The Pulse of Football

Feb

2026

Preview: Rejuvenated Man United travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium

Everton are unbeaten against Manchester United over their past three meetings, but are winless at their new home since early December.

By Filip Mishov

Former United manager, David Moyes, faces his former player, Michael Carrick

Everton went into their two-week break with a lot of areas to work on after suffering a comeback defeat to AFC Bournemouth last time out home, which only continued the Merseyside club’s poor form since the turn of the year. The David Moyes-led squad is one of the lowest scoring in the Premier League and only five teams (all from the bottom half of the table) have scored fewer goals (29) after 26 rounds played. With the Toffees celebrating only a couple of wins, both on the road, from eight matches across all competitions in 2026 (2W, 3D, 3L), the Blues are sitting in ninth place and eight points behind United, who occupy fifth place.

Fresh from winning the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award for January, Michael Carrick is strengthening his case for staying at the helm on a permanent basis . Even though the Englishman’s honeymoon start was halted by West Ham at the London Stadium, Manchester United are on a five-match unbeaten run under his guidance, and the Red Devils remain the only undefeated side in the top flight during 2026.

However, Bruno Fernandes & co. have struggled away from Old Trafford this season, and with just four wins, six draws and three losses, accompanied by a neutral goal difference, being some cause for concern.

Key players

James Garner starred at the Theatre of Dreams back in November last year with the 10-man Everton coming away victorious and the Carrington graduate is deservedly catching the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of the March international break. With that being said, the versatile midfielder whose idol is interestingly, Steven Gerrard, is the Blues’ highest-rated (7.45) player this season. He also leads the Everton squad in terms of accurate passes per 90 (41.2), big chances created (9) and interceptions per 90 (1.5), which speaks volumes about his quality on and off the ball.

Benjamin Šeško is continuing to impress of late but the talented striker is still waiting for his first start under Carrick despite earning United four points over the past three matches with his goals. Only Bryan Mbeumo (9) has scored more league goals (6) and the Slovenian is averaging 1.9 shots on target per 90, with only the current leading goalscorer, Erling Haaland, boasting a better record for this metric in the Premier League. Is it the right time to unleash Šeško from the first whistle?

Team news

Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined with a back injury and the Dutch centre-back is targeting a return next month alongside Patrick Dorgu, while Mason Mount is getting closer to being fit.

For Everton, Jake O’Brien is suspended after getting sent off against the Cherries, while Jack Grealish underwent foot surgery and is out for the season.

Prediction

Everton have scored more than one goal in a match only twice so far in 2026, and although I do not rule out Iliman Ndiaye & co. finding a way past Senne Lammens, Manchester United have enough firepower to record a debut win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and move back in to the top four and closer to the leading trio in the table.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2026

Preview: Igor Tudor debuts in crucial North London Derby

Formerly managerless Spurs take on title favourites Arsenal on Sunday in a North London Derby laden with almost too much narrative.

By Ian King

Spurs and Arsenal are undergoing very different psychodramas at the moment

The soap opera that is Tottenham Hotspur ended its last episode on a cliffhanger; a new head coach that no-one was expecting and then a short break before a derby against local rivals who are showing frayed edges in their chase for a first league title in more than twenty years. Welcome, Igor ‘The Firefighter’ Tudor. This is what is known as a ‘baptism of fire.’ Spurs remain without a win in any competition bar the Champions League in 2026.

Arsenal’s last outing at Wolves also felt as though it was following some sort of script, although any storyline involving a league leader who’d been wobbling going to a team miles adrift at the bottom of the table, racing into a two-goal lead, throwing it away thanks to a – frankly hilarious – stoppage-time defensive mix-up and then completely losing their heads at the final whistle would probably be rejected by most producers as a little too unbelievable.

Arsenal have the upper hand in previous meetings between these two

Historically, in recent meetings and in their previous match this season, Arsenal have a clear upper hand in this fixture. They won their first meeting in 1896 – although it wasn’t a local derby then – have 90 wins to Spurs’ 67 over the intervening 130 years, have won six of the sides’ last seven meetings, and swatted them aside by a comfortable 4-1 margin at The Emirates Stadium earlier this season. They’ve even won the league at White Hart Lane twice, in both 1971 and 2004.

This match could be an opportunity for two creative players with a bit of a point to prove

It was reported last week that, even though Spurs had given their players five days off to rest, Xavi Simons opted not to take it and carried on training anyway. In amongst all the doom and gloom around The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the new year, Simons has been quietly putting together a run of decent performances, and has the creativity to be able to unlock the Arsenal defence.

That Spurs are expected to try out a three-man defence for this match could provide Arsenal with attacking opportunities, which could provide room for Bukayo Saka, who was one of the few Arsenal players to put in a decent shift at Wolves, even though he had to be withdrawn with a knock. Moving him into the centre seemed to work for Mikel Arteta, and it can hardly be said that there won’t be opportunities for him to potentially exploit.

The Spurs injury list remains as long as ever, but Arsenal’s worries aren’t as bad as had been anticipated

WIlson Odobert has twanged his ACL and is now out for the season for Spurs, joining Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski in a treatment room which will presumably be having an extension built on it at the end of the season.

Richarlison was spotted training this week, but there’s been little indication that he’ll be ready to start this match, so expect to see Randal Kolo Muani supporting Dominic Solanke up front. Cristian Romero is, as he tends to be rather too often, suspended. Tudor prefers a back three, so João Palhinha may join Radu Drăgușin and Micky Van De Van at the back.

For Arsenal, Bukayo Saka limped off against Wolves but is expected to be okay for this match, and there’s a good chance that Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz will return from injury too. Mikel Merino is probably out for the remainder of the season, while Max Dowman is due back some time around the end of the month, but won’t be ready for this match.

For both teams, this is a match being played at both the best of times and the worst of times

The North London Derby might have been renamed the “Oh, Do We Have To?” Derby in recent years for Spurs, and the ease with which Arsenal brushed them aside earlier this season is an obvious concern about their prospects for this match.

But much has been made of Igor Tudor’s ability to quickly turn around a team’s fortunes, so there is a version of this storyline in which the new manager carves himself a little place in the club’s history by getting a result of this match. Who will turn up for this match? Will Doctor Tottenham be on call, or has that 999 call to Emergency Paramedic Tudor already performed some effective triage on them?

And Arsenal are wobbling. They’ve only won two of their last seven, and their commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table has been whittled away. With Manchester City playing on Saturday night, it could be as little as two points by the time you read this.

*The top of the table before Saturday’s games*

In addition to this, their performance at Wolves – a team already essentially, if not mathematically, relegated – only added credence to the theory that they may not have the mental fortitude to be able to hold onto the top spot until the end of this season.

This is, therefore, a match with a full spectrum of potential outcomes. If Igor Tudor has waved a magic wand and goes with a formation that works for them while Arsenal put in a performance like they did at Molineux in the week, Spurs could take something from this game and blow a hole in their bitter rivals’ title ambitions. But if any of these outcomes don’t come to pass, we’d realistically expect Arsenal to do to Spurs again what they did earlier this season.

The answer to this is probably somewhere in the middle. Ultimately, this is top of the table away to a team in a relegation fight, and that reality makes it impossible to predict much beyond a win for the title-chasers. I’ll go 1-0 to the Arsenal, but this really does feel like a match with a plentiful number of potential outcomes.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Liverpool head to a Forest side looking for a new manager bounce

The Vítor Pereira era kicks off at the City Ground this weekend as Nottingham Forest host reigning champions Liverpool.

By Sam McGuire

Unwanted history

Nottingham Forest have just appointed their fourth manager of the campaign, a Premier League record. Following the 0-0 draw with bottom of the table Wolves, Sean Dyche was dismissed and Pereira was appointed. The Portuguese tactician worked under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis when he took charge of Olympiakos in 2015 for a brief stint.

The pair have reunited at the City Ground with Forest hoping the one-time Porto boss can keep them in the Premier League. With 12 matches left to play this season, they’re just three points above the drop zone and have won only two of their last 10 outings in the English top-flight.

There haven’t been many home comforts for Forest this term either. They’ve won three of their 13 matches at home in the Premier League, averaging a goal a game and conceding 1.38. They have, however, drawn their last three at the City Ground, holding Arsenal to a 0-0 draw, claiming a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace before the 0-0 with Wolves last time out.

Forest did also stun Fenerbahće in the Europa League on Thursday evening, claiming a 3-0 win in Istanbul.

Liverpool, meanwhile, stuck with manager Arne Slot despite the Dutchman coming under severe pressure just a few months after guiding the Reds to the Premier League title.

A 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield was perhaps the lowpoint of the season for Liverpool and it forced Slot into making changes to his system. It even saw him drop Mohamed Salah.

The Reds did manage to put together a rather unconvincing 12 match unbeaten run across all competitions before defeat to Bournemouth. Slot’s side have won four of their consequent five though, scoring 15 times in the process. In a recent press conference, the former Feyenoord boss said Liverpool need to be near perfect to claim a top four finish this season, meaning Sunday is a must-win games.

Easier said than done. Perhaps surprisingly, Slot has yet to taste victory against Nottingham Forest.

Key Players

For the hosts, the main man is once again Morgan Gibbs-White. It’ll be interesting to see whether Forest can keep hold of him again this summer having fended off Tottenham ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The England international leads the way for goal involvements with nine.

For Liverpool, the focus will be on Mohamed Salah. He’s been scoring and assisting since returning from AFCON and his return coincides with Liverpool finding the back of the net on 20 occasions across their last seven outings. If anyone can fire the Reds into the top four, it’s him.

Team News

Matz Selz and Chris Wood are definitely out for Nottingham Forest but Murillo and Nicolo Savona could be back after missing the draw with Wolves.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are ruled out for the season for Liverpool while Stefan Bajčetić, Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak are out for the foreseeable future. Dominik Szoboszlai – whose importance we profiled earlier this week – will return to the starting XI in the Premier League having missed the 1-0 win over Sunderland after picking up a red card against Manchester City.

Prediction

We’re sticking with a narrow win for Liverpool regardless of the changes in the home dugout. Let’s go with 2-1.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Barcelona playing catch up against relegation threatened Levante

Back to back defeats and a lack of options to rotate have left Hansi Flick complaining about Barcelona running out of steam this week; home to struggling Levante though has to be nothing but a win to get the title tilt back on track.

By Karl Matchett

Defensive deficiencies

While Flick might hope to outscore most teams Barca come up against, the last two defeats have revealed a more immediate problem: they have been continually exposed at the back, with six conceded across those matches and a combined xG allowed of 5.23 suggesting it was far from undeserved. That included a massive nine big chances being conceded – with Girona, not Atlético Madrid in the 4-0 cup loss, racking up five of them – despite just 29% possession.

Eric García for one might find himself in line to be “rested” if Ronald Araújo’s fitness can hold up. He scored an own goal and was sent-off against Atleti, then was booked and hooked last weekend in the league clash.

Title talk

It’s just one of two again in Spain this year in terms of a title, even though we’re only in February. Barcelona start the weekend two points behind Real Madrid but ten ahead of Villarreal – given they’ve both won the same number of games it’s looking like defences will decide the title, so if you underperform in any given game, keep a clean sheet and make sure you don’t lose it. Madrid are inches ahead in that regard so far.

The end is nigh

Levante’s season really crumbled across autumn and the start of winter, as they lost five straight games in LaLiga. A new year burst of form saw them defeated only once in six outings to make up a little ground towards safety, but since then it has been back to the bad – three defeats in a row leave them seven points from safety. Barring a bit of a miracle run, the team with the worst defensive record in Spain’s top flight are going to make a swift exit after just one season back among the elite.

Recent form

Barcelona had won six in a row prior to those recent losses to Atlético and Girona, while at home in LaLiga this term it’s 11 wins from 11 games and just five goals conceded. Levante have actually won more points away (11) than at home (7) but it would still be a major shock for them to get a result.

Team news

Marcus Rashford should be back for Barca, but Pedri is probably set to miss out. Gavi and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined.

For Levante, Kervin Arriaga is suspended and Pablo Martínez will sit the match out with a leg issue. The visitors are awaiting a verdict on Unai Elgezabal’s fitness.

Key man

Lamine Yamal is second in LaLiga for combined goals and assists this season (18), third for shots per 90 (4.6) and top for chances created (58). However, he’s Barcelona creative key because he’s top by miles when it comes to big chances created – 21, compared to next-best 11 for Luis Milla and Arda Güler.

Prediction

It might not be pretty but a win is a win, and Barcelona should manage it this time out: Barcelona 2-0 Levante.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Real Madrid aiming to stretch LaLiga advantage as they face Osasuna

Real Madrid benefitted from a shock slip up from Barcelona in the last round of games to remain at the summit of LaLiga.

By Ross Kilvington

Having defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 on Saturday evening in what was an impressive display by Álvaro Arbeloa’s men, Barcelona suffered a surprise defeat to Girona on Monday.

As such, Los Blancos have the opportunity to extend their advantage to five points when they travel to face Osasuna on Saturday.

Álvaro Arbeloa is turning into a shrewd appointment for Real Madrid

When the Spaniard was announced as Xabi Alonso’s replacement earlier this year, there were plenty of doubters.

Losing 3-2 to second tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey was hardly the finest of debuts, but things have only gotten better since then.

In LaLiga, the club have won five consecutive matches to overhaul Barcelona at the top of the table.

During those games, Real have scored 12 goals and conceded only twice in the process. In midweek, Arbeloa led his side to revenge against Benfica, winning the first leg of their knockout playoff clash 1-0 in the Champions League.

Three weeks prior, the Portuguese giants claimed a 4-2 victory which condemned Real to the playoffs, but Arbeloa adapted ahead of the rematch.

More importantly, however, is Vinícius Júnior’s return to form under the interim coach. He scored just seven goals under Alonso, but he has already registered eight goal contributions in just eight games for Arbeloa.

He scored the winner against Benfica on Wednesday and another game-winning performance wouldn’t go amiss this weekend.

Osasuna are on a good run of form

Real wont have it all their own way in Pamplona, especially considering the solid run of form Osasuna are currently on.

Although they occupy tenth place in the table, the club have won three of their previous five league matches, drawing the other two.

Striker Ante Budimir has been excellent of late. The Croatian has scored five goals across Osasuna’s last five matches, including a brace in the 3-2 win over Real Oviedo.

Overall, he has scored 11 goals in LaLiga this season, which ranks him fourth on the list of top scorers this campaign. He could pose a big threat to Real this weekend.

Team news

For this match, the home side will be without Iker Benito due to a cruciate ligament injury and Flavien Boyomo, who is struggling with an ankle issue.

Arbeloa wont be able to call on a trio of players, as Jude Bellingham (hamstring), Éder Militão (tendon injury) and Rodrygo (hamstring) remain absent for Real.

Prediction

Real Madrid won this fixture 1-0 at the start of the season and they will be expecting another victory over Osasuna this weekend.

While the home side are unbeaten in five matches, it will take a near perfect display for them to grab all three points at the Estadio El Sadar.

Following a solid victory over Benfica in midweek, Arbeloa’s men head into this game high on confidence.

As such, Real will extend their lead at the top of the league table with a comfortable victory.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Manchester City host Newcastle United with a big chance to close the gap to the top

Manchester City’s title race fate is now in their own hands after Arsenal’s shock midweek draw with bottom-club Wolves. They’ll have the chance to move within two points of the Gunners when they host Newcastle on Saturday night.

By Neel Shelat

Newcastle’s struggles at the Etihad Stadium

Newcastle United have been quite competitive against Manchester City since their change in ownership, as they’ve come away with results in each of the last four seasons — including a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture. However, those have all been on home turf, as the Magpies are continuing to endure a torrid run in Manchester.

City have won the last 12 meetings between these sides at the Etihad Stadium, with the number going up to 16 if we only focus on the league. In fact, they have only been defeated once at home by Newcastle United in the Premier League — all the way back in 2000.

Clean sheets hard to come by for the visitors

Newcastle United are 10th going into the weekend with a perfectly balanced record of 10 wins, six draws and 10 defeats in the league, as well as a neutral goal difference thanks to 37 goals scored and conceded.

The Magpies’ attack has looked pretty good in recent weeks as their big win over Qarabağ took them to 14 scored in the last five matches across all competitions, though the 5,000-mile round trip won’t have helped them in preparation for this match. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that they have not kept a clean sheet in all eight matches over the last month.

*Premier League clean sheets this season*

Team news

Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić are two certain absentees for Manchester City, while Savinho’s return is unlikely in this match. Jérémy Doku and Max Alleyne are both listed as doubtful, with the former recovering from a calf injury he picked up against Galatasaray.

John Stones made his first start in close to three months in the FA Cup tie against Salford City last weekend. Erling Haaland sat that game out, but should be good to go for this one.

Newcastle United suffered a big setback after their last league match as they learned that captain and top-scorer Bruno Guimarães will be out until April. He joins Valentino Livramento, Fabian Schär, Lewis Miley and Emil Krafth on the injury list, while Yoane Wissa is unlikely to feature as well.

Key players

After enduring quite a dry patch by his standard around the turn of the year, Haaland scored in consecutive games for the first time since December with goals against Liverpool and Fulham. Antoine Semenyo has also hit the ground running for Manchester City and already has two excellent performances against Newcastle under his belt after their recent meeting in the Carabao Cup semifinals.

Rúben Dias will have to be on his A game as Anthony Gordon is the player to watch for the visitors after his four-goal haul in midweek. Newcastle will also need big shifts from Sandro Tonali and Sven Botman if they are to keep a lid on City’s attack.

Prediction

Manchester City will be quite confident going into this game after their 5-1 aggregate win in the EFL Cup semi-final, so they should be backed for a multi-goal win.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Chelsea take on Scott Parker’s Burnley

Liam Rosenior’s fairly kind run of fixtures in the Premier League comes to an abrupt end after they host Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. With a top four finish still well and truly in the balance, this feels like a must win.

By Alex Roberts

It’s the time of the season when the struggling teams love to pull out some surprise results. West Ham we’re unlucky to draw against Man United, while Wolves threw a spanner in the works with a 2-2 draw at Arsenal. Burnley will be hoping to keep up appearances here.

Chelsea continue to be a team of two-halves. Their 2-2 draw with Leeds just about sums up their season so far, playing well and looking comfortable in the first, just to go and throw it all away in the second. At least Rosenior’s side were able to put it behind them with a 4-0 FA Cup win over Hull City.

Andrey Santos’ time to shine

One of the biggest narratives to come out of Rosenior’s time at the club so far is how Santos has played a much more prominent role. The Brazilian starred for him at Strasbourg, and they’re clearly building on that relationship here.

Santos has started eight of the 11 games Rosenior has been in the dugout so far and hasn’t looked out of place playing with more senior stars. Under Enzo Maresca, he played a little further forward, it’s clear that Rosenior sees him as a deeper midfielder.

Still, arguably Santos’ best performance in a Chelsea shirt came under Maresca, in the reverse fixture against Burnley. With Moisés Caicedo a little out of sorts in recent weeks, this could be a perfect opportunity for Santos to once again lay down a marker.

Not giving up just yet

With 18 points from their 26 games, few would be surprised to see the Burnley players down tools. Their 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace last time out proves otherwise, however, and perhaps a miracle is on.

Jaidon Anthony has been Burnley’s standout performer so far this season, leading the team in goals (six), goal involvements (seven), and chances created (24) in the Premier League. Scott Parker needs him to keep it up at the very least.

There is still plenty of Premier League football to be played between now and the end of the season, for Burnley, it’s 12 games. It’s been one of the weirdest we’ve seen in sometime, we have no doubt there will be plenty of twists and turns still to come.

Team news

Cole Palmer is expected to return to the side after Rosenior admitted to managing his minutes and not playing him against Hull, but the big news is that Marc Cucurella is out with a hamstring injury.

The lesser spotted Roméo Lavia is back on contention and could get a few minutes. Given his constant injury issues, though, it’s incredibly unlikely that he starts.

Chelsea will also be without Levi Colwill (ACL), Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Dário Essugo (thigh), and Filip Jörgensen (knock).

As for Burnley, they’ve got plenty of injury issues too. Axel Tuanzebe (Achilles Tendon), Connor Roberts (strain), Jordan Beyer (knee), Josh Cullen (ACL), Mike Tresor (ankle), and Zeki Amdouni (ACL) are all out.

Prediction

If the past round of fixtures have proven anything, it’s that the sides in the relegation zone aren’t done just yet. So, we’re going with a 1-1 draw in West London.

(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.

Feb

2026

Inter Miami look locked and reloaded for 2026 season start

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are once again the team to beat as the 2026 Major League Soccer season gets under way.

By Graham Ruthven

By the time Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got their hands on the 2025 MLS Cup, nobody could doubt them as the most formidable force in Major League Soccer. They might not have won the Supporters’ Shield (handed out to the team that wins the regular season), but by blowing away every opponent in the post-season Inter Miami made a statement.

That statement wasn’t just that the South Floridians were MLS’s best in 2025, it was that Messi and co. were ready to dominate for years to come. The World Cup winner has lost some of his Catalonian contingent since the end of last season with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets now retired. However, Miami have retooled over the off-season and could be even stronger in 2026.

*The Miami side that played in the 2025 MLS Cup final*

Sergio Reguilón has arrived as the direct replacement for Alba at left back. While the former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur defender might not have the attacking ability of Alba, he is still only 29 and should give Inter Miami more coverage through his mobility. Their defence could benefit as a result.

David Ayala has joined from the Portland Timbers and is expected to fill Busquets’ position at the base of the midfield. The 23-year-old is a long way from being at the same level as the legend he is replacing, but Ayala’s youthfulness could help make Inter Miami a more aggressive team this season.

Until the playoffs, Miami had been vulnerable to the opposition counter-attack. This was exposed by Atlanta United in the 2024 playoffs, when Messi and co. suffered an early exit, and was a game plan copied by many other sides. There was a stretch last year during which Inter Miami conceded 18 goals in just six matches.

A suspension to Luis Suárez at the start of the 2025 playoffs, however, changed everything. With the Uruguayan unavailable, Javier Mascherano fielded Tadeo Allende on one side of the attack and Mateo Silvetti on the other. Almost overnight, Miami became a more proactive out-of-possession team capable of pressing from the front.

Suárez never regained his place in the lineup. In the MLS Cup final win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, the former Barcelona and Liverpool striker never even made it off the bench. Mascherano found a system that worked and most expect him to run it back for the 2026 season.

Germán Berterame could be Inter Miami’s new focal point. Signed from Monterrey for a hefty transfer fee of $15m having proved himself as one of the best centre forwards in Liga MX, many expect him to make a profound impact on MLS this season even if it’s not immediately clear where he will fit into the lineup.

*Berterame’s player traits compared with strikers in similar leagues*

It’s easier to work out in defence where Micael will slot into the middle of the backline. The Brazilian is well-known to MLS fans who remember his time at Houston and should be a significant upgrade for an Inter Miami side that often struggled for a strong defensive presence last season.

Then there’s Dayne St Clair. Widely considered the best goalkeeper in MLS last year, the Canadian has taken a pay cut to join Inter Miami, hinting at the pull they have as a club. Everyone wants to play with Messi, even if it means being paid less. This is what the rest of the league is up against.

“I am satisfied with the signings we have made,” said Mascherano when asked about Miami’s off-season business. “I think it’s never easy when, in this type of MLS system, and especially in the specific case of the club, when you are champions and important players leave, as has happened to us, it’s never easy to replace them.

*The Miami side for their most recent preseason friendly*

“I think the club has been very agile and very intelligent in its search for many players and in taking advantage of opportunities,” continued Mascherano, also highlighting the addition of Facundo Mura at right back. “The club looked for opportunities, and I think that by being so agile in that search, they were able to find solutions.”

MLS Cup might not be Inter Miami’s primary aim in 2026 as it was in 2025. The club wants to become continental champions by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Leagues Cup will also be a target with the Supporters’ Shield their bread and butter through the bulk of the campaign.

Inter Miami’s season won’t be defined by whether or not they win a trophy, but by how many trophies they win. There has never been a MLS franchise so determined to dominate. So determined to push the boundaries of what can be achieved within MLS’s restrictive roster rules. Glory in 2025 could lead to something even greater in 2026.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2026

Elversberg, the German minnows plotting their fairytale rise through the leagues

Plenty of us have been down the pub, a few pints in, talking utter nonsense about how we would transform the football clubs we support, only for it all to be forgotten amidst the following morning’s haze.

By Alex Roberts

Well, those behind the scenes at Elversberg must have asked the bartender for a pen and had a couple of waters while they were seeing off their beers, because their plan, formulated at a meeting in a pub, to take the tiny club from the German fourth tier to the Bundesliga is working.

Based in a town with a rough population of 13,000 and backed by local entrepreneurs, including father and son duo Dominik and Frank Holzer, with a strong community approach, rather than a vast transfer budget, Elversberg made the leap from the fourth tier to the 2 Bundesliga in three seasons.

In 2024/25 they faced huge clubs like Hamburg, FC Köln, and Schalke, who have a combined 17 Bundesliga titles between them, all vying to return to the top flight, and did much more than hold their own.

Elversberg finished third, meaning they would have to face the Bundesliga’s 16^th placed side, FC Heidenheim, in a two-legged play-off to determine whether they would go up or stay where they are.

The first leg was away at the Voith-Arena. At half time, everything was looking rosy for Horst Steffen’s promotion hopefuls, with goals from Lukas Petkov and Fisnik Asllani giving them a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Then, two goals in just two minutes from FC Heidenheim turned what would have been a great result into an okay one. As they say, 2-0 is the most dangerous scoreline in football, just ask Mikel Arteta.

Steffen’s lads still had every right to feel confident heading into the second leg at home having out played Heidenheim in the first. Just nine minutes in though, that confidence melted away and anxiety started to set in.

Winger Mathias Honsak gave Heidenheim the lead after going one-on-one with ‘keeper Nicolas Kristof. Just after the 30-minute mark, then Elversberg captain Robin Fellhauer managed to restore parity.

Elversberg continued to dominate the game but couldn’t do anything with all their possession. Heidenheim knew they would have their chance, and it finally happened in the 95^th minute when Leo Scienza snatched their late winner.

It was a devastating defeat, but one of the most beautiful things about football is that, until the planet explodes, there is always going to be another season. Elversberg took some time, reset, and made sure they were ready to go again.

They had a BUSY summer. Elversberg have heavily utilised the loan market throughout their journey up the leagues, meaning there is always a lot of chopping and changing in pre-season.

Elias Baum, Muhammed Damer, Otto Stange, and Frederik Jäkel all returned to their respective parent clubs, but the biggest miss on the pitch will be Asllani. The Kosovan forward, now back at Hoffenheim, was Eversberg’s top scorer with 18 goals and eight assists in the league last season.

Their starting double-pivot also left, with Semih Sahin heading to Kaiserslautern and Robin Fellhauer joining FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga. The vultures came picking, and expectations heading into the new season were low.

The biggest change came in the dugout, however. Steffen, the man responsible for this remarkable story, couldn’t resist the allure of Werder Bremen, and was named as their replacement for Ole Werner, who had joined RB Leipzig. Steffen lasted six months.

So, who do you bring in to replace the man who had done it all? Well, Elversberg landed on Vincent Wagner from Hoffenheim II, offering him his first job in senior management. It was a huge risk, but one that is, so far, paying off.

Again, Elversberg turned to the loan market with a few free transfers and just €3.17m spent to bolster their squad. Compared to the budget of a side like Hertha Berlin and Schalke, it’s chalk and cheese, the club is simply operating in a different financial universe.

One of the smartest things a new manager, coming in to replace another who had been at the club for seven seasons can do is… nothing. Tactically, Wagner clearly subscribes to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ school of thinking.

Elversberg stuck with the 4-2-3-1 formation that has brought them so much success up until this point. They still like to dominate possession, press at a decent level but not excessively, and using their wide players to create chances.

The 2. Bundesliga is incredibly tight this season, just three points separate first place Schalke and fifth place Paderborn, with Elversberg right in the middle like Malcolm. Sitting in the play-off spot once again, Wagner’s side continue to defy expectations.

Their start to the campaign was fantastic, dropping points just twice in their opening nine league games, a 2-0 defeat to Bochum and a 2-2 draw with Dynamo Dresden. A slip was inevitable, however, and results since October haven’t been quite as productive.

A 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin should be regarded as their best up until this point. Hertha were Bundesliga regulars up until their relegation in 2022/23 and despite some really disappointing finishes, they remain a decent side.

Younes Ebnoutalib was the man to get both goals. The striker was prolific over the first-half of the season, scoring 12 goals in his 17 2. Bundesliga games. As is so often the case, that means bigger clubs come calling, and Ebnoutalib moved to Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported €8 million in January.

No longer in any cup competitions, Elversberg now have 12 games to determine whether they’ll end up in the Bundesliga next season or not. They may well be one of the best run clubs in Germany, a country in which the bar is pretty damn high.

It turns out pubs aren’t just important in the bid to cure the male loneliness epidemic; they’re also space in which fairytales can be written. Elversberg are just the latest.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the 2. Bundesliga on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

Mallorca’s Muriqi is Mbappe’s unlikely challenger for the Pichichi Trophy

LaLiga has changed a lot since the early 2000s. The money flows upwards, and so, as a consequence, there can be a lack of quality strikers outside of the top three clubs. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé leads the scoring charts with 23 in his 22 league games.

By Alex Roberts

On the reverse, it allows relatively unknown players to really make a name for themselves. This season, that man has been Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi, who, ironically enough, looks like he would THRIVE in 2003.

Standing at a healthy 6’4”, the 31-year-old Kosovan should be introduced like a boxer before every game. He’s already well on course to beat his best ever season in front of goal with 16 in 23 games, just one behind his 2016-17 tally while with Turkish side Rizespor.

He is a bit of a battering ram, an old school number nine, a lot like Mario Mandžukić, for those of us who remember. Muriqi’s creative numbers aren’t good, but that’s not his job, he’s in the side make a nuisance of himself and bag goals.

Each of his goals so far this season have come from inside the six-yard box, but he’s evolved far beyond being a simple target man, he’s Mallorca’s focal point, the key to everything they want to do going forward.

Strong in duels, aggressive in aerials, with deceptively intelligent positioning, Mallorca’s 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, and 5-3-2 systems are uniquely reliant on Muriqi being their outlet, with a more mobile forward playing off him, usually one of Mateo Joseph or Abdón Prats.

Muriqi often drops deep to help in build-up, using his combative style and great first touch to help bring other forwards into play. As we mentioned, he’s not a Harry Kane style creator with just 76 successful passes in the final third, but he is intentional.

*Muriqi’s player traits compared with similar strikers in big 5 leagues*

Strong, with a good first touch for a big lad, and most importantly, reliable, Muriqi’s profile allows his side to play in a less traditionally Spanish manner. Simply put, he’s the perfect striker for a side that look to play on the counter.

Mallorca aren’t too bothered about keeping the ball, Jagoba Arrasate’s side have the 17^th lowest average possession on LaLiga (43.7%), the fourth most accurate long balls per match with 26.2, and the third most accurate crosses per match at 4.9.

Looking at his numbers, it’s easy to tell where he excels. Muriqi has so far won 154 duels at a success rate of 53.3%, 101 aerials at a success rate of 56.1%, had 106 touches in the opposition box, won 39 fouls, and been dispossessed just 25 times.

Just to really double down on how important Muriqi is, the rest of his Mallorca teammates have had a combined 301 touches in the opposition box. It’s just a shame all of the striker’s hard work may be for absolutely nothing.

*Muriqi’s shot map in LaLiga this season*

Mallorca are down in 18^th, one point off Rayo Vallecano and safety. Muriqi keeps scoring, but for every two steps he takes forward, the rest of the team take three backwards. It’s turns out there is such a thing as over reliance in football.

Their second highest goal scorer is defensive midfielder Samu with four, the closest forward is Leeds United loanee Joseph with two. If Muriqi hadn’t been so clinical so far this season, Mallorca would have already been relegated… essentially.

Muriqi is overperforming his xG of 11.77 by 4.23, which is quite remarkable considering five of his LaLiga goals have been penalties. That makes him the league’s second highest performer, just behind Villarreal winger Alberto Moleiro, who has been playing out of his skin this season.

Much of that can be explained by the fact Muriqi LOVES to get his head on the end of crosses. Headers, naturally, are harder to control, so the xG is lower, meaning six of his goals have come from an xG of 3.01.

His best was in their 3-1 win over Elche last December. Midfielder Omar Mascarell carried the ball from the halfway line to the left wing, beating a couple of defenders along the way before sending in the perfect ball for Muriqi to get his big noggin on.

Remember Robin van Persie’s flying header in the Netherlands’ 5-1 win over Spain in the 2014 World Cup? Well, it was a diluted, much less dramatic version of that, looping over the goalkeeper from roughly the same distance.

His goal in the 2-1 defeat to Real Betis on Sunday (February 15), makes Muriqi just the second player in the club’s history to hit 50 in La Liga. The striker now has the incredible Samuel Eto’o (54) in his sights as he aims to become their greatest ever front man.

With 14 games left to play, and LaLiga survival on the line, we wouldn’t bet against him equalling that record as a minimum. In all honestly, he’ll probably do it with all headers too, just to make it extra special.

If you want us to tell you he’ll end up beating Mbappé to the Pichichi Trophy (LaLiga’s golden boot), we apologise, we can’t do it. The Frenchman may well be the best forward on the planet at the moment; there is a very select few players that can compete in any meaningful way.

Keeping his side in LaLiga will undoubtedly be Muriqi’s ultimate goal. If he doesn’t, it’s incredibly unlikely he sticks around to lead them back up, although living and seeing out a career on the beautiful island of Mallorca doesn’t sound too bad.

(Images from IMAGO)

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