with Pablo Torre also in line to make his league debut for Mallorca against his former side. Manu Morlanes and Omar Mascarell will be up against it in central midfield.

Lamine Yamal might well be the best player in the world at the age of 18. The teenager is a phenomenon and is Barcelona’s most consistent attacking and creative threat in the final third.

*Yamal player traits comparison against similar players in top five leagues*

Marcus Rashford could make his debut in LaLiga after a positive pre-season and the resolution of his registration issue. The on-loan Manchester United winger is looking to revive his career at Barcelona and could be in line for a start on Saturday.

Raphinha’s driving runs and sharp shooting made him one of the best attackers in Europe last season and the Brazilian will once again be a danger in both open space and tight areas.

Pedri and Frenkie de Jong could start as a double pivot with Fermín López slightly ahead of the pair while goalkeeper Joan García is also expected to make his competitive bow for Barcelona after joining from Espanyol in the summer.

Team news

Samú Costa is Mallorca’s only injury concern ahead of the season opener against Barcelona. The Portuguese midfielder could still make the squad and will face a late fitness test.

Marc-André Ter Stegen is sidelined with a long-term injury while Robert Lewandowski is a doubt. Ferran Torres could subsequently start as Barca’s first-choice centre forward on Saturday.

Iñigo Martínez’s surprise move to Al-Nassr has opened up a starting spot in Barcelona’s backline something we discussed – here – during the week. Flick has favoured Ronald Araújo alongside Pau Cubarsí, but not having a left-footer in defence could affect the Catalans’ balance.

Prediction

While a clean sheet can never be guaranteed with Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, you can always expect to see the Catalans create and, most likely, take their chances. We can see Barca taking three points back to the mainland: Mallorca 1-3 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Tony Bloom and Hearts could turn out to be the perfect match

Heart of Midlothian football club have often generated headlines for all the wrong reasons over the previous few years. From the Vladimir Romanov era to administration, the support have seen – and been through – it all.

By Ross Kilvington

In June, however, the headlines were positive for once. That was when the news broke of Brighton and Hove Albion owner and chairman Tony Bloom securing a £9.86m deal to buy a 29% stake in the capital club.

Heads were turned. This wasn’t just another foreign investor pumping their money in to see a quick fix (see Romanov) but someone who has a long term vision for the Gorgie outfit.

The fan-led majority shareholder group at Hearts voted in favour of the offer from Bloom and it could well turn out to be a match made in heaven.

Why Hearts? And why the interest in Scottish football from the poker playing entrepreneur?

Tony Bloom can usher in a new era at Hearts

Depending on who you ask, Hearts are the third biggest club in Scotland. Across their history, the Jambos have won 16 major honours, including four league titles, but success has been barren in the 21^st century.

Indeed, the club have won just two Scottish Cups (2006 and 2012) and even spent two seasons in the second tier.

Bloom’s investment, then, could be seen as a masterstroke, especially considering Brighton’s meteoric rise since he became chairman in 2009.

The Seagulls finished eighth in the Premier League last season – their second highest finish in the top flight ever – and the club even played European football for the first time during the 2023/24 campaign.

Furthermore, Bloom has worked wonders in the transfer market. Moisés Caicedo was sold for £115m in 2023. Marc Cucurella and João Pedro also departed for fees in excess of £60m.

In total, six players have been sold by Brighton for £30m or more since the summer of 2021, with the club reinvesting this money wisely in the transfer market.

Of course, Hearts wont be selling players for these types of figures, but with the right recruitment, they can start making solid profits on those who are performing well.

Indeed, the Edinburgh side had a formal relationship with Jamestown Analytics – Bloom’s company – for recruitment purposes. Now, with his investment, this area will surely be ramped up as he bids to secure some silverware in the near future.

Last week, the 55-year-old stated that Hearts will “have an excellent season” before outlining his vision for the club over the next few years.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win trophies this season, that season, next season but I genuinely believe that we will be a significant factor in Scottish football right here, right now and for the long term.”

Bloom is a confident man. But with only Aberdeen splitting the Old Firm in the top flight since the 2016/17 season, Derek McInnes has a major job on his hands, that’s for sure.

Judging by the impressive start to the season under the former Kilmarnock manager, Hearts and Bloom could be ready to take Scottish football by storm over the coming months.

Derek McInnes is the perfect manager for Hearts

Seventh in the Premiership, knocked out of the Conference League at the group stage and a failure to reach the final of either domestic cup signifies how poor Hearts’ 2024/25 season was.

Combined with the fact the club went through two permanent managers, change was needed ahead of this summer in order to prevent another disastrous season.

Step forward McInnes. The Scot led Aberdeen to their first trophy in nearly 20 years back in 2014. Elsewhere, he also brought Kilmarnock back into the top flight before leading the Rugby Park side to fourth in 2023/24, thus qualifying for Europe.

He’s been there and done that in Scottish football, making him the perfect appointment for Hearts.

One of his first jobs was tying Lawrence Shankland down to a new deal. At one stage, it looked as though the striker was set to depart Gorgie, but McInnes’ vision, plus the investment from Bloom clearly persuaded the 30-year-old to pen a three-year contract.

Despite losing James Penrice this summer, McInnes has recruited well thus far. Eight new signings have already arrived in Edinburgh, including forwards Claudio Braga and Elton Kabangu.

The Jambos got off to a fast start in the League Cup group phase, winning all four of their matches by an aggregate score of 16-1, dispatching Dunfermline, Hamilton, Stirling Albion and Dumbarton with ease.

These results were expected, however, and the real challenge awaited on the opening weekend of the Premiership season against McInnes former employees Aberdeen.

Hearts strolled to a comfortable win as an own goal by Graeme Shinnie and a Stuart Findlay header were enough to ensure a positive start.

McInnes’ teams are known for their ability to get the job done by whatever means possible, but Hearts played 122 passes into the final third against the Dons, while also taking 27 touches inside the opposition penalty area.

A sign of things to come perhaps? Against Dundee United last weekend, Hearts scored in the dying embers of the match to seal a 3-2 win that propelled them to the top of the league table.

During that match, the club achieved 79 final third entries along with taking 40 touches in the opposition penalty area.

This 100% start to the season has the supporters bursting with anticipation for the campaign ahead.

Hearts still have to play both Celtic and Rangers, but the first few weeks have shown that the relationship between Bloom and McInnes could steer Hearts into a new era.

“We’ve got a very good chance of at least being second this season.” said the Brighton owner before the Aberdeen clash.

This statement will either turn out to be prophetic or idiotic. Hearts’ performances over the next nine months will be the judge of that.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all SPFL games on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: Liverpool start title defence against the Cherries

The Premier League champions kick off the 2025/26 campaign with Liverpool hosting Bournemouth on Friday evening

By Sam McGuire

Big summer, big expectations

The Reds head into the season as title favourites for the first time in a long time. Arne Slot’s side coasted to title success last term, finishing 10 points clear despite failing to win a game in May.

Liverpool made just one signing last summer with Federico Chiesa joining from Juventus late on in the window. The Dutch tactician wanted to see what he had at his disposal and has no doubt worked closely with Richard Hughes, the club’s Sporting Director, to address what he considered to be weaknesses.

The result? The champions have spent over £200million to bring Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to Anfield. More signings are imminent, too, if reports are to be believed.

There’s now an expectation that the Reds retain their title. The fact there could be five new faces in the starting XI won’t be taken into account or considered an acceptable reason if Liverpool fail to challenge for top spot.

How will this group of players handle that pressure?

Defensive worries

Liverpool have looked far from assured during their pre-season friendlies. The champions conceded two goals in games against Milan, Athletic Club and Crystal Palace. The Reds lost the Non-Penalty xG battle against the Eagles on Sunday at Wembley.

The new system leaves them a little exposed. What hasn’t helped matters for Slot is that the team has looked lightweight in that area of the pitch. No replacement has been signed following Jarell Quansah’s sale to Bayer Leverkusen while Joe Gomez was injured early on in the summer.

It has meant the Reds have been using random players there to fill in with Kostas Tsimikas, Andrew Robertson, Ryan Gravenberch and Trey Nyoni all getting minutes at centre-back. In truth, it is the perfect storm for the opposition. Liverpool are trying to strike a balance with their new style while being woefully short at the back, and teams are taking advantage.

All change for Bournemouth

The Cherries have been raided this summer. Kepa’s loan spell from Chelsea was not turned into a permanent deal, Dean Huijsen moved to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez joined Liverpool and Illia Zabarnyi was snapped up by European champions Paris Saint-Germain. That means four of Andoni Iraola’s first choice back five from last term have departed.

So far, just two new faces have arrived. Djordje Petrovic signed from Chelsea and Adrien Truffert moved from Rennes. Iraola told the media that two centre-backs are needed but it is doubtful they’ll be in situ before the trip to Merseyside: “We are trying to sign centre-backs after we lost Dean [Huijsen] and Zabarnyi. I can’t talk about players that are not ours. We need two new centre-backs. It will be impossible to replace the ones that have left but the best centre-backs we can find, the club is working on it”.

History favours Liverpool

Bournemouth have won just two of their previous 20 clashes with Liverpool. The last draw between the two teams was during the 2016/17 campaign when the Cherries salvaged a point late on at Anfield.

In the 13 games since then, the Reds have claimed 12 wins, scoring 42 goals in the process.

This match-up is about as one-sided as they come. But, losing streaks do have to come to an end at some point.

Score prediction

We’re going to go with a 3-1 win for Liverpool. The Reds haven’t been too robust defensively but have the firepower to blitz Bournemouth at Anfield. Their final third quality should be enough to guarantee all three points in what could be a tricky opening fixture.

(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

Barcelona’s defence faces new challenge without Inigo Martinez

Iñigo Martínez left Barcelona for Al-Nassr despite being one of the Catalans’ most consistent performers last season.

By Graham Ruthven

Barcelona’s defence prompted just about as much discussion as their attack last season. This was despite the Catalans’ forward line being the most potent in Spanish football. Hansi Flick’s team scored an incredible 102 goals in 38 league games last term, yet anyone who watched Barca surely had their eye drawn to what was happening at the back.

Defensively, Barcelona walked a tightrope last season. The high line is a well-established feature of modern football, but Flick took the concept to a new extreme, positioning Barca on the halfway line regardless of where the opposition had possession. It became a common meme to screenshot Barcelona’s wild defensive positioning.

*Barca scored the most goals per game in LaLiga, 2024/25*

It was only due to the strong partnership of Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez that Barca were able to make this work. They were Flick’s first-choice centre back pairing. Cubarsí’s mobility coupled with Martínez’s natural reading of the game and solid defensive basics gave Barcelona the safety net they required.

Now, though, Martínez is gone. The 34-year-old completed a surprise move to Al-Nassr last weekend, joining the Saudi Pro League outfit as a free agent on a one-year contract. Martínez reportedly had a gentleman’s agreement with Barcelona that allowed him to leave if an offer from Saudi Arabia came in this summer, which it did.

In what has been a lowkey summer by Barcelona’s recent standards, the Catalan club now has a problem to solve. Who will replace Martínez in the backline with the start of the 2025/26 LaLiga season just a few days away? Will Barca’s risky defensive structure hold together now that the 34-year-old has departed?

*Martínez’s defensive numbers in 2024/25 – comparison against other centre backs in LaLiga*

This could be Ronald Araújo’s chance to make up for lost time. Not so long ago the Uruguayan was seen as Barcelona’s next great centre back – their new Gerard Piqué or Carles Puyol. However, a series of injuries knocked Araújo from his stride. He became increasingly error-prone as Xavi Hernández shifted him from centre back to right back.

Araújo’s stock dropped so low that it was even speculated that he could be sold. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were all linked at one time or another, but the Uruguayan stayed at Barcelona to fight for his place. With Martínez now out of the picture, this is a fight he might end up winning.

Flick favoured Araújo and Cubarsí as his starting centre backs in Sunday’s 5-0 demolition of Como in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy. While Como offered so little attacking threat it was difficult to make a solid judgement on the Barcelona defence, there was enough to suggest Araújo and Cubarsí could compliment each other in the same way Cubarsí and Martínez did.

However, Araújo is right-footed. So too is Cubarsí which means one of the two will have to play on the ‘wrong side.’ Martínez, by contrast, was left-footed which gave Barca natural balance at the back, in and out of possession – Martínez was one of the most prolific line-breaking passers in LaLiga last season.

Martínez was also Barcelona’s best long passer last season, averaging 4.9 long balls per 90 minutes in 28 LaLiga appearances. This allowed the Catalans to mix things up. Sometimes they would build gradually out of the back and into the midfield where Pedri would progress play into the final third.

Other times Martínez would launch it forward to get the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal running at goal. It was this variety that made Barcelona so difficult to play against. If opponents stood off, Barca would play through them. If they pressed high, the Catalans would turn them quickly. Martinez was key to this.

The financial upside of Martínez’s departure is that Barcelona have removed €14 from their wage bill which will help them register new signings Joan García and Marcus Rashford for the start of the season. The Catalan club is still counting the cost of years of gross mismanagement with the redevelopment of the Camp Nou also causing financial strain.

Barcelona currently have to balance what is best for the team on the pitch with what makes sense for the club off it and Martínez’s exit is the latest sign of this. Flick’s life will be harder without the 34-year-old still around, but this is the job the German coach signed up for when he became Barca manager last year.

Last season was a momentous one for Barcelona as they surged to the Spanish title playing a brand of exciting, attack-minded football. This season, fans will expect further progress towards a more rounded approach that can also deliver success in the Champions League. Doing that without Martínez, however, will be a challenge.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all Barcelona games 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

Benjamin Sesko: The Premier League’s new chaos merchant

After three years causing chaos in the Premier League, Darwin Núñez has departed. The maverick Uruguayan left Premier League champions Liverpool for Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League.

By Sam McGuire

His time in England will be remembered for the many, many missed chances.

He missed 20 big chances during his debut campaign in the English top-flight, ranking joint-third for this metric despite racking up just 1,700 minutes. He missed 27 during the 2023/24 campaign, ranking second in the Premier League. Last term, he missed just eight, but Arne Slot did limit his minutes on the pitch to just 1,118 in the English top-tier.

Darwin, a one-time Manchester United target, was someone who found himself in the right place at the right time more often than not. A combination of bad luck and bad finishing prevented him from rivalling Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot during his stint in England.

During his final campaign with Benfica, it was the complete opposite. He significantly overperformed in the penalty area, scoring 22 open-play goals in the Portuguese top-flight from a Non-Penalty Expected Goals total of 14.9.

He was full of confidence in Portugal after finding his feet. As a result, his finishing was clinical.

Things went awry for him in what was a transitional campaign for Liverpool. The Red looks to revamp their forward line with two attackers from Portugal – though Luis Díaz joined in January – and Cody Gakpo, another United target under Erik ten Hag, was signed in the winter window following Darwin’s arrival. Combine this with the fact the midfield needed reinforcements and it’s no wonder Jürgen Klopp’s plan didn’t play out.

This brings me to Benjamin Šeško, Manchester United’s latest forward.

The 22-year-old was linked with Arsenal before the Gunners opted to sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting. Šeško was reportedly on Liverpool’s radar, likely due to their good relationship with RB Leipzig, but the champions settled on Hugo Ekitike while still, at the time of writing, looking to bring in Alexander Isak for a British record fee.

At a glance, there are comparisons between Šeško and Rasmus Højlund, another big-money move made by Manchester United. Like with the Slovenian forward, Højlund was highly-rated and joined the Red Devils in a deal worth £64million in 2023.

The general consensus online, from rival fans at least, is why spend £73million on Šeško, a raw, erratic forward with huge upside, when you already possess Højlund, a raw, erratic forward with huge upside?

*Benjamin Šeško’s player traits comparison*

The answer to that is simple. Šeško has a much higher ceiling and there’s more for Ruben Amorim to work with. You can see it in the FotMob radars.

Šeško is involved, attempts shots, wins aerial duels and scores goals.

*Rasmus Højlund player traits comparison*

Højlund, last season, did none of that.

Couple that with the fact the former RB Leipzig man was one of the fastest strikers in the Bundesliga last term with a top speed of 35.7km/h and it’s easy to understand why he was wanted.

The next question is whether or not he’s another Darwin. A young striker with a huge xG overperformance in a foreign league who then can’t do it in the Premier League.

That could be the case. We won’t know for a couple of years. But the fears are justified. Last season, Šeško netted 13 goals in the German top-flight from an xG haul of just 9.89. The season prior, he had 14 strikes to his name from an xG total of 7.66.

Last term, 37% of his efforts in total arrived from outside of the area – viewed as low value attempts.

*Benjamin Šeško’s shot map, Bundesliga 2024/25*

In a nutshell, he hasn’t been great at getting into good areas on a reliable basis. He’s a low-volume shooter and his game needs a lot of refinement if he’s to do well in the Premier League. But there’s a lot for Amorim to work with. And despite the narrative that United are a bit of a shambles, the attack at Old Trafford is a good environment for Šeško to develop.

Unlike Liverpool when trying to bed Darwin in, United have opted to sign Premier League proven players in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Both players are 26 and both have experience in the English top flight with a combined 55 goals across the last two campaigns. Yes, the pair will need to adapt to life with the Red Devils, but they’re well aware of the physicality needed in the Premier League. They can help Šeško settle a lot quicker.

In Amorim, there’s a manager who got the best out of Gyökeres during his time in Portugal. Šeško possesses traits he wants from a centre forward, as detailed recently when speaking to MUTV: “He has the characteristics that we needed. He is really young, he is good in the air, he is good at running the channels and he is good on the ball, so I think he has great potential. I think he can improve a lot.

“For sure, he is going to feel at home in our club. He is the right character in this group, so we are really, really happy to have him.”

It is set up for Šeško to succeed. His weaknesses will be masked by the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, with the pair technically brilliant and creative, while the team should play to his strengths, allowing him to bully opponents with his pace and size. Work on his finishing and he could be a revelation for the Red Devils.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can track all the summer moves via the FotMob Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: PSG take on Spurs in the UEFA Super Cup

PSG ended up not becoming the Champions of the World during the summer, but they can collect a pre-season consolation against Spurs in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine.

By Ian King

Post-summer recap

PSG arrive in Italy for the UEFA Super Cup still licking their wounds following their World Club Cup final defeat to Chelsea. But their form against English clubs in last year’s Champions League was something else; they beat Premier League opposition in the group stage and every knockout round of last year’s tournament before their thumping win against Inter in the final. Spurs won just one of their last 12 in the Premier League last season and finished 17th. Winning the Europa League was insufficient to keep Ange Postecoglou in his job.

History favours the Champions League winners

Somewhat surprisingly, these two have never met in a competitive match before. Spurs beat the Parisians 4-2 in a friendly match back in 2017 thanks to goals from Christian Eriksen, Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld, and Harry Kane, none of whom have now been with the club for several years.

The Champions League winners have won the last six successive Super Cups, so the historical omens aren’t great for Spurs.

Key Players

All Spurs eyes will be on the new new arrivals, Mohammed Kudus and João Palhinha, who arrived over the summer from West Ham United and Bayern Munich respectively. Perhaps the biggest key player for them will be new head coach Thomas Frank, for whom this is a first competitive game in charge of the team.

PSG aren’t the star-studded galacticos of several years ago, and that served them just fine last season. Fabián Ruiz scored two in the first half of their 4-0 shellacking of Real Madrid in the World Club Cup semi-final, and the Spanish international is always a danger, while it’ll be a competitive debut in goal for their new goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier.

Team News

Chevalier’s arrival in Paris from Lille is the big summer news from PSG, because it does mean the almost certain departure of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who’s probably played his last game for the club. Other than that PSG will look very much the same as they did at the end of last season. Spurs will be missing James Maddison, who’ll probably be out for the season, while Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Drăgușin are both still injured too and Destiny Udogie is a doubt.

*Lucas Chevalier’s Ligue 1 save map at Lille last season*

Prediction

The ease with which Chelsea brushed PSG aside in the World Club Cup final is the one small glimmer of light that Spurs have ahead of a match from which it’s difficult to see them taking anything.

They may have more transfer business to carry out before the end of August, but there’s little to suggest they’ll be much improved upon last season beyond, “Well, they can’t do any worse”.

PSG proved what we could all see in the Champions League final, that they were the best team in Europe throughout 2024-25 by a distance. They should be comfortable winners here, and a 4-0 win doesn’t seem out of the question.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game that PSG and Spurs play on FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.