Arsenal and Southampton are targeting very different things this season. While the Gunners are looking to make the final step in their development to become Premier League champions, the Saints are merely aiming to stay in the division.
Saturday’s match at the Emirates Stadium will provide a stark contrast between the two teams.
Mikel Arteta’s side come into the game on the back of an impressive 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League which saw Arsenal hold the French giants at arm’s length. Indeed, PSG accumulated an Expected Goals (xG) of just 0.4 on Wednesday as the Gunners once again flexed their defensive muscle.
Russell Martin will set up Southampton to control possession at the Emirates Stadium. Only Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton are averaging a higher share of possession in the Premier League this season than the Saints who have attempted to replicate the approach that won them promotion from the Championship in the top flight.
The Gunners might be quite content for Southampton to have possession if it means they have more open space to attack into. PSG had 65% of possession on Tuesday, but it was Arsenal who posed the greater attacking threat and the likes of Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka will once again be dangerous this weekend.
While Arsenal left it late to claim three points against Leicester City last weekend, the numbers suggest a winning goal was always likely to materialise. Indeed, Arsenal had 4.6 in xG, 35 shots in total and nine Big Chances against the Foxes and it’s possible Southampton could face the same sort of attacking firepower.
Martin Ødegaard is still sidelined through injury with Jurrien Timber and Ben White carrying knocks. After an injury scare against Leicester, Riccardo Calafiori shone against PSG and is expected to keep his place at left back. Further forward, Leandro Trossard has forced his way into the attacking lineup.
Southampton will be without Jack Stephens for the trip to North London after the defender was sent off against Manchester United last weekend, but will otherwise have a close-to-full squad to pick from. Even with everyone available, though, Southampton lack cutting edge having scored fewer goals (three) than any other team in the Premier League.
Aaron Ramsdale will return to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since leaving Arsenal in the summer transfer window and the goalkeeper could be in for a difficult afternoon. The Gunners have scored two or more goals in 19 of their last 24 league games and are on a run of three straight wins in all competitions. There’s a good chance that streak will continue against Southampton.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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While Slot was justifiably unhappy with that loss to Nottingham Forest, it has otherwise been a series of successes for the Dutchman since replacing Júrgen Klopp. Victory over Bologna in the Champions League means he becomes the first Anfield coach to win eight of the first nine in charge, while his team sit joint-top in the early stages of that competition and outright top in the Premier League too. So is it a sign of what’s to come?
It could be, of course, and the underlying numbers certainly put Liverpool among the better performers across 2024/25 so far. But there have been plenty of in-match instances which suggest slight fortune or individual excellence has had to come to the rescue for the precise tally of eight early victories. Bologna was a fine example: quite possibly the Reds would have raised their game further and scored more, but the Italians should have netted at least once to pull level after defensive mishaps. Wolves similarly spurned chances last time out domestically, and conceded a needless penalty.
Still, each game is an isolated case of ‘do what you must’, and…Liverpool have.
The Reds have conceded the fewest by a distance so far, with four clean sheets in six and just two goals allowed. But aside from actually putting the ball in the net, they are not allowing too many chances either – certainly not in open play from opposition build-up. A combined xG conceded of 4.5 from six matches is impressive in its own right and the lowest in the Premier League; consider further that Wolves’ weekend goal came as a result of a defensive mix-up which resulted in a tap-in from two yards, carrying an xG value itself of almost 0.4, and it’s clear that most of the rest of the team’s defensive play has been extremely strong.
Going forward, they similarly remain one of the best around. Liverpool have a total xG for six games so far of 12.6, scoring 12. Only Tottenham beat them on xG, only Man City and Chelsea have actually netted more.
It’s also Spurs who are the only team to have created more big chances than Liverpool, 26 to 24, but while the north London side have missed 18, the Merseysiders are slightly better in that regard, missing 14. Add in third for corners, third for touches in the box and fourth for balls won in midfield – where Slot seems to set his initial pressing bank of four out of possession – and it’s clear Liverpool are a cohesive unit who are creating at a high level and reaping the rewards.
In short, they are winning and top because so far they deserve to be.
But now is the question of what comes next, and there’s no doubt that the manager’s next nine games are set to be far more difficult than the first nine.
“I don’t want to be remembered for my first nine games,” Slot said after beating Bologna. “I hope we do special things here.” These upcoming nine will now set the platform for Liverpool to show just how special his maiden campaign is capable of being – because the following two games are against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Obviously, those could be telling in Europe and domestically.
While the hardest fixtures so far for the Anfield club – on paper of course – have probably been Manchester United and AC Milan away, they won those fixtures in absolute comfort. Neither have been anything approaching exemplary this term. Only Nottingham Forest have made life difficult for them across a full 90, and the visitors surprisingly triumphed.
In the next nine, it’s a different matter. Following on from Saturday’s early kick-off at Crystal Palace, Liverpool host an in-form and full-of-goals Chelsea, before back-to-back trips to Leipzig, Arsenal, and Brighton. No prizes for guessing which of those will be the toughest and most tension-filled, and potentially as insightful a match as the aforementioned game with Man City. While the Brighton trip is a League Cup clash, there’s a trophy on the line all the same – one the Reds are defending this year.
Then it’s Brighton again in the league, German champions Bayer Leverkusen, and top-four candidates Aston Villa. Southampton away is the only one of the next nine which could be arguably dismissed as a surefire three points, given Saints’ own propensity for defensive ricks so far.
So it’s full steam ahead, but with far more meaning, far more difficulty and far more insight to be gained across Slot’s next batch of fixtures. Liverpool have had things easy by comparison and the Dutch head coach is about to get a much more real representation of what the job entails.
And then it’s onto the small matter of the European and domestic champions.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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When Oliver Glasner took charge of Crystal Palace on 19 February 2024, they were 16th in the Premier League table, five points above the drop, and had won just twice in the previous three months. As for Liverpool, they occupied the top spot, sitting one point above Manchester City and two above Arsenal.
It didn’t take long for Glasner to breathe new life into a prosaic Palace side and reverse their fortunes: they claimed 24 points from their next 13 matches en route to a 10th-place finish, scoring 29 goals and conceding 14, and equaled their highest-ever Premier League points tally (49). After bouncing around from Patrick Vieira to Roy Hodgson in recent years, it seemed Palace had finally found the manager to guide them to the next level and challenge for European football.
In contrast, Liverpool wilted under the pressure of delivering a quadruple in Jürgen Klopp’s farewell season, finishing a distant third after dropping points in five of their last eight matches. Arne Slot was entrusted with replacing Klopp, and so far, he’s done a flawless job. Apart from a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest after the international break, Liverpool have not only won each of their eight matches under Slot, but scored 2+ goals in each game.
Liverpool managed to eke out an ugly 2-1 victory at Wolves last weekend – their sole win without a margin of victory of at least two goals – before beating Bologna 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League. The Reds climbed to first place after City’s recent 1-1 draw to Newcastle and boast a one-point advantage over City and Arsenal as well as a two-point lead ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa, and the odds are in their favor as they look to continue their winning streak at Crystal Palace.
Whilst Liverpool have enjoyed a complete 180 in their form, Palace have also produced a volte-face. They have struggled to recover from losing two key figures in Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen and occupy the relegation zone after taking three points from their first six matches. Glasner is quickly going from hero to zero at Selhurst Park, and the pressure is mounting on him to arrest their slide and avoid an early dismissal. However, masterminding another win against Liverpool may just be too tall of a task for the Austrian to handle.
The last time Liverpool visited Palace, the hosts took the lead before falling to 10 men – Mohamed Salah equalized immediately whilst Harvey Elliott completed the comeback in the 90th minute. Salah has registered 11 goal contributions in his first nine matches – two coming on Wednesday vs. Bologna – and there’s reason to believe he can exploit Palace’s leaky defense and lead Liverpool to yet another victory.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The European giants’ 36-match undefeated run in all competitions ended at Lille in midweek, but Los Blancos are still one of the only two unbeaten clubs in LaLiga alongside their city rivals – Atlético, and Carlo Ancelotti‘s squad has not experienced defeat in Spain’s top-tier since September 2023. With that being said, it is fair to say that Real Madrid have not been displaying the most scintillating football this season, unlike their arch-rivals from Barcelona, behind whom they trail by three points in the standings.
Another tricky challenge is on the horizon for Madrid’s superstar attacking trident – Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappé, who are still finding their feet as they have not yet fully clicked together. The Frenchman missed the local derby against Los Rojiblancos due to a hamstring injury last week, but came off the bench at Stade Pierre-Mauroy and now, Mbappé is expected to return to the starting XI.
Villarreal are coming at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on the back of a couple of wins in LaLiga and the Marcelino Garcia-led squad boasts an impressive record against Madrid as of late, with two hard-earned wins, one of which was in the corresponding fixture last year, one draw, and only two defeats over their last five meetings in league and cup. Not many teams could brag about such a record and goals are almost guaranteed as their matches average a little over five (5.2) goals per game over that period, with their most recent meeting a high-scoring 4-4 draw at Estadio de la Cerámica last season.
Real Madrid possess the second-best defence in LaLiga this season with only six goals conceded, but that was before Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury to the abductor in his left leg and the Belgian goalkeeper will miss this match, with Andriy Lunin taking his place. The Whites’ defence will be severely tested by Villarreal’s frontline and especially by Ayoze Pérez, who is the second-best to Robert Lewandowski, with six goals scored in LaLiga (the Pole has seven). But the Spanish international can boast a superior goals per 90 ratio (1.31), when compared to Lewandowski (0.97).
The former Newcastle and Leicester forward left Real Betis over the summer to join Villarreal and the 31-year-old started the season on the front foot, leading the Yellow Submarine to third place in the standings at the moment, with only one point separating them from Los Blancos ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Although the in-form forward missed his team’s win against Las Palmas last week due to muscle discomfort, Marcelino hopes to welcome him back for their trip to Madrid, especially with Gerard Moreno currently out.
Furthermore, Villareal’s attack is on par with Real Madrid as they both have scored 17 league goals so far with only Barça having more (25) and even if Pérez misses out, they still have the league’s leading assist maker best assist maker in Álex Baena (5).
With so much at stake and the possibility of Villarreal leapfrogging Madrid in the table, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad will need to display a much-improved performance if they are to get back to winning ways, with Pérez & co. ready to pounce and make the most of any given opportunity at the Bernabéu.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The search for success without Rodri continues for Manchester City as they host Fulham in the Premier League ahead of the international break, with Pep Guardiola knowing he can ill-afford to fall behind in the race at the top of the table.
City are just a point and a place off Liverpool following back-to-back domestic draws, but three draws in five across all competitions perhaps suggests they’re not in peak mode right now.
A midweek jaunt to Slovakia presented no problems for City as they picked up a 4-0 win, with Guardiola able to rotate a few names and rest a few faces ahead of the more pivotal weekend clash.
Fulham will be no pushovers either, judging by their own early season form. The Cottagers have quietly gone about their campaign and are sixth, one defeat from the opening six this year, even if some of the numbers behind their form suggest that might be slightly generous. They are 11th for xG, tenth for big chances, 14th for possession won in the final third. It’s fair to say Marco Silva’s side are maximising their opportunities – with the exception of striker Rodrigo Muniz, who ranks seventh in the league for shots per 90 (4.2) but is yet to find the back of the net.
And Manchester City certainly possess someone who can do that, of course. Erling Haaland is in absurd scoring form, ten to his name in the league from an xG of 6.3. More problematically for the visitors to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, there’s not really evidence to suggest they can keep him at bay.
Fulham have kept just one clean sheet so far, despite restricting opponents to a combined xG of 6.6 this term – the sixth lowest in the Premier League so far. Even so, conceding once a game to the rest of the league can so easily translate to conceding two to Haaland alone.
If Silva’s side show resilience to stop chances being created, the match can become a tense affair of seeing whether City can break down a defence without Rodri providing his powerful and penetrative brand of passing and movement. But allow Haaland in early on – and he already has six goals before the 20-minute mark in matches this term – and trying to keep pace with City can quickly become a slog that few enjoy, over 90 minutes as well as over an entire season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The Eagles have managed just three goals in six games and go into their Saturday lunchtime match against Liverpool in the relegation places; not the sort of return that many expected after the team was talked up a lot during the pre-season.
Last weekend Palace were on Merseyside, to little effect. Indeed, losing 2-1 to Everton after having taken a first half lead has only raised questions over whether this slump is more than a mirage, and whether an unexpected fight against relegation could be on the horizon this season. Certainly a home match against the league leaders is the match they’d probably want least of all to follow such a dismal result.
Optimists would argue that six League matches isn’t a lot to base such a grim prognosis upon, but pessimists might well counter that they are now 15% of the way through the season, and that things don’t seem to have improved from their opening day defeat at Brentford. If things are going to drastically improve, then this improvement needs to start soon.
But while Palace’s start to the season can hardly be categorised as a great success, is there a need for catastrophism this early in the season? After all, while Palace haven’t won in the League they’ve hardly been outplayed, either. They went into the Everton match off the back of three straight draws, results which indicated how close they might be to actually turning a corner, while they haven’t conceded more than two goals in a match, with two of their three losses coming by the odd goal. They’re still in the Carabao Cup following wins against Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers. So what’s the problem?
Well, it may be a matter of over-inflated expectations over the summer break. Palace ended last season with a spectacular run of seven wins and a draw from their last eight games, including wins against Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester United, and scoring five goals against West Ham United and Aston Villa. This, it was widely-predicted, could be the precursor to a push towards the Premier League’s European places for a club which previously hadn’t finished above 10th place in the table in the eleven years since their return to the division.
Oliver Glasner had only taken over the team from Roy Hodgson in February, and it is occasionally forgotten that, following a 3-0 win against Burnley in his opening match, he then went on a run of five games without a win which included taking just two points from matches against Luton Town, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. In other words, rather than the narrative of Glasner sweeping out the cobwebs left behind by the previous manager which has bedded in since that run at the end of last season, could it be that one of the key characteristics of his Palace team will turn out to be that they’re a little streaky?
It’s certainly tempting to wonder about the extent to which the summer speculation concerning so many of their players might have had an unsettling effect on some of them. They lost a couple of important players during the window – Michael Olise to Bayern Munich and Joachim Andersen to Fulham – but there were also a lot of other rumours concerning other players floating about, and even though none of them actually left, it’s not difficult to see how such a state of affairs could end up unsettling a lot of people around the club.
And the media may also be a little to blame, here. Pre-season, hopes for this time around for Palace had been high, which seemed entirely fuelled by that late run at the end of last season and without apparently taking into account much of their summer transfer activity. To what extent that has played into their tepid start to the season is unquantifiable, but it’s surely greater than zero. It also seems possible that speculation over the future of part-owner John Textor may have had an unsettling effect as well.
All of which brings us back to that question of, to what extent is this form a blip? Or to what extent might there be something more serious going on behind the scenes? Palace certainly need to get a couple of wins in before December.
When that month comes around, they meet Manchester City, rivals Brighton, and Arsenal in successive weeks. Beating Liverpool might be a tall order, but with another international break coming up after this weekend’s match, that break is now taking on extra significance as an opportunity for a reset.
Palace need this, if their early season isn’t to turn into a fight to stay in the Premier League.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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While those outside of Anfield appeared to have moved on from Liverpool’s No. 4 when it came to the debate over the world’s best centre-back, Virgil van Dijk is proving himself all over again.
With a Dutchman brought into the Anfield dugout over the summer, it was perhaps lazily suggested that Arne Slot would be able to get the best out of compatriots Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.
That has, of course, proved the case – particularly with Gravenberch, who has benefited from Liverpool’s failure to sign a specialist No. 6 to establish himself as arguably the most in-form midfielder in Europe.
But little was spoken of the Reds’ third Netherlands international, which speaks to the standards Virgil van Dijk has set over his seven years on Merseyside so far.
There was no question that Slot would retain Van Dijk as his captain and a first-choice starter at the heart of defence.
However, there remained lingering doubts among some sections of the support over his longevity, following a difficult penultimate campaign under Jürgen Klopp.
While Van Dijk had reclaimed his form in Klopp’s final season in charge, having turned 33 over the summer there had been understandable questions over whether the centre-half could maintain that level for much longer.
He has already answered those emphatically, with a near-flawless start to life under Slot which makes a mockery over any delay in talks over a new contract.
Still, as Liverpool preside over a record-breaking debut of the Slot era – no manager had ever won eight of their first nine games in the charge of the club until this season – there is still less emphasis on Van Dijk’s influence over it all.
Gravenberch has rightly been lauded as the success story of the campaign to date, while Mohamed Salah has proved an evergreen presence leading the attack, Luis Díaz has found his mojo again and Trent Alexander-Arnold is revived at right-back.
But it is time for Van Dijk to get his flowers again; the No. 4 has proved he is still the best centre-back in the world and one of the best to ever play the game.
That was shown again as Liverpool overcame Bologna for a 2-0 win in the Champions League, with the No. 4 dominating his defensive third as the likes of Thijs Dallinga and Riccardo Orsolini simply bounced off of him.
It wasn’t a performance to write home about per se, more so a seven-out-of-10 display for a player of Van Dijk’s calibre.
These displays have become such commonplace for the Liverpool captain that it is perhaps hard to put into words how effective he is.
Van Dijk is not a full-blooded defender – unless he has to be – and his numbers show that: so far in this season’s Premier League he is in the 100th percentile for aerial duels won and the 97th for interceptions made, but only the 11th percentile for tackles won.
He is a centre-back who prescribes to the fabled Paolo Maldini quote: “If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake.”
While partner Ibrahima Konaté is a front-footed aggressor, Van Dijk is more regal in his approach; attacks are snuffed out before they can develop, forwards are held off before they can break the last line.
And such is his quality on the ball that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola opted for a tactical shift which Slot admitted took him by surprise on their recent trip to Anfield, as the Spaniard opted for his No. 10 to keep pressure on Van Dijk.
“It was a surprise for us as well, because all the games they’d played up until now they were pressing the left centre-back with their No. 10 and this was the first time they went to the right,” he told reporters after Liverpool’s 3-0 win.
“What could be is they see Virgil as an unbelievable strength
“So that makes it maybe for Ibou, not that he has a weakness, but maybe Virgil is even further ahead when it comes to bringing the ball out from the back.”
Such is Van Dijk’s threat with long-range passing – in the 86th percentile for Premier League defenders – that Bournemouth left Konaté free, which proved a mistake as the Frenchman’s own passing range played a part in all three goals.
The deference shown to Van Dijk is earned, though it is certainly alarming that the club themselves appear to have shown little of that when it comes to his future.
With Van Dijk’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign along with both Salah and Alexander-Arnold, there has been a distinct lack of urgency from Liverpool when it comes to extending his stay.
Much of that can be explained by the upheaval in both the coaching staff and in the boardroom over the past 12 months, but it is a situation the 33-year-old has been happy to discuss for months now.
“I feel very good personally, I feel like it is nowhere near the end so far. There are plenty more years left and let’s see what happens,” he said at the end of August.
“It is the one percent which makes a difference in terms of looking after yourself and the work you do at home in terms of recovery and treatment, making sure you eat the right stuff, rest.
“That’s what I’ve been doing for so many years and that’s why I’ve been consistent in the amount of games I’ve been playing over the last couple of years.”
Whether there are reservations within Liverpool’s recruitment team over the durability of a player who will turn 34 years old days after his current deal expires, Van Dijk’s comments indicate that he has no such concern.
Marry that with the performances he continues to produce week in, week out – as a defender who stands above the vaunted likes of William Saliba and Antonio Rüdiger – and it should be a no-brainer to tie him down for years to come.
Those watching on can only hope that the understated brilliance of the Liverpool captain is not somehow lost on the decision-makers themselves, as the club may never have a centre-back of his unique stature again.
(Images from IMAGO)
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There’s a lot at stake too. One of five teams could finish the weekend in top spot while five clubs are looking to bring their winless streaks to an end. Here are some things to look out for across matchday seven in the English top flight.
The Premier League leaders have an advantage
Liverpool head into the weekend as the Premier League leaders having taken 15 points from a possible 18. The Reds travel to Crystal Palace for the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon. A win guarantees them top spot and a draw could see them displaced at the summit.
On Wednesday, Arne Slot became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his opening nine matches. The Merseyside club have a good record against the Eagles. They have lost just one of their previous 15 matches against this weekend’s opposition. That defeat just so happens to be the last time the two teams faced off at Anfield in April. However, Liverpool’s last defeat at Selhurst Park arrived in November 2014.
Oliver Glasner will want his side to bring that streak to an end on Saturday. He’ll also want his team to pick up their first win of the season. Currently, they are one of five teams without a victory in the Premier League this term. They lost to Everton last time out despite taking the lead at Goodison Park. The Eagles are finding goals hard to come by, having scored just five goals in their six outings, and they’ve registered just one clean sheet. We’re yet to see the superteam that ended the 2023/24 season. But there’s enough talent in the squad to cause an upset, especially when you consider the Reds have looked a little unconvincing in their last two victories.
The Bukayo Saka show
Arsenal host joint-bottom of the table Southampton this weekend with an opportunity claim top spot if results go their way. The Gunners are unbeaten across all competitions this season and claimed a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last time out.
The star of the show for Mikel Arteta’s side in the English top-flight this term is Saka. The England international leads the way for assists in the Premier League with five. The Arsenal No. 7 heads into this game having scored against the Ligue 1 champions in mid-week.
Saka has created the most big chances (nine) in the Premier League. He’s joint-second for chances created (20) and ranks third for Expected Assists (2.2). If the struggling Saints are going to get anything from this game, they’re going to have to stop Saka. it is easier said than done.
Russell Martin’s side have performed well at times but results have so far eluded the team. They’ve picked up just a single point, and they’ve scored just three goals while they’ve conceded 12. It doesn’t make for good reading and if Arsenal find their groove, it could become a lot worse on Saturday.
Unai Emery’s key player
Aston Villa picked up a famous 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week. This result arrived just days after the Villans could only muster a draw against Ipswich Town in the Premier League. They missed the chance to move to level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table with that point at Portman Road.
However, they bounced back with the win over the German giants. They’ll head into the game against Manchester United this weekend full of confidence.
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Villa are already six points ahead of United. They have four wins and a draw from their opening six matches, scoring 12 goals in the process. By comparison, the Red Devils have just two wins and have managed to find the back of the net on just five occasions.
Their attack is faltering. Aston Villa’s forward line is thriving, with both Ollie Watkins and Jhón Duran on four goals for the season already in the Premier League.
The Belgian maestro has carved out 12 chances this term. He’s the only Villa player into double figures for this metric this season. He’s been responsible for five big chances and he’s joint-top for assists within Aston Villa squad. His FotMob rating of 7.68 is the highest in the squad.
If United can’t stop him pulling the strings at Villa Park on Sunday, they could be in trouble.
Maresca has Chelsea firing
Previous managers have struggled to turn this Chelsea group into a team. Maresca doesn’t appear to be having such a problem. The Blues are in fourth place in the Premier League and could end the weekend in top spot depending on how other results go.
The underlying numbers back up their performances. Maresca’s side are third in the Expected Points table. They have won three on the bounce in the Premier League, scoring eight goals and conceding just twice. Chelsea are the highest scorers in the English top-flight with 15 and they have the third highest xG total with 12.2 behind Liverpool (12.6) and Manchester City (12.4).
They really have found their groove. Nicolas Jackson is firing, Jadon Sancho looks to be a player reborn following the switch to Stamford Bridge while Cole Palmer continues to do Cole Palmer things. His four-goal showing against Brighton last weekend means he’s now on 10 goal involvements for the campaign.
Nottingham Forest, who suffered their first loss of the season last weekend, will have to be at their resilient best to keep a rampant Chelsea side under control.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Our Major League Soccer expert James Nalton picks the standout players from the latest round of games in MLS, including his two votes for the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) MLS Player of the Matchday.
Dean Smith’s Charlotte FC side qualified for the MLS post-season after a masterclass from their Polish forward Świderski helped them to a 4-3 win against Chicago Fire.
Świderski played a great one-two with teammate Pep Biel to open the scoring in impressive fashion. After featuring among our top performers from Matchday 35, Biel was good once again in Matchday 36, and set up Júnior Urso for the second goal.
Świderski then scored his second via a header from Nathan Byrne’s cross and assisted Charlotte’s fourth for Liel Abada.
Świderski and his teammates will now be looking to ensure Charlotte qualify for round one of the playoffs proper rather than having to go through the wildcard round.
9.2 FotMob rating: Lewis Morgan, New York Red Bulls
New York Red Bulls needed something positive to pick them up from a demoralising derby defeat last weekend against New York City, and Morgan was the man to provide it.
He drew the foul that brought the penalty opportunity for Emil Forsberg to score the opening goal, and then found John Tolkin in acres of space on the left to assist his goal that made it 2-0.
The Scotland international scored one of his own from the penalty spot before rounding off his involvement in all four Red Bulls goals with an assist for Elias Manoel to make it 4-1 against a sorry-looking Toronto FC.
The Red Bulls have now qualified for the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons, but they will be judged on whether they make progress in the post season, rather than just qualifying for it.
Three more standout performers
8.9 FotMob rating: Brad Stuver, Austin FC
Only Inter Miami and LA Galaxy have scored more goals than Portland Timbers in MLS this season, but against a barrage of shots, Austin goalkeeper Stuver helped his side snatch a win in Oregon.
Portland had 26 shots to Austin’s seven, and Austin only managed one on target – Daniel Pereira’s shot for the goal which took a big deflection to evade Timbers goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
After that slice of luck, this Austin win was down to Stuver, who stopped an xG on target of 1.34 from Portland’s total xG of 2.39,
That suggests some poor finishing from the Timbers, but Stuver made some important stops amid his total of ten saves, taking his total to 125 saves this season – more than any other goalkeeper in the league.
Highlights in this game included two stops from Jonathan Rodríguez, both of which went down as big chances for Portland, both of which were stopped by Austin’s Man of the Match.
9.1 FotMob rating: Hernán López, San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose may already be confirmed as recipients of this season’s wooden spoon, but López and his teammates were not downing tools as he put in an excellent display to see his side to a 3-2 win against FC Dallas.
His first goal was reminiscent of the next player to come on this list of standout players, as he darted into space, received the ball from a teammate, and sent a shot inside the far post left footed from outside the area.
A second followed later in the game to give San Jose the lead once again, this time López found himself in the centre-forward position and dinked his finish over onrushing Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer.
López finished the game having completed four out of four dribble attempts and won nine out of 12 ground duels.
8.9 FotMob rating: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami
Numerous players could have made the list of five this week, it could easily have extended to ten such were the number of standout performances in Matchweek 36 fixtures, but none had as much riding on them as Inter Miami versus Columbus Crew.
It looked like Messi had made a great assist for Marcelo Weigandt in the early stages of this game, but the goal was disallowed for a very close offside call (MLS VAR doesn’t draw lines).
Shortly after, Sergio Busquets very lucky to escape a sending off for serious foul play and several yellow cards, so there were no shortage of incidents before Messi finally opened the scoring in this entertaining game.
Messi bundled one in following some great centre-forward play to score the first for Miami, worrying the Columbus defenders enough so that they didn’t make a strong challenge on him in the penalty area, and the ball eventually bobbled up for him to poke home.
There was no bundling about the second goal, which was a trademark Messi free-kick curled around the outside of the wall and inside the post.
Luis Suárez scored the all-important third goal in a game that finished 3-2 and left supporters wanting more of this fixture in the upcoming playoffs.
To rub salt in the wound, Columbus had Rudy Camacho sent off for serious foul play for a challenge on a similar level of severity to the one Busquets committed in the first half.
The win meant Inter Miami were crowned Supporters’ Shield winners for topping the overall MLS league standings, and that they did so at the home of the current MLS Cup and Leagues Cup champions only adds to this burgeoning competitive rivalry ahead of the playoffs.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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Samu Omorodion looked all-but-set to complete a high-profile move to Chelsea from Atlético Madrid this summer, however the deal fell through in the closing stages. Instead, the striker sealed a switch to FC Porto and has quickly hit the ground running at the Estádio do Dragão.
Born in Melilla, an autonomous city of Spain that sits, surrounded by Morocco, on the north African coast, Omorodion relocated to Andalusia at a young age. During his childhood, he turned out for local amateur side AD Nervion, before joining Granada’s youth set-up at 17.
After excelling in the Granada B team, scoring 18 goals across 33 appearances in Spain’s fourth tier, Omorodion soon received his big break. The striker made his debut in LaLiga on the opening day of last season, against Atlético Madrid, netting Granada’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat. And it would prove to be Omorodion’s only appearance for the Andalusian side.
The forward had made an almighty impression on his opponents, with Atlético moving quickly to sign Omorodion just days after their league meeting. The Spanish giants immediately loaned the striker out to fellow top-flight side Alavés, with neither party looking back since.
Omorodion shot map, LaLiga 2024/25
Omorodion finished last season as Alavés’ top scorer, notching nine goals in 35 league appearances for the Babazorros. The 20-year-old was a revelation for Luis García’s side, as he spearheaded the newly-promoted side to a tenth place finishlast term – Alaves’ highest in LaLiga since 2016-17 under Mauricio Pellegrino.
It was a remarkable breakout campaign at the Mendizorroza for Omorodion – who wasted little time in acclimatising to the rigours of the Spanish top-flight. The Spain Under-21 international’s first eight strikes came in his first 22 LaLiga appearances for Alavés, the third-highest tally for an Alavés player at that stage of the season, in the competition, since the turn of the century.
Standing at 6ft 4in, Omorodion offers a unique profile, with his physically imposing stature perfectly suited to being a modern No. 9. The 20-year-old poses a constant threat in the final third and is a constant handful for defenders. This is because the forward is able to mix it up, either utilising his frame to act as a target man or play on the last defender and run in behind.
It is in transition that Omorodion is particularly ruthless, as he thrives when there is vast spaces to exploit. He scored more goals from fast breaks than any other player in LaLiga last term (four). Despite his size, the forward is extremely mobile and is always seeking to stretch play – more often leaving opposition defences at sixes and sevens.
The youngster’s physicality is also perfect when providing his side with an out-ball. Alavés had the lowest average possession in LaLiga across 2023-24 (41.4%), and Omorodion’s hold-up play was integral when acting as a reference point for relieving pressure for García’s side.
Omorodion has quickly developed a knack for arriving in the right place at the right time, and his perfectly timed runs across the face of the box allow him to be the ultimate penalty box poacher. He averaged 0.52 non-penalty xG per 90 in the Spanish top-flight last term – the fifth highest of any player in the competition.
The 20-year-old’s ascent to becoming one of the most promising strikers in Europe has been breathtaking. Only Jude Bellingham (19) scored more goals across the big five European leagues last season among players aged 20 or under, while he became the youngest player this century to score home and away against Barcelona in the same season (19 years old).
Following his spectacular campaign in northern Spain, Omorodion seemed destined to return to parent club Atlético this summer, with a view of challenging for a spot in the first team squad. Atlético, meanwhile, had other ideas. Diego Simeone’s side made huge outlays for forwards Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez in the summer window – leaving Omorodion as a sellable asset just 12 months after his signing.
Yet after a summer of speculation regarding a potential move for the 20-year-old to Chelsea, the deal collapsed at the final hurdle. Atlético were then forced to seek other potential suitors for Omorodion, which ultimately led to his switch to FC Porto. The Portuguese giants were in the market for a new No. 9 following the departures of both Medhi Taremi and Evanilson – to Inter and AFC Bournemouth respectively – earlier in the window, identifying Omorodion as their replacement.
Omorodion shot map, Liga Portugal, 2024/25
And the young striker has taken to his new found home like a duck to water, scoring five goals in his first five appearances for the Dragons – breaking records in the process. In fact, the striker’s quickfire start has made him the first player to score 3+ goals in his first three matches for Porto in the Liga Portugal since Tiquinho Soares in 2017.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed an equally terrific start to life in European football, notching the opening goal in Porto’s Europa League defeat to Bodø/Glimt on Matchday 1. And he will hope to continue in the same fashion when Porto host Manchester United in the same competition tonight.
While he may have missed out on a summer move to Chelsea, you can be certain that Omorodion is relishing the chance to torment a Premier League defence at the first time of asking.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Liga Portugal on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
