Page 2 – The Pulse of Football

May

2025

A tribute to Jamie Vardy and his time at Leicester

Pour out two cans of Red Bull in tribute, Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City. It’s been 13-years since his first rocked up at the King Power. Corner flags have been broken, 199 goals have been scored, and trophies have been won.

By Alex Roberts

Now 38-years-old, Vardy has come a long way from the prosthetic limb factory he used to work at while playing non-league football. It’s just a shame his final season with the club comes with a relegation rather than something altogether more cheerful.

Released by Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 16, Vardy didn’t give up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He made it the hard way, earning £30-per-week while at Stocksbridge Park Steels before finding himself in the beautiful West Yorkshire town of Halifax.

Vardy ripped it up with the Shaymen, playing in a stadium that has been half-built for around 20 years. Twenty-six goals in his 37 games earned him a move to Fleetwood Town, where, again, he was a goal-scoring machine.

Back in 2012, Leicester were a thoroughly unremarkable side in the Championship. Vardy joined that summer, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with the club splashing a massive £1m on the unproven striker, a non-league record.

People laughed, dumbfounded that Leicester would spend so much money on a player no one had heard of. If they were going off that first season, they would have been right to criticise. Vardy nearly quit football before being convinced to stick at it by then manager Nigel Pearson and his assistant, the late Craig Shakespeare.

In 2013-14, we started to see signs of the striker Vardy would become. He bagged 16 goals in his 37 Championship games, helping Leicester earn promotion to the Premier League as champions.

His first season in the big time was pretty rough, but the same can be said for every Leicester player during that campaign. The Foxes were glued to the bottom of the table for four-and-a-half months before winning seven of their last nine games to secure safety, finishing in 14^th.

2015 was a simpler time. Pre-Brexit, pre-Trump and pre-COVID, we could still dream back then. After a season that saw them survive by the skin of their teeth, you’d struggle to find anyone who would have predicted what happened next.

Pearson was replaced by all-round good bloke Claudio Ranieri. The Italian had Premier League experience with Chelsea and a reputation as one of the most reliable coaches around, but he never really set the world alight.

Everyone knows what happened next. Leicester were predicted to go down but instead they only went and won the whole thing in arguably the greatest underdog story in the history of sports.

As is often the case, the vultures started to circle but the only major exit in the summer of 2016 was N’Golo Kanté. The Frenchman joined Chelsea and went on to become one of the best midfielders of his generation.

In the title winning season, Vardy became that ‘run-in-behind’ forward we all grew to love, using his electric pace to find the space between defenders, getting in their blind-spot before cooly finishing beyond any unsuspecting ‘keeper.

Vardy very nearly followed Kanté out of the club. Arsenal courted him, pretty intensely if reports at the time are to be believed. He had a £22m release clause in his contract, which Arsene Wenger decided to trigger, but Vardy didn’t fancy it, he had found a home.

In 2016/17 Leicester would play in the Champions League for the first time in their history, and they did well, reaching the quarter-final before being knocked out by Atlético Madrid. Vardy scored twice in their Champions League campaign, including the equaliser in the second leg with Atlético, which ended 1-1.

He may have performed a miracle, but it wasn’t enough to keep Ranieri in the job. About seven months after lifted the Premier League title, he was sacked. Shakespeare was given interim control before Claude Puel was later named as the new manager in October 2016.

It’s fair to say the Leicester fans never really took to Puel but Vardy’s form didn’t drop off during his disastrous tenure, scoring 16 goals in the Frenchman’s only full season at the club.

Puel came and went, and football’s David Brent took over. Brendan Rodgers’ time at the club was the most consistent among the managers Vardy worked with, finishing fifth in consecutive seasons, and beating Chelsea in the 2020-21 FA Cup final to lift the famous old trophy.

Rodgers was sacked in April 2023, probably later than he should have been, and Leicester would be relegated. At this point, it was pretty clear Vardy’s age was starting to catch up with him. Those famous runs in behind weren’t happening as frequently as they used to.

Even after relegation, Vardy stayed. He would lead the charge under Enzo Maresca to secure promotion back to the Premier League, leading the club’s scoring charts with 18 in 35 league games.

In a perfect world, Vardy would have scored another hatful of goals and Leicester would have stayed up comfortably, but this season hasn’t played out like that. The great man himself admitted the campaign has been a “total embarrassment.”

*Vardy shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

At least he was still able to have a laugh, blowing the ref’s whistle in the 2-0 win over Southampton after the official sustained a head injury.

There is no one in professional football like Jamie Vardy. Sinking Red Bulls, taking the preverbal, and bagging goals, he is one of a dying breed. With 110 Premier League goals after the age of 30, Vardy’s legacy goes well beyond Leicester.

Chat sh*t, get banged. We love you Jamie.

(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.

May

2025

How Liverpool will replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

Football’s worst kept secret is out, Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, on a free transfer, and Real Madrid will be his new club.

By Matt Ladson, ThisIsAnfield.com

The Spanish side are seeking a deal with Liverpool that would see the England international arrive before July 1st, allowing him to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup tournament.

Quite what happens between now and then, in terms of how Liverpool operate now that the news is out in public, will be extremely interesting.

*Summary of Alexander-Arnold’s nine seasons at Liverpool*

Arne Slot has, if you listened closely to his recent press conferences, indicated that these final games of the season were an opportunity to give Conor Bradley a run of starts, but the Northern Irishman cannot seem to remain fit and therefore Alexander-Arnold has started the Reds’ last two games.

However, should Bradley be fit for these remaining three games against Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace, it would surely make sense for the 21-year-old to start all three. Quite where that leaves Alexander-Arnold will be intriguing.

The player has no future at the club and any appearance could and probably would create a sideshow that isn’t wanted or needed when the club’s attention should be on celebrating winning the title.

Slot does not appear to be a manager who has much room for sentiment, either. There’s no need for Alexander-Arnold to play in these games and create a shadow over what has been a sensational debut campaign for the Dutch boss.

Having Bradley play these three remaining fixtures would also allow Slot to get a better look at whether he can step into the right-back role. “It’s going to be very important for him (Bradley), to become an even better player than he is now, to play many games in a row,” said Slot late last month.

Quite clearly, Bradley is a very different player to Alexander-Arnold. After all, nobody really in world football is quite capable of doing what Alexander-Arnold does. Liverpool are losing a generational talent with unique capabilities to play progressive passes from deep and unlock defences.

Replacing Alexander-Arnold, therefore, will not be a case of a like-for-like right-back or simply playing Bradley. That creativity and output needs to be replaced from other areas.

Some will call it ‘replacing him in the aggregate’ (get used to that phrase this summer) as you cannot just replace him with one other player.

Of course, a starting point would be having a more prolific goalscorer – not that Alexander-Arnold offers goals, but it would make Liverpool stronger overall and relinquish the pressure of needing to create in the way Alexander-Arnold does. Signing a number nine is clearly a very high priority.

There’s also a strong argument for an improvement or change of approach from midfield. A player like Adam Wharton, who offers line-breaking capabilities in the manner Alexander-Arnold does, would make sense. Liverpool are linked with a move for Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, a player who would be an example of replacing Alexander-Arnold via other areas of the team (‘in the aggregate’).

Stiller, 24, has been compared to Toni Kroos and is capable of opening defences with left-footed passes in behind. The German has eight assists this season, ranking very highly in all passing metrics – including in the top 97 percentile for chances created. He ranks in the top 98 percentile for progressive passes per 90 this season.

*Stiller’s passing stats for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, 2024/25*

And while Liverpool have had huge success with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this season, Slot will know that improvements can be found as he adapts the side more to his style of play. He’ll also be fully aware that the season is extremely long and demanding and more than three players are required for those positions, a player such as Stiller, who is fairly versatile, too, aids the whole centre of the side.

For Liverpool to prosper in a post-Alexander-Arnold world – and they surely will – they’ll need to find improvements throughout the team, not a like-for-like replacement. That work in the background appears to already be well underway ahead of what we’re expecting to be a busy summer of recruitment at Anfield.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Inter and Barcelona prepare to go again

After a six-goal first leg, can Inter Milan make home advantage count against Barcelona to make another Champions League final?

By Graham Ruthven

Rivalry resumed

Not for the first time, Barcelona and Inter Milan produced a classic in the Champions League semi-final when they met last week.

In contrast to the 2010 encounter between the same two clubs when José Mourinho edged a cagey, conservative affair against Pep Guardiola’s team, the first leg of this particular semi-final was sheer chaos, finishing in a 3-3 draw.

This leaves Tuesday’s second leg on a knife-edge. Inter will have opportunities to score again. They will look to expose the space in behind Barca’s high line with set pieces another area where they can hurt the Catalans.

Barcelona, however, boast the most fearsome attack in European football. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri showcased their potency in the first leg and will be influential at San Siro too.

Robert Lewandowski could feature after missing last week’s match through injury. The Polish striker’s return would give Barca an even sharper cutting edge in front of goal, although Hansi Flick already has several goal threats to count on.

Key players

Inter need Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram at their sharpest to get the better of Barcelona and make their second Champions League final in three seasons.

Thuram opened the scoring last week with a wonderful backheel finish. Martínez, however, was forced off early through injury and missed the weekend win over Verona. There are questions over his fitness.

Defensively, Inter have one of the best records in this season’s Champions League. This is down to the quality of players like Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck with Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries key outlets on the wings.

*The top rated performances in last week’s first leg*

Even by Lamine Yamal’s incredible standards, his performance in the first leg against Inter was remarkable. The 17-year-old registered more shots and dribbles than anyone else on the pitch, scoring an outrageous goal to get Barcelona back into the game at 2-1.

Raphinha also made his mark by assisting Ferran Torres with a neat header at the back post before forcing the Yann Sommer own goal to make it 3-3, smashing a long-range strike off the bar and in off the goalkeeper.

The midfield battle between Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong and Nicolo Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be key to determining the dynamic of the match.

Team news

Martínez might not be fully fit, but the Argentina forward is expected to start for Inter such is his importance to the Nerazzurri’s chances of making the Champions League final.

However, Benjamin Pavard will definitely miss Tuesday’s semi-final second leg with Valentín Carboni also an injury absentee.

Marc-André Ter Stegen made his return from injury against Real Valladolid on Saturday and will start against Inter. Next to return – Lewandowski will be named on the bench. Jules Koundé, however, will miss the game after coming off during the first leg, as will left back Alejandro Balde.

Prediction

This one could go all the way, and equally, it could go either way, if last week’s intense first leg is any indicator. Overall, though, with Barcelona’s determination and ability to always find a way to win something that has been on display since the turn of the year in particular, we’re going with Barca to edge it. But don’t hold us to it! Inter 1-2 Barcelona (4-5 agg).

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 35

Shock results and huge performances. That’s probably the best way to describe Matchday 35 in the Premier League.

By Sam McGuire

The recently crowned champions lost at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea boosted their chances of Champions League football and Arsenal fell to defeat against Bournemouth while Brentford and Manchester United played out a 4-3 thriller.

So who made the FotMob Team of the Week and why?

Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez

Emi Martínez kept a clean sheet as Aston Villa eked out a 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. The World Cup winning goalkeeper, believed to be a transfer target for Saudi clubs this summer, made three saves against the Cottagers on his way to an 8.6 rating. He also completed 80% of his passes, proving himself to be valuable in possession for Unai Emery‘s side.

Right-Back: Michael Kayode

Kayode is quickly proving to be the signings of the winter. The 20-year-old full-back is on loan from Fiorentina and he’s made himself right at home with Brentford. He’s started the last three for the Bees and Thomas Frank‘s side have taken nine points. Against Manchester United, Kayode claimed his first assist in the Premier League. He created two chances, completed the most dribbles (five), won the most duels (nine) and was the most accurate passer to play 45 minutes or more, finding a teammate with 97% of his attempts.

Centre-Back: Murillo

The 22-year-old centre-back was back to his best for Nottingham Forest in their 1-1 draw with the in-form Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Brazilian defender scored the goal for the away side and completed 89% of his attempted passes. He made 11 clearances, two interceptions, five recoveries and won 100% of his ground duels, playing his part in a big point for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.

Centre-Back: Joško Gvardiol

Gvardiol is enjoying his new role at centre-back for Manchester City. The versatile defender claimed an 8.0 FotMob rating in the 1-0 win over Wolves on Friday night. The 23-year-old completed 93% of his passes, was accurate with 78% of his attempted long passes, made two interceptions and won 100% of his duels. He played a key role in City keeping a clean sheet and boosting their hopes of a top four finish.

Left-Back: Neco Williams

Williams ran riot for Nottingham Forest down their left flank against Crystal Palace. He had a total of four shots, he chipped in with an assist and completed 91% of his passes. The versatile full-back had a total of 93 touches, a figure that only Elliott Anderson (106) could better. He made a total of six clearances, won four of his six ground duels and half of his aerial duels.

Midfield: Bernardo Silva

Silva was the Player of the Match for Pep Guardiola’s side in the 1-0 win over Wolves. He completed 89% of his passes, created three chances and attempted four dribbles against the in-form visitors. The versatile midfielder won two of his three tackles, recovered the ball three times and was involved in 13 duels, winning seven of those. He’s stepped up over recent weeks, just as City have needed it.

Midfield: Cole Palmer

Palmer was brilliant against the champions as Chelsea defeated Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to give their hopes of playing in the Champions League a significant boost. He ended his goal drought with a late penalty but he was key throughout the game, even without a goal involvement, just ask Gary Neville. The Sky Sports commentator fawned over the former Manchester City youngster for his part in the opener having sat Curtis Jones down with some intelligent movement into space. He also had a hand in the Chelsea second. It backed up the idea that he’s pivotal to Enzo Maresca’s side. If he plays well, they play well.

Midfield: Youri Tielemans

The match-winner for Aston Villa against Fulham. The Belgian maestro made it 10 goal involvements for the Premier League campaign with this strike. He wasn’t at his best in possession, failing to create a chance for the Villans while completing just 75% of his attempted passes at Villa Park. But he did complete 100% of his dribbles, win 100% of his tackles and came out on top in five of his seven duels to go alongside his game winning strike.

Midfield: Kevin Schade

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have stolen the show for Brentford in attack this season. It has allowed Schade to go a little under the radar. The 23-year-old has 10 goals and two assists in the Premier League now following his double in the 4-3 win over Manchester United. The winger caught the eye against the Red Devils with two goals, three shots, two attempted dribbles and he won seven of his seven aerial duels. The showing earned him a FotMob rating of 8.9.

Attack: Alejandro Garnacho

The young attacker didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Garnacho scored and assisted in Manchester United’s 4-3 loss to Brentford. He created the most chances (five) of anyone on the pitch, he also created a big chance. The 20-year-old attempted two dribbles and was involved in seven duels, showing why he can be an asset for Ruben Amorim moving forward, if the versatile attacker remains at Old Trafford.

Attack: Evanilson

Back in the team after his red card against Manchester United was overturned. He made it count against Arsenal, scoring what turned out to be the winner as he capitalised on a penalty box scramble late on. It was one of four shots he had against Mikel Arteta‘s side. He was a nuisance throughout, winning four of six ground duels, and won two fouls as the Cherries shocked the Gunners.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Chelsea vs. Champions Liverpool

The champions will receive their first guard of honour this weekend as Liverpool make the trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Champions League chasing Chelsea.

By Sam McGuire

Arne Slot’s side wrapped up the title last weekend with a 5-1 win over Spurs at Anfield. They’ll hope to end the season on a high still, so expect a full strength team on show on Sunday afternoon, much to Chelsea’s dismay.

Goals change games

Despite spending a lot of money on attackers over recent years, it hasn’t really clicked for Chelsea in attack this term. They’re the sixth highest scorers in the league with 1.7 goals per 90 but they’ve struggled to find the back of the net over recent weeks, with six in their last five outings. It has come at the worst time for the Blues.

The goals have dried up for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Their two top scorers this term are Cole Palmer (14) and Nicolas Jackson (10). Jackson netted his first of 2025 last weekend while Palmer is without a league goal since February.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have 11 goals in their last five outings. They hit five against Spurs last time out. They’re the top scorers in the Premier League with 80. After that, the second highest scorers are Manchester City with 66. The Reds are rampant and it is why they’re the champions. The Blues are struggling in the final third and it is why they’re battling it out for a top five finish now after such early promise.

Records for Mo Salah

The Mohamed Salah farewell tour has been prolonged for a further two years. Still, though, there’s a lot up for grabs in the final few weeks. The former Chelsea winger can break a few records before the campaign comes to an end.

He’s two goals off 30 for the season and two assists away from 20. He’d be the first player in Premier League history to score 30 and assist 20. He’s one goal involvement away from matching the record for the most in a single campaign (47) currently shared by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.

Salah scored in his last match against Spurs and has a fairly decent record against Chelsea. In fact, he has a fairly decent record against most sides, doesn’t he? The Liverpool No.11 has five goals and four assists against his former club. He registered a goal and an assist in the meeting between the two teams earlier on in the season.

Form does matter

It’ll come as no surprise to hear that Liverpool have the best away record in the Premier League. Slot’s men have won 11 of their 17 games and lost just once as Fulham claimed a shock 3-2 win a few weeks back.

On the road, the Reds have scored 41 goals and conceded just 19. They’re ruthless on their travels.

Chelsea aren’t quite as ruthless at home. They’ve won 10 of their 17 games at Stamford Bridge and have lost just twice. They’re unbeaten in front of their home fans, in the league, since December and have won six of their last eight. However, their last three wins have been 1-0 and they’ve been far from convincing. They’ll need a much better showing on Sunday if they’re to take maximum points off the champions.

Injury situation

Chelsea could be without Robert Sánchez, Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto for the game against Liverpool. Wesley Fofana is definitely ruled out of the clash. His injury record is why the Blues are reportedly keen on adding Dean Huijsen to their ranks this summer.

The Reds are without Joe Gomez but should otherwise have a fully fit squad to pick from. Conor Bradley missed the win over Spurs but has been pictured in training this week. This could give Slot a bit of a dilemma at right-back, does he trust the youngster or start Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Prediction

Liverpool won’t want to end the season on a low, so positive results and performances are on the agenda. We’re backing the champions here to eke out a 2-1 win.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: From Bilbao to Brentford, Man United are on the road again

Brentford and Manchester United both had convincing wins in the week, but both have been inconsistent over the whole season.

By Ian King

Inconsistency Kings

Brentford are the Premier League’s inconsistency champions. They haven’t won, lost or drawn more than two successive games all season, and they’ve only managed two successive anything five times, although that does include a fairly swashbuckling 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Thursday night to add to their 4-2 win against Brighton last weekend.

Manchester United are five Premier League matches without a win and went into the weekend 14th in the table, but they continue to show their best selves in Europe, with a convincing 3-0 win at Athletic Club in Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. But that win isn’t necessarily a predictor for how they’ll do in the League the following weekend. After they came from behind to beat Lyon 5-4 in the last round, they lost at home to Wolves the following Sunday.

History

For all the chuckles that they’ve provided over the years, Manchester United’s record has been pretty decent against Brentford, with five wins and one draw from their seven meetings since the Bees’ promotion into the Premier League in 2021. Brentford’s sole Premier League win against United – 4-0 at Griffin Park back in August 2022 – was a handsome one but it was also their first and only since February 1938.

*H2H record since Brentford’s promotion*

Key players

Bryan Mbeumo has 18 Premier League goals so far this season while Yoane Wissa has 17. Bruno Fernandes is Manchester United’s top Premier League goalscorer, with eight. Silence those two, and you’ve gone more than halfway towards silencing Brentford. Fernandes has actually scored more goals in all competitions than Mbeumo, though. While all of the Brentford striker’s goals this season have come in the Premier League (and Wissa only has one cup goal), Fernandes has scored 11 in other competitions, including two on Thursday night, taking him to 19 in total. This doesn’t reflect well on United’s forwards.

Team News

With no new injury concerns as a result of their midweek trip to Spain, it’s very much as you were for Manchester United. Ayden Heaven and Toby Collyer could return, but Diogo Dalot is still at least a couple of weeks off. Joshua Zirkzee and Lisandro Martínez are out for the remainder of the season.

Brentford also came through their trip to Nottingham Forest unscathed, and none of those currently in their treatment room – Vitaly Janelt, Joshua Dasilva, Fabio Carvalho, Igor Thiago and Aaron Hickey – are expected back much before the very end of the season.

Prediction

WIth good midweek wins under their belts, both of these teams can come into this match in a reasonably positive frame of mind. Brentford have outstanding attacking options and Manchester United’s defence can be a little lackadaisical, but then Brentford’s home record has been poor and Manchester United remain in the bottom half of the Premier League on merit. These masters of inconsistency are going to end up cancelling each other out, so let’s go for the 1-1 draw.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: Real Madrid take on Europa League chasing Celta Vigo

Real Madrid host Celta Vigo in La Liga as they cling on to their title hopes. Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit second in the table, and they will face a Celta Vigo side who are pushing to finish in the European places.

By Matt Smith

The two sides have faced twice so far this season, once in the Copa del Rey and once in La Liga, with Madrid securing wins in both of those fixtures. Celta Vigo have struggled away at Madrid in recent years, losing their previous five meetings.

Team news

Ancelotti will be without long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, while Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, and Antonio Rüdiger will all be missing and aren’t expected to return this season. Eduardo Camavinga is also out, while Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez are available after suspension.

Carl Starfelt will miss out for Celta Vigo, while Jones El-Abdellaoui is a doubt. Manager Claudio Giráldez should have no injury concerns heading into this one.

Madrid’s battle with Barcelona

Madrid remain in the fight for the La Liga title, but it’s going to be tricky to beat Barcelona in the race. Hansi Flick’s side have enjoyed an unbelievable season, and Ancelotti’s men have simply been beaten in almost every metric.

Madrid are going through a bit of a transition as they look to find the best way to set up their attack after Kylian Mbappé arrived in the summer transfer window. They’ve shown signs of having a deadly attacking recipe, but Ancelotti’s side are falling short in the title race.

*The table situation going in to the weekend*

Celta Vigo difficult to break down

Celta Vigo’s defensive solidity has played a crucial role in their battle to finish in the European places this season. Giráldez’s side have conceded just 35.9 expected goals, the fourth lowest in the division.

Despite that, Celta Vigo have conceded almost 13 more goals than their xG tally, perhaps suggesting that they’ve been quite unfortunate to let in as many as they have this season. A win could see them go five points clear of ninth if other results go their way.

Time for Vinícius to step up

It’s been a tricky period for Vinícius Júnior, who has scored just once in his previous six games for Madrid, producing no assists during that time. If the Spanish giants are going to have any chance of winning the league, they’ll need the Brazilian to step up in the final few games.

Vinícius has produced a phenomenal 33 goals and assists combined in all competitions this season, so it’s not outrageous to be expecting more from him of late. It might look like an uphill task for Madrid to win the league, but they face leaders Barcelona, which could swing things in their favour.

Prediction

Considering Celta Vigo’s recent record away to Madrid, it’s difficult to see Ancelotti’s side dropping points in this one. With the league title on the line, we’re expecting a comfortable Madrid victory: Real Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Inter Miami looking to get back on track against Red Bulls

After Inter Miami and Lionel Messi were unceremoniously knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup by Vancouver Whitecaps, they can now focus solely on retaining their MLS Supporters’ Shield title and timing their season to hit form ahead of the playoffs. They will be looking to get back on track at home to the New York Red Bulls this weekend.

By James Nalton

Bouncing back

It was a disappointing week for Inter Miami as they were defeated 3-1 at home by the Whitecaps in the Champions Cup, losing the semifinal tie 5-1 on aggregate.

They will be looking to bounce back against the Red Bulls, but the continental exit might be difficult to recover from initially.

In addition to the MLS Cup playoffs, which don’t begin until much later in the year, the Champions Cup was one of the big prizes head coach Javier Mascherano, along with Messi and co., were prioritising this season.

They will need to ensure this disappointment doesn’t carry over into their league performances and instead use it as motivation to show their quality in MLS before they break for the Club World Cup in June.

Defensive issues emerge

Inter Miami’s previous MLS game, a 4-3 defeat to FC Dallas, and the 5-1 aggregate defeat to Vancouver, exposed some underlying defensive issues in the team.

It looked like Mascherano had shored them up and made them difficult to beat, but the weaknesses lay beneath the surface, behind the scorelines.

It’s strange that the team with the joint-fewest goals conceded in MLS going into that game against Dallas was still perceived to have a vulnerable defence, but this was often on show during the games themselves.

*Inter Miami have the 16th worst xG conceded figure in MLS*

Their xG-against also goes some way to showing why this is the case. They were conceding chances but those weren’t always converted into goals by the opposition.

Even after conceding four against Dallas, their xG-against of 13.7 is still higher than actual goals conceded (10), suggesting some poor opposition finishing, good Inter Miami goalkeeping, or luck.

What it certainly suggests is Mascherano’s team still need to improve defensively.

Messi contribution expected

Lionel Messi is currently four games without a goal or an assist in all competitions for Inter Miami.

It is his longest such run when starting games since joining the club in 2023, so he will be expected to get back in among the goals, or at least make an assist, in this game.

He has three goals and two assists in the six of Miami’s nine games he has played in this season.

The team and the fans will be looking to him to get them out of this mini slump.

Charging Red Bulls?

The visiting Red Bulls remain one of the most active pressing teams in MLS, which could cause Miami problems during build-up play.

On the whole, though, Sandro Schwarz’s side are yet to convince this season.

Their mid-table position reflects their inconsistent start, and they only scraped past Montréal last week to claim their fourth win of the year. They are yet to pick up a win away from home.

Emil Forsberg could pose a threat to the Miami defence from an attacking midfield position, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is the club’s top scorer with four, despite an indifferent start to life in MLS.

Prediction

Now they only have the league to focus on, Inter Miami should recover from a three-game losing streak in all competitions and get back to winning ways.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Top vs. Bottom as Barca go to Valladolid

There’s a massive 60 point gap between these two sides. Real Valladolid have had a shocking season and they’re about to host the reigning domestic cup holders, who could soon also be LaLiga and even European champions.

By Karl Matchett

Almost pointless?

Take a quick glance at the squads, the points tallies and the form guide and nothing about this fixture says anything other than away win. Of course football always gives us the potential for an upset – that’s part of the reason to bother having match-ups like Valladolid against Barcelona – but taking one point from the last 42 available won’t see the home side inspire much hope of springing a surprise. And this would be a massive shock indeed, given Barcelona haven’t lost a domestic match this side of Christmas.

Rotation possibilities

But…and there’s always a but…there is more than one prize for Hansi Flick’s team to keep an eye on. Their Champions League semi-final second leg is only three days after this encounter and it’ll be a huge test of physical resilience as much as technical brilliance, if the first leg is anything to go by.

Barcelona are probably running short of options to change things around too, particularly at the back, so while some players will simply have to keep going and keep showing title-winning form as well as fitness, there is no question Flick will be tempted into changing at least a few faces to keep alive his dreams of a quadruple this term, having already won the Supercopa as well as the Copa del Rey. If Barcelona do slip up here, they know they can minimise that damage by beating Real Madrid the following weekend – there are no such second chances in midweek.

Recent form

The form book makes the most horrible of horrible reading for Álvaro Rubio’s side. One draw and 13 defeats since their last win, only four points earned in total for 2025 and only 16 for the entire season. They’ve conceded 16 in the last four matches alone. Barcelona on the other hand have won 11 of the last 12 in LaLiga – the other a draw – and even away from home it’s four wins on the spin.

Team news

Javi Sánchez and Henrique are sidelined for Real, but another worry is first-choice goalkeeper Karl Hein being an injury doubt.

In contrast, Barca No.1 Marc-André ter Stegen is reportedly going to start this game. They did lose Jules Koundé to injury in midweek and Alejandro Balde probably won’t be risked as he looks to make a comeback against Inter Milan. Robert Lewandowski, Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó are also out.

Key player

If Barcelona do rotate, one of those who could come into the XI would be a starter for most other sides on the planet. Gavi might not have featured as much as he’d normally hope this season but he can control a game with the best of them – on a per 90 minutes basis he averages 76 touches, a 54% dribble success, 6.6 duels won and 4.8 recoveries.

*Gavi player traits, comparison against players in Europe’s top five leagues*

Prediction

No chance Barcelona slip up at this stage of the title race, surely with El Clásico coming up next weekend: Valladolid 1-3 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Arsenal back to league action against Bournemouth

Arsenal host Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners look to cement their place as runners-up.

By Matt Smith

The Cherries are still in with a shout of finishing in the European places, but a defeat against Arsenal will make their task incredibly difficult.

Bournemouth will be looking to complete a rare double after winning their previous meeting earlier in the season. That was their first victory over the north London outfit since 2018, with Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert scoring the goals.

Team news

Arsenal will be without both Jorginho and Riccardo Calafiori for the game against Bournemouth, while none of their longer-term injured stars are expected to return, including Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Mikel Arteta could look to rest some players for this one with the Premier League title race over and a trip to Paris Saint-Germain coming next week.

Bournemouth will be without Ryan Christie, Enes Ünal, and Luis Sinisterra, but Andoni Iraola shouldn’t have any fresh injury concerns heading into the trip to the Emirates.

Arsenal’s defensive solidity could be key

Keeping the ball out of their own net hasn’t been a problem for Arsenal in the Premier League this season, conceding just 0.9 goals per game. No side has conceded fewer, while they’ve only given up 29.2 expected goals in the campaign.

Creating opportunities has been what separates them and Liverpool this term, with the Gunners producing just 97 big chances to Liverpool’s 136. Being without Bukayo Saka for a large portion of the season has certainly contributed to their lack of creativity, and it’s played a part in the Gunners being unable to lift the Premier League title once again.

Bournemouth a surprise package

Bournemouth started the season in sensational form, being somewhat of a surprise package in England’s top flight. Their performances have become inconsistent as the campaign has gone on, but it’s given them something to build on heading into another season under Iraola.

Their high pressing system makes it incredibly difficult for sides to play out from the back, leading to some impressive results against some of the bigger sides. No team in the Premier League has won possession in the final third more times than the Cherries this term (5.9 per game).

Nwaneri’s time to shine

Young attacker Ethan Nwaneri has struggled for game time in recent weeks with Arteta not wanting to apply too much pressure on the teenager in some crucial games. When given the opportunity this season, Nwaneri has flourished, providing six goals and assists combined in just 810 Premier League minutes.

Arteta could look to rotate due to their Champions League clash next week, and it could be an opportunity for Nwaneri to shine, whether that be on the right-hand side of attack or in the number 10 position.

Prediction

With little on the line for Arsenal and changes expected, it could be an opportunity for the Cherries to pick up a result. Their high-pressing system might cause the Gunners some problems, so we’re going for a 2-1 win for Bournemouth.

(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.