Page 45 – The Pulse of Football

Oct

2024

Preview: Spurs head to Selhurst Park for Eagles test

Things have been looking better for Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks and they have a chance to win two games on the bounce, when they take on Crystal Palace on Sunday.

By Kaustubh Pandey

The season has been full of some inconsistencies for Spurs, who lost to Brighton despite a brilliant performance in the first half before succumbing to an unlikely comeback. They also lost 1-0 to Arsenal in a game where they had a lot of possession and this came before they trounced Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side did have to come back from a goal down against West Ham, last time out, but they blew the Hammers away in the second half and put in a trademark attacking show. The win over AZ in the Europa League during midweek was only a 1-0 triumph but it gave them more momentum, keeping them in second in the league phase table.

While their defensive lapses during defensive transitions are obvious, Spurs are arguably one of the most threatening attacking sides in England right now.

Only Manchester City have a higher xG in the Premier League this season, and that obviously takes in to account City playing a game more, earlier this weekend. They attack constantly during the game, dominating possession by keeping over 60 percent on average and it is an identity that they have carved out for themselves.

Despite the limitations in defence, they create impressively in attack and that is what struggling Palace will have to contend with on Sunday.

Oliver Glasner‘s side have proved to be a half-season-wonder, having failed to recreate their wonders from last season and that is why they find themselves 18th in the table.

They also lie at the opposite end of the attacking spectrum – so far. No team in the Premier League has scored less goals per game than the Eagles, who have seen their return fade since last season, when Jean-Philippe Mateta was on fire.

While last season saw them over perform on their Expected Goals metric by about +7, they have underperformed on it by a solid -4, showcasing that in a lot of cases, finishing the chances they get has also become a huge issue.

Spurs too are problematic when it comes to the finishing as they have missed the most number of big chances in the league, the amount of chances they create is massive, especially as compared to Glasner’s side.

Postecoglou’s team will most definitely dominate possession, as they always do, but at the same time, their tendency to give away chances at the other end will give Palace hope. Even West Ham were struggling going into their game against Tottenham but they led for a good portion of the game, and Palace will take inspiration from that.

Eberechi Eze‘s presence will be vital in that regard but Palace will also be encouraged by the fact that Son Heung-min is likely to miss the trip. Mikey Moore, who impressed against AZ, could feature in the Premier League this time around and it could be another game where Dejan Kulusevski runs the show for the Lilywhites.

(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.

Oct

2024

Preview: Chelsea host a Newcastle side searching for form

This time last week the discussion surrounding Chelsea was about their potential to be this season’s Premier League dark horse. Fast forward to the final whistle, at Anfield last Sunday, and that discussion felt like it had been put to bed for a while.

By Dan Tracey

Enzo Maresca’s men came out second best in an enthralling meeting on Merseyside and although they picked up nothing in the way of points, they still managed to take back some positives to West London.

Positives that come with going toe-to-toe with the current league leaders and with Nicolas Jackson’s strike soon after the break cancelling out Mohamed Salah’s penalty, there was a sense that the pendulum was swinging in the direction of the Blues.

However, a game that had plenty of ebb and flow would see another swing towards the hosts when Curtis Jones put Liverpool back in front. The goal sucked the life out of Chelsea’s fightback and was one that would go on to prove to be the difference between the two sides.

There was a huge gulf in quality on Thursday as Chelsea travelled to Panathinaikos for Matchday two in the Conference League and the Blues bounced back with a well deserved 4-1 win at the Athens Olympic Stadium.

With a European win behind them, focus now pivots back to the Premier League and the visit of a Newcastle side who have failed to win any of their last four outings in the competition – a run that sees them start the weekend lying ninth in the table.

That run was extended last Saturday and although Eddie Howe’s men huffed and puffed at home to Brighton, they failed to break down the Seagulls and a goal from the in-form Danny Welbeck continued Newcastle’s recent misery.

Large portions of the Magpies’ fanbase have been left rather frustrated this season, with the club itself finding equal frustration in the summer transfer window. A lack of world-class arrivals to continue the Tyneside project is quickly seeing Newcastle operate in reverse.

Which means they must avoid defeat at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, not only because their European aspirations cannot take another dent so early in the campaign, but also because manager Howe cannot afford to oversee another defeat.

That is not to say that the former Bournemouth manager is under any immediate pressure regarding the security of his job but with the lack of transfer activity, it’s believed in some quarters that he has been set up to fail this season.

(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.

Oct

2024

Preview: Arne Slot’s Liverpool face their toughest test yet at they play Arsenal at the Emirates

The Emirates hosts a top of the table clash this weekend as Liverpool make the trip down south to take on title rivals Arsenal.

By Sam McGuire

Mikel Arteta‘s side bounced back from their loss to Bournemouth last weekend with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

They did, however, add to their ever growing injury list. Riccardo Calafiori twisted his knee and is expected to miss the visit of the Premier League leaders. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber are already doubts for the game, captain Martin Ødegaard is definitely missing while William Saliba is suspended following his red card against the Cherries last Saturday.

A potentially depleted Arsenal side are going to be put to the test. Liverpool may feel as though this is karma. The Reds went to the Emirates last term without a host of names. Andrew Robertson and Darwin Núñez were only fit enough for the bench. Kostas Tsimikas, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah were all missing with injuries. Trent Alexander-Arnold was carrying a knock and had to be replaced at halftime.

Jürgen Klopp’s men were overwhelmed by their title rivals in a 3-1 loss.

Revenge might be on the agenda for the current league leaders. Under Arne Slot this term, Liverpool have been ruthless. They’ve won 11 of their opening 12 matches. They have a 100% record in the Champions League and are a point clear at the top of the Premier League with 21 points from a possible 24.

This is an opportunity for Slot and his team to make a real statement. It is a chance to show they’re real title contenders with some still believing they’re nothing but pretenders having come up against inferior opposition in games they’ve been expected to win.

Victory at the Emirates would see a lot of people sit up and take note. Of course, Liverpool shouldn’t need to win here to be taken seriously.

The Reds have been the real deal this season. They lead the way for clean sheets with five. They’ve have the best defensive record in the English top-flight having conceded just three goals. Their underlying numbers support their claim of having the best defensive unit in the Premier League too. The Reds have given up chances worth just 6.2 Expected Goals.

For comparison, Arsenal, who built their title challenge last season on solid foundations, have kept just three clean sheets. They’ve conceded eight goals this term and have an Expected Goals Against total of 9.2 – a figure that five teams can better. They aren’t as resilient defensively while their attack isn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders just yet.

The pressure is on the Gunners. How will they deal with that and an injury crisis?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Oct

2024

Oscar Mingueza, the Celta wingback back in contention for the Spanish national team

“We can improve our attitude when defending set-pieces,” said Celta de Vigo manager Claudio Giráldez whilst addressing his entire squad in a training session, before turning and pointing his finger at Óscar Mingueza: “Your attitude whilst defending set-pieces is a f—— disgrace.”

By Zach Lowy

Celta’s star wingback could not believe his ears. “Mine?” he asked in astonishment. Giráldez replied, “And what’s a f—— disgrace is that [Luís] de la Fuente has called you up for the [Spanish] national team.” His teammates inundated him with applause and friendly slaps of encouragement – three years after making his Spain debut, Óscar Mingueza was back.

Mingueza joined Barcelona in 2007 and quickly ascended La Masia’s ranks, winning the 2017/18 UEFA Youth League and making his first-team debut in November 2020 under Ronald Koeman. Over the next six months, Mingueza scored 2 goals and 3 assists in 38 appearances for Barcelona, started in their 4-0 victory against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey Final, and became a regular in De La Fuente’s squads for Spain’s U-21 and U-23s. When Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID-19 in June 2021, the U-21s were called up instead of the senior team for an international friendly vs. Lithuania, and Mingueza was one of the many players who made their senior debut in a 4-0 victory. Two months later, Mingueza headed to Tokyo and won a silver medal in the Olympics. However, Xavi’s appointment as Barcelona manager would see Mingueza fall out of favor and eventually join Celta in August 2022 on a four-year contract – whilst he departed on a free transfer, Barcelona retained a buyback option and a 50% sell-on clause.

“I’ve always considered Mingueza a technically gifted player, but with the freedom he’s being given at Celta, he is stepping into positions where you don’t expect him to get to,” said Miguel Quintana, a LaLiga commentator for DAZN. “Whether playing as a centre back or a right-sided or left-sided wingback, he can appear in the final third without any problem and I think that element of surprise helps him a lot.”

Mingueza quickly emerged a starter in defence, only to be sidelined by a hamstring injury in February 2023 and miss three months. He fared much better in his second campaign in Balaídos – only six players registered more passes into the penalty area in the 2023/24 LaLiga season than Mingueza, who played all 38 matches. He’s already played under four managers at Celta, but it’s safe to say that he has taken his game to a new level under Giráldez, who replaced Rafa Benítez in March. Having scored two goals and three assists in his first 64 appearances for Celta, Mingueza has already registered two goals and five assists in nine this season. Only Lamine Yamal (6) has registered more assists, whilst only Vinícius Júnior (9), Yamal and Raphinha (10) and Robert Lewandowski (14) have more goal contributions.

After beating Alavés in their opener, Celta fell behind early on to Valencia before equalising in the 22nd minute. Mingueza patiently waited for Iago Aspas’ pass to drop before slicing in an sensational volley, promptly returning the favor after bursting forward in transition and slipping in a through ball to Aspas at the edge of the box, who cooly slotted past Giorgi Mamardashvili. He made it back-to-back matches with a goal and assist against Villarreal, swerving in a thunderous free kick before sending in a carefully measured cross into Carl Starfelt, who headed home from close range.

Mingueza’s six big chances created put him level with Luka Modrić and Álex Baena in Spain’s top-flight, and it should come as no surprise that he is the highest-rated defender in LaLiga at 7.67 (eighth-overall). One thing worth noting is that he’s providing top-quality service from both flanks – against Valencia, he wreaked havoc from the left, whereas against Osasuna, he was doing damage from the right, charging forward into the final third before putting it on a platter for Borja Iglesias, who failed to convert. Not to be denied, Mingueza froze up two opponents before nutmegging one and firing in an inch-perfect pass to Iglesias, who tapped it in from six yards. He nearly engineered the opener vs. Las Palmas with another teasing cross, only to be denied due to offsides – once again, Mingueza took matters into his own hands, telegraphing a ball into the path of Iglesias, who scored the match’s sole goal. And against Real Madrid last Saturday, he played a quick one-two to earn an extra inch of space before teeing up Williot Swedberg for the equaliser in a 2-1 defeat.

With Dani Carvajal sidelined with an ACL rupture and Jesús Navas retiring, both of Spain’s right backs from their Euro-winning squad are out of commission, and there’s reason to believe that Mingueza can take advantage and secure another call-up next month. An unused substitute in their last two matches, Mingueza will be looking to make his competitive debut for Spain in November’s UEFA Nations League matches vs. Denmark and Switzerland, but in order to do so, he’ll have to fend off competition from Pedro Porro.

Does Mingueza have what it takes to emerge as a key figure in Spain’s defence? Quintana has his doubts. “With Lamine Yamal playing on the right, I’m not sure Spain can give Mingueza the freedom that he needs – a player whose biggest vulnerabilities are on the defensive side. He’s a player who struggles to shift his body and defend 1v1s, who sometimes has a lapse in concentration, who isn’t forceful in defensive duels, and who attacks much better than he defends. If he does leave Celta in the summer, he needs to go to a team that gives him this liberty to move around and arrive in unexpected positions for a wingback.”

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Oct

2024

Preview: Southampton head to Champions City in search of a change in fortunes

One of the biggest gaps in the Premier League in financial, quality and in terms of points haul will be attempted to be bridged on Saturday, with Manchester City hosting Southampton in a battle of the established elite and the idealistic but possibly naive.

By Karl Matchett

Second and 19th respectively, City undefeated and Saints winless, the differences in the stories of their season so far are profound and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see many predict one of the bigger scores of the campaign.

And yet, there are similarities, or at least the attempt to have them. Saints’ style of play has cost them so many goals already this year, but playing out from the back and attempting to dominate matches is their method and it’s no secret where that style stems from. Saints and City, indeed, make up a third of the top six in the Premier League this year by average possession. By accurate passes per match, they are half the teams in the top four. Sadly for Southampton, however, look even marginally deeper at what they both do with all that time on the ball and the paths quickly diverge.

City have had the most touches in the opposition box (404), won the most corners (76), average the most shots on target (7.0) and have scored the most goals (19). Respectively in each of those categories, Saints rank 13th (195), 12th (41), 17th (3.8) and 19th (six). Erling Haaland alone has netted not far off double that tally, already on ten.

If that’s the mark of having spent hundreds of millions on the most creative, dominant and efficient final-third players in the game, Saints’ defensive numbers therefore show the folly in trying to play the same way all over the pitch without the players to do so: the second-highest xG conceded (17.3) shows they are not stopping chances against them, and the second-lowest save percentage (59%) of any goalkeeper in the league shows Aaron Ramsdale isn’t stopping those efforts going in. His cumulative goals prevented this term stands at 1.07, which isn’t going to move the needle if Saints continue to be as lax at the back.

Or, it might be argued, if they face Haaland on even a half-decent day.

The Norwegian tops the per 90 charts on total shots and those on target while of course doing so in goals, xG, non-penalty xG and touches in the box. Sometimes, football really is this simple: a bad defence has to try and stop an elite striker.

*Erling Haaland shooting stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Oct

2024

LA Galaxy look ready to mount a serious challenge in the MLS Playoffs

LA Galaxy are a team transformed in 2024, and a mouthwatering MLS Cup final between themselves and Inter Miami – original Galacticos against new Galacticos – is a possibility, as the MLS Cup playoffs get underway this weekend.

By James Nalton

Despite being overtaken to the top spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference on the final day of the season by local rivals Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy have largely been the best team on that side of the league in 2024. They’ve had the standout players, and the best attack – having scored 69 goals – and produced a big turnaround on last season’s performance.

A meeting between them and Inter Miami in the biggest game of the season would have a sense of glamour about it. The team that once signed David Beckham against the team that signed Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, and the franchise now owned by Beckham as a result of his contracts signed with LA Galaxy back in 2007.

The question is, are LA Galaxy good enough to get that far? If you’d have asked this question last year, the answer would certainly be no, as they didn’t even make the playoffs.

There has been a lot of focus on Inter Miami’s turnaround from 2023 to 2024 as they went from a team that finished 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 27th out of 29 teams overall in 2023, to one that topped the overall standings to win the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking fashion in 2024.

The unusual and high-profile nature of Inter Miami’s story, involving as it does the arrival of one of the best players in the history of the game has overshadowed many other teams and their achievements in MLS in 2024.

LA Galaxy’s own, not dissimilar turnaround from 2023 to 2024 is one of the stories that has been overlooked.

The Galaxy finished 13th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference in 2023 and were just two points ahead of Inter Miami in the overall table in 26th.

In 2024 they finished level on points with Los Angeles FC at the top of the Western Conference table, losing out on top spot in agonising fashion on goal difference after losing to Houston Dynamo on the final day of the regular season.

LA Galaxy’s impressive form in 2024 also saw them finish fourth in the overall table with 64 points, 10 points behind Inter Miami but only two behind the much-lauded second-place team, Columbus Crew.

LA Galaxy’s 64-point total is the highest in MLS history for a team finishing 4th in the overall standings, showing how strong they have been and how big a turnaround this has been.

Does this mean they will be a force in the playoffs?

Most will predict an MLS Cup winner from the Eastern Conference. If it’s not Inter Miami, then it will be Columbus Crew, as they’re the two teams widely considered the best in the league – Miami for their star power, and the Crew for being such a well-coached team with an exciting and effective style of play.

A solid defence can take a team far in the playoffs (which is why Seattle Sounders might be a dark horse from the West) and this hasn’t been a strong point for the Galaxy in 2024.

They conceded 50 goals, more than any other team in the top six of their conference and this affected their goal difference which ultimately cost them top spot in the West. But they have a lot of other things going for them.

No team can match Messi and Suárez for star power, but the combination play from Riqui Puig and Gabriel Pec for LA Galaxy has come closest to doing so. It can be one of the most effective and devastating attacking link-ups in the league alongside the dynamism of winger Joseph Paintsil.

Add the goal-getter Dejan Joveljić, waiting to pick up a chance on the back of the go-forward and the creativity of the aforementioned trio, and the Galaxy have the attacking power and quality to scare any defence and win any game.

What’s changed?

In short, Pec and Paintsil

Pec’s impact since arriving from Vasco da Gama for the 2024 season has been so impressive that he’s challenging Suárez for the Newcomer of the Year award in 2024, and probably deserves to win it.

He’s scored 16 goals, made 12 assists, and has been a constant threat from the right-wing linking with the classy former Barcelona man, Puig who has the second-highest FotMob rating of the season behind Messi.

Pec also has a very high pass success rate for an attacking player, at 89%. It’s the kind of accurate passing you might expect from deeper lying players who have more time to pick their passes, and not from a player operating in tighter spaces and attacking positions up close with opposition defences.

Those who scouted and signed the 23-year-old Brazilian for the Galaxy could not have wished for a better season from their new man.

Another new addition, Miki Yamane, has also been a regular presence at right-back, and his consistency and diligence earned him the player of the year from supporters’ group LA Riot Squad. Though not as outstanding as those attackers and midfielders, being recognised as a solid pro in this manner shows that Yamane has been an important part of the team unit.

Head coach Greg Vanney deserves credit for overseeing this improvement on the field, and his team top numerous attacking metrics including having the highest total xG and the most accurate passes per game – an indication of their possession style, while Will Kuntz, who was appointed general manager ahead of this season, has played a big role, especially in those key signings.

The supporters also played their part. It wasn’t so long ago that they were boycotting games in an attempt to make the flagging ownership group take notice of their concerns as their once-great franchise slumped on and off the pitch. It seems to have worked, and the fans deserve credit for waking the club from its slumber.

The Galaxy are now in much better shape, making clever signings and better moves in most departments. The next step is to trouble the best teams in the league in the MLS Cup playoffs, but regardless of what happens there let’s not forget the big leap they have already made in 2024.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the MLS Playoffs live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Real Madrid and Barcelona are set for the first Clásico showdown of the season

Years after the end of the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo era, the fierce and historic rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is moving into a new generation.

By Graham Ruthven

Saturday’s El Clásico will be Kylian Mbappé’s first taste of Spanish football’s biggest fixture while Barcelona have a new crop of La Masia prodigies now making their mark at the top level, Lamine Yamal being chief among them.

Last season, Real Madrid ran away with the Spanish title. This season, though, it’s Barca setting the early pace with Hansi Flick’s team playing a brand of high-risk, high-intensity football that has caught the imagination.

Barcelona come into the first Clasico of the season on the back of a statement victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The 4-1 dismantling of the German giants highlighted just how far Flick’s team have come this season.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, are still searching for their best form. Carlo Ancelotti has experienced trouble integrating Kylian Mbappé into his forward line with the absence of Toni Kroos being acutely felt in central midfield.

Ancelotti surely watched the way Barca picked off Bayern Munich in transition with interest. It’s possible the Real Madrid boss could set up his team to sit deeper and deny their rivals any opportunity to attack open space.

Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo are expected to miss Saturday’s match at the Santiago Bernabéu through injury while Dani Carvajal is sidelined, meaning Lucas Vázquez will likely start at right back for the hosts.

Injuries have similarly hit Barcelona hard with Marc-André Ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo and Marc Bernal all out for the long-term. Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are also working back to full fitness at the moment.

However, there will still be plenty talent on the pitch to make Saturday’s Clásico a spectacle. Barca have the highest Expected Goals (xG) of any team in LaLiga this season with Real Madrid ranked second behind them. There should be goals at the Santiago Bernabéu.

With just three points between the two rivals in the table, the outcome of Saturday’s match could have a big bearing on this season’s Spanish title race.

A Barca win could signify a shift in the balance of power at the top of LaLiga. A Real Madrid victory, however, would draw the defending champions level with the Catalans. Clásicos always matter, but this one will have extra meaning.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Oct

2024

Premier League Preview, Matchday Nine

There’s a lot going on in the Premier League this weekend.

By Sam McGuire

There’s a top of the table clash while the reigning champions take on the team currently joint-bottom of the table. On top of that, four teams are still looking to record their first wins of the season. With that in mind, here are four things to look out for ahead of Matchday nine.

Momentum matters

There’s a Friday night game this week.

Leicester City welcome Nottingham Forest to the King Power Stadium in what is set to be an intriguing match-up.

Forest have been one of the surprise packages of the season. Nuno Espírito Santo has his side in eighth position. They’re level on points with Spurs, a point ahead of Newcastle and just a single point behind Chelsea.

They’re the only team to take points off Premier League leaders Liverpool so far this term.

A win here would see them move up to fifth in the table, at least for 24 hours.

Forest are up against their former manager this week. Steve Cooper will be looking to get one over on his former employers. And Leicester do find themselves in good form right now having won back-to-back games in the English top-flight.

If the Foxes make it three wins on the spin, they’ll leapfrog Manchester United in the Premier League table.

Leicester and Forest were tipped to be in a relegation battle this season but they’ve started well. Both will be desperate for the win to keep their momentum going.

A perfect opportunity for Erling Haaland

Haaland is currently without a goal in the Premier League in his last three appearances. His longest drought for Manchester City in the English top-flight is four. He isn’t going to want to match that record and he’d got the perfect opportunity this weekend to bring his barren run to an end as City host Southampton.

Despite the good performances, the Saints are winless this term.

As detailed in a feature this week (read that here!), Russell Martin’s side have done enough to earn seven points. They’re currently on one.

They’re struggling to score while giving up high value chances. It should be a routine win for Manchester City and it would lift them back to the top of the table. More importantly, however, it should be a game in which Haaland finds the back of the net.

*Haaland shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Over recent weeks, Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled to get the No. 9 into the game. He’s barely involved in the final third and the chances he has had have been limited.

Things need to change. Expect it to happen this weekend. He netted twice in the Champions League in midweek. The two-time Golden Boot winner will be full of confidence.

Bouncebackability

Chelsea’s impressive unbeaten run came to an end last weekend as they travelled to Anfield and lost 2-1. It was their first defeat since the opening day loss to Manchester City.

It will be interesting to see how Enzo Maresca’s men react to the loss. They have a good opportunity to respond as they host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.

The Magpies are without a win in the Premier League in over a month. Since their 2-1 win over Wolves in mid-September, Eddie Howe’s side have lost to Fulham and Brighton while drawing with Everton and Manchester City.

Despite this sketchy form, they’re still only a point behind their hosts. A win at Stamford Bridge could kickstart their season. A win for Chelsea would show they’re serious this term.

Title contenders or title pretenders?

The final game of the weekend sees Premier League leaders Liverpool make the trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.

The Reds have seven wins from eight in the English top-flight this term. They’ve kept five clean sheets and have conceded just three goals. Defensively, they’re rock solid. In attack, they’re ruthless.

But some people are still querying how legitimate they are having been handed a favourable fixture list. A positive result against title rivals Arsenal would change how they’re viewed by the masses.

The Gunners are looking to bounce back from defeat against Bournemouth last weekend. Mikel Arteta‘s side can’t really afford to drop points here. Not at home. They’re already four points off the pace. Going seven points behind after just nine games would heap pressure on a team tipped by many to be title favourites. Their response to the pressure and the injury issues will be telling.

*Sunday is a busy day in the Premier League*

(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.

Oct

2024

Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are leading Sunderland’s youthful charge

It’s difficult to imagine two footballing environments as contrasting as Sunderland and Real Madrid, but the Bellingham brothers are thriving in both. While Jude continues to shine for the Spanish and European champions, younger sibling Jobe is making his own way at the Stadium of Light. The future is bright for him too.

By Graham Ruthven

Like Jude, Jobe Bellingham broke through at Birmingham City, but stayed in the Championship by joining Sunderland last year. Since then, the teenager has developed at a dramatic rate. Indeed, he is now the driving force of a team currently sitting top of the English second tier and targeting promotion to the Premier League.

Chris Rigg is another prodigious youngster currently pushing The Black Cats towards the Championship title. At just 17, he is even younger than Bellingham and like his midfield partner chose Sunderland as the place place to grow after being scouted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

This says something about Sunderland’s new focus on youth. Of the 11 players to have played the most league minutes for The Black Cats this season, only Patrick Roberts (27) and Luke O’Nien (29) is anywhere near the age of 30. Regis Le Bris’ team is one of the youngest in the Championship.

Left back Dennis Cirkin is a first team figure at 22 with Trai Hume on the other side of the defence the same age. Then there’s Dan Neil – also 22 – at the base of the midfield and 17-year-old Romaine Mundle on the left side of the front three. 19-year-old Eliezer Mayenda has also made an impact in the centre forward position.

*Bellingham vs. Rigg stats comparison, EFL Championship 2024/25*

It’s Bellingham and Rigg, however, who have made the greatest impression so far this season. As part of Sunderland’s midfield three in a 4-3-3 formation, the pair are proving themselves to be the dynamic, technical and adaptable operators required at the top of the modern game. They’re improving all the time.

Rigg, who is reportedly being monitored by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, is more rounded in his game than possibly any other midfielder his age. The 17-year-old is comfortable with the ball at his feet. He can pass. He can dribble. He has an eye for goal, as demonstrated by his three league strikes this season. He’s become undroppable.

According to Tony Mowbray, Rigg also possesses a “Roy Keane-esque type of nastiness” that makes him extremely effective out of possession. Rigg’s positional awareness is another quality that makes him stand out. He has become a symbol of Sunderland’s aggressive and innovative style of play.

Many have drawn comparisons between Rigg and Jordan Henderson. Like the former Liverpool captain, Rigg has natural leadership qualities which belie his age. This gives him an authority on the pitch that is difficult to teach. “Rigg is a good symbol of what we want to create and what we want to build as a team, as a club,” said Le Bris.

Like his older brother, Bellingham is most comfortable when positioned high up the pitch, but Le Bris has deployed the 19-year-old in a slightly deeper role this season. Bellingham still has the freedom to get forward and pose a goal threat, but he is being asked to contribute more as a midfield rhythm builder. This has aided his development.

“He’s still a young player with the ability to play in many different roles,” explain Le Bris when recently asked about Bellingham’s role for Sunderland. “But I like him as a number eight because I think he’s an offensive midfielder. He can express his power, his ability to run and his ability to press – to link defence and attack.”

On their current upward trajectory, Sunderland will lose Bellingham and Rigg at some point in the future. That’s just how modern football works. The Black Cats were able to resist overtures for Bellingham from Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but the young midfielder will one day need to leave the North East to achieve his career ambitions.

Bellingham has been clear about one of his ambitions – to play alongside his brother for England. “Because we’re of a similar age and we’ve played together for so long – in the street and on tufts of grass – to play with my brother for England, that would be the biggest dream of my life,” said Jobe.

“That would mean more than any of the trophies, especially if we managed to do it on a consistent basis and play at a major tournament together, win things together. Honestly, nothing would even get close to that. Nothing.”

Should Jobe get as far as the England team, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Rigg could be another familiar face alongside him. Sunderland has become the Championship’s most productive talent incubator and in Bellingham and Rigg they have two players destined for the top.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Over 2 games in 4 days, Darwin Nunez showed he can be a striker for Arne Slot’s Liverpool

“I think it’s the challenge we as a staff always have, to bring the best out of individuals.”

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

Arne Slot was candid in his assessment of Darwin Núñez‘s start to life under his management, speaking after a listless display from the No. 9 in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League.

The head coach hooked Núñez after an hour at Anfield, visibly frustrated in his technical area as the Uruguayan looked incapable of meeting his tactical criteria.

“We try to find different ways of positioning Darwin than Diogo, because they are not the same players,” Slot continued. “So their teammates also adjust to the player they are playing with.”

Slot had made it clear that Diogo Jota remained his first choice, but there was no backing down from the stance held even prior to his first day in the job – that he could be the man to coax consistency out of Liverpool’s most polarising player.

Speaking weeks prior to that clash, the Dutchman explained: “I think Diogo is a bit more a striker that can also go into the midfield and play as a false nine or a nine-and-a-half, where Darwin is more the target man, that finishes off a good attack.

“I think it comes to what do you have to do when we have the ball and when we don’t have the ball, and fit his own characteristics into that. We did work with him on his qualities to get the best out of him. But there’s also a general thing he has to understand, like all the others.”

Núñez has become so divisive among fans and the media alike that conclusions were already drawn on his future at the club weeks into Slot’s reign, having been painted as a pet project for Jürgen Klopp.

It was Klopp who pushed Liverpool to sanction a deal that would make Núñez their most expensive signing ever, with Christopher Nkunku – then of RB Leipzig, now of Chelsea – the preferred target among the club’s recruitment staff.

Speaking to The Athletic in August, Ian Graham, who at the time of the signing was Liverpool’s director of research, revealed that he voiced his concerns over how much of a change it would require to Klopp’s system.

“He was a very different type of player to Firmino,” Graham recalled, with Roberto Firmino having long been the poster boy of Klopp’s Liverpool.

“My questions were: ‘Are we going to change our style or formation for him? Is he a good enough player that it might be worth making those changes?’. It was something we had resisted for many years.

“We went through the same data process for Núñez as with other players. I wanted to make sure that everyone knew what a big change it would be with Núñez. It was more, ‘are we sure we’re going to make the best use of him?’.”

Graham even went on to intimate that Klopp had been convinced by a virtuoso display from Núñez in Benfica’s clashes with Liverpool in the Champions League in April 2022.

Núñez scored twice over two quarter-final legs, but stretched Alisson throughout and beat the Brazilian with two more sublime finishes at the Estadio da Luz, only to be ruled out both times by the offside flag.

“That has an effect on people,” Graham admitted. “It didn’t do him any harm in becoming a Liverpool player.”

*Benfica vs. Liverpool, Champions League 2021/22*

But under the microscope of Anfield and with the weight of an £85 million price tag, the raw, exciting power of Benfica’s Núñez has not been enough.

While there may have been more concessions under Klopp there is no such standing under Slot, who effectively wiped the slate clean on his arrival, leading to a revival in fortunes for the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Luis Díaz.

Slot has already repeated his belief that Núñez must adhere to his standards off the ball before he can be trusted as a regular starter, and his substitution against Bologna was another sign that things weren’t going as hoped at this early juncture.

But over the space of four days, the 25-year-old has displayed that he does, in fact, get it – and he did so in two very different performances.

Coming off the bench in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, Núñez’s quality came largely off the ball, battling for possession, drawing fouls and maintaining the Reds’ control.

He only played an hour in that victory at Anfield, but he contested the most duels of any player (17), also winning the most (nine), while no player was fouled more times (four).

Only Trent Alexander-Arnold (10) made more defensive actions than Núñez (eight) which, for a striker, is an outrageous tally.

The No. 9 also acted as playmaker against Chelsea, with one scything pass opening up an attack for Cody Gakpo, while another through ball sent Curtis Jones through before being brought down by Robert Sánchez in an incident which saw a penalty controversially ruled out.

Three days later, Núñez started in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Leipzig in the Champions League, with his best work on that night coming around the six-yard box – including the winning goal.

He made sure Mohamed Salah‘s potentially goalbound header made it over the line, but also should have won a penalty after a clear foul from centre-back Willi Orban and tested Peter Gulacsi with a bullet header after his goal.

While he spent the evening dropping deep, linking play and reclaiming possession against Chelsea, Núñez was more of an out-and-out striker against Leipzig – he failed to record a single touch in Chelsea’s box on Sunday, whereas no player touched the ball more times in Leipzig’s box on Wednesday (eight).

Only Gakpo (four) had more shots on goal against Leipzig than Núñez’s three, with no player firing more shots on target than the centre-forward who came away with a 100 percent accuracy.

This time, he contested far fewer duels (eight) and won even fewer (two), but perhaps that was more due to tactical instruction than quality of output.

Those two games over four days showed the duality of Darwin Núñez, but not in the way he has struggled with throughout his two years at Liverpool so far.

Instead, they showed that he can do both jobs up front: he can be that nine-and-a-half that Slot sees in Jota, but he can also be the dominant, all-powerful No. 9 that decides big games.

(Images from IMAGO)

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