Page 4 – The Pulse of Football

Sep

2025

Preview: Liverpool visit unbeaten Turkish league leaders Galatasaray

Just days after suffering their first defeat of the season, Liverpool travel to Istanbul to take on Turkish champions Galatasaray in what is expected to be a hostile environment.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

The match sees the Premier League leaders take on the Süper Lig leaders.

Liverpool had been perfect this term across all competitions prior to their trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Despite netting an 87th minute equaliser against Crystal Palace, the Reds lost the game, conceding in the seventh minute of injury time.

How they bounce back from this will be interesting.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Premier League champions haven’t played that well this season despite winning eight of nine. Likely caused by the squad overhaul this summer, the Reds are going to have to start putting in controlled, composed showings sooner rather than later. They aren’t going to be able to coast in the Turkish capital.

Galatasaray, meanwhile, have been perfect in the league, taking 21 points from seven matches. They’ve scored 19 goals and conceded just twice. Domestically, they are utterly dominant. However, in their single Champions League game this term, they were humbled by Eintracht Frankfurt, losing 5-1 in one of the shock scorelines of round one.

Recent form

For the Turkish side, results haven’t necessarily told the entire story.

For example, they lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt but the Expected Goals total for that game was 1.21 to 1.09 in favour of the Bundesliga club. Galatasaray even took the lead in what was quite an even game.

Then, in their last league outing against Alanyaspor, a game Galatasaray claimed a 1-0 win in, Okan Buruk’s side gave up chances with an xG value of 2.11. In reality, they would’ve been lucky to claim a draw, let alone snatch a win.

Liverpool haven’t been great though. Following the 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day, Arne Slot’s men eked out seven odd-goal wins on the bounce before finally losing to Palace. They kept finding ways to win, even if performances didn’t warrant the three points.

Key Players

For Liverpool, it’ll be Mohamed Salah. The 33-year-old single-handedly tormented Atlético Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield, having six shots, creating three chances and finishing with an xG involvement of 2.1. He’s struggled in the league but Europe is a different proposition entirely.

*Galatasaray’s top scorers in the Süper Lig*

For the hosts, all eyes will be on whether or not Victor Osimhen is deemed fit enough to start following an ankle injury. If he’s not, his deputy, Mauro Icardi, will be the one to watch. He’s the top scorer in the Turkish league this term with five.

Team News

“We’ll assess his pain and physical condition before thinking about the next match [vs Liverpool].” The words of the Galatasaray manager following Osimhen’s 10 minute cameo off of the bench against Alanyaspor. The likelihood is that the one-time Liverpool transfer target will start on the bench against the Premier League champions.

Other than that, the Turkish champions have a fully fit squad. The Reds, however, are without Giovanni Leoni following his ACL injury against Southampton. Slot will also want to manage the minutes of his key players with a game against Chelsea on the horizon.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a narrow 2-1 win for Liverpool.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Sep

2025

Preview: Barcelona face Real Sociedad at the Estadi Olimpic

Barcelona and Real Sociedad go head-to-head on Sunday evening, as Hansi Flick’s side look to continue their unbeaten run in LaLiga this season on their own turf.

By Matt Smith

La Real’s first victory of the season came earlier this week, beating Mallorca, while Barcelona beat Real Oviedo on Thursday.

In this fixture last season, which was the previous meeting between the two sides, Barcelona secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad. Four different goalscorers found the back of the net that day – Gerard Martín, Marc Casadó, Ronald Araújo, and Robert Lewandowski.

Team news

Barcelona have a host of injury troubles heading into this game, with Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, and Fermín López all ruled out. Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde are doubts, so there’s a chance they also miss out.

For the away side, Yangel Herrera and Orri Óskarsson are both sidelined, while Aritz Elustondo, who was sent off in the previous meeting, is a doubt.

Barcelona ruthless in front of goal

It’s been an exciting start to the season from an attacking perspective for Barcelona, scoring a whopping 3.2 goals per game, more than any other side in LaLiga. They’ve created 13.9 expected goals, while producing eight shots on target per match.

Flick’s side have also looked solid defensively, conceding just 0.7 goals per game. Flick will be disappointed not to have won all six games after throwing away a lead against Rayo Vallecano, but they’re in a strong position to continue their fine form.

Real Sociedad struggling in front of goal

La Real haven’t been scoring as freely as they would have liked, finding the back of the net just six times since the start of the season. They’ve created 8.6 expected goals and created 14 big chances, but getting the ball over the line has been a problem this term.

Sergio Francisco’s side’s first victory only came earlier this week, losing three of their opening five games before that. They’ll be hoping that’s the catalyst to kickstart their campaign, but it doesn’t get much more difficult than Barcelona away from home up next for La Real.

Rashford the not-so-secret weapon

Marcus Rashford has begun settling in at Barcelona, and he’s looking somewhat back to his best in the last few weeks. The England international has provided four goal contributions in four games for his new club, and with Lamine Yamal injured of late, there’s been more pressure on him to deliver in the final third.

If Yamal is still on the treatment table against Real Sociedad, then Rashford could be the man Flick turns to for some creativity and a goalscoring threat. If he continues his excellent form, La Real will have to be careful.

Prediction

Considering Barcelona are unbeaten and have won both of their home games in LaLiga this season, scoring nine goals without even conceding, it’s hard not to see a convincing win for Flick’s side.

We’re going for a 3-0 victory to Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Sep

2025

Preview: Arsenal go to St. James’ Park for Newcastle showdown

Newcastle will be aiming to continue their recent dominance over Arsenal when the two teams clash on Sunday afternoon.

By Ross Kilvington

Both teams taking their time to warm up

While this match promises to be an excellent way to end the weekend, both teams are still searching for their best football.

Newcastle finally sealed their first Premier League victory of the season last week with a 1-0 win against Wolves.

The Magpies, however, have found the back of the net just three times across the first five matchdays of the league campaign.

Indeed, Eddie Howe’s men became just the second club in top flight history to record goalless draws in their opening three away matches.

Arsenal began the season convincingly with wins over Manchester United and Leeds, scoring six goals without reply.

Defeat to Liverpool and a draw against Man City since then sees the Gunners sit five points behind the Anfield side.

Key players

Howe signed Nick Woltemade as a replacement for Alexander Isak and it looks as though the German could become a fans favourite on Tyneside.

He scored the winner in the clash against Wolves with a trademark header and the supporters will expect plenty more of those in the months ahead.

Sandro Tonali is continuing to prove his worth to Howe with several superb performances to begin the season. The Italian ranks in the top 12% for both successful passes (224) and chances created (7) when compared to players in his position.

Viktor Gyökeres has scored three times for the Gunners since his summer move from Sporting, but Mikel Arteta will certainly be looking for an improved output as the season progresses.

Elsewhere, new signings Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have settled in well at the Emirates, registering five goals between them so far. The duo will be key to unlocking a stubborn Newcastle defence.

Team news

Newcastle will be without Fabian Schär after he suffered a head injury against Barcelona last week.

Summer signings Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa are also absent due to injury, although Anthony Gordon returns after serving a suspension.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will be missing Noni Madueke, who is out for around six weeks. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Piero Hincapié wont be available for selection.

In more positive news, Martin Ødegaard could be set to return to the starting XI after missing the previous three games due to a shoulder issues.

Prediction

Newcastle won three of the four matches they played against Arsenal last season, but the Gunners start this one as slight favourites.

Howe’s misfiring attack is worrying and he will be hoping Woltemade can make a huge difference in this area, using his unpredictability and towering frame to cause chaos in the opposition penalty area.

It will be a tight affair on Tyneside this Sunday, but Arsenal should have more than enough to seal their fourth Premier League victory of the season.

I’m going for a narrow 1-0 win for the visitors.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the Premier League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Sep

2025

Preview: Tottenham Hotspur welcome Wolves in the Premier League

By Ross Kilvington

Spurs will be looking to reinforce their Champions League credentials when they welcome Wolves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.

Tottenham look vibrant under Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank has enjoyed an excellent start to his reign in North London. After four years establishing Brentford as Premier League regulars, the Dane finally got his big move in the summer.

So far, Spurs have won three of their five league matches, including a solid 2-0 victory over Manchester City and they occupy third place in the table.

Frank even secured Spurs’ first Champions League win since November 2022 with a 1-0 triumph against Villarreal.

Wolves, on the other hand, are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. With zero wins and 12 goals conceded, a clash against Spurs is the last thing they want to face.

Solace may be found in the EFL Cup. Vítor Pereira’s side dismantled Everton 2-0 in the third round. Now, this type of performance must be displayed in the top flight.

Key players

Under Frank, Spurs’ goals have come from several different sources. Richarlison was on the bench for the 3-0 win over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup, but he should return to the starting XI this weekend.

With three goals in seven matches, the Brazilian could be a key fixture under Frank.

Summer signing Xavi Simons has yet to get on the scoresheet, but he has registered an assist. Elsewhere, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall have also contributed effectively in the final third, recording six assists between them.

Pereira must end their winless drought in the Premier League sooner rather than later and this could influence his team selection.

Tolu Arokodare came off the bench against Everton in midweek and scored the clincher in the 2-0 victory. Jørgen Strand Larsen may not have a league goal to his name this term, but he did net twice against West Ham in the Carabao Cup last month.

Tenacious midfielder João Gomes will likely return to the starting XI against Spurs. The Brazilian ranks in the top 10% for both tackles (14) and duels won (34) in the top flight this season.

Team news

Randal Kolo Muani missed the cup clash with Doncaster with a minor injury and he could be missing from the clash against Wolves.

Ben Davies may also miss out, while long-term absentees include Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Drăgușin and James Maddison.

Only one player is a doubt for Wolves. Andre was taken off against Everton, but it looks as though his problem is a minor one. It remains to be seen whether he will recover in time for Saturday.

Prediction

Spurs’ early season form shows that they are a different animal under Frank compared to Ange Postecoglou. Last season saw the Old Gold win 4-2 at Molineux while also securing a share of the spoils away from home.

Saturday will be a much harder task given the North Londoners’ form of late. Expect the home side to emerge victorious this time: Spurs 3-1 Wolves.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the Premier League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Sep

2025

Preview: Palace and Liverpool meet again

Welcome to part two of three meetings in two-and-a-half months between two of last season’s trophy winners – who are also the Premier League’s last remaining unbeaten sides this term.

By Karl Matchett

Crystal Palace and Liverpool opened the 2025/26 season when they met in the Community Shield – a part of preseason in truth, but a Wembley silverware addition for the south east London club all the same after they won on penalties. In October, they’ll meet again in the League Cup. And first, on Saturday, they lock horns in the Premier League.

Renewing rivalries

Oliver Glasner’s team are becoming a familiar foe for Arne Slot – this will in fact be three against Palace in just ten competitive games for the Reds, as the two faced off in the final league fixture last term. Both that game and the August Wembley meeting were draws, and with neither side giving up much ground in fixtures this season it could be another tense and tight match-up. Liverpool have won six games in a row by a single goal margin; Palace haven’t scored or conceded more than one in any home fixture this term. The odds are on it being another fiercely fought and close encounter and options from the bench could well be key.

Guéhi tug of war

At the centre of attention will be Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi, wanted by Liverpool in summer but denied a move at the last minute in the transfer window. With the Reds now down to three centre-backs there’s every chance a move is resurrected in January but for now the Eagles’ skipper remains in excellent form and intent on trying to stop the new most expensive British signing ever, with Alexander Isak set to make his first league start for the Reds.

It’s not only Guéhi in the spotlight though. Adam Wharton has been linked with Liverpool, Ismaïla Sarr has a personal history of scoring plenty against them (four so far) and Nathaniel Clyne played over 100 times as a Liverpool player.

Recent form

Palace have played nine matches in four competitions already this season and haven’t lost any – while Liverpool have won all seven of their competitive fixtures, following on from a draw and shootout loss in the Community Shield.

Team news

Several out for both teams, with Yeremy Pino a doubt and each of Chadi Riad, Walter Benítez and Cheick Doucouré missing for the hosts and Hugo Ekitike suspended for the Reds. Centre-back Giovanni Leoni is out for the season with an ACL tear.

Key player

Alexander Isak, is it?! The £125m man won’t be at top speed yet but over the past year he’s ahead of 85% of strikers around Europe’s top leagues for taking shots, 88% for creating chances and 94% for actually scoring. Taking a chance here might be key for the points in a tough game.

Prediction

Certainly the hosts have the capacity to trouble the champions but we’ll say only one unbeaten run comes to an end here: Palace 1-2 Liverpool.

(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.

Sep

2025

Preview: Manchester City host Burnley

Premier League title contenders Manchester City are playing catch up after a mixed start to the campaign.

By Neel Shelat

A crucial run of fixtures for Manchester City

We are five matches into the new Premier League season, but Manchester City have surprisingly still dropped points more often than not. Despite the late concession, last weekend’s draw with Arsenal was not such a disappointing result, but losses to Tottenham and Brighton have left them on the back foot compared to the other title contenders.

Pep Guardiola’s side are now entering a relatively easier stretch of matches starting this weekend. Brentford, Everton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth will be their subsequent opponents in the league, leading up to a huge clash against early leaders Liverpool in November. City simply have to pick up 15 points from their next five games if they are to avoid drifting too far from the title race again.

Red-hot Haaland hoping to lead City’s attack

Erling Haaland missed City’s midweek Carabao Cup match due to a minor back injury but is likely to return to the line-up for this game. He has been in unstoppable form this season having netted 12 times in his last six appearances for club and country, and last going goalless over a month ago in the loss to Spurs.

The Norwegian striker has an even greater goalscoring responsibility in the absence of the likes of Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki, so all eyes will be on him yet again.

*Haaland’s shot map, Premier League 2025/26*

Another resolute defensive showing needed for Burnley

Burnley have the lowest possession average in the Premier League so far this season at barely over 33%, but their defensive record is far from the worst. The match against Liverpool stands out as the Clarets saw less than 20% of the ball but resisted waves of pressure and restricted the defending champions in open play before being undone by a late red card and stoppage-time penalty.

Burnley will surely be similarly starved of the ball at the Etihad Stadium, so Scott Parker must have spent the week drilling his defence into being as solid as possible.

City’s dominant head-to-head record

Burnley might take a little encouragement from Manchester City’s recent inconsistency, but they certainly will not want to glance at their head-to-head record. The Clarets have lost each of their last 13 meetings across all competitions, with just two goals scored and a whopping 46 conceded!

Their fortunes have been even worse in Manchester as they got a result over a decade ago with a 2-2 draw in 2014, while their last away win against City was at Maine Road all the way back in 1963. The hosts would go on to get relegated that year, while Burnley finished in the top three.

Prediction

By all metrics, City are massive favourites in this game and should coast to a comfortable win, likely with Haaland on the scoresheet.

(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.

Sep

2025

Preview: Atlético out to end Alonso’s perfect start at Real Madrid

LaLiga’s leaders face their arch-rivals at the hostile Metropolitano.

By Filip Mishov

Atleti can kick-start their season with a positive result in the Madrid derby

Los Rojiblancos waited until after September’s international break for their first win of the season, which does not bode well for Diego Simeone after the club spent over €175 million in the summer transfer window, with only their cross-town rivals and next opponents, Real Madrid coming close to that level in LaLiga.

With that being said, El Cholo’s jubilant run down the touchline after Atlético Madrid’s comeback win against Rayo Vallecano did not come as a surprise, as the under-fire coach was desperate for a midweek victory ahead of the Madrid derby.

Some have mentioned that the difficulty of Real Madrid’s early season fixtures has given Xabi Alonso something of a grace period but nevertheless, they’ve won all seven of their competitive games, a run that concluded with Kylian Mbappé & co. securing a dominant win at Levante during the week.

Now, the biggest test of the new era awaits, and the newly-appointed coach is tasked with improving Real Madrid’s record (4L, 4D, 2W) at the Metropolitano, as Los Blancos have witnessed only two wins in all competitions since Atlético moved to the stadium in 2017.

Key players

Julián Álvarez is Atleti’s top scorer with four goals this season and the Argentinean striker scored an incredible hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano to lift his team up to eighth ahead of the weekend. La Araña recorded a near-perfect FotMob rating of 9.7 by displaying his full attacking repertoire and finding the back of the net both from inside and, more spectacularly, from outside the box to complete the comeback. The 25-year-old also has a good record in the derby having scored a couple of goals against Real Madrid last season.

Even though Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé are stealing the headlines, Franco Mastantuono is quietly evolving into a key player since arriving at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The Argentinean prodigy has started all but one match this season and the 18-year-old scored his maiden goal with an exquisite strike against Levante, earning him a FotMob rating of 8.2.

Team news

Diego Simeone did not have the luxury to rotate during the week given recent results and no major changes are expected in Atletico’s starting lineup this weekend, with José Giménez, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada all missing the Madrid derby through injury.

With Daniel Carvajal, Éder Militao and Aurélien Tchouaméni earning a well-deserved midweek rest, all three are expected to return to Real Madrid’s starting XI on Saturday, while it will be interesting to see whether Jude Bellingham will be included after just coming back from injury. Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold are sidelined and not expected to return before next month at the very least.

Prediction

Despite Atlético Madrid’s troubles this season, Diego Simeone will inevitably fire up the squad to get a result in the derby, while Xabi Alonso will be cautious and look to defend his perfect start, leaving a feisty draw as the most realistic outcome.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Sep

2025

Preview: Chelsea welcome Brighton to the Bridge

Neither Chelsea nor Brighton have really got going in the early stages of the 2025-26 season. Both will doubtless be hoping to earn a morale boosting win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

By Alex Roberts

Fabian Hürzeler’s side can take confidence from a comfortable 6-0 midweek Carabao Cup win over Barnsley, thanks to a terrific four-goal performance from Diego Gómez, going into this one.

As for Chelsea, a laboured 2–1 victory over Lincoln saw them go 1–0 down before scraping two unconvincing goals in quick succession just after half-time. The result posed more questions than answers, with pre-season confidence in Enzo Maresca’s young side beginning to wane.

Chelsea still have a goalkeeper problem

Filip Jörgensen was given a chance to put the pressure on Robert Sánchez against Lincoln following the Spaniard’s ridiculous red card in the 2-1 defeat to Man United in the previous game week, he did not take it.

The Dane flapped at every single cross, was bullied on several occasions by the Lincoln players and nearly killed the already fragile Wesley Fofana with a flying punch early, ending the game having made zero saves, one punch, and just one high claim.

Calls for Jörgensen to replace Sánchez had already fallen quiet, now they’re completely silent. Sánchez is likely to get his place back for the game against his former club now that his suspension is over, but that won’t fill fans with confidence either.

If Chelsea want to be challenging for the big titles, they need a ‘keeper they can depend upon.

Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh love playing Chelsea

Brighton faced Chelsea in two consecutive games last season, first in the FA Cup and then in the Premier League, winning 2-1 and 3-0 respectively. Across those two games, Mitoma and Minteh providing four goal contributions.

Minteh in particular has started the season well, bagging an assist in the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth and then scoring in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham. With 14 successful dribbles, 36 touches in the opposition box and the fact he’s only been dispossessed seven times so far this season, he’s clearly brimming with confidence.

Mitoma hasn’t quite started the season as well, although he did score the goal against Bournemouth, provided to him by Minteh, but considering his recent scoring record against Chelsea, don’t be surprised if he gets another here.

Team news

It remains to be seen whether Cole Palmer, whose long-standing groin issue flared up in the defeat to Man United, will make an appearance. Facundo Buonanotte would be a like-for-like replacement for the England international, but the Carabao Cup match-winner is ineligible to face his parent club on Saturday.

Dário Essugo (thigh), Roméo Lavia (unspecified), Benoît Badiashile (unspecified), Liam Delap (thigh) and Levi Colwill (knee) are all still absent and don’t look to be returning any time soon.

As for Brighton, Hürzeler could have left-back Maxim De Cuyper back in contention after a minor knee issue, while Jack Hinshelwood (foot), Solly March (knee), and Adam Webster (knee) remain sidelined.

Prediction

Chelsea vs. Brighton has a tendency to produce plenty of goals, although we don’t think there will be anything to separate the two here. We’re going with a 2-2 draw at the Bridge.

(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.

Sep

2025

Preview: Manchester United travel to Brentford for early kickoff

Manchester United travel to West London on Saturday lunchtime to meet a Brentford side who’ve become victims of their own success.

By Ian King

It’s been a stop-start season so far for both teams

Manchester United arrive in West London for the first Premier League match of the weekend with The Old Trafford Rollercoaster on an upwards trajectory following their win against Chelsea last Saturday night, a result that brought a flicker of optimism back to the club following another underwhelming start to the season.

Brentford were denuded of some of their best players, as well as head coach Thomas Frank, during their summer and so far have paid a price for that, with just one win from their first five games and a feeling growing that they could be on for a long, hard season. Their 3-1 defeat at Fulham last weekend left them hovering inelegantly just above the relegation places.

The Bees have stung Manchester United plenty of times before

With Brentford’s ascent to the Premier League having coincided with Manchester United: The Perennial Crisis Years, their record against the Red Devils is decent. When the two teams met at the end of last season at The Brentford Community Stadium, the Bees won 4-3. Indeed, of the four meetings between the two teams at Brentford since their promotion, United have only won once, and that was the first meeting of the two clubs here, in January 2022.

*H2H results for Brentford home games in the Premier League*

The return of Bryan Mbeumo

There’ll be one name who’ll be causing more concern to the Brentford head coach Keith Andrews than anyone else. Bryan Mbeumo left for Old Trafford for a fee worth up to £71 million during the summer, and it’d be understandable if Bees fans were a little nervous at the prospect of him returning to plunder a goal or two. The good news for them there is that he’s only scored once in five games for his new club in the League so far this season.

Brentford’s main goal threat so far this season has been the Brazilian striker Igor Thiago, who’s scored three times in all competitions and has stepped reasonably confidently into their first eleven after having only made eight appearances for the Bees last season. United haven’t kept a clean sheet yet this season, so there’s space to be got into if they can get the ball forward into those attacking midfield positions.

Brentford pair could return from identical injuries, while Manchester United will be missing a suspended Casemiro

For Brentford, both Gustavo Nunes and Paris Maghoma have had matching hamstring injuries, and either or both could return for this match and will be facing fitness tests. Otherwise, expect Keith Andrews’ team selection to be largely influenced by his opposite number Ruben Amorim’s obdurate devotion to a 3-4-3 formation.

Diogo Dalot also faces a fight to get fit after missing United’s last two games. Noussair Mazraoui or Amad Diallo will deputise at right wing-back if he’s not ready. Casemiro is suspended for a game following his careless red card against Chelsea and will most likely be replaced by Manuel Ugarte, while Lisandro Martínez remains a long-term injury, though could be back in a few weeks.

Brentford know what’s coming, but can they do anything about it?

Other managers know fully well what’s coming with Manchester United this season, but what do they do about it? That’s the most fundamental question, ahead of this match. It’s unsurprising that Brentford have struggled so far this season, considering their personnel exodus during the summer, and Keith Andrews hasn’t quite got a revamped team right yet.

Manchester United, meanwhile, remain a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. United still have it in them to pull something out of the bag in a big match, as they did against Chelsea last weekend, but it’s been years since they demonstrated any ability whatsoever to turn those little sparks of optimism into something more consistent.

It feels like these two teams are more likely than anything else to cancel each other, and with the tendency of Saturday lunchtime matches to err towards the soporific, I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw in this one, though as so often with Manchester United in recent years, the most realistic score prediction is “who knows?”

(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.

Sep

2025

Are Arsenal playing it too safe?

In the quest to become one of the best defensive teams in Europe, Arsenal may have, in fact, become too risk-averse.

By Sam McGuire

The Gunners have kicked off the 2025/26 Premier League campaign with three clean sheets in five matches. The only teams to find a way past David Raya are reigning champions Liverpool and title contenders Manchester City. The 2024/25 runners-up have the joint-best defensive record in the English top-flight with Crystal Palace and their underlying numbers are just as impressive with an xG Against total of just 3.3. Only Newcastle United (2.5) can better that figure this term.

Sir Alex Ferguson once said: “Attacks win you games, defence wins you titles.”

The idea behind that quote is that if you’re too reliant on your attack to win you games, you’ll eventually fall short in your attempts to win the league. Because, like it or not, needing to score three or four goals per game to guarantee maximum points just isn’t sustainable.

Liverpool tried it during the 2013/14 campaign and eventually fell short. The Reds scored 101 goals but conceded 50 on their way to 84 points and a runners-up position.

A clean sheet guarantees you at least one point. By removing the need for three goals for three points, you make life easier. Mikel Arteta has gone about making Arsenal one of the most solid teams in Europe.

David Raya has won back-to-back Golden Gloves following his move to Emirates. He kept 16 clean sheets during his debut campaign with the club and then followed that up with 13 last term. Only four keepers in Premier League history have more Golden Gloves than the 30-year-old shot stopper.

*David Raya’s season shot map for the 2024/25 Premier League season*

The issue with Arsenal, however, is that Arteta is so determined not to lose, to not give up any goals, he’s essentially nullified his own team.

Of course, the Gunners continue to be a threat from set pieces. In open-play, however, not so much. After five games, Arteta’s side have an Open-Play xG total of 3.27, a figure that sees them rank 12th. And while they have faced off against three tough opponents in Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester City at the Emirates, the Gunners have also played an out-of-sorts Manchester United at Old Trafford while hosting a struggling Nottingham Forest and a newly promoted Leeds United.

They’ve only managed an Open-Play xG of over 1.01 in one game – the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in Ange Postecoglou’s debut match in charge.

So while Arsenal deserve a lot of praise for limiting Liverpool to just 0.52 and Manchester City to 0.87, people should not be ignoring the fact the Gunners managed just 0.49 xG (0.3 in Open-Play) and 0.87 (0.57 in Open-Play) in these games themselves.

*The source of Arsenal’s goals this season*

Yes, Arteta has figured out a way to stop the best attacking teams in the Premier League. But he hasn’t figured out a way to hurt these teams. In fact, he’s not figured out a way, in open play, to hurt many teams in the English top-flight yet.

Why the focus on open-play? Because there are no guarantees with set pieces. You can’t be heavily reliant on them.

And Arsenal didn’t spend over £150million this summer on bolstering their forward line, bringing in Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, to then be needing set pieces to break teams down.

The fact of the matter is, the 2024/25 runners up simply cannot create anything outside of set pieces right now. It’s why Gyökeres, a goal machine for Sporting, is now averaging fewer shots on a per 90 basis than the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Ødegaard. It’s why his Non-Penalty xG total across his appearances in the Premier League is 1.34. For context, he had a 0.99 xG per 90 average in the Portuguese top-flight last term.

It’s likely why the players with the second and third highest xG for the Gunners this season are Calafiori and Jurrien Timber, two full-backs. Granted, the sample size isn’t the largest, but the patterns we’re seeing emerge are far from encouraging. The attackers aren’t heavily involved in the final phase actions. Gyökeres is struggling to impact the game, failing to have a single shot in either game against Liverpool and Manchester City. He was supposed to be the final piece of the jigsaw and Arteta seemingly has no idea how to get him firing in these big clashes.

Arsenal could again end up with the best defensive record in the Premier League, but if they can’t create chances in open-play, these clean sheets aren’t going to result in three points. There needs to be some balance to the way they play. Without it, the Gunners are always going to fall short.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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