Whisper it, but a single Premier League win appears to have lifted a veil of bemusement and despondency at Stamford Bridge and replaced it with the far more standard start-of-season optimism and, yes, even over-expectancy.
The incredible about-turn from fans and pundits alike has sprouted from a 6-2 walloping of a dismal Wolves last weekend – with neither team able to defend in the first half, Enzo Maresca’s side went out and won the attack in the second. It’s not a ploy which is perhaps the true representation of what this manager wants, not given his preference for control and possession in deeper areas last year at Leicester, but it might just be the gameplan he – and the club – needs right now.
Let’s face it: given the fees spent and the faces brought in, few clubs can compete with Chelsea when it comes to attacking depth and strength in reserves, given some of the players they are still trying to offload.
But a Conference League play-off second leg will be about those they want to keep. The hard work was done a week ago, building up a low-key but effective 2-0 win over Servette, and now they know that if they cannot defend that lead in Switzerland, they can at least blitz their opponents to add to it.
The early weeks still look like a combination of the boss managing minutes and learning about his group, but some subtle signs are arising – not least of all, those who play midweek might not be in the XI come the league encounter at the weekend. But with Noni Madueke’s goal frenzy, Cole Palmer’s ongoing productivity and big impacts off the bench from João Félix and Pedro Neto, a starting front four might be beginning to emerge. Nicolas Jackson still has a lot to say in that regard – and they need five or six performing to that level consistently – but Mykhailo Mudryk might well have dropped three places in the pecking order from a single start.
And yet, issues remain behind the offensive talent. It’s not just a question of individual performances, but of partnerships. Robert Sánchez looks far from established as No.1, especially at a club with seven or eight goalkeepers. Defensive errors remain on show. And the midfield combination play just isn’t there yet, on or off the ball, at home or away.
Which makes a less-than-testing opponent an ideal next proving ground. With rotations or with consistency in his lineup, Maresca should get the chance to demand greater cohesion – and a third win on the bounce to further improve the mood.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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On August 11, 2020, Lille completed the signing of Jonathan David on a five-year contract from Gent for €30 million. The reigning joint-top scorer in Belgian’s top-flight, David initially struggled to cope with the pressure of being the most expensive Canadian player of all time before eventually forming a dynamic duo with Burak Yılmaz in attack. He scored 13 goals in his debut campaign, 11 coming after the turn of the year, as Les Dogues won their first league title in a decade.
At 24 years of age, David has emerged as one of the most consistent strikers in France’s top-flight with 87 goals and 19 assists in 187 appearances for Lille, and he has also served as a trailblazer for younger Canadians looking to make their mark in Europe.
Whilst David, whose contract is set to expire next summer, could be preparing to end his time in France, there are a handful of Canadian players who will be looking to start their time in Ligue 1 off on the right foot. Today, we’re taking a look at the Ligue 1’s new Canadian arrivals.
Ismaël Koné
One and a half years after reaching their first World Cup since 1986, Canada participated in their first-ever Copa América this summer. The Canucks were placed in the same group as current world and South American champions Argentina as well as Chile, who won the tournament in 2015 and 2016, and Peru, who reached the final in 2019. Despite being cast into the Group of Death, Canada managed to do something their fellow 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA and Mexico failed to achieve: reach the knockout round.
Ismaël Koné started alongside Stephen Eustáquio in the double pivot for their first two games, as Canada began the Copa with a 2-0 loss to Argentina before bouncing back with their first-ever Copa win. After dropping to the bench for the following two matches, the 22-year-old regained the starting spot for their semifinal, where Argentina again prevailed 2-0. They ended their tournament in Charlotte, falling behind early on to Uruguay via a corner kick, before quickly giving La Celeste a taste of their own medicine. Moïse Bombito got his head to a corner and lofted it up for what seemed to be a fairly routine save for Sergio Rochet. Instead, Koné was first to it and chiseled home a jaw-dropping bicycle finish with the outside of his boot. Canada would take the lead in the 80th minute as Koné broke forward and juked past an opponent before firing a powerful shot that was parried into the direction of Jonathan David, who made no mistake with the finish. Just when it seemed dead and buried, Luis Suárez levelled proceedings in extra time with his 69th goal for La Celeste, forcing a penalty shootout. Whilst Uruguay were spotless from close range, Koné and Alphonso Davies’ missed proved fatal in Canada’s attempts to win the third-place medal.
Koné stole the show in North Carolina and was FotMob’s highest-rated player (8.6), making 15 recoveries, winning four fouls, registering three interceptions, and coming out on top in eight of his 11 ground duels. It was the kind of performance that would harken a transfer battle, had it not been for the fact that Olympique de Marseille had completed a £15m deal for him two weeks prior.
When it comes to the French-Canadian footballing connection, there are few better equipped than Kevin Nieto. Whilst Koné has left Montreal for France, Nieto, a former video analyst for Ligue 2 side Dunkerque, will be leaving France for Montreal in October. “Koné will face competition from Amine Harit, Valentín Carboni, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, or Azzedine Ounahi, but he has the advantage of being versatile and able to play just as well in a double pivot in front of the central defense as a bit higher up in a number 10 role,” said Nieto.
“He has the work rate to be an impactful box-to-box midfielder near both penalty areas. I think he can be used in offensive transitions, either by positioning himself well between the lines or by driving forward with the ball, as he has the technical ability to do so. He’s a hardworking midfielder but very precise technically, and Roberto De Zerbi likes his midfielders to make a difference through their passing. Koné is capable of being aware of what’s happening around him and distributing the play effectively.”
Thelonius Bair
Having failed to make an appearance in their first five matches of the Copa, Thelonius Bair was given a chance to shine in the third-place match vs. Uruguay, replacing Jonathan Osorio in the 77th minute and suiting up for Canada for just the third time in his life. Three days later, Bair had penned a four-year contract with newly promoted side Auxerre, who paid Motherwell €1.9 million plus €600,000 in potential bonuses.
As opposed to Koné, who left his native Ivory Coast for Canada at the age of 7, Bair spent the entirety of his childhood in Canada and even looked set to become the latest academy talent to break onto the scene for Vancouver Whitecaps after Alphonso Davies. He became a full-fledged first team member midway through the 2019 campaign and quickly cemented his place in the side, prompting the attention of Canada manager John Herdman, who played him in their friendly matches vs. Barbados and Iceland in January 2020. Little did Bair know that he would have to wait another four and a half years before representing the national team again.
Bair finally left Canada in the summer of 2021, spending four months out on loan at HamKam and scoring four goals in 18 appearances en route to winning promotion to Norway’s top-flight. He returned to Canada for the holidays before heading to Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone in January 2022. The lanky 6’3” striker took time to cope with the transition to European football and only registered a goal and three assists in 38 appearances at McDiarmid Park, but he nevertheless became a regular contributor over the course of the 2022/23 campaign. They agreed to part ways and mutually terminate the contract in the summer of 2023, but St Johnstone’s loss was Motherwell’s gain.
He made his debut against Dundee and opened the scoring before halftime in a 1-1 draw, building on his momentum and racking up 15 goals and 6 assists in 41 appearances. Bair’s 21 goal contributions were bettered only by three players in Scotland’s top-flight, and they were enough for Motherwell to finish eight points clear of St Johnstone and comfortably avoid relegation.
Bair shotmap, Scottish Premiership 2023/24
Speaking to Scottish football journalist Scott Bradley, I got the lowdown on the 24-year-old Ottawa native. “He bullied the Rangers defense last season in Motherwell’s 2-1 victory at Ibrox – our defense couldn’t get anywhere near him. Technically, he’s very good, a strong forward and clinical in front of goal. If he can do well in a pretty poor Motherwell side scoring that number of goals – just imagine what he’d do in a good side with more quality around him?”
Derek Cornelius
With just weeks to go before their maiden Copa voyage, Canada appointed Jesse Marsch, who became the first American to oversee Les Rouges. He wasn’t quite able to get them clicking on all cylinders in the final third – Canada scored just two goals in their first seven matches under Marsch – but he did manage to develop the right balance in defense and give them just what they needed to prevent a repeat of their 2022 World Cup disaster, when they conceded seven goals and suffered three defeats. One player who proved instrumental in defence was Derek Cornelius.
Whilst the backline appeared to be one of the biggest question marks going into the tournament, Marsch quickly settled on a central defensive pairing of Cornelius and Moïse Bombito, a decision that proved conducive to Canada’s ability to soak up pressure and punch above their weight. Cornelius led the squad in blocks (5) and had the second-most clearances (27) behind Bombito (37), making a number of last-ditch interventions throughout a campaign that saw Canada keep clean sheets vs. Peru and Chile and hold Venezuela to just one goal.
Cornelius player traits
Born in Ontario, Cornelius was 16 when he headed across the Atlantic and bounced around from Germany and Serbia before returning to Canada five years later and joining Vancouver Whitecaps, where he made 37 appearances in 2.5 years before making the move to Greek side Panetolikos on loan. He was promptly sold to Malmö FF and quickly emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet as the Swedish giants claimed a record 26th Allsvenskan title, and after 1.5 years in Scandinavia, he has taken his talents to France and signed a four-year deal with Marseille, who paid €4 million for the 26-year-old.
Capable of anticipating the movement of his opposing forwards and constantly well-positioned to intercept passes, Cornelius is a physically imposing defender who makes his presence known in aerial battles and 1v1 duels, and whose speed and strength enable him to make up ground and intervene, and he’s primed for a big season under De Zerbi.
Moïse Bombito
Canada are primed for a golden generation under Jesse Marsch thanks to a multicultural squad ranging from Jonathan David (born in New York to Haitian parents), Alphonso Davies (born in Ghana to Liberian parents), Cornelius (the son of a Barbadian father and a Jamaican mother), and Bair (Jamaican parents). As for Moïse Bombito, he was raised in Montreal to Congolese parents and lived in Quebec until enrolling in junior college in Iowa in 2020, where he would remain for two seasons before transferring to the University of New Hampshire.
Despite playing as a centre-back, Bombito managed to score four goals, including two game-winners, and even managed to mark his collegiate debut with a goal on September 10, 2022. Bombito was named as the team’s MVP, the Eastern College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and the America East Defender of the Year. He even became the first UNH player to be selected to the Generation Adidas class, and as a result, he was allowed to sign a guaranteed contract and enter the 2023 MLS SuperDraft as an underclassman. Colorado Rapids selected him with the third pick of the draft, and Bombito didn’t take long to justify their faith and solidify a starting spot in central defence. After just 29 appearances in MLS, Bombito packed his bags for southern France and joined OGC Nice for €7 million.
It has been nothing short of a meteoric rise for Bombito, who made his international debut in last summer’s Gold Cup and who played every single minute of Canada’s Copa América campaign. Whilst Cornelius has been entrusted with replacing Chancel Mbemba in OM’s defense, Bombito has the onerous task of filling Jean-Clair Todibo’s void at the Allianz Riviera. However, there’s reason to believe that he can make the step up and impress in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Europa League under new manager Franck Haise.
Despite towering over the opposition at 1.9m, Bombito is able to recover in transition and put his long strides to use, sprinting backwards and horizontally and retreating in time before the opposing forward has a chance to fire a shot towards goal. He has been recorded at 23.16 mph, making him the fastest player of the 2024 MLS season, and his capacity to remain balanced in ground duels and jump high in the air makes him a monster in physical battles. Such are his long strides, Bombito can keep one leg planted on the ground whilst throwing another across and poking the ball away from his opponent, and he’s never afraid to dribble out of pressure and build out of the back with his confident and composed passing.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from Ligue 1 on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Liverpool’s first signing of the summer is a goalkeeper who is not set to join Arne Slot’s squad until 2025, but he is still an addition fans can get excited about.
Liverpool’s crescendo of a final week in the transfer window began with a signing who won’t move to Merseyside until next summer at the earliest.
But their initial £25 million agreement with Valencia for goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, which could rise to £29 million inclusive of add-ons, is a marker of intent from the club’s new recruitment team.
Their first senior arrival from LaLiga since Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo in 2014, the deal signals a change of territory with new sporting director Richard Hughes using his contacts in Spain to hunt for talent.
Before news of Liverpool’s interest in Mamardashvili had surfaced, fans were left disappointed by midfielder Martin Zubimendi‘s decision to stay at Real Sociedad, and it is fair to say that a delayed transfer for the Georgian goalkeeper hasn’t sparked much excitement.
Stat comparison, 2023/24 league games only
That is understandable, given the Reds already have one of the world’s best goalkeepers as their No. 1 in Alisson, along with a player Jürgen Klopp described as “the best No. 2 goalie in the world” in Caoimhin Kelleher.
Mamardashvili was quietly announced as a new Liverpool player on Tuesday night, with the club confirming that he would stay at Valencia until the following summer.
It is then claimed that he will arrive at Anfield to challenge Alisson for the starting spot, with Kelleher’s prospects made clear after admitting his desire to be a No. 1 “at Liverpool or somewhere else.”
Supporters will not want to see the back of Alisson any time soon, and the Brazilian has already pledged his ongoing commitment to the club after rejecting overtures from Saudi Arabia.
But the decision to push for Mamardashvili at this stage shows the kind of succession planning many had hoped would already have been in place when it comes to the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
While the club’s previous regime have allowed the contracts of three of their most important players – Van Dijk, Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold – run into their final year, the wheels are already in motion when it comes to Alisson.
There is no sign that Alisson will be forced out – by the contrary, the club hold an option to extend his deal to 2027, which he has confirmed he intends to fulfil – but in landing Mamardashvili earlier, they have future-proofed their squad at an elite level.
Mamardashvili is a name most became familiar with during the summer’s European Championship, having excelled as part of Georgia’s surprise run to the last 16.
No goalkeeper averaged more saves per 90 (7.5) or prevented more goals (4.7) than the hulking stopper who, standing at 6’6″, was the looming last line for Willy Sagnol‘s relentlessly driven side.
That included a Man of the Match performance against the Czech Republic, with his 11 saves in that 0-0 draw the most of any goalkeeper in a Euro group stage clash since Latvia’s Aleksandrs Kolinko in 2004 – and the second-most ever.
After that victory, FotMob‘s Zach Lowy lauded Mamardashvili’s influence on the side, as an almost inevitable presence between the sticks:
“Time and time again, Mamardashvilli continued to bail his team out of trouble and remain poised and alert to the threat, picking his starting positions well, setting his body with time in advance, and taking advantage of his lightning-quick reactions to keep out a goal.
“Even when his backline let him down with schoolboy errors, he was always able to react and get a strong palm to the shot, diverting it into safety.”
But Mamardashvili’s talents will have been no surprise to those within Liverpool’s transfer staff; theirs is a more nuanced approach to recruitment, tracking players for a number of years and often over various moves before any deal is sanctioned.
That will almost certainly have covered the stopper’s entire spell at Valencia so far, and perhaps even further back to his time in Georgia with FC Rustavi and Locomotive Tbilisi.
Spells on loan with those clubs convinced Valencia to negotiate a deal with parent club Dinamo Tbilisi in 2021, and though Mamardashvili initially arrived at Mestalla as fourth choice, an injury crisis saw him swiftly promoted.
Neither he nor Valencia have looked back since, and after his early performances in Spain saw him named in LaLiga’s Discovery of the Season XI for 2021/22, he has gone from strength to strength.
Speaking to This Is Anfield after the transfer was announced, Football Espana editor Ruairidh Barlow enthused: “You’d probably take Mamardashvili over every other ‘keeper [in LaLiga], with the exception of [Thibaut] Courtois.”
Were it not for the superhuman prowess of Real Madrid’s No. 1, Mamardashvili would almost certainly have dominated when it comes to end-of-season awards for goalkeepers.
It is, however, interesting from a Liverpool perspective that their new £29 million signing has more in common as a player with Courtois and Atlético Madrid’s Jan Oblak than he does Alisson.
Mamardashvili does not operate as a sweeper-keeper for either Valencia or Georgia, and instead Barlow explained that he “fits the classic mould of goalkeeper.”
“While he’s learning and becoming increasingly daring, Mamardashvili prefers the comfort of his six-yard box to the brisk, fresh air outside his area,” the reporter detailed.
“Mamardashvili probably looks at goalkeeping as saving his team, rather than proactively preventing chances before they occur.”
Despite this, there is clearly a belief within Liverpool that the “slight hint of anxiousness” he has shown in possession can be coached, as comfort on the ball is paramount to new head coach Arne Slot‘s system.
Given he is still remarkably young for a goalkeeper of his ability and experience, there should be a calm over areas that are perceived as weaknesses at this stage.
The focus should instead be on the club’s ability to land a goalkeeper widely regarded as one of the best young players in his position, if not the best, for around the same fee they brought in with the sales of both Sepp van den Berg (£25m) and Fabio Carvalho (£27.5m) to Brentford this summer.
In ensuring Alisson’s continued loyalty and laying the pathway for his successor a year – or even two if another loan is struck next summer – early, Liverpool could have now cemented their future between the sticks for the next decade.
There may be more fanfare around Federico Chiesa swapping Turin for Merseyside ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, but Giorgi Mamardashvili is still a signing fans can get excited about.
(Images from IMAGO)
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It is extremely early days yet, but Thiago Motta’s Juventus seem to be shaping up very nicely for the 2024/25 season. After two rounds of fixtures, they are the only Serie A team with a 100% record, so listen carefully and the feint whispers of a title charge can already be heard. Regardless of whether that materialises, they finally look set to enjoy a positive campaign.
The last few years have been quite tough for Juventus fans. After a run of nine consecutive Serie A titles, it is now over four years since they last got their hands on the Scudetto. Perhaps worse yet, they were coached by Massimiliano Allegri for the majority of this period and his stodgy tactics certainly did not make his side any easier to watch.
Allegri was definitely not the chief culprit for Juventus’ downfall as financial issues and mismanagement were to blame instead, but the future never looked too bright under him. A coaching change seemed inevitable at some point, so Thiago Motta’s appointment last summer was met with great optimism.
At the same time, experts warned Juventus fans not to have excessively high hopes in the short term. The transition from Allegri’s defence-first style of play to Motta’s fluid possession-based football was always going to be a big one, so a rough start would not be out of the ordinary.
However, Juventus have hit the ground running this season. Of course, this is a terribly small sample size of just two games against significantly weaker opposition at that, but the manner of their victories should be considered even more impressive than the fact that they are the top scorers and the only team yet to concede.
Eye-Catching Style of Play
Thiago Motta’s Bologna caught the eyes of fans and experts alike with their dazzlingly fluid possession play, and he has immediately transferred that to his new side.
Although they line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Juventus hardly employ much of a build-up “structure”. The two deeper midfielders are free to drift around or drop back to pick the ball up and progress it, the wingers are free to stay wide or come in very narrow and influence the full-backs’ movements in turn, and even the centre-backs can be seen stepping forward off the ball at times!
Making all of these fluid movements and rotations is one thing, but they are pretty useless unless executed cohesively. The most impressive, part, therefore, is the coordination Juventus have shown in their first two league games, completing more passes than anyone else by some margin.
This is such a far cry from what Juve did under Allegri that fans would be content with these performances alone, so the results have only been the cherries on top.
Trust In Youth
Another aspect in which Motta differs from Allegri is his trust in young talents. The latter did use some prospects with good regularity, but it always seemed that he did so reluctantly due to a lack of alternatives in his squad. Motta, on the other hand, has seemed happy to start youngsters ahead of more experienced senior team members.
In fact, the average age of the players he has used in his first two matches (weighted by minutes played) has been 24.2 years old, the second-lowest in Serie A. Using FotMob’s new age toggle, we can also see that his oldest starters were no more than 27 years old in Monday’s win over Hellas Verona.
Motta has already handed out two Serie A debuts to Samuel Mbangula and Nicolò Savona, who have both instantly repaid his faith. The latter scored against Hellas Verona, while the 20-year-old Belgian winger has gotten on the scoresheet in both matches and put up a man-of-the-match performance against Como, scoring Juventus’ first competitive goal under Motta in the process.
The 41-year-old Italian tactician’s trust in youth is another major positive for Juventus, who have developed their Next Gen project excellently to assemble one of the most exciting youth setups not just in Italy but all over Europe. With Motta at the helm, they can be sure that this talent will be well utilised.
Tougher Tests Await
All the signs look very positive so far for Juventus, but as we alluded to previously, it is important to keep in mind that the two competitive matches they have played so far have been against expected relegation-battlers. Significantly tougher tests await this side starting next weekend against Roma, but especially next month when they take on Lazio and Inter back-to-back after the Champions League group stage opener.
Juventus have made some good moves in this window to add depth to the squad and sign players of profiles that Motta will appreciate, but how they balance fixture load across multiple competitions remains to be seen. That could well be the key to their fortunes this season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from Serie A on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.
Our Major League Soccer expert James Nalton picks the standout players from the latest round of games in MLS, including his two votes for the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) MLS Player of the Matchday.
Portland’s attacking four of Evander, Jonathan Rodríguez, Santiago Moreno and Mora will feature regularly in this column between now and the end of the season.
The three of them combined for Portland’s first in a 4-4 draw with St. Louis as Evander fed Mora who found Rodríguez at the far post.
Mora was in the classic goal-poaching position to turn in Portland’s second but it was Evander who rose impressively to win a header at the far post for the assist.
From starting attacks in midfield to winning aerial duels in important attacking situations, Evander seems to have it all.
It was his long-range shot that could only be parried by Roman Bürki before Mora’s striking instincts were on show again as he was on hand to net the rebound.
Mora’s evening was soured when he caught a prone Chris Durkin on the head with his boot and was sent off, but this game was more evidence of Portland’s attack being one of the best in the league, and on this occasion, Evander and Mora were the leading lights.
Evander rounded off one of the most impressive performances of the matchday with a free-kick goal to level the scores for 10-man Portland in the final minutes.
9.2 FotMob rating: Brad Stuver, Austin FC
It’s always good to include a defensive player in the list of top players, and even better when it’s a goalkeeper – an often unsung position.
Stuver’s standout performance in Austin’s 2-0 win against Nashville is reflected well in his FotMob rating.
An early penalty save helped and set the tone for his evening as he recorded an important clean sheet.
Hany Mukhtar stepped up to take a penalty after referee Rosendo Mendosa had checked the video replay to confirm the spot kick, and Stuver did brilliantly to turn the shot onto the post.
Stuver was well positioned to save from Jacob Shaffelburg and went on to save a free kick with relative ease from Mukhtar later on.
Another outstanding stop came from a well-hit Brian Anunga shot, and he also came off his line to thwart Sam Surridge.
He prevented a total xG on target of 2.04 and made seven saves on the night.
Three more standout performers
9.1 FotMob rating: Luis Suárez, Inter Miami
There might have been more outstanding overall individual performances than Suárez’s this week, but few were as important to the way this league might look come the end of the season.
FC Cincinnati are one of Inter Miami’s main challengers for the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and as recently as July the defending champions handed Miami a 6-1 defeat in Ohio.
But Suárez’s two goals within six minutes at the start of this game made sure this was to be a different outcome.
There was some controversy around Suárez’s availability with some comments that his missing the All-Star game having been selected should have resulted in a suspension, but Miami stated before that exhibition match that the Uruguayan was injured, which is why there was no suspension.
That outcome can be debated, and it’s widely known Sáarez is playing through knee problems most of the time, but in making sure he was available for this big game, Miami secured a place in the playoffs and took a big step towards lifting the Supporters’ Shield.
Drake Callender in the Miami goal deserves a mention for his part in this 2-0 win, too, and the team have won seven of their last eight with Messi on the sidelines.
9.3 FotMob rating: Sebastian Lletget, FC Dallas
FC Dallas continued the good form they had shown prior to the midseason break with a win in a high-scoring game against DC United.
Lletget was involved in three of the four Dallas goals in the 4-3 victory, assisting the first with an outswinging corner volleyed in by an unmarked Nkosi Tafari at the far post.
He headed in one of his own from a similar situation from open play, in the right place at the right time to get on the end of Ruan’s cross ahead of the defence and goalkeeper.
Lletget showed great composure to assist Tsiki Ntsabeleng following a high turnover for the fourth Dallas goal. He could easily have shot but found his teammate in a better position for what turned out to be the all-important winner and secured a first away win of the season for FC Dallas.
8.9 FotMob rating: Marcel Hartel, St. Louis City
Hartel was one of the summer signings we picked out ahead of the league restarting, and he made an instant impact with two assists in the aforementioned 4-4 goal-fest against Portland.
Playing from the left wing he was also in charge of certain set pieces, taking some of the burden from Eduard Löwen, and he assisted the opener from a corner for Simon Becher.
Hartel’s second assist was also from a corner and was an inventive, lofted cross to the far edge of the area for the also-impressive Cedric Teuchert.
St, Lous couldn’t hold on for the win, but in Hartel, it looks like they have a player who will make many valuable contributions in the seasons to come.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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There has been a scattergun approach to recruitment at Stamford Bridge. They don’t necessarily look at squad needs but instead look at how they can improve the quality of their squad. It is a risky approach but the reward is great. It allowed them to bring in Cole Palmer for just £40million. He was signed when the Blues were stacked in offensive areas.
One of the reasons the move for the Manchester City youngster resulted in a few raised eyebrows was because Chelsea already possessed a highly-rated left-footed right-winger in Noni Madueke.
However, whereas Palmer excelled and made himself a key player for the Blues, winning the Young Player of the Year award, Madueke was relegated to a bit part role last term. He finished the season with a little over 1,000 minutes in the Premier League and though his return of five goals and two assists was decent, he wasn’t able to make the impression he would’ve liked.
Madueke season summary, 2023/24
There was even talk that he could be sacrificed this summer.
His departure would help balance the books at Stamford Bridge after yet another transfer window of big spending while also allowing the player to claim first-team football elsewhere. It was a potential win-win for the club and the player.
After Chelsea tried and failed to sign Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, there was talk that Madueke could be on the move. Newcastle United reportedly wanted to bring him to St James’ Park and the rumoured £40million fee didn’t deter them. However, a move never materialised.
Enzo Maresca added to his ranks this summer with Portuguese duo Pedro Neto and João Félix making the move to Stamford Bridge. And Madueke had to settle for a place on the bench during Chelsea’s opening game of the season against Manchester City with the former Leicester City boss opting to use Palmer on the right and Christopher Nkunku on the left.
The new Chelsea boss switched things up for the game against Wolves on Sunday, naming Madueke on the right and Mykhailo Mudryk on the left with Palmer playing as an attacking midfielder behind Nicolas Jackson.
Mudryk struggled but the other three thrived at Molineux.
Jackson scored the opener, Palmer nonchalantly lobbed José Sá for the second goal before the Chelsea No. 20 assisted Madueke on three occasions during a 14-minute blitz in the second half.
The 22-year-old now has four goals in his last two appearances for the Blues having come off of the bench in mid-week to score against Servette.
Maresca heaped praise on the Chelsea No. 11 following the 6-2 mauling of Wolves.
“I can judge Noni’s performance, which was fantastic. Not only second half, even first half the first 10 or 15 minutes he was always one-v-one creating something.
“Since day one I said he’s the kind of winger I really like. He is working very good with us, but the best thing today from Noni was not the hat-trick, it was the way he defended for 90 minutes the counter-attacks. ‘That showed the right mentality I am asking from the players. It was for Noni, and it was for Christopher Nkunku who played five minutes. João Félix was the same. If we want to build something, first of all you need the right mentality, and from all of them it was very good.”
Madueke, a £28million signing from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, could prove to be a key cog in the Maresca system this season. The potential is there for him to claim minutes from big-money signings.
As the Chelsea boss states, the England under-21 international is the kind of winger he likes.
During his sole season with Leicester City, Maresca had Abdul Fatawa and Stephy Mavididi as his wide forwards. And the pair share similarities with Madueke. Both are extremely direct in their play, they are great in one-on-one situations and they are influential in the final third.
Fatawu, for example, finished the 2023/24 season in the Championship with an Expected Assists average of 0.34 while creating 2.1 chances per 90. He had an Expected Goals average of 0.15 and completed almost three dribbles per 90 with a success rate of 54%.
Mavididi had an xG90 of 0.23 for the Foxes and an xA90 of 0.22 from the 1.8 chances per 90 he was carving out. He wasn’t as successful as Fatawu with dribbles, completing just 38% but he was averaging almost two completed ones on a per 90 basis.
Palmer was a breakout star for the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino. There are signs that Madueke could be the one to emerge under Maresca. If the Italian tactician can blend the pair of them and get the best out of the duo, Chelsea could be a dark horse for a top-four finish.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The third matchday of the 2024/25 LaLiga season is already underway. But the first headline fixture sees Barcelona visit Rayo Vallecano, aiming to preserve the only remaining 100% record in the league.
Traditionally, Barcelona have always been a team that seek to dominate possession and control matches. Even during a tough campaign such as 2023/24, they had by far the highest possession average in LaLiga – at nearly 65%. The trouble, however, was that they could not quite control matches as their midfield proved porous and allowed opponents to counter them.
That was among the main issues that plagued Xavi and ultimately led to his departure, so it was one of the big question marks Hansi Flick had to address after taking over. He wasn’t given too much more to work with – on the contrary, Barcelona lost two noteworthy midfielders in the transfer window as both İlkay Gündoğan and Oriol Romeu left. Besides poor squad building, Barça have already faced lots of injury issues this season, forcing Flick to turn to 17-year-old Marc Bernal to hold down defensive midfield in his first matches.
Crucially, though, he has allowed his side to pile forward by way of attack without predominantly focusing on controlling possession and preventing counterattacking chances from being conceded. That has led to them conceding in both games so far, but they have managed to create a great deal of chances worth about five xG altogether. It would seem that this is the best way forward for the Blaugrana, at least for now.
*Both Villarreal and Celta Vigo have played a game more than Barcelona
Rayo Promise Grit With A Creative Spark
Barcelona have faced a couple of sturdy defences so far – against Valencia and Athletic Club – and that trend should continue against Rayo Vallecano. They have conceded just one goal across their two matches, defeating Real Sociedad in the opener and grinding out a goalless draw against Getafe.
Besides organising a solid defensive block, Rayo will hope to pose a significant attacking threat in this match. Iñigo Pérez’s side can pose a direct threat as striker Sergio Camello is a great runner in behind, but they also have some ball-to-feet magicians in their squad. New signing James Rodríguez certainly has to be considered among them but he will not feature in this match, so Isi Palazón could well be the player to watch.
Palazón player traits
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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There was a bit of everything in the Premier League this weekend. We had last-minute drama, high scoring games and statement performances from both teams and players.
But who made the FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday Two in the English top-flight and how did they justify their inclusion in the XI?
Goalkeeper: David Raya
Another clean sheet for Arsenal as they made it two wins from two to kick off their 2024/25 Premier League campaign. The Gunners claimed a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park. Raya played his part in the win. The shot-stopper made a wonder save to thwart Ollie Watkins. He made three saves in total and faced shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of 1.05. The former Brentford man wasn’t overly busy but he did what he had to do and he did it well.
Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Remarkably, Alexander-Arnold is yet to register an assist in the Premier League this term. He carved out four chances in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brentford at Anfield on Sunday and finished the game with an Expected Assists total of 0.53. The right-back created one big chance, completed 100% of his dribbles and won 100% of his ground duels in what was a complete performance.
The Reds are going to want to tie him down to a long-term contract sooner rather than later.
Centre-Back: Cristian Romero
Romero was at his dominant best in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Everton. The World Cup winner scored a goal, completed 93% of his passes and created one chance for Ange Postecoglou’s side. He won 100% of his tackles, recovered the ball on seven occasions and came out on top in 10 of his 17 duels.
When he’s good, he’s very good.
Centre-Back: Max Kilman
The new West Ham United centre-back impressed against Crystal Palace. The ex-Wolves defender completed 89% of his passes and finished the game with an assist having created two chances. Kilman completed 100% of his dribbles, won 100% of his tackles and made five ball recoveries at Selhurst Park. He also won 100% of his aerial duels and 75% of his ground duels in what was a fairly emphatic showing.
Left-Back: Antonee Robinson
Fulham claimed a 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday and Robinson caught the eye at left-back.
He claimed an assist in a game where he created two chances and one big chance. Robinson won the most tackles of any player on the pitch (five), also finishing with a 100% success rate. He also won five of his nine ground duels at Craven Cottage.
Midfield: Noni Madueke
Madueke put on a finishing clinic for Chelsea in their 6-2 win over Wolves.
The explosive winger registered a hat-trick.
He had six shots for the Blues in what was a whirlwind performance in the final third. He also created one chance and didn’t shy away from the defensive side of things, winning 100% of his tackles.
Midfield: Cole Palmer
Madueke netted a hat-trick and he was still upstaged by Palmer. The England international racked up three assists (for all three of Madueke’s goals) and scored his first of the season in the win against Wolves. This performance earned him a FotMob rating of 9.7. The 2023/24 Young Player of the Year has started the new campaign in ridiculous fashion with this outing at Molineux.
Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
For five glorious minutes Ipswich Town held an early lead at the Etihad, home of the champions, but by the time 16 minutes was on the clock, the newly promoted side found themselves 3-1 down. Kevin De Bruyne scored the second goal in that quick fire comeback, stroking home after Savinho had robbed Ipswich keeper Arijanet Muric. And the Belgian assisted Erling Haaland for City’s third goal on the way to collected a 8.9 FotMob rating overall.
Midfield: Son Heung-min
Son is off the mark for the season after netting a double in the 4-0 win over Everton on Saturday. The Spurs skipper was instrumental in the win, creating a big chance for the hosts while proving himself to be a constant menace throughout having attempted four dribbles.
Attack: Danny Welbeck
Brighton have invested heavily in their attack this summer but it was an old face pulling the strings for the Seagulls this weekend during their last minute win over Manchester United. Welbeck scored against the Red Devils, his former employers, in the 2-1 victory for Brighton. The 33-year-old also created two chances, won 100% of his tackles, 100% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels.
Attack: Erling Haaland
It was a Haaland masterclass this weekend. The Manchester City marksman scored three goals for the reigning champions in their win over Ipswich Town. He had a total of seven shots and finished with an Expected Goals total of 1.79. The No9 finished the game with as many completed passes as he had shots. That gives you a snapshot into the type of performance it was by the two-time Golden Boot winner.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Indeed, the Spanish and European champions could have suffered defeat in their first game of the campaign and will therefore be expecting a more assertive performance against Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday.
Ferland Mendy will be unavailable for Real Madrid’s home opener after the Frenchman was shown red against Mallorca, giving Carlo Ancelotti a selection headache on the left side of his defence.
Eduardo Camavinga played at left back on occasion last season, but he too will be unavailable for the match against Valladolid after suffering a knee injury last week. David Alaba, another left back option, is also injured. Fran García could subsequently start.
Real Valladolid started their 2024/25 campaign with a 1-0 home win over Espanyol which saw summer signing Raúl Moro score the game’s only goal in the first half.
However, Moro’s goal came from Real Valladolid’s only shot on target which suggests they may struggle to create opportunities against the defending champions on their own patch this weekend.
Paulo Pezzolano is known for being an attack-minded manager, but will almost certainly have to adopt a more pragmatic approach at the Bernabéu otherwise his team could be picked off. Valladolid are expected to line up in a relatively rigid 4-5-1 formation.
Madrid are currently on an unbeaten run in LaLiga that stretches back 33 games. On top of this, they have won eight of their last nine home matches against Valladolid in all competitions and haven’t conceded to the Pucela in their last five meetings.
Nonetheless, Ancelotti’s side have yet to find top gear in the early stages of this season with Mbappé still being integrated into the forward line. The Frenchman touched the ball 44 times against Mallorca and was somewhat isolated.
Ancelotti is having to balance the attacking talents of Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo with Jude Bellingham now being pushed deeper into midfield (although he is now injured according to the latest reports) to give Real Madrid some sort of structure.
If Valladolid can gain a foothold in the centre of the pitch, like Mallorca did on opening weekend, they could pose a threat in the capital. Otherwise, it’s probable that they will be smothered by the sheer weight of Real Madrid’s attacking talent.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Sunday afternoon sees Wolves open their Molineux doors to Chelsea and with both teams succumbing to defeat in the opening weekend of this new Premier League season, each will be looking to earn their first points of the campaign.
Defeat for Wolves at title hopefuls Arsenal on Saturday. Defeat for Chelsea at home to defending champions Manchester City a day later. The reverse for Gary O’Neil’s men was nothing more than a training exercise for the Gunners, the same could be said for the Cityzens at Stamford Bridge.
For the West Midlands outfit, they can at least tick off their trip to the red half of North London early on and defeat at the Emirates is unlikely to define the next nine months. For the West London outfit, their loss to Manchester City shows how far the chasm between these two big six members has become.
Among a backdrop of player unrest – something that was always likely with a senior squad bursting at the seems with more than 40 professionals listed, Enzo Maresca’s debut as a Premier League manager was overshadowed by Raheem Sterling’s statement an hour before kick-off.
The England international highlighting his displeasure at being cast adrift and with the way that Chelsea are buying players this summer, the 29-year-old may not be the last superstar to be persona non grata within their Cobham training facility.
However, there were reasons for Chelsea fans to be cheerful on Thursday night, as the Blues got the better of Servette in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier. A 2-0 lead to take to Switzerland should be comfortable enough, in fairness it should have been three.
Whether Marc Guiu’s miss has a bearing on the tie’s outcome remains to be seen but with the Spaniard missing a chance with an xG of 0.94, he may have to go to the back of the forward queue on Sunday.
This game will possibly see Pedro Neto go up against his former club after his summer switch and although the Portuguese star did not feature the last time these two teams met at Molineux, Wolves still managed to win 2-1 last Christmas Eve.
Back then, it was Wolves who took advantage of a Chelsea side that were still very much a work in progress under former manager Mauricio Pochettino. Now they will look to take advantage against a team that is a work in progress under new boss Enzo Maresca.
(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.
