Page 18 – The Pulse of Football

Feb

2025

Preview: Man City go to Spurs needing a result

Tottenham Hotspur can build on their recent form by piling more misery on Pep Guardiola and Manchester City on Wednesday.

By Graham Ruthven

A turning point

Saturday’s win over Ipswich Town was a landmark moment for Tottenham Hotspur. It marked the first time all season that they had strung together three straight wins in the Premier League, hinting at how Spurs are slowly turning around their fortunes.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou’s team are still a long way from where they want to be, sitting in the bottom half of the table with just 12 games of the campaign left. But there are finally reasons for optimism around the North London club.

Optimism is something that is in short supply around Manchester City after a damaging week for the Premier League champions. Indeed, back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool highlighted the fundamental frailties in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Against Liverpool, Guardiola set up his team to control possession. City, however, failed to create many opportunities. They could lean into a more direct approach against Spurs, but that risks turning the game into a basketball match. Guardiola faces a tactical conundrum.

Key players

Son Heung-min was back to his best in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Ipswich, contributing two excellent assists for Brennan Johnson. The South Korean has scored eight goals against City in his career and could add to that tally on Wednesday night.

Mathys Tel is expected to start as Spurs’ attacking focal point as Dominic Solanke continues to make his recovery from injury. The young Frenchman will dovetail with Son on the left wing.

Kevin Danso’s arrival has steadied Tottenham’s defence and the Austrian will need to produce a big performance to keep Manchester City’s attack at arm’s length. Djed Spence, however, will give Spurs a way to get out from the back, whether that’s as a left or right back.

With Erling Haaland a doubt to feature, Omar Marmoush could be asked to lead the line for City once again with Phil Foden another option in the final third.

Jérémy Doku and Savinho could keep their place after starting against Liverpool, although Kevin de Bruyne’s lacklustre display could push Guardiola towards another central midfielder alongside Nico González.

The pace of the Tottenham attack will keep Nathan Aké and Rúben Dias on their toes with Abdukodir Khusanov another defender who could start for City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Team news

While Tottenham’s injury troubles have eased in recent weeks, they still have a good number of important players sidelined.

Indeed, Solanke, Radu Drăgușin, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison will all miss Wednesday’s match against Manchester City with Timo Werner set to face a late fitness test ahead of kick-off.

Haaland’s true fitness is still the subject of speculation. The Norwegian wasn’t included in the squad to face Liverpool on Sunday, but Guardiola has remained coy on whether he could play against Tottenham.

Long-term absentees Rodri, John Stones and Manual Akanji will all miss the trip to North London with Oscar Bobb also a doubt.

Prediction

We’re going with goals, and the home side to shade it: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester City

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Forest host Arsenal in top four battle

Nottingham Forest and Arsenal both had a hiccup over the weekend, but who will react better to their recent defeats when they meet on Wednesday night?

By Ian King

Form

Nottingham Forest have now lost three of their last four, though the jarring little interjection into that run was their 7-0 demolition of Brighton. Qualification for the Champions League remains a realistic goal for this season, but they do need to regain the consistency of performance that got them this high in the first place.

Arsenal’s lack of a reliable goalscorer came to haunt them against West Ham, and there was a feeling that this result could have been coming following a relatively lacklustre performance at Leicester a week earlier which was partially masked by the surprise factor of Mikel Merino being so successful as a makeshift striker. A Forest win would close the gap between these two to just three points.

History

Arsenal’s 2-1 win at The City Ground in January 2024 ended an unwelcome run of them having lost their last three games there, two of which had come in the FA Cup while Forest were in the Championship. Arsenal comfortably won when they met earlier this season at the end of September, 3-0 at The Emirates.

Key players

Following their 90 minutes of blanks-firing on Saturday afternoon Arsenal need goals, but will Mikel Arteta keep faith with Merino in the absence of four other attacking players, who are all injured? He may need to think out of the box again; might this match even see a return to the first team for Raheem Sterling? Stranger things have happened.

Forest haven’t had a problem scoring goals but they have had one in conceding them, so Arsenal’s current lack of attacking potency is very much in their interests. Morgan Gibbs-White has been one of their key players in unlocking opposing defences this season, and Forest’s rugged attacking style could be difficult for Arsenal to cope with.

Team News

Ethan Nwaneri limped off late against West Ham. Arteta subsequently said, “It was just fatigue, I think”, but given their current wounded list it would be understandable if fans were holding their breath until the team is named. Ben White did return for a few minutes. Following his sending off against West Ham, Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended. Taiwo Awoniyi returned to the bench for Forest at Newcastle on Sunday but didn’t get on the pitch. Forest’s only other current absentee is second-choice goalkeeper Carlos Miguel.

Prediction

Few would have predicted at the start of the season that Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal would be third vs second in the Premier League at the end of February (at the time of writing), but we are where we are and Forest are there on merit. Both teams have issues at present. Forest have been struggling defensively but are scoring goals. Arsenal’s defence is okay but they have no strikers, although they do have makeshift strikers and midfielders who can score goals. A 2-2 draw and a possible sigh of relief for Mikel Arteta it is, then.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Can Liverpool and Newcastle produce another classic?

Liverpool and Newcastle United played out one of the games of the season at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign. There’s always something special about this clash.

By Sam McGuire

The potential for an all-time classic increases when there’s a bit more at stake than just three points. And this is the case this week as the table-topping Reds host the Champions League chasing Magpies at Anfield.

Fortress Anfield could deliver the Premier League title

Arne Slot’s men have 11 games left this season and seven of these fixtures are at Anfield.

If the Reds take maximum points from these games, the league title is all but guaranteed. Even five wins from these seven matches should stand them in good stead. Liverpool have enjoyed home comforts this season. They have the best home record in the Premier League with 29 points from 36 on offer. They’ve won nine matches, scored 26 goals and conceded on just 10 occasions.

They’re currently running at a rate of 2.41 points per game at Anfield. If they’re able to extend that across the remainder of the season, they’ll rack up a further 17 points on home turf and it’ll take their points haul to 81 with four away matches to play.

*Liverpool home/away points breakdown, Premier League 2024/25*

Looking at the current state of play, 85 points should be enough to win the title this term.

So, like we said, doing the business at Anfield sets Liverpool up for title success.

Mohamed Salah vs Alexander Isak

On Wednesday evening, two of the form strikers in the world face off.

Salah has nine goals and four assists in his last eight appearances for the Reds across all competitions. He’s comfortably the best player in the Premier League this term with 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 appearances.

He has 10 goals against Newcastle, four in his last two appearances against the Magpies and, perhaps more impressively, he has assisted at least one goal in each of his last five appearances against Eddie Howe’s side.

The three-time Golden Boot winner is the best attacker in world football right now. The only one who can get close to him, and he’s still a fair bit away from him, is Isak.

Since the turn of the year, Isak has eight goals and one assist in nine matches across all competitions. His double against Nottingham Forest 19 goals in the Premier League. The Liverpool transfer target has doubles in three of his last six outings for the Magpies. He also has a good record against the Reds with three goals and an assist since the move to England.

Seeing these two go head-to-head is something you aren’t going to want to miss out on. The winner of this battle could well determine the winner of the match.

Patchy form for both

Both teams won their last match in the Premier League but their form over recent weeks could best be described as patchy.

The Reds are unbeaten since September but haven’t been at their best in February. Arne Slot’s side have won three and drawn two across their last five in the English top-flight. They have given up leads in games against Everton and Aston Villa, settling for 2-2 draws in both games, while narrowly beating Wolves at Anfield.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have lost three of their last five in the Premier League. They ran out 4-3 winners over Nottingham Forest last time out to get things back on track. They are, once again, in contention to claim a top four finish. With better form, they’d be a shoo-in for it.

Their form has been erratic though. A 4-0 loss to an out-of-sorts Manchester City side was a red flag. As was the 2-1 loss to Fulham and a 4-1 defeat Bournemouth at St James’ Park.

Howe’s side are Jekyll and Hyde as of late. They have the quality to cause an upset at Anfield. There’s also every chance they get battered by the runaway leaders.

Key players out for both teams

Liverpool head into the game without Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton. The latter hasn’t been involved much this term but the absence of Bradley and Gomez severely limits Slot.

It means Jarell Quansah is cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk. And the Liverpool right-back has been looking a little leggy over recent weeks. He was given a torrid time by Jérémy Doku at the Etihad, winning just two of his 14 ground duels. He could do with a rest but Slot just doesn’t have the squad options to do that just now.

Newcastle are without Joelinton, Jamal Lascelles and Sven Botman. The former and the latter are starters for the Magpies and big losses for Howe. There is cover, Dan Burn is playing at centre-back while Joe Willock and Lewis Miley have come into midfield over recent weeks, but the team is weaker without those two players in the starting XI.

It’ll be interesting to see who gets the nod at Anfield.

Prediction

We’re going with a 2-1 win for the hosts. Salah really wants this Premier League title and he isn’t going to be stopped. We’re expecting another goal and assist.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

FPL tips from the reigning champ: GW27

Get ahead of the Group Chat thanks to our new regular column from FPL expert Jonas Sand Låbakk.

By Graham Ruthven, in conversation with Jonas Sand Låbakk

Introducing our expert

Jonas is a 21 year old student who, like FotMob, hails from Norway. He was Fantasy Premier League champion for the 2023/24 season, finishing ahead of 11 million other managers. So who better to provide expert advice?

Read his expert advice every week.

*Don’t forget the early FPL deadline for this round – make your transfers and get your team sorted before 18:00 GMT on Tuesday 25 February*

The Eye Test vs. The Stats

Jarrod Bowen (7.3m) might have delivered the knockout blow to Arsenal’s title chances in West Ham’s away win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The 28-year-old scored the only goal of the game, getting on the end of an excellent cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to finish from close range using his head. Bowen was in the right place at the right time to convert a 0.76 xG opportunity, also registering 0.94 in Expected Goal Involvements (xGI).

With Lucas Paquetá and Niclas Füllkrug currently injured, and Michail Antonio still recovering from a serious car crash, Bowen is being used in an extremely advanced position by Graham Potter.

Against Arsenal, West Ham set up in a back five with Bowen and Mohammed Kudus deployed as forwards. This gave the Hammers threat going forward when they could attack open space at speed.

Paquetá’s injury could also see Bowen receive more opportunities to score from the penalty spot in the coming weeks, adding further to his case for selection.

West Ham face Leicester City in their next fixture. The Foxes, who suffered a bad 4-0 defeat to Brentford in GW26, have conceded the third-most xG (50.4) in the Premier League this season and the second-most goals (59).

These statistics make Leicester a good match-up for anyone and Bowen will have opportunities to find the back of the net against them. With West Ham also not facing a blank gameweek in GW29 like many other teams, Bowen is an excellent option right now.

On the whole, Cole Palmer (11.1m) has had an excellent season for Chelsea.

He is the second-highest points scorer in FPL at this moment time, but his – and Chelsea’s – form has regressed in recent matches. Indeed, he has registered just one assist in his last five games during which Chelsea have claimed only six points.

Despite this, Palmer remains a strong pick and his high ownership of 60.5% reflects this.

Chelsea’s next two league fixtures are home games against Southampton and Leicester City in which the Blues will be firm favourites. Palmer could be set for two big double digit scores in both matches.

Palmer is averaging 0.78 xGI per 90 minutes this season. Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak are averaging a higher xGI per 90 than the Chelsea attacking midfielder, and with those two favourable fixtures up next, Palmer should be a priority for your FPL team. He might even be a better Captain pick for this gameweek than Salah.

Long shot

Crystal Palace are on the rise having won four of their last six league fixtures and the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta (7.4m) has been central to this.

The French forward has tallied six goals and one assist from his last six appearances despite averaging just 1.05 xGI per match. Mateta won’t have a fixture in GW29, but he will face Ipswich and Southampton either side of the blank gameweek. He could rack up the points in those games.

*Mateta shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

What’s more, Mateta is Palace’s designated penalty taker. With the Eagles in resurgent form, the 27-year-old should be on your radar, particularly if you plan on using your Free Hit chip in GW29.

Upcoming games to follow

There are a number of mildly interesting fixtures from a FPL perspective in GW27, but only a few truly stand out.

The first one is the meeting between Chelsea and Southampton on Tuesday. I expect the Blues to absolutely obliterate the Premier League’s bottom team. Palmer is the most attractive option there, but there are others worth keeping an eye on too.

Pedro Neto (6.2m) played as a number nine against Aston Villa and could be an option. Christopher Nkunku (5.7m) was someone I mentioned last week with Enzo Fernández (4.7m) also someone who should be on your radar.

Liverpool face Newcastle United on Wednesday, although this could be a tricky fixture for Arne Slot’s team.

Nonetheless, Salah (13.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.4m) are worthwhile picks from Liverpool while Isak (9.5m) and Anthony Gordon (7.5m) could make life difficult for the Reds.

The last fixture catching my eye is West Ham’s home game against Leicester on Thursday. Bowen could easily register a double digit haul.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Amorim looking for home comforts as United face Ipswich

Was Manchester United’s comeback at Everton a(nother) sign of something stirring at Old Trafford, or was it a(nother) blip in their otherwise downward trajectory?

By Ian King

Bottom half battle

At half-time at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime Manchester United looked well beaten, but then Everton tired, United scored twice, and then may have got slightly lucky with a stoppage-time penalty decision which might otherwise have changed the post-match discussion. But they’ve still only won three of their last seven and remain 15th in the Premier League, now separated from West Ham United by goal difference only.

Ipswich are starting to look slightly beaten. They’ve taken two points from their last seven and shipped another four at home to Tottenham on Saturday. They’re now five points from safety, with their 2-1 home defeat to Southampton setting off alarm bells that they might not have enough about them to get clear of the drop this season.

History

Two historic games between these two sides spring immediately to mind. On the 1st March 1980 at Portman Road, the match was hyped over the appearance of Gary Bailey, whose father Roy had played in goal for Ipswich’s 1962 First Division title-winning team. Bailey had an eventful afternoon. Ipswich won 6-0, but Bailey saved three penalties. But when they met at Old Trafford in 1995 with United in their pomp and Ipswich heading down, United won 9-0, with Andrew Cole scoring five. Ipswich haven’t beaten United since a 2-0 win in the League Cup in 1997. They played out a 1-1 draw back in November.

Key players

Bruno Fernandes was the orchestrator for United at Goodison Park on Saturday and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be for this match either, with ten goals and twelve assists in all competitions so far this season. But we all know that this Manchester United defence can be bullied, so much from an Ipswich perspective will be resting on the shoulders of Liam Delap, whose ten goals so far this season have made up more than 40% of their total in the Premier League.

*Delap shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Team News

There has been yet another injury scare for United with the news that Noussair Mazraoui faces a fitness test after limping off against Everton. He may join Rúben Amorim’s eight-player injury list. On the upside, Christian Eriksen and Leny Yoro returned to the bench on Saturday, though only the latter got on the pitch. Ipswich also currently have eight players missing, with Jens Cajuste and – let’s face it, this is no surprise whatsoever – Kalvin Phillips limping off against Spurs.

Prediction

Manchester United have only beaten Southampton at home in the Premier League since 1st December and that raises questions no matter who they’re playing against, especially when considering that they could only draw 1-1 at Portman Road earlier this season. But Ipswich are on a clear downward curve and United did end their last match on a high, and with that in mind I’m favouring a narrow Manchester United win. But with their defence you can never guarantee a clean sheet and Liam Delap is an obvious menace, so 2-1 sounds about right.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Chelsea looking for a response against Southampton

Chelsea host Southampton in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night as they look to bounce back after a disappointing run of form. The Saints themselves are struggling of late, but it’s been a familiar story all season.

By Matt Smith

When the two sides met earlier in the campaign, Chelsea secured an emphatic 5-1 victory at St Mary’s Stadium. Southampton could take confidence from the last Premier League fixture they played at Stamford Bridge when James Ward-Prowse’s goal saw them win 1-0.

Chelsea suffer Chalobah blow

Since returning from his loan spell at Crystal Palace, Trevoh Chalobah has played a crucial role for the Blues in defence. The English centre-back was substituted after just eight minutes against Aston Villa last time out due to injury, and Enzo Maresca has now provided an update on his fitness.

The Chelsea boss has confirmed that Chalobah will miss the game against Southampton. The 25-year-old is likely to be out for around seven to 10 days, but thankfully the Blues have a break until their next Premier League fixture.

Maresca needs Palmer firing once again

Cole Palmer’s emergence on the Premier League scene has been special since his move to Chelsea, and the England international has quickly become one of the most talented players in Europe.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, Palmer has endured a difficult few weeks, and subsequently the team’s form as a whole has dropped significantly. Palmer has failed to provide a goal or assist in his last six games, and you get the feeling that the Blues won’t be at their best until Palmer starts producing the magic once again.

Bednarek set to miss out

Like Chalobah, Jan Bednarek was substituted early on in Southampton’s previous fixture. Ivan Jurić confirmed when speaking to the media ahead of this game that the Polish defender will be unavailable, but it’s not thought to be a serious injury.

Jurić also suggested that Flynn Downes will play after the Southampton duo settled their differences. Downes was omitted from the squad over the last few weeks, with Jurić citing an attitude issue.

Fernandes slowly adapting to life in England

Mateus Fernandes has been a shining light for the Saints in what has been a disappointing season after moving from Portugal in the summer transfer window. The 20-year-old has showcased his talent and immense potential during his first few months at the club, but Jurić will want to see more.

*Fernandes passing stats, Premier League 2024/25*

Fernandes will be disappointed not to have more goal contributions to his name, and it will be partly down to Jurić to get more of out him by getting him higher up the pitch. The Portuguese midfielder has created 24 chances this season in the Premier League, but only produced two assists.

Prediction

Despite Chelsea’s poor form, it’s difficult to see Southampton getting a result in this one considering they’ve picked up just nine points in the Premier League this season.

We’re going for a comfortable 3-0 victory to Maresca’s side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Premier League Preview, Midweek Matchday 27

And just like that, the landscape in the Premier League dramatically shifted…

By Sam McGuire

Matchday 26 altered how a lot of people viewed this campaign. Arsenal could’ve cut Liverpool’s lead at the top to just five points but now find themselves 11 points off the pace. Newcastle looked rocked after their 4-0 loss to Manchester City last weekend but are now level on points with the reigning champions and no doubt feeling bullish about a top four finish.

This mid-week round of fixtures has thrown up some intriguing match-ups that could have large scale ramifications for the remainder of the campaign. Let’s take a look at what and why.

The battle for a European place is heating up

A few weeks ago, after their 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, it looked as though Brighton would have to settle for a mid-table position after a disappointing campaign under new manager Fabian Hürzeler.

However, back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Southampton have completely transformed the outlook on the season. All of a sudden, the Seagulls have racked up 40 points and are just four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

A Champions League spot might be a stretch but there’s no reason they couldn’t claim a European place.

Bournemouth had been one of the form sides in the Premier League, going on a 12-match unbeaten run across all competitions before their 2-0 loss to league leaders Liverpool. They bounced back, beating Southampton, before a 1-0 loss to relegation threatened Wolves on Saturday.

They’re now just three points ahead of their Tuesday night hosts. Another loss could see them finish the week in as low as 8th position, a huge blow to Andoni Iraola and his players. A win, though, could see them, momentarily at least, claim a place in the top four.

This is a must not lose clash for both sides.

Arsenal need to be looking over their shoulders

In the blink of an eye, Arsenal have gone from being the hunter to being the hunted.

The loss against West Ham United on Saturday, coupled with Liverpool’s win over Manchester City, means Mikel Arteta’s side are 11 points off the pace, albeit with a game in hand.

Just a few days ago, Arsenal fans had been plotting the game in which they’d be able to leapfrog Liverpool into top spot. Now they’re looking over their shoulder and wondering whether Nottingham Forest could displace them in second position.

The Gunners have a six point lead over Forest but the two teams face off at the City Ground on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal are struggling offensively with so many attackers out injured. Mikel Merino spearheaded the attack against the Hammers in a game the hosts struggled to create anything of real note, finishing the game with an Expected Goals total of just 1.22 despite having 20 efforts.

Forest lost last time out, falling to a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park. They’ve now lost two on the bounce in the Premier League but they’ll still think they can take something from this game against the Gunners. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have only lost twice at home all season and have the fifth best home record in the English top-flight.

In fact, if Forest want to be playing European football next season, they’re going to have to wrestle back some momentum ASAP and a win over Arsenal does just that.

The Spurs hoodoo

Spurs made it consecutive wins in the Premier League with a 4-1 hammering of Ipswich Town. They’re now 12th in the table and the pressure has eased on Ange Postecoglou. For now at least.

They face an out of sorts Manchester City side on Wednesday.

The reigning champions lost 2-0 to Liverpool at the Etihad just days after crashing out of the Champions League. They could finish Matchday 27 in as low as eighth if results don’t go their way.

Erling Haaland might be back after missing the game against the leaders but that might not be enough for them to get back on track. He’s not exactly been at his ominous best this term, has he?

And City don’t have the best record at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. They’ve played eight matches there in all competitions and won on just two occasions, losing six times. They’ve scored just four goals and conceded on nine occasions. In the league, they have one win in their five clashes.

If Spurs keep up their hoodoo over Pep Guardiola’s men, City could be in trouble. The title is already gone. Their top four place could be in danger despite that big investment in January.

A shootout for the Golden Boot at Anfield

Mohamed Salah is the best player in the Premier League this season. He’s a shoo-in for every single individual award. He leads the way for goals (25) and assists (16). The three-time Golden Boot winner has at least one goal involvement in his last eight outings for the Reds across all competitions.

He added to his haul on Sunday with a goal and an assist against Manchester City at the Etihad.

In the race for the Golden Boot, he’s six clear of his nearest rivals – Haaland and Alexander Isak. On Wednesday evening, Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield.

Isak might look a little off the required run rate to topple Salah in the race for the Premier League’s top goalscorer but he’s been moving up the table over recent weeks. He’s scored doubles in three of his last six outings in the English top-flight.

If he keeps on chipping away with two goals here and there, things are going to get a lot tighter in the race for the Golden Boot. Outscoring Salah at Anfield on Wednesday night gets him off to a good start.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Barcelona and Atlético Madrid face off in headline semi-final

Barcelona and Atlético Madrid were drawn against each other for the two-legged Copa del Rey semi-finals, after which the winner can expect to face archrivals Real Madrid in the final.

By Neel Shelat

Barcelona’s fine form in 2025

Barcelona rather ran out of steam at the end of 2024 as they won just one of their last seven domestic games of the year. However, they certainly seemed to hit the reset button in the winter break as they have won 10 and drawn the other two of their 12 games so far in 2025.

That run of results includes their last two Copa del Rey ties against UD Barbastro and Real Betis, the memorable Supercopa 5-2 Clásico victory (which is just one of seven games in which Barça scored four or more goals) and an ongoing five-match winning streak.

Atlético Madrid’s watertight defence

Atlético Madrid’s summer transfer business heavily focused on revamping their attack, but defence has still remained the key to success for Diego Simeone’s side.

Atléti have conceded multiple goals in just one domestic match this term, so they unsurprisingly have the best defensive record in LaLiga, and by a notable margin.

On the flip side, Barcelona have scored by far the most goals in the Spanish top flight this season, so an epic battle looks to be on the cards.

*LaLiga goals scored and goals conceded per match*

Barcelona’s tough-to-swallow defeat in the last meeting

Of course, these two teams met pretty recently in LaLiga. That match was also held at the Olympic Stadium, where Atlético staged a late turnaround to knock Barcelona off the top of the table.

That loss must have been particularly tough to digest for the hosts given the fact that they absolutely dominated proceedings throughout the match but conceded twice against the run of play.

On the flip side, Hansi Flick must have had a lot of positives to take away from his team’s overall performance in that game, which might even make them the favourites for this tie.

Both sides near full strength

Another reason to be excited about this game is that we should expect to see two near full-strength XIs. Lamine Yamal was absent for the last meeting with an ankle injury, but he should be expected to start along with all of Barcelona’s star forwards. Andreas Christensen’s fitness is the only question for the Blaugrana, as Marc-André ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are out for the season.

Koke is the only player on Atlético Madrid’s injury list, so Simeone will have all of his attackers to choose from. Assuming he sticks to the trusty 4-4-2 formation, the recent pattern suggests that Julián Alvarez should be expected to start alongside Antoine Griezmann, while Alexander Sørloth will likely come on off the bench in the second half.

Prediction

These two closely matched rivals will be keen to not lose this cup tie in the first leg, so we should expect a tight contest. Barcelona’s powerful attack should aim to break through Atléti’s staunch defence, but the visitors’ counterattacking threat may also cause problems for what can be a sometimes disarrayed defence. All of that might result in a 1-1 score draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Nestory Irankunda: Australia’s next great talent finding his feet in Europe

Ever since the Socceroos’s golden generation faded into oblivion, Australian soccer has been anxiously waiting for a second coming.

By Ben Bocsák

In the absence of the Tim Cahills and Mark Vidukas, the country is crying out for a fresh star to herald a new dawn.

And the wait might soon be over with Nestory Irankunda ready to break into the spotlight.

Born in Tanzania, Irankunda represents an exciting new face of Australian football.

He is the face of the Mohamed Touré and Garang Kuol generation. The representation of a ‘new Australia.’ These are young stars, the children of immigrants who have broken new ground in the A-League at 15 and 16 years of age. The true definition of trailblazers.

Irankunda is by far the most exciting of them all. At 18 years old, he had already made 61 first team appearances for Adelaide United establishing himself as one of the best players in the A-League.

He’d attracted the attention of a host of European clubs, but it was Bayern Munich who won him over, presenting a clear pathway for him to break into the club’s first team.

Bayern hope Irankunda will follow in the footsteps of Alphonso Davies, another teenage talent the German side recruited at an early age from an ‘untapped’ football territory and has since gone onto establish himself as one of the best players in European football.

The young Australian is very much on track to follow that pathway.

In his first season at the club, Irankunda has made eight goal contributions in 15 appearances for Bayern Munich’s II team playing in Germany’s third tier.

Deemed too good for that level, he’s now been sent out on loan to Grasshopper in Switzerland, where Irankunda is proving he might be too good for that level too.

Three assists in his first seven appearances may not look like much but the underlying numbers and the background context make the youngster’s first month in Switzerland an unequivocal success.

In his seven matches so far, Irankunda has a 7.31 overall rating on FotMob, which is the highest rating from all the Grasshopper players during the same period.

It’s even more impressive considering Grasshopper have not won any of the seven matches Irankunda has played in. So even though his side have not played well, Irankunda has still been able to stand-out, which is the sign of an exciting talent.

Delving deeper into the numbers, you really start to see where Irankunda’s quality shines.

He is a player who is very elusive on the ball and hard to catch for opponent defenders. In his first seven matches, Irankunda has been the most fouled player three times and completed the most dribbles on the pitch twice.

In total, he has attempted an average of 2.5 dribbles per 90 minutes and succeeded in 50% of his attempts. This might not seem like much but considering Grasshopper have the fourth lowest average possession in the league (46.6%) the fact that Irankunda is still able to attempt two dribbles per game when he’s limited to 40-50 touches per 90 minutes is an impressive ratio.

*Irankunda’s early possession numbers per 90, Swiss Super League*

Even more impressive are his creative numbers. This is the area where Irankunda really thrives in.

In seven matches he has created eight chances for his teammates and has seven key passes. He’s been directly involved in 40% of Grasshopper’s goals since he has arrived, and he has created the most chances for his side too.

The fact that he’s doing that in his first month with the Swiss side, settling in seamlessly, is a marker of his exciting talent.

He only turned 19 years old at the start of this month and this is just his first season in Europe but already he is making a strong impression.

He’s only just getting started too. Blessed with pace and brilliant technical qualities, Irankunda is yet to unleash one of his best traits.

In the A-League, the youngster scored 16 goals, including some stunning strikes with his wand of a left foot. 25% of his goals for Adelaide United were scored from outside the box during his time in Australia.

*Irankunda’s shot map from his last A-League season with Adelaide United*

A combination of his unselfishness and Grasshopper’s poor form has meant Irankunda hasn’t been able to showcase his goal prowess so far. He’s been restricted to just 8 shots (an average of 1.48 per game) in his first six appearances and a total xG of 0.50. The closest he has come so far is hitting the woodwork in Grasshopper’s 2-1 defeat against Servette.

The goal will come but right now all Bayern will care about are the performances. Based on his first month, Irankunda is already showing he’s ready for the next step.

What that will be remains to be seen. At the same age, Alphonso Davies was still largely playing for Bayern Munich’s II team before breaking into the first team the following season.

Irankunda’s pathway to Bayern is a little trickier. He’s a right-winger by trade and won’t be transitioned to play as a full-back like Davies.

With the likes of Michael Olise and Leroy Sané ahead of him in the pecking order, Irankunda might have to bide his time a little longer.

But if he continues on the same path, he absolutely has the potential to explode onto the scene at Bayern and follow in the footsteps of Davies. In the process, he’ll put Australian soccer on the map, just as the left back has done with Canadian soccer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Alex Palmer is the missing piece but is it too late to solve the Ipswich puzzle?

At 3-1 down with 11 minutes to go, Alex Palmer is finally still and silent. He’s standing outside his area, hands on hips next to the unfortunate Luke Woolfenden, who’s just deflected Tottenham’s third. Perhaps the size of his task as Ipswich Town’s new goalkeeper is starting to become apparent.

By Sanny Rudravajhala

The 28-year-old is arguably one of the shrewdest signings of the season, arriving on deadline day for around £2m from West Brom, rising to £4m, you’d assume, if Ipswich survive. Right now, ‘if’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

A star showing on his Premier League debut saw Palmer having what he described as the ‘surreal’ experience of being analysed on the BBC’s Match of the Day, by his childhood goalkeeping hero, Joe Hart.

It’s rare that the biggest cheer in a stadium before kick-off is for the home goalkeeper but perhaps that tells its own story. Arijanet Muric was error-strewn for Burnley last season and after conceding 33 in 18 starts and a total of five mistakes leading directly to goals for Ipswich in this campaign, Kieran McKenna finally relegated the Kosovan ‘keeper to the bench. Now is the chance for the new man to stop his side suffering a similar fate.

Palmer is a bag of energy. With the ball at the other end, he is a constant whir of stretches, side-steps and shuffles. “He’s chatty he talks a lot, sometimes a bit too much”, joked defender Jacob Greaves before their home game with Spurs. “But he’s been good, especially his debut against [Aston] Villa.” Those sentiments were echoed by his manager Kieran McKenna, describing him as a ‘really good communicator’.

“We don’t expect him to be perfect, no-one is. There’s going to be mistakes along the way from every player, but he’s a very good goalkeeper and he’s made a good start.”

‘A good name for a goalkeeper’, quipped Gary Lineker in the MOTD studio after his last-minute acrobatics got them a point on the road but their defensive display against Spurs will bring a very different Saturday night dissection.

Ipswich play with a level of naivety that the Premier League refuses to humour. Ben Godfrey has just five appearances for Atalanta this season. McKenna’s ring-rusty new loanee was gobbled up by Heung-Min Son who twice teed up Brennan Johnson for a two-goal lead inside the first 30 minutes.

But Tottenham had started as slowly as the matchday traffic that traverses the River Orwell, which snakes through Ipswich. And, thanks to the human battering ram that is Liam Delap, Ipswich could have been out of sight with a flurry of early opportunities.

Omari Hutchinson’s cool finish got them back into the tie before the break, but the second half again got away from them. Picking the wrong decisions in the final third, Ipswich were frustratingly picked apart at the other end.

I’ve seen a lot of Palmer this season at West Brom. I’d say up close, but such is the gantry at The Hawthorns, it’s been from quite far away. He is confident with his claims, a solid shot-stopper and not afraid to use his feet. In Town’s pre-match programme notes, Palmer says he puts that down to being trained with the ball whilst at Albion’s academy.

His senior career has now seen him play in the top six divisions of English Football. Relegated from the National League on loan at Kidderminster before returning for a second campaign, he then tasted success with promotion from League Two with Plymouth Argyle. His break into the West Brom 1XI came after a full season in League One with Lincoln City. And last season, he shared The Championship golden glove with Leeds United’s Ilan Meslier after 18 clean sheets, 12 of which were picked up at home.

It’s at his new home where his team desperately need to stop the rot which now sees them winless in 2025. That’s despite the fevered atmosphere that greets the players as they emerge from the tunnel. A pew at Portman Road is the hottest ticket in town, despite their dire record.

*Palmer player traits, top flight stats comparison only*

“The supporters know the journey we’ve been on. Five years ago, we were in the middle of League One and they were in the Champions League Final”, Kieran McKenna said after their 4-1 defeat to Spurs was confirmed.

“The supporters are clever enough here and honest and balanced enough to see a lot of good things on the pitch today. They’re taking pride in some of the things that they’re seeing. Of course, they’re frustrated like we’re frustrated.”

At full time, Palmer took the applause of the home faithful and shared a moment with his old West Brom captain and defensive teammate, Dara O’Shea. It was a chastening afternoon for both as they took a moment to applaud an emptying stand. These afternoons have been all too many at Portman Road and relegation will be a certainty without vast improvement.

But, the last line of defence is now in place, even if it is too late.

(Cover image 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.