Page 169 – The Pulse of Football

Aug

2023

Premier League Matchday Three Review

The Premier League certainly lived up to the hype this weekend. There were shock results, standout performances and eye catching moments galore. Here’s a round-up of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Pochettino gets his first win as Chelsea manager

The Blues hosted Luton Town at Stamford Bridge with all of the pressure on them on Friday night.

Chelsea had failed to win either of their opening two fixtures and anything but three points against the newly promoted side would’ve been a disaster. They delivered though.

Raheem Sterling scored twice and Nicolas Jackson scored his first goal for the club. The hosts created five big chances and racked up an Expected Goals haul of 2.27 while limiting their opponents to just 0.44.

Sterling looked back to his best. The new Chelsea No.7 had five shots and created two chances on his way to a 9.0 FotMob rating.

Dropped points at the Emirates

Arsenal’s 100% record is now over. Mikel Arteta’s side could only manage a 2-2 draw with Fulham but to say the hosts were unlucky would be a bit of an understatement.

The Gunners had 19 shots, created five big chances and amassed an Expected Goals total of 3.2. By comparison, Marco Silva’s charges could only muster opportunities worth 0.56 Expected Goals.

Play that exact same game 100x over and Arsenal claim all three points most of the time at a canter.

Fulham keeper Bernd Leno haunted his former employers with eight saves. Bukayo Saka was the standout performer on the pitch though with three shots, four chances created and a goal.

A bit of a pattern with Fulham games this season is their inability to limit their opponents. No team has a higher Expected Goals conceded total (9.9).

The Old Trafford turnaround

Nottingham Forest stunned the Old Trafford faithful by taking a 2-0 lead inside of five minutes.

Taiwo Awoniyi sat down André Onana for the opener before Willy Boly added a second just two minutes later.

The away side then allowed the hosts back into the game. Bruno Fernandes pulled the strings, creating three chances, two big chances and scoring the winner via the penalty spot. It was a contentious award with many believing the foul on Marcus Rashford was on the soft side.

Forest also had a man sent off with Joe Worrall receiving his marching orders having brought down Fernandes. It did, however, look as though there was a covering defender. United won’t care though, they’ve managed to claim another three points.

The Seagulls are hammered

Brighton went into the game against West Ham as favourites. Roberto De Zerbi’s men were blown away though, losing 3-1 to what was a classic smash and grab tactic deployed by the Hammers.

James Ward-Prowse netted the opener, before a quickfire second half double from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio put the game to bed at around the hour mark.

Pascal Gross pulled one back for the hosts but it wasn’t enough to salvage anything.

The Seagulls have been ruthless so far this season but their underlying numbers, especially defensively, should be a concern. Only Fulham have a higher Expected Goals conceded total and West Ham managed to create opportunities worth 3.23 this weekend.

The sign of champions

On paper, Manchester City’s trip to Sheffield United should’ve been a routine three points for the reigning champions.

It was anything but, with Erling Haaland missing a penalty in the first half. Pep Guardiola’s men eventually took the lead through their No.9 but were pegged back in the 85th minute when Jayden Bogle equalised.

Just two minutes later though, the treble winners rallied to score the winner. Rodri proved himself to be a clutch player yet again, rifling home to complete a commanding performance.

The 27-year-old completed the most passes (108) and made the most tackles (three) while also taking five shots. He earned himself a FotMob rating of 9.1, proving himself to be the difference maker yet again this season. He’s really stepped up in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.

Chaos at St James’ Park

Last season, Liverpool were the only team to do the double over Newcastle United. The Reds claimed a stoppage time win at Anfield while a Nick Pope red card in the reverse fixture killed off the game at 2-0.

This game had a stoppage time winner and a red card.

Anthony Gordon put the hosts ahead after a Trent Alexander-Arnold error before Virgil van Dijk was sent off for a last man challenge on Alexander Isak.

Newcastle appeared to be in complete control and forced Alisson into a career high seven Premier League saves. The hosts couldn’t add the all important second goal though and it cost them.

Darwin Núñez fired home the equaliser after the ball rather fortuitously fell his way. Then, in stoppage time, Mohamed Salah found the Liverpool No.9 with a fine pass and the former Benfica man rifled home the winner.

Newcastle will feel unlucky but it highlights the ruthlessness of the Premier League.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023/24 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2023

Premier League Matchday Three Preview

We may only be three weeks into the 2023/24 campaign but we have our first six-pointer of the season. Ahead of matchday three, a look at some of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

The pressure mounts on Pochettino

A home match against Luton Town should be viewed as a banker for any club with European aspirations. All of the pressure is on Chelsea and manager Mauricio Pochettino heading into this game on Friday night.

The Blues are yet to win a game this season having drawn with Liverpool and lost to West Ham United. Pochettino needs to figure out a way to get his team firing, and quickly. In their 3-1 loss to the Hammers last weekend, Jackson Martinez won more tackles (3) than he had shots (2) and he failed to have an effort in the second half when the Blues were chasing the game. The former Villarreal man is the focal point of the attack and if he’s failing to threaten the opposition, Chelsea aren’t going to be a threat.

This isn’t necessarily a free hit for Luton but few expect them to take anything from a game at Stamford Bridge. There’s nothing for them to lose in this situation and everything for them to win. It is a perfect storm for a shock result, so let’s see if they can pull it off.

A chance to build momentum

Spurs have had a decent start to life under Ange Postecoglou. They drew their opener against Brentford and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Manchester United. By comparison, Andoni Iraola is still winless as Bournemouth boss. The Cherries picked up a point against West Ham to kick off their campaign and then, despite taking a shock lead at Anfield, they fell to a 3-1 defeat on Merseyside.

There have been signs of improvement though under the Spanish tactician and there’s a clear identity with their playing style. For example, they rank sixth in the Premier League for possessions won in the final third and this points to an aggressive high press. For a little context here, Spurs rank 10th for this metric.

Both teams are in the bottom half for Expected Goals so far this season. Spurs have mustered chances with a value of three while Bournemouth have managed to create chances worth 2.7. It is going to be interesting to see how this game pans out with both teams no doubt wanting to assert their dominance on proceedings.

The six-pointer

Wolves and Everton head into this game propping up the table. Both teams are on zero points and suffered heavy defeats in their second matches of the season.

Gary O’Neil will feel a little unlucky though. His team have the fourth highest Expected Goals total in the Premier League (4.5) but have scored just once. They are also tied for the most big chances missed (5). The fact they’ve created this number of chances is all the more impressive when you consider they’ve come up against Manchester United and Brighton. They just aren’t able to convert their opportunities.

It is a similar story with Everton too. The Toffees are yet to score this season despite creating opportunities with an Expected Goals total of 3.4. They have also missed four big chances with a number of those coming in the 1-0 loss to Fulham. Sean Dyche’s side do have defensive issues though. They have an Expected Goals conceded total of 4.5, the second-highest in the league behind Fulham.

With the game being at Goodison Park, the pressure is on Everton to get something from this match. If they don’t, it could well be yet another struggle this season in the Premier League.

The Seagulls and The Hammers

Brighton are the form team in the Premier League. They’ve scored four goals in back-to-back games to kick off their campaign and they have the highest Expected Goals total in the English top-flight with 6.2.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men are averaging 10 shots on target per game, comfortably the most of any team in the Premier League. Solly March is the joint-top scorer in the league with three, Julio Encisco, Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupiñán all have two assists – the most in the league – while the former has the highest FotMob average in the Premier League with 8.84.

Everything is just clicking the Seagulls but the visit of West Ham will be a tricky one for them to navigate. The Hammers are undefeated so far this season and ran out 3-1 winners over Chelsea in their last outing. They’re a threat from set pieces with James Ward-Prowse now responsible for dead ball situations.

One thing to note, however, is that David Moyes’ side Expected Goals battle against Bournemouth and Chelsea but came away with four points. They will need to shore things up defensively against a rampant Brighton team if they’re to get anything from this game.

Newcastle United versus Liverpool

Newcastle lost both times against Liverpool last season, falling to a 2-1 loss at Anfield and a 2-0 defeat at St James’ Park.

They are going to be looking to bounce back from the loss to Manchester City last weekend. Eddie Howe’s men did manage to limit the champions, with Pep Guardiola’s men creating chances with an xG of just over one. However, the flip side to that is that they failed to really threaten City.

Newcastle did run riot in their season opener in front of home fans, picking up a 5-1 win over Aston Villa. They are a threat at home and Liverpool will be wary of this.

Furthermore, the Magpies have created eight big chances this term, only Brighton (9) have managed more. Howe’s side have the most yellow cards (9) too, so that will be something to keep an eye on.

Liverpool fell behind to Bournemouth but bounced back to record a comfortable 3-1 win over the Cherries to take their tally for the season to four points. They will be with Alexis Mac Allister after the midfielder’s red card was overturned, so that is a positive for Jurgen Klopp.

Mohamed Salah has six goals and four assists against the Magpies in 12 appearances for Liverpool. He is without a goal against them in three matches though.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2023

Why signing a centre-back is now more of a priority than a midfielder for Liverpool

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

With only days remaining in the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans could be forgiven for wondering if the club has done enough to solve its problems. So far, it stands at seven senior players out and three in as Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo comprise the rebuild.

Losing Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and, on loan, Fabio Carvalho, made bolstering the middle of the park an essential task.

But now, as the deadline approaches, Jurgen Klopp and the club’s recruitment staff should make another area of the pitch their priority – as signing a new centre-back is more important than a fourth midfielder.

Ideally, it will be both. Reports suggest that a “multi-functional” midfielder is still on the agenda, with the likes of OGC Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone obvious candidates.

However, those familiar with Klopp’s squad-building – and owners Fenway Sports Group’s risk-averse spending – will be aware that a smaller group with a reliable, versatile core is often the manager’s preference.

In Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Endo, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic, Liverpool have seven midfielders for three positions – plus the option of dropping Cody Gakpo deeper as has been the case already this season.

All of those players will be afforded considerable game time over the course of the campaign, and Klopp can be assured that none will be left feeling like spare parts come May.

When it comes to his centre-back ranks, though, there is a clear shortage.

To explain this requires a brief summary of Liverpool’s new setup: though a 4-3-3 from kickoff, the hybrid role of Trent Alexander-Arnold means it becomes a 3-4-3 in possession, with the left-back becoming a third centre-back.

So when Alexander-Arnold pushes into midfield as is his remit, Andy Robertson moves alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to form a three-man unit.

The flaws of this approach are hotly debated, but in plain terms, Liverpool now operate with three centre-backs – and unlike the midfield, where seven (or even eight) goes into three, Klopp only has five recognised centre-back options to cover three positions.

Van Dijk and Konate are the first-choice pairing; Robertson is first choice in the second hybrid role of left-back and centre-back; and Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are deputies for the central positions.

As recent seasons have taught us, Liverpool are one, frustratingly likely, injury away from a less-than-desirable defensive line.

Matip has already admitted that he “needs to adapt” to the new system, as he found when filling in for Konate that “the right-back will not be there in the first moment.” Meanwhile Gomez, who to many resembles a useful option in Robertson’s role, was overlooked entirely throughout pre-season, instead filling in for Alexander-Arnold as an orthodox right-back. Kostas Tsimikas has long served as backup left-back, but a move to centre-back is doubtful.

Both Gomez and Matip are capable top-level centre-backs, but there are doubts over whether they fit into Klopp’s new setup – whether raised by supporters or, in his selection, the manager himself.

If Konate picks up a long-term injury, then, Liverpool will require Matip to step in alongside Van Dijk. But as shown during pre-season, the 32-year-old Matip’s lack of pace can be exposed repeatedly as Konate is effectively needed to cover both centre-back and right-back in the defensive phase.

Having another, more suitable option candidate would relieve this concern, while retaining Matip and Gomez as useful squad players to allow Klopp to shuffle his pack in a season when Liverpool will enter the Europa League for the first time since 2015/16.

While this would suggest that Liverpool should be targeting another right-sided centre-back, this season runs the risk of an elephant entering the room in the shape of Robertson on the opposite side.

Widely considered one of the world’s best left-backs at his peak, Robertson is now nearing his 30th birthday, and though still a formidable presence going forward, the minutes in his legs looked to have taken their toll of late. Now, the Scotland captain is tasked with performing a new role but appears caught in two minds as to whether to stay in defence or barrel forward, as usual, into attack.

Unlike Konate on the opposite side, Robertson does not possess the dominant physicality to cover the wide spaces in a three-man unit, and though the hope is that he can eventually adjust, the early signs are that he is not a long-term solution at centre-back.

It certainly raises the question of whether the shift in system is worth diluting Robertson’s natural quality as a full-back, but as it stands, the 3-4-3 seems set to stay.

So, then, the priority may well become signing a more suitable candidate as centre-back – a left-sided Konate clone, if you will. The issue there, of course, is that it may prove much harder in practice than on paper.

Levi Colwill was the perfect candidate, only to commit his long-term future to Chelsea with a new six-year contract. Josko Gvardiol may have been an upgrade on Colwill even, but the Croatian joined Manchester City in a deal worth £77.6 million. Micky van de Ven, another player coveted among Klopp’s staff, headed to Tottenham for £43 million. Jurrien Timber, Lucas Hernandez, Castello Lukeba and even Aymeric Laporte have all switched clubs, too.

There remain options, with Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd all touted with moves to Merseyside in recent months, but Liverpool are seemingly not set on any of their mooted targets.

But in a summer in which so much rests on Liverpool’s ability to evolve, to not bring in another centre-back – to challenge or, at least eventually, replace Robertson on that left-hand side – would be negligent.

The same, familiar conundrum presents itself to Klopp and the higher-ups in FSG: can Liverpool really afford to wait for the perfect player for the long term again while risking the short term?

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep up to date with everything Liverpool, make sure you click follow on the team profile in the FotMob app. Download the free app here.

Aug

2023

MLS Matchday 27 Player Power Rankings

St. Louis City continue to lead the way at the top of Major League Soccer’s Western Conference following another standout performance on Matchday 27, and also edged closer to FC Cincinnati in the overall standings.

Houston Dynamo was arguably the standout team of this matchday, though, with a 5-0 win against Portland Timbers, but the individual performances were spread throughout the team rather than there being one particular star.

The Dynamo will be playing for a place in the US Open Cup final this week in a semifinal against Real Salt Lake.

The other semi features Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami against the stumbling FC Cincinnati

The league leaders found it difficult as MLS returned this week following the break for the Leagues Cup, falling 3-0 to Columbus Crew in the Hell Is Real derby.

A Crew player will feature later in the Player Power rankings for Matchday 27, but first up there was another masterful creative performance from one of the league’s best new additions in 2023.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Eduard Löwen 9.7 (St. Louis City)

The St. Louis playmaker put on another creative clinic with an array of passing in various situations.

He assisted his team’s opener in a goal-filled 6-3 win against Austin FC via a familiar St. Louis set piece, headed in by Tim Parker.

As the first half reached added time, Löwen played a ball in behind the Austin defence to set Nicholas Gioacchini free, inviting the forward to make something happen. And he did, putting the home side 2-0 up at the half.

Six goals were scored in the second period, four of them by St. Louis.

Löwen went on to complete a hat-trick of assists with a nice reverse pass to Tomas Ostrak from the edge of the area.

Throughout the season the German has shown the numerous ways he can create chances, and potentially goals for his team.

In this game he combined them all, displaying a wide range of passing and creative threats to double his assists tally for the season.

Georgios Giakoumakis 9.1 (Atlanta United)

It was a promising start to this latest stage of the season for Atlanta United, and in Giakoumakis they have an out-and-out center forward who could become the best of his type in the league.

He headed home the opening goal from a Brooks Lennon corner, looking several feet taller than everyone else in the area as he leapt in the air to do so.

He perhaps should have scored again before halftime, missing an easy chance with his feet, but normal business resumed with his head—obviously his preferred way of scoring—when he rose to meet Thiago Almada’s cross for his and his team’s second.

It’s now 12 goals in MLS this year for Giakoumakis, which puts him just one behind the league’s top scorer, Hany Mukhtar.

Nicholas Gioacchini 9.0 (St. Louis City)

Löwen aside, the other attacking stars of St. Louis’ big win against Austin were Gioacchini and Samuel Adeniran. The former just edges it as the other entry in our Player Power rankings after both netted a brace.

Löwen’s ball behind the defence encouraged the run from Gioacchini for his first, putting him in a dangerous area in the opposition final third, but there was still plenty of work to do.

He stood up Julio Cascante before shooting low into the far corner. The ball went in off the post giving Austin goalie Brad Stuver no chance.

His second was a scrappier effort. Having done brilliantly to launch himself feet first at a cross that came in from Rasmus Alm, the resulting shot was well saved by Stuver, but Gioacchini showed desire and alertness to recover and beat Cascante to the loose ball.

Stuver had every right to expect more from his defenders having saved the first effort, but Gioacchini wasn’t standing on ceremony.

“I’m trying to go in each game trying to score goals, trying to help my team win,” Gioacchini said.

“I’m trying to win MLS Cup, that’s my goal, whether it’s me scoring or my teammates scoring.

“Obviously I want to be the one up top putting the ball in the net because that’s what they pay me to do, that’s my job, but as long as we get the three points at the end of the day, I’m happy.”

Aidan Morris 8.9 (Columbus Crew)

They call the meeting between Ohio clubs Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati the Hell is Real derby, named after a sign that can be seen on Interstate 71 which connects the two cities.

Victory in such rivalry matches requires performances such as the one Morris put in for Columbus during a 3-0 win at home.

He set things off by firing a shot from distance past Roman Celentano with just 15 minutes played.

The ferocity of the strike and the intense celebrations that followed set the tone for the Columbus performance and win.

Morris was key to the third goal, too, evading a press in midfield before driving forward and finding the right pass to Christian Ramirez who set up Jacen Russell-Rowe to score.

“There is a lot of weight behind this game, it’s just not a regular MLS game,” Morris said.

“Right here tonight, for sure, that was a statement, especially 3-0. I think we know what colour Ohio is now.”

John Tolkin 8.1 (New York Red Bulls)

There is always something extra to a clash between these two MLS originals.

Though New York Red Bulls no longer bear the MetroStars name they began with in 1996, the history lives on and their meetings with DC United always bring a sense of rivalry.

There is little to separate the two sides in 2023. They are not as far up the table as they would like, though, having found themselves outside the playoff places fighting to get in.

There was little to separate them in this meeting, too, and the xG was a lowly 0.08 to 0.03 in the Red Bulls’ favour.

It was left to New Jersey native Tolkin to produce a moment of individual quality to break the deadlock.

The left-back had sent a shot just wide with an hour gone, and as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes it looked like these two sides would see out a 0-0 draw on their return to action.

Tolkin had other ideas. When the Red Bulls won a free kick on the left edge of the DC United box with three minutes of regulation time remaining, the position looked ideal for a right-footer to send a shot up and down over the wall.

Instead, Tolkin stepped up and curled it around the outside of the wall into the bottom corner with his left foot for his first goal of the season.

Tolkin said of his free kick: “I guess I’m taking notes from Messi these days, huh?”

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2023

Premier League Matchday 2 Team of the Week

It was another stellar weekend of Premier League action with some suprise results, big performances and standout showings. Using the FotMob ratings, here’s your Team of the Week.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Goalkeeper: Alphonse Areola

The 30-year-old wasn’t too busy against Chelsea despite the Blues dominating possession. He made just three saves on the day. For a little context here, last week’s Team of the Week goalkeeper was Bernd Leno after his nine saves against Everton. However, Areola made one key stop when he palmed away Enzo Fernandez’s penalty at 1-1. This was a key moment for the Hammers as they went on to win 3-1.

Right-Back: Thomas Partey

Mikel Arteta has been trying something a little different over recent weeks with Thomas Partey deployed at right-back.

The 30-year-old starts out as a full-back but inverts to form a double pivot with Declan Rice when the Gunners are in possession. In Arsenal’s 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace, Partey completed 86% of his passes, created one chance, played seven passes into the final third, while also winning all of his tackles, recovering the ball on six occasions and he come out on top in seven of his eight duels.

Rice might get a lot of the plaudits but the Arsenal No5 put in an impressive showing too.

Centre-Back: Ethan Pinnock

The Brentford centre-back put in an utterly dominant performance in the 3-0 win against Fulham. The 30-year-old completed 86% of his 57 passes and found a teammate with 50% of his attempted long passes.

He made two blocks, six clearances, two interceptions and recovered the ball on eight occasions. Pinnock won two of his three ground duels and six of his seven aerial battles as he helped Thomas Frank’s men to a clean sheet and three points.

Centre-Back: Virgil van Dijk

Whisper it, but Van Dijk might be getting back to his very best. The new Liverpool skipper bossed things against Bournemouth. Liverpool didn’t get off to the best of starts, conceding a goal inside of three minutes, but bounced back to claim a 3-1 victory. Van Dijk completed 97% of his passes, made five interceptions and five clearances while also winning five of his six aerial duels.

Left-Back: Pervis Estupinan

Another game, another four goals for Brighton and another impressive showing from their left-back. This time around, Estupinan claimed an assist and a goal in the 4-1 demolition of Wolves at Molineux.

The 25-year-old wasn’t at his best defensively, winning just three of his 11 ground duels, but he was instrumental in everything Roberto De Zerbi’s men did going forward. He completed 87% of his passes, created two chances and played four passes into the final third.

Centre-Midfield: Serge Aurier

A bit of a surprise inclusion in midfield. He did, however, start as a wing-back for Nottingham Forest in their win over Sheffield United and this meant he spent a lot of time as a wide midfielder in possession, so we’re going to allow this. Aurier was the star of the show at the City Ground, assisting both goals in what was an impressive outing by the 30-year-old.

Centre-Midfield: Solly March

March is really enjoying himself under De Zerbi. The 29-year-old was amongst the goals again, this time finding the back of the net on two occasions having taken five shots against Wolves. He created a chance, attempted four dribbles and completed 50% of his attempted dribbles on his way to a 9.4 FotMob rating.

Centre-Midfield: Kaoru Mitoma

The dynamic left-winger scored one of the goals of the season and we’re only in week two of the campaign. He powered past a number of players having picked the ball up on the touchline before calmly firing past Jose Sa to give the Seagulls the lead. He also claimed an assist on the day and created four chances, while also attempting five dribbles in what was a mesmerising display.

Centre-Forward: Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has really stepped up in the absence of Ivan Toney. The 24-year-old scored twice in the 3-0 win over Fulham to take his tally to three for the season. He was a constant threat throughout, landing all three of his efforts on target and creating an opportunity. He actually finished the match with an Expected Goals total of 1.86 and an Expected Assists total of 0.24. It was some performance from the explosive left-footer.

He wasn’t the only Brentford forward to have a successful day at Craven Cottage.

Centre-Forward: Yoane Wissa

Wissa also impressed in his new role for the Bees.

Remarkably, the 26-year-old attempted just 11 passes but took a total of seven shots. Those two stats alone highlight exactly what he’s in the team to do. He finished with an Expected Goals haul of 1.41, while also winning the penalty and coming out on top in five of his seven duels. He was a constant menace leading the line for Brentford.

Centre-Forward: Diogo Jota

Jota had a very stereotypical performance for Liverpool against Bournemouth. He frustrated fans with his on-ball stuff, completing just 70% of his attempted passes, but somehow finished the game with a goal and an assist. The No20 attempted five shots, four dribbles and involved himself in 15 duels to cap off a busy day leading the line for the Reds at Anfield.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2023

Premier League Matchday Two Review

The Premier League certainly lived up to the hype this weekend. There were shock results, standout performances and eye catching moments galore. Here’s a round-up of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

The Bees have a sting without Toney

Ahead of the new campaign, many wondered how Brentford would cope without Ivan Toney. The striker was the focal point for the team and the main goal threat.

They don’t seem to be missing him though. They followed up their two goal showing against Spurs with three against Fulham. Bryan Mbeumo found the back of the net twice to take his tally to three for the campaign already. At this rate, he’ll definitely surpass his career high nine goals from last season.

Thomas Frank’s side created five big chances and finished with an Expected Goal (xG) total of 3.93. Marco Silva is yet to figure out how to set up a solid, reliable defensive unit, though the return of João Palhinha should help things.

Lucky number 13 for Liverpool

Liverpool are currently unbeaten in 13 Premier League matches. You wouldn’t have known that watching the opening five minutes at Anfield. Bournemouth had the ball in the back of the net on two occasions but the first was ruled out for offside.

The Reds did rally though and responded well. Luis Diaz levelled things up before Mohamed Salah followed up his saved penalty with a tap-in from close range. Diogo Jota added a third not long after a questionable red card was given to Alexis Mac Allister.

Up until this game, Salah had never found the back of the net on matchday two as a Liverpool player.

Wolves are mauled

For a second successive match, Wolves failed to make the most of their opportunities. The 4-1 loss to Brighton wasn’t deserved.

The hosts had a similar xG to their opponents (2.14 to 2.22) but poor finishing prevented them from taking anything from the match. It was the same story against Manchester United earlier in the week.

Roberto De Zerbi has his fowards firing though. Kaoru Mitoma scored a brilliant individual goal and assisted the second while also creating four chances – the most in the match. Julio Enisco finished with two assists while Solly March scored twice as the Seagulls soared once again.

Brighton have now scored four in back to back games and top the Premier League.

Laying down a marker

Spurs picked up their first win under Ange Postecoglou and it came at the expense of Manchester United.

The Red Devils, once again, lacked a ruthlessness in the final third as they spurned four big chances in the 2-0 defeat. They’re also having issues in the defensive third too. Casemiro, for example, won just four of his nine duels while Lisandro Martinez won just 50% of his duels and was fortunate not to give away a penalty. Erik Ten Hag needs to figure out a way to fix this situation before it spirals. For a second successive match, his big signings from last summer have struggled.

By comparison, Spurs look like a team heading in the right direction with all of their players on the same page.

They brought Pape Sarr into the starting XI and it was an inspired decision. He scored the opener, won 100% of his tackles and won four of his five duels. The box-to-box midfielder had five shots and finished with a pass success rate of 86%.

Sticky situation for the Toffees

This was a big game for both teams following losses on opening day. Aston Villa responded to the 5-1 loss to Newcastle United with an emphatic win over the Toffees. Unai Emery’s men deserved the win, racking up an xG of three having created five big chances.

They were totally dominant and Leon Bailey was the star of the show with a goal and an assist. He also completed all of his dribbles and won two of his three duels to complete a well-rounded outing.

Everton look like they could well be in trouble again. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was substituted off and they created next to nothing in the game. Sean Dyche needs to get his team firing and quickly.

A debut to remember…and one to forget

West Ham had less of the ball – just 24% – in their 3-1 win over Chelsea, and finished with fewer shots, but they executed their game plan to perfection.

James Ward-Prowse, on his debut for the Hammers, assisted two goals while also finishing with a pass success rate of 96%. He had a day to remember while Moises Caicedo had one to forget. The £115million summer signing came off the bench for the Blues after an hour. He won just four of his seven duels, committed two fouls and gave away a penalty.

Chelsea had all of the ball but did very little with it. Their only big chance of the game was the Enzo Fernandez penalty which was saved by Alphonse Areola. Mauricio Pochettino has some decisions to make.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023/24 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2023

Premier League Matchday Two Preview

The Premier League returned with a bang last weekend. Expectations have been altered, perceptions have been skewed and there is even pressure mounting on some teams, and we’re only two weeks into the new campaign. With this in mind, a look at five talking points for this round of fixtures.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

An early six-pointer

It is never too early to claim a match is a six-pointer, is it? Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United kick off matchday two on Friday night with both having suffered losses in their opening games.

The Blades struggled against Crystal Palace. Paul Heckingbottom’s side managed just eight shots, created zero big chances and finished with an Expected Goals total of 0.51 in the 1-0 loss. They have added reinforcements this week with the arrivals of Gustavo Harmer and Tom Davies, but they are going to need an improved performance.

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, lost to Arsenal but caused one of the title favourites a lot of issues. They created more big chances (two to zero) and had a higher xG (1.18 to 0.83). Taiwo Awoniyi was only given 20 minutes at the Emirates but he scored the goal to give Forest a chance of salvaging something late on. Expect him to start what is a potential early six-pointer at the City Ground. After all, the No9 was key to their survival last season, he could be vital again.

Ange-ball versus Ten Hag-ball

This is going to be an intriguing match-up. Both managers have a distinct style that they are famed for but only one of the teams managed to execute this during matchday one. Oddly enough, it wasn’t from the team who are one year into their project.

United claimed victory over Wolves but it wasn’t pretty. Erik Ten Hag’s men, playing at Old Trafford, were out-shot (23 to 15) and finished with a lower xG (2.21 compared to the away side’s 2.35).

The Red Devils were forced to take Lisandro Martinez off at half-time with an ankle injury, though his performance in the first half alone probably justified the early withdrawal. He was booked and won just two of his seven duels.

By comparison, Spurs really caught the eye in their season opener against Brentford. They may have only managed a 2-2 draw but there were real signs that the players understood their new roles within Ange Postecoglou’s system. Yves Bissouma and Emerson Royal caught the eye in their new roles, with both attempting over 100 passes in the game. The latter even scored the equaliser.

If the hosts are able to impose themselves onto Manchester United, it will be a statement performance that makes a lot of people sit up and take notice.

A top-of-the-table clash?

Newcastle United laid down a marker during their opening-day victory over Aston Villa.

Eddie Howe’s men ran riot at St James’ Park against European hopefuls Villa, romping to a 5-1 win. Alexander Isak netted twice in a 5-1 win as the Magpies racked up the second-highest xG of the weekend (3.41). Newcastle’s high energy could pose a number of problems for Manchester City.

The reigning champions picked up all three points against Burnley on Friday night and they did so at a canter. City looked back to their ruthless best with Erling Haaland scoring twice and Rodri running the show from midfield – he attempted over 100 passes and finished with a 97% success rate. The Spanish midfielder also chipped in with a goal and an assist. However, a long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne could well nullify some of City’s attacking threat in the short-term and it is no wonder they’ve reportedly sped up the process to sign Lucas Paqueta.

This has the potential to be one of the games of the season, though, and the outcome could go some way to determining what sort of campaigns these two sides have.

Righting the wrongs of last weekend

There’s more than just three points at stake as Aston Villa host Everton this weekend.

As we’ve mentioned above, Villa were rocked by a hungry Newcastle United side on Saturday evening. The heavy 5-1 loss also saw Unai Emery’s men lose Tyrone Mings to a long-term knee injury and the Villans are already without Emi Buendia. They are going to want to kick off their campaign at Villa Park with a good performance otherwise all of the pre-season excitement will have disappeared within two weeks.

Good home form will be vital for a European push.

Everton, by comparison, deserved better in their season opener against Fulham. The Toffees lost, at home, to Fulham in one of the most one-sided games witnessed at Goodison for quite some time. Bernd Leno was in inspired form for the visitors, saving nine shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of over three.

They need to build on the performance rather than the result and getting something away to a team tipped for a European place would be a big statement. However, this is a must not lose match for Sean Dyche’s men. They can’t kick off the campaign with back-to-back defeats.

The Gunners under the microscope and under pressure

Mikel Arteta will want a better performance from his side this weekend as they travel to Crystal Palace. Arsenal controlled the ball against Forest but weren’t as threatening as they should’ve been. Both of their goals in the 2-1 win arrived as a result of individual brilliance rather than anything else and if a team becomes reliant on that it is a recipe for disaster.

The loss of Jurrien Timber will be a blow, the summer signing had looked right at home playing as a left-back for the Gunners so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to that.

Roy Hodgson will no doubt be looking at Odsonne Edouard again to put in yet another big performance. He scored the winner against Sheffield United and had seven shots during the game. The former Celtic man looked sharp and hungry. If he’s on it at Selhurst Park, he could cause the Arsenal defence some issues.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2023

Premier League Preview Matchday 2

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

An early six-pointer

It is never too early to claim a match is a six-pointer, is it? Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United kick off matchday two on Friday night with both having suffered losses in their opening games.

Ange-ball versus Ten Hag-ball

If the hosts are able to impose themselves onto Manchester United, it will be a statement performance that makes a lot of people sit up and take notice.

A top-of-the-table clash?

Newcastle United laid down a marker during their opening-day victory over Aston Villa.

This has the potential to be one of the games of the season, though, and the outcome could go some way to determining what sort of campaigns these two sides have.

Righting the wrongs of last weekend

There’s more than just three points at stake as Aston Villa host Everton this weekend.

Good home form will be vital for a European push.

The Gunners under the microscope and under pressure

The loss of Jurrien Timber will be a blow, the summer signing had looked right at home playing as a left-back for the Gunners so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to that.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2023

Transfer Analysis: Kane, Dembélé, Caicedo and more

Football is back underway but this hasn’t slowed down business in the transfer market. It has been a busy week and we’ve got a round-up of some of the biggest moves.

By Sam McGuire

Arthur Cabral – Fiorentina to Benfica – Fee: £17m

Benfica needed to fill a significant void in their forward line following the departure of Goncalo Ramos to Paris Saint-Germain. The Portuguese giants turned to Arthur Cabral. The 25-year-old scored eight times for Fiorentina last season across 1,432 minutes. He failed to replicate the form he showed in Switzerland prior to his move to Serie A when he scored 14 goals in 17 starts.

Roger Schmidt will be hoping the Brazilian-born forward can get back among the goals as he looks to retain the title he won during his debut season in Portugal. They didn’t get off to the best of starts losing 3-2 to Boavista.

Max Aarons – Norwich City to Bournemouth- Fee: £7million

Courted by Leeds United and Southampton, it was Premier League side Bournemouth who managed to sign the explosive right-back. It wasn’t that long ago that Aarons was a £30million-rated full-back but he moved to the Cherries for just £7million, significantly lower than his £15millon market value.

The 23-year-old, who played 45 of Norwich City’s 46 matches in the Championship last season, could prove to be one of the shrewdest signings of the summer, anywhere across Europe.

Castello Lukeba – Lyon to RB Leipzig – Fee: £26million

RB Leipzig have found their Josko Gvardiol replacement. Having sold the Croatian centre-back to Manchester City, the Bundesliga side raided Lyon for Castello Lukeba. The 20-year-old impressed for the Ligue 1 side last term, finding a teammate 90% of the time, completing 69% of his dribbles and winning 60% of his tackles.

He should slot into Marco Rose’s energetic and young new-look side seamlessly.

Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich – Fee: £103million

After years of being linked with a move away, Kane finally left Spurs. The England captain, linked to both Manchester clubs, Real Madrid and Chelsea over recent years, opted to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a deal believed to be worth £100million. The 30-year-old found the back of the net on 30 occasions and finally fills the void left by Robert Lewandowski. He isn’t just a goalscorer though, he also created 57 chances last season in the Premier League and finished with three assists. He could well fire the Bavarian giants to Champions League glory this term.

Ousmane Dembélé – Barcelona to PSG – Fee: £43million

This move came as a bit of a surprise. Barcelona wanted to keep the France international but PSG paid his release clause to bring him to the French capital. The 26-year-old, who can play on either wing, potentially replaces Neymar. Coincidentally, that is why he was signed by Barca in the first place. He finished with 12 goal involvements last term having appeared in a little over 1,400 minutes in LaLiga. It will be intriguing to see how he does under Luis Enrique.

Morten Hjulmand – Lecce to Sporting – Fee: £15million

This move has the potential to go under the radar. The 24-year-old replaces Manuel Ugarte in the heart of the Sporting midfield having caught the eye for Lecce in Serie A. He finished with a FotMob rating of 7.25 having completed 79% of his passes. Hjulmand also won close to 60% of his tackles and made 72 interceptions across the campaign. Another standout performance for the Lisbon giants and he could be on the move again next summer.

James Ward-Prowse – Southampton to West Ham – Fee: £29million

After weeks of back and forth, West Ham got their man. Ward-Prowse captained Southampton and despite their relegation last season, he came out of it with credit in the bank. The 28-year-old has averaged nine goals per season across his last three campaigns as well as chipping in with a minimum of four assists. He’s a set-piece expert and has a brilliant range of passing. He could be a serious threat for the Hammers.

Moises Caicedo – Brighton to Chelsea – Fee: £111million

For a brief second, it did look as though Caicedo might be going to Liverpool. The Reds had a bid accepted for the 21-year-old but the Brighton man had his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea eventually had a British record fee accepted by the Seagulls and he made a £111million move to join up with Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Caicedo had a stellar 2022/23 campaign, appearing in 37 of the 38 Premier League matches. He completed 89% of his passes, completed 57% of his dribbles and won 50% of his tackles on his way to a 7.32 FotMob rating.

David Raya – Brentford to Arsenal – Fee: Loan

This one has the potential to be fairly controversial. Arsenal now have two first-choice goalkeepers and it can’t be too long before one of them decides this role is not for them. David Raya, a target for Spurs earlier in the summer, has joined on an initial loan. The Gunners can make it permanent next year for a fee of £27million.

The 27-year-old conceded 46 goals last season from an Expected Goals Conceded total of 51.76. His exploits between the sticks literally saved over five goals. He also made 154 saves and kept 12 clean sheets.

Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal – Fee: £86million

Al-Hilal tried and failed to tempt Kylian Mbappe earlier in the transfer window but did manage to sign his teammate, Neymar. The 31-year-old was surplus to requirements at PSG and is now one of the poster boys for Saudi Arabian football. He scored 13 goals and assisted 11 times in just 1,552 minutes last season. The Brazilian megastar finished with a FotMob rating of 8.0 and he’ll want to show he’s not moved out there for a final payday. There should be a lot more to come from the mercurial talent.

Charles De Ketelaere – Milan to Atalanta – Fee: Loan

De Ketelaere was viewed as a wonderkid while with Anderlecht and he was linked with a host of clubs. AC Milan pulled off quite the coup to land him but it is safe to say it didn’t really go to plan. His debut season at the San Siro was a disappointment and he failed to score having racked up just 1,101 minutes. He finished with a FotMob rating of 6.45. The 22-year-old Belgian now has a chance to get his career back on track with Atalanta. The club have a record of turning things around for players and the eft-footed attacking midfielder is too talented to give up hope on just yet.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Aug

2023

How Liverpool can still emerge from “embarrassing” transfer saga in a better position

After the promise of – and necessity for – a great rebuild, Liverpool and their supporters found themselves embarrassed twice over the space of 24 hours earlier in August.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

Set to the backdrop of a 1-1 draw with Chelsea that hammered home the need for both sides to acquire an elite defensive midfielder (or, let’s face it, any defensive midfielder), Liverpool twice outbid their rivals for a target only to see them opt for Stamford Bridge instead.

First came Moises Caicedo, whose pursuit brought a British record £111 million bid from the Reds’ owners, Fenway Sports Group, encouraged by the lack of developments in Chelsea’s own advances.

But as it became clear that Caicedo did, in fact, not wish to join Liverpool, the focus pivoted back to long-term target Romeo Lavia – who, in turn, rejected a potential £60 million move to Anfield in favour of west London.

Twice, if reports are to be believed, Liverpool outbid Chelsea and were the only club to agree a fee with the sellers; twice they were turned down as two of the most talented young defensive midfielders in last season’s Premier League chose to join Mauricio Pochettino’s new side instead.

The situation left supporters to ask all number of questions of the club’s recruitment structure.

It appears as though there was never any real indication that Caicedo would head to Anfield instead of Stamford Bridge, but the temptation of luring him to Merseyside left talks with Southampton over Lavia to stall and the 19-year-old under no illusion he was second choice.

FSG figurehead John W. Henry flew into London to take in the Premier League opener between the Reds and the Blues, but his presence was clearly motivated by more than a marquee fixture.

The hope was that talks then took place between Henry and Jurgen Klopp, as Liverpool’s backroom presides over one of their most uncertain periods – far removed from previous years, when they became the envy of Europe.

With Michael Edwards gone and his replacement, Julian Ward, following 12 months later, the club made the surprise move to appoint a short-term successor as sporting director.

Jorg Schmadtke’s decision to put on hold his retirement to oversee the rebuild at Liverpool was met with derision by some in Germany, such was his reputation after spells with Hannover 96, FC Koln and, most recently, VfL Wolfsburg.

That was only magnified on Merseyside when the deals for Caicedo and Lavia collapsed, with Jamie Carragher among those to criticise.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher described it as a “joke” and an “absolute mess” that Liverpool have gone from Edwards to Ward to Schmadtke who, after his short-term deal is up, will then presumably make way for another permanent sporting director.

“They haven’t got deals done – that is your job, in that role, to get deals over the line,” he said.

“The two players Liverpool bought had buyout clauses. There’s no negotiating, there’s no big deal to go about it: you just meet the buyout clause.

“Liverpool have not got deals over the line and it’s been embarrassing.”

Those deals Carragher referred to were for Alexis Mac Allister – who, incidentally, was lined up by Ward, not Schmadtke – and Dominik Szoboszlai, who arrived earlier in the summer for a combined £95 million.

Since then, Liverpool have seen both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho make surprise moves to Saudi Arabia, which has undoubtedly left Liverpool on the back foot with two unplanned departures for key, senior midfielders.

But the desperate and ultimately failed campaigns for Lavia and Caicedo have made the situation decidedly worse, not only wasting further time to allow new signings to bed in but also showing their hand with a nine-figure bid for the latter.

The challenge now, then, with a fortnight remaining in the summer transfer window, is to fill the void in midfield and answer those questions over a recruitment team left humiliated.

Fortunately for the club, there is still time, and in Japan captain Wataru Endo the first piece of a jumbled jigsaw has been identified.

Few would have expected the 30-year-old from Stuttgart to be a target – and he was unlikely to have been high on Liverpool’s list at the start of the summer – but Endo joins as an experienced and immediate solution in the No. 6 role with a plethora of admirers from his time in the Bundesliga.

However, though he may make a strong impact upon his arrival from Germany, it is hard to escape the feeling that Endo is more stopgap than long-term solution – a reaction to Fabinho’s unexpected £40 million exit, rather than part of Klopp’s vision for “Liverpool reloaded.”

In order for Liverpool to come out of the summer window equipped to challenge on all fronts as they hope, Endo cannot be the end of their business.

Another, younger defensive midfielder would be the next priority, with Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure suggested as the most likely candidate as talks open over a move for the Mali international. Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha are touted as other targets, though Liverpool’s trademark signings are more often than not surprise names.

There is also the matter of a left-sided centre-back, with concerns over Andy Robertson’s suitability to the role as Klopp shifts to a back three in his new 3-4-3 setup.

The lack of room for non-homegrown players in both the Premier League and Europa League squad – Endo’s signing leaves just one spot in the league and, if Ben Doak is registered, none for Europe – adds another wrinkle to the story, with players under 21 or products of English or Welsh clubs at a premium.

But to avoid another situation in which Liverpool are left short, hoping to avoid major injuries as in each of the past two seasons, more quality in depth is required in those key positions – ones it remains baffling have been left unfilled for this long.

It could be the difference between being viewed as embarrassments or the envy of Europe again.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep up to date with everything Liverpool, make sure you click follow on the team profile in the FotMob app. Download the free app here.