There’s another international break on the horizon so let’s make the most of matchday 12 in the Premier League. Thankfully, there are a number of eye catching clashes to look forward to.
Tottenham suffered their first defeat of the season earlier in the week in what was one of the games of the season.
Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners with Spurs finishing the game with nine men. It was a freak result and one that won’t define their campaign. However, their reaction against Wolves could well shape their season. Ange Postecoglou takes his team to Molineux on Saturday afternoon knowing a win lifts them back into top spot.
Gary O’Neil’s side had been in good form prior to the shock defeat to Sheffield United last week. Wolves had drawn against Aston Villa and Newcastle while also picking up all three points against champions Manchester City. They have the quality to cause an upset and Spurs are going to have to be wary of this.
Back-to-back losses ahead of the international break is not the sort of momentum you want.
Time for Manchester United to deliver
Manchester United face Luton Town on Saturday. The narrative against Liverpool was that Luton showed they weren’t pushovers but the Reds did rack up an Expected Goals haul of 2.85 while creating six big chances. This is an opportunity for United to really make a statement with both a result and a performance.
To say Erik Ten Hag’s side have been inconsistent this term would be an understatement. They brought a two-match losing run to an end last weekend with a late win over Fulham but then lost 4-3 to FC København in the Champions League in mid-week despite leading on two occasions.
Pressure is mounting on the Dutch tactician and anything other than a win here at Old Trafford could leave him in a precarious position. A win will alleviate some pressure but a resounding victory could turn the tide.
The Seagulls need lift off
It has gone under the radar but Brighton are without a win in the Premier League since September. Roberto De Zerbi’s side last picked up all three points in the English top-flight during the 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Since then, they have drawn three and lost two. They are just three points clear of 11th placed Crystal Palace.
The goals have dried up too. They’ve managed to score two goals in just one of these five outings – the 2-2 with Liverpool. Another couple of winless matches will see them in the bottom half of the table.
They face off against a Sheffield United side that claimed their first win of the season last weekend. The Blades brought a six match losing streak to an end and they will be looking to build on that victory this Sunday at the Amex.
Paul Heckingbottom’s team are joint-bottom but, surprisingly, come into this game with as many points as Brighton from their last five games.
Can fortress Anfield hold firm?
The Reds have won all five of their home matches this season and have conceded just two goals in the process at Anfield. However, Brentford come into this game as the form team having won their last three Premier League matches. By comparison, Liverpool have taken just eight points from their previous four outings following the controversial loss to Spurs.
Brentford’s away form this season has been deceptively positive. The Bees have taken seven points from a possible 15, and this has included trips to St James’ Park, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge.
Since their promotion to the English top-flight, Brentford have taken four points from four matches against the Jürgen Klopp’s side. Thomas Frank’s men have also scored three goals on two occasions.
This has the potential to be a banana skin tie for Liverpool, especially after back-to-back underwhelming performances.
A Stamford Bridge shock?
Another week, another opportunity for Chelsea to impress under new manager Mauricio Pochettino in a big game.
The Blues caught the eye in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal a few weeks back but then followed that up with a 2-0 loss against Brentford. They ran out 4-1 winners over Spurs but the performance was far from dominant. Now they welcome Manchester City to Stamford Bridge.
City old boys Raheem Sterling and Cold Palmer have stepped up for Chelsea recently and a big showing here would be the icing on the cake.
The reigning champions have looked in ominous form since their 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s side have won five on the bounce and scored 17 in the process, conceding just three goals.
Manchester City have won their last six matches against Chelsea. Their last defeat to the Blues was in the Champions League final.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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With two games of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs round one best-of-three matches played, only one of the conference semifinal matchups has been decided.
Three ties have gone to a third game, which means there will be plenty at stake this weekend in deciders between Columbus and Atlanta, Houston and Real Salt Lake, Seattle and Dallas.
The latest group of games saw notable performances from Atlanta United’s recent award winners, and some important contributions from players helping their teams advance or keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Argentine MLS MVP-in-waiting played with the kind of quality MLS followers have come to expect, and a 20-year-old playmaker who helped his side through.
Here is the story of the latest round of playoff games via the performances of some of its standout players.
Having been named 2023 MLS Newcomer of the Year days earlier, Atlanta’s Greek striker showed why he was deemed the best addition to the league this season with a goal and two assists against Columbus.
Atlanta’s 4-2 win at home in game two of this best-of-three sets up a decider in Ohio this weekend.
Atlanta also had 2023’s Young Player of the Year, Thiago Almada, back in the team having served a suspension in the first game, but it was Giakoumakis who helped make the difference in game two.
He powered a header in from Brooks Lennon’s cross to open the scoring, before spotting Xande Silva’s overlapping run for Atlanta’s second.
Giakoumakis then set up his side’s third, forming the middle part of a one-two with Edwin Mosquera, before Thiago Almada finished the job with a neat chip when through on goal.
Giakoumakis should have had an earlier assist, too, but Silva missed an open goal from close range.
Either way, and much to Silva’s relief, they got the job done eventually to take this series to a deciding game.
Jefferson Savarino 8.5 (Real Salt Lake)
Real Salt Lake took their series with Houston Dynamo to a deciding game three thanks to Savarino’s second-half free kick.
The Venezuelan No. 10 managed to beat Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark from 30 yards out, steering his shot past a crowded wall into the corner.
It has been one of the more absorbing, even matchups in the first round of the playoffs, and this was reflected in the fact the teams couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes of game two, which went to penalties.
Another of the eye-catching players in this series has been RSL attacker Diego Luna, and it was he who scored the penalty to give them the win and send this tie to a decider.
Jack McGlynn 8.4 (Philadelphia Union)
Philadelphia Union’s 1-0 win in New England sets up the first confirmed conference semi-final matchup, in which they will face Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati.
Having won the home game 3-1, the Union did just enough in Foxboro to advance.
McGlynn has become one of the standout playmakers in MLS whether operating from deeper areas or further upfield.
The 20-year-old mostly plays on the left of the Union’s diamond midfield, where he can do a bit of both of those things.
He threatened the New England goal with crossing, a shot from a free kick, five chances created and the assist for the only goal of the game for substitute Chris Donovan.
It was a free kick curled low into the area that was impossible to defend, and all Donovan had to do was get a touch.
Cincinnati, having got past the most difficult of the wildcard opponents in New York Red Bulls, will now have to get past a similarly stubborn but more talented side in the shape of Philadelphia, if it is to follow up its Supporters’ Shield win with an MLS Cup.
Luciano Acosta 8.4 (FC Cincinnati)
In the end, Cincinnati made fairly easy work of that potentially tricky tie with New York Red Bulls, although the game in New Jersey went all the way to penalties.
They could have lost the shootout, too, having to play a third game, had John Tolkin dispatched his penalty for the Red Bulls after Santiago Arias’s earlier miss.
But Tolkin’s miss plus a couple of subsequent misses from the home side, including a matchwinning save from goalkeeper Roman Celentano, meant Cincinnati progressed with a game to spare.
Acosta was his usual self, showing why he is, or should be, a shoo-in for the league’s MVP award in 2023.
Despite having no shots, he made five successful dribbles and created six chances in total, including the assist for the equalising goal for Aaron Boupendza.
If the pair can continue this linkup in the upcoming single-elimination knockout games, all of which will be played in Cincinnati thanks to their table-topping regular season, they will take some stopping in the MLS Cup.
Logan Ndenbe 8.2 (Sporting Kansas City)
The burgeoning rivalry between Sporting Kansas City and 2023 expansion team and Western Conference leaders St. Louis continued in to the playoffs.
While St. Louis can claim the regular season glory, Sporting KC came out on top on this occasion, winning the second game of the best-of-three 2-1, having won 4-1 in St. Louis in the opener.
Belgian left-back Ndenbe was causing trouble for St. Louis throughout the first half and rounded it off with a goal.
Having burst forward down the left earlier in the move, he saw space open up inside and moved into it to receive a pass from Alan Pulido.
He curled the ball right-footed into the far corner from just outside the area to give Sporting KC the lead.
Daniel Salloi sealed the win in the second half to send Kansas City through.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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With Jurgen Klopp’s selection wisdom questioned after a tired display as Liverpool drew 1-1 with Luton, was the performance really the manager’s fault?
“That’s something I take personally, to be honest.”
It was an eye-opening assessment from Jürgen Klopp, after his side’s late fightback to draw 1-1 at lowly Luton, with the manager at a loss over one major failing.
“What I didn’t like particularly was, first half, we had 0.0 counter-pressing. That’s something I take personally, to be honest. I told the boys it’s certainly not OK,” he told reporters at Kenilworth Road.
“But because I know they actually want to do it, the question is why they didn’t do it, so I have to figure that out. I will, it’s not rocket science probably.”
Liverpool saw 73 percent possession against the Hatters, their second-highest of any game so far this season, which goes a ways to explain why they were not required to employ the fundamental principle of Klopp’s game as frequently as, say, the 2-2 draw with Brighton in October that saw just 54 percent possession.
But there was a clear lack of urgency in his side as they struggled to put Luton to sword, which showed in their failure to convert chances.
Liverpool missed all six of their big chances, while they posted a rate of 2.85 xG – their third-highest in this season’s Premier League behind only the wins over Nottingham Forest (3.19) and Bournemouth (3.08) – but only scored late through Luis Díaz’s header (a chance worth 0.15 xG).
A popular opinion developing is that Klopp failed to manage his squad adequately between the meetings with Bournemouth in the League Cup on Wednesday and the trip to Luton in the league on Sunday.
The manager did make eight changes, though, with only Joe Gomez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah keeping their places, while the decision was made for Kostas Tsimikas – de facto first choice at left-back in the absence of Andy Robertson – to start in the cup, not the league.
Klopp will assume responsibility, as ever, which was telling in his admission that he “knew they actually want to [press],” but in truth, the manager’s hands were largely tied.
When it comes to team selection, he relies heavily upon the club’s medical staff, who will carefully monitor each player’s workload before informing Klopp who is and isn’t available for any given game.
It is notable that two of the players who started against both Bournemouth and Luton, and were both severely lacking in the latter, are among the most-used already this season.
Szoboszlai (1,326) ranks 10th for outfield minutes for club and country across Europe’s top five leagues, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (1,339) the only player above him from the Premier League. Salah (1,227), meanwhile, is seventh from those above the age of 30, with Kyle Walker (1,260) the only Premier League outfielder who has clocked more.
But there are certain factors that cannot be mitigated, namely a player’s desire to feature.
In the days leading up to the Luton clash, Szoboszlai gave an interview with Hungarian podcast Fodball in which he insisted: “Personally, I want to play in every game, even if I’m a bit tired.”
In his pre-match press conference, Klopp himself said of Salah: “He feels extremely well, you can see that he enjoys the team a lot, played 105 minutes [against Forest] and then he played as a No. 9 [against Bournemouth], enjoyed that as well…off the pitch, he’s in even better shape, I would say.”
There were a number of absences which informed Klopp’s thinking, too, with Robertson, Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajčetić and Thiago all out with long-term injuries, Luke Chambers and Ben Doak missing the trip to Bournemouth and youngsters Bobby Clark, Melkamu Frauendorf, Kaide Gordon and Harvey Blair also unavailable.
It left the manager with few options in both midfield and attack, and with two players presenting themselves as continually available, it was almost a given Szoboszlai and Salah would start both games. The question was whether to fully rotate in midfield or attack, with the call ultimately made to field Szoboszlai out wide and bring Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones into midfield.
The only real risk Klopp could have taken at Dean Court was fielding 18-year-old Calum Scanlon at left-back, allowing Tsimikas to provide much-needed width at Kenilworth Road, but there was clearly a reluctance to pair him with another rookie in 20-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah.
During a turbulent victory on the south coast, Jones then picked up a minor injury, while with Tsimikas affected by the workload, Gomez was required to pull double duty as left-back at Luton.
Salah had to start again because Diaz was not ready to do so – and, given the circumstances, it would have been unfair to ask him to – while Cody Gakpo played 81 minutes on his first start since injury against Bournemouth, more than in his three previous appearances combined (79), and was therefore unable to keep his place.
Certain players may not be trusted to start a physical game in the Premier League yet, either, with Scanlon, Doak and Chambers among those. Another, Endo, admitted prior to the Luton clash that “everything is different” after swapping the Bundesliga for the English top flight.
“Of course I don’t play a lot of games in the Premier League,” the Japan captain told Sky Sports, “but when I played against Newcastle, it was a very tough game for me. It’s a lot of speed, everything is different.”
In reality, more than a reflection on Klopp’s selection policy, the difficulty Liverpool faced against Luton more so highlighted the problem they are facing in navigating their first campaign back in the Europa League since 2015/16. The knock-on effect of regularly playing on Thursdays and Sundays is starting to show, despite the overriding strength of the squad as Klopp’s disposal.
Though it represented another failure to put a newly promoted team to the sword, having only won three of their last 10 away meetings with such sides, this should still be seen as a one-off – as, after all, Liverpool did create more than enough chances to take all three points.
“Even with all they did, we created chances and didn’t finish them off with the last conviction, to be 100 percent honest,” Klopp concluded.
“We were not calm enough in these moments. We should have scored and we should have created more. But, first and foremost, it was alright. We probably created enough, just put one or two to bed and it’s fine, you win 1-0, 2-0 and it’s absolutely fine.”
So when Klopp and his analysts are poring over footage of a game which could have seen Liverpool move into second within a point of Premier League leaders Manchester City, the main takeaway should not be that he failed to manage his squad between another week of two games and a tight turnaround.
It was that he had little choice – and that a measure of luck for the likes of Salah, Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez would have told a very different story.
(Images from IMAGO)
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The Matchday XI FotMob Team of the Week is dominated by Manchester City players following their 6-1 win over Bournemouth. But who exactly made the cut and why?
Crystal Palace climbed up to 11th in the Premier League having brought their three-match winless streak to an end against Burnley. The Eagles triumphed 2-0 at Turf Moor despite the hosts dominating. Vincent Kompany’s men had more of the ball and significantly more shots (17 to four) but couldn’t find a way past Johnstone between the sticks. The 30-year-old made five saves on his way to a clean sheet, three of which arrived from efforts inside the six-yard box.
Right-Back: Ola Aina
Few had Nottingham Forest winning against Aston Villa this weekend but Steve Cooper’s side claimed a 2-0 victory and are now up to 13th in the Premier League table. Aina got the hosts off to the perfect start, scoring inside of five minutes with a well-placed effort from distance. The 27-year-old turned a shot with an Expected Goals value of just 0.05 into an effort with an Expected Goals on Target value of 0.43.
He also won two of his three tackles, recovered the ball on nine occasions and won seven of his 11 duels in total to complete an impressive showing.
Centre-Back: Manuel Akanji
Manchester City put on a show at the Etihad to take top spot in the Premier League. Bizarrely, though, the defenders impressed for the free-scoring champions.
Akanji got himself on the scoresheet but the 28-year-old also put in a solid, all-round performance. He completed 90% of his passes and created a chance. He also made six ball recoveries and was 100% successful in ground duels. He probably deserved a clean sheet but just had to settle for a 6-1 win instead.
Centre-Back: Nathan Aké
One of Akanji’s centre-back partners also found his way into the Team of the Week. Aké found the back of the net. He also found a teammate with 94% of his attempted passes. The Dutchman matched the Switzerland international’s success rate in ground duels, winning them all, while also recovering the ball seven times throughout the game. Starting against his old team, he was dominant with and without the ball.
Left-Back: Harry Toffolo
Toffolo is also in the XI alongside his teammate, Aina. The 28-year-old registered two assists in the win over Aston Villa, although they weren’t exactly high-quality chances. That shouldn’t detract from his composed showing though, with the Forest full-back completing 80% of his passes. He also won two of his three attempted tackles and 75% of his ground duels. The clean sheet was a deserved one.
Midfield: Cole Palmer
Palmer has really caught the eye since the move from Manchester City. The young forward played a key role in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Spurs on Monday night. He converted from the spot under intense pressure to equalise while also grabbing an assist in what was one of the most exciting games of the season.
The versatile attacker completed four of his five dribbles, won 100% of his tackles and came out on top in six of his nine duels to cap off a complete showing.
Midfield: Bernardo Silva
Normally, Silva would’ve been named as the Player of the Match following City’s 6-1 win over the Cherries this weekend. The midfielder had four shots, scored two goals and created three chances. He also completed 100% of his dribbles and won 100% of his ground duels. It really was some showing and it reminded everyone just how devastating the former Monaco maestro can be. But he was pipped to the highest FotMob rating by teammate Jérémy Doku.
Midfield: Jérémy Doku
The 21-year-old Belgian dynamo was utterly dominant against Bournemouth. Doku claimed a 9.7 FotMob rating having been involved in five of the six goals scored by the champions. The former Rennes winger scored one and assisted four while also creating five chances at the Etihad. He also completed all five of his attempted dribbles, he had a 100% success rate in tackles and he won seven of the nine ground duels he was part of.
Attack: Neal Maupay
A surprise name on the scoresheet this weekend and a surprise name in the Team of the Week. Maupay played his part in helping Brentford come from behind against West Ham United to win 3-2 with his first Premier League goal in 14 months. The Bees are now up to ninth in the table having won three on the bounce.
The former Everton forward had three shots, created one chance and won 60% of his duels in the win. It was an impressive outing and one he should look to build on.
Attack: Nicolas Jackson
Jackson was always going to make the Team of the Week following his hat-trick in the win over Spurs. It was obvious he would be named as the Player of the Match too.
The goals made it a formality even though he wasn’t necessarily at his best. The Chelsea forward had six shots and racked up an Expected Goals total of 2.88. He landed 83% of his efforts on target and completed 75% of his dribbles. He was signed to score goals and he did just that in what will go down as a historic match.
Attack: Anthony Gordon
Gordon was the match-winner for Newcastle against Arsenal this weekend. The win means the Magpies are now just four points behind the Gunners and well within touching distance of the top four.
The 22-year-old versatile winger was in the right place at the right time to fire home what was the eventual winner in the 1-0 victory for Eddie Howe’s side. He also created one chance, regained possession seven times and won four of his seven duels, playing a key part in Newcastle keeping a clean sheet.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Shock results and important wins. It was just a normal weekend of Premier League action. It felt as though every single match was a talking point, so we’re going to cut through some of the noise to review the action from across matchday 11.
The reigning champions put on a show against Bournemouth. One player in particular impressed in the 6-1 win over the Cherries, but it wasn’t one of the usual suspects.
Jérémy Doku scored the opener and then assisted four of the other five goals in one of the best individual performances of the season.
Surprisingly, neither Erling Haaland or Julián Álvarez got on the scoresheet. The former was subbed off at halftime.
In truth, it was a freak result. City, of course, dominated, but carved out just three big chances and finished the game with an Expected Goals total of 1.95. Pep Guardiola won’t mind though, his team are now one point clear at the summit for now.
The Blades finally win
Sheffield United finally picked up all three points. Paul Heckingbottom’s took the lead against Wolves in the 72nd minute with Cameron Archer finding the back of the net. The away side levelled things in the 89th minute and it appeared as though Gary O’Neil’s men would extend their unbeaten run to six in the Premier League.
However, there was another twist as the hosts won a penalty in stoppage time and Oliver Norwood kept his cool to fire in the winner.
All things considered, a draw would’ve been a fairer result. But Sheffield United probably deserve a slice of good luck. Perhaps they can use this result as a platform to get more points on the board as they look to escape the relegation zone. For now, they’re still bottom of the table. The loss means Wolves missed the chance to move into the top half of the table.
A sting in the tale for West Ham
It was a topsy-turvy game between Brentford and West Ham on Saturday afternoon. The hosts took an early lead through Neal Maupay before the Hammers scored twice in seven minutes to completely turn the game around. In scoring the second for David Moyes’ side, Jarrod Bowen became the first player in Premier League history to score in the first six away games of a campaign.
Konstantinos Mavropanos scored an own goal to level things up just after the break and then Brentford centre-back Nathan Collins scored what turned out to be the winner in the 69th minute. It capped off an impressive showing by the 22-year-old – he completed 91% of his passes and won four of his seven aerial duels.
Following the win, Brentford have climbed to ninth position in the Premier League, leapfrogging 11th placed West Ham.
Arsenal frustrated at St James’ Park
Mikel Arteta’s side have now lost their unbeaten run in the Premier League following the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.
To say Anthony Gordon’s winner was controversial would be an understatement. VAR had to check three different things before finally awarding the goal. There were question marks over whether the ball had gone out of play in the build up, then it appeared as though Joelinton pushed Gabriel as he went to clear the ball and it looked as though Gordon might’ve been offside prior to scoring.
The goal was given, much to the dismay of Arsenal fans, players and coaching staff. Arteta had some choice words in his post-match interview and the Gunners have supported his stance with a statement.
All of this, however, detracts from the fact the title hopefuls created next to nothing against the Magpies, with zero big chances and an Expected Goals total of just 0.57.
Forest stun Villa
Emiliano Martínez was named as the best goalkeeper in the world earlier in the week. He didn’t look like it against Nottingham Forest on Sunday when he played a fairly tame Orel Mangala effort into his own goal to give the hosts a 2-0 lead just after the break.
Ola Aina had given Steve Cooper’s side the lead after just five minutes with a well placed effort from distance. This gave Forest something to defend and they did just that.
Aston Villa huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a way past a stern Forest defence. Even in the in-form Ollie Watkins struggled, landing just one of his two efforts on target.
Forest are now up to 12th, seven points clear of the drop zone.
Lacklustre Liverpool drop points at Luton
Luton were just minutes away from a historic victory over Liverpool at Kenilworth Road. Rob Edwards’ side rode their luck with the Reds missing chances galore before a stunning counterattack gave the hosts the lead.
Ross Barkley played a key role but it was former Manchester United attacker Tahith Chong who scored the opener, tapping in from close range.
Darwin Núñez missed three of the six big chances created by Liverpool and it looked like it was going to be one of those days before Luis Díaz, who started the game on the bench, nodded home Harvey Elliott’s cross in the 95th minute.
On another day, it is a routine win for a Liverpool team that created chances worth 3.04 Expected Goals.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.
After a few weeks where the lead has been shared by Nice and Monaco, PSG have a chance to restore the normal order in Ligue 1, should they win their Friday night fixture against Montpellier at home.
The Parisians have been improving over recent match days, scoring three goals in each of their four fixtures following the 4-1 thrashing they suffered at Newcastle United, in the Champions League, back at the start of October. Granted, they blew a 2-0 lead at Brest last weekend but thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s tenth league goal of the season, they did eventually win that game 3-2.
Opponents Montpellier sit in the middle of the pack with a record of W3 D3 L3. The 2012 title winners face four of the top six in their next five matches so any points from the Parc des Princes would set them up nicely for a run of fixtures likely to define their season.
Arguably the biggest match in Europe taking place on Saturday comes in the Bundesliga where the two major forces, Dortmund and Bayern, meet at the Westfalenstadion.
Going into perhaps their most important away game of the season, perennial champions Bayern suffered one of the biggest defeats the DFB Pokal has ever seen, as third tier Saarbrücken dumped them out of the German Cup thanks to a 96th minute winner on Wednesday night. That same evening, Borussia Dortmund narrowly beat Hoffenheim, the side currently sat two places below them back in the league table.
Dortmund are fourth coming in to the weekend, two points down on rivals Bayern. Both remain unbeaten, with only early season pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen able to boast the same record. But BVB have been going about their business in a quieter fashion than the Champions, there’s none of the 8-0 thrashings across their results to date, in fact, they’ve scored just 20 goals to Bayern’s 34, with Julian Brandt their top scorer so far, with four.
Bayern’s shock midweek defeat was their first since the Super Cup back in August, some 14 games ago, so the Bavarian giants won’t be panicking just yet. Especially with their 10-game unbeaten run in these Klassiker contests. And Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up with no doubt be back to full strength, with 12-goal Harry Kane, 8-goal Leroy Sané, and the ever productive Jamal Musiala leading from the front.
There’s only three Serie A fixtures scheduled for Saturday but four of the current top five all feature. Champions Napoli go to regional rivals Salernitana in the south, which should be a massive game, Milan host Udinese at the San Siro, and fourth placed Atalanta host the leaders, Inter.
And it’s the game in Bergamo that we’re focusing on here. Atalanta lost two of their opening four games of the season, but have lost just one of their consequent nine fixtures, including three group games in the Europa League. And in striker Gianluca Scamacca, who returned to Italy from West Ham in the summer, they can boast an in-form striker. He scored twice and provided the other in their most recent game, a 3-0 win at Empoli on Monday evening. And he also broke his duck for the national team, scoring against England, in the last international break.
For their part, Inter have lost just once in all competitions during 2023/24, with the Champions League finalists outscoring everybody else in Serie A, while also boasting the tightest defence. They’ve conceded just five times in their 10 games, with four of those coming in the only two matches in which they’ve dropped points – a defeat to Sassuolo and the recent draw with Bologna.
It would be fair to say that coach Simone Inzaghi can thank the Inter board for strengthening the squad considerably over the summer – international signings like Yann Sommer and Benjamin Pavard have bolstered the back line, and Marcus Thuram has linked up nicely with Lautaro Martínez up front, with the new strike partnership already having 21 goal involvements between them.
The biggest game in South American football headlines the schedule on Saturday night, with Argentine and Brazilian rivals, Boca Juniors and Fluminense facing off against each other in the final of the 64th edition of the Copa Libertadores.
Boca are looking to equal Independiente’s record of seven tournament wins but the side from Buenos Aires will be up against it, with the game taking place at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, the home ground of opponents Fluminense.
Flu, the designated away side, have never won a continental title and they have only made one previous final (back in 2008). So they may need to lean on that ‘home’ advantage. Under coach Fernando Diniz, who is also temporarily in charge of the Brazil national team, the Tricolor side have been revolutionised – Diniz has positioned himself as the anti-Guardiola, bringing in tactics from futsal, where players are encouraged to rotate positions and work to maintain possession in areas of the pitch where their role would not normally take them. Diniz’s ideas have yet to crack Brazil’s domestic league, with Fluminense currently sat outside a highly competitive top six, but it’s worked a treat in the Libertadores as they’ve progressed past Argentine and Paraguayan opposition before surprising fellow Brazilian’s Internacional in the semi-finals.
Boca, similarly, are having an indifferent domestic season, focusing instead on this, the bigger prize. And with, former Argentina goalkeeper, Sergio Romero between the sticks they’ve become penalty shoot-out specialists. To reach this final, they’ve won consecutive shoot-outs in the round of 16, quarter-finals, AND the semi-finals, where they knocked out 2020 and 2021 champions Palmeiras! It should also be noted that’ve recently won back-to-back shoot-outs in the last two rounds back home in the Copa Argentina.
Don’t forget – Libertadores finals are now played at a time designed to tap in to a worldwide audience, with mainstream broadcasters providing coverage in territories such as the UK and the US.
Moving to Sunday, we’ll be keen to see how Real Madrid, the current leaders in LaLiga fare when they take on local rivals Rayo Vallecano, at the Bernabéu. This is obviously not the main rivalry in the Spanish capital, but it is one where relative minnows Rayo always attempt to embarrass their larger, noisier, neighbours.
Rayo also have a not so secret weapon in their squad, former Atlético Madrid hero, Radamel Falcao, who was on the scoresheet in the side’s 6-0 win in the Copa del Rey during the week.
Madrid won’t enter that particularly competition until after the completion of the four-team Supercopa tournament, so they have not played since last weekend’s Jude Bellingham-inspired comeback victory over Barcelona in the Clásico. That was their ninth league win this season and their tenth, should it come on Sunday, will most likely keep them top of the table regardless of other results.
Girona sit level with Madrid on 28 points with Atlético a further three points back in third. Both play before Madrid, as do Barcelona, who can narrow their four point deficit on the leaders if they can win at Real Sociedad on Saturday evening.
Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…
If you’ve been waiting to read about the biggest Premier League fixture of the weekend, apologies, but with the game between London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea not taking place until Monday, we thought we’d include it in this section and really stretch the concept of a weekend preview.
Yes, this is the game where former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino must take his misfiring Chelsea side to his former employers, who, of course, are currently flying under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou. The unbeaten hosts will probably be knocked off top spot before the weekend’s out but they’ll know exactly what they’ll need to retake pole position in these early stages of the title race.
Spurs haven’t lost at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since May and although, traditionally, they’ve struggled against the Blues, not many pundits are predicting an away win in this fixture. Chelsea do, at least, come in to the game off the back of a win – against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup – but they looked lacklustre in last week’s defeat against Brentford, a result that left them 11th in the Premier League.
This weekend also sees the first round played in the English FA Cup. The world’s oldest national competition is now in its 143rd season and, as is typical, there are some fantastic storylines to be found among the ties.
Not least Sunday’s meeting between EFL League One side Charlton Athletic and Cray Valley Paper Mills, who play semi-professionally at the eighth tier of English football. Originally a works team literally representing the local paper mill, Cray Valley are based just four miles away from Charlton Athletic and despite the fact that proximity means there are likely fans who follow both clubs, they couldn’t be further apart in terms of footballing stature.
This is a fairytale draw for Cray Valley who have already had to win through five rounds of qualifiers to reach this stage of the competition (including three replays!), and a fixture that many fans around the country will be keeping an eye on. There is also the added intrigue that the side include Kyrell Lisbie, the son of former player Kevin Lisbie, a striker who made his name during a 10 year spell at Charlton before also turning out for Cray Valley towards the end of his career.
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It is perhaps too early to talk about season-defining matches but matchday 11 in the Premier League includes a number of clashes that could have huge ramifications for the rest of the campaign.
When previously asked about Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag said the now infamous line: “An era can come to an end”. It was supposed to usher in a new dawn at Old Trafford.
Yet at the time of writing this preview, the Red Devils find themselves eighth in the Premier League table having lost five of their 10 matches. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a weakened Newcastle United side and are struggling in the Champions League having lost heavily to Bayern Munich before losing, at home, to Galatasaray.
United are already 11 points off the pace in the English top-flight and are eight points off fourth-placed Liverpool. Ten Hag takes his side to Fulham on Saturday afternoon needing not only a win but also a dominant showing. Marco Silva’s men aren’t in the best form but a win could see them leapfrog the Red Devils.
It isn’t make or break for the Ten Hag era but we’re getting close to it.
Has the Brighton bubble burst?
Brighton find themselves in seventh position in the Premier League after a positive start to the campaign. However, their recent form isn’t quite as positive.
The Seagulls are without a win in the Premier League since their 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on September 24. The goals have dried up a little too, scoring just five goals in their last four outings in the English top tier. They travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to face an in-form Everton team.
Sean Dyche’s men have won three of their last five to climb to 15th in the table. They are also into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup following a convincing 3-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday evening.
Everton caused a huge upset last season when the faced off against the Seagulls in May, scoring an emphatic 5-1 win over Roberto De Zerbi’s side. A repeat scoreline is unlikely but don’t be surprised if the Toffees take something from this match. After all, they are the form side and they’re playing at home.
A big test for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta takes his team up north to Newcastle for the Saturday evening match. The Gunners are one of only two teams with an unbeaten record in the Premier League this season and they know a win at St James’ Park will take them to the top of the table.
But they are yet to truly build up momentum this term. The 1-0 win over Manchester City was sandwiched between a 2-1 loss to Lens and a 2-2 draw with Chelsea. They then beat Sevilla and Sheffield United before losing 3-1 to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.
The Magpies haven’t exactly been consistent this term either. Yes, they knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup but they have won just one of their last three Premier League matches, drawing with Wolves and West Ham. They also lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund at home in the Champions League.
This has the potential to be a fascinating match-up. Their styles align perfectly with Newcastle wanting to play on the break and Arsenal wanting to dominate the ball.
A loss for the hosts could see them end the weekend in ninth, a win keeps them within touching distance of the top four.
A banana skin fixture for Liverpool
Liverpool travel to Luton Town on Sunday afternoon. The Hatters are without a win at home this season and they find themselves in 18th position in the Premier League, just four points off the bottom. Their away win at Goodison is doing a lot of heavy lifting here and keeping them within one victory of escaping the relegation zone.
On paper, this should be a straightforward three points for a rampant Liverpool team. They rank third for goals scored this season (2.3 per 90) and third for Big Chances Created (24).
However, Luton are going to cause an upset this season and this is a perfect opportunity. They’re in front of a packed-out Kenilworth Road with top billing on Sky Sports. The Reds played on Wednesday evening and they have a Europa League clash in France on Thursday to prepare for. Jürgen Klopp always talks about taking one game at a time so he won’t be taking this game for granted, but that doesn’t mean the players might not lose focus.
A Tottenham return for Pochettino
The Mauricio Pochettino era at Chelsea has been a case of one step forward and two steps backwards. The Blues put together an impressive showing when they welcomed Arsenal to Stamford Bridge and though they couldn’t quite hold on to secure all three points, it showcased what was possible when the players bought into what the Argentine tactician was wanting.
They looked organised, well-disciplined and dangerous. The performance was supposed to be the platform to really kick on. In their next outing, however, they lost 2-0 to Brentford.
Chelsea now travel to top-of-the-table Tottenham looking to halt their impressive start to the campaign. Ange Postecoglou’s men are unbeaten and have a two-point advantage at the summit. In Heung-Min Son they have one of the most in-form attackers in the Premier League – he’s netted eight goals already – while James Maddison is enjoying life as the main playmaker for Spurs – chipping in with five assists.
The pressure is on Spurs. But that hasn’t bothered them yet this season, why should it on Monday?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Created with football culture in mind, the balls’ designs pay homage to the fans. The Ultimax Pro Emirates FA Cup and Ultimax Pro Women’s FA Cup balls throw it back to the 90s with a modern take on the iconic design of the OG Mitre Ultimax, updating its look for today’s player by including detailed geometric patterns inspired by fans’ scarves and flags on matchdays and the football community.
And with the history of this iconic competition in mind, legendary commentator Clive Tyldesley was on hand to share stories of his decades of covering of The FA Cup. From working the hotels, trying to source team news ahead of the all-Merseyside Final in 1986, to the importance of the Crazy Gang’s iconic upset of Liverpool in 1988, to his commentary on Ben Watson’s match winning header against Man City, to bring the cup home to Wigan, in 2013.
Giant killings and special moments are synonymous with the world’s oldest football competition, and this weekend’s draw has thrown up some incredible ties.
When the draw was made, Cray Valley Paper Mills of the eighth tier would have been hoping and praying for Charlton Athletic. The 28,000 seater The Valley, stands only four miles from The Millers’ Badgers Sports Ground, in Eltham. A truly once in a lifetime tie, for fans who are very likely to support both clubs. Kick-off is Sunday, at 5.15pm.
The lowest ranked team hail from Kent; with ninth-tier Sheppey United making their debut in the 1st Round after 130 years of existence, also being rewarded with professional opposition, as they host League Two Walsall on Friday night.
Gateshead fans will be making the longest trip of the round, as they embark on a 700-mile round-trip to face Somerset’s Yeovil Town, on Saturday. Wrexham have their own rich history in The FA Cup. In 1992, having finished bottom of the fourth division the previous year, they faced top-flight champions Arsenal, at the now globally recognised Cae Ras and completed arguably the greatest giant killing of all time, with a 2-1 win. Having reached the last sixteen last season, The Red Dragons kick off their campaign at 7.45pm on Saturday night, at Mansfield. A tie that will receive the highest viewing figures in America, of any 1st Round tie in the competition’s history.
The 1st Round of The FA Cup is one of the purest days of football in the calendar. A treasure chest of stories and clubs to uncover from the long-tail of English football and where the magic of the cup, is alive and well.
You can follow every match from the FA Cup live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.
The first round of games in the MLS Cup Playoffs have now all been played, and a number of teams have already emerged as contenders for the big post-season prize.
The first round of the playoffs this year consists of a best-of-three series with a game played at the home of each team, then a third at the home of the highest-seeded team if necessary.
It gives a different feel compared to recent MLS Playoffs, but with each of the game one matchups now played, there is plenty at stake in the upcoming second games.
Our Player Power rankings series continues into the playoffs with a look at some of the standout players and their teams’ performances in the game one, first round matchups.
Columbus Crew brought its possession-based attacking football to the playoffs, and unlike in the regular season, it also brought a sense of defensive solidity. At least in this first game.
The Crew conceded 46 goals in its 34 regular season games but topped the league for goals scored with 67.
Wilfried Nancy’s team had 58% possession in the first half of this game against Atlanta United, a half in which it also limited Atlanta to zero shots.
The team from Ohio nabbed a deserved goal before half-time through star striker Cucho Hernández.
Cucho was arguably the best striker in MLS during the regular season.
This game saw his Columbus side face another player who might be considered in that bracket — Atlanta’s Giorgos Giakoumakis — but the Greek striker barely touched the ball.
Cucho did though, plenty, and opened the scoring with a finish to justify his place as the striker in any MLS best XI.
Having found himself one-on-one with Atlanta defender Ronald Hernández, a burst of speed took him into space, and a powerful left-footed shot high to the near post was more than enough to beat Brad Guzan.
Cucho then stepped up to take the penalty when Ronald Hernández fouled Alexandru Matan, and made no mistake for the spot to make it 2-0.
These were very encouraging signs for Columbus, while Atlanta themselves will be encouraged by the return from suspension of Thiago Almada for the second game in Georgia.
Denis Bouanga 9.2 (Los Angeles FC)
Denis Bouanga had scored six goals in the final three games to end the regular season and has picked up where he left off in this 5-2 win against Vancouver Whitecaps.
It is a potentially tricky tie for last season’s champions against Canada’s standout team in 2023, but one they eventually navigated with relative ease in this first game.
Bouanga zoomed in from the left wing to score his first, bursting into a goal-scoring position and finding the far corner.
Vancouver brought the game back to 2-2 at halftime, but goals from the impressive Ryan Hollingshead, who also bagged a brace, and another from Bouanga, fired in low from outside the area at a set piece routine, put LAFC back in control.
A goal from Jesús Murillo with ten minutes to go sealed the win, meaning LAFC are through if they win in Vancouver on Sunday, where there will likely be a record crowd at BC Place.
Álvaro Barreal 9.0 (FC Cincinnati)
The Supporters’ Shield winner kicked off its playoff campaign with an impressive 3-0 win against the midweek wildcard winners New York Red Bulls.
In Lucho Acosta, Cincinnati boasts the player likely to be named the MLS MVP, but it was another Argentine who took the headlines in this game.
From his position as a left wing-back, Barreal has been able to get forward regularly in this Cincinnati side.
This has mostly been for creative purposes, but he occasionally finds himself in central, scoring positions, as was the case in this playoff opener against the Red Bulls.
He latched onto a great ball from Júnior Moreno to open the scoring, finishing low into the far corner from the left, and then produced something similar for his second, taking a great first touch from Acosta’s cross before volleying home with his second touch.
A left-back finishing like a seasoned striker, and if we are talking about MLS best XIs, Barreal would be in at left-back.
Cincinnati won 3-0, and there are no prizes for guessing who scored the other goal.
Acosta lofted a shot into the middle of the goal from just inside the opposition half after Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel had failed to sweep up outside his area.
Business as usual for Barreal, Acosta, and the best team in MLS.
Dániel Sallói 8.5 (Sporting Kasas City)
It was an all-round team display from Sporting KC in its 4-1 win against expansion side and Western Conference regular season leader St. Louis in this series opener.
Outstanding goals from Logan Ndenbe, Rémi Walter, and Gadi Kinda put Sporting KC well on their way.
Then Sallói stole in at the back post, getting on the end of Alan Pulido’s near-post flick-on from a corner to make it four.
Any of these names could have been picked as the standout player, but Salloi gave hints that he is returning to the kind of form that saw him score 16 goals in MLS in 2021.
The Hungarian managed five shots on the night and could have had more than one goal, finishing the game with an impressive xG-on-target score of 1.79.
Héctor Herrera 8.4 (Houston Dynamo)
One of the more closely contested of these early playoffs matchups ended in a 2-1 win for Houston Dynamo against Real Salt Lake.
It was a game in which Houston’s designated player Héctor Herrera once again showed his leadership and quality.
Herrera completed 121 of 129 attempted passes and had a total of 156 touches in the game, demonstrating that pretty much everything this Houston team does goes through its Mexican talisman.
He opened the scoring, too, with a cool finish from the edge of the area, steering the ball into the bottom corner from Adalberto Carrasquilla’s knockdown.
Brazilian midfielder Artur, as well as Herrera, is part of the platform for anything this team does well.
Add Carasquilla to the mix and they have what is potentially one of the best midfields in MLS on its day.
It’s one that has already helped them triumph in one knockout competition this season as the club claimed the US Open Cup, defeating Inter Miami in the final.
That cup competition experience will convince these players they can do the same in the MLS Cup, and they’ve gotten off to a good start.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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While Liverpool’s failure to sign long-term midfield target Jude Bellingham was widely criticised, what has happened since has shown it was the right decision.
In another timeline, there would have been a collective sigh on Merseyside when Jude Bellingham’s second goal of the afternoon rippled the net to earn Real Madrid a late 2-1 victory in El Clásico.
After all, the midfielder had been the club’s priority target ahead of a necessary rebuild of Jürgen Klopp’s engine room, following a campaign in which its tired legs were repeatedly exposed as Liverpool finished outside of the top four.
In 13 games for Real, Bellingham has now scored 13 goals and laid on three assists. Across Europe’s top five leagues – the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Eredivisie – only four players have contributed more goals in all competitions.
The Englishman, who only turned 20 at the end of June, has also netted once and assisted three times in three appearances for his country this season, bringing his tally to 14 goals and six assists in 16 games for Real and England.
While Lionel Messi collected the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time in his career at the end of October, there is a strong argument to make that it is Bellingham who currently stands as the most in-form player on the planet. He instead followed Kylian Mbappé, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri and Gavi in winning the Kopa Trophy, for the best player under the age of 21 throughout 2023.
All involved at Anfield appeared convinced that Bellingham was the missing piece, a transformational player that would bring new life to Klopp’s side, with it widely painted as ‘Jude or nothing’ in the evolution of Liverpool 2.0.
But when the numbers stopped making sense, Liverpool pulled the plug. There would be no ongoing pursuit of Bellingham and Real were almost given a free run at the player, adding him to an envious midfield group also including another former Reds target, Aurélien Tchouaméni.
The fee paid to Borussia Dortmund was not outlandish at an initial £88.5 million rising to £115 million, but it would have represented Liverpool’s most expensive signing in history.
As showed by their £111 million bid for Moises Caicedo later in the window, the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, are not averse to breaking their spending records for the right player – but Bellingham’s cost, and for that matter that of Caicedo, would have been much more than the transfer fee.
It has been suggested that the former Birmingham City midfielder will earn around £500,000 a week in his first season at the Bernabeu, factoring in various bonuses, which would comfortably exceed the record salary in Klopp’s squad, with Mohamed Salah’s contract including a £350,000 weekly wage.
While Real may be built to take risks and absorb such outlays, the knock-on effect for Liverpool in signing a 20-year-old to those figures would have been unsustainable.
The decision was instead taken to spread the funds across multiple midfielders. Alexis Mac Allister (£35m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£60m), Wataru Endo (£16m) and Ryan Gravenberch (£38.5m) were brought in for a combined £149.5 million. That is only £34.5 million less than Real have committed to paying for Bellingham, before considering the ridiculous fees received from Saudi clubs for Fabinho (£40m) and Jordan Henderson (£12m).
Unexpectedly losing Fabinho and Henderson forced the club’s hand when it came to a £16 million deal with Stuttgart for Endo – a specialist No. 6 who, at 30, did not fit the profile of a typical FSG signing – but in pulling a U-turn on Bellingham, the plan was always to instead secure multiple midfielders who can fill various roles in the squad.
In Mac Allister, 24, Szoboszlai, 23, and Gravenberch, 21, they have just that, with the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, played at the same time as El Clásico, seeing the trio start together in a second successive Premier League game, in a glimpse of the future of Klopp’s midfield.
So far, Mac Allister has operated as No. 6, Gravenberch the left-sided No. 8 and Szoboszlai predominantly on the right of the three, but as with another rising star in Curtis Jones, 22, they are equally capable of slotting in elsewhere. In Gravenberch and, in particular, Szoboszlai, Liverpool look to have acquired two players very much in the all-action Bellingham mould for less than it would have taken to sign him on his own.
The Hungarian was, for all intents and purposes, the Bellingham alternative, and his immediate impact on the Reds’ fortunes has erased any concerns over failing to bring in a player whose No. 22 shirt was retired upon his departed from Birmingham. No outfielder has clocked more minutes on the pitch for Liverpool this season than Szoboszlai (965), while no player has created more chances for Klopp’s side in the Premier League (25).
Wearing the No. 8 on his back, Szoboszlai is everywhere. It is the role Bellingham would almost certainly have been earmarked for if he had made the move to Merseyside – though it should be noted that it is not the one that has seen him score and assist freely at Real, where he is typically used as an attacking No. 10 or even up front.
Given Liverpool’s history of injuries – and, this season, a propensity for red cards, questionable or otherwise – the decision to pivot from one blockbuster signing to four is undoubtedly a wise one. To do so for a similar outlay, for the quality and elite potential they have managed to sign, is all the more remarkable.
Unlike Caicedo, Roméo Lavia and Mason Mount, who were leading targets for Liverpool only to move elsewhere and, so far, struggle, the failure to sign Bellingham cannot be seen as an unlikely stroke of fortune. There is no way to look at missing out on a best-in-the-world candidate as a disappointment.
But the events that unfolded after the decision to pull out of any pursuit have turned Liverpool’s overriding flaw into their biggest strength, while future-proofing a squad that could tempt Klopp to stay beyond the expiry of his contract in 2026.
(Images from IMAGO)
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