Page 32 – The Pulse of Football

Feb

2025

Why the Premier League isn’t following the NFL and NBA in playing games abroad

The prospect of Premier League matches being played abroad has gained renewed attention, fuelled by comments from Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes, who recently stated that there were “no conversations” about hosting games in the US.

By David Skilling

While the NFL and NBA push to expand overseas and grow their international fanbases, the Premier League finds itself in a very different position, one where overseas expansion simply isn’t a necessity.

The idea of playing league matches abroad has been discussed for years, often linked to its expanding global audience and the growing influence of commercial partners seeking new revenue streams. NBC, the U.S. broadcaster currently paying the Premier League $2.7 billion for its six-year deal until 2028, has been vocal in its interest in bringing competitive fixtures to North America.

Jon Miller, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and partnerships, has pushed for games in the United States, stating, “At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games”, “I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular season games.”.

With so many US-based owners of Premier League clubs today, it’s no surprise there is some support for overseas games, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has suggested hosting matches in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Riyadh as part of a long-term vision to expand the club’s global reach.

However, while some stakeholders see overseas fixtures as a way to strengthen the league’s commercial standing in the United States, Premier League executives remain hesitant, no doubt partly due to the response on the last attempt. When the concept of ‘Game 39’, an extra Premier League match played overseas was first proposed in 2008, it was met with immediate backlash from English football fans and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

Unlike the NBA and NFL, which rely on overseas games to build international interest, the Premier League already enjoys immense global popularity. With a potential TV audience of over 4.7 billion people across 212 territories (according to Wikipedia), the league doesn’t have as much of a need to push itself into newer markets, especially one where it already has strong traction. In March 2024, the Manchester City v Arsenal match became the most-watched Premier League match in United States history, with 2.12m viewers across NBC’s platforms.

Tony Scholes reaffirmed this position, stating:

“Over the last couple of years, we have played a number of pre-season games in the US. We have an excellent broadcast partner in the US and viewing figures are strong there. So I would personally say I don’t see a need to do that. And I could absolutely say there’s no conversations taking place to do it.”

Time zones play a huge role in the need for international games.

For U.S. fans, Premier League matches conveniently fit into morning routines, in Los Angeles, fans can watch with breakfast; in New York, with their brunch. This natural scheduling advantage gives the league strong exposure without forcing change. For European fans of the NFL or NBA, the experience is far more difficult. To follow American sports, fans have to stay up late into the night, often on Sundays when NFL games are played. This is a major inconvenience for those with work the next day.

Instead of introducing regular-season games abroad, the Premier League’s focus remains on maintaining and enhancing its dominance through:

● Pre-season tours – Clubs already travel to the U.S., Asia, and Australia during the summer, allowing international fans to experience live games without disrupting the domestic season.

● Broadcast partnerships – The NBC deal ensures strong visibility in the U.S., reinforcing the league’s presence without requiring in-person fixtures.

● Strategic collaborations – Clubs engage international audiences through brand partnerships, social media initiatives, and digital content strategies.

● Localised fan engagement – Some clubs have opened international offices and developed region-specific content to strengthen connections with overseas supporters—without taking games away from English stadiums.

While the NBA and NFL are actively working to expand by hosting regular-season games abroad, the Premier League has far less urgency to do the same. It ultimately comes down to risk vs. reward, and for the Premier League, the reward doesn’t seem to outweigh the risk. The Premier League is already the most-followed football league globally. It is expanding in the U.S. through media deals, without disrupting its structure or alienating home fans, proving that growth doesn’t always require radical change.

The Club World Cup this summer and the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. will further boost attention for football, and the Premier League is positioned to benefit massively from that exposure without needing to export competitive fixtures.

That’s not to say the discussion is over. As American ownership in the Premier League becomes more dominant, so will the pressure to explore overseas fixtures. But for now, the league is staying the course, prioritising its core fanbase while leveraging existing global appeal through less disruptive means.

For English football fans, that’s likely the right decision.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2025

A fish rots from the head down: The rapid decline of Boavista

Since its establishment in 1934, Liga Portugal has been dominated by Benfica, Porto, and Sporting. Only two teams outside of ‘Os Três Grandes’ have won the league title: Belenenses in 1945/46 and Boavista in 2000/01. And yet, 24 years after that historic championship, Boavista find themselves on the brink of disappearance.

By Zach Lowy

Founded in 1903, Boavista spent its first seven decades drifting between Portugal’s top division and second tier. This changed in 1974 with the arrival of President Valentim Loureiro, who oversaw five Taça de Portugal titles and a second-place finish. He departed in 1997, with his son João stepping into the fray. Boavista continued their upward momentum by finishing second in 1999 and fourth in 2000, before shocking the world by winning the title. For the first time, Boavista were no longer a parochial side gravitating around their all-conquering crosstown rivals Porto; they were the kings of Portugal.

Their reign was short-lived, with key figures like Ricardo, José Bosingwa and Raúl Meireles heading to Portugal’s Big Three. Boavista finished as runners-up before regressing to 10th in 2002/03 – a season which also saw Boavista come within inches of reaching the UEFA Cup Final. Two decades later, they still haven’t returned to European football.

In order to keep competing with Os Três Grandes, Boavista invested more and more in the transfer market whilst paying for the expansion of the Estádio da Bessa. When they first commenced their renovation project in 1999, they envisioned a 20,000-capacity arena. That same year, Portugal won the rights to host the 2004 UEFA European Championship, causing Boavista to push for a 30,000-capacity stadium in order to host Euro matches. By the time it opened, the Bessa had cost over €45m, only 15% of which was covered by the government. Fast-forward 21 years, and Boavista are still struggling to erase a pile of debt which has ballooned to over €140m.

Whilst Boavista’s stadium improved, their form didn’t; the Panthers finished 10th and 9th in 2006/07 and 2007/08, but the worst was yet to come. In 2008, the Portuguese authorities completed the four-year investigation of the ‘Apito Dourado,’ or Golden Whistle, which implicated Boavista and Porto in a match-fixing scandal. Porto received a six-point deduction and a €150,000 fine, whilst Boavista were relegated to the second tier and fined €180,000 for bribery and referee coercion. In 2009, they dropped to the amateur divisions, where they remained until winning a protracted legal battle. However, they never quite managed to fill their 30,000-seater stadium to the brim: many of their supporters had taken their allegiances elsewhere as soon as Boavista’s golden era came to a screeching halt.

Boavista ascended two divisions and returned to the Primeira in 2015, and despite having a squad consisting of third-tier players, they avoided the drop under Petit, who was part of their title-winning squad from 2001. Petit left in November 2015 after three years in charge, with Boavista continuing to hover around the midtable positions before avoiding relegation on the final day of the 2020/21 season. Desperate for a new owner with the ambition and wherewithal to restore them to the upper echelon, Boavisteiros welcomed the arrival of Luxembourgish-Spanish businessman Gerard López in 2021. It seemed the savior they had spent two decades praying for had finally arrived – instead, he ended up being their worst nightmare.

López first made inroads in football with Ligue 1 side Lille in 2017; over the next four years, Lille accumulated massive debts and were even threatened with a lawsuit by Meryln Partners, the holding firm that owned the club, after failing to refund the loan that López obtained after purchasing the club. Lille would’ve had to file for bankruptcy had it not been for the arrival of Oliver Létang in 2020, who stated last year, “Lille is a great 80-year-old club, but it should have died at 77.”

Shortly before departing Lille, López expanded his sporting empire to Royal Excel Mouscron. Mouscron suffered relegation in his first year in charge, ending a seven-year stay in Belgium’s top-flight. In his second season, Mouscron were denied a professional license due to a debt of €10m, causing them to drop down two divisions and fold in 2022. Just like that, Mouscron’s 100-year history had reached its conclusion.

In 2021, López took over Girondins de Bordeaux – who had won their sixth Ligue 1 title just 12 years prior. Bordeaux suffered relegation in López’s first season in charge, ending a 31-year spell in France’s top-tier. They hit rock bottom in 2024 after being administratively relegated to the fourth tier due to their cataclysmic finances, forcing them to relinquish their professional status and terminate the contracts of the entire first-team squad.

It has been a similar story at Boavista since López’s arrival. Boavista fell into an early relegation battle, only to be rescued by the goal-scoring heroics of Petar Musa and the mid-season return of Petit as manager, who led them 12th in 2021/22 and 9th in 2022/23. However, it didn’t take long for the cracks to appear – on September 30, 2023, Boavista cancelled their pregame training after the medical workers failed to attend, citing unpaid wages. The following day, the stadium employees refused to open the club’s facilities due to their delayed salaries. In December 2023, Boavista’s first-team squad refused to train after suffering three months of unpaid salaries, whilst Petit also resigned.

“When López bought Boavista, he promised to clear all of the club’s debts and inject money so that they could compete for European football within three years, but he failed to deliver,” stated Miguel L. Pereira, the author of ‘Bring Me That Horizon: A Journey to the Soul of Portuguese Football.’ “He didn’t inject any money, the club is still full of debt, and whilst Petit managed to create a competitive backroom culture, he left due to unpaid salaries. The club is in shambles, and they’re on the brink of disappearing altogether.”

“In order to participate in Portugal’s professional leagues, you need to have zero social security debt and have your payments from the last three months regularized. When the season begins in August, Boavista pay all of their players and regulate the situation, and then they go three months without paying anyone. This is in contrast to other leagues, who check for paid salaries every couple of months…if that was the case in Portugal, Boavista would’ve been relegated four years ago.”

It’s evident these irregular salary payments have taken a toll on their morale: Boavista won five of their first seven matches in 2022/23, before winning seven of their next 27. They won four of their first five matches of 2023/24, before winning three of 29. Boavista went through four different managers over the 2023/24 campaign and escaped the drop by the thinnest of margins, with Miguel Reisinho’s last-second penalty seeing them avoid a trip to the promotion/relegation playoff on goal differential.

Once a formidable powerhouse, Boavista are now making headlines for all the wrong reasons: in November, López was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a €45,000 fine after using his platform as Lille president to hire Karim Saada, who was acting as a sports agent without a valid license. And in August, Boavista president Vítor Murta was convicted of sexually assaulting his employee between 2019 and 2022 – he was ousted in January after six years in charge.

López hasn’t just provoked the indignation of his own personnel, but FIFA, who banned Boavista from signing new players for five consecutive transfer windows. By the end of 2024, Boavista had sustained as many as 39 lawsuits against them, ranging from unpaid salaries to former players to unpaid debts to football clubs from previous transfers. It proved to be all too much for manager Cristiano Bacci, who handed in his resignation on February 8 following a window that saw them fail to sign any new players whilst also selling defensive colossus Bruno Onyemaechi to Olympiakos for €2.5m. Boavista appointed Lito Vidigal, but so far, he hasn’t stopped the bleeding, losing 1-0 to Estrela da Amadora and 3-0 to Benfica.

Like a naive high school student who only started working on his homework 30 minutes before it was due, Boavista went about clearing their debts after the January window closed in order for FIFA to lift their transfer ban. They wasted no time in reshaping their squad and signed nine free agents, including Europa League winner Tomáš Vaclík, five-time Ligue 1 champion Layvin Kurzawa, and ex-Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel. However, with 11 matches remaining, it might be too little too late for Boavista. The Axadrezados have lost their last eight games, and they sit rock bottom with 12 points, eight points away from the playoff spot and nine away from automatic safety.

It has been 10 years since López’s first sporting acquisition – the British Formula One racing team Lotus F1 – were staring down the threat of administration, only for Renault to purchase the team and repay £2.7m in unpaid taxes. Since then, López has driven Mouscron to extinction and steered Bordeaux to the fourth division, and today, he has led Boavista to the precipice of liquidation.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the action from the Liga Portugal on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2025

Mohamed Salah, the Ballon d’Or and why we shouldn’t even care

Of course Mohamed Salah should win the Ballon d’Or. There are few players in footballing history who have produced a body of work over the course of a season to the level Liverpool’s No. 11 has operated throughout 2024/25.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

After another assist in the recent 2-0 win over Newcastle that sent the Reds 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Egyptian’s record stands at 30 goals and 22 assists in 39 games.

No player across the world’s top 15 leagues has more goal involvements in all competitions this season, with the next-closest being Barcelona’s Raphinha with 42.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, widely considered Salah’s closest contemporary when it comes to world-leading wide forwards, has 31 goals and assists combined – the same number as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Mohamed Salah stands a head and shoulders clear of his competition and there should no longer even be a debate over whether he should be awarded the Ballon d’Or when the ceremony is held in October of this year.

*FotMob average player ratings for the Premier League, 2024/25*

Not that it should matter; the Ballon d’Or is, after all, an award created by a French magazine and voted for by a select group of journalists, very few of which – if any – have been involved in football in a playing capacity.

It remains a subjective honour and the discourse around whether Salah deserves it or not only unmasks that further; objectively, the 32-year-old is the best player in the world at present, but very rarely does that alone earn the prize.

The Ballon d’Or is certainly a worthwhile yardstick to measure the pinnacle of the sport, but in an era where everyone’s opinion is magnified it serves more as another echo chamber of popular narrative, an extension of a new footballing fandom led by player allegiance over affiliation to any club.

Just like Rodri in 2024, Salah has become the headline name for football in 2025, and that more than anything would win him the Ballon d’Or if it comes to pass.

Fortunately, the player himself has not bought into the hysteria and it is the collective he values over everything – rightly so, as he is leading Liverpool into an unforgettable campaign that could see them lift three trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.

*Salah’s passing numbers, Premier League 2024/25*

“I think this is my best season because I have made other players around me better. That is what I feel. I know their games,” he told TNT Sports ahead of the victory over Newcastle.

“If you look at the numbers of our other players, it will be higher than their previous seasons. My assists are higher this year which shows that I have helped them a lot. Cody and Lucho as well as other players are having their best seasons, better than any other season, so I think this is my best season.”

The rivalry between himself and Sadio Mané may have been tense at times but Salah has never been a selfish player, and in only one of his eight seasons at Liverpool has he failed to break the double-digit mark for assists.

But this time around his overall game has stepped up even further. There is more of a sense of enjoyment in providing for his teammates, almost to the same level as he takes from one of his own strikes finding the back of the net.

*Salah shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

That is because, above all, Salah’s objective in what currently stands to be his final season at Liverpool is to bring the Premier League title back to Anfield.

If he accomplishes that, as is now widely expected, the individual honours should come alongside it, but they are rightly considered a subplot.

Strangely, the uncertainty over his own future has cast a serenity over Salah and that seems to have resulted in a more expressive player, married to the supreme confidence he has worn since his arrival back in England in 2017.

The win over Newcastle served as the prime example, with the Egyptian employing his now signature move of the trivela pass on a number of occasions as he looked to add another flourish to what resembled domination of side among the Premier League’s best.

One outside-of-the-boot pass found Luis Díaz at the back post with such precision that the Colombian’s failure to convert it led to open-mouthed disbelief among those in the front rows of the Kop.

It was the marker of a player in such outstanding form that he now believes himself capable of pulling off anything – a quality perhaps not seen with such maverick flair in a Liverpool shirt since the days of Luis Suárez over a decade ago.

There was some surprise when Suárez himself was not nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2014, after a season that saw him score 31 goals and lay on 15 assists in 37 games for Liverpool, though the belief was that the Uruguayan’s disciplinary issues may have played a part in his omission.

Suárez did not need such accolades to foster the regard with which he is still held by Liverpool supporters, as one of the best and most entertaining players to ever represent the club.

While it can certainly be argued that Salah long surpassed that – and he has the trophies to back that up – from a subjective standpoint it is arguably only now that he has eclipsed the Reds’ former No. 7 in terms of sheer enjoyment to watch.

That is, of course, in the opinion of this writer, and no doubt others of different vintages will make similar comparisons with the likes of Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Steven Gerrard.

Salah – who is now in the top three in Liverpool’s post-war history for goals and assists, his combined 350 behind only Ian Rush (429) and Billy Liddell (360) – has more than warranted his status as one of the best ever.

He has managed this while driving the club onto unprecedented success, which outstrips any trivial award – even those with the perceived esteem of the Ballon d’Or.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Keeping Mitoma could be one of Brighton’s best transfer deals in recent times

Brighton are being vindicated for rejecting a massive transfer offer from the Saudi Pro League for Kaoru Mitoma in January.

By Graham Ruthven

Many expected Brighton to cash in on Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese is one of the best players at the Amex Stadium, but the Seagulls’ transfer model has seen them move on several key figures before for big money (see Moisés Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Marc Cucurella, Ben White etc.) and £75m would have been big money for Mitoma too.

Instead, Brighton kept the 27-year-old and are now being vindicated for that decision. Indeed, Mitoma has taken another step forward in his development. He has scored three goals in his last four Premier League matches and not even that record fully illustrates the level at which Mitoma is operating right now.

*Mitoma player traits, comparison against similar players in top 5 leagues*

No Brighton player has created more Big Chances this season than Mitoma (eight), nor has anyone created more standard chances (32). The 27-year-old is averaging 1.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, again more than any of his Brighton teammates. He is also averaging 1.7 key passes per 90 – only Danny Welbeck (2.1) and Georginio Rutter (1.9) are averaging more.

In almost every way, Mitoma is Brighton’s creative spark. He is the player who makes things happen in the attacking third of the pitch, also getting himself into good goalscoring positions – Mitoma’s individual Expected Goals (xG) of 6.8 is the highest within the Brighton squad this season.

These numbers, impressive they may be, still don’t paint the picture of Mitoma’s brilliance quite like the goal he scored in the recent 3-0 win over Chelsea in which he somehow brought a long ball out of the sky with a single touch and guided a finish into the far corner. It was one of the goals of the season so far.

“You don’t see regularly special things like this, but he works really hard,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler after Mitoma’s touch from heaven against Chelsea. “He’s fully committed to the club. He tries to improve himself every day. He is very professional and then on top of that he is able to do special things like this.”

That Mitoma is so comfortable with the ball at his feet shouldn’t be a surprise. He famously wrote his university thesis on dribbling and has his findings into practice. The Japanese international is indeed one of the most effective dribblers in the Premier League. He gives opposition defenders nightmares on a regular basis.

*Mitoma possession stats, comparison against all EPL players, 2024/25 season*

Without Mitoma, Brighton wouldn’t carry the same attacking threat. Hürzeler’s approach is designed to get as many players forward as quickly as possible and the Seagulls rely on Mitoma to stretch the pitch wide and isolate opponents. Without someone of the Japanese’s mould, they would be too predictable.

“When Kaoru always stays active not near the ball, when he knows how to use his speed to do the deep run with the right timing at the right moment, then he is a big, big player,” said Hürzeler. “Because he has everything. He is fast, he is good one against one, he can score goals, he can find solutions in narrow spaces with not a lot of time.”

Not so long ago, Brighton faced a crossroads in their season. After a fast start under new manager Hürzeler, the Seagulls suffered a run of eight league matches without a win. A campaign that looked like being a pursuit of European football had started to become a slump into mid-table mediocrity.

Since then, though, Brighton have won five of their last seven in the Premier League, pushing themselves back up into the top eight, just one point off fifth place which could be enough for Champions League qualification this season. Europe’s great and good could be on their way to the Amex Stadium. Mitoma deserves this sort of platform to further showcase his quality.

Brighton’s decision to keep Mitoma rather than cash in possibly reflects a slight change of transfer market approach for the south coast club. To push even higher up the Premier League table, they might need to hold on to their best players for longer. How will Brighton ever qualify for the Champions League if they have to replace so many key figures in every transfer window?

The way Mitoma is playing, there will be more interest in him come the summer. Brighton might have even bigger offers than the £75m offered by the Saudi Pro League to consider. For the time being, though, Mitoma’s brilliance continues to shine in blue and white. The Japanese dribbler is making the Seagulls fly.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2025

Preview: Madrid travel to Real Sociedad for semifinal, first leg

Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg between Real Sociedad and Real Madrid could swing in either direction.

By Graham Ruthven

Season-defining opportunity

This season has been a difficult one for Real Sociedad. The Basque outfit are currently slumped in eighth place in the league table, 14 points short of the fourth spot (incidentally occupied by rivals Athletic Club) that would lead to Champions League qualification.

La Real, however, have more then held their own in this season’s cup competitions. Imanol Alguacil’s team are in the last 16 of the Europa League as well as the final four of the Copa del Rey.

Victory over two legs against Real Madrid would be a season-defining moment for Real Sociedad who come into Wednesday’s game on the back of six wins in their last seven matches in all competitions. They have some momentum.

Real Madrid also have momentum behind them having backed up last week’s win over Manchester City in the Champions League win a home victory against Girona on Sunday.

An away win at the Anoeta would add more weight to the idea this could be a Treble-winning season for Los Blancos. At their best, they have the attacking firepower to beat anyone, but do they have a strong enough structure as a team?

Key players

Nobody has scored more goals for Real Sociedad this season than Takefusa Kubo. The Japanese has found the back of the net in two of his last three games and will be a threat coming in off the right wing against his former club.

*Real Sociedad top scorers, LaLiga 2024/25*

While La Real have struggled for attacking firepower in LaLiga this season, scoring just 23 goals in 25 games, they have netted eight goals in their last two outings.

Mikel Oyarzabal come come back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the weekend win over Leganés. Igor Zubeldia might also replace Nayef Aguerd in the Real Sociedad backline.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to field a full-strength team for the trip to the Basque County with Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior likely to feature in the attack.

Jude Bellingham could return to the lineup after missing the win over Girona through suspension while Fede Valverde might come back in after being rested over the weekend. This could push Luka Modrić back to the bench.

*Real Madrid top scorers, LaLiga 2024/25*

Team news

Luka Sučić, Hamari Traoré and Jon Pacheco will all miss the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid through injury with Aguerd also set to be sidelined.

Zubeldia and Sheraldo Becker are available again after missing Sunday’s win over Leganés through suspension. Otherwise, Imanol has a strong squad of players and options to pick from.

Bellingham’s suspension only applies to matches in LaLiga, but Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal are both still injured, leaving Real Madrid somewhat short of defensive options.

Andriy Lunin has been Real Madrid’s Copa keeper so far this season and is expected to replace Thibaut Courtois for this match.

Prediction

Ancelotti’s side should come away with a lead that they can defend back at the Bernabéu in the second leg of this semi-final: Real Sociedad 1-2 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Preview: Man City go to Spurs needing a result

Tottenham Hotspur can build on their recent form by piling more misery on Pep Guardiola and Manchester City on Wednesday.

By Graham Ruthven

A turning point

Saturday’s win over Ipswich Town was a landmark moment for Tottenham Hotspur. It marked the first time all season that they had strung together three straight wins in the Premier League, hinting at how Spurs are slowly turning around their fortunes.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou’s team are still a long way from where they want to be, sitting in the bottom half of the table with just 12 games of the campaign left. But there are finally reasons for optimism around the North London club.

Optimism is something that is in short supply around Manchester City after a damaging week for the Premier League champions. Indeed, back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool highlighted the fundamental frailties in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Against Liverpool, Guardiola set up his team to control possession. City, however, failed to create many opportunities. They could lean into a more direct approach against Spurs, but that risks turning the game into a basketball match. Guardiola faces a tactical conundrum.

Key players

Son Heung-min was back to his best in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Ipswich, contributing two excellent assists for Brennan Johnson. The South Korean has scored eight goals against City in his career and could add to that tally on Wednesday night.

Mathys Tel is expected to start as Spurs’ attacking focal point as Dominic Solanke continues to make his recovery from injury. The young Frenchman will dovetail with Son on the left wing.

Kevin Danso’s arrival has steadied Tottenham’s defence and the Austrian will need to produce a big performance to keep Manchester City’s attack at arm’s length. Djed Spence, however, will give Spurs a way to get out from the back, whether that’s as a left or right back.

With Erling Haaland a doubt to feature, Omar Marmoush could be asked to lead the line for City once again with Phil Foden another option in the final third.

Jérémy Doku and Savinho could keep their place after starting against Liverpool, although Kevin de Bruyne’s lacklustre display could push Guardiola towards another central midfielder alongside Nico González.

The pace of the Tottenham attack will keep Nathan Aké and Rúben Dias on their toes with Abdukodir Khusanov another defender who could start for City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Team news

While Tottenham’s injury troubles have eased in recent weeks, they still have a good number of important players sidelined.

Indeed, Solanke, Radu Drăgușin, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison will all miss Wednesday’s match against Manchester City with Timo Werner set to face a late fitness test ahead of kick-off.

Haaland’s true fitness is still the subject of speculation. The Norwegian wasn’t included in the squad to face Liverpool on Sunday, but Guardiola has remained coy on whether he could play against Tottenham.

Long-term absentees Rodri, John Stones and Manual Akanji will all miss the trip to North London with Oscar Bobb also a doubt.

Prediction

We’re going with goals, and the home side to shade it: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester 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.

Feb

2025

Preview: Forest host Arsenal in top four battle

Nottingham Forest and Arsenal both had a hiccup over the weekend, but who will react better to their recent defeats when they meet on Wednesday night?

By Ian King

Form

Nottingham Forest have now lost three of their last four, though the jarring little interjection into that run was their 7-0 demolition of Brighton. Qualification for the Champions League remains a realistic goal for this season, but they do need to regain the consistency of performance that got them this high in the first place.

Arsenal’s lack of a reliable goalscorer came to haunt them against West Ham, and there was a feeling that this result could have been coming following a relatively lacklustre performance at Leicester a week earlier which was partially masked by the surprise factor of Mikel Merino being so successful as a makeshift striker. A Forest win would close the gap between these two to just three points.

History

Arsenal’s 2-1 win at The City Ground in January 2024 ended an unwelcome run of them having lost their last three games there, two of which had come in the FA Cup while Forest were in the Championship. Arsenal comfortably won when they met earlier this season at the end of September, 3-0 at The Emirates.

Key players

Following their 90 minutes of blanks-firing on Saturday afternoon Arsenal need goals, but will Mikel Arteta keep faith with Merino in the absence of four other attacking players, who are all injured? He may need to think out of the box again; might this match even see a return to the first team for Raheem Sterling? Stranger things have happened.

Forest haven’t had a problem scoring goals but they have had one in conceding them, so Arsenal’s current lack of attacking potency is very much in their interests. Morgan Gibbs-White has been one of their key players in unlocking opposing defences this season, and Forest’s rugged attacking style could be difficult for Arsenal to cope with.

Team News

Ethan Nwaneri limped off late against West Ham. Arteta subsequently said, “It was just fatigue, I think”, but given their current wounded list it would be understandable if fans were holding their breath until the team is named. Ben White did return for a few minutes. Following his sending off against West Ham, Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended. Taiwo Awoniyi returned to the bench for Forest at Newcastle on Sunday but didn’t get on the pitch. Forest’s only other current absentee is second-choice goalkeeper Carlos Miguel.

Prediction

Few would have predicted at the start of the season that Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal would be third vs second in the Premier League at the end of February (at the time of writing), but we are where we are and Forest are there on merit. Both teams have issues at present. Forest have been struggling defensively but are scoring goals. Arsenal’s defence is okay but they have no strikers, although they do have makeshift strikers and midfielders who can score goals. A 2-2 draw and a possible sigh of relief for Mikel Arteta it is, then.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Can Liverpool and Newcastle produce another classic?

Liverpool and Newcastle United played out one of the games of the season at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign. There’s always something special about this clash.

By Sam McGuire

The potential for an all-time classic increases when there’s a bit more at stake than just three points. And this is the case this week as the table-topping Reds host the Champions League chasing Magpies at Anfield.

Fortress Anfield could deliver the Premier League title

Arne Slot’s men have 11 games left this season and seven of these fixtures are at Anfield.

If the Reds take maximum points from these games, the league title is all but guaranteed. Even five wins from these seven matches should stand them in good stead. Liverpool have enjoyed home comforts this season. They have the best home record in the Premier League with 29 points from 36 on offer. They’ve won nine matches, scored 26 goals and conceded on just 10 occasions.

They’re currently running at a rate of 2.41 points per game at Anfield. If they’re able to extend that across the remainder of the season, they’ll rack up a further 17 points on home turf and it’ll take their points haul to 81 with four away matches to play.

*Liverpool home/away points breakdown, Premier League 2024/25*

Looking at the current state of play, 85 points should be enough to win the title this term.

So, like we said, doing the business at Anfield sets Liverpool up for title success.

Mohamed Salah vs Alexander Isak

On Wednesday evening, two of the form strikers in the world face off.

Salah has nine goals and four assists in his last eight appearances for the Reds across all competitions. He’s comfortably the best player in the Premier League this term with 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 appearances.

He has 10 goals against Newcastle, four in his last two appearances against the Magpies and, perhaps more impressively, he has assisted at least one goal in each of his last five appearances against Eddie Howe’s side.

The three-time Golden Boot winner is the best attacker in world football right now. The only one who can get close to him, and he’s still a fair bit away from him, is Isak.

Since the turn of the year, Isak has eight goals and one assist in nine matches across all competitions. His double against Nottingham Forest 19 goals in the Premier League. The Liverpool transfer target has doubles in three of his last six outings for the Magpies. He also has a good record against the Reds with three goals and an assist since the move to England.

Seeing these two go head-to-head is something you aren’t going to want to miss out on. The winner of this battle could well determine the winner of the match.

Patchy form for both

Both teams won their last match in the Premier League but their form over recent weeks could best be described as patchy.

The Reds are unbeaten since September but haven’t been at their best in February. Arne Slot’s side have won three and drawn two across their last five in the English top-flight. They have given up leads in games against Everton and Aston Villa, settling for 2-2 draws in both games, while narrowly beating Wolves at Anfield.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have lost three of their last five in the Premier League. They ran out 4-3 winners over Nottingham Forest last time out to get things back on track. They are, once again, in contention to claim a top four finish. With better form, they’d be a shoo-in for it.

Their form has been erratic though. A 4-0 loss to an out-of-sorts Manchester City side was a red flag. As was the 2-1 loss to Fulham and a 4-1 defeat Bournemouth at St James’ Park.

Howe’s side are Jekyll and Hyde as of late. They have the quality to cause an upset at Anfield. There’s also every chance they get battered by the runaway leaders.

Key players out for both teams

Liverpool head into the game without Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton. The latter hasn’t been involved much this term but the absence of Bradley and Gomez severely limits Slot.

It means Jarell Quansah is cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk. And the Liverpool right-back has been looking a little leggy over recent weeks. He was given a torrid time by Jérémy Doku at the Etihad, winning just two of his 14 ground duels. He could do with a rest but Slot just doesn’t have the squad options to do that just now.

Newcastle are without Joelinton, Jamal Lascelles and Sven Botman. The former and the latter are starters for the Magpies and big losses for Howe. There is cover, Dan Burn is playing at centre-back while Joe Willock and Lewis Miley have come into midfield over recent weeks, but the team is weaker without those two players in the starting XI.

It’ll be interesting to see who gets the nod at Anfield.

Prediction

We’re going with a 2-1 win for the hosts. Salah really wants this Premier League title and he isn’t going to be stopped. We’re expecting another goal and assist.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

FPL tips from the reigning champ: GW27

Get ahead of the Group Chat thanks to our new regular column from FPL expert Jonas Sand Låbakk.

By Graham Ruthven, in conversation with Jonas Sand Låbakk

Introducing our expert

Jonas is a 21 year old student who, like FotMob, hails from Norway. He was Fantasy Premier League champion for the 2023/24 season, finishing ahead of 11 million other managers. So who better to provide expert advice?

Read his expert advice every week.

*Don’t forget the early FPL deadline for this round – make your transfers and get your team sorted before 18:00 GMT on Tuesday 25 February*

The Eye Test vs. The Stats

Jarrod Bowen (7.3m) might have delivered the knockout blow to Arsenal’s title chances in West Ham’s away win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The 28-year-old scored the only goal of the game, getting on the end of an excellent cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to finish from close range using his head. Bowen was in the right place at the right time to convert a 0.76 xG opportunity, also registering 0.94 in Expected Goal Involvements (xGI).

With Lucas Paquetá and Niclas Füllkrug currently injured, and Michail Antonio still recovering from a serious car crash, Bowen is being used in an extremely advanced position by Graham Potter.

Against Arsenal, West Ham set up in a back five with Bowen and Mohammed Kudus deployed as forwards. This gave the Hammers threat going forward when they could attack open space at speed.

Paquetá’s injury could also see Bowen receive more opportunities to score from the penalty spot in the coming weeks, adding further to his case for selection.

West Ham face Leicester City in their next fixture. The Foxes, who suffered a bad 4-0 defeat to Brentford in GW26, have conceded the third-most xG (50.4) in the Premier League this season and the second-most goals (59).

These statistics make Leicester a good match-up for anyone and Bowen will have opportunities to find the back of the net against them. With West Ham also not facing a blank gameweek in GW29 like many other teams, Bowen is an excellent option right now.

On the whole, Cole Palmer (11.1m) has had an excellent season for Chelsea.

He is the second-highest points scorer in FPL at this moment time, but his – and Chelsea’s – form has regressed in recent matches. Indeed, he has registered just one assist in his last five games during which Chelsea have claimed only six points.

Despite this, Palmer remains a strong pick and his high ownership of 60.5% reflects this.

Chelsea’s next two league fixtures are home games against Southampton and Leicester City in which the Blues will be firm favourites. Palmer could be set for two big double digit scores in both matches.

Palmer is averaging 0.78 xGI per 90 minutes this season. Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak are averaging a higher xGI per 90 than the Chelsea attacking midfielder, and with those two favourable fixtures up next, Palmer should be a priority for your FPL team. He might even be a better Captain pick for this gameweek than Salah.

Long shot

Crystal Palace are on the rise having won four of their last six league fixtures and the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta (7.4m) has been central to this.

The French forward has tallied six goals and one assist from his last six appearances despite averaging just 1.05 xGI per match. Mateta won’t have a fixture in GW29, but he will face Ipswich and Southampton either side of the blank gameweek. He could rack up the points in those games.

*Mateta shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

What’s more, Mateta is Palace’s designated penalty taker. With the Eagles in resurgent form, the 27-year-old should be on your radar, particularly if you plan on using your Free Hit chip in GW29.

Upcoming games to follow

There are a number of mildly interesting fixtures from a FPL perspective in GW27, but only a few truly stand out.

The first one is the meeting between Chelsea and Southampton on Tuesday. I expect the Blues to absolutely obliterate the Premier League’s bottom team. Palmer is the most attractive option there, but there are others worth keeping an eye on too.

Pedro Neto (6.2m) played as a number nine against Aston Villa and could be an option. Christopher Nkunku (5.7m) was someone I mentioned last week with Enzo Fernández (4.7m) also someone who should be on your radar.

Liverpool face Newcastle United on Wednesday, although this could be a tricky fixture for Arne Slot’s team.

Nonetheless, Salah (13.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.4m) are worthwhile picks from Liverpool while Isak (9.5m) and Anthony Gordon (7.5m) could make life difficult for the Reds.

The last fixture catching my eye is West Ham’s home game against Leicester on Thursday. Bowen could easily register a double digit haul.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Amorim looking for home comforts as United face Ipswich

Was Manchester United’s comeback at Everton a(nother) sign of something stirring at Old Trafford, or was it a(nother) blip in their otherwise downward trajectory?

By Ian King

Bottom half battle

At half-time at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime Manchester United looked well beaten, but then Everton tired, United scored twice, and then may have got slightly lucky with a stoppage-time penalty decision which might otherwise have changed the post-match discussion. But they’ve still only won three of their last seven and remain 15th in the Premier League, now separated from West Ham United by goal difference only.

Ipswich are starting to look slightly beaten. They’ve taken two points from their last seven and shipped another four at home to Tottenham on Saturday. They’re now five points from safety, with their 2-1 home defeat to Southampton setting off alarm bells that they might not have enough about them to get clear of the drop this season.

History

Two historic games between these two sides spring immediately to mind. On the 1st March 1980 at Portman Road, the match was hyped over the appearance of Gary Bailey, whose father Roy had played in goal for Ipswich’s 1962 First Division title-winning team. Bailey had an eventful afternoon. Ipswich won 6-0, but Bailey saved three penalties. But when they met at Old Trafford in 1995 with United in their pomp and Ipswich heading down, United won 9-0, with Andrew Cole scoring five. Ipswich haven’t beaten United since a 2-0 win in the League Cup in 1997. They played out a 1-1 draw back in November.

Key players

Bruno Fernandes was the orchestrator for United at Goodison Park on Saturday and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be for this match either, with ten goals and twelve assists in all competitions so far this season. But we all know that this Manchester United defence can be bullied, so much from an Ipswich perspective will be resting on the shoulders of Liam Delap, whose ten goals so far this season have made up more than 40% of their total in the Premier League.

*Delap shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Team News

There has been yet another injury scare for United with the news that Noussair Mazraoui faces a fitness test after limping off against Everton. He may join Rúben Amorim’s eight-player injury list. On the upside, Christian Eriksen and Leny Yoro returned to the bench on Saturday, though only the latter got on the pitch. Ipswich also currently have eight players missing, with Jens Cajuste and – let’s face it, this is no surprise whatsoever – Kalvin Phillips limping off against Spurs.

Prediction

Manchester United have only beaten Southampton at home in the Premier League since 1st December and that raises questions no matter who they’re playing against, especially when considering that they could only draw 1-1 at Portman Road earlier this season. But Ipswich are on a clear downward curve and United did end their last match on a high, and with that in mind I’m favouring a narrow Manchester United win. But with their defence you can never guarantee a clean sheet and Liam Delap is an obvious menace, so 2-1 sounds about right.

(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.