Page 32 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2025

Preview: Monday Night Football sees Chelsea face Wolves

Enzo Maresca’s honeymoon phase at Chelsea is well and truly over, and it’s slowly turning into the type of bitter resentment only really seen at the West London club. Without a win in their last five Premier League games, Chelsea host Wolves on Monday.

By Alex Roberts

Reece James’ late freekick salvaged a point for Chelsea in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from falling out of the Champions League qualification spots.

Wolves haven’t been much better. Vítor Pereira has done well to take them out of the relegation zone, but they aren’t safe yet, sitting level on points (17) with Ipswich in in 18^th.

Enzo Enzo make a sub

One of the biggest points of contention amongst Chelsea fans at the moment is Maresca’s seeming reluctance to trust his bench. The Italian has made just two substitutions before the hour mark across their five-game winless streak.

An asset he had once embraced, Chelsea’s immense squad depth, now seems to be nothing more than an afterthought. It’s not surprising, remembering that many names is a big ask in and of itself.

Now, many are being linked with moves away from the club, and selling would make their ultimate goal of qualifying for the Champions League all the harder.

André is too good for a relegation fight

The Brazilian midfielder’s performance was one of few positives Wolves fans can take from their 3-0 defeat to Newcastle in their previous fixture, keeping hold of him is a completely different story, however.

André was essentially a one-man team against Eddie Howe’s side, ending his game with a 97% pass accuracy rate, having created two chances, and made 11 defensive actions while his side were dominated.

If performances like that continue, the big boys will start to circle, especially if Wolves do end up going down.

Trevoh Chalobah makes his return

Chelsea went back to Chalobah, hat in hand, begging one of their best academy products to save them from potential injury crisis. Of course, ever the professional, he answered the call and could be set to make an appearance against Wolves.

With both Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both out for extended periods, Chalobah was recalled six months into his loan spell at Crystal Palace, having been a key player for Oliver Glasner’s side.

Solid defensively and a goal threat, popping up with three goals during his time in South London, Chalobah has nothing to prove to anyone.

Matheus Cunha is the guy

The forward had been suspended for Wolves’ last three games, it’s no surprise they failed to score against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. Cunha has been their most potent goal threat in the first half of the season, and he will make it hard for Chelsea.

Not only is he consistently scoring goals, 10 in his 20 Premier League games to be precise, but his range of goals is also remarkable. Long-range, close encounters, and even direct from corners, it doesn’t matter, Cunha simply scores goals.

He’s another player that won’t be longed for Wolves should they go down or even have to continue the battle against it. Wolves have a mid-table squad, but Cunha was better than that already.

*Cunha’s varied shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

Last time out, Chelsea battered Wolves 2-6 at the Molineux, things are a little more nuanced now. We’re still going to go with a Chelsea win, although it won’t be anywhere near as comprehensive. 2-1 to the Blues.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid get back to league action against Las Palmas

One trophy missed out on; another one firmly in their sights. Real Madrid might have succumbed to Barcelona’s firepower in the overseas-held Supercopa final, but they remain in the hunt near the top of LaLiga and have another big week ahead, starting at home to Las Palmas.

By Karl Matchett

Ancelotti underperforming?

It’s not a conversation you’d usually expect to hear, but there were certainly mutterings about whether Carlo Ancelotti was getting the most out of Real’s expensively-assembled – in wages, if not always transfer fees – squad this term.

The Italian boss did guide his side to seven wins in eight over winter, but slipping behind rivals Atlético in the title race and losing to Barca in Saudi Arabia will only increase scrutiny – and that’s before considering Los Blancos are far from assured of a place in the Champions League knockouts yet, with a play-off place likely needed.

Before thinking of Salzburg on Wednesday, though, Ancelotti and Co must overcome Las Palmas. This has tended to be a one-sided result recently, with Real winning five meetings in a row, scoring 13 and conceding only once in that run, but a 1-1 draw last time they met will give the visitors some hope.

Recent form

Las Palmas might need that hope, in truth – there’s not much else to cling onto, other than if Real rest some players ahead of their midweek Champions League action. The European Cup holders have won eight of nine on home soil this term, losing only El Clásico, scoring 24 in just nine games. Las Palmas are far from the worst travellers in the top flight, but three wins from nine and only 11 netted themselves also won’t mark them out as favourites.

One outlier result will certainly make Real concerned, though. Only a few weeks before Christmas, Las Palmas went to Barcelona and beat them in their own backyard, a 2-1 win coming despite having under 30 per cent possession and only five shots all game. Efficient, they certainly were. Real will expect not to miss the vast haul of chances that Barca did that game – one goal from 27 shots was quite the return. Since the start of 2025, however, Las Palmas have played two, lost two.

Team news

Real will be without suspended pair Luka Modrić and Vinícius Júnior, along with long-term absentees Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. Eduardo Camavinga has joined them on the sidelines, but will be back next month. Las Palmas have Dário Essugo suspended and José Campaña injured, but Marvin Park could make his return.

Key player

With the top two chance creators out, ball progression and finding spaces will fall in part to Fede Valverde. He has 23 chances created this term, fourth in the squad, but he also knows how to find the net from long range – all five LaLiga goals this term are from outside the box. In ensuring Real Madrid don’t replicate Barcelona’s wasteful mistakes, chance creation and ability to finish from all angles could well prove vital.

Prediction

No great surprises and quite a few goals. Madrid 3 Las Palmas 1

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Man City go to Ipswich in Sunday’s late game

Pep Guardiola’s confusing Man City side host Ipswich town on Sunday as they seek to right the wrongs from their frustrating 2-2 draw with Brentford in their previous Premier League fixture.

By Alex Roberts

City looked well on their way to a fourth consecutive win against Brentford, 2-1 up going into added time. As has happened a few too many times this season, they let it slip, and Christian Norgaard snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.

It’s a similar kind of story for Ipswich, although a little more dire. Two fantastic results against Chelsea and Fulham saw them edge towards potentially leaving the relegation zone, but a 2-0 defeat to Brighton on Thursday undid all their good work.

City’s defensive frailties

Both of Brentford’s goals in the 2-2 draw were preventable. Missed interceptions from both Joško Gvardiol and Nathan Aké ensured the ball ended up right on Yoane Wissa’s toe, allowing him to slot past Stefan Ortega from close range.

Ortega has to take responsibility for the second one. Norgaard’s header was only slightly to his left, he got hands to it but was unable to prevent it from crossing the line, leading Guardiola to berate him in front of all the TV cameras after the game.

Ipswich don’t have Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo up top, but a certain former Man City academy graduate could certainly do some damage.

Liam Delap wants revenge

Speak of the devil, Delap, the lad City sold to Ipswich in the summer, has proven to be a shrewd piece of business for the Tractor boys. A starring role in the 2-0 win over Chelsea prove he can do it against the big boys.

He’s far and away their top goal scorer sitting on eight from his 20 Premier League games, four above Sammie Szmodics in second, an impressive tally for any side contending with relegation.

City won the reverse fixture 4-1, but that was before everything went down. There is a nervousness within the current champions now, something Delap could take advantage of.

Nine-and-a-half-years is a very long time Erling

City confirmed the big Norwegian has committed his long, long-term future to the club on Friday, tying him down for the best part of a decade. It seems optimistic, considering all the things that are happening in the background.

The 115 charges cast a shadow over the Etihad, somehow bigger than the one Haaland does. Does he know something we don’t?! Will the current champions be completely absolved of their sins!? Did they even exist in the first place!?

No one knows for sure, but one thing is certain, Haaland will want to celebrate his comically long contract with a bang. Expect goals from the robotic forward.

Spending their way out of trouble

Coping mechanisms come in many forms. Some make jokes, others turn to the bottle. Ipswich, it seems, have decided spending is their best option as they continue the fight for Premier League survival.

Jaden Philogene ripped it up in the Championship last season, earning a Puskás nomination for his ridiculous goal against Rotherham. Ipswich were interested in the summer, but the winger decided to return to Aston Villa instead.

Chances at Villa were sporadic at best, and Ipswich have finally signed their £20million man. The game against City may come too soon for the youngster, but he could certainly be an asset.

Prediction

City have had more shock defeats in the last six months than they had in the previous six years. That been said, they have too much for Ipswich. We’re going to go with 3-1 to Man City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Man United tackle draw specialists Brighton

Are Manchester United and Brighton back in form or not? It’s difficult to tell, ahead of their meeting at Old Trafford on Sunday.

By Ian King

Positive midweek results

Manchester United ended a run of five defeats in six matches by beating Southampton 3-1 on Thursday night, but they made hard work of it, requiring a late Amad Diallo hat-trick to wrest all three points from the bottom club. Brighton, meanwhile, won 2-0 at Ipswich, which ended their run of eight league games without a win. They’ve only lost four in the Premier League so far this season – only Liverpool and Arsenal have lost fewer – but their ten draws so far confirm what pretty much everybody already knows, that their Achilles heel this season has been killing games off.

History

Fun fact: between them, Brighton and Manchester United won three of the first four Charity Shields, held between 1908 and 1911. Brighton qualified for this match as winners of the Southern League in 1910, and beat Aston Villa in the final.

More recently, Albion have a decent record against United since returning to the Premier League in 2017, having beaten them seven times in the league since then. Earlier this season, they beat them 2-1 at The Amex.

Key players

To get past Southampton, Manchester United were heavily dependent on Amad Diallo, whose late twelve-minute hat-trick hauled them out of a very sticky situation indeed. Diallo has now scored five of United’s last seven Premier League goals; they’re becoming increasingly important to Rúben Amorim as the season progresses.

Brighton’s record of not killing games off coupled with their decent record in this fixture means that their attacking players are also of critical importance. João Pedro is their joint second-highest scorer behind United alumni Danny Welbeck with five goals, the last two of those have come in their last two matches.

Team News

Pedro had been doubtful for the Ipswich game, and his appearance and goal were certainly welcome after a disappointing recent run of form. Brighton also have Danny Welbeck back fit again but Igor Julio is out for the season. He joins Evan Ferguson, Ferdi Kadıoğlu and James Milner on the sidelines while Mats Wieffer, Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez are doubtful. Manchester United’s injury concerns have eased over the last couple of weeks, with Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw their only absentees.

Prediction

Have Manchester United or Brighton turned a corner? United have always been able to put in a shift against the likes of City, Arsenal and Liverpool, but it’s been the more bread and butter fixtures in which they’ve so often fallen short in recent years, further evidence of which could be seen in their largely listless performance against Southampton on Thursday.

Brighton’s poor run ended at Ipswich and they have a good record against Manchester United. Given that the home side have a forward coming into excellent form but still apparently can’t defend set-pieces there should be goals, and a 2-2 draw would certainly fit Brighton’s record this season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Marcus Thuram: Football’s favourite nepo-baby

They’re taking over. Checking out one of your favourite actor’s or musician’s Wikipedia page is almost always followed by a frustrated “oh, of course,” when you see the blue hyperlink over one of their parent’s names. You can’t throw a rock in LA without hitting a Caulkin, Quaid, or a Kardashian.

By Alex Roberts

Football is a little different. A traditionally working-class sport, the lavish lifestyle being the son of a successful player affords doesn’t usually ingrain the grit needed to make it professionally. Just look at Romeo Beckham.

Marcus Thuram, however, may be the exception to the rule, and dare we say it, giving them a good name.

Unlike lead singer of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas (we bet you didn’t know he was a nepo-baby), Marcus, son of Lilian, made it to the top the hard way, first at Sochaux, then Guincamp before heading to Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Originally a winger, Thuram has transitioned into a target man in Simone Inzaghi’s unique 3-5-2 system. Partnering Argentine ace Lautaro Martínez up top, his hold up play, and clever movement pull opposition defenders out of position, allowing for his fellow striker to move in and, well, strike.

Martínez has been the main man for Inter over the past few years, banging in goals and winning titles for the current Italian champions. Those goals have dried up somewhat this season, just nine in 27 games across all competitions so far to be precise, and now it’s Thuram’s time to shine.

He’s been at Inter for the past 18-months, arch-rivals of one his father’s old sides, and the club his younger brother Khephren currently plays for, Juventus. Dinner time in the Thuram household might be interesting, but Marcus won’t care, he’s having the season of his life.

It didn’t take long for Thuram to make his mark on the 2023-24 Serie A campaign, scoring a brace as the current champions were held to a 2-2 draw with Genoa in their first game of the season.

Alessandro Vogliacco was in the right place at the right time to open the scoring for Genoa in the 20^th minute, pouncing on a loose ball that ricocheted off the crossbar after Inter failed to clear their lines.

With a steely look in his eyes, Thuram towered over the Genoa defender to nod home Nicolo Barella’s pinpoint cross, bagging his first and the equaliser for Simone Inzaghi’s side.

Thuram was an attacking threat throughout the game, finally putting his side ahead in the 82^nd minute with a cheeky lob over Pierluigi Gollini. Unfortunately, his hard work was undone by Yann Bisseck, who conceded a penalty in added time, allowing Genoa to score the equaliser.

After a fairly quiet outing in the 2-0 win over Lecce in the game after, Thuram was on hand once again to play a crucial role in Inter’s 4-0 win over Atalanta, scoring a second brace in three games, as the champions inflicted the heaviest defeat on Gian Piero Gasperini’s side of the season so far.

Football mirrors life, there are peaks and troughs. Seven games for both club and country came and went, without a goal to be seen. Thuram was still productive, providing an assist in Inter’s 3-2 league win over Udinese in late September.

The Frenchman finally broke his duck on October 5 in style, scoring his first hat-trick since 2022, while at Gladbach, dragging his side to a 3-2 win over Torino at the iconic San Siro.

Torino defender Guillermo Maripan was given his marching orders after just 20 minutes for a rash tackle on Thuram. It was the type of challenge that cause lesser men to crumble, but there is nothing lesser about Marcus.

He took the game by the scruff of its neck, spanked it’s little bottom and sent it on its way. His first was with his head, the type of header that makes one reminisce about their playing days as a youngster, hearing your coach, likely someone’s dad, tell you to “head the ball back the way it came from.”

His second was also with his head, although this time, he did the exact opposite of what your mate’s dad would have told you to do. Maybe that’s why they didn’t make it pro; it wasn’t the ‘dodgy knee’ after all.

Things were looking pretty peachy for both Thuram and Inter. 2-0 up against ten-men Torino after 35 minutes, this would be a walk in the park, surely? Wrong. Serie A cult hero Duvan Zapata had other ideas.

Just one minute later, the veteran striker made it 2-1, and few anxious looks were shared between the Inter faithful. Torino weren’t going to roll over and go down without a fight. Bulls are famously not big fans of belly scratches.

Thankfully, Thuram was there to round of his hattrick with this goal coming via his feet. He was in the right place at the right time to scramble the ball into the back of the net after Torino failed to clear their lines.

Nikola Vlasic got one back from the penalty spot in the 86^th minute, but it was too little, too late. Thuram had dragged his side to a win against a side who had been down to ten men since the 20^th minute.

*Thuram is our top rated player in Serie A this season*

The game has been indicative of Inter’s season so far; they’ve made it harder than it needs to be. Thuram had a bit of a dry spell after, scoring just once in his next seven games, but he’s since made up for that.

With 12 goals in his 20 league games, he’s one goal off Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui at the top of the scoring charts. There is plenty of football to be played, don’t be surprised if he ends up as the top dog soon.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Moyes looking for first win as Everton host Spurs

Everton will host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday as David Moyes takes charge of his second game for the Toffees upon his return to Goodison Park. Ange Postecoglou could be under pressure as their inconsistent performances continue, but Everton themselves have struggled this term.

By Matt Smith

Earlier in the season when the two sides last met, Tottenham produced an emphatic 4-0 victory at home while Sean Dyche was still in charge of the Toffees. In this fixture last season, Jarrad Branthwaite rescued a late point in a 2-2 draw thanks to a 94^th minute equaliser.

Moyes receives Garner boost

Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Spurs, Everton manager Moyes confirmed that James Garner has now returned to training after a lengthy spell on the treatment table due to a back injury.

Unfortunately for the Toffees, Youssef Chermiti, Armando Broja, Seamus Coleman, Dwight McNeil, and Tim Iroegbunam remain out for the Merseyside club.

Calvert-Lewin could be the difference

It’s been a tricky season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Everton’s survival hopes could rest on him finding some form. The English striker has scored just twice in the Premier League, but the Toffees have been creating chances for him.

*Calvert-Lewin shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Calvert-Lewin has had 40 shots in England’s top flight this term with an xG of 5.22, and he missed a gilt-edged opportunity against Aston Villa to equalise in the midweek defeat at Goodison. Moyes will be desperate to get the best out of him heading into the business end of the season.

Tottenham duo added to injury list

Postecoglou has been forced to contend with a lengthy injury list over the last few months, which has undoubtedly had a major impact on their performances. Spurs have received a boost ahead of the trip to Merseyside however, with defender Ben Davies back and available for the game against Everton.

The Australian manager has hinted that Brennan Johnson and Yves Bissouma could be doubts after picking up knocks in their midweek fixture – the North London Derby defeat at Arsenal. Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner all remain out.

Everton will need to contain Solanke

The major difference between Everton and Aston Villa during the week was the latter having a clinical striker in Ollie Watkins to tuck away a winner. With both Everton and Tottenham struggling, it could be a matter of one player taking their chance to settle the game.

Solanke, despite Spurs’ poor form, has struck seven times in the Premier League this season, providing three assists along the way. With the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison as creative options behind him, Solanke could be the difference-maker for Tottenham.

Prediction

Spurs have won just three times on the road this season, but Everton themselves are struggling to find the back of the net. The Toffees have conceded just 11 times at Goodison Park this campaign, so we’re expecting a tight affair. We’re going for a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Sunday.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Arsenal face Aston Villa in a key game at the Emirates

Arsenal must back up their mid-week North London Derby win against Aston Villa in Saturday’s late kick-off to put pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table.

By Graham Ruthven

Momentum builder

Wednesday’s win over Tottenham Hotspur must be a catalyst for Arsenal to build momentum again. The Gunners can’t allow the four-point gap between themselves and Liverpool to grow any further otherwise the title race could be over sooner rather than later.

Some believe Liverpool already have the title wrapped up. However, Arne Slot’s side face a tricky test away to Brentford on Saturday, meaning Arsenal might have the opportunity to apply pressure on the table-toppers by the time they face Aston Villa a few hours later.

Villa enter Saturday’s match at the Emirates Stadium on the back of a three-game winning run. Unai Emery’s team have recovered from a difficult period which saw them go eight matches without a win in November to once again climb the Premier League table.

Last season, Aston Villa claimed all three points away to Arsenal in a match that all but ended the Gunners hopes of winning the Premier League. It might be much earlier in the campaign this time, but Arsenal’s title chances are once again on the line.

Key players

Saturday’s match in North London could be decided in midfield where both teams will set up to have control. Arsenal will have Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard while Aston Villa boast Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemens. The midfield battle will be worth watching.

Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba’s partnership in central defence is frequently the foundation from which Arsenal build on. The former also poses a goal threat, as he demonstrated by forcing a goal from a corner kick against Spurs.

In attack, Arsenal are currently depleted through a number of injuries to key players. Kai Havertz is expected to start up front despite facing criticism for his finishing in recent defeats to Newcastle United and Manchester United.

Morgan Rogers will be a threat for Villa having registered five goal contributions in his last five games while Ollie Watkins has rediscovered his scoring touch recently, netting twice in four outings.

Donyell Malen – named as a FotMob Transfer of the Week – could make his Premier League debut after joining Aston Villa from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, although the Dutchman is most likely to start on the bench.

Team news

Arsenal’s injury troubles have worsened recently with Gabriel Jesus joining Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines after coming off against Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend.

Riccardo Calafiori hasn’t played since early January due to a muscle injury, but could feature against Aston Villa. Myles Lewis-Skelley is, however, expected to keep his place at left back with Jurrien Timber on the right side of the defence.

John McGinn and Ross Barkley will both miss out through injury with Diego Carlos and Pau Torres also currently sidelined. Otherwise, Emery has a full squad to pick from for the trip to North London.

Prediction

This could be a cagy affair where both sides cancel each other out – Villa are in form but the Gunners don’t draw a blank that often, so we’ll go with a 1-1 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Can PSG remain unbeaten at home and progress in Europe?

Paris Saint-Germain, top of the league. Not much of a surprise there, but the Ligue 1 champions still have a massive week ahead of them as they bid to stay in contention to reach the Champions League knockouts – yet can’t take their eye off the ball domestically, either.

By Karl Matchett

For Luis Enrique’s team, there’s probably only one priority in the week ahead. The Parisian side are in danger of missing the cut amid Europe’s top 24, improbable as it seems, and with two league phase games left they are one point adrift of Dinamo Zagreb, PSV and Manchester City to sneak into those Champions League playoff places. Their remaining fixtures are at home to the last of those three sides, a big clash anyway but a crunch one now, and then away to Stuttgart – who themselves are on the same points as PSG, just behind on goal difference.

*The massive sides in and around the play-offs in the Champions League table*

It really could go any which way between that triumvirate in particular, given Man City’s recent poor form, PSG’s lax showing on the continent, and the German side’s recent run of six wins in seven across all competitions. Even so, it’s in their own hands: win twice and PSG will certainly be in the playoffs. Luis Enrique will expect his team to do exactly that, however difficult the opposition – after all, that’s what’s demanded given the financial outlay at the club and the long-term target they’ve sought.

For a long time, PSG have been criticised for being missing in action when it comes to the most critical parts of the campaign and fighting for European honours; no matter the presence of Neymar, of Kylian Mbappé or even of Lionel Messi, they rarely, truly threatened to be conquerors of Europe.

And perhaps a part of that stems from a lack of competition domestically. It has been pointed out, not just with PSG but in previous years with Bayern Munich and their Bundesliga dominance too, that being so far ahead in league terms by the mid point of the season can often mean they are undercooked in competitive terms when they suddenly must step up again, against Europe’s finest.

Perhaps there’s merit to that theory.

And that means it’s not just PSG’s Champions League short-term future at stake across the coming weeks, but also their longer-term prospects, because while they are indeed already seven points clear at the top of Ligue 1, there’s a bigger prize available, one which brings with it historical value as much as sporting, one which nobody has yet achieved in the national top flight.

That is, to go the entire season unbeaten.

And, we could go further – PSG haven’t yet proven themselves in another regard, perhaps again by way of the title being wrapped up so early sometimes that results simply…trail off. Consider this: despite winning ten of the last 12 league titles in France, such dominance has not come with the title of being the nation’s hardest to beat side, ever.

That distinction currently belongs to Nantes, who in 1994/95 – the vintage of Claude Makélélé and Christian Karembeu, of Patrice Loko and Nicolas Ouédec – blew away the competition to win the title, ten points clear of Lyon and losing just a single fixture all season long.

So far, the best that PSG have managed is two defeats in a single campaign. They have equalled that Nantes side in other ways, of course; their long-held record of 32 matches unbeaten from the start of a campaign was matched by PSG in 15/16, while PSG also went 36 unbeaten in the league between 2015 and 2016. That still stands as a league record itself.

But for all the frontiers PSG have crossed, perhaps this one – an invincible domestic campaign – is the most notable one they’ve yet to achieve.

For, if they can truly go the distance mentally as much as technically and tactically, would Luis Enrique’s team then not be also able to replicate that resilience in Europe? If the team have something to fight for all year long, a genuine accolade to keep striving for every time they step on the pitch, would that not eliminate the so-called issue of non-competitiveness which blights them in the latter stages of Europe?

This is a question which can only be answered a single game at a time, and even then only if PSG do lift themselves into the top 24 with their last two fixtures in the league phase. And there’s even an argument in the opposite direction: if PSG go out of Europe at this point, doubling down on becoming France’s best side ever is not just a way to get over the disappointment, but to still ensure this campaign can be seen as a resounding success, not in the way they expected perhaps, but in a way which can never, ever be beaten.

Right now, they at least have the opportunity to do it either way, unbeaten through 17 at the halfway stage.

Sometimes, all the very finest sides need is exactly that: opportunity. For PSG to prove they remain one of the finest, after the exits of not just Mbappé but of Manuel Ugarte and Carlos Soler, of Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes…of Neymar and Messi…this would be the way to do it. Find a way in Europe. Get into the knockouts, and then impact there. And maybe the key to unlock that particular door at last is to not be obsessed by Champions League success, but to instead remain entirely focused on domestic dominance. What follows from that might be more historic than anything they’ve already done.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Ligue 1 with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Preview: Bordalás’ Getafe prepared to square up against Barcelona

Barcelona are back in LaLiga action close to a month after their dramatic defeat to Atlético Madrid. Their first league game of 2025 will see them visit the Community of Madrid to face Getafe.

By Neel Shelat

Barcelona’s free-flowing attack

Barcelona certainly kept their fans entertained despite a lack of LaLiga action over the last four weeks. Their short winter break was dominated by squad registration drama surrounding Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor – who will be available for now at least – after which they won all four matches played in resounding fashion.

The victories over Barbastro in the cup and Athletic Club in the Supercopa semifinal were routine enough, but their attack found yet another gear in the last two games. They put five past eternal rivals Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia on Sunday before doing the same to Real Betis back on Spanish soil in a midweek Copa del Rey tie.

Barça alerady were the best attacking team by quite a large margin in the first half of the La Liga season, so the possibility of them getting even better will send shivers down the spines of defenders around the division.

A clash of polar opposite styles

While Barcelona traditionally like to keep a lot of the ball and put together slick attacking moves, José Bordalás’ Getafe side are quite the opposite. Perhaps nothing encapsulates the team better than their most recent result – a single goal win over fourth-tier Pontevedra in the Copa del Rey. This game had all the hallmarks of peak Bordalás-ball: a comically low possession figure, an incredibly resolute defensive display and of course, a red card for violent conduct.

While Getafe’s stats are not quite so eye-catching in every singly match, they do have one of LaLiga’s lowest possession averages this season at 43.6% as well as the second-lowest attacking return of just 13 goals.

Entertainment limited at the Coliseum

Getafe’s attacking numbers have not been much better in any of their recent seasons, so the only reason thay have been able to stay up is their incredibly tight defence. They are on course to repeat the trick having let in just 16 goals in 19 league fixtures so far.

Unsurprisingly, then, Getafe’s games have seen the fewest goals scored. They are particularly stingy at home as just 13 goals have been scored at both ends combined in the 10 league matches they have hosted. Clearly, fans looking for goals should not expect to be too entertained at the Estadio Coliseum.

Getafe’s impressive home record against Barcelona

Barcelona have surely not enjoyed any of their recent visits to Getafe. In fact, they have failed to score in their last four matches at the Coliseum, drawing the last three and losing to a single goal in 2020. So, their last scorers at the venue are Luis Suárez and Junior Firpo.

A full-strength attack led by the irresistible front three of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha will be keen to change that tonight.

Prediction

Barcelona have the momentum and attacking firepower to break down Getafe’s staunch defence and put an end to their three-match winless streak in LaLiga.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Brentford prepare to face leaders Liverpool at the GTech

For a little while this game looked like being billed as the Premier League’s best home team against the division’s best team overall; recent events, though, have shown perhaps only one of those is accurate.

By Karl Matchett

Familiar faces at the Gtech

For Sepp van den Berg, this fixture might be a bit of self justification. The Dutch defender departed Anfield the in summer after feeling he wouldn’t get much of a look-in; he joined the Bees and has started 16 times in the top flight. Immediately alongside him once more was Fabio Carvalho; the attacker similarly thought that game time would be at a premium under Arne Slot, but so far it hasn’t been quite as frequent as he’d like under Thomas Frank either – of 16 games for him, 13 have come from the bench.

The two can be seen as examples of Brentford’s own progression and desire to push higher up the league table, signing talents from those above; alternatively they can be seen to hint that Liverpool, who only signed Federico Chiesa in summer for under half the amount received for Carvalho, have kept their powder dry. No moves have been made by the league leaders yet this month, but it could still change quickly.

Fluctuating form

Rewind only a month and Brentford sat top of the table themselves – at least when it came to home form. After battering Newcastle, they sat pretty with seven wins from eight at the Gtech Community Stadium, a fantastic start in front of their own fans which made them top-half contenders, at least on the face of things.

But the truth was slightly skewed and recently has been unveiled somewhat. At the same point of the campaign, Brentford had also lost almost every away game and hadn’t won any. They have since done so – but only at the bottom club, Southampton. And, meanwhile, they’ve lost twice and drawn one at home as well – plus were beaten by Plymouth in the FA Cup. The wheels have come off where they were working for Frank’s injury-hit side.

Liverpool, meanwhile, remain top of the league. A recent blip could only be described that way for the team who were previously near-faultless: their current league form reads “drawn twice”. It’s not quite into the dramatic territory some would have you believe. Worse still for Brentford, Liverpool have yet to lose once away in the league this term.

Team news

Liverpool have Darwin Núñez back from suspension and Joe Gomez is out injured – Slot has very nearly a full squad. Frank has far more issues, with seven still out, the main ones of which are Ethan Pinnock, Kristoffer Ajer, Aaron Hickey and Igor Thiago.

Key player

With Mohamed Salah looking off-key of late – against his very high standards – we’ll go for Alexis Mac Allister to pull some strings. Brentford’s midfield is physical but he can mix it too – and still find the pass at the end. He’s 93rd percentile for xA, 90th for possession won in the final third and is vital to the Reds’ tactical plan.

Prediction

Brentford’s home form showed they can beat the sides below them, but they are still a way off those above. Three points for the visitors: Brentford 1 Liverpool 3.

(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.