Napoli’s surprise title charge was always built on a rock-solid defence, but they obviously needed a decent attack to keep the wins flowing. They managed to replace Victor Osimhen’s goals to a good extent with Romelu Lukaku, while Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s individual brilliance helped them create something out of nothing in times of need.
Unsurprisingly, then, the Georgian international’s mid-season departure to Paris Saint-Germain has quickly impacted the Neapolitans’ form. Although they won two big games against Atalanta and Juventus after he left, they have since gone on a four-match winless streak.
Napoli’s last six games
Despite scoring in each of these games, Napoli’s attack has looked quite uninspiring for long stretches. In fact, they have failed to register five shots on target in any of their last six games, while their xG tally has been limited to under 1 on three occasions. As a result, there are reports that Antonio Conte could revert to the 4-3-3 formation for this big game.
Inter’s drop in form amid growing injury issues
Inter, for their part, are also enduring something of a slump. Simone Inzaghi’s side have only won three of their last six games, losing on the road against Fiorentina and Juventus. Some of their recent performances have also been subpar, though that can be largely explained by the amount of rotation they have had to do.
Besides load management, the Nerazzurri have been forced to change their starters because of a slew of recent injuries. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer fractured his thumb last week and will remain unavailable for the near future, top-scorer Marcus Thuram sprained his ankle at the start of the month and is yet to return to full fitness, and Matteo Darmian went off with a thigh problem in midweek against Lazio. Left wing back options Carlos Augusto and Nicola Zalewski have also missed recent matches.
Three-way title race on the cards
Irrespective of which way this match goes, we are sure to get a thrilling three-way title race in Serie A. Inter and Napoli have always been going neck and neck, but both sides’ recent downturn in form has brought Atalanta right back into the picture. La Dea are just three points off the top of the standings going into the weekend, meaning they could well be up to second by the time this match kicks off as they host relegation-battlers Venezia earlier in the day.
Inter set to compete in three competitions
Most Serie A experts will agree that Inter are the best team in Italy on paper, but the reason they will find it tough to simply march to the title is the fact that they have three major titles to compete for while their rivals can solely focus on the league. The Nerazzurri have a big cup semi-final against Milan coming up in April, and they could well have a Champions League quarter-final against one of Germany’s top two teams between those two legs.
Prediction
A tight contest is to be expected, but Inter might just have enough to squeeze out a 1-0 win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Following wins against Brentford and Liverpool, Plymouth Argyle will be looking to complete a hat-trick of sensational FA Cup wins against Premier League teams, but will Manchester City prove a step too far?
Plymouth have been struggling near the foot of the Championship all season, and their form since the Liverpool match has been mixed. They followed it up with a 5-1 win against Millwall the following Wednesday, but since then they’ve lost 2-0 at Blackburn and had two draws against fellow strugglers, Cardiff and Luton. They’re no longer bottom of the Championship table, but they’re still three points from safety.
Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Spurs on Wednesday night continued their recent rollercoaster-like trajectory. They’ve won-lost-won-lost their last four Premier League matches, while elimination from the Champions League came at the hands of Real Madrid. This is their last chance of silverware, this season.
Plymouth’s precarious league position in the Championship
Distant history
SInce Plymouth have never played top-flight football, their only previous meetings with City have come when their spells in the second tier coincided or in cup matches. They haven’t played each other since 1989, when City won 2-0 at Maine Road. Plymouth’s last win against City came with a 3-2 win at Home Park back in January 1988.
Key players
Since this is City’s last chance of winning anything this season, we might expect a strong line-up for this match to build on their recent win at Spurs. Erling Haaland is back from injury, and Pep Guardiola may well feel that a game against moderate opposition should be fertile ground for his main striker to keep his eye in. Goalkeeper Conor Hazard was the star of the show during Plymouth’s win against Liverpool in the last game with a string of excellent saves, and Plymouth will need more of the same from him if they’re to cause another shock in this round.
Haaland’s shot map in the Premier League, 2024/25
Team News
Manchester City emerged from their midweek trip to North London untroubled by any fresh injuries, so their absent list remains Rodri, Oscar Bobb, John Stones and Manuel Akanji. Plymouth’s most notable absentee is striker Ryan Hardie, who scored the winning goal from the penalty spot against Liverpool but is now out until the middle of March with a back injury. It had been hoped that the Plymouth captain Joe Edwards, who hasn’t played since the end of October, might return for this match, but it now seems likely that he’ll just miss out.
Prediction
Plymouth have been further than this in the FA Cup before, you know. In 1984, while in the Third Division (!), they went all the way to the semi-finals before losing 1-0 to Watford at Villa Park. But football is a very different game now to then, and City have exactly the reputation of being dream-wreckers to make a Premier League hat-trick feel very remote indeed, although they were knocked out of the Cup by League One Wigan Athletic in 2018. City’s up and down form makes predicting them difficult, but they should win this at least 3-1, shouldn’t they?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Simply put, the Liverpool No. 8 had been terribly unlucky in front of goal.
Some efforts have narrowly missed the bottom corner. Defenders had thrown themselves in front of goal bound shots. Keepers had pulled off good saves to thwart the former RB Leipzig man.
And after Arne Slot had said he expected more from the attacking midfielder earlier in the campaign, a return of one Premier League goal before the turn of the year wasn’t doing anything to change the narrative that he was underperforming.
Ultimately, he’s judged on output. Despite the fact he’s not really in the team for that. Jürgen Klopp even used him as a facilitator for the Reds after the Hungary skipper moved to Anfield in the summer of 2023.
Szoboszlai shot map, Premier League 2024/25
He was there to do a lot of the running for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. It nullified him in possession and, eventually, it resulted in him picking up injuries. Well, the same injury twice. He missed two months of action early on in 2024 with two separate hamstring issues. From what I can see, it’s the first time in his career that he’s suffered a muscle injury.
It was a matter of when and not if this would happen.
He wasn’t properly conditioned for that role or that position. He went from playing as an attacker for RB Leipzig to being a box-to-box midfielder, appearing in almost every single game.
It has to be gradual. Szobozlai had a good fitness base, but the demands placed on him as an attacker in the Bundesliga are completely different to the demands placed on him as a shuttler in midfield for Liverpool.
At some point, something is going to give. With him, it was his hamstring.
Szoboszlai club history
After returning from injury, he struggled. He made just five starts in the final 12 Premier League games of the season and failed to score a goal in the English top-flight post-January.
This isn’t exactly Klopp’s fault, but his handling of him didn’t help.
This season, we’re seeing a better version of the Hungary skipper. The narratives had remained the same though.
He doesn’t score enough. He doesn’t create enough. He isn’t as impactful in the final third as people would’ve liked.
Yet when he’s not in the team, you notice, don’t you?
The headline figures haven’t necessarily backed up his performances either.
After a flurry of goals recently, Szoboszlai has five for the season in the Premier League. He’s also has three assists to his name.
These numbers have been boosted lately with four goals and an assist in his last eight appearances.
The underlying numbers have painted a nicer picture. And the underlying numbers tell more of the story.
Szoboszlai shooting numbers, Premier League 2024/25
For example, this term, in the Premier League, he has an Expected Goals total of 6.6. He also has an Expected Assists total of 4.16.
Immediately, you can see he’s underperforming both metrics. The latter is tied to the finishing of his teammates though. If he’s creating good, high-quality chances, it isn’t his fault they aren’t being converted. As we know, finishing can be fickle.
Szoboszlai passing numbers, Premier League 2024/25
He’s getting chances, good ones at that, he just hadn’t been able to finish. You can argue he should be doing better with his opportunities but there’s also an element of bad luck too.
For example, he’s had four shots inside the six-yard box this season and none of them have resulted in a goal. The one against Brentford was blocked, as was the one against Nottingham Forest. The efforts against Wolves and Spurs, with a combined xG of 1.4, were both saved.
When you take a deeper look at the numbers, you realise how good he’s actually been. He has an xG90 of 0.31 from his 2.54 shots per 90. Only Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz, Núñez and Cody Gakpo have a higher xG90 this term. But, remarkably, there’s barely anything separating Gakpo (0.38), Diaz (0.38) and Szobozlai.
He’s posting the numbers of an attacker. But whereas Gakpo and Diaz have eight and nine goals respectively, Szoboszlai has just five.
He’s also got an xA90 average of 0.20, giving him a combined xG90 Involvement of 0.51. As a fourth goal threat, which he is in this team, you’d absolutely take that, wouldn’t you?
Compare that to last season and you really get to see how much he’s improved as a goal threat.
He was averaging 2.56 shots per 90 last season but had an xG90 of just 0.16. Low value efforts on a regular basis. His xA90 was identical to this term (0.21) but his xG90 Involvement was just 0.37. It might seem minimal but over a 38-game campaign that is a difference of almost seven expected goal involvements.
The return of two goals in his last two appearances has been on the cards for quite some time. It could be a prolific end to the campaign for the Liverpool No. 8.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Increasingly, football is becoming ‘meme-able’. Individual moments are taken out of context for likes. Photos from weeks prior are exhumed for retrospective retaliation. A player’s entire career can be condensed into a single gif. On FA Cup weekend, perhaps its most magical moments are the original memes? Radford’s goal, Beasant’s save, Di Matteo’s hypersonic cup final opener. Memes, by their nature are disposable, a quick joke that regularly does the rounds. The Cup could be going the same way.
Crystal Palace have their own meme at the moment. They’re doing all they can to finish 12th and give their fans nothing to cheer about. To be fair, a subdued Selhurst Park in the week eventually sprang into life at their 4-1 dispatching of Aston Villa. There’s joy in the journey but since their play-off promotion in 2013, their consistency for midtable has been astonishing.
Palace’s meme-able, W9 D9 L9 record in mid-table 12th
With at least three utterly incompetent teams below them, Palace’s chances of Premier League relegation are zero. So, Oliver Glasner, dare you put your eggs into the FA Cup basket and bring glory to SE25? I’d love to see a full-strength Crystal Palace give the cup a real go. And on paper at least, facing rivals Millwall on Saturday afternoon is an entertaining prospect.
We had thrills and spills in Round Four and I’ll be at Old Trafford on Sunday to see Manchester United face Fulham. United’s own soap opera adds an extra element, but no doubt we’ll see rotated sides and, looking at the fixtures, the attention of most teams will be elsewhere.
When you’re battling for survival or focusing on a final league flourish, how much can a manager care about a spot in the FA Cup quarter finals?
Plymouth Argyle have already knocked out the best team in the country and as Miron Muslić told them, they are in the club’s history books forever. The FA Cup fact file doesn’t have an asterisk to denote that Arne Slot played his second-string. And, if they were to upend Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday, they would rightly be compared to Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang and join the pantheon of sides with amazing runs in the world’s oldest cup competition.
But Muslić was brought in to save Argyle from the the Championship drop. I think we’ve seen enough now to say he’ll do it. Even if he didn’t, Wigan Athletic fans will tell you that they’d take beating City in the cup over a couple more seasons of survival. But they’re referring to when they lifted the trophy at Wembley and were relegated in the same season, not when they knocked them out again as a Championship club a year later.
Plymouth’s precarious position in the Championship
So, who else can dream of Wembley to save their season? How about another historic name, Preston North End? I was at a half-empty Deepdale for their penalty shoot-out victory over Wycombe. Their 2001 play-off final failure under David Moyes is a long-distant memory. This is their 10th season outside of the Championship play-offs since their return from the third tier in 2015. Their continued midtable mediocrity is made all the worse by Saturday’s derby-day opponents, Burnley, chasing another Premier League return. The heat of this rivalry means there’s only so much rotation Scott Parker can undertake but his squad is big enough to change their entire XI and make it into the next round.
Burnley’s formidable form and H2H record vs. Preston
Fulham and Millwall both have an outside chance of breaking into the top six in their respective division, so the jury is out on how much they’re up for the cup. And so, we invariably come to the holders. The one club desperately needing the cup to stave off their never-ending malaise, Manchester United.
Were it not for Bruno Fernandes and an Ipswich side so bad at defending that they’ve conceded 23 goals in their last 10 Premier League outings, this week’s omnibus episode would have been bleak. Altay Bayındır’s heroics against Arsenal in the last round justified Rúben Amorim’s goalkeeper rotation and if he is fit, he’d be strengthening the XI after yet more comedy ‘keeping from André Onana on Wednesday.
It’s this week too that United have announced a post-season tour of Asia. You can’t deny that it’s a huge cash-cow for a club that are leaking money at faster rate that the water flowing through the Old Trafford roof on a rainy weekend. And although we can joke, there are the hundreds of workers who’ve taken pride in working for Manchester United, facing an uncertain future and my thoughts are with them.
But, and I know I’m ‘old man shouts at cloud’ here, from a footballing point of view, this is yet more mockery of the dispensing of cup replays to appease the top sides from having to play too many games. Now, nobody at Deepdale wanted a replay between Preston and Wycombe but that’s the nature of the cup, isn’t it? Or at least, it was.
To put the boot on the other foot, there’s nothing to say that Premier League pros desperate to break into their league XIs can’t put on a star showing and light it up this weekend. We’ve already had some brilliant games and EFL players doing just that. Jamie Donley’s incredible effort for Leyton Orient that helped give them the lead over Manchester City was a magical moment. Tomoki Iwata’s every touch inside the opponent’s half is now greeted with ‘shoot!’ after his superb strike for Birmingham City in their defeat to Newcastle United. Both, remember, were against rotated sides.
Jamie Donley’s shot vs. Man City that went down as an own goal
The magic is still there and whoever makes those moments happen will provide us with the entertainment that we need, either way. And when we get to the Wembley semis, let alone the final, we’ll of course see the strongest sides on offer.
I’d be lying though, if I said my heart didn’t sink when looking at our fourth-round offerings. Are Bournemouth and Wolves fans willing for fork out to see their fringe players? How many empty seats will the TV directors be trying to frame out at the Etihad? How willing are Ipswich fans to make a Monday night trip to Nottingham to see how the players left from their League One days do at a side focussed on making the Champions League? I just hope there’s a manager out there willing enough to care and able to give it a go this weekend.
You can follow every game from the FA Cup on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
There are a few surprise names in this midweek FotMob Team of the Week. There would be. After all, there were a few surprise performances. However the biggest shock might be the exclusion of one player. Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool winger has been a regular in this feature all season after his workouts for the Reds and you just expect to see his name in the team. Not this week though.
So, who replaced him? And who else made the Matchday 27 Team of the Week?
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Ederson kept just his fifth clean sheet of the season during Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. The Brazilian shot-stopper was busy, too, making six saves and facing efforts with an Expected Goals on Target total of 1.7. He also completed 84% of his passes and his performance earned him an 8.8 rating. He stepped up for the reigning champions and delivered a match-winning performance.
For the second time this month, Harry Maguire has been the difference maker for Manchester United. He scored the winner against Leicester City in the FA Cup and he’s now notched the winner in a Premier League game, helping the Red Devils to a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. His goal way in the second half ensured Rúben Amorim‘s 10 men had a lead to hold onto. And then Maguire ensured they did just that, winning a match high nine duels.
Colwill scored his first of the season as Chelsea romped to a 4-0 win over Southampton. The England centre-back completed the most passes (78) and created one chance, showing his ability on the ball. He also won 50% of his tackles, recovered the ball nine times, and won five of his eight duels. With and without the ball, he was an asset for Enzo Maresca and his team.
Cresswell has a new lease of life under Graham Potter. The versatile full-back has been deployed as a third centre-back and he’s thriving in the role. Against Leicester on Thursday evening, he claimed the FotMob Player of the Match with an 8.3 rating. He completed the most passes (104), had a 90% pass success rate and carved out two big chances for the Hammers. He also completed 100% of his dribbles.
O’Brien has done an admirable job filling in for compatriot Seamus Coleman. The defensive behemoth has impressed for David Moyes’ side recently. He upped his game against Brentford though, scoring in a 1-1 draw. The 23-year-old won five of his eight aerial duels. He also won three of his five ground duels against the Bees. The goal was a nice bonus for the former Lyon man.
The Liverpool midfielder made it two goals in two games after notching the opener against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening. The attacking midfielder is coming into his own in Arne Slot‘s system, earning an 8.8 FotMob rating against the Magpies. He created two chances, completed 100% of his dribbles, won 80% of his tackles and 80% of his duels at Anfield.
The captain ran the show for the Blues against the Saints. Enzo created a match-high six chances, including two big chances. He also completed 88% of his passes and 100% of his dribbles. The Argentine also won 100% of his ground duels.
Cucurella put in a Man of the Match showing for Chelsea. He made the most tackles (five) and won the most duels (eight). The Spanish full-back grabbed a goal, completed 93% of his passes and 100% of his attempted dribbles. He owned the left side for the Blues.
Crystal Palace stunned Aston Villa with a 4-1 win. Key to that was Sarr. The versatile winger scored twice and created the most chances (four) at Selhurst Park. He also carved out a big chance and finished the game with an Expected Goals involvement of 2.06, easily the highest of the match. He missed two big chances but that highlighted the fact Unai Emery‘s men couldn’t contain the former Watford man.
Deployed as a centre-forward, by Maresca, Neto impressed. The former Wolves winger scored and assisted in the 4-0 win for Chelsea. He completed 96% of his passes and was replaced with a 100% shot accuracy. He might’ve found a new role for himself in the team.
The former Aston Villa man caught the eye at Old Trafford, scoring twice for Ipswich Town. Albeit there was some luck with both goals. He latched onto a Patrick Dorgu mistake for the opener and then his cross into the box evaded everyone before nestling into the bottom corner of André Onana’s goal. He also carved out two chances on his way to a 9.1 FotMob rating.
Philogene-Bidace’s individual shot map vs. Man United, second goal highlighted
(Images from IMAGO)
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The prospect of Premier League matches being played abroad has gained renewed attention, fuelled by comments from Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes, who recently stated that there were “no conversations” about hosting games in the US.
While the NFL and NBA push to expand overseas and grow their international fanbases, the Premier League finds itself in a very different position, one where overseas expansion simply isn’t a necessity.
The idea of playing league matches abroad has been discussed for years, often linked to its expanding global audience and the growing influence of commercial partners seeking new revenue streams. NBC, the U.S. broadcaster currently paying the Premier League $2.7 billion for its six-year deal until 2028, has been vocal in its interest in bringing competitive fixtures to North America.
Jon Miller, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and partnerships, has pushed for games in the United States, stating, “At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games”, “I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular season games.”.
With so many US-based owners of Premier League clubs today, it’s no surprise there is some support for overseas games, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has suggested hosting matches in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Riyadh as part of a long-term vision to expand the club’s global reach.
However, while some stakeholders see overseas fixtures as a way to strengthen the league’s commercial standing in the United States, Premier League executives remain hesitant, no doubt partly due to the response on the last attempt. When the concept of ‘Game 39’, an extra Premier League match played overseas was first proposed in 2008, it was met with immediate backlash from English football fans and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).
Unlike the NBA and NFL, which rely on overseas games to build international interest, the Premier League already enjoys immense global popularity. With a potential TV audience of over 4.7 billion people across 212 territories (according to Wikipedia), the league doesn’t have as much of a need to push itself into newer markets, especially one where it already has strong traction. In March 2024, the Manchester City v Arsenal match became the most-watched Premier League match in United States history, with 2.12m viewers across NBC’s platforms.
Tony Scholes reaffirmed this position, stating:
“Over the last couple of years, we have played a number of pre-season games in the US. We have an excellent broadcast partner in the US and viewing figures are strong there. So I would personally say I don’t see a need to do that. And I could absolutely say there’s no conversations taking place to do it.”
Time zones play a huge role in the need for international games.
For U.S. fans, Premier League matches conveniently fit into morning routines, in Los Angeles, fans can watch with breakfast; in New York, with their brunch. This natural scheduling advantage gives the league strong exposure without forcing change. For European fans of the NFL or NBA, the experience is far more difficult. To follow American sports, fans have to stay up late into the night, often on Sundays when NFL games are played. This is a major inconvenience for those with work the next day.
Instead of introducing regular-season games abroad, the Premier League’s focus remains on maintaining and enhancing its dominance through:
● Pre-season tours – Clubs already travel to the U.S., Asia, and Australia during the summer, allowing international fans to experience live games without disrupting the domestic season.
● Broadcast partnerships – The NBC deal ensures strong visibility in the U.S., reinforcing the league’s presence without requiring in-person fixtures.
● Strategic collaborations – Clubs engage international audiences through brand partnerships, social media initiatives, and digital content strategies.
● Localised fan engagement – Some clubs have opened international offices and developed region-specific content to strengthen connections with overseas supporters—without taking games away from English stadiums.
While the NBA and NFL are actively working to expand by hosting regular-season games abroad, the Premier League has far less urgency to do the same. It ultimately comes down to risk vs. reward, and for the Premier League, the reward doesn’t seem to outweigh the risk. The Premier League is already the most-followed football league globally. It is expanding in the U.S. through media deals, without disrupting its structure or alienating home fans, proving that growth doesn’t always require radical change.
The Club World Cup this summer and the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. will further boost attention for football, and the Premier League is positioned to benefit massively from that exposure without needing to export competitive fixtures.
That’s not to say the discussion is over. As American ownership in the Premier League becomes more dominant, so will the pressure to explore overseas fixtures. But for now, the league is staying the course, prioritising its core fanbase while leveraging existing global appeal through less disruptive means.
For English football fans, that’s likely the right decision.
The current Premier League top six
(Images from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Since its establishment in 1934, Liga Portugal has been dominated by Benfica, Porto, and Sporting. Only two teams outside of ‘Os Três Grandes’ have won the league title: Belenenses in 1945/46 and Boavista in 2000/01. And yet, 24 years after that historic championship, Boavista find themselves on the brink of disappearance.
Founded in 1903, Boavista spent its first seven decades drifting between Portugal’s top division and second tier. This changed in 1974 with the arrival of President Valentim Loureiro, who oversaw five Taça de Portugal titles and a second-place finish. He departed in 1997, with his son João stepping into the fray. Boavista continued their upward momentum by finishing second in 1999 and fourth in 2000, before shocking the world by winning the title. For the first time, Boavista were no longer a parochial side gravitating around their all-conquering crosstown rivals Porto; they were the kings of Portugal.
Their reign was short-lived, with key figures like Ricardo, José Bosingwa and Raúl Meireles heading to Portugal’s Big Three. Boavista finished as runners-up before regressing to 10th in 2002/03 – a season which also saw Boavista come within inches of reaching the UEFA Cup Final. Two decades later, they still haven’t returned to European football.
In order to keep competing with Os Três Grandes, Boavista invested more and more in the transfer market whilst paying for the expansion of the Estádio da Bessa. When they first commenced their renovation project in 1999, they envisioned a 20,000-capacity arena. That same year, Portugal won the rights to host the 2004 UEFA European Championship, causing Boavista to push for a 30,000-capacity stadium in order to host Euro matches. By the time it opened, the Bessa had cost over €45m, only 15% of which was covered by the government. Fast-forward 21 years, and Boavista are still struggling to erase a pile of debt which has ballooned to over €140m.
Whilst Boavista’s stadium improved, their form didn’t; the Panthers finished 10th and 9th in 2006/07 and 2007/08, but the worst was yet to come. In 2008, the Portuguese authorities completed the four-year investigation of the ‘Apito Dourado,’ or Golden Whistle, which implicated Boavista and Porto in a match-fixing scandal. Porto received a six-point deduction and a €150,000 fine, whilst Boavista were relegated to the second tier and fined €180,000 for bribery and referee coercion. In 2009, they dropped to the amateur divisions, where they remained until winning a protracted legal battle. However, they never quite managed to fill their 30,000-seater stadium to the brim: many of their supporters had taken their allegiances elsewhere as soon as Boavista’s golden era came to a screeching halt.
Boavista ascended two divisions and returned to the Primeira in 2015, and despite having a squad consisting of third-tier players, they avoided the drop under Petit, who was part of their title-winning squad from 2001. Petit left in November 2015 after three years in charge, with Boavista continuing to hover around the midtable positions before avoiding relegation on the final day of the 2020/21 season. Desperate for a new owner with the ambition and wherewithal to restore them to the upper echelon, Boavisteiros welcomed the arrival of Luxembourgish-Spanish businessman Gerard López in 2021. It seemed the savior they had spent two decades praying for had finally arrived – instead, he ended up being their worst nightmare.
López first made inroads in football with Ligue 1 side Lille in 2017; over the next four years, Lille accumulated massive debts and were even threatened with a lawsuit by Meryln Partners, the holding firm that owned the club, after failing to refund the loan that López obtained after purchasing the club. Lille would’ve had to file for bankruptcy had it not been for the arrival of Oliver Létang in 2020, who stated last year, “Lille is a great 80-year-old club, but it should have died at 77.”
Shortly before departing Lille, López expanded his sporting empire to Royal Excel Mouscron. Mouscron suffered relegation in his first year in charge, ending a seven-year stay in Belgium’s top-flight. In his second season, Mouscron were denied a professional license due to a debt of €10m, causing them to drop down two divisions and fold in 2022. Just like that, Mouscron’s 100-year history had reached its conclusion.
In 2021, López took over Girondins de Bordeaux – who had won their sixth Ligue 1 title just 12 years prior. Bordeaux suffered relegation in López’s first season in charge, ending a 31-year spell in France’s top-tier. They hit rock bottom in 2024 after being administratively relegated to the fourth tier due to their cataclysmic finances, forcing them to relinquish their professional status and terminate the contracts of the entire first-team squad.
It has been a similar story at Boavista since López’s arrival. Boavista fell into an early relegation battle, only to be rescued by the goal-scoring heroics of Petar Musa and the mid-season return of Petit as manager, who led them 12th in 2021/22 and 9th in 2022/23. However, it didn’t take long for the cracks to appear – on September 30, 2023, Boavista cancelled their pregame training after the medical workers failed to attend, citing unpaid wages. The following day, the stadium employees refused to open the club’s facilities due to their delayed salaries. In December 2023, Boavista’s first-team squad refused to train after suffering three months of unpaid salaries, whilst Petit also resigned.
“When López bought Boavista, he promised to clear all of the club’s debts and inject money so that they could compete for European football within three years, but he failed to deliver,” stated Miguel L. Pereira, the author of ‘Bring Me That Horizon: A Journey to the Soul of Portuguese Football.’ “He didn’t inject any money, the club is still full of debt, and whilst Petit managed to create a competitive backroom culture, he left due to unpaid salaries. The club is in shambles, and they’re on the brink of disappearing altogether.”
“In order to participate in Portugal’s professional leagues, you need to have zero social security debt and have your payments from the last three months regularized. When the season begins in August, Boavista pay all of their players and regulate the situation, and then they go three months without paying anyone. This is in contrast to other leagues, who check for paid salaries every couple of months…if that was the case in Portugal, Boavista would’ve been relegated four years ago.”
It’s evident these irregular salary payments have taken a toll on their morale: Boavista won five of their first seven matches in 2022/23, before winning seven of their next 27. They won four of their first five matches of 2023/24, before winning three of 29. Boavista went through four different managers over the 2023/24 campaign and escaped the drop by the thinnest of margins, with Miguel Reisinho’s last-second penalty seeing them avoid a trip to the promotion/relegation playoff on goal differential.
Once a formidable powerhouse, Boavista are now making headlines for all the wrong reasons: in November, López was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a €45,000 fine after using his platform as Lille president to hire Karim Saada, who was acting as a sports agent without a valid license. And in August, Boavista president Vítor Murta was convicted of sexually assaulting his employee between 2019 and 2022 – he was ousted in January after six years in charge.
López hasn’t just provoked the indignation of his own personnel, but FIFA, who banned Boavista from signing new players for five consecutive transfer windows. By the end of 2024, Boavista had sustained as many as 39 lawsuits against them, ranging from unpaid salaries to former players to unpaid debts to football clubs from previous transfers. It proved to be all too much for manager Cristiano Bacci, who handed in his resignation on February 8 following a window that saw them fail to sign any new players whilst also selling defensive colossus Bruno Onyemaechi to Olympiakos for €2.5m. Boavista appointed Lito Vidigal, but so far, he hasn’t stopped the bleeding, losing 1-0 to Estrela da Amadora and 3-0 to Benfica.
Like a naive high school student who only started working on his homework 30 minutes before it was due, Boavista went about clearing their debts after the January window closed in order for FIFA to lift their transfer ban. They wasted no time in reshaping their squad and signed nine free agents, including Europa League winner Tomáš Vaclík, five-time Ligue 1 champion Layvin Kurzawa, and ex-Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel. However, with 11 matches remaining, it might be too little too late for Boavista. The Axadrezados have lost their last eight games, and they sit rock bottom with 12 points, eight points away from the playoff spot and nine away from automatic safety.
It has been 10 years since López’s first sporting acquisition – the British Formula One racing team Lotus F1 – were staring down the threat of administration, only for Renault to purchase the team and repay £2.7m in unpaid taxes. Since then, López has driven Mouscron to extinction and steered Bordeaux to the fourth division, and today, he has led Boavista to the precipice of liquidation.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Of course Mohamed Salah should win the Ballon d’Or. There are few players in footballing history who have produced a body of work over the course of a season to the level Liverpool’s No. 11 has operated throughout 2024/25.
After another assist in the recent 2-0 win over Newcastle that sent the Reds 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Egyptian’s record stands at 30 goals and 22 assists in 39 games.
No player across the world’s top 15 leagues has more goal involvements in all competitions this season, with the next-closest being Barcelona’s Raphinha with 42.
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, widely considered Salah’s closest contemporary when it comes to world-leading wide forwards, has 31 goals and assists combined – the same number as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Mohamed Salah stands a head and shoulders clear of his competition and there should no longer even be a debate over whether he should be awarded the Ballon d’Or when the ceremony is held in October of this year.
FotMob average player ratings for the Premier League, 2024/25
Not that it should matter; the Ballon d’Or is, after all, an award created by a French magazine and voted for by a select group of journalists, very few of which – if any – have been involved in football in a playing capacity.
It remains a subjective honour and the discourse around whether Salah deserves it or not only unmasks that further; objectively, the 32-year-old is the best player in the world at present, but very rarely does that alone earn the prize.
The Ballon d’Or is certainly a worthwhile yardstick to measure the pinnacle of the sport, but in an era where everyone’s opinion is magnified it serves more as another echo chamber of popular narrative, an extension of a new footballing fandom led by player allegiance over affiliation to any club.
Just like Rodri in 2024, Salah has become the headline name for football in 2025, and that more than anything would win him the Ballon d’Or if it comes to pass.
Fortunately, the player himself has not bought into the hysteria and it is the collective he values over everything – rightly so, as he is leading Liverpool into an unforgettable campaign that could see them lift three trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.
Salah’s passing numbers, Premier League 2024/25
“I think this is my best season because I have made other players around me better. That is what I feel. I know their games,” he told TNT Sports ahead of the victory over Newcastle.
“If you look at the numbers of our other players, it will be higher than their previous seasons. My assists are higher this year which shows that I have helped them a lot. Cody and Lucho as well as other players are having their best seasons, better than any other season, so I think this is my best season.”
The rivalry between himself and Sadio Mané may have been tense at times but Salah has never been a selfish player, and in only one of his eight seasons at Liverpool has he failed to break the double-digit mark for assists.
But this time around his overall game has stepped up even further. There is more of a sense of enjoyment in providing for his teammates, almost to the same level as he takes from one of his own strikes finding the back of the net.
Salah shot map, Premier League 2024/25
That is because, above all, Salah’s objective in what currently stands to be his final season at Liverpool is to bring the Premier League title back to Anfield.
If he accomplishes that, as is now widely expected, the individual honours should come alongside it, but they are rightly considered a subplot.
Strangely, the uncertainty over his own future has cast a serenity over Salah and that seems to have resulted in a more expressive player, married to the supreme confidence he has worn since his arrival back in England in 2017.
The win over Newcastle served as the prime example, with the Egyptian employing his now signature move of the trivela pass on a number of occasions as he looked to add another flourish to what resembled domination of side among the Premier League’s best.
One outside-of-the-boot pass found Luis Díaz at the back post with such precision that the Colombian’s failure to convert it led to open-mouthed disbelief among those in the front rows of the Kop.
It was the marker of a player in such outstanding form that he now believes himself capable of pulling off anything – a quality perhaps not seen with such maverick flair in a Liverpool shirt since the days of Luis Suárez over a decade ago.
There was some surprise when Suárez himself was not nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2014, after a season that saw him score 31 goals and lay on 15 assists in 37 games for Liverpool, though the belief was that the Uruguayan’s disciplinary issues may have played a part in his omission.
Suárez did not need such accolades to foster the regard with which he is still held by Liverpool supporters, as one of the best and most entertaining players to ever represent the club.
Salah season summary at Liverpool
While it can certainly be argued that Salah long surpassed that – and he has the trophies to back that up – from a subjective standpoint it is arguably only now that he has eclipsed the Reds’ former No. 7 in terms of sheer enjoyment to watch.
That is, of course, in the opinion of this writer, and no doubt others of different vintages will make similar comparisons with the likes of Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Steven Gerrard.
Salah – who is now in the top three in Liverpool’s post-war history for goals and assists, his combined 350 behind only Ian Rush (429) and Billy Liddell (360) – has more than warranted his status as one of the best ever.
He has managed this while driving the club onto unprecedented success, which outstrips any trivial award – even those with the perceived esteem of the Ballon d’Or.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Many expected Brighton to cash in on Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese is one of the best players at the Amex Stadium, but the Seagulls’ transfer model has seen them move on several key figures before for big money (see Moisés Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Marc Cucurella, Ben White etc.) and £75m would have been big money for Mitoma too.
Instead, Brighton kept the 27-year-old and are now being vindicated for that decision. Indeed, Mitoma has taken another step forward in his development. He has scored three goals in his last four Premier League matches and not even that record fully illustrates the level at which Mitoma is operating right now.
Mitoma player traits, comparison against similar players in top 5 leagues
No Brighton player has created more Big Chances this season than Mitoma (eight), nor has anyone created more standard chances (32). The 27-year-old is averaging 1.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, again more than any of his Brighton teammates. He is also averaging 1.7 key passes per 90 – only Danny Welbeck (2.1) and Georginio Rutter (1.9) are averaging more.
In almost every way, Mitoma is Brighton’s creative spark. He is the player who makes things happen in the attacking third of the pitch, also getting himself into good goalscoring positions – Mitoma’s individual Expected Goals (xG) of 6.8 is the highest within the Brighton squad this season.
These numbers, impressive they may be, still don’t paint the picture of Mitoma’s brilliance quite like the goal he scored in the recent 3-0 win over Chelsea in which he somehow brought a long ball out of the sky with a single touch and guided a finish into the far corner. It was one of the goals of the season so far.
“You don’t see regularly special things like this, but he works really hard,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler after Mitoma’s touch from heaven against Chelsea. “He’s fully committed to the club. He tries to improve himself every day. He is very professional and then on top of that he is able to do special things like this.”
That Mitoma is so comfortable with the ball at his feet shouldn’t be a surprise. He famously wrote his university thesis on dribbling and has his findings into practice. The Japanese international is indeed one of the most effective dribblers in the Premier League. He gives opposition defenders nightmares on a regular basis.
Mitoma possession stats, comparison against all EPL players, 2024/25 season
Without Mitoma, Brighton wouldn’t carry the same attacking threat. Hürzeler’s approach is designed to get as many players forward as quickly as possible and the Seagulls rely on Mitoma to stretch the pitch wide and isolate opponents. Without someone of the Japanese’s mould, they would be too predictable.
“When Kaoru always stays active not near the ball, when he knows how to use his speed to do the deep run with the right timing at the right moment, then he is a big, big player,” said Hürzeler. “Because he has everything. He is fast, he is good one against one, he can score goals, he can find solutions in narrow spaces with not a lot of time.”
Not so long ago, Brighton faced a crossroads in their season. After a fast start under new manager Hürzeler, the Seagulls suffered a run of eight league matches without a win. A campaign that looked like being a pursuit of European football had started to become a slump into mid-table mediocrity.
Since then, though, Brighton have won five of their last seven in the Premier League, pushing themselves back up into the top eight, just one point off fifth place which could be enough for Champions League qualification this season. Europe’s great and good could be on their way to the Amex Stadium. Mitoma deserves this sort of platform to further showcase his quality.
Brighton’s decision to keep Mitoma rather than cash in possibly reflects a slight change of transfer market approach for the south coast club. To push even higher up the Premier League table, they might need to hold on to their best players for longer. How will Brighton ever qualify for the Champions League if they have to replace so many key figures in every transfer window?
The way Mitoma is playing, there will be more interest in him come the summer. Brighton might have even bigger offers than the £75m offered by the Saudi Pro League to consider. For the time being, though, Mitoma’s brilliance continues to shine in blue and white. The Japanese dribbler is making the Seagulls fly.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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This season has been a difficult one for Real Sociedad. The Basque outfit are currently slumped in eighth place in the league table, 14 points short of the fourth spot (incidentally occupied by rivals Athletic Club) that would lead to Champions League qualification.
La Real, however, have more then held their own in this season’s cup competitions. Imanol Alguacil’s team are in the last 16 of the Europa League as well as the final four of the Copa del Rey.
Victory over two legs against Real Madrid would be a season-defining moment for Real Sociedad who come into Wednesday’s game on the back of six wins in their last seven matches in all competitions. They have some momentum.
Real Madrid also have momentum behind them having backed up last week’s win over Manchester City in the Champions League win a home victory against Girona on Sunday.
An away win at the Anoeta would add more weight to the idea this could be a Treble-winning season for Los Blancos. At their best, they have the attacking firepower to beat anyone, but do they have a strong enough structure as a team?
Key players
Nobody has scored more goals for Real Sociedad this season than Takefusa Kubo. The Japanese has found the back of the net in two of his last three games and will be a threat coming in off the right wing against his former club.
Real Sociedad top scorers, LaLiga 2024/25
While La Real have struggled for attacking firepower in LaLiga this season, scoring just 23 goals in 25 games, they have netted eight goals in their last two outings.
Mikel Oyarzabal come come back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the weekend win over Leganés. Igor Zubeldia might also replace Nayef Aguerd in the Real Sociedad backline.
Jude Bellingham could return to the lineup after missing the win over Girona through suspension while Fede Valverde might come back in after being rested over the weekend. This could push Luka Modrić back to the bench.
Real Madrid top scorers, LaLiga 2024/25
Team news
Luka Sučić, Hamari Traoré and Jon Pacheco will all miss the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid through injury with Aguerd also set to be sidelined.
Zubeldia and Sheraldo Becker are available again after missing Sunday’s win over Leganés through suspension. Otherwise, Imanol has a strong squad of players and options to pick from.
Bellingham’s suspension only applies to matches in LaLiga, but Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal are both still injured, leaving Real Madrid somewhat short of defensive options.
Andriy Lunin has been Real Madrid’s Copa keeper so far this season and is expected to replace Thibaut Courtois for this match.
Prediction
Ancelotti’s side should come away with a lead that they can defend back at the Bernabéu in the second leg of this semi-final: Real Sociedad 1-2 Real Madrid.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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