From the moment Zlatan Ibrahimović bagged a brace on his LA Galaxy debut in the first ever meeting between the two Californian rivals, this has been the most exciting and consistently dramatic derby in Major League Soccer and Saturday’s clash promises to be just as gripping as any other.
Four points is all that divides the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC at the top of the Western Conference. The latter holds two games in-hand over their rivals and could close the gap on Greg Vanney’s team by claiming three points at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. Equally, the Galaxy could widen the gap with a victory of their own.
Olivier Giroud will get his first taste of El Tráfico since joining LAFC from AC Milan in the summer and the same goes for Marco Reus following his transfer to the LA Galaxy from Borussia Dortmund. Giroud is still searching for his first goal in MLS, but Reus has registered one goal and one assist in just two games.
The LA Galaxy boast the strongest home record in the Western Conference having lost just once in 14 league games at Dignity Health Sports Park. However, that one home loss came against LAFC. In fact, the Galaxy haven’t beaten their rivals at home since a win in the US Open Cup back in 2022.
In an attacking sense, the Galaxy have the firepower to overcome anyone in MLS at this moment in time. Between them, Dejan Joveljić, Gabriel Pec, Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil have combined for 40 goals this season. Defensively, though, the Carson outfit have their weaknesses having conceded more than one goal in half of the 28 league matches they have played this season.
Los Angeles FC have been something of a force on the road since going winless over their first five away matches of the season. Since then, Steve Cherundolo’s team have gone unbeaten in seven away games and will fancy their chances of leaving Carson with another positive result this weekend.
Most recently, the Black and Golds have dominated El Tráfico having won their last three games against the LA Galaxy. There has been 95 goals in the previous 23 derby meetings between the LA Galaxy and LAFC. Saturday’s match could swing either way, but it’s almost guaranteed that there will be something to talk about.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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After winning just two of their opening five competitive fixtures of the 2024/25 season, it’s still proving difficult to know exactly what to expect from Chelsea as the Premier League returns from the first international window of the season.
A 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City saw new manager Enzo Maresca begin the campaign on the back foot before victories over Servette in Europa Conference League action and a 6-2 thumping of Wolves on the road restored confidence amongst their supporters. Since then, though, a 2-1 loss in the second leg of that European tie and a 1-1 home draw with Crystal Palace – a match in which they really should have found a way to win – will have dampened spirits substantially.
That proves far from ideal preparation to face a Bournemouth side who have extended their fine form from last season into this new campaign and as a result, they head into this latest outing unbeaten through their opening three league outings.
Despite the loss of star striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs for a club record fee, manager Andoni Iraola has done well to bring even more talent to the club, including the likes of Evanilson, Dean Huijsen and Luis Sinisterra, the latter of those playing a huge part in their most recent league fixture.
That’s because the former Leeds winger netted a 96th minute winner at Goodison Park as the Cherries came back to beat Everton, a result that pushed Bournemouth into the top half of the table. That match further highlighted Bournemouth’s self-belief as despite trailing by two goals as late as the 87th minute, they still found a way to grind out an important win, the latest a side has ever turned a 2-0 deficit into victory in Premier League history.
That’ll have Chelsea fans worried ahead of this clash then, even if the Blues arrive on the South Coast unbeaten across their last five league meetings against the Dorset outfit. They’ve additionally lost just one of their last seven away top-flight games against Bournemouth too, but there’s plenty of areas where they could be hurt by the hosts this time around.
That includes the potential threat posed by Antoine Semenyo who has been Bournemouth’s best performer so far this season. To this point, no player in the competition has attempted more shots (17) than the Ghanian winger and with two of those finding the back of the net, the Chelsea backline will need to be at their best to stop him adding to that tally.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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With three straight wins to start their Premier League season and Erling Haaland moving into familiarly ominous form, there should be little to trouble Manchester City at home against Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
Haaland has now scored two consecutive hat-tricks which have been enough to take City to the top of the Premier League above Liverpool on goals scored, and when he is in this sort of form the likelihood of opponents taking much from the Etihad Stadium feels remote.
But in terms of performances so far this season, Brentford are better positioned than many to take something from even such a daunting challenge. They’ve won two of their three Premier League games so far this season, at home against Crystal Palace and Southampton, while their sole defeat, at Anfield, against Liverpool saw them put up a fairly credible performance from which the win was only secured for the home team with twenty minutes to play.
A further small cloud appeared on the City horizon with news of an injury to Nathan Aké during the Netherlands’ 2-2 Nations League draw with Germany on Tuesday night. Aké went down unchallenged on the verge of half-time with what is understood to be a muscle injury and left the pitch on a stretcher. There has been nothing released to confirm the seriousness of this injury at the time of writing, but it seems highly unlikely that he will be included in the team for this match.
On the flipside, Rodri hasn’t appeared in the League for City yet this season, but started for Spain in their 4-1 win against Switzerland on Sunday and may be in contention for a return to the first team for City too. Kristoffer Ajer could return from a foot problem for Brentford, meanwhile, but Joshua Dasilva, Rico Henry, Igor Thiago and Aaron Hickey all remain out of action.
Brentford’s most encouraging sign ahead of this game comes from the recent history books. It’s only been two seasons since they completed a league double over City, beating them 2-1 at The Etihad in November 2022 and then 1-0 at The Brentford Community Stadium at the end of the following May. City returned the favour by completing a double over the Bees last season, but when you’re facing a team which has won six of the last seven Premier League titles, Brentford may have to take their lucky omens where there can find them.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Damaging defeats to Brighton and Liverpool before the international break highlighted the weaknesses that continue to drag Manchester United down with ten Hag facing criticism from all directions. Saturday’s match against Southampton could be pivotal.
Russell Martin could also use a positive result. Southampton have still to pick up their first point of the campaign and must improve if they are to stand any chance of avoiding immediate relegation back to the Championship. A home match against a hurting Manchester United side could present them with an opportunity.
Manuel Ugarte could be handed a Premier League debut in central midfield. Casemiro was well off the pace in the defeat to Liverpool and so ten Hag could throw his latest signing in at the deep end in an attempt to make his team tougher to play through in the middle of the pitch. Ugarte could be partnered with Kobbie Mainoo.
Up front, Joshua Zirkzee will likely lead the line for the visitors to St Mary’s Stadium despite this not being his natural position. The Dutchman is most comfortable when he can play as a secondary forward in the mould of someone like Thomas Müller, but United don’t have many other options in attack with Rasmus Højlund out injured.
Southampton have suffered from attacking problems of their own recently, scoring just one goal in three games this season. Martin could start a front three of Cameron Archer flanked by Ben Brereton Díaz and Adam Armstrong in an attack to overload the Manchester United defence and get into the spaces between the opposition centre backs and full backs.
The hosts are expected to line up with a back three in defence with Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters deployed in the wing back positions. In central midfield, however, is where there will be greatest pressure on Mateus Fernandes and Flynn Downes to give Southampton the level of control Martin wants from his team. Southampton have had the majority share of possession in all three league matches they have played this term.
Three of the last four meetings between Manchester United and Southampton have ended in a draw and this weekend’s match could be another that is decided by small margins. United clearly have a large talent advantage, but currently lack the structure to make the most of that talent. The Saints could capitalise on that.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Nuno Espírito Santo’s men won’t arrive fancying their chances but they will arrive full of confidence after a positive start to the season.
Forest are unbeaten in their opening three matches, picking up five points. They’re currently ahead of Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League table and they find themselves just a point behind Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.
When looking at the Expected Points table, Forest are third. That metric alone highlights how good their start to the season has been. It also highlights why they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Liverpool will be favourites but Forest don’t appear to be pushovers. They have the second best defensive record this term when looking at underlying numbers and only Manchester City have a better Expected Goals Against total. Espírito Santo’s side are also averaging the highest number of efforts on target per game. They’re a threat going forward and they’ve been resilient defensively – the ideal combination.
The Reds will, once again, have to be at their ruthless best to get anything from this game. Arne Slot’s side are one of only two teams to go three from three this season. They’re the only team in the English top flight not to have conceded a goal and they have the joint-best Expected Goals haul (7.1)
They weathered a storm against Ipswich Town in the first half of the opening game of the season at Portman Road, they then confidently dispatched Brentford at Anfield before ruthlessly taking Manchester United apart at Old Trafford before the international break. They have passed every test. Emphatically too.
And while this might not be the first real test for Slot and his players so far, on paper, it has the potential to be the biggest test of the Slot era to date. This is a game many expect the Reds to win. This is a game they should be winning if they have any hopes of a title challenge. It is a game they need to be winning if they want to claim a Champions League place. But nobody knows how Liverpool will react to this international break. Momentum was halted. This is the first time the players have been away from Slot since the Dutchman was appointed.
Will they need to find their rhythm again or will it be business as usual? That is the unknown right now and this is what makes this game such an intriguing match-up.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It’s extremely early days, but Vincent Kompany couldn’t have asked for much more from his opening months at Bayern Munich. After an erratic search for a new boss led them to the relegated Burnley head coach, the Bavarian club needed two things quickly: a success in the transfer market and a few positive results in the Bundesliga. In Michael Olise, perhaps they’ve managed both at once.
Olise player traits
To be clear, Bayern’s opening two league fixtures have not come against even the domestic elite. Wolfsburg and Freiburg both finished in the bottom half last term, 12th and 10th, and it tends to be the case at the Allianz Arena that anything less than three points against that type of side is seen as an indication of impending implosion.
Kompany has navigated those first steps, and against pointless Holstein Kiel this weekend, a third win will be expected – a nice, if standard, platform to launch into the meaty part of the season from, as Champions League fixtures start up, the distractions of late transfer exits departs and the squad focuses on the job at hand: silverware.
With that in mind on the domestic scene, Bayern’s usual approach is to out-gun the competition – with Olise now on the scene they have a chance to do so in dominant fashion for the long haul, most particularly with the 22-year-old being in tandem with 21-year-old star Jamal Musiala.
Kompany’s set-ups so far have been fluid; from 4-2-3-1 drifting to a back three or with an extra attacker in place. That has seen Olise play from the right and also much more narrow, in possession seeing both the former Crystal Palace star and Musiala occupy central positions as dual No. 10s, the latter dropping deep to receive play more frequently.
The appeal is clear: both have immense technical ability, appreciation of space, and eye to execute passes. Bayern’s opening goal of the season showed their overlapping natures: Musiala tapped in from four yards, but Olise could have been holding his hand as they were so close, attempting similar runs to reach a cut-back. That’s not to say there’s doubling up in problematic fashion though – they linked well to almost force an equaliser between them in the same game.
Having played 75 and then 60 minutes in his two starts, Olise is obviously being eased into matters following Olympics exertions with France, yet has had plenty of impact already. His cross to Harry Kane led to the penalty against Freiburg, then a rabona cross soon after almost gave the striker a brace. This, after an assist on his official debut – though coming in the German Cup against lower-league opposition, it was hardly a high-profile occasion.
Olise’s start at Bayern
Two league games is nothing to draw big conclusions from, but it can be the beginnings of seeing what’s to come: six chances created, three shots and the highest expected assists in the team so far, 0.7, points to a picture of high involvement in key areas. Again, it’s only two matches and he hasn’t played them fully, but adjusting for per 90 minutes, his involvement is notable in higher than 84% of players in his role and he’s started well with crossing and winning duels, too – Palace fans would be nodding in understanding at both.
At Bayern, though, the key consideration is not of impact, but of consistency.
Olise has been brought in to effectively replace a Champions League final goalscorer, in Kingsley Coman, even though the French winger stayed after exit speculation. Serge Gnabry is also a regular on the flanks, Mathys Tel another exciting option and perhaps the biggest obstacle of all to Olise being a guaranteed starter, Leroy Sané, is now back to full fitness after surgery. Let’s not overlook Thomas Müller either, a sub more often than not but an immense presence all the same.
All that makes Kompany’s more-or-less 4-1-4-1 setup in their first home match of the campaign an intriguing one. It allows an extra one of those creative, forward-thinking forces to set up from the start, particularly with that tendency of Musiala to drop deep. If that’s seen more regularly, the scope for the German and Olise to link up centrally will be enormous; add in speed from the flanks and the interchangeability of Sané and Olise, or Coman and Gnabry, to flit between channels and the possibility for Bayern to be extremely varied in their attacking play is clear.
Musiala player traits
As ever, that’s only one half of the equation for Kompany to solve though. For the attack to thrive, the platform behind them must be set in stone, be it the inverted play from right-back of Joshua Kimmich, a midfield pivot pairing getting to play regularly or – along with Olise – big summer signing João Palhinha getting back to full fitness after his cameo last time out.
Olise and Musiala can be an incredible pairing, supply line and sidekicks to Kane up front; the big question remains over whether Kompany is the one to balance talent, tenacity and trophies.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The #BarclaysMan trend kept us all entertained on Twitter during the international break but the Premier League is back and we can all focus on that now. We’re spoilt on Saturday too, with four live games shown across the day, and there’s the North London derby to look forward to on Sunday.
Before that though, here are some interesting tidbits to keep an eye on this weekend.
The Saints versus the (Red) Devils
Southampton host Manchester United this weekend looking to pick up their first points of the season. The Saints are just one of two teams left on zero points this term having lost all three of their opening games.
Russell Martin’s men haven’t had great luck since their return to the English top-flight. They have scored just one goal and have missed 100% of their Big Chances. They have carved out decent openings, racking up an Expected Goals haul of 3.5, and are actually ranked 14th for Expected Points. The underlying numbers have been positive, and they’ve been able to put their stamp on things having averaged 68.6% possession, they just haven’t been able to put the ball into the back of the net.
They might fancy their chances on Saturday afternoon against Man United. The Red Devils have been inconsistent, at best, this season, having won one and lost two of their opening three games.
All of the pressure is on Erik Ten Hag and his players heading into this game with the fans and the general public expecting a response to the 3-0 loss to Liverpool in their last outing. This isn’t a free hit for the Saints but it is one of those games in which there’s nothing to lose if Martin has his team be positive against their visitors.
The unstoppable force versus the immovable object
Nottingham Forest have had a deceptively good start to the season. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are unbeaten and sit in ninth position, one point ahead of the likes of Spurs and Chelsea and two points ahead of West Ham United and Manchester United.
They travel to Anfield on Saturday looking for their first win away at Liverpool since 1988.
This may come as a bit of a surprise but defensively, Forest have been one of the best in the Premier League this term. They have an Expected Goals Conceded total of just 2.1, a figure that can only be bettered by Manchester City.
Granted, the quality of the opposition needs to be taken into account, the 0.7 xG against average is significantly better than the 1.42 average of last season. Espírito Santo has made them difficult to break down.
But this has come at a cost, of sorts. For example, they average 15.3 fouls per 90 – the highest in the league this term, and they’ve already racked up seven yellow cards. They break up the game. They stop the opposition’s momentum. And this will no doubt be a priority against Liverpool this weekend.
The Reds are joint-top of the Premier League with nine points from three matches. They’re the only team not to have conceded a goal and they rank first for Expected Goals with 7.1 They are also top of the Big Chances Created table with 16 and, in Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah, they possess two of the most in-form players in the league at this moment in time.
If Forest are to get anything from this game, they are going to have to be resilient and disruptive.
Tough times for Everton
Everton, along with Southampton, are the only other team in the Premier League yet to win a point. After a good showing in the transfer market, the expectation was that this might be the season they avoid the all-too familiar relegation battle. Yet here we are, midway through September, and they’re arguably the worst team in the league, on current form.
The Toffees have conceded the most goals (10), they have the third worst defensive record when looking at Expected Goals Against (6.2) and they rank 19th for possession with an average of 38%.
Their form is awful and in Aston Villa, they’re coming up against one of their bogey sides this weekend.
They travel to Villa Park on Saturday evening looking for their first win over the Villans in the Premier League since 2016. They did beat Unai Emery’s men last season but that was a Carabao Cup game.
Villa, so far, have looked a little rusty. They’re underperforming their Expected Goals and they have missed six of their 10 Big Chances. At some point, it is going to click for Emery and his players. It could well be this weekend against an Everton team that looks bereft of confidence.
A real test for Arsenald and Arteta
Arsenal have had a difficult start to the season. They have already faced Wolves, Aston Villa and Brighton, two of those are in the top seven at the time of writing. They are unbeaten but a draw with the Seagulls in their last outing ended their 100% record.
The Gunners have a good record against Spurs, losing just one of their previous seven against their North London rivals. However, a combination of injuries and an underhwlming start to the season could see a surprise result.
For context, Spurs have a higher xG this season and their xG Against is identical to Arsenal. Ange Postecoglou’s men rank first for possession, first for possessions won in the final third and first for touches in the opposition box. The narrative is the Gunners head into this as favourites but Spurs will fancy their chances, and rightly so.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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On May 4, 2023, Victor Osimhen scored a 52nd-minute equalizer in a 1-1 stalemate at Udinese, ensuring Napoli’s first league title in 33 years. He would score four goals in his next five matches, becoming the first African footballer to finish as top scorer in Serie A with 26 goals.
And yet, 16 months after that momentous night in Udine, Osimhen has taken his talents to Istanbul, joining Süper Lig side Galatasaray on loan.
Napoli didn’t have long to celebrate their championship before losing manager Luciano Spalletti and defender Kim Min-jae, and they suffered the consequences with an abysmal title defense. They went through three different managers, conceded 48 goals – the second-most in Serie A’s top-half – and missed out on Europe for the first time in 15 years after finishing 10th. Osimhen began 2023/24 with a brace vs. Frosinone and a goal vs. Sassuolo, but he was nullified in their 0-0 draw at Bologna on September 24, failing to convert from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute. As Napoli came to find out, it would cost them a lot more than two points.
Napoli table positions, recent seasons
In the ensuing days, Napoli’s TikTok account posted videos that likened Osimhen’s head to a coconut and mocked his penalty miss, drawing the ire of his agent, Roberto Calenda, who stated: “A video mocking Victor was made public and then belatedly deleted. A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
Having scored five goals by the end of September, Osimhen found the back of the net on just three occasions for Napoli in the following three months. He was sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Roma on December 23, with Lorenzo Pellegrini scoring in the 76th minute and Romelu Lukaku doubling the lead at the last second. Little did Osimhen know it, but Lukaku would soon be replacing him as Napoli’s attacking talisman.
That same day, Napoli announced that they had extended Osimhen’s contract by an additional year, tying him to the club through 2026, doubling his salary to €10 million, and setting his release clause at €130 million. “Osimhen’s contract was not signed for footballing reasons with a view to him playing for Napoli long-term,” stated Napoli fan and In The Shadow Of Vesuvio podcaster Henry Bell. “Instead, it was to preserve his market value and command a large transfer fee when he wanted to leave in the summer.”
“All of us fans have been going through mixed emotions. We loved Victor when he played for Napoli and there would be no third Scudetto without him, but since the Serie A trophy was lifted, there has been a gradual cooling of the love. Seeing him publicly court a transfer was a tough pill to swallow for such a proud fanbase. I think he’ll learn a lot of lessons and look back and consider his actions to be naive and insensitive.”
“It’s hard to know where to point the finger since there are various factors at play: Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis’ stubbornness, Calenda’s arrogance, that awful TikTok video, Osimhen’s desire to play in England and the moving of the financial goalposts in the global game. When Osimhen finally leaves permanently, it will be interesting to see how his legacy in Napoli will be traced. Will there be the murals, figurines and even food dishes named after him like there still are for legends of the club? I doubt it.”
Osimhen season summary with Napoli
The newly minted African Player of the Year left for the Ivory Coast and spearheaded Nigeria’s attack in their run to the AFCON Final, where they relinquished an early advantage and lost 2-1 to the hosts. Osimhen returned to Italy and scored nine goals in his next 14 matches, finishing third in the Capocannoniere race with 15 goals. It seemed his time at Napoli had finally run its course – it was surely only a matter of time before Osimhen would be playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
PSG emerged as an early contender, but with De Laurentiis refusing to budge on the €130m clause, Les Parisiens took their business elsewhere. Whilst far less proven strikers like Julián Álvarez (€75m), Dominic Solanke (€64.3m) and Joshua Zirkzee (€42.5m) earned big-money transfers, Osimhen stayed put. As a result, Napoli’s business remained at a standstill – apart from defensive duo Alessandro Buongiorno and Rafa Marín (€47m) and Leonardo Spinazzola (€0), Napoli failed to sign any new players before August 21. Soon, only one European club was in the equation: Chelsea.
Having already spent north of €200 million, the best Chelsea could offer was a loan with an option/obligation to buy. Keen to reunite Lukaku with Antonio Conte – with whom he scored 47 goals in 72 appearances and led Inter to a Scudetto – Napoli were not entirely averse, but Osimhen’s wages proved a stumbling block. Chelsea offered €4m plus €4m in performance-related bonuses, well below Osimhen’s €10m salary. Despite leaning on African legends like John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba to convince him to lower his demands, Chelsea’s charm offensive proved fruitless.
As Napoli’s business came to life in the final days of August with David Neres, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lukaku arriving, Osimhen found himself running out of options. When Saudi club Al-Ahli tabled a late bid, Calenda quickly threw cold water on the rumors: “Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe. He is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets.”
Osimhen player traits
The summer transfer window slammed shut, and Osimhen looked set to spend the next four months in Napoli’s reserves. Galatasaray threw him a lifeline, with Osimhen extending his contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona until 2027 and joining on loan until the end of the campaign. Napoli lowered his release clause to €75 million and inserted a January break clause which allows Osimhen to leave midway through the campaign if a suitable permanent offer arrives.
It remains to be seen whether or not he will spend the entire campaign in Türkiye or leave in January, but one thing’s for sure: despite a glamorous four-year spell that featured 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 appearances and one unforgettable championship, Victor Osimhen leaves many Napoli supporters with a bitter taste in their mouths.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The international break always produces intriguing discourse in football circles, and this time was no exception. While those not too interested in qualifiers spent their time reminiscing about the good old days of the Barclays Premier League, some others produced some frankly astonishing takes on interim England head coach Lee Carsley.
From a purely sensible and football-focused perspective, though, he has shown why he could be the best candidate for a more permanent role.
It was only the UEFA Nations League, but Lee Carsley’s tenure as England’s interim head coach could hardly have gotten off to a better start. Two 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland have set the Three Lions well on course for a return to League A, but the performances and manner of those victories were the biggest positives.
In the process, the 50-year-old tactician has to have placed himself firmly in contention for a more permanent role. He might not be the most glamorous appointment, but he checks all the required boxes to lead England forward.
Knows the Club Country
Whenever a manager joins a side they have previous experience with, the ‘knows the club’ cliche is whipped out without fail. It can often be a shallow piece of analysis but in Carsley’s case, it actually is quite relevant.
The former Ireland international has spent the entirety of his career in England both as a player and coach, including almost a decade in the national team’s youth setup. He started off as a specialist coach across various age groups besides working at the academies of clubs such as Coventry City, Brentford, Sheffield United and Manchester City.
In 2020, Carsley took over as the England Under-20 head coach and within a year, he was promoted to the Under-21 side. It was with them that he won the only tournament of his career so far — the 2023 Under-21 Euros.
The side that Carsley led to European glory included the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Levi Colwill, Curtis Jones, Angel Gomes and Noni Madueke, who have all now been capped by the senior team. Some of them could go on to become key figures in the long term, so they would benefit from being supported by a coach who already has an established relationship with them.
A Fresh Approach
While Carsley’s experience in the England youth setups should give him the upper hand over other candidates in one aspect, the Three Lions could also benefit from it by giving him a role in the coaching staff. What makes him a strong candidate for the head coach role, then, is his style of play.
Gareth Southgate – who incidentally was also an unglamorous appointment at the time, having been promoted from the under-21 job – undoubtedly left England in a better place than he found them after Sam Allardyce’s resignation. Towards the end of his tenure, though, his side certainly did not make themselves easy on the eye. His rather conservative team selections and tactics resulted in some very stodgy performances at the Euros, as they just about ground out results and even had to survive some scares against weaker opposition before ultimately falling just short against Spain in the final.
Southgate’s stubbornness in terms of his approach and player picks led to some frustrating situations such as a very one-dimensional attack as the lack of a left-footed left back and traditional left winger effectively blocked that flank automatically. Some also criticised him for not appropriately incorporating players with unique profiles like Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Carsley’s work with the under-21s and his first two matches in charge of the senior side suggest he will not face such issues. He has always encouraged his players to adopt a fluid style of play in possession with a good deal of freedom afforded to the attackers and well-designed systems to get the most out of every player. So, in his very first match in charge, he instantly fixed England’s left wing blockage with two graduates of his under-21 side, in Colwill and Gordon.
The Birmingham-born tactician also managed to get Alexander-Arnold going by giving him a similar role to the one he plays for Liverpool, reaping instant rewards as the 25-year-old full-back can be found at the top of the Expected Assists (xA) and chances created charts in League B.
Additionally Carsley showed his willingness to experiment and blood in promising youngsters, handing out three debuts in two matches and trying out Rico Lewis at left back. None of this came at the cost of the performances of some the team’s best players like Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, so almost all of England’s players enjoyed a positive international break.
While they only faced Ireland and Finland, the Three Lions’ performances should be considered quite impressive when contrasted with their showings against the likes of Slovenia and Slovakia at the Euros, who are quite similarly-ranked, as far as FIFA are concerned.
After such a brilliant start, Carsley simply needs to keep the momentum going to make himself an irrefutable favourite for the permanent job.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The Liverpool right-back was in the starting XI for the Three Lions – as a midfielder – at the start of Euro 2024 but was soon dropped to the bench. Southgate didn’t appear to trust him enough at full-back, opting for Kyle Walker there instead.
England made it to the final but lost 2-1 to Spain. They struggled to create anything in Berlin, finishing the game with an Expected Goals Total of 0.53. Alexander-Arnold watched on from the bench for the entire match.
That could well be the driving force behind his start to the campaign.
He might be looking to silence those who felt he’d struggle without Jürgen Klopp as his manager at club level. The 25-year-old has been described by some as a system player. The theory is that had Klopp not made him such an integral part of his team, he might not be viewed as the creative force he is today.
The contract situation might be playing a part in these early season showings. Alexander-Arnold is into the final 12 months of his deal at Anfield. If he’s to sign a new deal with the Reds, he’ll no doubt feel he’s done enough to justify earning the same sort of money as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. His outings in the opening three games of the Premier League season purely serve as a reminder of what he’s capable of and why, despite being a defender, he’s very much a difference-maker.
There is a world in which this form is a subtle message to Real Madrid too. The reigning European champions are believed to be interested in him and are exploring the possibility of bringing him to the club on a free transfer next summer. Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, he’s still performing to a high level. That’ll be acknowledged and appreciated in Madrid.
Whatever the reason for it, it has been a positive for both Liverpool and England.
Yes, the sample size isn’t the largest so you shouldn’t get carried away just yet, but these showings should not be overlooked or taken for granted.
Interim Three Lions boss Lee Carsley named him as the right-back in his starting XI for both games played during the international break. Against Ireland, the full-back played the pass of the match to set up Anthony Gordon. He carved out two big chances as England claimed a 2-0 win. He finished the game with the second-highest Expected Assists total.
Carsley put his faith in the Scouser and he was rewarded for it. The Liverpool academy graduate finished with a FotMob rating of (8.0). Only the two goalscorers, Declan Rice (9.1) and Jack Grealish (8.3) could boast a higher total. Speaking after the match, Carsley praised the EE Man-of-the-Match.
“That’s one of the things we try with all of the players, getting the best out of them and putting them into familiar positions that they’re playing at their clubs,” Carsley told the media afterwards.
“If you see Trent playing for Liverpool this season, it’s very similar to the way we asked him to play, in terms of when we built, he often went central, with Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice a little bit higher or wider. I think what we’ve noticed, especially within the pathway of players we’ve got, is that full-backs now are almost like midfield players, they’ve got all the attributes of midfielders and Trent definitely fits into that bracket.
“I thought he was very good, I thought he got a little bit tired at the end but I thought it was a positive performance.”
Alexander-Arnold then went on to play the full 90 minutes against Finland, at Wembley, setting up the first of Harry Kane’s two goals on the night and creating five chances in total, the most of any one on the pitch. This time, only Kane, England’s captain could beat Alexander-Arnold’s 8.6 FotMob rating.
At club level, as Carsley noted, Alexander-Arnold has been just as impactful.
He ranks joint-second in the Premier League for Expected Assists this season with 1.5. Only Kevin De Bruyne (1.6) has been more creative than the Liverpool defender.
The No. 66 ranks second within the Liverpool squad for Chances Created (seven) and Big Chances Created (three). Only Dominik Szoboszlai (eight) and Mohamed Salah (four) prevent him from topping both of those charts.
Alexander-Arnold passing stats, Premier League 2024/25
He does, however, lead the way for Expected Assists (1.5) and Expected Assists Per 90 (0.6), though the latter is grossly inflated by the small sample size – he’s featured in just 226 minutes this term. However, it does hammer home just how influential he’s been when you realise that Salah, a man with three assists this season, has an xA90 of 0.37 while only one player in the Premier League – Dango Outtara with 0.66 – can better Alexander-Arnold’s xA90 average.
Those who doubted the 2019/20 Premier League winner, whatever their reasoning was, are looking a little foolish and he’s making a mockery of the claims that he was a system player under Klopp. He’s much more and this might finally be the season he’s widely acknowledged as one of the best in the world at what he does.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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