Page 25 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2025

Noni Madueke: Fitting the mould of the modern day winger

Relative to preseason expectations, Chelsea have had a solid season and seem to be in good position to finish in the top four.

By Mohamed Mohamed

This is powered by their impressive attack, as they rank third in goals scored in the Premier League, third in terms of expected goals (xG), and third in big chances. Between having a deep rotation of wingers and potential No. 10s, one of the best attacking duos in Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, and being clinical with their opportunities in transition, it’s helped Chelsea display some explosive performances over the course of the 2024/25 campaign.

An underrated contributor to Chelsea’s success has been Noni Madueke. Eight goals and assists in over 1000 PL minutes is a solid return, although it’s overshadowed to some extent by the numbers produced by Palmer and Jackson. The English winger has had an interesting career for someone who’s still 22. Despite being heralded as one of the biggest talents in the Eredivisie with PSV and getting a move to Chelsea a couple of years ago, injuries have meant that he’s yet to play more than 1500 league minutes in a single season for either club. This season is shaping up to be the first one where he cracks that threshold.

The appeal of Madueke is that he fits the mould of the modern-day touchline winger. He’s got an explosive first step which wide players need, as they often create from a standstill position, sometimes against a double team. This differentiates him from some of the previous wingers to have come in to the league from the Eredivisie. When isolated in 1v1s in the final third, he’ll try to blend stepovers and feints with his first step to catch defenders off guard, although the success in those attempts have decreased this season compared to previous ones. In deeper areas, he is aggressive at attacking space to put pressure on the opposition.

As a passer, Madueke shows some bright moments, but he’s more inconsistent in this area. He’s most comfortable with forward passes into the box or just outside of it for teammates making underlapping runs for potential cut-backs. That type of pass does carry some value as possible secondary assists, but on average they’re not as threatening compared to others. The touch on his crosses can be erratic, as evidenced from his success rate with crosses being in the 48^th percentile at 22%. Although he is willing to attempt crosses with his weaker right foot, and that in of itself is a positive, a similar story emerges. There are moments as well where you can perhaps question the decision making on eschewing potential high value passes near the box because of tunnel vision, whereas the best creators in the game have fewer and fewer instances of this.

*Madueke passing stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

What separates Madueke from other wingers who primarily operate near the touchline is that he shows promise with his forward movements. You’ll often see him try to work on the blindside of his fullback to catch them napping and find space in behind, whether it’s against a set defence or during transition opportunities. This can include quick in and outs where he pretends to move deeper and receive the ball before attempting to spring in behind into space. He’ll try to crash the far post in situations where the ball is on the opposite flank for a crossing opportunity. It’s not a coincidence that Madueke is averaging 9.14 touches in the penalty box, which is just under the 94^th percentile. Although it was later chaulked off for offside, the ‘goal’ he had versus Leicester was a good example of what Madueke could do off the ball, where he attacked the space around the penalty spot while his marker was caught flat footed.

In some ways, this off-ball work can be seen in Madueke’s shot chart this season. 43 of his 52 shots are from inside the box, which is a proportion you’d typically see from top off-ball technicians. That said, a good amount of those opportunities come from the wide right zone where it’s harder to generate goals. A lot of that is due to him constantly cutting inside and spamming low value shots. Something that helps accentuate his movement is he’s got some comfort with taking shots with his weaker right foot, which can lessen the time needed to get a shot off in the box. 18 of his 52 shots this season in the PL were taken with the right foot.

Madueke’s skill-set at this time is an interesting contrast of strengths and weaknesses. While he’s perhaps not an absolute elite dribbler, he’s a very good one when also accounting for his output in previous seasons, and is among the more aggressive progressive carriers in his position. He’s probably best off as a secondary or even tertiary playmaking option in the final third given his inconsistencies on crosses and blind spots during certain situations. Besides his dribbling, arguably the most interesting part of his game is his activity off the ball, both in attack and while aiding the press.

What Madueke brings to the table in terms of his hybrid on/off-ball game is a nice compliment to the other profiles among the Chelsea squad. Palmer is the creative engine of the team. Jadon Sancho helps with ball retention in the final third. Meanwhile, Jackson is the type of striker who is adept at making runs in behind versus high lines, while also providing some value with his ability to turn in deeper positions as an outlet. Those profiles together can lead to a cohesive unit, which has been on display at points throughout the first half of the season.

There is the rough outline of a future star level winger in Madueke. His directness both on and off the ball, along with decent passing instincts, assures that he’s got a high ceiling. The decision making in the final third needs improvement, but that could come with more minutes. Among the many transfer acquisitions Chelsea have made in recent years, Noni Madueke could turn out to be among the best in due time.

(Cover image 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.

Jan

2025

Analysis: Can Conceicao rescue Milan’s season after Fonseca’s sacking?

Italian giants Milan have made the final major coaching change of 2024, moving swiftly to replace Paulo Fonseca after their draw with Roma. The Rossoneri have had a very disappointing first half of the season, so Sérgio Conceição has a tough gig to handle in the new year.

By Neel Shelat

Currently languishing in eighth place with a 14-point deficit to the league leaders, Milan are on course for their lowest Serie A finish in a decade. While supporters were happy enough to see Stefano Pioli leave at the end of last season after feeling that the side stagnated under his management, they quickly realised that the threat of going backwards was just as real as the prospect of moving forward. The club looked set to appoint Julen Lopetegui as his successor, but they were forced to reconsider after vocal fan protests. Eventually, they settled on Paulo Fonseca.

In hindsight, neither of those picks looks great. Lopetegui has gone on to have a rocky time at West Ham United, while Fonseca was unable to build upon a precious few sparks of promise in the economic capital of Italy.

Fonseca’s failures in an uphill battle

As someone who evidently was not the board’s first choice, Fonseca had to prove himself from the get-go. However, he failed to win any of his first three competitive fixtures in charge of Milan. Worse yet, he already seemed to be having disagreements with star players such as Rafael Leão and Theo Hernández – an issue that would continue to undermine his spell at the club.

The bone of contention seemed to be their defensive work rate, which possibly forced the Portuguese coach’s hand in terms of his out-of-possession tactics. From the very beginning of his tenure, he did not set his side up to press but instead asked them to drop into a very compact mid block. However, their organisation was often suspect, giving opponents the opportunity to slice through them.

Given the fact that Pioli managed to fashion a decent press and solid block with pretty much the same squad, Fonseca cannot absolve himself of blame for Milan’s defensive issues. He has never been renowned for his out-of-possession tactics, though, so he could still have gotten away with this by excelling at what he does best.

However, the 51-year-old coach never seemed to get everything clicking in the way of attack either. He devised all sorts of systems and structures in possession, but his side often struggled to break down disciplined defensive blocks. Ultimately, they mostly ended up relying on the individual quality of their attacking stars to make the difference. Christian Pulisic’s stellar form was a huge boost early on in the season, but his drop-off significantly impacted the team’s output.

Piloli, for his part, had regularly relied on the dynamic left wing duo of Leão and Hernández to make a telling difference for Milan. As a result, he pretty much built the team around them, adjusting all other aspects to get the best out of the pair. Even though Leão still bailed the team out at times, Fonseca’s determination to impose his style on those players likely cost him further. The Portuguese tactician went as far as benching one of them in recent matches, but his attack only took a hit in those games as his replacement options were mostly teenagers such as Álex Jiménez, Francesco Camarda and Mattia Liberali.

With issues both in attack and defence as well as star players getting antagonised, the writing was quickly on the wall for Fonseca. His approach had many similarities with Pioli’s but he did a significantly worse job of putting everything together, so his position became untenable.

The job at hand for Conceição

After Fonseca’s failure, a change in approach appeared to be the only sensible option for Milan. The appointment of Sérgio Conceição suggests that is the direction they are taking.

The 50-year-old coach has been in the business for almost 15 years after the end of his playing career. He spent about half of that time in his most recent job at FC Porto, winning ten trophies including three league titles.

Throughout his seven seasons in charge of the Dragons, Conceição was almost exclusively wedded to the 4-4-2 formation or one of its variants. Defensive solidity was his top priority, as his side averaged less than one goal conceded per game in every single one of their league seasons under him and let in the fewest goals in all but two campaigns. Their approach in big games quite often involved defending with discipline and absorbing pressure, so he could well try to replicate that at Milan.

Although the Portuguese coach has never been renowned for his attacking tactics, he did get the best out of star forwards such as Mehdi Taremi and Luis Díaz at Porto. Leão and company should also have a good time under him as a more transitional and counterattacking approach will better suit them.

With the January transfer window now open, it will be interesting to see how much Milan invest to shape their squad according to Conceição’s liking. They could ideally do with additions in various departments, though a heavy mid-season investment is both unlikely and inadvisable. While the Rossoneri have options in central midfield, some more depth could be useful for what will likely be quite a demanding role. More quality at the heart of defence could also prove handy, as could reinforcement in the full back positoins.

Conceição’s contract reportedly includes a unilateral termination option for Milan at the end of the season, so he too will be expected to deliver results quickly. He is quite used to such pressure, so as long as he instils his trademark defensive solidity in this Milan side, they could yet spring a surprise in one of the cup competitions.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Seire A on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 19

Following Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Brentford on New Year’s Day, we have the first FotMob Team of the Week of 2025. It is, once again, dominated by Liverpool players with the Premier League leaders having three in the starting XI. But who made the cut alongside them and why?

By Sam McGuire

Goalkeeper: Christian Walton

The Ipswich Town shot-stopper put in a fine performance for the Tractor Boys as they beat title chasing Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road. The 29-year-old faced shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of 1.48 and made four saves as the Blues peppered the Walton’s goal looking for a way back into the game. Poor finishing alongside some good goalkeeping repelled Enzo Maresca’s side and earned Kieran McKenna’s men an important three points.

Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Alexander-Arnold isn’t letting the uncertainty surrounding his future impact his performances. Well, he certainly wasn’t against West Ham United anyway. The 26-year-old scored his first of the campaign. He also carved out three chances for the Reds as Arne Slot’s men ran riot in a 5-0 win. The No. 66 completed 87% of his passes, made nine ball recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels in what was a solid display, with and without the ball.

Centre-Back: Trevoh Chalobah

Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Southampton in a must-not-lose match for the Eagles. Imperative to that was Chalobah. The on-loan Chelsea defender scored the equaliser. He also completed 75% of his attempted passes, he won 100% of his dribbles, 100% of his tackles and bossed things in duels, winning 80% of his ground duels and 60% of his aerial duels.

Centre-Back: Manuel Akanji

Manchester City returned to winning ways against Leicester City with Akanji putting in a solid performance. The 29-year-old completed 97% of his passes. He was accurate with 75% of his attempted long passes, too. He also cleared an effort off the line, made four clearances in total and won 100% of his ground duels as the reigning champions kept a rare clean sheet.

Left-Back: Rayan Aït-Nouri

The 23-year-old set up two goals as Wolves claimed a draw with Spurs to keep themselves out of the relegation zone. Aït-Nouri was a star performer, carving out three chances on his way to those two assists. He completed 84% of his passes and finished with a 100% success rate in dribbles. He also won two of his three tackles and five of his seven ground duels on his way to an 8.8 FotMob rating.

Midfield: Mohamed Salah

Another matchday, another Team of the Week inclusion for Salah. It is almost a formality now that the Liverpool attacker will find himself in the FotMob Team of the Week. He has now made three appearances on the spin and eight in 18 matches. Against West Ham, he completed the most dribbles (three), created the most shots (four) and finished the game with three goal involvements to make it 30 for the season in the English top-flight.

Midfield: Mikel Merino

Merino got the nod ahead of Declan Rice as Arsenal made the trip to Brentford on New Year’s Day. The summer signing made the most of his opportunity in the starting XI, scoring the goal to put Mikel Arteta’s men in front. He also completed 80% of his passes, made seven ball recoveries and won six of his 11 duels before being replaced after 78 minutes.

Midfield: Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister followed up his 8.6-rated showing against Tottenham Hotspur with an 8.4-rated performance against West Ham. This time, the Argentine didn’t rack up assists. Instead, the 26-year-old was at his all-round best. He completed 89% of his passes, created three chances, won 75% of his tackles and involved himself in 12 duels.

Midfield: Gabriel Martinelli

A goal and four shots. Martinelli certainly stepped up for the Gunners in the absence of Bukayo Saka on Wednesday evening. The Brazilian attacker also created four chances as Arsenal overturned a 1-0 deficit to claim a 3-1 win against the Bees. He also pulled his weight without the ball too, winning 75% of his duels.

Forward: Liam Delap

Delap was the difference-maker as Ipswich claimed all three points against Chelsea. The former Manchester City youngster scored and assisted. He also won the penalty which he converted. Remarkably, he had five shots at Portman Road and attempted just eight passes. He was barely involved in the game but made it count when he was. It was a ruthless display from the 6’1″ centre-forward.

Forward: Ollie Watkins

Back in the starting XI for the first time in almost one month, Watkins staked a claim for a place in Unai Emery’s plans. He was only in the team because Jhon Durán was suspended but Watkins turned out to be the difference-maker for Aston Villa against Brighton, scoring and assisting in a 2-2 draw. He was heavily involved in final third action, taking six shots and creating four chances on his way to an 8.6 FotMob rating.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Arsenal targeting second in 2025 opener at Brentford

Arsenal’s Premier League campaign is back on track, but insofar as the title fight goes, that challenge may have already fallen by the wayside and a trip to Brentford to kick off 2025 might show why.

By Karl Matchett

Fortress Gtech

Up until recently, the Bees enjoyed a near-perfect home record at the Gtech Community Stadium. Thomas Frank’s side have been poor on the road, without a win all season, but on home soil they have been nothing short of excellent: seven wins from eight games up until they lost to Nottingham Forest in their most recent match. Given Forest sit second in the table, above even the Gunners, that’s nothing to be ashamed about and they’ll have every reason to hope they can trouble Arsenal too.

The Gunners’ own recent record at the stadium is impressive though; after being overwhelmed in 2021, with Brentford making their Premier League bow on a Friday night in front of super-noisy home fans and winning 2-0, Mikel Arteta’s team have since won 3-0, 1-0 and 1-0 across league and cup in the ground. At the Emirates it has also been almost all Arsenal’s way, so six in a row unbeaten against this opposition – and the promise of second place being theirs if they win – means the Gunners have both motivation and reason for optimism, even if their away form has wavered this term. Still, two wins and two draws on the road from the last four shows they’ve steadily improved there too – but eight points fewer than leaders Liverpool away from home is a big indicator of where they’ve fallen short.

Recent form

A big win at Crystal Palace and a narrow one over Ipswich mean Arsenal have second place in their own hands, given Man City’s ongoing decline and Chelsea’s Christmas hangover. A battle with Nottingham Forest was unexpected, but consistency and experience should see Arsenal win that battle over the longer term, with even a point enough to go second here.

As for the hosts, Brentford were on a very decent run up until mid-December, but Frank’s side looked to have run out of steam a little of late. Three straight defeats to Chelsea, Newcastle (League Cup) and Nottingham Forest were a tough run in fairness, and a stalemate at Brighton was a show of defensive resolve and a return to taking points.

Team news

The Bees’ fine winter form was all the more notable because of an ongoing injury crisis, which goalkeeper Mark Flekken looks to have joined. He’s among 11 possible absentees: Ethan Pinnock, Kristoffer Ajer and Sepp van den Berg are big defensive absences, but Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Thiago, Ben Mee and others could all be starters too.

The Gunners remain without Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka and Ben White but otherwise look strong.

Key player

Martin Ødegaard took four shots and created two chances against Ipswich but hasn’t been as electric since returning from injury. His team need the captain to shine again, given he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s top leagues for creativity. He’s overdue a goal.

Prediction

A noisy and enjoyable way to kick-start the league in 2025, with both teams going at each other and the goals flowing freely: 2-2.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

FotMob Profile: Rosenborg’s in-demand wonderkid Sverre Nypan

Sverre Nypan is set to be one of the most coveted players in the January transfer window. Almost every elite European side is said to be interested in him to some degree, and he has reportedly been touring some clubs’ facilities after the end of the Eliteserien season. So, we have taken a look at Nypan to understand what the hype is all about.

By Neel Shelat

Sverre Nypan has been breaking records ever since he made his professional debut. He started his first league match at the end of the 2022 season, becoming the youngest player to ever appear in an official fixture for Rosenborg at the age of 15 years and 322 days. He started to feature much more regularly last year with over 1,500 league minutes under his belt in 2023. The teenage midfielder scored his first goal that year, becoming his side’s youngest-ever scorer.

By then, Nypan was quite well-known to scouts all around the world, but he remained at Rosenborg as an international transfer would be impossible before he turned 18 years old. He went from strength to strength in the 2024 season, registering eight goals and six assists in the Eliteserien to firmly cement himself as the next big thing coming out of Norway.

Playing style and strengths

Although he has yet to play a competitive fixture after turning 18, Nypan has already proven himself to be quite a well-rounded midfielder at senior level. Starting on the left of midfield in Rosenborg’s 4-3-3 formation, he was one of the standouts in a team that finished fourth in the league.

Despite the fact that the youngster’s player radar might suggest that he is a very attack-minded midfielder, it is important to contextualise those numbers. Rosenborg had the third-highest possession average in the league this year, so their midfielders naturally saw much more of the ball and had less defending to do. So, while his defensive numbers may be low, Nypan isn’t necessarily weak defensively.

The most interesting thing to note in that radar is the discrepancy between the amount of touches Nypan gets and his attacking output. There is a simple explanation for this – he likes to position himself in pockets of space ahead of the ball to receive forward passes, after which he either quickly keeps the move ticking with a short pass or uses his exceptional close control to make his way past opponents into even more dangerous positions.

*Nypan possession stats per 90, Eliteserien 2024*

Nypan’s dribbling certainly is one of the most eye-catching aspects of his game, but the consistency of his attacking output might have impressed suitors even more. With 15 league goal involvements in 2024, he made the biggest attacking contribution is his side by some margin.

With the ball at his feet, Nypan showed good vision to pick out creative passes, especially infield. Since he tended to operate quite high up, he did not play too many incisive through balls but did slip in a good few clever short passes through tight spaces.

*Nypan passing stats per 90, Eliteserien 2024*

For all his quality on the ball, though, Nypan’s game really revolves around his outstanding spatial understanding and movement. As previously referenced, he does an excellent job of moving into pockets of space at the right time to receive the ball in the final third – both in central areas or by pulling out wider. He does similarly well with the ball in front of him by perfectly timing his runs into the box to consistently get on the end of quality chances.

While he has shown good control and composure with his right foot when it comes to finishing first-time chances, the teenager could yet improve his left to further add to his goal threat.

Going the other way, Nypan has seemingly worked on the defensive side of his game the most this year. Naturally, when he made his first start as a 15-year-old, he was not at the same physical level as everyone around him. Of course, he is not quite there even now having just turned 18, but his physique has certainly grown. While he is not the strongest in the air, he uses his body quite well to make a nuisance of himself in ground duels.

*Nypan defensive stats per 90, Eliteserien 2024*

Nypan is pretty disciplined and hard working in terms of executing his role out of possession too, so the defensive side of his game has to be considered good enough.

Where should Nypan go?

Nypan is reportedly spoilt for choice in terms of his next destination, but he will have to make a careful decision. Of course, he is not the first creative teenage midfield to star in Eliteserien as Martin Ødegaard did the same a decade ago, but his big move did not go so well.

The Rosenborg youngster must look to avoid making the same mistake by going to a side where he can continue to get a decent amount of game time in a role that suits him. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea – who are both said to be interested in him – do not currently use a 4-3-3 formation with a number eight role, but the advanced midfield roles in their systems could suit Nypan’s attacking strengths.

The biggest decision he will have to make will be choosing between immediately moving to one of Europe’s most elite clubs or going to a team just a tier below like Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa or Ajax – where he might get more time and a tad less pressure. Either way, Nypan is certainly one to watch in this transfer window.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the latest transfer news on FotMob by creating your own tailored feed in the Transfer Centre – you can even set up notifications for all the big confirmed moves at the clubs and in the leagues that you care about. Download the free app here.

Dec

2024

Preview: Chelsea look to round off the year in style at Ipswich

Winless in their last two Premier League games, perhaps Enzo Maresca was right regarding Chelsea’s title hopes. The West London club travel to East Anglia to face Kieran McKenna’s struggling Ipswich.

By Alex Roberts

Fulham earned their first win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League era on Boxing Day, with Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz both scoring late goals to cancel out Cole Palmer’s opener and leave Maresca visibly furious at full-time.

Ipswich’s luck wasn’t much better. Unsurprisingly losing to Arsenal, who leapfrogged Chelsea into second (now third following yesterday’s games), as their hopes of Premier league survival are dealt another major blow.

An audition for Liam Delap

The 21-year-old has been a standout performer for Ipswich since leaving Man City in the summer, scoring six goals and providing a single assist in his 16 Premier League appearances.

*Delap shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

His fine form has earned him some admirers amongst the more established sides, including Chelsea. Maresca’s side have had immense success from former City academy graduates in recent years, with Cole Palmer being the obvious archetype.

Delap hasn’t made a goal contribution since their 2-1 win over Tottenham, but he has every opportunity to steal the show against Chelsea.

Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles

The old adage sums up Chelsea’s season so far pretty well. Maresca’s side have no issues putting the ball in the back of the net, they’re the second highest scorers in the league, but they struggle to keep it out of their own.

Some of it could be put down to youthful exuberance, the West Londoners do have the youngest squad in the Premier League after all, but most of it is just straight up naivety.

Robert Sánchez has made three errors that have led to a goal this season, thankfully for Chelsea, Ipswich’s Arijanet Muric tops the charts with five.

Omari Hutchinson has a point to prove

The young playmaker will face his old club for the first time this season after being shipped out in the summer, feeding Chelsea’s need for ‘pure profit’ to help satiate PSR’s never-ending hunger.

Hutchinson, who played a key role in Ipswich’s promotion last season, has struggled to recapture that form since making the move permanent, scoring just one goal, and providing one assist in his 16 Premier League games.

Like many before him, Hutchinson will face Chelsea with a point to prove, and he will doubtless be intent on making them regret letting him go.

The cracks are starting to show

Chelsea’s immense squad depth is both a blessing and a curse for Maresca. While he has the ability to field entirely different teams for different competitions, keeping all the players happy is a full-time job in and of itself.

Not only that, but the Italian has to field multiple questions about why he decided against playing any one player at any one time. His press conference after the defeat to Fulham was no different.

Maresca has made just three substitutions in his last two Premier League games, is that a simple tactical decision or does he not trust his squad players? Only Maresca knows, but if it continues, players such as João Félix and Christopher Nkunku may come knowing on his door.

Prediction

A game against Ipswich is the perfect Christmas pallet cleanser for Chelsea after a frustrating couple of games. While McKenna’s side have had their moments, the visitors have too much firepower. We’re going to go with a 3-1 Chelsea 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.

Dec

2024

Preview: Newcastle visit Old Trafford looking for a fourth win on the bounce

Two games, two goals conceded directly from corners for Rúben Amorim’s side, as Manchester United’s baffling lack of a ‘new manager bounce’ continues. They head into their final game of 2024 against Newcastle on Monday with much to ponder.

By Alex Roberts

Amorim would have had an inkling about the situation at Old Trafford but it’s hard to imagine he knew it was this bad. Someone tell Sir Jim Ratcliffe that sacking dinner ladies and scrapping Christmas bonuses isn’t helping as they fall to 14^th following their 2-0 defeat to Wolves.

Newcastle United, on the other hand, are flying towards the Champions League spots, comprehensively beating fellow top four hopefuls Aston Villa 3-0 to go above them into fifth on Boxing Day. Yesterday’s results have since seen the Toon drop back down to seventh.

Bruno, Bruno, Bruno

United will be without their talismanic captain for the game against Newcastle after he was given a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Nelson Semedo in the defeat to Wolves.

Fernandes has been a standout for United since Amorim took over, making five goal contributions in the ten games across all competitions under his new manager, but his nasty side once again got the better of him.

His red card against Wolves was his second of United’s Premier League campaign, not the kind of disciplinary record you’d want your captain to have. Although, he’s no Roy Keane.

Isak’s on fire, your defence is terrified

Alexander Isak might be the best Scandinavian striker in the Premier League after all. With seven goals from his last five games and 11 in the league altogether, he’s catching up to Erling Haaland.

The Swede used his feet rather than his suede to double Newcastle’s lead in the win over Villa, timing his run perfectly to tap Jacob Murphy’s low cross past Emiliano Martínez.

Man United’s defensive frailties are clear having conceded nine goals in their last three league games. At least Isak doesn’t take corners.

How to solve a problem like Maguire

Speaking of defensive frailties, Harry Maguire isn’t one of them and with Fernandes suspended, he could wear the armband once again. The big centre-back was the best of a bad bunch against Wolves, ending the game having won 100% of his tackles, made 12 defensive actions, and won 2/3 of his ground duels.

Amorim’s 3-4-3 system requires a rock at the centre of his three-man back line, Sebastián Cortes was once his guy at Sporting, and Maguire appears to have stepped up at United.

There was a few rocky moments in the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, but he could hardly be blamed for the loss. With positives few and far between for Amorim, Maguire’s redemption arc would be a huge feather in his cap.

Newcastle United: Reinvented

Anthony Gordon cited a ‘mindset shift’ for Newcastle’s impressive uptake in form that has seen them win their last three Premier League games, having previously gone four without a victory.

The rivalry between Newcastle and Man United can trace it’s origin all the way back to the 90s, with memories of Kevin Keegan scream “I would love it!” still fresh in the memories of both sets of fans.

Newcastle lost out the last time these two faced off, falling to a 3-2 defeat at the end of last season. There has been a seismic shift since then, not just in the mind, but on the pitch.

Prediction

The Manchester derby suddenly feels like a long time ago as Man United continue to struggle. It’s hard to see anything other than a win for Newcastle here, we’re going to go with 2-0 to the visitors.

(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.

Dec

2024

The Etihad Campus should fuel any rebuild at Man City

Manchester City’s demise this season couldn’t have been more stark. Since the start of November, only Southampton have won fewer points in the Premier League than the defending champions. City have won just one of their last 13 games in all competitions and have lost six of the last nine in the league. Far from being title frontrunners, they’re in relegation form.

By Graham Ruthven

It’s now clear that Manchester City have reached the end of a cycle with a rebuild required. Countless theories have been put forward to explain such a dramatic drop-off, but most agree the ageing profile of City’s squad has been a factor. Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker, for example, are all over the age of 30.

City must get younger to once again handle Pep Guardiola’s high-risk, high-energy approach. It’s just as well then that the Etihad Stadium club boasts one of the most productive academy systems in English football. The grassroots could help Manchester City grow their next great team.

The examples of City academy graduates succeeding at the elite level are plentiful. Cole Palmer has exploded since leaving the Etihad Stadium for Chelsea, registering an incredible 34 goals and 17 assists in just 51 league appearances. Guardiola surely regrets letting Palmer leave even if the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) were a consideration in the sale.

Michael Olise was once part of the Manchester City academy, but departed to find first team football at Reading before moving on to Crystal Palace. Now at Bayern Munich, the 23-year-old is a French international and considered one of the best, most productive wide attackers in the Bundesliga.

Liam Delap left City permanently for Ipswich Town in the summer and has since proved himself as one of the best young strikers in the Premier League, scoring six goals in 16 games for The Tractor Boys. Then there’s Morgan Rogers who exited City last year and is now Aston Villa’s creator-in-chief and an England international.

Roméo Lavia, Brahim Díaz, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tosin Adarabioyo and Jamie Gittens all learned their trade on the training pitches at the Manchester City academy with Jadon Sancho another notable graduate. After losing his way at Manchester United, the winger is now flourishing at Chelsea.

All of these academy graduates would improve the current Manchester City squad which has been depleted by injuries this season. There is no way for City to correct past mistakes (although they may have buy-back clauses on some of their former academy players), but it’s important they learn lessons from them.

Guardiola has demonstrated more of a willingness to integrate academy talent over the last two seasons. Rico Lewis has started 14 league matches for Manchester City this term while Oscar Bobb was set for an important role before suffering a leg injury that has sidelined him for the past four months.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is another homegrown youngster who has been given an opportunity in the first team this season, as is James McAtee. Guardiola’s hand might have been forced by injuries, but the imprint of Manchester City’s academy on the first team has been clearer than in past seasons.

Guardiola has spoken of his wariness in throwing inexperienced youngsters into City’s current situation. “In the period we have, I’m going to make it the responsibility of the senior players,” said the 53-year-old, but he must also recognise the need to anchor his team with the academy set-up.

In the PSR age, City’s academy could be a real advantage to them. It has already has been, but only as a method to balance the books and facilitate more expensive transfers. Palmer, for example, was sold to Chelsea for £45m in the same window that Joško Gvardiol arrived from RB Leipzig for £77m.

Many times, though, the players City have let go have been better than the ones they have signed. Palmer clearly should have been part of the succession planning for the phasing out of de Bruyne and Silva. Delap should still be at the Etihad Stadium learning from Haaland and giving Guardiola a rotational option in the centre forward position. Harwood-Bellis would have eased the recent injury crisis in defence.

“We are building a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars,” reads a quote from Sheikh Mansour on the wall of the reception area at the Etihad Campus, underlining Manchester City’s commitment to creating the next generation, not just buying it. The facilities are also an indication of this intent.

Now, however, it’s time for City to make good on that promise. It would be unrealistic to expect the club to unearth its own ‘Class of ’92,’ but Guardiola must evolve his team to compete for the biggest trophies in English and European football again and the academy could help him achieve this.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Leaders Liverpool go to West Ham

Flying clear at the top of the Premier League, Liverpool seem to have everything positive going their way heading into the new year.

By Karl Matchett

One last challenge for 2024 remains, though; one last test of Arne Slot’s side – and in West Ham United that’s a much tougher game than it might have seemed even a month ago.

Skewed history

Once in the Premier League past, this might have been seen as a fairly close-call fixture. From 1994 to 2000, from 13 top-flight meetings the Reds won four, five were draws and the Hammers claimed the other four. Of late, that isn’t quite the same: of the last 17 in all competitions, Liverpool have won 14. Jürgen Klopp definitely had the edge over David Moyes – as well as Slaven Bilić and Manuel Pellegrini – and earlier this term, Arne Slot continued the recent tradition with a 5-1 League Cup win over Julen Lopetegui. It was looking bleak for the Spaniard for a period after that, but much has changed.

West Ham’s uptick

The aforementioned cup defeat came in a run of one win in seven and Lopetegui was linked with a swift departure more than once. But a corner appears to have been turned: it’s just two defeats in eight now and West Ham are undefeated in four. Eight points in that run has lifted them to 13th, above Manchester United and only six points off Newcastle in fifth – the margins remain fine, but they’re in the upper-mid-table group for sure.

That improvement will give Slot pause for thought and he’ll know this is a different team to the one Liverpool trounced in September. Still, his own team haven’t lost since that same month and the league leaders have put together back-to-back wins around Christmas after successive draws beforehand. In all competitions it’s 11 wins in the last 13 and they hold a six-point advantage at the top.

Team news

Goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański is out due to concussion protocols and Tomáš Souček is suspended. Michail Antonio is out for the foreseeable future and Max Kilman is a doubt for West Ham. For Liverpool, Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended and Ibrahima Konaté remains injured. Conor Bradley is the only other expected absentee for the Reds.

Key player

Cody Gakpo’s form has been immense on the other flank and he’d be our choice – but there’s an amount of rotation to consider and Luis Díaz didn’t play against Leicester so that might be one swap. It’s Curtis Jones therefore who could dictate Liverpool’s fortunes here; he scored on Boxing Day and will be the No. 10 again with Szoboszlai suspended. On a per 90 basis Jones ranks 91st percentile for xGOT, 97th for passes, 98th for dribble success and 100th – the best of all in his role – for pass accuracy. He’s the team’s press monster, instigates play from deep and has great movement around the box.

Prediction

Could be a bit of a slog, given the Hammers’ recent upturn and the rapid turnaround between winter fixtures, but an away win all the same: West Ham 1-2 Liverpool.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: City travel to Leicester for Guardiola’s 500th game in charge

Manchester City may be on a bad run of form at the moment, but Leicester City are in the bottom three. Who shall yield?

By Ian King

City’s notoriously bad run

Manchester City were as insipid as they have been at any stage over the last two months on Boxing Day, extending their bad run to one win in thirteen. A slide is gathering pace. One point and goal difference separate them from 9th place. They’re as far from Liverpool (1st) as they are from Crystal Palace (16th).

Leicester, meanwhile, don’t appear to have appreciably improved under Ruud van Nistelrooy, with their defence an ongoing issue. They’ve only kept one clean sheet all season, and that was at the start of October. Defeat in the fog at Liverpool on Boxing Night was their third in a row, with ten goals conceded.

Pointers from history

Leicester’s 3-1 win at Manchester City in February 2016 really sent out the message that the eventual fairytale champions really had a head of steam building up. But recent form has been patchier. Leicester’s last win against them came in the 2021 Community Shield at Wembley. Manchester City have won all four of their meetings since.

Key players

Questions are starting to be asked of Erling Haaland, who’s scored just four goals throughout this thirteen game run. He’s missed half as many penalties as he’s scored, and while much has been made of the loss of Rodri since his season-ending injury, it has felt at times as though Haaland has been just as absent, and he’s been on the pitch. Is it merely a supply issue? Is it fatigue? Something isn’t going according to plan.

For Leicester, the key question is how much more can they wring out of Jamie Vardy, who’s now a fortnight off his 38th birthday yet still playing with the energy of a man who runs on pure taurine alone. With six League goals already this season but with Leicester’s defence one of the division’s most porous, they need him fit and scoring more than ever.

Team News

Manchester City carry the same long-term losses, though there were no fresh injuries from the Everton match. Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker missed that one and may return, as could Kevin de Bruyne from the start. Jamie Vardy should return for Leicester after missing their trip to Anfield. Facundo Buonanotte and Harry Winks may also return.

Prediction

There’s been little to suggest that Leicester have been significantly revitalised by their new manager yet, despite taking the lead at Anfield and holding it until first half stoppage-time. But for Manchester City, this remains a test. Throughout their recent poor run, there’s been an expectation that they’ll just click back into gear and all this will be forgotten, but there have been few signs of this yet, and it’s starting to feel as though the rot may run deeper than injuries alone. We’ve been waiting for them to bottom out, but it hasn’t come yet. In the expectation that this can’t go on forever, I’m going City to nick this 2-1, giving Pep Guardiola a win on what is the occasion of the his 500th game in charge of the club.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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