Page 26 – The Pulse of Football

Dec

2024

Premier League Preview, Matchday 19

As Davina McCall used to say when presenting Big Brother in the UK: “Do you fancy another one?”.

Matchday 18 has only just come to an end yet matchday 19 is already upon us. The Boxing Day round of fixtures did not disappoint. The games on the 27th were a little underwhelming.

Still, the fixtures across the New Year period have the potential to deliver at both ends of the table. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at what’s ahead.

Manchester City’s freefall continues

Across the last five Premier League matches, Leicester have as many wins as Manchester City do. Both teams have won one match during this period. They face off at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The champions could only draw against Everton on Boxing Day. They couldn’t hold onto an early lead, courtesy of Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland missed a second half penalty as the hosts had to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola‘s side are 14 points off the top having played a game more.

The Foxes have lost three on the bounce after a bright start under Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The former Manchester United assistant claimed four points across his opening two fixtures in charge but things haven’t gone to plan since. They’ve conceded 10 in those three defeats and scored just a single goal, that arrived against Liverpool in a 3-1 loss at Anfield on Thursday night.

A win against the struggling champions would, momentarily at least, lift them out of the drop zone.

A Hammer blow for Liverpool?

West Ham have managed to turn things around recently. Julen Lopetegui‘s side are unbeaten in four and have taken eight points in these matches.

They take on league leaders Liverpool on Sunday evening, but they’ll be without a host of players.

Tomáš Souček and Guido Rodríguez are suspended, Łukasz Fabiański, Carlos Soler, Max Kilman and Michail Antonio are missing through injury.

Liverpool are also without a few players. Ibrahima Konaté and Conor Bradley are missing with injuries sustained in the win over Real Madrid over a month ago while Dominik Szoboszlai picked up his fifth booking against Leicester City after coming off of the bench.

The Reds can still name a fairly strong XI though and currently possess the best player in the world in Mohamed Salah. The 32-year-old has 27 goal involvements in 17 matches this term. He had a decent record against the Hammers too, scoring 10 and assisting three. However, he’s scored just once in his last six outings against this weekend’s opposition.

Is his poor run of form against West Ham going to continue or is he going to make it 11 consecutive matches in the Premier League with at least one goal involvement?

The Alexander Isak show rolls on

Newcastle United travel to Old Trafford on Monday evening looking to make it four wins on the bounce in the Premier League.

The Magpies are in fine form right now. They have scored 11 and conceded zero goals during this climb up the table.

Key to this has been Alexander Isak. The Sweden international has nine goals in his last five appearances and his tally for the campaign now stands at 11 in 16.

Only Cole Palmer (12), Erling Haaland (13) and Mohamed Salah (16) have more goals.

The 25-year-old will fancy his chances of adding to his total against the Red Devils. Rúben Amorim‘s men have lost three on the bounce across all competitions following their 2-1 win over Manchester City in the derby.

They have failed to score in their last two outings and are currently in 14th place in the Premier League, just eight points clear of the relegation zone.

The hosts will be without their skipper for the game too following Bruno Fernandes‘ dismissal against Wolves on Boxing Day.

How brittle are Arsenal?

Following Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Ipswich Town, a result that lifted them into second position, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka would miss a minimum of two months following surgery on a hamstring injury.

The Gunners struggled without Martin Ødegaard earlier in the season. How are they going to cope without their best player?

Saka is the only Arsenal player into double figures for goals and assists (15).

They’re up against tough opposition on New Year’s Day as they travel to Brentford.

The Bees have the joint best home record in the Premier League having taken 22 points from a possible 27 on offer.

They’re not in the best form having lost three of the last five in the English top flight, including a loss at home to Nottingham Forest, but it is still a tricky fixture for the Gunners.

Especially when you consider they don’t travel too well. Arteta’s side have only won four of their nine away matches, conceded 10 in nine too.

It’ll be interesting to see the type of performance the visitors put in without their No. 7.

(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.

Dec

2024

Premier League Team of the Week: Boxing Day Matchday 18

Once again, we have a fairly varied FotMob Team of the Week with seven teams represented in the starting XI. Who made the cut though and why did their performance justify a place in the team?

By Sam McGuire

Goalkeeper: José Sá

Sá put in an impressive showing between the sticks for Wolves in their Boxing Day win over Manchester United. The 31-year-old shot-stopper made four saves and faced efforts with an xG on target value of 1.06. he played his part in Vítor Pereira‘s side keeping yet another clean sheet as they climbed out of the relegation zone.

Right-Back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The West Ham right-back was brilliant during the 1-0 win over Southampton. He completed 81% of his passes, created three chances, one of which was a big chance, as well as completing the most dribbles (three) of anyone in the match. The former United full-back also won 100% of his tackles and 100% of his ground duels, but that is expected given he’s renown for his defensive dominance.

Centre-Back: Dean Huijsen

This feature could soon be renamed Huijsen and friends. The Bournemouth centre-back is once again included in the FotMob XI following yet another impressive performance for the Cherries, this time against Brentford.

He completed the most passes (71) and found a teammate with 93% of his attempts, the highest success rate of anyone on the pirch. He won the most tackles (five) and the most duels (11).

Centre-Back: Murillo

The Nottingham Forest centre-back played his part in the 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. It was a win that kept them in the top four of the Premier League. Murillo made the most tackles (four), won six of his nine ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels at the Forest Ground. He also completed 100% of his dribbles and made a total of 10 clearances.

Left-Back: Miles Lewis-Skelly

Arsenal started their match against Ipswich Town with four senior left-back options on the bench. Mikel Arteta instead put his faith in 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly. And he was vindicated. The teenager earned an 8.1 rating and the Emirates, the joint highest of the match. He completed a remarkable 98% of his passes and created two chances. He also completed two of his three dribbles and won two of his three tackles as well as eight of his nine ground duels.

Midfield: Alexis Mac Allister

The Liverpool midfielder claimed two assists as the league leaders came from behind to beat Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day. He also completed 90% of his passes on the night and involved himself in 17 duels in what was a fairly dominant showing, with and without the ball.

Midfield: Joelinton

A goal, an assist and a yellow card for Joelinton. He was at his brilliant best against Aston Villa as Newcastle romped to a 3-0 victory to move into fifth place in the Premier League. The Brazilian completed 94% of his passes and had five shots. He made five recoveries and two interceptions, and won 75% of his aerial duels.

Attack: Mohamed Salah

Salah’s appearance in the FotMob Team of the Week is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence, isn’t it? The Premier League’s leading scorer added to his tally against Leicester City to take his haul to 16 for the campaign. He also created two chances at Anfield and completed two of his three attempted dribbles.

Attack: Matheus Cunha

This is shaping up to be Cunha’s best ever season as a professional footballer. His goal against Manchester United, straight from a corner, was his 10th of the season. At the rate he’s going at, he’ll soon eclipse the 14 he finished last season with. He also claimed an assist against the Red Devils while completing the most dribbles (four) and winning the most fouls (five) in yet another eye-catching performance.

Attack: Cody Gakpo

Gakpo had big boots to fill having replaced Luis Díaz after his impressive showing against Spurs. The Dutchman delivered. The 25-year-old scored and had another ruled out. He also assisted the Salah goal, created two chances and found a teammate with 92% of his attempted passes. The left-winger completed 100% of his dribbles and was a nuisance for the Foxes throughout.

Attack: Alexander Isak

Another match, another goal for Isak. He’s now scored nine in his last five Premier League outings for Newcastle following his strike against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. It was an all-round impressive showing from the Swede as he had four shots and created four chances at St James’ Park. He also attempted five dribbles on a day he put on a clinic for a modern day centre forward.

(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.

Dec

2024

Cody Gakpo is becoming the success story everyone knew he could be under Arne Slot

With Arne Slot officially announced as new Liverpool head coach in May, there was plenty of time before his work formally got underway to predict who would benefit most from working with the man from Zwolle.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

A major factor in the club’s decision to bring him to Merseyside from Feyenoord was his ability to coax the best out of the players already at his disposal, in a system similar to that used by Jürgen Klopp, but there would always be players better suited to his vision than others.

Chief among those was Cody Gakpo – a player Slot was familiar with not only from watching the Dutch national team, but also from their brushes with each other in the Eredivisie.

Gakpo came up against Slot’s sides on four occasions while at PSV Eindhoven – once against AZ Alkmaar and then three times against Feyenoord – and the latter two of those meetings showed his sheer power as a devastating left winger.

He scored both goals for PSV in a 2-2 draw at the back end of the 2021/22 season, before scoring one and assisting the other three in a 4-3 victory early into 2022/23.

A stunning display in the latter came during a phenomenal first half of the campaign that preceded his £37 million move to Liverpool, shining under Ruud van Nistelrooy as he scored 13 and assisted 17 in 24 games – a goal or assist every 65.3 minutes – before three more goals in five games for the Netherlands at the winter World Cup in Qatar.

It was clear from his displays at PSV that Gakpo was an elite-level prospect on the left wing, but he found himself a utility man under Klopp; he played up front 49 times, in midfield for seven games, on the right wing for another seven and in his natural role only 14 times.

There should have been no surprise that his output dropped, with 23 goals and nine assists in 79 appearances – a goal or assist every 153.1 minutes – for Klopp, who himself admitted his mistake in relying upon the tall, dominant attacker as an emergency midfielder.

“I went to speak to Ruud just after [Gakpo] first got to Liverpool and he was struggling a little bit,” Gary Neville recalled on an episode of Stick to Football back in July.

“And I said to him ‘what about Gakpo?’, because obviously United were looking at him.

“He said ‘he’s a left winger, that’s it’. So when Klopp was playing him like false nine or centre-forward or a bit deeper in midfield at times, Ruud said he had him there at PSV and was absolutely a left winger.”

Who were we to judge the tactical acumen of Jürgen Klopp, one of the most successful and revered managers in modern footballing history – and certainly at Liverpool – but the use and performances of Gakpo since Slot took the reins underlines the flaw in Klopp’s approach.

Speaking in August, Gakpo confirmed: “I spoke to [Slot] and obviously he sees me as a left winger.” The 46-year-old, once again Van Nistelrooy’s adversary after his arrival at Leicester, firmly agrees with the former Man United striker.

It is not hard to see why, either, with Gakpo playing almost exclusively as a left winger in his 26 appearances for Slot so far, resulting in 10 goals and four assists – averaging a direct goal contribution every 97.6 minutes.

“I think the main difference maybe is that the setup from the front three was a bit different [under Klopp] than the setup now,” Slot explained after his No. 18 scored one and assisted another in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Leicester on Boxing Day.

“We expect a bit more from our wingers, to keep it wide, to try to get them in one-vs-one situations. Cody has done this really well.”

Slot’s wingers – namely Gakpo, Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah – have been directly responsible for 40 of Liverpool’s 63 goals so far this season (63.5%) compared to 54 of 142 goals in Klopp’s final campaign in charge (38%).

While there are a number of factors behind this, not least the irrepressible form of Salah as his contract nears its expiry, it is evident that a change of emphasis towards attacking from the flanks has benefited those regulars out wide.

Under Klopp in both 2022/23 and 2023/24 there was a focus on funnelling chances towards the centre-forward, with the £85 million signing of Darwin Núñez demanding the manager change his system to accommodate his new No. 9 – and to his credit, Núñez netted 18 times in Klopp’s final season, as Liverpool’s second-top scorer.

But a change in the dugout has brought a welcome refresh in the final third, with the Reds moving closer to the setup that made them one of the most devastating attacking side sides in Europe at their peak under Klopp.

*Gakpo shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

With a deep-dropping, selfless No. 9 – formerly Roberto Firmino, now most effectively Díaz or Diogo Jota – there was and now is more opportunity for those out wide to flourish.

And knowing that Liverpool boast Arjen Robben on steroids on their books, with an ability to cut inside on his right foot and blast in from range with regularity despite it being the most predictable move in his locker, that has been one of Slot’s early masterstrokes.

It is certainly a credit to Gakpo himself, but also of a coach who shows a clearer understanding of the player Liverpool signed at the start of 2023.

As for all his obvious merits, Klopp’s persistence with Núñez as his focal point saw him overlook the talents hidden in plain sight.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

Jesus Navas Superstar

The time has come again. Millions of people across the globe have gathered with their loved ones to give gifts, indulge, and commemorate the birth of a mysterious carpenter. In the city of Seville, however, they have been celebrating two Jesuses this year.

By Alex Roberts

Jesús Navas has called it quits on his long an illustrious career at the ripe old age of 39. He leaves the game a Bonafide Sevilla legend, helping his boyhood club win four Europa Leagues, two Copa del Reys, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Spanish Super Cup.

Born in Los Palacios, 15 minutes south of Seville, a small skinny boy first walked into Sevilla’s training ground in 2000, dreaming of simply being good enough to represent the club he loves. The stadium in that very same facility is named after him now.

He made his debut in November 2003, two days after his 19^th birthday, in a 1-0 defeat to Espanyol in LaLiga. He may not have won the game for Sevilla in the end, but his immense talent was clearly evident.

Sevilla hadn’t won a trophy in 50 years at that point and the club were in danger of falling into further irrelevance. By the time Navas left, he had played the second most games in the club’s history, with 393, 27 behind Juan Arza Iñigo in first with 419, and emphatically ended their trophy drought.

The winger had scored in a Copa del Rey final and won two UEFA Cups, the competition that Sevilla would soon become synonymous with. Unfortunately, their success on the pitch didn’t translate to success off it.

Chelsea courted him back in 2006, but he couldn’t bear to leave his beloved Sevilla, turning them down, citing anxiety attacks due to homesickness as the reason.

In the most romantic version of this story, Navas would have spent his entire career at Sevilla, but modern football has no time for such things. In 2013, ten years after making his debut, the club were in dire financial straits, and he reluctantly accepted a move away to help.

Man City came calling and Navas made the move from sunny Seville to not so sunny Manchester. The Premier League club’s vast wealth helped keep the lights on at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium but at the cost of the club’s very soul.

Navas enjoyed his time in Manchester, adapting his game and becoming a wing-back after initially struggling to contend with the more physical Premier League defenders. He would go on to become a key player for Manuel Pellegrini, winning his first league title, along with two League Cups.

Three years flew by before Pellegrini was eventually replaced by Pep Guardiola. The legendary coach persisted with Navas for a season, but he soon become surplus to requirements when Kyle Walker was signed from Tottenham in the summer of 2017.

The Spaniard left City as a free agent with 183 appearances, eight goals, and 35 assists under his belt. He may not have been prolific in front of goal, but his industry and never-say-die attitude endeared him to the Etihad faithful.

As soon as he left, Navas had his heart and mind set on a return to Sevilla and to his city. It finally materialised on August 1^st, 2017, signing a four-year deal, and he hasn’t looked back since.

As age caught up with him, things got harder for Navas. He has an arthritic hip that causes him pain whenever he plays, trains, or even walks. Still, he played through it, sacrificing his body for the club he loves.

By the end of his first season back, he had overtaken Iñigo to become the club’s record appearance maker, helping them secure a Europa League spot and a place in the Copa del Rey final, which they ultimately lost 5-0 to Barcelona, all done under three separate managers.

The next season was relatively successful too. Sevilla made it to the business end of Spain’s domestic cups, once again falling to Barcelona in a cup final, although this time it was 2-1 in the Supercopa de España.

Navas would go on to captain Sevilla to three consecutive top four finishes, securing Champions League football and much-needed funds under Julen Lopetegui but the proverbial cherry on top of the cake came in the form of the 2022-23 Europa League trophy.

Sevilla didn’t have an easy run to the final, they would have to beat PSV, Fenerbahce, Man United, and Juventus before facing José Mourinho’s Roma in Budapest.

The Italians took the lead in the 35^th-minute through Paulo Dybala before a Gianluca Mancini own-goal levelled things up. Full-time came and went, so did extra-time, the final would have to be decided by penalties.

What followed was arguably the worst set of spot-kicks from a single side in a major European final. Roma missed two penalties, and it ended 4-1 to Sevilla, earning them a record seventh title, with Navas being named the Player of the Tournament.

From the highest of highs come the lowest of lows, and things have soured at Sevilla since their last Europa League win. Lopetegui was sacked in October 2022, and the club have finished 12^th and 14^th in the two seasons since.

Losing their most successful player is the latest in a long line of blows for Sevilla, but it was the right thing to do.

Few opposition players have received a standing ovation from the home support at the Santiago Bernabéu and now Navas can count himself alongside the likes of Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona.

Navas left the pitch in tears, not because Sevilla had lost 4-2, but because it was the end. Long live the second most successful Jesus in Spanish history.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga on FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Dec

2024

Analysis: LaLiga promises an open three-way title race in 2025

Three points separate La Liga’s top three as we end the calendar year, so we are sure to get an exciting title race in the second half of the season. Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona all have their issues, making them quite closely matched so far.

By Neel Shelat

Atlético Madrid’s smash-and-grab win over Barcelona this weekend saw them jump to the top of La Liga’s standings for the first time this season, while neighbours Real Madrid followed them into second place with a win over Sevilla. With these results, the last round of fixtures in 2024 has set us up very nicely for a thrilling title race between the usual suspects.

Atlético Madrid: Defence still Simeone’s key to success

Atlético Madrid’s summer transfer business was quite eye-catching. They spent big on a couple of star attackers, underscoring a shift in approach away from the typically dogged and defensive Diego Simeone side. The challenge for the Argentine tactician then became to find the right formula to get the best out of a top-heavy side.

Initially, Atléti faced various problems. Simeone started the season with a back three formation, though he was reluctant to put Antoine Griezmann, Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth all in the same starting line-up. Perhaps due to the new additions, the attack didn’t quite click immediately, but the breaking point probably came at the other end.

Los Colchoneros seemed to forsake their defensive department amidst their heavy attacking spending, especially leaving it thin in terms of quality. They no longer had absolute rocks at the back, so a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Benfica in the Champions League caused Simeone to switch his approach. After a bit of experimenting, he reverted to a good old-fashioned 4-4-2 and has stuck to it since.

By choosing to drop into a solid low block out of possession, Atléti have managed to shore up their defence. They have conceded the fewest goals and lowest xG tally in La Liga so far and certainly look like the best defensive side in the division.

As for the attack, Simeone has found an interesting formula whereby Griezmann and Alvarez start most matches in the front two, while Sørloth makes an impact off the bench. The Norwegian striker has not started a league game in over two months but has scored five of his eight goals in that period, including three game-winners. In fact, Atlético’s substitutes have registered 22 goal involvements in the league between them this season – a figure more than 11 teams’ total goal tallies!

After winning just four of nine LaLiga and Champions League matches in which they started with a back three, Atlético are on a 12-match winning streak right now. Clearly, Simeone has found the right formula for this side.

Real Madrid: Los Blancos finally firing?

Defending champions Real Madrid might have been expected to improve even further following the arrival of Kylian Mbappé, but that has not proven to be the case. They long struggled to get their rejigged attack to click, while existing defensive issues were exacerbated in the tighter matches.

Finding the right role for Mbappé has been one of their biggest challenges as the French forward is not an out-and-out striker but cannot be shifted too far out to the left to ensure Vinícius Júnior remains unhindered. With both of their biggest superstars favouring the left side, Los Blancos have also become a little too unidimensional at times.

Even so, there have been some promising signs in recent games. Although injuries have prevented Mbappé and Vinícius from starting too many matches together, they showed some nice link-play against an admittedly weaker Pachuca side in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The French superstar’s subsequent performance against Sevilla was quite encouraging too, with Ancelotti himself stating that “His adaptation period is over.”

Jude Bellingham also seems to have sufficiently readjusted into a more connecting midfield role after being the team’s chief goal threat last term, while Rodrygo has chipped in with some handy contributions from the right. Even if they are far from their very best, this Real Madrid squad simply has the irresistible individual quality to seriously compete in this title race. If they further improve in 2025, they could even run away with it.

*Real Madrid goals + assists, LaLiga 2024/25*

Barcelona: Wheels falling off for Flick’s side?

Barcelona were fastest out of the blocks at the start of the season as Hansi Flick’s side won 11 of their first 12 league games, racing to a nine-point lead. Even at the time, though, analysts warned that they would struggle to sustain such a level of performance throughout the season, and their premonitions have come true perhaps even earlier than expected.

Barça have picked up just five points from their last seven league matches, losing to Real Sociedad, Las Palmas, Leganés and Atlético Madrid in that period. While some of those results were unfortunate, many of Barcelona’s issues were exposed in those games.

Most evidently, their extreme defensive approach is starting to get punished as opponents are now regularly breaching their insanely high defensive line. Barcelona have conceded the eighth-most goals in LaLiga, but their underlying numbers are even worse.

Injury issues have not helped their cause, though they only have themselves to blame for their lack of squad depth. That can also be cited as an issue in their attack, as they have inadequate backup for the ageing Robert Lewandowski and 17-year-old Lamine Yamal. The Catalan giants’ financial situation is not going to get any better anytime soon, so they are reportedly set to face squad registration issues once again in the January window.

The one positive for Flick’s side is that they still have the best underlying numbers in the league thanks to a free-flowing first-choice attack, Unless they improve in other respects, though, they will surely find it difficult to win the league with just that.

*The FotMob xG table AKA ‘Justice Table’, based on expected goals stats*

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Intercontinental and Club World Cup on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Dec

2024

Preview: Arsenal aiming to do a job on the Tractor Boys

Arsenal sat third going in to Christmas, not a terrible position on the face of it for an Arsenal side expected to be one of three teams capable of challenging for the title.

By Karl Matchett

Following the Boxing Day games however, the Gunners have slipped to fourth and as ever, context is king: they’re now nine points off the pace, while those above them include last year’s distant third-placed team and two sides who weren’t even in the conversation.

Job No.1: Staying in touch

Manchester City’s dramatic fall from grace should, in theory, have presented Arsenal with an opportunity – but their own decisions on and off the pitch, more pragmatic and with solid rather than spectacular transfer work, have seen them fall away too. If ten winless games throughout the Premier League season is effectively a cut-off point for title race involvement, the Gunners are 80 percent of the way there already. Most games are now must-win for them, especially home to newly promoted sides such as Ipswich Town. All Arsenal can aim for, for now at least, is to do exactly that and trust to hope that another opportunity to overhaul the teams above them will roll their way.

Staying in touch isn’t just the message at the top though. Ipswich are three points adrift of safety, 19th in the table – but probably somewhere about where they expected to be after promotion and signing for the future in the summer. That’s not to say they don’t want to try staying up, but they don’t need it to be done by the new year. Keeping in contact with those above them is all important, such as the win over Wolves recently, not defeats to Newcastle last time out or potentially at the Emirates. Their quality in attack means they cannot be dismissed but they’ll target mini runs against Everton, Brentford and Leicester, not the Magpies, the Gunners and Chelsea.

Good runs and bad runs

Being off the pace can make it feel Arsenal are in a bad run, but they’re not right now – seven wins from the last nine in all competitions, four wins in the last six in the league. It’s just that for the title, margins are so fine, but they are scoring and winning, netting eight in two matches against Crystal Palace in the past week.

Even if winning matches against bigger clubs isn’t the absolute key, the Tractor Boys do need to keep nicking points here and there. Four defeats from their last five isn’t sustainable either, and they have only two victories in all competitions all season. They’ve only kept one clean sheet, too – back in September.

Team news

The biggest loss is the biggest news: Bukayo Saka’s absence for “weeks” through a hamstring injury means Gabriel Jesus must really step up in productivity and consistency, and Mikel Arteta needs to find an alternative threat from Saka’s position on the right flank. Ipswich are without suspended Sam Morsy, injured George Hirst and sidelined Chiedozie Ogbene.

Key player

Gabriel Jesus has come into the side of late and immediately rediscovered his scoring touch – Mikel Arteta is desperate for that to continue. It also makes a mockery of him playing 266 league minutes before last week. If he can now play more but keep averaging 3.84 shots and 8.2 touches in the box per 90 minutes, they have another dangerous forward to rely on.

Prediction

Arsenal won’t – can’t – have any trouble seeing off strugglers at home if they are to rebuild any sort of momentum at the top into the new year: Arsenal 3-1 Ipswich.

(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

Preview: Everton out to add to Manchester City’s misery

Manchester City will kick off the Boxing Day fixtures by hosting Everton, though there might not be too much festive cheer around a side that has lost nine of its last 12 games.

By Neel Shelat

City showing few signs of ending the slump

Even as Manchester City started a streak of losses in November, few could have believed that their form would remain just as dismal at Christmas time. Worse yet, their performances have not looked much better either.

Pep Guardiola’s side have shown signs of promise on occasion, but they have struggled to sustain a decent performance for the full 90 minutes. Their dramatic loss in the recent Manchester derby exposed their sudden inability to see out a lead, but last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa was arguably even more concerning as City simply looked second best.

Villa, for their part, contrived an excellent game plan that precisely targeted the defending champions’ weak spots. They were happy to drop back defensively and let City circulate possession, exposing a rather toothless attack. After turnovers, they ran straight at the visitors’ back line and cut them open on counterattacks. They were even able to deal damage with settled possession, baiting Manchester City’s disjointed press before slicing through it with slick passing.

This relatively straightforward blueprint has suddenly become effective against Guardiola’s side, as the former Barcelona tactician has changed little despite such poor results and injury issues. Once again, he will have to fashion a makeshift defensive unit for this match after John Stones suffered a recurring issue over the weekend while Rúben Dias remains out with a calf injury. Rodri, of course, is out for the season, and Matheus Nunes is unlikely to be an option in midfield either. Goalkeeper Ederson also did not make the squad last weekend and remains a doubt.

Everton aiming for a fourth-straight clean sheet

It has been far from smooth sailing for Everton for most of the season as they have struggled to string together a good run of results, largely hovering around the relegation zone. However, they seem to be turning a page heading towards the new year.

The Toffees have lost just one of their last six games, keeping clean sheets in all five others including their latest fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea. Indeed, their defence has been excellent as they are among the top half teams for both goals and xG conceded in the league, while they have the joint-most clean sheets.

Given City’s attacking struggles, another shutout could well be on the cards.

Could Everton stage another upset?

Everton have lost 13 of their last 14 matches against Manchester City, so they will be happy with any sort of points from this fixture. The Toffees have gotten the better of Pep Guardiola’s side once, though – all the way back in 2017, when they won 4-0 at Goodison Park.

Everton have the league’s second-worst attack this term, making a similar result all the more unlikely. Six of their 14 goals have come from set-pieces, so deal ball situations might just be their only scoring hope.

Prediction

Despite everything, Manchester City should be backed to grind out a win against Everton.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Amorim meets Pereira as United go to Wolves

This Boxing Day match between two of the Premier League’s most underachieving teams this season promises some degree of drama, no matter what happens.

By Ian King

Two new Portuguese managers getting their feet under the desk

Manchester United continue to play as though the very notion of form is close to an alien concept to them. They followed up their best performance of the season at Manchester City with an utterly chaotic defeat to Spurs in the EFL Cup and a home loss against Bournemouth about which the best that can probably be said is that it justified the gap between them in the league at the moment. Wolves replaced Gary O’Neil with Vítor Pereira following their dismal start to the season and the effect was immediate, with a 3-0 win at Leicester after he’d been in post for just three days.

A long history lesson

There is, of course, a lot. When Newton Heath first played Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1892 they beat them 10-1. There’s little prospect of that happening this time around. When the two teams last met at Molineux on New Year’s Day, United won 4-3 with a Kobbie Mainoo goal seven minutes into stoppage-time after Pedro Neto had equalised for Wolves two minutes earlier. Wolves last win against Manchester United came in January 2022, and that had been their first at Old Trafford since 1980. Their last wins against them at Molineux came within a couple of weeks of each other in 2019, one in the League and the other in the FA Cup.

Key players

Manchester United’s key weakness this season has been a failure to defend set-pieces, and as such the two key players for Wolves are probably their set-piece takers, Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha.

Amad Diallo has been the one bright spot on the pitch for United in recent weeks, but United should be careful to overburden a young player with too much expectation.

Team News

Two of the four players that Pereira brought in to the Wolves team, Gonçalo Guedes and Rodrigo Gomes, scored in his first match against Leicester and will likely start again. Indeed, having made his changes for his first match, the only question mark hangs over Mario Lemina, who missed the Leicester game but should be fit for this one.

Matthijs de Ligt may return for United after missing the Bournemouth match with illness, but longer-term injuries – Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof – remain their bigger issue. There has been no indication that Marcus Rashford will return to the matchday squad.

Prediction

There are two key questions upon which the result of this match ultimately depends. Firstly, which Manchester United team turn up? The one that beat Manchester City, or the one that lost to Bournemouth? Because the only thing that Manchester United have consistently been this season has been inconsistent. And secondly, how much new manager bounce can Vítor Pereira sustain at Wolves? If his start was anything to go by, it could be another long evening for Rúben Amorim. But with Manchester United, who knows? The worst defence versus this version of them? Let’s stay in the Christmas spirit and go for the 3-3 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: West London showdown between Chelsea and Fulham

Chelsea host Fulham on Boxing Day in a West London Derby that could have consequences for both rivals in the top half of the Premier League table.

By Graham Ruthven

West London bragging rights

The rivalry between Chelsea and Fulham dates back over a century with the first meeting between the two sides taking place in 1910.

While the two teams spent decades competing in different divisions to each other, the Blues and the Cottagers are now very much on a similar level, although Enzo Maresca’s side will be favourites to claim three points on Boxing Day.

Chelsea come into the match on the back of a disappointing goalless draw against Everton which allowed Liverpool to stretch their lead at the top of the table to four points. The Blues can apply pressure by narrowing the gap to one point before Liverpool play later in the evening.

Meanwhile, Fulham are similarly fresh from a goalless draw of their own with Marco Silva’s team drawing 0-0 against Southampton on Sunday. The Cottagers have drawn their last three matches, winning just one of their last six.

For both Chelsea and Fulham, Boxing Day’s West London Derby could be a catalyst for a positive run of form over the Christmas period and into 2025.

Plenty of in form performers on show

Cole Palmer is one of the most reliable attacking forces in the Premier League and will be a threat for Chelsea in Thursday’s West London Derby. The 22-year-old has 11 goals and six assists in the league this season and could add to that against Fulham.

Nicolas Jackson has forged a strong understanding with Palmer at the head of the Chelsea attack. The Senegalese striker has netted three goals in his last five appearances and has added conviction to his game this season.

Enzo Fernández continues to grow as a goal-scoring midfielder in the Frank Lampard mould with the Argentinean expected to continue alongside Moisés Caicedo in the centre of the pitch.

Fulham’s left side will be key to their chances of pulling off a result at Stamford Bridge with Antonee Robinson currently one of the best full backs in the Premier League. The USA international dovetails well with Alex Iwobi ahead of him, giving Fulham genuine threat out wide.

Rodrigo Muniz could keep his place in the Fulham lineup after starting against Southampton although Raúl Jiménez is another option in the centre forward role for Silva. Adama Traoré will also be a threat to the Chelsea backline, particularly if he can find a final product.

Team news

Roméo Lavia remains a doubt for Chelsea having missed the last two weeks through injury and could be absent for the home match against Fulham, meaning Caicedo and Fernández are likely to start in central midfield again.

Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashille are also sidelined with Mykhailo Mudryk provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test.

Emile Smith Rowe and Sander Berge are both nursing knocks and could miss the trip to Stamford Bridge with Kenny Tete, Reiss Nelson and Harrison Reed expected to be sidelined for the derby.

Prediction

Chelsea can apply some pressure to leaders Liverpool with a win, at least until the Reds kick off their evening game against Leicester, and we’ll back Maresca’s side to pull that off: Chelsea 2-1 Fulham.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Premier League Preview, Boxing Day 2024

On Boxing Day in 1963, 66 goals were scored across 10 matches. Every year, football fans yearn for a repeat of this. Every year, we’re somewhat disappointed. However, the Premier League does usually deliver on Boxing Day. With the schedule being a little busier, players are a little tireder, legs are wary and goals are aplenty.

By Sam McGuire

Last year, for example, we witnessed 39 goals across 10 matches. Clubs didn’t hit the heights of 1963 but an average of almost four goals per game isn’t anything to take for granted.

So, with this in mind, here’s a look at some of the things you can keep an eye on across the Boxing Day period, there are a few games on the 27th after all, in the Premier League this season.

Erling Haaland’s slump

Haaland started the season like a man destined to win his third successive Golden Boot in the Premier League. He netted back-to-back hat-tricks and, at one point, had 10 goals in five matches as the reigning champions took 13 points from a possible 15 to kick off the campaign.

Since then, the goals have dried up. Haaland has found the back of the net on just three occasions across his last 12 outings in the English top-flight.

This run has coincided with Man City’s run of six defeats in eight.

Against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, Haaland had just one shot and it wasn’t on target. He finished the game with an Expected Goals total of 0.11. It was the same story last weekend against Manchester United when Haaland had one shot with an Expected Goals total of 0.14.

If City are to get out of the slump they currently find themselves in, they need to get Haaland firing.

Pep Guardiola’s side host Everton on Boxing Day. The Toffees have kept five clean sheets in their last six Premier League matches. Sean Dyche’s men have managed to repel title hopefuls Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks. It won’t be easy for City but Haaland has scored in all three of his appearances against the Merseyside club. If he finds the back of the net here, against a defensively resolute side, it could open the floodgates.

Battle of the new Portuguese managers

The new manager-bounce didn’t last long for Rúben Amorim and Manchester United. The Red Devils battered Everton 4-0 but then suffered an expected loss to Arsenal before a shock defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

They then responded to this by coming from behind at the Etihad to claim a 2-1 win in the Manchester derby. This was supposed to be a building block for United. However, it wasn’t. Bournemouth humbled the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

They’re now in 13th position in the Premier League, 10 points off the relegation zone, nine points off of a top four place and 17 points off the top having played a game more.

United face a resurgent Wolves side on Boxing Day at Molineux. The hosts appointed Vítor Pereira last week and the Portuguese tactician experienced a dream start to life as a Premier League manager, winning 3-0 against relegation rivals Leicester City. A win at Molineux would momentarily lift them out of the drop zone.

They have the momentum. They have the confidence. They have a match-winner in Matheus Cunha.

The Mohamed Salah farewell tour

As things stand, Salah is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.

Right now, he’s the best player in the world. The 32-year-old has 15 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League. He’s the first player in history to have 10+ goals and 10+ assists before Christmas. He’s now level with David Beckham on 80 assists in the English top-flight and he’s Liverpool’s fourth highest scorer in the club’s history.

If this is his goodbye, he’s leaving fans with a lot of memories. Not just Liverpool fans either. Rival fans are getting the full Salah experience. He finished the game against Spurs with four goal involvements. He has 11 goal involvements in his last five appearances.

He is unplayable.

On Boxing Day, the Reds host a struggling Leicester City side.

Liverpool faced the Foxes in December 2021, the campaign they lost the title by a single point, and they fell to defeat, just their second of the season, with Salah missing a penalty. The No. 11 doesn’t need redemption, but how fitting would it be for him to play a big part in a win over Leicester, three years after defeat, to ensure they stay in complete control of a title race? It’d be a nice addition to his farewell tour.

A Saka-less Arsenal?

Bukayo Saka has been the main man for Arsenal this season. Only Kai Havertz (six) has more goals than the No. 7 (five) and he leads the way for assists (10), chances created (42) and big chances created (19). For a bit of context here, Martin Ødegaard ranks second for chances created on 24 and Declan Rice is second for big chances created with seven.

They’re not a one-man team, that would be disrespectful, but the Gunners are heavily reliant on the England international.

He hobbled off against Crystal Palace on Saturday and left the stadium on crutches. The 23-year-old is expected to miss a couple of weeks due to a hamstring injury and it has arrived during the busiest period of the season. It is going to be fascinating to see how Mikel Arteta manages without his star player. If their title challenge endures, they could be the real deal. Hosting strugglers Ipswich Town gives the Gunners a good opportunity to kick things off in a positive way.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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