Page 4 – The Pulse of Football

Nov

2024

Premier League Preview, Matchday 11

The Premier League’s random fixture generator has been awfully kind to us this weekend.

The fallout from these games will likely dominate talk throughout the international break. So, with this in mind, here’s what you can look forward to across Matchday 11 in the English top-flight.

Are Manchester City under pressure?

The reigning Premier League champions are without a win in three.

Spurs knocked Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup, Bournemouth then stunned Pep Guardiola‘s team to record their first ever victory over the Citizens before Sporting ran riot in Portugal, recording a 4-1 as Rúben Amorim gave Manchester United an early present.

In the blink of an eye, City lost top spot in the Premier League, were knocked out of a domestic cup and now find themselves in 10th spot in the new look Champions League.

They’ve conceded eight goals across these three matches and the decision to not replace Julián Alvarez is now looking a little naive with Erling Haaland struggling.

City travel to the Amex on Saturday evening to face an out-of-sorts but dangerous Brighton side. The Seagulls are without a win in three and gave up the lead in two of these games. They are, however, scoring goals and will be a threat to the champions.

If they were ever going to spring a surprise, it would be this weekend.

The Mohamed Salah show

Salah is supposed to be slowing down. He didn’t get the memo.

The 32-year-old has the most goal involvements in the Premier League with 12. The Liverpool No. 11 has seven goals and five assists across 875 minutes in the English top-flight.

He has seven goal involvements in his last five starts for the Reds, including goals against Chelsea and Arsenal, and assists against RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.

Salah is as dangerous as ever and his form coincides with Liverpool being top of the Premier League and the Champions League.

They host the team they displaced at the top of the new look Champions League, Aston Villa, on Saturday night. It is a team Salah enjoys playing having scored six and assisted three in 10 appearances.

Unai Emery‘s men had started the season well but their good form has come to an abrupt end.

They are now winless in four having drawn against Bournemouth before losing to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, Spurs in the Premier League and then Club Brugge in the Champions League. Defeat at Anfield could see them head into the international break down in 11th position.

Wood to haunt another former club

Chris Wood is in the form of his life.

The 32-year-old has eight goals in 10 appearances for Nottingham Forest this term as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have shocked everyone. They’re currently third in the table ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Spurs.

He’s already scored against one of his former side’s this term, finding the back of the net twice against Leicester City. He’s looking to repeat the trick this weekend against Newcastle United.

*Chris Wood shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Wood called St James’ Park home for 12 months but struggled for form, scoring just four goals across 35 outings.

A goal this weekend would mean he’s found the back of the net in five successive Premier League matches.

If he fires Forest to a win, they’ll be seven points clear of the Magpies and third position will be guaranteed over the international break.

The Guardiola assistant derby

Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday looking to halt their demise.

The Gunners have won just two of their previous six outings across all competitions. Mikel Arteta masterminded wins over Shakhtar Donetsk and Preston North End. During this run, they have lost to Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Inter while also giving up the lead twice against Liverpool.

They find themselves seven points off of the top, without a clean sheet in the league since September and they have won just 50% of their games.

If they are going to live up to their pre-season hype as title contenders, they need to get back to winning ways, and quickly.

It won’t be easy. Chelsea are a completely different proposition under Enzo Maresca, the man Guardiola picked to replace Arteta as his assistant at Manchester City.

The Blues are level on points with the Gunners but have only won two of their five matches at home this season. The same number of games Arsenal have won on their travels.

It is definitely a game for the neutral.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Mario Balotelli has another chance in Serie A thanks to Genoa

Six minutes is all it took Mario Balotelli to make his mark on his Genoa debut. The 34-year-old didn’t score or contribute to a goal, but introduced himself in the most Balotelli way possible – with a needless yellow card. The Italian forward has been trouble everywhere he has been in his career, but his talent is undeniable.

By Graham Ruthven

Genoa are counting on that talent shining through in their fight against relegation from Serie A this season. Alberto Gilardino’s side had lost six of their 10 league games, winning just one, before Balotelli’s arrival, scoring just seven goals in the process. The Red and Blues need more goal threat and they have gambled on Balotelli providing it.

Balotelli’s career has drifted these last few years. Since he last played in Italy – for Monza when they were in Serie B – the forward has had two spells in Turkey with Adana Demirspor and a stint with Sion in Switzerland, yet he has continued to score goals. Even at 34, Balotelli could conjure up some of the old magic back in his homeland.

Gilardino’s system could be set up for Balotelli to fit in well. The former Azzurri forward who played alongside Balotelli for the national team has favoured two forwards in a 3-5-2 shape this season which could give the former Inter and Manchester City striker the support he needs to focus on taking up good positions inside the box.

Throughout his career, Balotelli has frequently played his best football when paired with a strike partner. At Inter, he had the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Diego Milito to bounce off with Sergio Agüero a partner for Balotelli at Manchester City. Andrea Pinamonti and Vitinha could be one of these figures at Genoa.

“Mario has arrived with really great motivation,” said Gilardino when asked about the contribution Balotelli could make this season. “I’ve spoken a lot with him. He’s a guy who must be protected in everything. I’ve been able to talk a lot with him. I know what he can give us, but as I’ve previously said, he can’t solve all the problems on his own.”

Now into the twilight years of his career, Balotelli won’t get another opportunity to make up for lost time as good as this one. The circumstances of his latest move are far from perfect. Not only are Genoa fighting relegation, the club has been up for sale by an ownership group that has frozen funds in the transfer market. There is growing tension between Genoa’s decision makers and the fans.

Nonetheless, the spotlight is back on Balotelli in a ‘Big Five’ league and there’s every chance he could perform. He was never particularly reliant on pace, so his technical ability could be something Gilardino uses to give Genoa more guile in the final third. The finishing instincts are still there too. One way or another, Balotelli being back in Serie A will draw eyeballs.

Fitness could be a barrier to Balotelli turning around Genoa’s fortunes. The 34-year-old likely would have been offered a contract extension by his last club Adana Demirspor had it not been for a knee injury which seriously hampered his 203/24 campaign. Balotelli averaged just under two goals a game in the Turkish SüperLig last season, but featured in only 16 matches. Genoa won’t get much out of their new signing if they can’t get him on the pitch.

Balotelli’s final appearance for Adana also saw him shown a first half red card, hinting at something else that could prevent the forward from making an impact in Serie A this season – his temperament. The forward has been sent off for seven different teams over the course of his career. Genoa will be praying he doesn’t make it eight.

And yet for all his notable discretions, Balotelli is a player who charms supporters. Fans gathered outside Genoa’s training ground to welcome him on his first day at the club. Even managers who have been wronged by Balotelli in the past speak about him warmly – ask Roberto Mancini or José Mourinho about him and they’ll talk like a father figure.

Balotelli has overcome significant adversity in his career and personal life. Born to Ghanian immigrants in Sicily, he was placed into foster care at the age of three. After breaking through at Inter as a teenager, Balotelli frequently suffered racist abuse. Some have never accepted the striker – born and raised in Italy – as Italian due to the colour of his skin. In many ways, he has risen above these things to have a career at the top level.

No matter what happens at Genoa between now and the end of the season, Balotelli’s career will always be looked at ruefully. He had the potential to be one of the best players in the world. He should have been the defining Italian talent of his generation, but never had the attitude to make good on that promise. He could have achieved so much more.

At Genoa, though, Balotelli could have an unexpected renaissance. Saving The Red and Blues from relegation would make him a hero at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris and also highlight the positive qualities of a player who has captivated an entire generation of fans in one way or another. Having famously asked ‘why always me?’ all those years ago, Balotelli might be about to provide one final answer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Estevao and the never ending Palmeiras talent factory

Palmeiras have done it again. Mere months after releasing ‘Pelé regen’ Endrick upon the world, they’ve managed to unearth arguably the best talent Brazil have seen since Neymar, Estêvão. And there is plenty more where he came from.

By Alex Roberts

Speaking of Neymar, he’s a big fan. A goal and an assist in the 5-3 win over Juventude earlier in the season took Estêvão‘s goal contribution tally up to 18, making him the most productive Under-17 in the history of the Brazilian top-flight (he’s since moved to 19).

We’ll give you one guess to who previously held the record. Ever gracious, the former-Santos superstar took to Instagram to congratulate Estêvão on his incredible achievement.

Unlike Neymar, however, Premier League giants Chelsea didn’t fail in their pursuit. Often criticised for their scattergun approach to recruitment, the West London side didn’t hesitate in agree a potential £56 million fee for the youngster.

Yes, the 17-year-old wonderkid has been around for a while, in fact he made his first team debut a year ago. The modern age means hidden gems don’t stay hidden for very long, but this is his first season as a bonafide, undroppable member of the of the Palmeiras squad.

Estêvão has played a massive 40 games across all competitions for Palmeiras so far this season, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists in the league as they chase their third consecutive Brasileirão title.

He was at his mesmeric best in their comprehensive 5-0 league win over Cuiaba, scoring twice and effortlessly bagging two assists. Estêvão’s looping corner found Murilo Cerqueira for the opener before the youngster scored his first from the penalty spot.

Not long after he got his second goal. The ball was glued to his left foot, cutting inside and turning the opposition defender left, right, and centre before delicately slotting home at the near post.

The Cuiaba defenders had no answer for him, and just ahead of the hour mark, he slipped former West Ham winger Felipe Anderson in for their fifth and final goal of the game.

Portuguese boss Abel Ferreira has been at the helm for just over four years now, a rare feat in Brazil. Not only has that consistency given Estêvão the perfect opportunity to flourish, he couldn’t have wished for a better manager to help him prepare for life in the Premier League.

Ferreira expects nothing short of maximum effort from his boys at all times. Of course, Estêvão’s attacking number are impressive, but few would have expected a tricky, young Brazilian winger to put in the defensive work he does.

In the league alone he’s won possession in the final third 18 times, made 88 recoveries, and won 76% of his tackles. Aerially he’s struggled, winning just 29% of his duels, but at 176cm, that should come as no surprise.

His fine form has earned him two Brazil caps, coming on as a second half substitute in their two World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, playing a combined 32 minutes.

Estêvão is a remarkable talent, his ceiling is as high as we’ve seen for a long time, but he’s not the first, and he’s unlikely to be the last.

Although not a forward like Endrick and Estêvão, 18-year-old centre-back Vitor Reis is the latest product from Palmeiras’ never-ending talent factory, making 18 appearances across all competition for his boyhood club this season.

He’s already been linked with the European big boys, both Arsenal and Real Madrid are reportedly ready to battle it out for the ‘new Marquinhos’, so don’t be surprised if he makes a £60 million move before too soon.

But wait! There’s more! Widely regarded as the replacement for Chelsea-bound Estêvão, Luighi could be their next superstar. The forward came off the bench to score a vital late equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Flamengo in August.

*The Brasileirão title race with six rounds to play*

The Premier League is a totally different ball game, and only time will tell if Estêvão will reach his potential or fall into obscurity like so many before him.

Endrick has struggled to find his feet at Real Madrid, reduced to the odd substitute appearance and cup game while Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham get all the glory.

Estêvão won’t quite have that calibre of player to compete with, but Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke are still pretty good. Plus, who can forget Chelsea’s other great South American hope, Kendry Páez (who also arrives next year).

Chelsea seem determined to make the move work and have already confirmed he will be given the chance to prove himself once he heads to London in the summer of 2025.

Copying Palmer’s ‘cold’ celebration is one thing, being able to do what he can on the pitch is completely different. Estêvão, Brazil’s great hope, has the ability, all he needs to do is grab the opportunity with both hands and make it his.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Nottingham Forest have reason to dream

For how long can we suspend our disbelief over Nottingham Forest? They’re right there, in third place in the Premier League table, and we’re now more than a quarter of the way through the season. They’re above four of the Big Six, and in a Champions League spot. What on earth are they putting in the River Trent, these days?

By Ian King

And they’re there on merit. They won at Anfield. They drew at Stamford Bridge. They’ve won their last three games in a row with an aggregate score of 7-1. They have the joint-second highest goalscorer in the Premier League and they have its second meanest defence after the current League leaders, who they happened to beat 1-0 away from home. Even backstage, things seem to be going pretty well, with Edu arriving as a technical director following his departure. And while there’s always a possibility of shenanigans with Evangelos Marinakis involved, all seems calm on Trentside right now.

Nuno Espírito Santo, who was widely derided over his brief and unhappy spell as the Spurs manager, has turned out to be a much better fit at The City Ground than he was at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That solid defence is his work, and is the bedrock of their improvement so far this season. They’ve only scored more than once in four of their six games, and the only game they’ve lost so far is also the one in which they’ve failed to score.

And one of the things about going to manage at a headline-hogging club like Spurs is that the glare from it all can obscure previous achievements. It is worth bearing in mind that, prior to his spell in North London, Santo took Wolverhampton Wanderers – currently bottom with no wins and three points from their opening ten matches – to 7th place in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, and this was after taking them into the division following an absence of six years in the first place.

So far as the team is concerned, while the current Chris Wood love-in is completely fair and just, this is a team that is built to a system rather than being a one man affair. Wood is an almost retro presence in Forest’s attack, a ‘traditional number nine’, as Proper Football Men like to say, and as such he is highly dependent upon the success of his service.

Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi offer pace on the wings and Morgan Gibbs-White offers pace and creativity through the middle, though with only Hudson-Odoi having scored more than one goal for Forest in the Premier League – and he’s only got two – it’s fair to wonder whether that level of dependence on one player for goals might not be the wisest policy, especially in an era when players seem to be dropping like flies thanks to an oversaturated fixture schedule.

It is understandable that people felt that they would struggle this season. After all, their first two seasons back in the Premier League had ended with them finishing 16th and 17th in the table. But at present they’re coming up to a quarter of the way towards the 74 points that they managed to win over the previous two seasons combined. And yes, I’m including the six that they had deducted last season in that number. They’re currently on target to more than double their points tally from last season.

We’ll know a lot more about whether they can come anywhere close to finishing where they are now by the middle of December. Forest have six games between now and then, and five of those are against Newcastle United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa. That is an extremely difficult run of games, for anybody in this division, and the fact that there are just three points between 4th place in the table and 11th further points to a feeling that below the top four there may be reason to believe that their current position may be somewhat tenuous.

But surveying the landscape of the Premier League does make something spectacular feel possible. Manchester City and Arsenal have their injuries, and neither really look ‘on it’ at the moment. Chelsea are substantially improved upon last season but still occasionally skittish, Spurs are widely unpredictable. Even the current leaders haven’t always looked completely comfortable when winning.

Confidence can be self-perpetuating, and winning can be habit-forming. The ultimate example of this, of course, came in 2016, when Leicester City didn’t stop believin’ for long enough to be able to carry themselves all the way to the most unlikely Premier League title in a lot of our lifetimes. It’s a little premature – okay, it’s very premature – to be making claims about this year’s Nottingham Forest vintage, but if they’re not allowed to dream of it now, then when are they?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Spurs travel to Turkish league leaders Galatasaray in the Europa League

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur are starting to pick up some momentum and they could have an excellent chance of going top of the Europa League when they take on Galatasaray on Thursday.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Spurs have won their last two games in all competitions, eliminating Manchester City from the League Cup and handing out a 4-1 drubbing to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

They have won all three of their previous games in the Europa League but Galatasaray could prove to be a fresh challenge for the London giants.

Gala reigning supreme in Turkey

Okan Buruk‘s Gala have been very impressive so far this season. They remain unbeaten in the Turkish Süper Lig, they’ve tasted victory over José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, all while scoring the most goals and conceding just nine times in 10 games.

In fact, the last time they lost was against Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and it has been smooth sailing since then, with their most recent game yielding a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Beşiktaş.

The side’s setup focuses on pressing high up the pitch and playing through the lines quickly and while Buruk has used a 4-2-3-1 setup, he used a flat 4-2-2-2 shape against Beşiktaş, which suggests that he isn’t averse to adapting.

Tottenham to face some familiar faces

Spurs fans will be familiar with at least a couple of faces during the game against Gala, both of whom have history with Tottenham.

*Galatasaray’s best rated players, Süper Lig 2024/25*

Former defender Davinson Sánchez has been a key performer in the season so far, as he scored against Beşiktaş at the weekend. Ex-Arsenal man Lucas Torreira has also shown some consistency, as he comes up against the Lilywhites years after scoring a winning goal against them during Spurs’ Mauricio Pochettino-era.

The man to be scared of though, is Victor Osimhen. The Napoli loanee is arguably one of the best strikers in the world and like Sánchez, he had also scored against Beşiktaş. So far in the campaign, he has four goals across all competitions while fellow marksman Mauro Icardi has just as many.

It is Osimhen who is expected to start for Gala and both Torreira and Sánchez will also feature. Only Ismail Jakobs is absent for Buruk’s side and keeper Fernando Muslera is back in contention.

Spurs may look to rotate

The last week has seen Postecoglou rotate his side, as James Maddison only came off the bench against Aston Villa and Mikey Moore remained on the sidelines for the weekend clash against Villa. Heung Min-Son and Timo Werner also rotated and it suggests that Tottenham will likely make chan get to keep their side fresh for Thursday.

Cristian Romero picked up an injury at the weekend, days after Micky van de Ven was also injured in mid-week, meaning that Ben Davies will start alongside Radu Drăgușin. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray should also feature.

Prediction

The Ali Sami Yen Stadium is always a difficult place to go to but Spurs’ run of form should give them confidence, and that, combined with their ability to create constant chances is likely to put them in good stead for a close, yet thrilling away win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Manchester United looking to end run of draws in the Europa League

Can Ruud lift the underperforming Red Devils to ensure himself a role at Old Trafford beyond this next week?

By Filip Mishov

United looking to maintain their home record against Greek opposition

Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s Red Army was roaring at Old Trafford with the flying Dutchman’s fists pumping the air in jubilation as Bruno Fernandes masterfully converted his penalty against Chelsea, but the Red Devils’ interim head coach better not get used to the feeling as the former striker only has a couple of matches left before Rúben Amorim takes over the reins next week. With that being said, Nistelrooy’s task is to get the squad back on the winning track, both in the Premier League and the Europa League, in the hope that such a feat can earn him a place to stay on in some capacity under the Portuguese coach.

Manchester United await a first-ever meeting against the reigning Greek champions – PAOK Thessaloniki FC, boasting an excellent record against Greek opponents in the UEFA’s club competitions. In 12 matches (9W, 2D, 1L) over the years, the Red Devils are unbeaten at the Theatre of Dreams against Greek opposition and have suffered only one defeat, to Olympiacos in Athens back in 2014, who coincidentally PAOK play next in the Super League, in what is one of the biggest games in the country.

The White and Blacks are standing firm in their bid to defend the title in Greece’s top-tier and the Razvan Lucescu-led squad are sat second in the standings, a point behind their arch-rivals, Aris. However, PAOK’s start in the Europa League’s league phase reads worse than United’s with a couple of defeats and one draw on board, leaving them out of the play-off’s places.

A familiar face may line up for the visitors

The hosts’ injury list is still bloated with Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo all ruled out, but some of the players are set to return with Christian Eriksen and Antony spearheading the positive news, while Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount are back in group training and the trio are edging closer to a comeback, possibly only after the international break. However, the captain – Fernandes is available for selection after serving a one-match suspension due to getting sent off at Porto.

For PAOK, Razvan Lucescu has almost a full squad at his disposal with only a couple of players doubtful (Antonis Tsiftsis, Tiemoué Bakayoko). Perhaps most interestingly, former-United prospect Shola Shoretire, who rejected a new contract and moved to Thessaloniki over the summer could feature for PAOK. The Englishman is slowly but surely finding his feet and scored his debut goal in the Greek Cup last week.

Key player

Alejandro Garnacho has been Manchester United’s most effective player since the start of the season, with 10 goal contributions (6G/4A) in 16 matches (all comps), but the Argentinean wonderkid is beginning to look weary amid his extended playing time, as was evident in his decision-making during last weekend’s draw against Chelsea. Even though Garnacho remains Nistelrooy’s most dangerous player, it will be interesting to see whether the interim boss drops him after putting in one of his poorer performances in a red shirt. That is not to doubt the no. 17’s undeniable talent, but Ruud’s gamble with him staying on instead of Marcus Rashford did not pay off, and may have cost his side the win.

*Possible XI made with the lineup builder available on FotMob.com*

Prediction

After recording three disappointing draws in the opening three rounds of the Europa League’s league stage, the Red Devils desperately need a win to start climbing the table. Erik ten Hag‘s dismal record in the European competitions was one of the many factors behind his sacking, but his compatriot has a chance to improve on that, and enhance his chances of staying in Manchester with a victory. With United’s excellent record against Greek clubs, anything other than an extension of that would be a failure, and even though PAOK may not pose the same threat as Porto and Fenerbahçe, their passionate and loud supporters will fearlessly back them to cause a upset at Old Trafford.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Chelsea face Armenians Noah in their next Conference League adventure

Noah will need an upset of biblical proportions to beat Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night. The Armenian side, who usually play in front of crowds of just a few thousand, have only been around since 2017 when they were founded, but have made great strides since then.

By Graham Ruthven

Context and form

While Chelsea will be strong favourites, Noah already have three points on the board in this season’s Conference League after beating Mlada Boleslav in their first fixture. Even as they were defeated away from home to Rapid Vienna, the Armenians were competitive, losing only 1-0. Chelsea can’t afford to be complacent.

Nonetheless, this has the potential to be mismatch with Chelsea currently on a run of back-to-back victories in this season’s Conference League. Enzo Maresca’s team will be expected to make it three from three against a relative minnow on Thursday.

Key players

Maresca has so far used the Conference League to rest his best players and give a run out to Chelsea’s second string and there’s no reason to believe the Italian will change tact for the visit of Noah on Thursday.

Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku could all be in line for a start after starting in Chelsea’s last two Conference League games against Panathinaikos and Gent. This could be another opportunity for them to prove they deserve more game time in the Premier League.

Benoit Badiashille, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga are among the others who could be picked to play against Noah. Filip Jorgensen could also start in goals just as he did against Panathinaikos and Gent.

Noah might not have the natural talent of even Chelsea’s second string, but Brazilian forward Matheus Aias has already scored in the Conference League this season with Portuguese Goncalo Gregorio also a threat in the final third.

In central midfield, Burkina Faso international Gustavo Sangare is expected to feature with Gor Manvelyan his most frequent partner in the middle of the pitch. They need to be in top form for Noah to stand any chance at Stamford Bridge.

Realistically, Ognjen Cancarevic will also need to have a good game for Noah to be competitive. The veteran goalkeeper has conceded just one goal in two Conference League matches this season, but Thursday will be his toughest test so far. He will most likely be extremely busy.

Team news

Jadon Sancho could return after missing Chelsea’s last two matches through illness, although Maresca might prefer to keep the winger fresh for this weekend’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.

Otherwise, the Blues have a fully fit squad to choose from, although Chelsea’s decision to largely register second string players for this season’s Conference League will limit Maresca’s lineup options.

This means Cole Palmer will be rested ahead of this weekend’s Premier League action, which will be a relief for Noah who won’t have to face the in-form England international.

Prediction – Chelsea 3-0 Noah

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Estevao and the never-ending Palmeiras talent factory

By Alex Roberts

We’ll give you one guess to who previously held the record. Ever gracious, the former-Santos superstar took to Instagram to congratulate Estêvão on his incredible achievement.

The Cuiaba defenders had no answer for him, and just ahead of the hour mark, he slipped former West Ham winger Felipe Anderson in for their fifth and final goal of the game.

His fine form has earned him two Brazil caps, coming on as a second half substitute in their two World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, playing a combined 32 minutes.

Estêvão is a remarkable talent, his ceiling is as high as we’ve seen for a long time, but he’s not the first, and he’s unlikely to be the last.

The Premier League is a totally different ball game, and only time will tell if Estêvão will reach his potential or fall into obscurity like so many before him.

Endrick has struggled to find his feet at Real Madrid, reduced to the odd substitute appearance and cup game while Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham get all the glory.

Chelsea seem determined to make the move work and have already confirmed he will be given the chance to prove himself once he heads to London in the summer of 2025.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

FPL tips from the reigning champ: GW11

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

By FotMob, in conversation with Jonas Sand Låbakk

Introducing our expert

Jonas is a 21 year old student who, like FotMob, hails from Norway, but unlike the frustrated Fantasy Premier League players in the office, he did something we could only dream of last season. He finished first, ahead of 11 million other managers in the 2023/24 season.

Who better then, to provide us with some expert advice each week.

The Eye Test vs. The Stats

Fantasy players with Bruno Fernandes (8.2m) in their team will have been relieved to see him score his first goal of the season against Chelsea in Gameweek 10 and his all-round performance was fantastic as he looked back to his lively self. In the draw with the Blues he created two big chances and had two big chances on his own, which resulted in a total of 1.42 xGI (Expected Goal Involvements) in the game. His stats generally, throughout the season, have been much better than what has translated in to FPL points, which imply an average of 0.6 xGI per 90. Bruno is also Manchester United’s penalty taker and it will be interesting to see how he performs under incoming coach Rúben Amorim, so he’s definitely a player I would consider buying. United play Leicester and Ipswich in their next two games and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more returns – in terms of FPL points – from him in the near future.

Antoine Semenyo (5.6m) scored in Bournemouth’s impressive win against Manchester City. He had four shots in the box and two big chances. He was a real handful for the City defenders who struggled with keeping him quiet. Semenyo has a very good run of fixtures coming up and I would definitely consider him as a budget option. Semenyo is also second for total shots taken this season with 42, only Erling Haaland has taken more shots than the Bournemouth winger.

*Semenyo shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Long shot

As another Manchester United player, Diogo Dalot (5.1m) also has a favorable run of fixtures coming up, with Leicester, Ipswich and Everton in the next three. Dalot is only owned by 10.4% of the total managers in the game right now, which makes him a very good differential. We are obviously not sure how Amorim is going to line up his team once he takes over, but there is a possibility we might see Dalot operating as a wing back in a back five formation, which makes the case for him even better. Dalot has also played 90 minutes every single Premier League game this season so he should be 100% nailed on to be included in the Manchester United side.

Upcoming games to follow

Fantasy managers will have their eye on a number of games in Gameweek 11. The first one is Wolves vs. Southampton at Molineux. I have, in previous articles, mentioned Matheus Cunha (6.6m), Jørgen Strand Larsen (5.6m) and Rayan Aït-Nouri (4.7m) as potential picks from Wolverhampton due to their very favourable fixtures. It will be interesting to see what they can do against one of the weaker sides in the league, albeit the Saints did pick up their first win of the season last time out.

I have mentioned two Manchester United players already, and for good reason too. Their game at home to Leicester will be Van Nistelroy’s last game in charge and I expect Manchester United to win. Players mentioned like Dalot and Bruno are key targets, but I would also like to mention Alejandro Garnacho (6.3m) who averages 0.52 xGI per 90 this season and had his fair share of chances against Chelsea in Gameweek 10. Garnacho, alongside Bruno, are probably the best offensive picks from United, at least for the next three match days.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Nov

2024

Preview: Inter and Arsenal put their spotless defensive records on the line at San Siro

Huge clubs on the face of things, reluctant attackers with a slightly closer look. Inter Milan and Arsenal is probably one of those fixtures that Uefa imagined would spark excitement, a big-game feel and all the razzmatazz they wanted to be front and centre in a new-look Champions League every single gameweek.

By Karl Matchett

In reality, we’ve got another match where the outcome won’t be a tell-all for progression, leaving less enticement than usual to go all-in on a win with key domestic matches on the horizon: Napoli and Chelsea at the weekend represent more important three points than these ones do.

A battle between impressive defences

Inter have home advantage and by far the better form of late, being unbeaten across their last eight in all competitions and keeping five clean sheets in the last seven. That certainly points to them being a side who can trouble the Gunners – plus they drew 0-0 with Man City back in September – but Arsenal will hope for a return to their own formidable defensive ways. At the start of the season the Gunners kept four clean sheets out of the first five – and they’ve managed three shutouts from three in Europe. With two wins and two defeats in their last five, though, they are not anywhere near the relentless level right now that they need to be to be among title contenders in all competitions.

Possible return for Arsenal skipper?

The influential Martin Ødegaard is back in training but this game is surely too soon for him, while Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also out. It likely means more of the same from Mikel Arteta, but a lack of impact from Leandro Trossard of late could see him lose his starting spot to either a third central midfielder or perhaps Gabriel Jesus. Inter are missing Carlos Augusto but otherwise have a full squad to choose from, so Federico Dimarco – the leading chance creator in Serie A this season (with 27) – should line up at left wing-back.

Key players

While Simone Inzaghi might have a full squad, it might not mean full strength. Lautaro Martínez for example has five goals in ten in Serie A and strike partner Marcus Thuram has seven in 11 – but they’ve made one Champions League start between them. Inzaghi has rotated for this competition, so Nicolo Barella – as one of the few regulars in both teams – is a must-perform player for the hosts.

He’s creating at a rate of 2.5 chances per 90, plays 4.5 accurate long balls and makes seven recoveries in Europe so far this term, highlighting his impact the entire length of the pitch. Arsenal meanwhile could do with a return to form for Kai Havertz, who has just one goal in his last five…and that came against lower league Preston in the cup. At the moment, it’s Bukayo Saka or nobody for chance creation.

Prediction

Unless Arsenal find a way to raise their game, they’ll struggle to break down Inter, who themselves don’t need to go all-out to find a win. A solitary strike on the night will decide the points and we’ll side with the home team. Inter 1-0 Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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