Page 6 – The Pulse of Football

Nov

2025

Preview: The first North London Derby of the season

The North London rivals lock horns at The Emirates Stadium in the ‘Do We Have To?’ Derby on Sunday, as Arsenal seek to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

By Ian King

Arsenal now have Manchester City plainly in their rear-view mirror

In the 92nd minute of Arsenal’s last match at Sunderland, Brian Brobbey blew a bit of a hole in the arguments that this year’s Premier League title race is already done and dusted by equalising for the home team, and the question now is whether Mikel Arteta has had his puncture repair kit out over the international break.

Arsenal have been the best team in the Premier League so far this season and deserve the four point lead they had over the chasing pack going in to the weekend, but Manchester City’s 3-0 mauling of Liverpool left them firmly in their rear-view mirror. Objects in your mirror are closer than they appear, and all that.

Spurs, meanwhile, remain something of a curate’s egg of a team, though if you believed some of the more hysterical responses to their recent matches you’d think they were fifth from bottom in the table rather from fifth from the top. They reached Peak Spurs by taking the lead in injury-time against Manchester United in their last outing before losing it again a couple of minutes later.

Spurs recent record against Arsenal is…not good

There can be no sugarcoating the fact that Spurs have only taken one point from their last six games in the North London Derby, and their record at The Emirates Stadium is pretty abysmal. By next summer, Arsenal will have been there for twenty years, and Spurs have only ever won there twice, 2-0 in the League Cup in December 2018 and 3-2 in the League in November 2010.

It could be a long afternoon for Spurs’ central defence

With injuries having affected much of their front line so far this season, much may depend on Leandro Trossard, who came off the bench to put Arsenal 2-1 up at Sunderland a fortnight ago and who may start this one, if injuries are continuing to bite. If they’re planning a set-piece assault on the Spurs defence, Micky van de Ven will need to be on top of his defensive game for Spurs. He could be in for a busy afternoon.

The Gabriel injury is a big loss for Mikel Arteta

The big Premier League international break news was of an injury to Gabriel during Brazil’s friendly match against Senegal at – *checks notes* – The Emirates Stadium. He’s going to be out for a few weeks. Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus are all (or have been) varying degrees of injured, but Gyökeres, Martinelli and Madueke could return, though at the time of writing no word has been given that any of them will.

Spurs remain without James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Kota Takai and Lucas Bergvall. In addition to these players, Randal Kolo Muani is also now out with a jaw injury. There’s better news on the Mohammed Kudus front, though. He ended up missing both Spurs’ last game against Manchester United and both of Ghana’s matches during the international break, but could return for this one, though I’ve said this before. Bergvall, Takai and Gray could return, while Cristian Romero and Pape Sarr should also be okay to play.

This derby may not be a thriller, and that’s just the way Arsenal like it

Spurs’ recent abysmal record in this fixture doesn’t offer much hope for their supporters of anything beyond a comfortable home win. Some of the criticism of Thomas Frank’s team this season has been a little over the top, but it remains the case that they exist in a curious state of being simultaneously completely predictable and utterly unpredictable. Schrodinger’s XI, if you will. If they’re completely on their game, they could take something from this, but few of the omens look positive.

Arsenal dropping points at Sunderland in their last match before the international break allowed Manchester City to trim their lead at the top of the table, but we’ll need to see more evidence before it can be said with any degree of certainty that they’re wobbling at the top of the Premier League table. The reliance on set-pieces may look a little agricultural at times, but it’s been working, and their lead at the top of a Premier League that is so tight below them gives them a valuable buffer.

With all of that in mind, it’s difficult to see past the home win, so I’ll say 1-0 to the Arsenal, and, just as we’ve already seen three times in the Premier League already this season, that’s just the way they like it.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Real Madrid aim to get back to winning ways against Elche

Real Madrid travel to face Elche on Sunday evening in LaLiga as they look to bounce back to winning ways domestically.

By Ross Kilvington

In their last match before the international break, Madrid drew 0-0 with a stubborn Rayo Vallecano side, although the club still hold a three-point advantage at the top of the table.

Several Real Madrid players suffered injuries during the international break

Xabi Alonso will be glad that this was the final international break until March, with several of his players being sent home early.

Defender Éder Militão was brought off by Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti against Tunisia after suffering an adductor injury.

Elsewhere, Dean Huijsen withdrew from the Spanish squad due to a groin issue and both players remain doubts for the match against Elche.

Given the fact Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal also remain missing, Alonso may be forced to play David Alaba – who has suffered his own injury issues of late – and Raúl Asencio at the heart of the defence.

For the second international break in a row, Kylian Mbappé was sent home from the French squad, while compatriot Eduardo Camavinga was also sent back to Madrid to undergo tests.

The games are piling up thick and fast for Madrid between now and Christmas. Hardly the ideal time for Alonso to start losing some of his regular starters.

Elche eyeing upset

Former Madrid academy player and Elche defender, Victor Chust, is eyeing up a famous win against Los Blancos this weekend.

“We are capable of beating Madrid, we believe we can. The group has a lot of confidence, and we are working very hard every day for it. I’m sure we’ll get a good result if we go out there and play our style of football and enjoy ourselves.” Said the Spaniard.

Elche are sitting comfortably in mid-table after 12 matches, losing just three times in LaLiga this season. They have already taken points from Atlético Madrid, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Real Betis this season, scoring 13 goals in the process.

With injuries at the Bernabéu piling up, now could be the perfect opportunity to welcome the club to the Estadio Martínez Valero.

Team news

Defender Pedro Bigas remains the only absentee for the home side, with manager Eder Sarabia having a near full strength squad to choose from.

As mentioned, Alonso has a major injury crisis on his hands. Rüdiger, Carvajal, Franco Mastantuono, Aurélien Tchouaméni are all definitely missing for this match.

Furthermore, doubts remain over Militão, Huijsen, Mbappé, Camavinga, Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde ahead of Sunday evening.

Alonso will be aiming at least some of the doubts are able to take part in the game.

Prediction

Despite Madrid likely traveling with a threadbare squad, they should have enough to see off Elche on Sunday evening.

The home side have lost three of their previous five LaLiga games, failing to win any of the other two. As such, we at FotMob predict a straightforward 2-0 win for Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Barca host Athletic Club as they return to the Camp Nou after 909 days away

The defending Spanish champions host Nico Williams’ Athletic at Spotify Camp Nou’s grand reopening

By Filip Mishov

Barça return home, ending a two-and-a-half-year wait

Barcelona’s long-awaited homecoming is set for Saturday after LaLiga finally authorised the Spanish champions’ return to Spotify Camp Nou for the upcoming clash against Athletic Club, in what would be the first match at the now-renovated stadium since May 2023. With Hansi Flick‘s squad already boasting a flawless record with five wins at the various home venues they’ve used in Spain’s top tier this season, Barça are now scheduled to play five home matches across all competitions over the next month, the return to Camp Nou comes at a perfect time.

Unlike the Culers, the Basque visitors will not be thrilled about the news, as Athletic Club are without a league win at Barcelona in 24 years, or more precisely since 2001/02. Furthermore, the Red and Whites have left Catalonia without defeat on only five occasions across all competitions in the past couple of decades, most recently in 2018. This season, the record of Ernesto Valverde‘s squad away from Bilbao is not one to be proud of, with only one win, one draw, and three defeats accompanied by negative goal difference (-3).

Key players

Robert Lewandowski resumed goalscoring and leadership duties in a Barca shirt just before the November international break with an emphatic hat-trick against Celta Vigo, earning him a FotMob rating of 9.6 despite having the fewest touches (28) of any outfield player to play 90 minutes. The 37-year-old continued his impressive form by scoring one goal and recording a couple of assists for Poland as well, and the prolific striker’s performances will continue to be key for his club given Lamine Yamal and Raphinha‘s questionable availability.

Fittingly, Joan Laporta’s no. 1 target over the past couple of summer transfer windows – Nico Williams will step out as the first “villain” since the stadium’s reopening. The lethal forward rejected a move to Barça both in the last window and last year, and even though the 23-year-old is still finding his form this season, the Spanish international is Athletic’s best and most dangerous player. With two goals, an assist and nine chances created, the younger Williams brother is the Bilbao-based club’s joint-top scorer and assist maker.

Team news

The feud between Barcelona and Spain’s FA continued for yet another international window with Lamine Yamal the centre of attention after a late injury ruled the prodigy out of international duty. The 18-year-old has since returned to training ahead of Saturday’s clash, as did Marc Casadó. Frenkie de Jong serves a one-match suspension after his recent red card, while Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi and Pedri remain out, but on a positive note, Joan García and Raphinha are also back in training and expected to play.

Things are not must better among Athletic’s squad with key players like Beñat Prados, Maroan Sannadi and Iñaki Williams all ruled out with injuries. Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams, however, are expected to start after recovering from injury.

Prediction

Barça are heavy favourites given their quality, form and most importantly, the big occasion. Also, Hansi Flick and all those players who’ve joined or broken through to the first team are yet to experience the magic of Camp Nou, making a win almost a certainty. As always, though, do not rule out Barca conceding a goal thanks to Flick’s favoured high risk high line.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Manchester City head to the Toon

Manchester City could move to within one point of Arsenal with another statement result away to Newcastle United on Saturday.

By Graham Ruthven

City’s title statement

The November international break came at a bad time for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team pulled off a big win against Liverpool in their last outing, but that was two weeks ago. They were denied the chance to build further momentum.

Another result away to Newcastle United on Saturday, however, would move City to within one point of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with the Gunners not playing until Sunday.

Conversely, the international break gave Newcastle an opportunity to reset after two defeats in their previous three league games. Eddie Howe will expect a much better showing than the one produced in the defeats to Brentford and West Ham.

Under Howe, Newcastle have made St James’ Park one of the Premier League’s toughest venues to visit. The home fans could play an important role in Saturday’s game.

Three points in the North East on Saturday evening would be a big moment in Manchester City’s season, potentially causing many to question whether they wrote off their title chances too early.

Key players

Newcastle’s midfield unit will physically test Manchester City with Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali capable of dominating any opponent on their day. Guimarães in particular will be valuable as the Magpies’ anchor.

Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw will have to be in top form to keep City’s forward line – and one forward in particular – at arm’s length. The pair will be Newcastle’s defensive basis.

If Newcastle are to inflict some damage of their own on the visitors, though, Nick Woltemade is likely to be key. The German has netted four goals in eight league games and will lead the line for the Magpies on Saturday.

Erling Haaland can’t stop scoring. This has been true for the majority of the Norwegian’s career to date, but he has reached new heights this season, netting 14 times in just 11 league games.

If anything, City have been too reliant on Haaland’s goals this season even if Jérémy Doku has made a step up. The Belgian was outstanding against Liverpool and will be a threat out wide at St James’ Park too.

Nico O’Reilly could also be key to preventing Newcastle from causing damage on the break. Manchester City suffered badly in defensive transition last season and O’Reilly has shown himself to be a solution.

Team news

Dan Burn will miss out for Newcastle through suspension after seeing red at Brentford with Tino Livramento also sidelined. Yoane Wissa is still awaiting his debut for the Magpies while Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope will face late fitness tests.

Rodri hasn’t started a league game for September and is expected to be unavailable for the trip to the North East this weekend. Mateo Kovačić is another midfield absentee for the away team.

Otherwise, Manchester City have a clean bill of health for the away match against Newcastle.

Prediction

With the frontline strikers from both sides having an excellent international break, we’re expecting goals in this one, and perhaps an improved, albeit ultimately fruitless, performance from the Magpies: Newcastle United 1-2 Man City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the 2025/26 Premier League season with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: Liverpool gearing up for Forest clash

Nottingham Forest, under former Everton boss Sean Dyche, travel to Anfield on Saturday afternoon looking to extend Liverpool’s run of poor form.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Liverpool’s start to the season was perfect. Granted, performances weren’t great, Arne Slot’s side kept finding ways to win and it felt like a matter of when and not if the new-look side would finally click.

However, this wasn’t the case. Performances didn’t improve and the reigning champions just stopped winning. They lost four on the bounce in the Premier League, were defeated by Galatasaray in the Champions League and were ruthlessly knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace.

The Reds looked a little more themselves against Aston Villa but were brought back down to earth with a bump at the Etihad in a 3-0 loss before the international break. Slot’s side find themselves eighth in the English top flight. Over the last five matches, only Wolves (one) have picked up fewer points.

They really have been in freefall and they’re up against a team in Nottingham Forest who Slot is yet to defeat.

Forest, meanwhile, are onto their third manager of the season following the sackings of Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

Their form has improved following the hiring of Dyche too, with Forest drawing with Manchester United and beating Leeds United. They head into this game at Anfield having lost just one of their previous five outings across all competitions and they’re actually above Liverpool in the form table, despite still finding themselves in the relegation zone.

Recent form

It is feast or famine for Liverpool. They either win or they lose. The Reds are yet to be involved in a draw this season. The 2024/25 champions are also finding clean sheets hard to come by, keeping just one in the league since their 1-0 win over Burnley in September.

Forest, despite their horrendous start to the season, have conceded just three more goals than their hosts. Their problem, however, is in attack. Wolves (seven) are the only team to have scored fewer goals (10), but things have looked brighter under Dyche with Forest scoring five in their last two Premier League outings.

Key Players

For Liverpool, it has to be Mohamed Salah. There’s been a lot of talk over the international break whether the Reds should drop the legendary left-winger with him failing to really impact things this term. The four-time Golden Boot winner is away for the AFCON from the end of December so his window to really put a stamp on things this season is shortening. Sooner or later, the champions are going to figure out a way to get their No. 11 involved again. This could be the game.

For Forest, it could well be Igor Jesus. He started the last three in the Premier League and was a real threat against Leeds United. The 24-year-old didn’t find the back of the net but did manage five shots in 59 minutes, racking up an xG total of 0.61, showing he’s a genuine goal threat.

Team News

The Reds should be able to recall Alisson Becker this weekend but Florian Wirtz, Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajčetić, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni and all out injured. Alexander Isak was on the bench against Manchester City and went away with Sweden during the international break so should be back fit for this clash.

Forest are without a host of names, including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood and Ola Aina for the trip to Anfield.

Prediction

Dyche’s side can, and likely will, cause problems on Saturday but we’re still going with a Liverpool win. It won’t be comfortable though, so we’re saying 2-1 to the hosts.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Chelsea visit Scott Parker’s Burnley in early KO

Enzo Maresca’s inconsistent Chelsea head to Turf Moor for Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off knowing a win would make them three points off league leaders Arsenal…temporarily at least.

By Alex Roberts

Burnley on the other hand are starting to fall further towards the bottom after a decent start with their 3-2 defeat to West Ham on Matchday 11 looking more and more like a relegation fighting six-pointer lost.

Moisés Caicedo needs a rest

He’s arguably the best central midfielder in the Premier League at the moment but there is only so much he can do, even Maresca has admitted that Caicedo has been playing through the pain at points this season.

Roméo Lavia was the man signed to be his understudy, but he can’t last five minutes on the pitch without something happening, and fans are starting to lose faith after just 30 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons.

Dário Essugo was brought in this summer, but he isn’t expected to return until the new year. Chelsea have some season defining games coming up, and they’ll need Caicedo at his best. Would it be wise to give him a break against Burnley?

Jaidon Anthony is Burnley’s best hope

Scott Parker’s side have ten points, three wins, one draw, and seven defeats from their opening 11 Premier League games. It’s not the end of the world, worse sides have survived with worse, but things are looking dicey.

Thankfully, they have Jaidon Anthony. The winger has been at the centre of everything good Burnley have done this season, not only scoring against some of the league’s big boys but performing when it matters too.

Anthony got a goal and an assist in their crucial 2-0 win over Sunderland as well as the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. Parker needs to get him on the ball as much as possible if he wants to keep his side in the Premier League come the end of the season.

Team news

The big team news for this one is that Cole Palmer was expected to return to the squad but has since suffered a further injury setback. Maresca reported that the mercurial forward has now fractured a toe and will miss Chelsea’s upcoming games against Barcelona and Arsenal, at least.

Maresca is sweating over the fitness of Enzo Fernández (knee), Pedro Neto (groin) and Benoît Badiashile (unspecified), while Essugo (thigh), Levi Colwill (knee), and Lavia (thigh) are all definitely out.

As for Burnley, ex-Chelsea academy product Armando Broja, he was stretchered off while on international duty with Albania, but it’s looking like his ankle injury isn’t as bad as initially feared, thankfully.

The striker will still likely miss a reunion with his old teammates, however, with Jordan Beyer (thigh), Zeki Amdouni (knee) and Connor Roberts (Achilles) also out.

Prediction

This feels like one of those games Chelsea drops points in. The 2-1 defeat to Sunderland and the 2-2 draw with Qarabağ will doubtless be on the minds of fans, and Burnley have done well against the bigger sides, having some rotten luck.

So, we’re going with a 1-1 draw at a rainy Turf Moor.

(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.

Nov

2025

Newcastle United attacking numbers are at risk of undermining Eddie Howe’s season

If results go against them this weekend, defeat to Manchester City could see Newcastle United in the relegation zone.

By Sam McGuire

We’re just a third of the way into the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, so no drastic measures are required. Eddie Howe’s job shouldn’t be in danger or anything like that.

But this isn’t how the season was supposed to go for the Magpies. The club won the Carabao Cup last term, their first piece of domestic silverware in 70 years, and claimed a Champions League place with a fifth placed finish.

Heading into the summer transfer window, Newcastle had ambitious plans. According to reports, they wanted the likes of Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, Bryan Mbeumo, João Pedro, Benjamin Šeško and Samu Aghehowa, and the plan was seemingly to partner one of those attackers with Alexander Isak in a new-look 4-4-2 shape.

For a variety of reasons, these players opted to sign elsewhere. To compound the club’s misery, Isak, eventually, forced a move to Liverpool for a British record fee, believed to be in the region of £125million.

Not only did the Magpies miss out on practically all of their top targets, they also lost one of the best strikers in Europe. Isak had hit 44 goals across his last two Premier League campaigns and was rivalling Erling Haaland as the best No. 9 in the English top-flight.

Newcastle did get some deals done. Yoane Wissa signed from Brentford in a deal worth £50million. Nick Woltemade, tipped to join Bayern Munich as the striker to succeed Harry Kane, shocked everyone when news broke he was heading to St James’ Park for £65million.

The signing of Woltemade salvaged the club’s summer. He’s been a bright spark this term in what has been an underwhelming start to the campaign. The Germany international has four goals in the Premier League to his name and he’s settled into life in the North East better than anyone could’ve hoped for. He’s also found the back of the net in the Champions League too.

Despite this, Newcastle’s woes this term are tied to their issues in attack. There’s no getting around this.

The Magpies are averaging just one goal per game and their return of 11 in the top tier is the 17th lowest in the Premier League. As a team, it just isn’t clicking for them in attack. They are underperforming their underlying numbers too, with an xG of 13.2, but even when looking at those numbers, they still rank fairly low (13th). They’ve managed just 20 big chances across their 11 outings, a figure that sees them sitting in 12th for this particular metric.

So while Woltemade is impressing as an individual, the Newcastle attack as a unit is failing to deliver.

What it means, in a nutshell, is that their superb defensive exploits are all for nothing. For example, only Arsenal have kept more clean sheets while only the Gunners and Man City have a lower xG conceded this term. They’re the top two teams in the league right now.

Newcastle have the third best defensive numbers but find themselves 14th. More often than not, solid foundations can catapult a team up the table. In this instance though, with Howe’s side struggling in the final third, it is keeping the Magpies out of the relegation zone and nothing more.

Ultimately, that is the problem. That is what Howe and his coaching team need to figure out if they’re to, yet again, salvage their season.

When looking at the data from last term, it’s glaringly obvious what needs to change. The Magpies, during their successful 2024/25 season, scored the fourth highest number of goals, with an average of 1.8 per 90. They had the fourth highest xG (65.4).

A functional attack, coupled with a solid defence (the second most clean sheets), meant a Champions League place really was a formality.

Delve a little deeper and the issue becomes clearer. Last season, the team played to the strengths of their main man in attack, Isak. He was taking the most shots (3.2 per 90) and had the highest xG per 90 average in the team (0.66).

The attack was shaped around getting the best out of one of the best finishers in the Premier League.

Perhaps this is due to the injury to Wissa coupled with the need to ensure Woltemade was able to acclimatise to life in England, but Newcastle, so far, haven’t been able to build the attack around a certain individual just yet.

Yes, Woltemade is scoring, but he’s not anywhere near as involved as his predecessor was. He’s averaged just 1.9 shots per 90 in the Premier League, though he does have an impressive 0.44 xG per 90. For context though, the shots total sees him rank fifth within the Newcastle team, just slightly higher than Bruno Guimarães. It isn’t optimal. Especially when the man leading the way for shots is Jacob Murphy (4.1). When your winger is tops the charts for shots, you have an issue in the attack. Especially when the winger with the huge shot volume only has an xG per 90 of 0.35.

There’s no simple fix. There’s no easy solution. But if Howe wants his side to climb the table, he needs to figure out a way to turn Woltemade into the main man in attack. Do that and they have the solid foundations in defence to build a top four challenge.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Son Heung-min is ready to lead the LAFC charge in the MLS Cup playoffs

Son Heung-min has only been playing in Major League Soccer for three and a half months, but has already had a significant impact on his team, Los Angeles FC, and on the league as a whole.

By James Nalton

Since arriving in California in August, Son Heung-min has scored 10 goals in 12 games, including two in the recent best-of-three MLS Cup playoff first round against Austin FC, which LAFC navigated with minimal fuss by winning the first two games.

That saw LAFC advance to a Western Conference semifinal this weekend against the impressive Canadian outfit, Vancouver Whitecaps, who recently signed a marquee player of their own, Thomas Müller.

The single-game knockout playoffs from here until the MLS Cup final add further unpredictability to an already unpredictable league, but the arrival of Son has certainly given LAFC more of a chance. They have lost just once in the 12 games in which he has featured since making his debut against Chicago, winning eight of them, and scoring 30 goals.

Thirteen of those goals were scored by Son’s fellow attacker, Denis Bouanga, who went on a scoring spree following his new teammate’s arrival. It propelled Bouanga up the league’s goalscoring charts, and only Lionel Messi (29) had scored more than the Gabon international’s total of 24 by the end of the regular season.

LAFC will be looking to reclaim their crown as the best team in the Western Conference, a status they have regularly held, twice via playoff football and three times via the Western Conference league table, since their first season in MLS in 2018.

Inter Miami, who joined MLS two years later in 2020 and signed Messi towards the end of the 2023 season, lurk on the other side of the bracket.

The David Beckham-owned franchise has made it to the conference semifinals for the first time in their history, having suffered a shock round one defeat to Atlanta United last year. Many will be predicting a meeting between Inter Miami and LAFC, Messi and Son, in the 2025 MLS Cup final in December.

The league would certainly be pleased with such a scenario, given the pulling power of Messi and Son, but as we saw last season when these two sides were both knocked out before the conference finals, despite topping their respective conference tables during the regular season, not much is guaranteed in MLS.

What is guaranteed is that LAFC’s game in Vancouver against the Whitecaps will attract plenty of attention. These teams are both recent Concacaf Champions Cup finalists, so they hold a relatively high profile in their own right, even without the marquee Designated Player signings. Son and Müller complement these teams rather than define them, but they will certainly add to the attraction as well as the effectiveness.

*Son vs. Müller stats comparison, MLS games only*

Son fit in straight away at LAFC, as evidenced by his early output and his combination with Bouanga. His first goal for the club, a free-kick against FC Dallas, won the 2025 MLS Goal of the Year, and he also received the second-most votes for the MLS 2025 Newcomer of the Year award behind runaway winner Anders Dreyer of San Diego FC, despite having played little more than a handful of games when voting took place. Any fears that a dip in form in his latter games with Tottenham Hotspur might continue at his next club were quickly allayed.

Off the pitch, too, it was a good match. There is a large Korean-American community in Los Angeles, making LAFC in many ways the perfect MLS landing spot for the player who captains the East Asian nation and is its most-capped player with 140 international appearances.

He will be present with South Korea at the World Cup in North America next year, where there’s a possibility of his team playing games at the designated Los Angeles stadium, SoFi Stadium, in nearby Inglewood.

But before then, attention turns north to another 2026 World Cup venue, BC Place in Vancouver, which will host this conference semifinal due to the Whitecaps finishing three points ahead of LAFC in the 2025 regular season standings.

The Whitecaps published an article in Korean and English on Thursday celebrating their own Korean former players Lee Young-pyo and Hwang In-beom. It didn’t mention Son by name, but the franchise was clearly aware that much of the attention will be on the opposition player in the coming match and that such a pre-match story would be popular.

BC Place sold out well ahead of time, and an attendance of over 53,000 is expected in the stadium on Canada’s west coast on Saturday night. Thanks to Son, and indeed Müller, there will be an atmosphere that even the World Cup games it hosts might struggle to match.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the MLS Cup playoffs with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

First meets third as Inter and AC Milan prepare for first derby of the season

The first Derby della Madonnina of the season will clarify whether AC Milan or Inter are ready to challenge for the Scudetto.

By Graham Ruthven

San Siro stands as a monument to everything Italian football was and still is. Once an engineering marvel, the historic stadium, set to be demolished and replaced by 2031, is now living on borrowed time. Some have drawn parallels between its crumbling condition and the state of Italian football as a whole, with the national team still struggling.

AC Milan and Inter are seeking to recapture past glories this season. The former haven’t been Italian champions since 2022 and have suffered something of an identity crisis in recent years, while the latter are trying to move on from the Simone Inzaghi era, which ended in the summer.

Just two points separates the pair ahead of Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina. Inter are sitting top of the Serie A table and have won seven of their last eight league games, but uncertainty remains over their direction under new manager Cristian Chivu. AC Milan are unbeaten in their last 10 league outings, but have drawn a few too many.

Last season was a dismal one for the Rossoneri. Milan could only muster an eighth place finish as they went through three different managers in the space of only a few months. Protests were staged against the club’s board as supporters raised concerns over a lack of leadership at executive level.

Paulo Fonseca was hired to introduce a more modern, dynamic style of play. However, the Portuguese coach never had a group of players capable of playing in this manner, leading to Fonseca’s departure before the end of 2024. His record of 12 wins from 24 games was less than impressive.

Sérgio Conceição’s appointment was meant to represent a return to the default. The former Porto manager set up AC Milan to play on the break, as they had done over a number of seasons under Stefano Pioli. Conceição, however, only lasted until the end of the season as AC Milan failed to improve.

So far, though, the signs with Max Allegri at the helm have been more positive. The 58-year-old has implemented a new 3-5-2 shape that seems to be a good fit for the group of players he inherited. Milan are now tougher to play through and are quicker to get into the attack. The balance is much better.

*AC Milan’s typical formation this season*

Individuals like Rafael Leão are responding well to Allegri’s methods. Last season, the Portuguese winger’s career at San Siro looked all but over as speculation swirled around his future. This season, though, it’s been a different story with Leão utilised as one of Allegri’s split strikers at the top of the pitch. Nobody has scored more league goals for Milan this season than Leao.

Inter have attacking threats of their own. Lautaro Martínez remains the most accomplished striker in Serie A with Ange-Yoan Bonny delivering as the Argentine’s strike partner following his summer switch from Parma. Bonny has been so impressive he has taken Marcus Thuram’s place in the team.

At their best, Inter are still the most complete team in Serie A. They boast the league’s best midfield unit capable of protecting the backline, controlling games and acting as a valve into the attack. The Nerazzurri are also a solid defensive outfit with Alessandro Bastoni proven as one of the best players in his position anywhere in Europe.

The only thing that could stop Inter this season is their only mortality. They’re old. They were old last season when the demands of competing on three fronts in the Champions League, Serie A, and Coppa Italia eventually caught up with them and they’re still old even after a change of manager.

Chivu has done very little to implement his own ideas since taking over from Inzaghi in the summer. He is using the same 3-5-2 formation that worked so well for his predecessor. He is recycling the same overall approach that came to characterise Inzaghi-ball with Inter still a team that lives for transition moments and looks for verticality from their wing backs.

There are similarities to what Chivu is doing in his first season as Inter boss and what Arne Slot did as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool. There is also a warning for Inter in that comparison, though. What happens when the muscle memory of the past regime wears off and the new guy has to bring something different to the table?

Every Derby della Madonnina matters, but Sunday’s clash will be played with even more on the line than usual. It could be a catalyst for either team to mount a serious Scudetto challenge. It could offer the first real indication of which Milan team is on course for a successful season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

The calendar change is MLS attempting to reposition itself despite impact on existing fans

Major League Soccer has voted through one of the big changes in its history in an attempt to take on Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues.

By Graham Ruthven

There is no Major League Soccer franchise in Palm Beach, but it was the location for one of the most consequential moments in the league’s 29-year history last week. It was here that the MLS board of governors met to vote through a flipping of the league’s calendar. From 2027, MLS will be aligned with Europe’s best leagues.

While the American top division (which includes three clubs from Canada) currently plays from February to December, MLS will shift to a new schedule which kicks off in July and finishes in May. There will be a long winter break in December and January and a new divisional structure to equalise the fixture list for every team. There’s a lot to unpack.

All this has been done in the belief that aligning the schedule with Europe’s best leagues will help MLS attract better players. The summer transfer window currently lands smack bang in the middle of the MLS regular season, making it difficult for teams to integrate new signings. The calendar shift will change this.

It will also help MLS become a better selling league. This might seem counter-productive to the league’s intention to improve, but MLS would benefit from becoming a springboard. If talented youngsters believe there is a viable pathway to the Premier League or another ‘Big Five’ league through MLS, they are more likely to consider it a viable destination.

However, the decision to change the schedule will only matter if MLS backs it up by restructuring its overly complicated and restrictive roster rules. Now is the time to take off the shackles. What is the point in flipping the calendar to attract better players if the league’s regulations continue to prevent that from happening?

“Every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants – without limitations or rules for players to bring them in,” said Lionel Messi in a recent interview. “I don’t think that today all teams in the United States, all clubs, have the power to do that, and I think that if they were given the freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States.”

Even if teams are given the freedom to sign better players, this improvement could come at a cost for some of MLS’s clubs in cold weather markets. Minnesota United, for example, won’t play a home game from mid-November until March in the new schedule. After that, a season’s worth of home fixtures will be crammed in over the summer months.

This is a fundamental reframing of priorities for a league that has achieved remarkable success as a local product. MLS ranks eighth in the world for average attendance per match. It boasts vibrant fanbases in places like Minnesota, Cincinnati, Colorado, Utah, Toronto and other places that will be hit hard by the calendar change.

*Minnesota United’s first ever MLS match, May 2017*

Fans are being asked to make a short-term sacrifice in the hope there will be a macro benefit to the league in the long-term. It is therefore understandable that some supporters feel their views have been ignored by the owners and decision-makers that took part in last week’s vote.

MLS could have implemented this in a better way. That the calendar change is happening in 2027 and not in 2026 when the USA will co-host the World Cup is baffling. MLS knew for eight years that the biggest tournament in football was coming and did nothing to capitalise on this until it was too late.

Some of the messaging from the league has also failed to acknowledge the true impact the new schedule will have on some clubs and their supporters. While it’s true MLS will play matches in mostly the same months, as the league has been keen to stress, the cadence of fixtures and when they are played will be very different.

If, however, MLS is to become one of the best leagues in the world, as is its stated aim, this change probably had to happen at some point. Teams won’t have to play through international breaks without their best players any more. The playoffs won’t clash with the NFL season and World Series in future years.

From 2027, the playoffs won’t be interrupted by an international window as is currently the case. Fewer games will be played in brutal summer heat in places like Dallas and Miami. All things considered, the league is probably doing the right thing for the future. And yet by making these changes, MLS will lose a lot of what made it MLS. What made it different.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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