Preview

Aug

2024

Preview: Aston Villa vs. Arsenal

The first meeting of two of the Premier League’s sides featuring in this season’s Champions League takes place on Saturday evening, with Aston Villa hosting Arsenal after both won their campaign opener last weekend.

By Karl Matchett

While the Gunners were generally dominant throughout in their 2-0 win over Wolves, it was – as might be expected at this early stage – not a totally refined performance and one which offered more probing than penetration at many points, needing a couple of well-taken goals at key moments to swing the points their way.

There were clear standouts for Arsenal in attack, though, with Mikel Arteta likely to once again be leaning on Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in both chance creation and chance-taking stakes: both managed five shots apiece in the opener, both were comfortably the top two for xG+xA in that first game and, most importantly, both found the back of the net.

While the ongoing question of Gabriel Martinelli’s top form and how to produce it on a regular basis remains a key riddle for Arteta to solve, the ability of players from all over the park to play incisive balls into the final third is going to be one of their strengths yet again. Between right- and left-backs, 14 passes into that attacking zone were made on the opening weekend – that’s without even considering captain and chief schemer Martin Ødegaard’s contribution. The front line will get service; keeping Saka and Havertz sharp will mean the Gunners score goals again.

Yet this time they face a tougher task to do so on paper – though Villa didn’t make an amazing start from a defensive standpoint in their 2-1 win at West Ham. The Hammers created four big chances against an established Villa backline, yielding a total xG conceded of 2.46. Clearly, a profligate West Ham let them off the hook somewhat, but Villa have attacking talent of their own, bolstered by a strong summer transfer window.

Unai Emery could bring in the likes of Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley for their first starts, should he want to add a little more speed and drive from deep, and especially given Villa are at home against one of his own former clubs.

While there is little scope for dropping points and staying in a title fight as far as Arsenal are concerned, it might be that there’s more pressure on Villa simply by weight of numbers. After all, following a fourth-place finish there’s expectation on them to do so again…yet more teams than ever before are fighting for Champions League spots.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Aug

2024

Preview: Barcelona vs. Athletic Club

It proved to be a successful start to the season for Barcelona as they fought back from a goal down away to Valencia on Matchday one to claim a 2-1 victory and three important points to kick off their campaign.

By Nathan Evans

They had veteran striker Robert Lewandowski to thank for that, as the decorated Polish striker added another two goals to his already impressive haul in professional football after Hugo Duro had broken the deadlock for Valencia at the Mestalla.

In truth, Barca deserved the win, especially as they dominated long spells of the match at both ends of the field. Not only did they many to record 18 shots in total, but their defence marshalled their opposition well throughout to concede just two shots on target which will have impressed new manager Hansi Flick.

The German boss will now have to chart a way past Athletic Club on his home debut with the Catalan giants and that will be far easier said than done given this Bilbao side’s higher level of talent and quality across the field than their matchday one opponents.

The pick of the bunch for the visiting side remains winger Nico Williams who is still with the club even in the face of huge transfer speculation this summer. His main suitors were reportedly Barcelona themselves, which will make his likely appearance here all the more intriguing and you wouldn’t put it past him to make an impact again in this latest clash given the fact that he both scored and assisted against Barca in their Copa del Rey tie last season.

But Athletic hardly made the ideal start to their own campaign as they were held 1-1 at home to Getafe. Oihan Sancet opened the scoring at San Memes with a lovely, curling effort from just outside the penalty area, but despite largely bossing the possession after that first half breakthrough, the home side couldn’t hold on as the Madrid outfit equalised through a towering header from a corner.

Ernesto Valverde’s side will move their attentions swiftly on to making a little bit of history in this outing instead then, and that’s because they haven’t won an away league match against Barcelona in 22 attempts since a 2-1 victory back in November 2001.

Simply put, if they’re to break that streak this time around, their key players such as Williams will need to be at their very best.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Manchester City vs. Ipswich Town

It’s all looking very familiar already for Manchester City: one game down, one rival beaten, Erling Haaland off and running…

By Karl Matchett

…And City will soon have İlkay Gündoğan back in the team. The midfielder looks set to rejoin from Barcelona, adding to Pep Guardiola’s ranks – just a week after they showed they can cope perfectly well without Rodri, their key component in that area of the park, in dispatching Chelsea on the opening weekend.

If that performance – polished and comfortable – and result wasn’t enough to present an ominous sense of “here we go again” regarding the Cityzens, the arrival of Gündoğan for free might well do, even if Savinho’s injury at Stamford Bridge was a blow given how well he started.

Yet irrespective of fitness and transfers, City will certainly imagine they’ve been handed a rather routine start to the campaign. Chelsea are still trying to find out who they are, or rather who they are made of under Enzo Maresca, and this week’s opponents Ipswich Town have the toughest start of all having been newly promoted: they lost at home to Liverpool and now face the only side better than the Reds over the last few years.

It’s worth noting that City weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders – an xG of just 0.77 showed their clinical, not creative, edge – and it might also have been a slight surprise that Guardiola only made a single sub, clearly valuing minutes in his starters at this stage of the campaign.

Ipswich will find it tough to limit City to such a paucity of chances, however. They conceded six big chances to Liverpool, who were wasteful despite a 2-0 win, tallying 18 shots in total against them for a combined xG of 2.65. That’s despite the Tractor Boys being energetic and disciplined in the first half; a tiring side against a better one was cut apart at will from the hour mark onwards. That’s a lesson for Man City to take on board this weekend if they struggle on home soil early on, and patience has long been a virtue of Guardiola’s teams.

For the visitors, though they’ll know their season doesn’t really count as starting until next time out, hopes for a first Premier League goal – or even point – in over 20 years will come from registering almost 0.3 of their total 0.45 xG against Liverpool from set plays, while City keeper Ederson looked far from his best against Chelsea. Even so, it’s a huge ask to expect anything other than another defeat to nil.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Brighton vs. Manchester United

The Premier League reaches its second weekend of the new season with Brighton & Hove Albion leading the pack.

By Ian King

Their 3-0 win at Everton last weekend was enough to put them on top of the table at the end of the first round of matches, and their performance on Merseyside will only further have built confidence that new manager Fabian Hürzeler can unlock something in his squad to propel them up the league table.

Hürzeler is a gamble, of that there is little question. At 31 years old he’s the youngest permanent head coach or manager in the history of the Premier League and the only one to be younger than the league itself. But at Goodison Park his team was fluid and well-organised. There had been some concern over Brighton’s wellbeing at the time of the departure of Roberto De Zerbi. It’s fair to say that many of those fears have already evaporated.

Manchester United, meanwhile, may be under new management – if not quite new ownership yet – but their opening game against Fulham hinted that not quite as much might have changed at Old Trafford over the summer months as many supporters would like. It took a late goal from substitute Joshua Zirkzee to finally secure all three points, but it was a somewhat stodgy performance from a match that they were expected to win. Zirkzee or fellow substitute Matthijs de Ligt could start, if Erik Ten Hag feels that his team needs a freshen up after the Fulham match.

But recent form between the two teams favour Brighton. Manchester United have won two of the last six meetings between the teams in all conmpetitions, and one of those was their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April 2023, a match which United might easily have lost and eventually only won on penalty kicks. Brighton have won each of the other four meetings between the two teams.

United can take some comfort from the fact that their other win from these last six fixtures came in the last meeting between the two clubs, at the Amex at the very end of last season. United’s win that day wasn’t enough to improve their final league position of 8th, but it was a decent win which contributed towards a positive end to their season. A win for Brighton will keep them top of the table for a couple of hours. A win for United would be further proof that things might finally be starting to change at Old Trafford.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Leicester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur

A newly promoted side against a giant of the league is always a bit of a nervous contest, especially if they take each other on in the first game of the season. That is exactly what will happen when Leicester host Tottenham on Monday evening.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Tottenham have signed Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray, fixing holes in the squad that needed fixing. Ange Postecoglou needed that, more than anything, as he looks to step into the second stage of the team’s revolution.

While there might still be room to fix other areas of the squad, they come up against a side that is undergoing a stylistic change, as they go from having Enzo Maresca in-charge to having Steve Cooper as manager. Leicester lost both Kelechi Iheanacho and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall but only the new Chelsea signing was seen worthy enough of replacing, with Blues youngster Michael Golding having arrived.

Spurs have generally had a big upper hand in the fixture, having won four of the last six contests and ex-icon Harry Kane had a terrific goalscoring record against them. But Spurs still have Son, who has scored nine times in 14 games against the Foxes.

Leicester themselves aren’t short of players who have played in the Premier League before, with one being Harry Winks, whose exit from Spurs still disappoints many Lilywhites fans. But Patson Daka, Wilfried Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury, Bobby Reid, Wout Faes, James Justin, Jannik Vestergaard and Ricardo Pereira are recognisable figures who could start.

Jamie Vardy is out injured, which could see Stephy Mavididi make the starting XI. Abdul Fatawu should also start, having joined the club permanently after an initial and impressive loan spell at the King Power.

For Spurs, Dominic Solanke should play from the off and so could stars like Son, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.

And unfortunately, Postecoglou’s side will have too much for Leicester to deal with. History is also against them, as Spurs have only failed to score against the Foxes twice in the 21 games played between the two clubs over the last decade, and this Tottenham side, on their day, can be as good an attacking unit as any of their peers.

Cooper’s side will have to be alert on the counter as Spurs’ defensive shape off the ball was an issue last season and it will be interesting to see how Postecoglou has worked on that over the summer. But that potential weakness should be enough to give Leicester some hope.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Mallorca vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid start their La Liga title defence away to RCD Mallorca just a few days after Carlo Ancelotti’s team beat Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup.

By Graham Ruthven

Kylian Mbappé scored on his much anticipated competitive debut for Los Blancos with the French forward deployed through the middle in a frontline that also included Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.

Victory at Son Moix on Sunday would set the tone for what could be another impressive season for Real Madrid after a 2023/24 campaign that saw them ultimately run away with the Spanish title.

Mallorca enter this season on the back of a 15th place finish that saw the Balearic outfit take a step backwards from an impressive top half finish the season before. However, an historic run to the Copa del Rey final made up for regression in La Liga.

Javier Aguirre departed Son Moix at the end of last season and has been replaced by former Osasuna boss Jagoba Arrasate. Besides this, though, there hasn’t been a huge amount of change at Mallorca over the summer.

Last season, Real Madrid notched 87 goals in 38 league games and with Mbappé now part of the frontline there’s a good chance they will be even more dangerous in the attacking third of the pitch this term.

Los Blancos were just as strong at the back, conceding just 26 league goals all season. Their Expected Goals (xG) amounted to less than a goal a-game (35.4), also keeping 21 clean sheets – and this was without Thibaut Courtois who has since returned from a long-term injury.

On the other hand, Mallorca struggled for attacking firepower last season, scoring just 33 goals in 38 games. It should be noted, however, that they underperformed their xG by 7.5 goals. A better season beckons if Los Piratas can take more of their chances.

It’s possible Carlo Ancelotti could rotate his starting lineup having played Atalanta in Warsaw only a few days ago. However, Madrid have a full week between Saturday’s game in Mallorca and their next fixture at home to Real Valladolid. Ancelotti might prefer to build chemistry between Mbappé and his new teammates by running out the same XI.

Madrid won both league matches against Mallorca last season by a scoreline of 1-0 and it’s difficult to envisage the island team changing this trend on Sunday. The Mbappé era has started for last season’s Spanish and European champions and there might not be anyone who can stop them.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Chelsea vs. Manchester City

Brand new Premier League seasons don’t always kick off with a heavyweight clash but when they do, there are two conclusions we can immediately draw…

By Karl Matchett

One is that supporters of the club with a trickier preseason behind them will be grumbling about unfairness or their campaign “really” starting in gameweek two; the second is that hot takes will be rushing out of every conceivable former-players’ orifices come the final whistle on that first weekend.

So let’s get ahead of the curve, and eye up exactly why both of those are angled at Chelsea here.

The first has nothing to do with them at all: It’s because Manchester City are so inherently inevitable, so absolutely immovable…unless as a result of financial doping bans and points deductions, perhaps. But that’s for months from now. Right at the start of 2024/25, the expectation is that Pep Guardiola’s team will once again steamroller all before them, whether that’s this coming weekend at Stamford Bridge or merely in the nine or so months which follow.

As a result, a City win will mean hot takes on where Chelsea are right now, and a City non-win will mean…exactly the same.

Because let’s face it, if City are the league’s example of continuity and consistency – Guardiola now the longest-serving manager in the division – then Chelsea are the exact polar opposite. Since the changes at boardroom level brought Todd Boehly and the gang to west London, dugout alterations have been conducted almost at the same speed introductions could be made.

As for the playing staff, the less said the better. Whether erratic, scattergun or reckless is the adjective of choice, there’s very little cohesion and joined-up planning behind their summer batch of additions at first glance – again. The same was said last year, and proved to be mostly right. A squad list which now contains eight senior goalkeepers – two out on loan, admittedly – does not even reach the outfield contingent before concerns of imbalance and impracticality start to weigh down.

Which of seven attacking midfielders get the nod? Which central midfield partnership is supposed to work? Will Reece James ever be fit for a full season again? So many questions, and that’s before even getting to the (latest) new head coach, with Enzo Maresca not just set for his first competitive Chelsea game against the champions, but his first-ever top-division game as a boss, against the greatest one of the modern generation.

The opening challenge couldn’t be any higher for the Blues, but regardless of the result, they’ll at least know it can only get easier from here on out.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Ipswich Town vs. Liverpool

The start of a new season can have almost unlimited storylines, but few opening weekend match-ups can reach the level of this fixture for things to look forward to, for discovery, for clues as to what lies ahead in 2024/25.

By Karl Matchett

At home, the newly promoted, the coveted manager, the ambitious transfer plan. Ipswich Town might have something of a look of a preservation summer about their work in the market, signing players who clearly have big futures but little top-flight experience, but the hard work of a surprise promotion certainly isn’t going to waste. If the new players click – and if Kalvin Phillips rediscovers his form as a Premier League player after two shocking years – then there’s a chance…particularly if manager Kieran McKenna is as good as several bigger clubs seemed to believe earlier on this summer.

The 38-year-old head coach opting to stay with the Tractor Boys in the face of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United was a massive boost and they look as prepared for what’s coming as any side could be after a surprise double promotion.

And yet their task is one of the toughest, hosting Liverpool, one of the league’s best two sides over the past half-decade. Yet this is no longer the same club we knew, even if the team is so far the same.

Jürgen Klopp is gone, Arne Slot is in. A dugout change is backed up by a hierarchy overhaul, yet no incoming faces on the playing staff means familiarity will be key for the Reds. How high can they go this year? Is third again acceptable, or is a quick title challenge on the agenda for the new Dutch head coach? Pre-season has been positive, but so much is unknown in terms of how quickly the squad will adapt to his changes, and how fast he himself can adapt to the English top flight.

There’s no questioning the strength in depth Liverpool have in several areas, but the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all into the final year of their contracts with no extension agreements yet in sight. Perhaps not on the opening day, but as the campaign rolls along, that might surely become a factor.

Of more importance to this 90 minutes is how prepared some of those senior stars are after long summers at Euro 2024 and the Copa America. Liverpool have the technical ability to win the game, but Ipswich – as always with a team’s first game back in the big time – will have the energy, optimism and fearlessness to cause an upset.

(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.

Aug

2024

Preview: Genoa vs. Inter

The reigning champions of Serie A, Inter Milan, get their title defence up and running at Genoa on Saturday evening as they look to claim successive titles for the first time since a run of five between 2005 and 2010.

By Nathan Evans

For Simeone Inzaghi’s side, it’s been an interesting summer, one of adding a few extra players to the mix in order to round out what is arguably still the best squad in the league. The stand-out permanent additions are central midfield Davide Frattesi, who returns to the club after making 42 appearances while on loan across all competitions last term, and left sided player Carlos Augusto who arrives from Monza for a fee of around €13 million.

But some depth has been lost at the same time and with it, plenty of experience. The most significant departure coming in the form of Alexis Sánchez who has returned to boyhood Italian club Udinese on a free transfer after making 142 appearances for Nerazzurri across two spells with the club.

That shouldn’t prove too detrimental for Inter though, both overall this campaign and in this opening matchday clash with Genoa, with whom they currently hold a ten-match unbeaten run against in Serie A. With eight of those results coming as victories and with the side from Northern Lombardy winning each of their last five matchday one outings in Italy’s top-flight, the stage is set for them to make the perfect start to their title defence.

Genoa will have something to say about that however, and on home soil they’ll pose plenty of different threats for the Inter defence to deal with, especially as they won each of their last three home outings to end last season. The hosts eventually finished in 11^th spot during the 2023/24 campaign overall and it must be said that the club’s board have reacted to that in a positive manner, as they look to push towards the European spots this time around.

Vitinha has joined from Marseille for a hefty fee for a club of this size and he should pack a punch upfront for Alberto Gilardino’s outfit, whilst the acquisitions of Morten Thorsby and Koni De Winter bring some much-needed extra quality into the fray down the spine of the team.

They’ll need to be at their very best to claim any form of positive result in this opening outing of the new Serie A season, but visiting Inter shouldn’t be expecting a walk in the park, by any stretch of the imagination.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2024

Preview: Barcelona start the new campaign at Valencia

Two of Spain’s most famous football teams clash on matchday one of the all-new 2024/25 La Liga season, as Valencia welcome Barcelona to the Mestalla on Saturday evening.

By Nathan Evans

In truth, both of these sides will be hoping for much better this season as a new dawn beckons in Spain’s top-flight.

Valencia eventually finished in ninth spot last campaign though their supporters still remain at loggerheads with owner Peter Lim and for obvious reason. Under his stewardship of the club, Los Ches have stagnated and even despite the fact that up until pretty late into the campaign in 2023/24 the former Champions League regulars looked likely for a return to European competition, his time in charge has been extremely disappointing to say the least.

This summer, midfielder Yunus Musah has departed for Italian giants AC Milan for big money and thus far, the club’s business in terms of incoming talent remains relatively sparse for a side harbouring ambitions of finishing in the top seven. Pepelu has arrived as his direct replacement from Levante but again, Lim’s overall direction in the transfer market, to this point, has fallen well short of where a side like Valencia should be operating.

That’s something that Barcelona’s board have struggled with in recent times as well, the ability to operate in the transfer market to the level that they should be and in accordance with their club’s proud history.

As such, the 27-time Spanish champions are still in the midst of huge financial struggles and even though Dani Olmo has joined for a sizeable fee from RB Leipzig in recent weeks, the club’s inability to register him instantly once again left them open for ridicule from opposing fans.

Thankfully for Barca supporters, that potential disaster has now been averted and one of Spain’s stars during their Euro 2024 title win should be ready to start for them here at the Mestalla. He’ll also prove to be a vital cog throughout the season as they chase down rivals Real Madrid who finished on top last season and clear of the Catalan club by a whopping ten points.

That push for the top could prove incredibly difficult with Kylian Mbappé arriving in the capital, and although Barcelona should prove to be too strong for Valencia in this season opening fixture, new boss Hansi Flick could really struggle throughout the course of this campaign to get the better of Carlo Ancelotti at Real.

(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.