Page 23 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid go to Valladolid as top meets bottom

Real Madrid have bounced back from their Spanish Supercopa humbling against Barcelona to score 14 goals in their last three outings.

By Graham Ruthven

Liga leaders hitting their stride

It was only two weeks ago that Real Madrid suffered that humiliation against Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa. Since then, though, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have responded by stringing together three consecutive wins.

Barca’s draw away to Getafe last weekend allowed Real Madrid to stretch their advantage at the top of LaLiga over their fiercest rivals to seven points with Atlético Madrid two points behind.

Most ominous is Real Madrid’s attacking form. Indeed, los Blancos have scored 14 goals in their last three games in all competitions including five goals against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League during the week.

After a slow start to the season, Kylian Mbappé has hit top form in recent weeks, finding the back of the net five times in the last four games. The Frenchman’s speed and willingness to get in behind will give Real Valladolid problems.

While Madrid are looking to boost their title chances, Valladolid need points to move off the bottom of LaLiga. The White and Violets have just 15 points from 20 games and are fighting for their top flight lives.

Valladolid have actually won their last two league matches at home (against Valencia and Real Betis), but a victory over Real Madrid would be their biggest result of the season so far.

Key players

Kike Pérez scored the only goal of the game as Real Valladolid beat Real Betis two weeks ago and could offer the hosts a source of creativity from midfield on Saturday.

Defensively, Valladolid will have to be solid to stand any chance of earning a result against the league leaders, putting pressure on goalkeeper Karl Hein to perform. He will surely have a busy afternoon.

Mbappé’s recent scoring record speaks for itself, but the incredible form of Rodrygo has flown under the radar somewhat. The Brazilian scored twice against Salzburg on Wednesday and has seven goals in his last eight games.

With Vinîcius Júnior still suspended in the league, Rodrygo will start in his favoured position on the left wing. On the right side, Brahim Díaz could offer cohesion with his movement inside, creating space for Lucas Vázquez on the overlap.

Dani Ceballos and Fede Valverde have recently forged a strong partnership in central midfield while Jude Bellingham will continue in a more advanced role where he has freedom to roam.

Team news

Juma Bah will be left out of the Real Valladolid lineup as punishment for attempting to force a transfer to Manchester City. The young centre back failed to turn up for training this week and won’t be included in this weekend’s matchday squad.

Moro suffered a broken collarbone in Valladolid’s last game against Espanyol and is now set for a period on the sidelines. Stanko Jurić will be another absentee due to the midfielder’s suspension.

Vinícius will miss out for Real Madrid through suspension while Eduardo Camavinga, Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal are currently sidelined through injury.

Real Madrid’s injury troubles have eased recently with David Alaba back in action following a 13-month spell out. The Austrian could start against Valladolid, but is more likely to make another appearance off the bench.

Prediction

Valladolid’s two game winning run at home will surely come to an end with the rampant league leaders in town: Real Valladolid 0-3 Real Madrid.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Leaders Liverpool welcome Ipswich Town to Anfield

Liverpool host the Tractor Boys at Anfield on Saturday afternoon as Arne Slot’s side look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. Kieran McKenna’s men will be hoping to climb out of the relegation zone.

By Matt Smith

This will be the first time Ipswich have faced Liverpool at Anfield since 2002. The two sides met earlier in the season at Portman Road, with the Reds securing a 2-0 victory away from home.

Slot dealt Jones blow

Speaking to the media ahead of Liverpool’s game against Ipswich, Slot confirmed that he would be without Curtis Jones, suggesting that he might return to face Bournemouth next weekend. It doesn’t appear to be a serious injury for the English midfielder, but he’ll certainly miss this weekend’s game.

Slot has also added that he’s taking caution with Ibrahima Konaté, who is struggling to play every three days due to his fitness. The French centre-back was benched against Lille in the Champions League during the week, so it will be interesting to see if he comes back in.

The resurgence of Darwin Núñez?

Darwin Núñez has come under plenty of criticism in recent years after some underwhelming performances, and Slot has shown in the first few months of his tenure that the former Benfica attacker isn’t a guaranteed starter. Slot gave Núñez a rare start against Lille in the Champions League in midweek after a 25 minute cameo at Brentford last time out in the Premier League, a decision that paid off.

Núñez scored twice in injury time to help secure the win against the Bees and then earned the highest FotMob rating of the game (8.0) despite not finding the net in the victory over Lille. If the Dutch manager persists with the Uruguayan and shows confidence in the striker, he could become a valuable option in the coming weeks.

Szmodics and Chaplin remain sidelined

McKenna has stated that he’s expecting a similar Ipswich squad to travel to Merseyside as the group who were defeated 6-0 at home to Manchester City. The Ipswich boss confirmed that both Sammie Szmodics and Connor Chaplin will be unavailable for The Tractor Boys.

Ali Al-Hamadi could also miss out, with McKenna suggesting that he might be on the move before the end of the transfer window.

Delap will need to produce the goods

With Ipswich travelling to the strongest side in the Premier League this season, you’d expect McKenna’s men to have little possession, hoping to hit the opposition on the break. Liam Delap could, therefore, have a thankless task in attack, but Ipswich will be relying on him to produce the goods.

The former Man City striker has been a standout for the newly promoted club this season, finding the back of the net on eight occasions. If Ipswich manage to secure an emphatic result on the road, Delap is likely to have a major influence.

Prediction

With Ipswich picking up just nine points away from home and Liverpool losing just once at Anfield, a win for the Reds feels likely.

We’re going for a comfortable home win, with Núñez continuing his momentum and getting his name on the scoresheet.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2025

Enzo Maresca has turned Chelsea around but are they the real deal?

One win in six and heading to for a game at the reigning Premier League champions could seem like it spells disaster and in previous years that kind of run might have left a Chelsea head coach in trouble. For Enzo Maresca this year, though, it’s only part of the story.

By Karl Matchett

While the reality of recent results can’t be ignored, the Blues were a standout side across autumn and winter. That, along with performances and some key individual players emerging, will be cushions for Maresca when this and other bad runs inevitably crop up. And, in fairness, “bad runs” is laying it on thick: Chelsea lost twice and drew three in a run of five, before winning last time out against Wolves. They also cruised through to the next round of the FA Cup during that period, having already wrapped up top spot in the UEFA Conference League too.

All told, the season makes good reading for Maresca when factoring in the mess he inherited – and all this in what is, remember, his first season as boss in a top flight. The elite end of football has a habit of eroding goodwill quickly, it’s true, but an 11-match unbeaten run through November and December built him a quick cache of trust from the fans, while moving to within touching distance of Liverpool in top spot – however briefly that lasted – also hinted at what could be to come with this squad.

The question now, of Maresca and of his team, is whether they are building towards something real and sustainable, something which can continue to grow and challenge for major honours…or whether they are merely among the beneficiaries of others’ slip-ups and ineptitudes this season. It should be noted, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the latter – it’s perfectly fine to be right place, right time and just good enough to edge ahead of others when they keep making mistakes. Leicester did it to win a title, after all, and it can supercharge rebuild eras for others – like Newcastle finishing top four – even if it doesn’t lead to immediate silverware.

But at Stamford Bridge there is an expectation that the many hundreds of millions of pounds spent will lead to big trophies, of course. Which makes this recent blip of Chelsea’s, and their upcoming fixtures, particularly interesting.

It’s Manchester City next. That, in usual circumstances, would be a true litmus test of where the Blues are with their own rebuild – but this time the meeting is a test of both teams’ resilience and mentality as much as quality. For all Chelsea’s recent poor results might make them less-confident, Man City have won precisely once since October against teams who haven’t been either fighting relegation this year, last year, newly promoted, or in a lower league. Giving up four goals to lose again from a winning position in midweek won’t help their mindset either.

So, Chelsea should reasonably be expected to go on the offensive, to an extent. They are ahead of City in the league table by one position and two points, sat in fourth and definitely one of the teams considered to have most chance of a Champions League place for next term. Why sit back against a wounded and mistake-ridden City?

Comparing the two for the season as a whole, Chelsea have created far more big chances than City (79 to 66), have more shots on target (6.2 – 6.1), have a better conversion rate (12.2% to 11.6%), have conceded fewer goals in both xG terms (31-32) and real terms (27-29) and win possession in the final third (5.0 – 4.8) with greater regularity. City remain elite in having possession, getting into dangerous zones of the pitch and of creating set pieces, but what they do with the ball has diminished nonetheless – and certainly they’re far worse defensively.

Yet Chelsea’s season, and Maresca’s time as a head coach, won’t be defined by this one match alone. It’s just that winning, or at least avoiding defeat at the Etihad, will allow his side to stay above the one which will pose a big threat to top-four chances.

Across the board, though, there’s real reason to think Chelsea are doing well enough to move yet higher. They are second-ranked in the league for goals, possession, xG, shots on target, and big chances. It doesn’t take much insight to realise only one team has been better across the board there, and they are ten points above them in the table. But everyone else? There’s zero reason why Chelsea, this version of Chelsea, cannot push for second this term and beyond that later.

While Cole Palmer may be a standout, the individual improvements this season in Moisés Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson and the resurgent Jadon Sancho are fully apparent. Maresca’s coaching has aided this progression, along with his man management – so questioned at the start of the season when he decided he wanted a set number in his squad and those players who didn’t fit simply wouldn’t play. As it transpires, it’s hard to argue with his calls, or his rigidity there.

But what has come between August and January can unravel quickly. It’s happened before, to more established sides. Man City – and then onto West Ham, Brighton twice and Aston Villa – will showcase whether Chelsea are over their stumble and can continue to climb. Performances until now have been a clear improvement; the next task for Maresca is demanding the consistency of the very best.

(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.

Jan

2025

FPL tips from the reigning champ: GW23

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 FPL deadline for this round – make your transfers and get your team sorted before 13:30 GMT on Saturday 25 January*

The Eye Test vs. The Stats

Cody Gakpo (7.5) is proving popular with FPL managers for GW23, for good reason.

The Netherlands international is a nailed on starter for Liverpool who are leading the way at the top of the Premier League table. Arne Slot has had a profound impact on his compatriot who is enjoying his best season for the Anfield club.

Gakpo was rested for the Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday, suggesting he will be brought back into the lineup for Saturday’s home match against Ipswich Town.

While Gakpo is classified as a forward in FPL, he most frequently plays on the left side of Slot’s front three. He could start alongside Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah in the forward line this weekend.

Liverpool’s upcoming run of favourable fixtures makes Gakpo a particularly attractive pick.

The Reds face relegation-threatened Ipswich in GW23 before a double gameweek in GW24 in which Liverpool will take on Bournemouth and Everton before a home fixture against Wolves in GW25.

Gakpo’s underlying numbers are something else that should make him a consideration for your FPL team.

*Gakpo shooting stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

He is averaging 0.53 Expected Goal Involvements (xGI) per 90 minutes this season. Against Brentford in G22, Gakpo missed one Big Chance from a Salah pass and also created four chances despite returning only two points.

With all this in mind, this is a good time to load up on three Liverpool players – see Salah (13.7) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.3) as two attractive options. Gakpo stands out as one of the best options.

Son Heung-min (9.8) is another player who should be on your FPL radar.

The South Korean started up top against Everton in GW22 and is a good bet to keep his place due to Dominic Solanke’s continued absence.

Richarlison came on at half time and pushed Son to the wing at Goodison Park, but failed to make much of an impact. Son, on the other hand, found the back of the net in the Europa League win over Hoffenheim on Thursday. He remains one of Tottenham’s best difference makers.

This season has been’t the most productive of Son’s career. However, he has still registered 12 goal involvements in 19 Premier League appearances, averaging 0.57 xGI per 90 minutes.

*Son’s passing stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

Spurs are leading Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Were Ange Postecoglou’s team to get through on aggregate, they will face a blank gameweek in GW29. Despite this, Son is owned by just 5%, making him a good differential for a favourable gameweek.

Long shot

Dango Ouattara (5.0) has been overshadowed by several Bournemouth players who have pushed the Cherries up the Premier League table this season.

However, the 22-year-old has started Bournemouth’s last two matches in the absence of Evanilson and Enes Ünal. Stats-wise, Ouattara hasn’t made much of an impact, but the eye test suggests he could be a good addition to your FPL team.

Against Newcastle in GW22, Ouattara missed one Big Chance, registered an assist for Justin Kluivert’s second goal and scored a goal of his own that was later ruled out by VAR. He gave the Magpies problems as Bournemouth’s starting centre forward.

Priced at only 5.0 and with an ownership of just 0.2%, Ouattara has the potential to be an extremely valuable differential. His xGI per 90 minutes of 0.6 is impressive and should be noted by FPL managers looking for a budget forward.

Bournemouth face tricky fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in their next two gameweeks. They boast two of the strongest defences in the league, but Ouattara could be a player worth keeping for a long time due to his low price tag.

Upcoming games to follow

GW23 has the potential for some high-scoring games for several popular FPL assets.

Firstly, Liverpool and Newcastle’s fixtures stand out. Both teams have games against promoted teams in GW23 and this could lead to a strong haul by a number of players with high ownership.

Liverpool are the top-scoring team in the league and also boast the best defensive record for good measure. Meanwhile, Saturday’s opponents Ipswich conceded six to Manchester City in their last game.

Alexander-Arnold (7.3) will pose the greatest attacking threat of all Liverpool’s defenders. Salah (13.7), Luis Díaz (7.5), Ibrahima Konaté (5.1) and Gakpo (7.5) are worth consideration.

Newcastle suffered a disappointing defeat at home to Bournemouth in GW22, but are expected to bounce back against bottom team Southampton this weekend.

Popular assets like Anthony Gordon (7.7), Alexander Isak (9.5) and Lewis Hall (5.1) are players to look out for.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2025

Transfer of the Week: Can Omar Marmoush save Man City’s season?

After a shocking run of form to end 2024 on a big low, Manchester City have decided to splash the case in the January transfer window. They have already splurged close to €150 million this week, with about half of that amount spent on Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush.

By Neel Shelat

Omar Marmoush joins a growing list of big-money forward departures from Eintracht Frankfurt. In recent years, the Eagles have sold Sébastien Haller to West Ham for €50 million, Luka Jović to Real Madrid for €63m and Randal Kolo-Muani to Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record €95m. All three of the others certainly have not proven to be worth their transfer fees, but Manchester City will be counting on Marmoush to break that trend.

Scintillating form this season

It is safe to say that Manchester City are signing Marmoush in the midst of what is by far his best-ever footballing season. The 25-year-old forward has registered an incredible tally of 20 goals and 13 assists in just 26 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt this term, including 24 goal involvements in the Bundesliga.

While the English champions will be more than delighted if he continues such a run of form in Manchester, the flip side to this is that they have had to pay something of a premium for him. As it is, mid-season transfers tend to be financially favourable to the selling team, but Marmoush’s value was further inflated by his sensational attacking output.

Of course, money isn’t a big problem for Manchester City, so the main thing they will be concerned with is whether his form will carry over to the Premier League. The fact that the Egyptian forward failed to register 10 senior goal involvements in any season outside Frankfurt might be considered a concern, but much of that can be chalked up to constant loans and transfers that prevented him from fully settling in anywhere.

With that being said, it is also pretty unlikely that Marmoush will continue scoring at a rate of almost a goal per 90 minutes. For one, his 15 league goals this season have come with some significant xG performance. While he does deserve credit for finishing very well, it is worth noting that he failed to outperform his xG in any of his previous top-flight seasons.

A big reason behind Marmoush’s explosive return this season is Eintracht Frankfurt’s tactical setup. Dino Toppmöller has been employing a very fluid attacking system that deals the vast majority of its damage in transition, with the front two of Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike being given a great deal of freedom to drift around and pull opposition defences apart. The Egyptian forward certainly made the most of his role, showcasing the best of his speedy dribbling, snappy link-up play and clever off-ball movement to star as an all-action forward.

Potential fit at Manchester City

Quite certainly, Marmoush will find himself in a very different tactical context at Manchester City compared to Eintracht Frankfurt. Pep Guardiola’s side, of course, like to try and control matches by keeping a lot more slow possession, so their attack isn’t half as fluid as the Eagles’.

Nevertheless, the Egyptian forward should be able to slot into Guardiola’s system through multiple routes. In his matches with the national team as well as at previous clubs, Marmoush has shown himself capable of playing in all the forward positions.

Of course, the striker position at Manchester City will ideally remain off-limits for everyone other than Erling Haaland for the next decade or so, so Marmoush will have to make a place for himself behind him. Looking at City’s squad, all three positions could be open in the short and/or long term. The ageing Kevin De Bruyne does not have a clear successor in the number 10 position, so Marmoush could either do that job or move over to the right and free up Phil Foden into a central role for good. Alternatively, the Egyptian attacker could start on the left, from where he can cut inside onto his favoured right foot.

Marmoush definitely would not be best utilised as a wide winger who hugs the touchline, so he will want to get into central areas regardless of where he starts. In this respect, he could turn out to be something of a delayed replacement for Julián Alvarez, whose summer transfer to Atlético Madrid had a more adverse effect on Manchester City’s attack than they would have liked.

Although the Premier League holders still have one of the biggest goal tallies in the league, they have become quite overreliant on Haaland for their goals and have no clear plan B. This has made them far more predictable and easier to defend against in many cases, so City will really hope to see Marmoush inject some much-needed dynamism in the opposition half.

*Man City top scorers, Premier League 2024/25*

In recent matches including their big win over Ipswich Town and loss to Paris Saint-Germain, Guardiola’s side have seemed to lean into attacking transitions a fair bit more than they used to. So, the team could also adapt a little and meet Marmoush closer to the middle rather than expecting him to integrate into a rigid system.

Bigger issues to solve for City

While Marmoush may well get Manchester City’s attack firing in full flow again, they have bigger problems to contend with.

The root of their issues this season, of course, stemmed from Rodri’s ACL injury. Their lack of quality depth in defensive midfield has consistently been the biggest weak link in the side ever since, and they are yet to address it in the transfer window.

The English champions have, however, made a couple of other smart signings. The arrivals of young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis add some much-needed youthfulness into an especially ageing back line and squad as a whole. Both players also have the potential to become the best in their position a few years down the line.

The 25-year-old Marmoush definitely will be expected to provide a much more instant impact, perhaps even buying time for Manchester City to work on the bigger issues. So, a lot will rest on how quickly and smoothly he is integrated into Guardiola’s side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2025

Premier League Preview, Matchday 23

This weekend is a repeat of the opening day of the season. There’s just much more at stake this time around. Games are dwindling and the window of opportunity to salvage your season is shortening. It makes for some fascinating match-ups.

By Sam McGuire

Here’s what to keep an eye on this weekend.

Top versus bottom, almost

Liverpool entertain an out-of-sorts Ipswich Town this weekend.

The Reds have been fairly dominant at Anfield this term, picking up 20 points from 10 matches. They’ve conceded just eight goals, giving them the second meanest defence on home soil this term behind Bournemouth (seven).

After a bit of a blip earlier this month – drawing against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest while losing to Spurs in the Carabao Cup – Arne Slot’s side have bounced back over the past week with two wins from two.

They left it late against Brentford to claim a 2-0 win courtesy of two Darwin Núñez goals before a professional performance against Lille in the Champions League saw them coast to a 2-1 victory.

The game against the Tractor Boys should be a routine win for the Reds.

Kieran McKenna’s side are without a goal in their last two outings. They lost 2-0 to Brighton and were hammered 6-0 by Manchester City. They have given up 19 goals on their travels this season across 10 matches. This leaky defence is why they find themselves in the dropzone. Ipswich are level on points with 17th placed Wolves but have an inferior goal difference (-23 to -19).

Ipswich have two objectives on Saturday. The first, of course, is to get something from the game. However, if they want, they need to make sure they aren’t on the receiving end of another hammering. It could be crucial at the end of the campaign.

The return of Enzo Maresca

Enzo Maresca returns to the Etihad on Saturday. The Italian tactician used to be an assistant to Pep Guardiola before departing for Leicester City. After a successful stint with the Foxes, he moved to Chelsea. Ahead of kick-off, the Blues are fourth in the Premier League table, two points ahead of Maresca’s former employers.

There’s a real opportunity for Chelsea to damage City’s top four hopes this weekend while simultaneously improving their own chances of playing Champions League football next term.

The visitors head into this game in better form too. They brought a five-match winless streak to an end in the Premier League last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Wolves. Trevoh Chalobah, back from a loan stint with Crystal Palace, impressed on Monday night. If he manages to keep tabs on two-time Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland, the decision to loan him for the first half of the campaign will look even more foolish.

City, meanwhile, have given up 2-0 leads in two of their last three matches across all competitions. Brentford salvaged a point against Guardiola’s side in the Premier League while Paris Saint-Germain scored four unanswered goals to claim a vital three points in the new-look Champions League format.

The Citizens did hammer Ipswich 6-0 but that points to them being more flat-track bullies than anything else. They have added reinforcements though in the shape of Omar Marmoush and he could play a part on Saturday. If he has an impact, he’d be an immediate fan favourite. He has the potential to reignite their failing campaign just days after arriving.

The Eagles and The Bees

Crystal Palace had a horrid start to the campaign but are now unbeaten in six. In fact, across their last 13 matches in all competitions, they’ve only suffered two defeats and both were against Arsenal.

Oliver Glasner has managed to turn things around the decision not to part ways with him during what was a difficult period is now looking like a clever one. A win for Palace this weekend would see them leapfrog Brentford, their opponents.

The Bees has been in freefall as of late. Since the start of December, they have won just two of their eight Premier League fixtures. They’ve lost on four occasions and are now just 12 points ahead of the relegation places. Earlier in the season, a push for a European finish looked to be on the cards.

Their downfall has been their away form. Thomas Frank’s side have taken just five points from a possible 30 on their travels. Only Southampton have picked up fewer points away from home. The Jeykll and Hyde nature of Brentford this season sees them sit third in the home form table and 19th in the away form.

Jean-Philippe Mateta is the dangerman in this game. He’s not scored as many as Bryan Mbeumo (13) or Yoan Wissa (11) but he’s netted four in his last three outings for Crystal Palace and he’s proving to be a difference-maker and a match-winner for them.

Pressure on Rúben Amorim?

It is safe to say Manchester United didn’t really get a new manager bounce after hiring Amorim. The Red Devils are 13th on 27 points from their 22 matches. They’ve had the odd good result – the draw at Anfield and the FA Cup penalty shootout win over Arsenal – but they’re regularly being beaten. Last time out, Brighton claimed a straightforward 3-1 win over their hosts at Old Trafford.

This weekend, they travel to Fulham.

There’s been no draw between these two sides in their last six meetings. United are without a clean sheet in 12 and are averaging just one point per game on the road. They have just two wins away from Old Trafford in the Premier League and face a Fulham side that has caused problems for a lot of teams this season.

Marco Silva’s side are in contention for a European finish this season if their good form continues and they’ll be hopeful that they’ll be able to make the most of United being consistently inconsistent.

(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.

Jan

2025

Yankuba Minteh: The ‘Gambian Messi’ on a steep trajectory at Brighton

When Yankuba Minteh gets going, it’s difficult to stop him. Manchester United found that out within minutes at Old Trafford last Sunday.

By Ben Bocsák

He burst into the penalty area with the Red Devils’ defenders trailing in his wake and thumped the ball into the back of the net to herald a dream start for Brighton at the ‘Theatre of Dreams.’

By scoring Minteh became the first Gambian player in history to score against Man United adding yet another accolade to what is already an accomplished career for the 20-year-old.

He’s the youngest Gambian to score in the Champions League, the youngest ever to appear in the Premier League and the youngest to appear in the African Cup of Nations.

Minteh has the potential to become one of the best Gambian players since the late Biri Biri, but it didn’t always seem that way.

As a youngster Minteh was labelled ‘The Gambian Messi’ in his homeland after his exploits with Steve Biko FC while playing in Gambia’s top flight.

Minteh attracted the attention of scouts, and he was given an opportunity to prove himself in Europe at Danish side, Odense, but initially he didn’t show enough to get the contract he craved.

“Yankuba came to a trial twice before we signed him. The first time in June 2021 he came for a month,” Ivan Poulsen, the club’s U19 coach explains to FotMob.

“At first, he came with another African player. Yankuba was a very fast player, rapidly fast. But after the first time we still doubted if he was good enough for our environment, so we asked to see him again,” Poulsen says.

In fact, at that time, Poulsen and his recruitment team saw more potential in Minteh’s compatriot:

“After the first trial we were more interested in the other African player, we thought he fit in better, and he was more mature. He seemed a better match.”

But Odense were willing to give Minteh a second chance six months after his initial trial period. He arrived at the club in February 2022, during a cold Danish winter.

“Before the second trial, we gave Yankuba some feedback, some things to work on his technical and his finishing skills and on his attitude,” Poulsen says.

“When he first came here his agent told us he was called the ‘Messi of Gambia’ so he thought he was Messi sometimes. We wanted him to be a bit more down to earth.

“But then he came back with a much-changed attitude, and he had worked on his finishing and technical skills. His first touch in particular he improved very well. After the second period, Minteh was the best player for us, and we decided to sign him.”

Initially, Minteh linked-up with Odense’s U19 team playing under Poulsen but it was immediately obvious he wouldn’t stay at that level for a long time.

“He was very determined to get to the first team,” Poulsen explains.

“After the first match in the U19 league, he scored within 37 minutes with a first time shot and then in the second match, he scored against Brøndby away.

“It was an incredible goal. He scored in a counterattack where he got the ball midway in our own half and he ran like Messi and Maradona past the whole Brøndby team dominating them and then he scored.”

With performances like that, Minteh’s determination to get into the first team would be quickly rewarded.

“After just two appearances we brought him to the first team because he was dominating so much in the U19 league,” Poulsen says.

And Minteh didn’t hesitate making an impact in the first team either.

“He scored the matchwinner on his debut in front of the fans in the last minute against FC København and he ran to celebrate with them,” Poulsen recalls.

“After that he was a fan favourite. He’s the kind of player who cheers with the fans, he gestures to the fans. That’s what the fans like, they like a player who has that liveliness.”

The rest is history, within months Minteh would be spotted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs. His path has taken him to Newcastle and Feyenoord before landing at Brighton in the Premier League.

In England, his start hasn’t been as impressive as in Denmark. After registering the assist for Brighton’s opening goal of the Premier League season, Minteh has been in and out of the side.

But he’s making positive impact. As per FotMob’s data he ranks in the 78.6 percentile for goals per 90 (0.37) and in the 71.8 percentile for assists per 90 (0.25).

He stands out with his ability on the ball completing 2.47 successful dribbles per 90 which ranks him in the 81.6 percentile.

*Minteh possession stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

And he is well-suited to Brighton’s counter-pressing game putting in his fair share of defensive duties, ranking in the 94.2 percentile for possession won in the opposition’s final third (1.36 per 90).

“He always gets in situations that is very dangerous for the opponents’ teams. They always had a hard time trying to contain him for a whole match,” Poulsen says.

“Defensively, because of his speed he is very good at capitalising on a mistake.’

A goal at Old Trafford was another important step in his development. He still has a long way to go but Poulsen predicts a bright future ahead.

“He’s such a lovely person. I think he has a huge career ahead of himself. He still visits us, and he said hello. He’s a special character and he lives life very much in his own way.

“His attitude and his personality will shine through. He will be himself. The Premier League is another level, so it’s exciting to follow him,” Poulsen concludes.

(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.

Jan

2025

David Moyes’ tactical tweaks already sowing signs of recovery at Everton

David Moyes has a big task on his hands if he’s to turn things around at Everton, but he’s managed to get off to a decent start in his second spell at the club. The returning manager has made slight tweaks to the team, already has a win under his belt, and is hoping for new arrivals before the end of January.

By James Nalton

The first half of Everton’s 3-2 win against Spurs last weekend was a good example from Moyes of how to get the most out of a limited squad at a club that in the past four seasons have not spent more on transfers that they have received — the only Premier League team with such numbers.

It has meant that when Everton do spend money or bring in new players, they need to make it count in the first team. That had not been the case so far this season, but was something Moyes got to work on straight away.

Everton’s most expensive signing of the summer was 23-year-old Jake O’Brien who cost around £17m from Lyon, but the towering Irish defender had not started in the Premier League prior to the Spurs game under Moyes.

O’Brien’s inclusion was not merely a gesture based on the fee spent. It was part of an attempt by Moyes to get the most from what he has to work with, and he adapted his formation to suit these players.

O’Brien was used in a dual role which was relatively straightforward, and when seen in action seemed like an obvious solution.

When Everton were in possession, O’Brien operated as a defensive right full-back and was exactly the kind of right-back you might expect a 6ft 6in defender to be.

When Everton were defending, he tucked in to form a back three to the right of central defender James Tarkowski and left-sided centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. As an added bonus, this additional height at the back is also very useful at set pieces.

“Quite often young centre-backs make their debuts playing at full-back,” Moyes said of O’Brien’s role.

“I did too, as a young player, and a lot of them do, so maybe he has to find his way a little bit.

“But we also tried to use his ability on the ball to help us build a little bit better — at times with four at the back and at times with three at the back.”

Moving on to look at the player who took up the right-back position alongside O’Brien in defence introduces another successful tweak made by Moyes — the addition of another summer signing, the on-loan Jesper Lindstrøm as an all-encompassing right-sided player.

As well as dropping into the full-back position to the right of O’Brien in defence, Lindstrøm also burst forward as a right winger in attack. The Dane played a part in the first and third Everton goals against Spurs, and was the best player on the pitch, receiving a standing ovation when subbed later in the second half. And it’s maybe no surprise the Spurs goals came once he was off the pitch.

All of this meant that, out of possession, Everton were in a 5-3-2 formation with Abdoulaye Doucouré often pushing up alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and a middle three of Iliman Ndiaye, Idrissa Gueye, and Orel Mangala.

Both Ndiaye and Mangala were summer signings, too, and Ndiaye has been Everton’s standout player this season. He’s been a clearly outstanding player in a bad team, and this slight tweak to the formation meant he was slightly more involved.

Being part of a midfield three in defence, with the support of left-back Vitalii Mykolenko behind him, meant Ndiaye was more central during transition moments rather than out wide.

His ability to keep the ball under pressure and also dribble out of tight situations was important, and the one-two he played with Gueye produced the space for him to drive forward and score the best of the five goals scored in that match.

These changes from Moyes were fairly simple but highly effective. They used the strengths of the existing players and got the best out of four of the new signings that arrived in the summer.

When Ndiaye and Lindstrøm were subbed in the second half, the standard dropped, but there was still a plan behind the changes.

Attacking full-back Nathan Patterson should be the ideal substitute on the right, coming on in place of O’Brien if Everton are chasing the game, or giving Lindstrom a rest if they are leading as was the case versus Spurs.

Ashley Young and Michael Keane came on to add experience in order to try to see the game out, but overall there is an obvious lack of quality depth in this Everton team, and Moyes wants to sign reinforcements in the January transfer window.

The news last week that the club has now resolved its profit and sustainability issues might give them a bit of leeway to sign a player or two.

“We definitely need to try and keep adding,” Moyes said after the Spurs game, reflecting his comments after his first game back in charge against Aston Villa when he said: “We’re desperately needing to add some quality in certain areas; mainly to create and craft goals and, it looks like at times, to finish as well.”

Moyes appears to have a clear idea of where his team’s strengths lie and where they need improvements, and is already pushing to make the most of those strengths while, he hopes, going some way to addressing those weaknesses in this transfer window.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Hoffenheim meet Spurs in early Europa League kick-off

The German Spurs face-off against the English Hoffenheim in the Europa League tonight, a stoppable force versus a highly movable object.

By Ian King

The race to the bottom

It’s Crisis Club vs Crisis Club in the Europa League. For both Hoffenheim and Tottenham Hotspur, the 2024/25 season has been a bit of a disaster. Indeed, Spurs supporters seeking solace from it all can take some from the fact that Hoffenheim have had just as bad a time of things as they have.

Spurs have won one in ten in the Premier League and have failed to win their last three in this tournament, too. Ironically, Hoffenheim’s 3-1 win at Holstein Kiel on Saturday ended a run of one win in ten Bundesliga games for them. Both are in 15th place in their respective divisions, but because there are two fewer teams in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim are only one above the relegation places.

History

These two have never met before. This is Hoffenheim’s fifth season in Europe, and they’ve met English clubs twice, both times in the Champions League. They’ve lost all four matches, to Liverpool in the qualifiers in 2017/18 and to Manchester City in the group stage the following season.

Spurs first played German opposition in two successive rounds of their run to the 1974 UEFA Cup final, beating FC Köln in the quarter-finals and Lokomotiv Leipzig in the semi-finals before losing to Feyenoord in the final. But more recently the news hasn’t been so good. They’ve lost their last four matches against German opposition, scoring three and conceding 14 (including seven in one match) to RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.

Key players

The key position for Spurs for this match may be in goal. Antonín Kinský is not registered for this competition, so it’s likely that Brandon Austin will make his second start for the club in that position. Hoffenheim are in a similar position, but Adam Hlozek scored two at Holstein Kiel on Saturday to make dealing with absentees a little easier for head coach Christian Ilzer.

Team News

The Spurs injury list is as long as ever, though Ben Davies has now returned, which should allow Archie Gray to move back into midfield. For Hoffenheim, Gift Orban arrived from Lyon for €9m earlier this month but is ineligible for this fixture. Otherwise, their injury list is as long as Tottenham’s is at the moment, and that’s saying something.

Prediction

This match may all come down to being a matter of priorities. Spurs have flatlined in the League but could be prioritising cups and have an eight-point buffer from the relegation places. Hoffenheim have no such insulation. Indeed, their win last weekend lifted them out of the Bundesliga relegation places. With two threadbare squads of players both looking over their shoulders at relegation, to which of these two will it matter more? I’ll go for Spurs, by 2-1, though this is in the full knowledge that seeing where their next win is coming from has been getting increasingly difficult of late.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Europa 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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Man United face Rangers in ‘Battle of Britain’ test

Once upon a time, this would have been a massive Champions League fixture, now, the two most successful league sides in Scotland and England face off in the Europa League on Thursday.

By Alex Roberts

Both sides are in the automatic qualification spots, sitting in seventh and eighth respectively, but that could change very quickly, with five other sides able to leapfrog both United and Rangers in the next round of fixtures.

Rúben Amorim hasn’t exactly set the world alight since replacing Erik ten Hag, and Philippe Clement is seemingly one game away from getting the sack at any given time. It’s not quite ‘El Sackio’, but it’s about as close as it gets.

Happy memories for Amad Diallo

Not even arguably Man United’s best player at the moment, Diallo spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Rangers, banging in three goals, and providing a single assist in his 13 games.

He’s come a long way since then and is almost single handedly dragging Man United out of a potential Premier League relegation battle. A sentence no one here at FotMob thought they would ever write.

Unfortunately for United, he was powerless to stop Brighton in their 3-1 defeat to the South Coast side over the weekend, but he is still their only real big game player at the moment, scoring a late hat-trick against Southampton, a winner against Man City, and an equaliser vs Liverpool. He’ll be wanting to do the same against his former loan club.

A much-needed goal scorer

Hamza Igamane is really starting to establish himself at Rangers. Having supplanted streaky striker Cyriel Dessers as Clement’s preferred option up top, he’s got eight goals in his last ten games across all competitions.

One of those goals came against Premier League opposition, the opener against former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglu and his struggling Tottenham side in their previous Europe League fixture.

He’s incredibly versatile, capable of playing anywhere across the frontline, but feels most comfortable as either a left-winger or a striker. If we were to compare him to anyone, it would be Marcus Rashford.

Onana, not again

After his most recent howler in the defeat to Brighton, André Onana has now made 10 errors leading to goals in his nearly two years at the club. In comparison, David de Gea made 17 over 12 years.

Given Altay Bayındır’s performance in their FA Cup third round win over Arsenal, Amorim has serious options should he decide to drop Onana. The Turkish international appears to be his preferred choice in domestic cup competitions, it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets a chance against Rangers too.

The world’s most prolific right-back

Ok, that might be a sweeping statement, but James Tavernier is an anomaly. While this season he’s not scoring like he used to, just three goals and seven assists in his 31 appearances, he is a massive asset for Rangers.

Deadly from almost every dead ball situation, the Rangers captain could cause some serious damage against Man United, who have a history of not being particularly solid from defensive set pieces.

United conceded a whopping 17 goals from set pieces, excluding penalties, in 2024 and they haven’t started 2025 particularly well either. Of course, that’s not all down to Amorim, but he hasn’t done much to change it.

Prediction

All those 60+ year-old pundits will be incredibly excited about a ‘Battle of Britian’, but in all honestly, they’re rarely a competition. Despite United’s poor form, we’re going to go with a 3-1 win for the English side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)