Page 3 – The Pulse of Football

Apr

2024

Edon Zhegrova: Delivering on promise

The 25-year-old once dubbed the Kosovan Messi back in his youth days is finally starting to come into his own under Paulo Fonseca at Lille this term.

By Ninad Barbadikar

When you’re a player needing to show your mettle, there are few occasions better than a derby to do just that. Your performance in front of raucous supporters when bragging rights are up for grabs can often become a case of make or break. Fortunately, in the most recent Derby du Nord, it was the former for Kosovan winger Edon Zhegrova.

Scoring a game-winning brace of goals in a 2-1 win for Les Dogues against rivals RC Lens, Zhegrova was at his clinical best in a player of the match display at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.

Paulo Fonseca’s Lille sit firmly within the top four, with four points between themselves and Eric Roy’s Brest. A strong finish to the season will represent progress and improvement from Fonseca’s men over last season’s fifth-placed finish. They also have a Conference League quarter-final second leg against Aston Villa to worry about. Whatever the outcome by the end of the season, no doubt Zhegrova will have a big say in it.

He’s taken a while to get here but the Kosovan Messi is producing displays worthy of that moniker.

Next in line

Over the past decade, Lille have scouted and developed a number of wingers, who have delivered huge income in the way of transfer fees for the club. Eden Hazard and Gervinho were amongst the first, more recently, Rafael Leão, Nicolas Pépé, as well as Sofiane Boufal have all emerged. Zhegrova feels like the next one in line.

Much like all of those wingers, Zhegrova is the bonafide entertainer on the pitch. Equipped with many a trick in his bag of dribbles, the Kosovan is a menace with the ball.

There are shades of Hazard and Hatem Ben Arfa in his style of dribbling – with his low centre of gravity giving him the ability to move in and out of tight spaces seamlessly.

Notching 20 goal contributions across all competitions this term, including five goals and five assists in Ligue 1, Zhegrova has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Fonseca’s arrival at Lille. Jonathan David has always been the main man at the club, but Zhegrova has contributed vital moments sprinkled across the season.

No time to waste

The one thing you have to know about Zhegrova is that he loves to take a pop at goal, and he will do his best to carry the ball into spaces that will manufacture opportunities for him. In that regard, he’s much less of a ‘creative’ threat, rather considering himself to be the main taker of chances.

At the time of writing, the Lille man averages some 3.17 shots per 90 in the league, placing him in the 92nd percentile amongst his positional peers in the top European leagues. He’s certainly more shot-happy than most wingers in his class.

Scoring five in the league so far from an Expected Goals (xG) figure of 5.63 suggests that he is finishing chances that he should, but notice how three of those goals have come at the far post, and as well in spots that are very difficult to reach for goalkeepers.

As a predominantly left-footed winger, that is the area that Zhegrova will more often try and reach with his shots but he has also deceived defenders on multiple occasions by going for near-post attempts. Shooting just as many times from outside the box (34) as he has done from inside (34), Zhegrova does not waste too much time once he notices even half a chance is within reach.

Dribble-happy Zhegrova

Zhegrova’s love for shooting is perhaps only supplanted by his love to dribble past markers. Picking up pace in possession, he can often go off on long mazy runs with the singular focus on finding the back of the net. In a league blessed with several incredible dribblers, Zhegrova finds himself third for successful dribbles per 90 (3.6), just behind Rayan Cherki and Ousmane Dembélé.

Zoom out a little bit more and you find the Kosovan amongst the top 10 across the top five leagues for dribbles attempted. Accumulating 150 so far, that tally places him above the likes of Rodrygo, Nico Williams and Xavi Simons.

Zhegrova likes receiving as wide as possible on the right flank, preparing himself for the dribbles against his markers, his quick movement on the ball forces defenders backwards. In doing so, the Kosovo international creates space for his adventurous partner-in-crime Tiago Santos, who benefits from Zhegrova’s on-ball gravity.

Fonseca’s system allows for Zhegrova’s impressive albeit erratic style of play, with athletic defenders across the backline protecting space in case of turnovers, of which there are quite a handful.

It’s hard to argue against it though, Zhegrova’s ability on the ball makes the tradeoff worth it – he is second only to PSG’s Dembélé (49) for chance creating carries (48), with a split of 33 shots and 15 key passes from those carries. Furthermore, he has received more progressive passes than any other Ligue 1 player this term (268), for context, Kylian Mbappé has received 251.

So what’s the catch?

Room for improvement

As is the case with most wingers of Zhegrova’s ilk, the room for improvement is in activity out of possession, and the data reflects as much.

The former Basel man knows this as well, admitting last year that coaches at Lille are helping him work on the defensive side of his game.

Which isn’t to say he hasn’t shown promise in that regard, 1.16 possession regains in the final third is quite impressive and does put him high up amongst other wingers, but his off-ball impact is by far the biggest space for improvement and something that limits him to good for now, when he can be great.

Zhegrova is hugely talented and at the age of 25, he has crossed 20 starts only for the second time in his career, and seems to have put his injury troubles behind him for now. Staying with Fonseca and Lille has been the right move for him in terms of his development and despite their rocky form away from home, it is clear that Fonseca has brought tangible improvement to this Lille side.

Players like Zhegrova are compelling evidence of just that. Staving off big interest in the winger in recent transfer windows, it might not be so straightforward if suitors come knocking on the door this summer. With Fonseca’s contract expiring in June and a renewal with the club not in his plans, it feels like the perfect time for Zhegrova to take that next step that was always expected of him.

The former Basel man was a prized asset when he made the move to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2021, rejecting Olympique Marseille for a move to Stade Pierre Mauroy back then. All things considered, he certainly made the right decision for his career. Now, with Lille looking to finish the season with a flourish under Fonseca, Zhegrova will have a big part to play.

He’s taken his time, but the Kosovan Messi is finally delivering.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Europa League game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2024

Mathys Tel: The Bayern forward that could take the game to Arsenal

Arsenal were disappointed to only draw their Champions League quarter-final first leg tie with Bayern Munich, though in truth it could have been worse. The Germans were devastating on the counter-attack, with the Gunners wide open, exposed, almost naive, and looking brittle. Ultimately the 2-2 draw leaves a perfect mix of both opportunity and tension for viewers, but somewhat more difficulty for Mikel Arteta to judge tactically.

By Karl Matchett

Dominate possession and keep an attack-minded approach, as talent and season-long form suggests they should, and Arsenal run the risk of being countered on again with regularity. Sit back and keep tight, waiting for their own chances to strike on the break, and the problem is that they are inviting the likes of Harry Kane to have opportunities more often than might otherwise be the case.

A decisive factor in how Arsenal may approach the match from the start could be some absences for Bayern: since that first leg in North London, each of Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman and goalscorer Serge Gnabry have picked up injuries. They are the lightning outlets, the pacy ball-carriers and the secondary goal threats either side of Kane – and only Sané stands a reasonable chance of involvement in this return fixture. Add in the suspended Alphonso Davies from left-back and a huge amount of the German club’s speed and ability to thrust forward as a unit is suddenly gone.

But to suggest they have no counter-attacking threat left would be a wild mistake; indeed, the impact of one other player this season, who didn’t even feature in the first leg, might prove Arsenal’s undoing: Mathys Tel.

Despite not playing a minute at the Emirates, there’s every chance Tel starts at the Allianz. Jamal Musiala will be one of Thomas Tuchel’s starters behind Harry Kane, and perhaps Thomas Müller another. The third will depend on Sané’s fitness – but whether as starter or impact sub, Tel will surely be a prominent option for Bayern after playing the full 90 minutes at the weekend in a 2-0 win.

He continued his impactful campaign against Köln with four shots, nine touches in the box, two successful dribbles and winning two free-kicks – as an outlet and a goal threat, he’s a hugely talented secondary option for Bayern. A centre-forward by preference, the 18-year-old has had to make many of his appearances this term off the bench and from the flank.

There, his speed is of obvious use when attacking spaces, on counter-attacks or looking to become an extra presence in the box – as five goals from just 677 Bundesliga minutes attest to.

In fact, though it’s clearly a fairly small sample size as he tries to break into the side, Tel is second in the the Bayern squad for goals per 90 minutes (0.66) behind only teammate Kane, but above everybody in the entire Bundesliga – including Kane – for shots per 90 (4.9).

Switch attention to Europe and Tel is in fact averaging even more efforts in the Champions League (5.18) but the sample size shrinks further so as to not quite be any kind of evidence just yet, with 140 minutes from his one start and seven cameo appearances from the bench. Even so, he scored against Manchester United in the group stage with just three minutes on the pitch, netted against København from only 13 and assisted against Galatasaray in 18. Clearly, this youngster doesn’t need a whole lot of time to find his groove and find the spaces – and take shots when chances fall his way.

And therein is where Arsenal must beware. The sheer volume of high-quality chances they gave up against Bayern when there looked no immediate danger will be one factor; Tel’s speed and ability to rapidly get strikes away will be another. Bayern tallied an xG of 1.92 against Arsenal in the first leg from eight shots. Aston Villa then scored twice in the final five minutes at the weekend in the Premier League, again big chances given up almost out of nothing.

Finally, there’s one Arsenal-specific factor which that defeat leans into: the moment when pressure hits and the squad crumbles. It has happened season after season and although they look like they are getting closer to finally surmounting that obstacle, they haven’t done so yet. They still let Bayern sneak out alive; they still let the title lead slip away on home soil.

If Bayern strike first, it wouldn’t be new, or a surprise, if Arsenal meltdown again. They haven’t shown that mental resilience to overcome such a setback. And in Mathys Tel, they’ll sooner or later face the exact type of player who has hurt them so much over the last two fixtures, and who might well extinguish their European hopes once more.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Bayern game with xG, deep stats, and players ratings, on FotMob this season. Download the free app here.

Apr

2024

Steve McManaman on Euro 96, Jude, and the joy of Panini stickers.

Panini and sticker collections are woven into the fabric of football. From swaps on the playground, to building collections with our kids. It’s an entry point to the beautiful game.

By Mike Backler

But not a lot of us get to actually be that sought after Panini sticker. Or stride out at The Bernabeu. Or glide past defenders at Wembley.

And in a world of clickbait and indignation inducing articles, I think what most of us fans really want to know is – what’s that like?

Steve McManaman knows.

*McManaman, who features as a Legend in Panini’s new Official England Sticker Collection Tournament Edition 2024…*

MB, for FotMob: I’ve picked three special moments that I watched and loved from your career. Moments where I’ve always thought ‘what must it be like to do that, or to live that?’ First is a goal that is etched in my memory after watching it as a 12-year-old kid. 1997, Celtic Park. What are your memories of that match and that goal?

SM: Oooh, good goal that wasn’t it, mate? I’ve got a lot of memories about it to be honest. Firstly, the stadium was off the scale, brilliant. The whole stadium singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ so you almost felt at home. We went 1-0 up with Michael Owen and I remember thinking ‘we’re gonna win easy here!’ Suddenly we were 2-1 down and getting battered and I’m thinking ‘what on earth has just happened?’ With my goal, late on, it was effectively the goal that got us through. When the player ran at me and I knocked it round him, that was just instinct, but I was so far away from the goal that you don’t think about scoring, but as I started running forward, the pitch started opening up and the Celtic players were backing off and I found myself in shooting range. I could have passed it to Karl-Heinz Reidle, but I was well on the way then! Then of course it was my left foot, just to bend it round. I always remember the fan behind the goal giving me the two fingers. I remember a lot about that goal and that game. I’ve scored a lot of good goals in the past but you do forget them. That one sticks in the memory.

MB: A couple years later and you’re in Madrid. I know a lot of people will ask you about the goal in the Champions League Final, but as someone who’s recently been to the Bernabéu for the first time and been in awe of it – what on earth is it like to walk out and play football there?

SM: The stadium is incredible. It looks even more incredible now. I played on the pitch about three weeks ago with the roof closed and it was gorgeous then and they’re still working on it. They’re gonna put a nightclub in the top corner of the stands! When you stand on the pitch for the first time I think everyone is in awe of it. The stands are upright, it’s intimidating if you’re on the opposition. As a home player, it’s amazing. I was fortunate as I scored two goals early on. I think I was top goalscorer for bleedin’ Real Madrid after a month! The most important thing was to hit the ground running and get the crowd on your side. They always give you the benefit of the doubt, certainly if you’re a new player, but if you can go and score goals and start winning games and be successful like Jude Bellingham has, it certainly helps that transition of breaking into the club. It’s a hard place to go, you need to learn the language. When I went there not a lot of people spoke English in the centre of Spain, but that’s changed now. If you can get people onside, learn, score goals and win games straight away, then you’ve got a chance. And fortunately that’s exactly what I did.

MB: Just on Jude, there’s probably no one better in world football to talk about the challenges of settling into life at Real Madrid. With what you know, does it make how well he’s done in his first season all the more remarkable?

SM: Yes. Everything you’ve just said times ten. He went to Real Madrid at 19 years of age. He went there in a transitional year when Benzema left, Hazard left, Asencio left. You expected it to be a difficult year this year. Madrid knew that. They had a pot of money and they bought Jude. The other signings were peripheral signings that didn’t cause a ripple in Madrid. Bringing in Jude, for what they paid, as a 19 year-old, everything was on his shoulders. That in itself is incredible difficult, as a 19 year-old who doesn’t speak Spanish. To replace Benzema’s goals. Madrid are ahead of schedule because of Jude. It’s next year when they’re gonna bring in a centre forward. The fact that Jude has come in and been so outstanding straight way and is a humble guy. I was speaking to Florentino Pérez, he adores him. I was speaking to José Ángel Sánchez, they love him. They’ve won the SuperCopa, they could win LaLiga if they win El Clásico. He scored the winner in the last one. He scored on his debut. All of this amounts to greatness, really. Next year when they bring in Endrick, hopefully Kylian and maybe Aphonso Davies. That’s when they’re really gonna go through the roof.

MB: From two special moments, to one special summer. Euro 96. Tell me what it was like to be such a major part of that?

SM: I’ve got really good memories about it all, mate. The fact that it was a home tournament. I remember all the games. We didn’t start particularly well but we got better as we went through. The fans were behind us. Playing Scotland helped us get the fanbase behind us. And then we played arguably some of the best football. Terry Venables was a fantastic manager, very astute. Changed formations, changed positional play. We had tactical changes to play Holland and play Spain. The sad thing was we just didn’t get over the line, but when you live with people for six weeks you forge such great friendships. Paul Gascoigne, he’s crackers as everybody knows, but I got on with him very, very well. Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce and Paul Ince – all different characters but it brought us all together. When I bump into Gareth Southgate we talk about Euro 96. It will indelibly link you together forever, really. And that’s a lovely thing.

MB: You’re probably on a decades long-list of creative midfielde talents that England have perhaps under-used or under-appreciated. Do you think that is something that we’re starting to solve, or do you still see the same issues in the current setup?

SM: I think it has been the case in recent tournaments, I must admit. We haven’t utilised our flair players more. I think our better players are our flair players, but of course I understand that you can’t play them all. You can’t have Saka, Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Grealish all out there – I understand that. But I think we could have in past tournaments, been a bit more progressive. But I’m not the England manager – that’s Gareth. But we do have superstar forwards and I hope that they are all fit and well. I personally would try and get as many of them on the pitch as possible, but I understand the job at hand. I just hope they do themselves proud, they’ve come close. They’ve got a really good squad. The players – Foden, Bellingham, Kane, they’re great players aren’t they. The climate is going to be great, the fans will be there, Germany is a fantastic country to host the tournament. They just need a bit of fortune, mate. To get it done.

MB: Back to stickers. Did you collect them as a kid? What it’s it like to be a Legend in Panini’s Official England Sticker Collection?

SM: Very cool, mate. Very cool. I’ve got a 12 year old boy so I am doing it with him now. We collected them when we were young, swapping them in the playground and I’m doing it now with my lad. And the fact that his Dad is a legend is a bit surreal! When his Manchester United supporting mates are skitting me when they knocked Liverpool out of The FA Cup are suddenly collecting my card. When I was a kid I was an Everton fan and if you ever got the badge, it was the pinnacle of everything. The picture of the ground. We’d get stickers for a present instead of an Easter Egg. I’m living it now through the eyes of my boy and I’ll try and get him a few stickers without trying to spoil him of course. It’s lovely isn’t it, in the playground swapping ten players for one good, that’s all part and parcel of the game. I sign a lot of old stickers of myself now and some of them are awful. Some I look like I’ve got no neck, some where my hair’s all over the place, or little buck teeth. I think the first one I’ve seen was in the old Candy Liverpool kit, where I look really, really young. And they’re the days you pine for.

The Official England Sticker Collection Tournament Edition 2024, with 100% official kits and 387 stickers to collect, is available now at panini.co.uk/englandstickers and retailers nationwide.

Apr

2024

La Masia and Barcelona’s reliance on teenage talent

In the early 2000s, Barcelona’s La Masia academy was widely regarded as the best in the world, and it was hard to argue against it. Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and the great Lionel Messi are just a few to have made their mark on world football, thanks in no small part to their time at the academy.

By Alex Roberts

Since then, in a desperate attempt to keep up with the Premier League and other European powerhouses, Barça’s policy shifted from producing talent to purchasing it. It doesn’t matter how big the club is, spending over €100 million on three separate occasions over the span of three years isn’t sustainable.

The club’s dire financial straits have been well documented. They’ve had to pull countless ‘Economic Levers’, selling the naming rights of the Camp Nou to Spotify as well as pieces of the turf to fans wanting to feel even closer to the club they love.

After the very real threat of no longer existing, Barcelona’s transfer policy has done another 180-degree turn, and they’re now reliant on teenagers like never before.

Xavi was the perfect man to come in and guide the ship through choppy waters, he lives and breathes Barcelona’s ethos of trusting their own. As a result, the most exciting crop of young talents since the days of Pep Guardiola have come through the first team.

Lamine Yamal doesn’t have the right to be as good as he is at the tender age of 16, he still has braces for goodness’ sake. Not only has he established himself as an important player at Barca, but he also became the youngest player in Spanish national team history, scoring on his debut.

President, Joan Laporta, even came out and said he had rejected a staggering €220 million offer from Paris Saint Germain for the youngster. That’s a very significant amount of money that would go a long way to elevating the club’s financial burdens.

But Laporta wasn’t interested, and he’s hedged his bets on Yamal’s huge potential.

The young forward isn’t the only unexpected breakthrough at Barca this season. Centre-back Pau Cubarsí has been a revelation since coming into the side, notably pocketing Victor Oshimhen during their triumph against Napoli in the Champions League round of 16.

It’s a position that Barca are relatively blessed in. Ronald Araújo, Andres Christensen, and Jules Koundé are all very capable centre-backs, although Koundé has mostly operated on the right-side of defence this season.

Despite this serious competion for places, Cubarsí has looked completely at home in the first team, making twelve LaLiga apperances and playing a significant role in the club’s Champions League campaign.

Unfortunately, nothing in football is an exact science. The amount of professional football these youngsters are playing while their bodies are still developing could have dire consequences. All you need to do is look at the injury records of fellow Barça prodigies Pedri, Gavi, and Ansu Fati.

Each of those players either has or has had the ability to become one of the best in the world, but serious injuries have curtailed their development.

In 2021, Pedri was named the best under-21 player in Europe, winning the prestigious Golden Boy and Kopa trophies. Since then, he’s been out for 372 days with various muscle and hamstring injuries.

Yes, injuries are an unfortunate inevitability in football, but missing that amount of football before the age of 21 due to injury isn’t normal, and he’s not an outlier. It begs the question, should Pedri have been playing that much in the first place?

Thankfully for Pedri and Barcelona, he’s fit once again, coming on as a substitute in their 3-2 win against Paris Saint Germain and assisting Raphina’s goal. Let’s hope he’s finally able to stay fit for a significant amount of time.

Gavi is another of the club’s young heroes to have suffered another grievous injury. The 19-year-old fell victim to football’s ongoing epidemic of ACL tears in November 2023, and has been forced to sit on the side-lines for the entirety of this season.

It’s the kind of injury that many players never really come back from. Time is on Gavi’s side, he may well come back like his ACL tear never happened, it’s up to his club to rehabilitate him in the proper manner, ease him into it. Given how important he is, it’s unlikely that will happen.

Barcelona will need to learn from their past and look to Ansu Fati as a lesson on how not to treat a young player after injury.

In 2019, Messi had one foot out of the door at Barça. The club could no longer afford to keep their greatest ever player, they were simply in denial about it. Like Yamal, Fati burst onto the scene at 16-years-old and was tipped to be the one to replace the legendary Argentine.

Then, in November 2021, Fati tore his meniscus and was ruled out for 305 days, missing 64 games for club and country. When he was finally fit again, Barça rushed him back, with more senior forwards failing to perform.

Fati hasn’t been the same since, unable to shake the damage done to his knee. He now finds himself unable to break into a struggling Brighton side, with manager Roberto De Zerbi calling him out, saying Fati is ‘not doing enough for the team’.

Xavi has confirmed he’ll be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, so with no replacement confirmed as of yet, chances for La Masia graduates may dry up. The Socios tend to be less forgiving of coaches that aren’t one of their own.

Trusting in teenagers like Barcelona currently appear to be doing produces immense value for minimal financial input, it’s now just a case of management. Running these youngsters into the ground like they have done in the past could prove disastrous.

Winning silverware this season is looking unlikely, but it could be a stepping stone to yet another golden era for La Masia and Barcelona. Only time will tell.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Barcelona game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2024

Analysis: Aston Villa’s Champions League Charge led by Unai Emery

Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal may yet go down as the result that decided the title race, but it was an equally crucial win for their own Champions League hopes. The Villains currently have a three-point buffer to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur as they seek to return to Europe’s premier club competition after over four decades.

By Neel Shelat

Prior to their Europa Conference League qualification for this season, Aston Villa’s last European tour came back in 2010. It was a very short one too, as Rapid Vienna sent them packing in the qualifying round of the Europa League. The club’s fortunes took a downward turn thereafter, as they became regular relegation-battlers in the Premier League before eventually going down in 2016.

After a disappointing first season back in the Championship, Villa began to rebuild. Their second stab at the play-offs proved successful as they defeated Frank Lampard’s Derby County at Wembley to return to the big time. After surviving by the skin of their teeth in their first season back, they aimed to keep pushing on.

The likes of Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard could not get the team into the top half of the table, so the club decided to make a statement appointment in November 2022. Unai Emery, a man with a great European pedigree as well as a big five league title on his CV was brought in from Villarreal, and he has gone on to transform the club’s fortunes in just a couple of years.

In his very first season, he took the Villains from a relegation-battling position to a seventh-placed finish that earned them a ticket to the Europa Conference League. This term, they are balancing a continental knockout run with a brilliant league campaign that has them in the Champions League places with five games left to play.

If England do earn a fifth Champions League spot for next season, Villa might as well start celebrating now. Such an incredible campaign certainly deserves a closer look, so that is what we will focus on in this week’s analysis column.

Bold Defensive Approach

The first thing that stands out about Unai Emery’s Aston Villa is their commitment to holding an incredibly high defensive line, regardless of the opposition they are facing. Whether they are at the Emirates Stadium or hosting Sheffield United, their back four starts and tends to stay as close as possible to the halfway line for as long as possible.

As a result, Aston Villa have unsurprisingly caught their opponents offside more than any other team in the league. Their tally of 147 translates to almost 4.5 offsides per match, while only one other team in the league has managed to crack 100 so far. By setting up their 4-4-2 block very high and yet quite compact, they are able to keep their opponents far away from their goal for long periods. That is why Villa have had to make the fourth-fewest clearances in the league this season.

Of course, this is a high-risk high-reward approach. So, while Villa might be the fourth-best team in the league as far as preventing shots from being taken is concerned, the average chance quality they concede is by far the highest. All things considered, since Villa don’t press overzealously. these things seem to average out as Emery’s side are perfectly mid-table when it comes to xG conceded.

When adopting such a high defensive line, it is imperative to have a brave goalkeeper who is comfortable at sweeping outside the box and can unsettle opponents one-on-one. In Emiliano Martínez, Villa have just that. The Argentine international has been the league’s best goalkeeper by goals prevented, based on the xGOT model, meaning he has been the difference-maker in taking his team’s defence from being mid-table-level, by the underlying numbers, to top-six in terms of actual goals conceded.

All this effort just to have the league’s sixth-best defence might not seem worth it, but what the overall numbers do not show is the Villains’ ability to compete with the very best teams. Thanks in no small part to their disciplined defending far away from goal, Villa have won three of their four matches against the top two, keeping clean sheets in all of those triumphs.

Tailor-Made Attacking System

Regardless of what one thinks is the “right way to play”, most would agree that a head coach’s job is to make the most of the resources at their disposal. Chief among these resources are the players, so setting up a system that gets the best out of the profiles in the squad has to be paramount in the list of a head coach’s priorities.

Seen this way, Unai Emery’s job at Aston Villa looks absolutely stellar. The squad he inherited was hardly among the best in the league, and even after a fair bit of transfer business, Villa certainly do not have the quality of serious Champions League contenders, on paper at least.

Right from day one, the Spanish tactician implemented a relatively unique in-possession system to suit his squad. When building up from goal kicks, Aston Villa’s four defenders and two central midfielders start very deep to help build up and beat any attempted press, while the front four is incredibly narrow in a box-like shape. Two players offer passing options out of the build-up, while striker Ollie Watkins peels to the left where he poses a constant threat in behind and Moussa Diaby/Leon Bailey is on the right with dynamic movement on and off the ball.

This build-up approach is suited to play to the players’ strengths while maintaining a multidimensional threat. The confident ball-players at the back can look to slice through a press and feed the two attackers poised to link play, or they can directly go to the front men in a bid to get in behind.

In settled possession further up the pitch, Villa usually move into a 3-2-4-1 shape created by asymmetric movements of the full-backs and wingers. The right back stays deep to form a back line of three, freeing up the left back to push forward as the left winger tucks inside. Again, this is suited to the player profiles in the squad such as Ezri Konsa (RB), Lucas Digne (LB) and Jacob Ramsey (LW).

It should hardly come as a surprise, then, that many of Villa’s attackers are enjoying their best-ever seasons. Five players are in double digits for goal involvements in the Premier League already, and Watkins is a league-leader by this metric.

Bailey has enjoyed a brilliant campaign too, contributing 9 goals and 8 assists to his team’s tally showing exceptional attacking output despite limited touches due to the positional demands of his role.

Diaby’s five goals and seven assists in the league have also been very handy, with his creation shining the most as he is the squad leader in terms of big chances created.

Perhaps the most surprising name on this list is versatile midfielder John McGinn. The Scottish international has made the most of the more attacking responsibilities he often gets in Emery’s system, racking up 16 goal involvements in all competitions, including a crucial goal and assist in the UECL quarter-final first leg against Lille. In fact, Villa have lost just one game all season when he has managed to get on the scoresheet.

Thanks to these consistent attacking contributors as well as Emery’s well-crafted tactics in and out of possession, Aston Villa are flying on two fronts with just over a month left until the end of the season. They are arguably favourites to lift European silverware and qualify for the Champions League, and if they manage to do that, this will surely go down as one of their greatest seasons.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Aston Villa game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2024

Hulk: Maturing with age but still bulldozing defences in Brazil

Glory in the Campeonata Mineiro was the perfect way for Atlético Mineiro to start the season. The Belo Horizonte outfit couldn’t be stopped as they swept aside rivals Cruzeiro in the competition’s final with expectations high ahead of the 2024 Brasileiro campaign. Hulk scored in both legs and is still delivering regularly in his homeland.

By Graham Ruthven

Hulk enjoyed a distinguished career in Europe. He was a key part of the Porto team that won three straight Portuguese titles and went the entire 2012/13 season unbeaten. After that, the Brazilian attacker joined Zenit Saint Petersburg for €60m as one of the most expensive forwards in the sport’s history.

Since 2021, though, Hulk has been at Atlético Mineiro where he has enjoyed a renaissance. His goalscoring display against Cruzeiro in the Campeonata Mineiro final wasn’t an exception – it was the sort of thing Galo supporters have come to expect from one of their team’s most consistent performers.

In each of the last three Brasileiro seasons, Hulk has reached double figures. In all competitions, he has scored an impressive 102 goals in 185 games for Atlético and has started the 2024 season with seven goals in 13 outings. After finishing third in the Brazilian top flight last season, Galo want to push themselves even higher up the table – and Hulk could help them achieve this.

While the 37-year-old might have lost a yard or two of pace since his Porto and Zenit Saint Petersburg days, he has grown more intelligent with his movement. Hulk now sees more of the ball than was the case in his younger years with Atlético Mineiro known to use him as a creative hub in a central area. Most commonly, he is deployed as a number nine.

Former Argentina centre-back Gabriel Milito has taken charge of Atlético Mineiro for the 2024 season and has quickly implemented a more energetic style of play. As Galo manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari was accused of being too conservative for the attacking talent at Arena MRV, but Milito appears ready to unleash his forwards – including Hulk.

Under Scolari, Hulk’s physicality was useful as it frequently allowed Atletico to easily gain a foothold up the pitch. Long balls were directed into the veteran who would bring the likes of Matias Zaracho, Hyoran Dalmuro and Christian Pavon into the game. Now, it seems Milito wants his team to build from the back.

“I had a lot of good coaches,” said Milito when asked to elaborate on his coaching identity. “[Pep] Guardiola was undoubtedly one of the best. I learned a lot of concepts from him, a lot. And then, with my own ideals of the game, of football, I try to apply them. The first thing we have to do is be authentic. We cannot imitate another coach.”

Hulk isn’t the first Brazilian star to have enjoyed a resurgence at Atlético Mineiro. Indeed, Ronaldinho spent two seasons in Belo Horizonte and helped inspire the club to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 2013. The hope within Atlético is that Hulk can also push them towards continental success this season.

Brazilian clubs have dominated the Copa Libertadores in recent times. Indeed, Brazil has produced each of the competition’s last five winners with all-Brazilian finals in three seasons since 2019. The gulf is growing between the Brasileirão and other South American domestic leagues and that is illustrated most starkly in the Copa Libertadores.

Many clubs have spent big to lure Brazilian stars back to the country. Last season, for example, Fluminense won the Copa Libertadores with a squad that included Marcelo and Felipe Melo. The season before that, Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa scored the winner in the final for Flamengo. Hulk is just one part of a wider trend right now.

After winning the Brazilian title in dominant fashion back in 2021, Atlético Mineiro have endured two challenging seasons, finishing seventh in 2022 and third in 2023. This is a club with greater ambitions than that and the early signs this year have been encouraging. Galo appear rejuvenated. There has been a lot of change at Arena MRV since the end of last season. Hulk’s goals, however, are a constant.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Brasileirão game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2024

Premier League Team of the Week: Round 33

The FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday 33 is dominated by Manchester City and Newcastle United players, with each team having three included in the XI. But who else joins them and why did they make the cut?

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Goalkeeper: Emi Martínez

The World Cup winner was in fine form against his former employers as Aston Villa stunned Arsenal at the Emirates to pick up all three points. Martínez made just four saves but faced shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of 1.98. The 31-year-old just couldn’t be beaten as he claimed a clean sheet in what was a vital win for Unai Emery’s men in their hunt for Champions League football.

Right-Back: Rico Lewis

Deployed at right-back by Manchester City in their emphatic win over Luton Town, Lewis impressed as the champions returned to the top of the Premier League table. The 19-year-old was the most accurate passer at the Etihad, finding a teammate with 98% of his attempted passes, while he also carved out three chances for teammates in what was a confident and assured outing in an unfamiliar role. Lewis also won all of his tackles and 75% of his ground duels.

Centre-Back: Fabian Schär

Schär was barely involved against Spurs as Newcastle United racked up a surprise 4-0 win at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon. The defender attempted just 19 passes and had 36 touches. But he was involved in 12 duels, he won 50% of his tackles and he did carve out a chance for the rampant home side. The 32-year-old also scored the fourth goal for the hosts on his way to a FotMob rating of 8.3.

Centre-Back: Marcos Senesi

The Bournemouth centre-back certainly caught the eye against Manchester United, earning himself a FotMob rating of 8.8. Not only did Senesi win 100% of his tackles, recover the ball on eight occasions and win 50% of his ground duels, but he also assisted both goals for the Cherries and completed close to 80% of his passes.

Left-Back: Joško Gvardiol

Gvardiol now has two goals in two games for Manchester City. He scored in midweek against Real Madrid and followed that up with a goal against Luton in the 5-1 win. The versatile defender also claimed an assist in what was a dominant attacking display, having created two chances and taken four shots. The 22-year-old also completed 90% of his passes and won five of his eight duels on his way to an 8.7 rating.

Midfield: Cole Palmer

Palmer is a regular in the FotMob Team of the Week after an outrageous first season for Chelsea. He earned a rating of 9.7 against Everton on Monday night after his four-goal showing. He’s now level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. The former Manchester City youngster also won the penalty for the Blues in the 6-0 home win over the relegation threatened Toffees.

Midfield: Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes scored in his third successive game for Manchester United as the Red Devils twice came from behind to claim a point against Bournemouth. The skipper found the back of the net either side of half time to help United salvage a point in a game they probably deserved to lose. Fernandes was just as influential without the ball, winning 83% of his ground duels and 67% of his aerial duels, while also recovering the ball on eight occasions. His 9.3 rating was deserved as he almost single-handedly kept the visitors in this game.

Midfield: Jérémy Doku

Doku put on a performance against the Hatters on Saturday afternoon. The nimble winger attempted 11 dribbles and completed the most of any player on the pitch (six). The 21-year-old also scored and assisted in what was a devastating showing in attack. The Belgian won the penalty and completed an astonishing 96% of his passes at the Etihad in what could only be described as a relentless display.

Attack: Anthony Gordon

Gordon ran riot in Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Spurs in the early kick-off on Saturday. The former Everton winger claimed two assists and scored his tenth of the season in a dominant showing for the hosts. The 23-year-old created a remarkable eight chances, won 100% of his tackles and five of his nine ground duels. He was a one-man wrecking ball in the attack for the Magpies.

Attack: Alexander Isak

But Gordon wasn’t the only Newcastle forward to catch the eye. Isak scored twice to make it 17 for the season in the Premier League. The 24-year-old Swede had a total of six shots at St James’ Park and created one chance for the hosts. He was responsible for 1.51 Expected Goals, over half of the haul carved out by the Magpies (2.88).

Attack: Nicolas Jackson

The penalty drama has swayed opinion of Jackson but he certainly did enough to justify his inclusion in this XI after an impressive showing against Everton. The 22-year-old forward scored and assisted in the 6-0 win. He also carved out two chances and had a total of five shots while completing five of his seven dribbles. The former Villarreal man is now into double figures for the campaign.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2024

The MLS Team of the Week: Matchday 9

Our MLS expert James Nalton picks five of the standout players from Matchday 9 in Major League Soccer, including his two North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) Player of the Matchday votes.

By James Nalton

Lionel Messi’s injury problems at the start of the year have meant the 2024 MLS season hasn’t been as much about him as might have been expected, to date.

Other players have stepped up as the stars of each Matchday, and many did this week, too, but this weekend also witnessed what will go down as one of MLS’s Messi moments.

Not just for his performance for Inter Miami against Sporting KC, but for the fact that 72,610 fans packed into the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and were treated to an entertaining game of football in which their own team played its part.

Elsewhere, LA Galaxy continued their own entertaining and impressive start to the season, while Philadelphia Union remained the league’s only unbeaten side after coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Atlanta United.

Here are some standout players from the latest round of MLS action.

The Top Two

9.4 FotMob rating: Rafael Navarro – Colorado Rapids

The Rapids caught the eye in the offseason with a couple of notable transfers. There were signs of ambition from the team that finished bottom of the Western Conference in 2023.

It has been intriguing to see how that is converted into performances on the pitch, and there have been encouraging signs so far.

There have been notable wins against Los Angeles FC and Real Salt Lake, but this weekend’s 3-0 win at San Jose was arguably their most convincing yet.

Navarro played a big role in it. He won and scored the penalty to kick things off for the Rapids, before adding a second by being in the right place at the right time as San Jose’s defence failed to clear.

Some nice hold-up play set up Cole Bassett and sealed the win for Colorado and rounded off Navarro’s individual display with an assist.

9.0 FotMob rating: Diego Gómez – Inter Miami

It is always interesting to see how Messi’s teammates react to playing alongside him, and Gómez, like Robert Taylor at the end of last season, has revelled in Messi’s presence in Miami.

The 21-year-old Paraguayan just edged Messi in my Soccer Reporters vote this week, taking a place alongside Navarro in the top two.

Gómez was a major player in the 3-2 win against Sporting KC.

He latched on to Messi’s through-ball to tie the game at 1-1. It was a scything pass through the Sporting defence from Messi, but it still needed finishing.

Inter Miami were without a win in five games in all competitions, and with the scores at 2-2 it looked like they might have to wait a little longer for a victory.

But Gómez’s work rate down the left wing, winning the ball high up the field before crossing for Luis Suárez to score the winner, put their season back on track.

Three more standout performers

8.9 FotMob rating: Lionel Messi – Inter Miami

Messi’s pass for the opener against SKC would probably have been good enough in itself to make him one of the players of the matchday.

But on top of this, he added a goal of his own from outside the area. SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia may be disappointed not to reach the shot as it dipped into the middle of the goal, but it was still a well-hit strike from Messi.

Last week, Inter Miami were knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup — the equivalent to the Champions League and a tournament they had prioritised this season.

But now they can focus solely on MLS and trying to keep Messi fit in order to maintain their position at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings.

8.9 FotMob rating: Erik Thommy – Sporting KC

For Messi’s move to MLS to be more of a long-term success for the sport in the region, his impact needs to spread beyond Miami, beyond Messi himself, and attract people to their local teams across the country.

Sporting KC played their part in this, moving the game from their usual home stadium of Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas to the larger capacity Arrowhead Stadium, home of NFL champions Kansas City Chiefs, across the state line to Missouri so more fans could attend.

And the spectators weren’t disappointed. Sporting KC played their part, and one of their players, in particular, Eric Thommy, lit up the game with two goals.

He pinged one in from the right to open the scoring and then volleyed another in off the post after the ball deflected his way from a corner.

Messi’s goal was special, but Thommy’s strikes edged Messi’s as the standout goals of this dramatic game.

From Sporting’s point of view, it’s disappointing they couldn’t hold on to at least a point, but the drama of the match itself might encourage some of the 70,000 in attendance to return for future games.

8.8 FotMob rating: Josef Paintsil – LA Galaxy

The Galaxy top the Western Conference at this early stage in the season, and in Paintsil have found a new star of the league.

He helped his side to a 3-1 win at Vancouver Whitecaps — one of the West’s other outstanding teams so far this season.

The Ghanaian arrived at the team this season as a Designated Player and has already featured as one of the stars of the week.

It looks like he will be a regular inclusion, as his speed in behind defences will cause trouble for opposition teams in every game.

His movement off the last line of defence led to his goal in this game. When you combine that movement with Riqui Puig’s vision and passing from midfield, you get goals like this one.

They linked up again for the Galaxy’s third goal. Puig set Paintsil through down the right and the winger found Diego Fagúndez with a perfectly weighted pass into the box.

This Puig-Paintsil combination looks set to be an exciting prospect for LA Galaxy fans in this 2024 season.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2024

MLS: Five storylines from Matchday Nine

Inter Miami finally got back to winning ways by beating Sporting KC in front of a record-breaking crowd to return to the top of the Eastern Conference while the LA Galaxy went first in the West. There was no shortage of drama and excitement across Major League Soccer with thrilling matches witnessed in Charlotte, DC, Kansas City, Portland and Vancouver. Here are five of the biggest storylines from the weekend in MLS.

By Graham Ruthven, MLS Expert

Lionel Messi put on a show for a record crowd at Arrowhead Stadium

72,610 people (including NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes) turned up to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on Sporting KC and the World Cup winner put on a show for the largest crowd to ever attend a football match in the state of Missouri. Mahomes can only dream of producing this sort of magic in the same venue.

First, Messi set up Diego Gómez for a first half goal with a sliding through ball in between the lines. The real highlight reel moment, however, came when Messi unleashed a left-footed strike into the top corner from 25 yards out. Luis Suárez ultimately gave Inter Miami the 3-2 victory, ending the Herons’ five-game winless run, but the fourth-largest crowd in MLS history will remember this match for what Messi did.

Houston Dynamo are a force to be reckoned with – even without two DPs

Without Hector Herrera and Sebas Ferreria, it would have been forgivable had the Houston Dynamo suffered in recent weeks. They have also had to contend with the CONCACAF Champions Cup adding high-stakes fixtures to their schedule. Instead, Ben Olsen’s team have won four of their last five in MLS with their latest victory coming away at Minnesota United.

The way Houston finished last season hinted at the force they could become. In a sense, they have picked up where they left off this term, but the Dynamo have yet to reach their ceiling as a team. If they can get Herrera in particular back on the pitch soon, Houston could be among the frontrunners for the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.

Liel Abada is up and running with his first Charlotte FC strike

Charlotte FC edged a five-goal thriller over Toronto FC at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday with Liel Abada among the goalscorers. The Israeli winger arrived from Celtic in March with a big reputation (and a $8m price tag) and his performance – and first MLS goal – against TFC hinted at why Charlotte FC fans should be excited.

With 20 minutes left to play, Abada was quick to intercept a slack Toronto FC cross-field pass and even quicker to surge into the box and shoot across goal and into the far corner. Charlotte FC needed an efficient attacker to give them another dimension in the final third and the 22-year-old looks like being that figure.

A new position got the best out of Joseph Paintsil for LA Galaxy

Joseph Paintsil has made a profound impact on MLS since joining the LA Galaxy from Genk in the off-season, but Saturday saw the Ghanian produce his best performance in the league to date. Paintsil contributed a goal and an assist in a 3-1 road win over the Vancouver Whitecaps that pushed the Carson outfit to the top of the Western Conference.

Deployed in a central position, Paintsil was influential throughout. The 26-year-old had a hand in all three Galaxy goals and continues to look the part in a team that is increasingly playing to his considerable strengths. “It’s not a position he’s played a ton of, but I thought his movement was smart,” said Greg Vanney.

CF Montreal’s evolution was clear in long-awaited homecoming

Under new head coach Laurent Courtois, CF Montreal have made an eye-catching start to the season. Until Saturday, though, the Canadian club’s own supporters hadn’t had an opportunity to experience this in person. Back in front of a home crowd for the first time in 2024, CF Montreal showed how they have evolved.

The hosts controlled the majority of the possession against FC Cincinnati. They had more shots than last season’s Supporters’ Shield winners. The Expected Goals (xG) firmly favoured them. What’s more, Josef Martínez found the back of the net and looked somewhat like the player who lit up MLS for a number of seasons at Atlanta United. These are exciting times at Stade Saputo.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2024

Nottingham Forest have one potential saviour – Nuno must get the best out of Morgan Gibbs-White

One win in their last nine in all competitions, no clean sheets in two months, only out of the relegation zone by a single point, four points deducted for financial threshold breaches and two of their remaining Premier League games against Manchester City and Chelsea. It’s not an ideal time right now for Nottingham Forest, but they have one ace in the pack who can still save their season.

By Karl Matchett

Amid a rotating cast of attackers and support forwards, Morgan Gibbs-White stands alone. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man has become a must-have player in the team, a standard-bearer of consistency in terms of his technical play, but also an aggressive, committed member of the team who is fighting for the cause and carrying out the tactical roles required of him.

Gibbs-White has, in fact, played the most league minutes this term of any Forest player, by quite some distance: a little over 2,700 to his name, with centre-back Murillo next at fewer than 2,500.

A hard-working outlet, he takes up clever spaces, receives the ball under pressure and has the vision in his game to execute both more inventive, difficult passes…And the more frequent, necessary ones too, keeping possession and allowing his team to reset after, at-times, long spells of defensive pressure.

But when it comes to surviving the battle against relegation, goals are going to be everything in Forest’s last six, and he’s the one who can provide them. Three assists and two scored in his last five attest to his form, as much as his involvement. But season-long he has been a key figure for Forest, the conduit of the team and the man around who the rest of the attack must be built.

With 61 chances created this term, it’s not hard to see why. Not only is that over double the amount of the squad’s next-highest player – Anthony Elanga has made 29 chances – it’s also comparable with some of the finest creators in the Premier League: Phil Foden has created 61, Kieran Trippier 63, Cole Palmer 52. With 12 big chances included in those, Gibbs-White is fashioning high-value scoring opportunities, too.

Combine that incisive passing with the fact he’s fourth in the team for shots per 90 minutes (2.0), second for successful dribbles (1.4) and top for expected assists (5.7, to seven actual assists) and it’s no surprise that he is the man for all types of attacks, whether he’s at the heart of fashioning them or looking to play the final ball. Unsurprisingly, Gibbs-White tops Forest’s squad list for overall FotMob rating this season (7.22) and in comparison to other players in his role, ranks at 82% for chances created in total – not bad at all considering his place in a team battling relegation.

While not a shot monster himself, Gibbs-White isn’t afraid to take on chances at goal when they are presented his way, but he understands his true value to the team has to be in creating large volumes of them for others – which also allows him to then be behind play should those efforts not pan out, able to again contribute in midfield. Notably, the 24-year-old ranks extremely highly for aerials – in the 92nd percentile for duels won among players in his role – and it’s this almost box-to-box ability to contribute where they will really need him over the coming weeks.

Gibbs-White was on the scoresheet, and perhaps poignantly, against his former club over the weekend, as Forest once again claimed a point against Wolves. It was another home game where they failed to secure back-to-back wins, though, after beating Fulham last time out at the City Ground.

Their remaining three games, aside from the two against bigger opposition, would then be against direct rivals for the drop: Everton, Sheffield United, Burnley. There is simply no question that Gibbs-White is one of the top performers out of any of those squads this season, and one of the best across the board from a technical and attacking output perspective.

Nuno’s job has to be to get the right players around him so that fewer of those chances created are spurned, and the right players behind him to both provide a platform of defensive resolve and to provide a constant supply line to him.

If Forest can do that, Gibbs-White can fashion enough goalmouth opportunities to give them a real chance of staying up…And then their toughest remaining job might be to keep him beyond summer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with xG, deep stats, and players ratings, on FotMob this season. Download the free app here.