For the first time in a while, the two Merseyside clubs go head-to-head, where they could be battling to finish in a similar position in the Premier League.
If the Toffees win, they go within just two points of their rivals and are in contention for a spot in the Champions League.
In this fixture last season, at Goodison Park, Everton secured a 98th-minute draw as James Tarkowski volleyed home an equaliser.
Recent H2H record
Team news
It was a positive press conference from David Moyes this week as he discussed team news ahead of the game. The Everton boss should have a fully fit squad, barring Jack Grealish, with Carlos Alcaraz now ready to be involved.
Moyes has to decide whether he wants his side to sit back and absorb pressure, or press high up the pitch to try to win the ball back. Liverpool struggled at times against PSG during the week when the French outfit applied pressure when the Reds tried to build out, and that could be key for Everton this weekend.
Only four sides in the Premier League have won possession in the final third more than Everton this season. Slot might be expecting the Toffees to sit deeper, but there’s every chance Everton look to take the game to them in front of their home crowd.
Who’s going to pounce in the box?
It’s been a difficult season for Liverpool, struggling to replicate the heights of their previous campaign. Plenty has gone wrong, but there’s no doubt they are getting the ball into the right areas.
No side has more touches inside the opposition box, but without Ekitike and Alexander Isak not being fully fit, who is going to be pouncing in the area? Liverpool fans will be hoping Isak is ready to start firing, but Slot has already confirmed he’s not ready to play 90 minutes.
Rio vs O’Brien
The most interesting match-up could be Rio Ngumoha against Jake O’Brien. Rio has started two of Liverpool last three Premier League games, scoring against Fulham last time out, and there’s every chance Slot hands him another start.
His pace and trickery could be key for Liverpool, and he’s up against O’Brien, who couldn’t be more of an opposite physical profile, standing at almost two metres tall. O’Brien is no slouch when it comes to a foot race, either, so it could be an interesting battle.
Prediction
The Merseyside derby is always a cagey affair, and we’re expecting no different this weekend. Everton are unbeaten in the last three meetings on their own turf, so we’re going for a 1-1 draw.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Even as top-of-the-table clashes go, Sunday’s encounter between Manchester City and Arsenal deserves a big billing. It could be a season-defining match for both teams.
What once looked like Arsenal’s title now appears to be slipping from the grip of Mikel Arteta and his players. The Gunners have won just one of their last five fixtures in all competitions and can ill-afford another defeat after last weekend’s damaging home loss to Bournemouth.
City, on the other hand, have won five of their last seven in the league including a statement victory away to Chelsea last weekend. Pep Guardiola has the scent of another title in his nostrils.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 11 home matches against Arsenal in all competitions and haven’t lost to anyone at home in the league since the opening day of the season.
Momentum seems to be with Guardiola’s team even if Arsenal still hold a six-point advantage at the top of the table. A City win might make them favourites to win a seventh Premier League title in nine years.
Key players
Rayan Cherki embodies the difference between City and Arsenal at the moment. While the Gunners are struggling for open play creativity, the French playmaker is producing assists for fun as the chasers close the gap on the leaders.
Indeed, Cherki has registered 10 Premier League assists this season despite starting just 15 matches. He is the creative force pushing Manchester City forward in the title race.
Erling Haaland has scored more goals than any other player in the Premier League this season, but has drawn a blank in six of his last eight outings for City. His goalscoring hasn’t been as consistent as in previous seasons.
Jérémy Doku is averaging more successful dribbles per 90 than any other player in the Premier League and will be a threat in the wide areas against Arsenal.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi will be tasked with controlling the centre of the pitch for the visitors to the Etihad Stadium with the former particularly impressive in Arsenal’s mid-week Champions League performance against Sporting CP.
Arteta has a decision to make over the identity of his centre forward with Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz capable of playing that position, albeit in a very different way.
Arsenal’s title challenge has been based on defensive solidity, making Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba central to the Gunners’ chances of leaving the Etihad Stadium with a positive result this weekend.
The Gunners have kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League side this season with David Raya another Arsenal player who must find top form against City.
Team news
Nico O’Reilly came off with a muscle injury against Chelsea and is a doubt to feature in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash meaning Guardiola might be forced to reshuffle his defensive line.
Joško Gvardiol is still sidelined with a long-term injury while Rúben Dias and John Stones are concerns ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Arsenal.
At the start of 2026, both sides were in very similar positions, vying for a top four finish. Since then, Man United have pulled away, sitting in third and Chelsea are in danger of falling into mid-table.
Liam Rosenior hasn’t been the inspired appointment BlueCo had hoped he would be. If the Premier League had started when he joined, they would be in ninth, and the 3-0 defeat to Man City last time out is just their latest collapse.
Michael Carrick has been everything Rosenior hasn’t. Clearly commanding the respect of his players and the fans, Man United have gone from looking like a basket case club to one of the more sensible. Not even a 2-1 defeat to Leeds can bring them down.
Bad vibes in West London
Chelsea haven’t even scored a goal in their last four Premier League games, they’re now closer to Bournemouth in 11th, a three-point gap, than they are to Liverpool in 5th, the final Champions League spot this season.
They’ll be hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat. The last time that happened, Frank Lampard was in the middle of his disastrous interim spell in 2023. Rosenior is a lot more like Graham Potter, he’ll probably get until the end of the season though.
To make matters worse, the protests have begun. Fan groups from sister club, Strasbourg, also unhappy with some ridiculous ownership decisions, have made the trip to make their feelings known alongside their Chelsea counterparts ahead of this game. It’s all a complete mess.
Martínez was shown a straight red for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair at Old Trafford in their last game, while Maguire was handed an additional one game ban for improper conduct after having a go at a fourth official.
Still, Heaven and Yoro are two young yet very capable centre-backs, and given Chelsea’s recent goal scoring issues, they may not have too much to worry about. We’re in to the business end of the season, and squads need to be used to their fullest.
Team news
Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernández is back from Chelsea’s self-imposed two game suspension following his flirting with Real Madrid. Hindsight is 20-20, but he was certainly missed in their defeat to City.
Other than their issues at centre back, Man United don’t have too much to worry about. Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) is still out and not expected to return until the end of the month, with the same being said of Kobbie Mainoo (knock).
Prediction
This is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, and we’re expecting it follow suit on Saturday. So, 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Roberto De Zerbi’s honeymoon period at Spurs lasted just over an hour
If there was one at all, Roberto De Zerbi’s honeymoon period at Spurs lasted a few seconds over an hour. That’s how long it took Sunderland to find a way through their porous defence last Sunday, and with West Ham United having already picked up three points on the Friday night, the North London club are now in the bottom three following their 1-0 defeat on Wearside, a place they’ve deserved to occupy since about the start of November.
The relegation picture
De Zerbi’s second match now pitches him against the club with whom he fell out with two years ago, Brighton & Hove Albion. Somewhat ominously for him, his former club – who have broadly been a model of inconsistency throughout this season – are in a bit of a purple patch at the moment, having won five of their last six Premier League matches. They’re in 9th place in the table going into the weekend, and they’re only two points short of a Europa League place for next season.
De Zerbi was the Brighton manager, the last time Spurs beat them
It’s also been two years since Spurs last beat Brighton in a competitive match, when they won 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last season brought a double for the Seagulls, including a 4-1 away win on the final day of the season which acted as something of a canary in the coalmine for this season’s Spurs calamities, while their meeting earlier this season at the Amex ended in a 2-2 draw.
Micky van de Ven needs start proving himself, with a World Cup looming
The injury to Cristian Romero which now seems likely to leave the Argentinian out of the World Cup puts even more pressure on Micky van de Ven. The Dutchman has had one of the most underwhelming seasons of all Spurs players in 2025/26, and he is playing for a place in the Netherlands squad for the upcoming World Cup. There’s certainly been little to warrant his inclusion in his form this year, but it’s not quite too late to turn that around.
At 35 years of age, he seldom plays a full 90 minutes any more, but there’s little question that Danny Welbeck has been Brighton’s star performer this season. With twelve Premier League goals and even calls for him to go to the World Cup with England this summer, Welbeck has been having one of the great Indian summers to a playing career this season, and he can cause even greater damage to an already wounded defence.
At this stage, serious injuries are no longer even a surprise for Spurs
In the latest instalment of this long-running series, Cristian Romero limped from the pitch at the end of the Sunderland match with a knee injury that will keep him out of the remainder of this season and the World Cup. Kevin Danso will most likely replace him in the centre of their defence.
Like most sensible Premier League clubs, Brighton’s injury list is nowhere near as severe as this. Stefanos Tzimas is out for the season and Adam Webster won’t be ready until the end of the month, and captain Lewis Dunk will be missing suspended after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season. One possible returnee is the ageless James Milner, who missed the trip to Burnley but could be ready again for this match.
Time is starting to run out for Spurs to hang onto their Premier League place, but Brighton have Europe on their minds
If Spurs fans had hoped that West Ham’s win against Wolves dropping their team into the bottom three might have sharpened the players’ resolve a little at Sunderland, they ended up mightily disappointed. There has been growing recognition in recent weeks that the players are a huge part of the problem with their club. When they haven’t been injured, they’ve broadly shown themselves to be a limited set of players running on microscopic amounts of confidence.
Those who are already calling this as done and dusted are, of course, being a little premature. There are six games left to play and a couple of wins could have a potentially transformative effect. But the opportunities to steer this listing vessel away from the rocks are diminishing, and it remains as difficult as it has since the new year to see where the win which may galvanise them is even going to come from.
Brighton have had a decent last few weeks and, in a congested middle of the Premier League table, still have a shot at securing European football for next season. This, plus a completely natural and understandable desire to put one over on Roberto De Zerbi makes it difficult to predict anything but a positive result for them.
But Spurs have a lot to play for and their performance at Sunderland wasn’t completely abysmal, so I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw in this one. The real make or break game for Spurs comes next week away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but at this stage of the season every point counts, even if one is no longer enough to lift them out of the bottom three.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Rayan Cherki is an anomaly. Both in the current landscape of the Premier League and Pep Guardiola’s highly-regimented Manchester City set-up. He gets away with things no other City player would. Sometimes he doesn’t, as illustrated by the number of times Guardiola is shown shaking his head at the impish Frenchman like a disapproving parent.
Cherki, however, is the sort of natural creator considered to be rare at the elite level of the English game right now. As the Premier League title race continues to tighten, he could be the player who decides the destination of the trophy this season. If City end up catching Arsenal, Cherki might become the symbol of why.
Cherki’s player traits compared to similar players in Top 5 leagues
Arsenal’s home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday was Mikel Arteta’s team at their worst. The Gunners created just 0.18 Expected Goals (xG) from open play. They struggled badly to construct attacks with the ball and ultimately succumbed to the nervousness that built inside the Emirates Stadium over the course of the match.
24 hours later, Manchester City made a big statement by dismantling Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Guardiola’s side imposed themselves in every possible way with Cherki at the heart of their performance. The Frenchman registered two assists and was irrepressible as he drifted into space wherever he could find it. Chelsea couldn’t handle him.
Cherki shot map vs. Chelsea
In the juxtaposition between the two performances, the difference between the title rivals became clear. Cherki is everything Arsenal are missing. He embodies the cavalier momentum of City’s late title challenge compared to the stiff and stilted form of the frontrunners from North London.
Cherki’s statistics in the Premier League this season make more impressive reading, especially because the 22-year-old has only started 15 games. Only Bruno Fernandes has registered more assists while Cherki ranks above the Manchester United playmaker for Expected Assists per 90. He is also up there for Big Chances created.
“The numbers are incredible and the quality in the first season in the Premier League, he is something unique,” said Guardiola when asked about Cherki’s impact this season. “Rayan has something special. The second goal [against Chelsea], I said choose the pass right and he passed to Marc Guéhi that I could not even see from outside. He is a top talent and again what I said, if Manchester City decide to bring that player in, it is because Manchester City is working really well.”
Cherki’s Premier League passing stats
Guardiola also made comments suggesting he isn’t entirely satisfied with Cherki’s work ethic. The City manager has more than once also slapped the Frenchman on the wrist for showboating at various times this season. Guardiola, however, must be careful not to suppress the natural creativity of his most exciting player.
Arteta might have been guilty of this with Eberechi Eze. Signed for £67.5m from Crystal Palace last summer, the England international was meant to be Arsenal’s Cherki. The creative force capable of producing something out of nothing when his team is struggling to find a way through.
Eze has been that player in a handful of matches, but not enough. Against Bournemouth on Saturday, for example, the 27-year-old came off the bench with 36 minutes still to play, but failed to register a single shot in that time. Eze created one chance and got on the dribble once or twice, yet struggled to make any genuine impact.
Sunday’s top-of-the-table encounter could provide the starkest sign yet of the difference between Arsenal and Manchester City. While the former have a six-point lead to protect, the latter need a win to supercharge their chances of winning a seventh Premier League title in nine years. The stakes could hardly be any greater.
Guardiola’s City remains a work-in-progress. They are still midway through a rebuild that will continue with the exit of Bernardo Silva at the end of the season. There will be further signings made by the Etihad Stadium outfit this summer as they retool the squad for the seasons to come.
Through this process, though, Manchester City have evolved over the course of the campaign. Guardiola has used a variety of different formations and combinations to get to this point. Arsenal, on the other hand, are the same team now they were at the start of the season. They have failed to find an extra dimension.
For Manchester City, Cherki is that extra dimension. The player who sees things others, including his own manager, can’t. The number 10 who is the exception to the rule within Guardiola’s team. The guy who offers something special. Watching him is a joy, unless you’re Arsenal.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Hearts’ title chances surely flashed before their eyes as the clock ticked closer and closer to full time on Saturday. Anything less than a victory at home to Motherwell would have seen the lead of the Scottish title race change just five games from the end of the season. The Jam Tarts, however, scored two late goals to maintain their advantage.
That advantage stands at just one point heading into The Split – the final stage of the Scottish Premiership season when the table splits into the top six and the bottom six. Rangers and Celtic, to a certain extent, are resurgent, but Hearts are still setting the pace even if their matches are increasingly tense.
The league table going into the weekend
Tension is understandable. It’s been 40 years since a non-Old Firm team won the Scottish title. Celtic and Rangers’ duopoly is the strongest of any two sides in Europe yet Hearts have been able to disrupt their dominance. Having come this far, it would be devastating for the Edinburgh outfit were they to be pipped to the post.
Few believed Tony Bloom when he vowed Hearts would challenge for the title this season. The professional gambler had been successful in Belgium and England with his data-driven approach, and few doubted his influence would ultimately improve Hearts, but his pre-season prediction seemed naive.
Five games from the end of Bloom’s first season as Hearts co-owner, he has already delivered on his bullish vow. Derek McInnes’ team have indeed challenged for the title. They have electrified Scottish football at a time when it desperately needed something to shake up the landscape.
For a long time, it appeared Hearts’ only challenge would come from Celtic. Rangers started the season under Russell Martin and struggled for any sort of consistent form. They won just one of their opening eight league fixtures and were humbled by Club Brugge in Champions League qualification.
When Martin was sacked after just 123 days in the job, Rangers hired Danny Röhl to point them in the right direction again. The 2025/26 season already looked to be a write-off, but the charismatic German slowly began to introduce his own ideas to a team that had lacked any sort of coherent identity until then.
With Röhl at the helm, Rangers have played with a stronger defensive footing. Their pressing structure has improved match-by-match over the course of the season while Röhl has managed to get more out of several players including Youssef Chermiti, Mikey Moore and Thelo Aasgaard who had been written off as flops under Martin.
Celtic’s journey to this point of the title race has been even more chaotic. The Hoops have gone through three different managers, hiring Martin O’Neill as interim manager after the sacking of Brenden Rodgers ahead of appointing Wilfried Nancy who lasted just 33 days before bringing back O’Neill.
At 73 years old, O’Neill is merely keeping the seat warm for whoever comes in as Celtic’s next permanent manager this summer. Even still, the legendary Irishman has just about kept the team active in the Scottish title race. O’Neill’s pragmatic style of play hasn’t always been exhilarating to watch, but Celtic are just three points off the top of the table.
“We may be lacking some things as a team, but you could say that about all the teams that are in it. We have a really good spirit and that can carry us through.”
It’s been uttered more than once over the course of the season that this is only the start of Hearts’ rise as a genuine force in Scottish football. That Bloom’s approach will continue to push the Tynecastle side closer and closer to Celtic and Rangers, on and off the field. There’s logic in the argument looking at Bloom’s success at Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise.
However, Bloom’s model will surely see Hearts lose at least one key player this summer. Claudio Braga has been a sensation for the Jam Tarts, scoring 14 league goals. Alexandros Kyziridis is another player who has caught the eye for the Scottish Premiership and could be on the radar of bigger clubs around Europe.
Realistically, Hearts might have to take a step backwards to take another step forward in the seasons to come. Bloom’s model is clearly effective, but would it really be able to immediately replace players like Braga and Kyziridis and the attacking output that would leave with them?
Celtic and Rangers will almost certainly improve too. They surely won’t endure the sort of chaos that saw both sides of the Old Firm shuffle through multiple managers in the same season. This looks like being Hearts’ best chance at becoming the first team since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen to conquer the Scottish game.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Marie-Louise Eta has made history after being appointed interim head coach of Union Berlin for the rest of 2025-26, the first woman to take charge of a men’s club in Europe’s top five leagues. So, who is she?
Steffen Baumgart’s sacking after their 3-1 Bundesliga defeat to FC Heidenheim came as a bit of a shock. Yes, Union Berlin had won just two of their 14 league games since the turn of the year, but with his side in 11th, seven points off the relegation play-off spot, it could have been worse.
Still, Union needed to stop the rot, they’re not yet out of the woods, and anything can happen over the final five games of the season. They looked for some continuity, and Marie-Louise Eta, an objectively exciting young coaching talent, was the obvious choice.
Equal parts predictable and nauseating, the basement dwellers hiding behind anonymous accounts on social media came out in force to let the world know why it’s taken so long for a female manager to get such a job.
The club’s social media team deserve a shoutout, they didn’t let anyone get away with their nonsense. Posting “Gambling’s as stupid as sexism” in response to someone that said they’ll bet against Union Berlin in every game was a personal favourite.
Director of football Horst Heldt isn’t taking any of the “nonsense” either, very clearly rebuking the sexist abuse. “I’ve noticed it, but I also refuse to read or even just expose myself to that kind of nonsense, because for me, this is about quality — leadership quality. We have 100 percent confidence in Loui, complete conviction,” he said.
“I find it insane that we have to deal with this in this day and age. We’re talking about a highly competent leader here, and you can be sure that everyone here at Union, whether in the stands or within the club itself, stands 100 percent behind this decision and will do everything in their power to ensure that this doesn’t lead to any further discussion in the future.
“It’s just embarrassing.”
Eta is used to making history, though. In 2023, Union Berlin appointed her as an assistant coach to then manager Marco Grote, becoming the first woman to take on such a role.
Again, in 2024 Eta became the first woman to lead a Bundesliga team from the dugout, when she deputised for Nenad Bjelica, the man who replaced Grote, while he was suspended. Union won that game, in case you were curious.
Since the start of this season, Eta has played a key role as part of Union Berlin’s U19s coaching set up, and she is set to become the manager of their women’s team in the summer. So, it’s not like she has come out of nowhere.
As a player, she’s played at the very top level. Eta, an energetic midfielder, played for Turbine Potsdam, Hamburger SV, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen, as well as various youth levels with Germany, before being forced into retirement at the end of the 2017/18 season aged 26 due to reoccurring injury issues.
Her time at Turbine Potsdam was by far her best. Eta won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2010, alongside three Frauen-Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Hallenpokal trophies.
Anyone who has watched any of Union’s U19s has lauded them. Full of energy and a confident presence needed to make it in senior football, they were clearly very well coached by Eta, who has a clear philosophy in playing progressive football.
It’s an appointment that also caught the attention of England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman, who was clearly delighted to have seen the glass ceiling broken while speaking ahead of the game against Spain.
“It’s great,” Wiegman said. “She’s a trailblazer. I think this was only a matter of time anyway. It’s exciting, it shows that, again, football is moving up. There are women in society everywhere and the next step is that it’s also in football, male and female.”
There have been plenty of men to manage women’s sides, it’s taken a little while for the reverse to happen. It’s not unheard of, though. Sabrina Wittmann took charge of German third division side Ingolstadt in the summer of 2024.
Wittmann’s story is similar to Eta’s. They’re both 34-years-old and were appointed after impressive runs within their respective club’s youth set-ups. Wittmann is now on course to celebrate her second season at Ingolstadt.
In France, former national team manager, Corinne Diacre was at the helm of Ligue 2 side Clarmont Foot for three years. Across the Channel, in the UK, no woman is yet to take charge of a competitive men’s game.
Hannah Dingley, now girls’ head of academy at Manchester City, had a brief spell as caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers as they prepared for the 2023/24 season before David Horseman took over. Horseman was sacked six months later.
Current USWNT coach Emma Hayes came close. The former Chelsea women’s manager was linked with an EFL side every season, most notably AFC Wimbledon back in 2021. She didn’t deem coaching in the men’s lower leagues as an “upgrade”, and rightfully so.
“Men’s football isn’t ready for female coaches. I’ve said this a million times over. You can find a female pilot, a female doctor, a female lawyer, a female banker. But you can’t find a female coach working in the men’s game, leading men. It shows you how much work there is to be done,” Hayes once said. In England, she’s probably correct.
The papers are signed, Eta’s time as manager of Union Berlin’s men’s side will only be until the end of the season, then she will head over to the women’s team, currently mid-table in the Frauen Bundesliga. So, plenty of parallels.
Globally, the Bundesliga attracts over one billion viewers a season, that’s roughly two billion eyes, give or take, across more than 200 nations. For the first time in history, no matter how short it may be, aspiring female coaches will be able to see someone who truly represents them in the dugout.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Andoni Iraola had masterminded the Cherries’ highest ever Premier League finish and while this proved that the club were on the right track, it also set up a summer of uncertainty regarding their key players.
Indeed, Iraola was powerless to prevent stars such as Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen and Dango Quattara departing for nearly £200m. Add in the fact that Antoine Semenyo was sold in January to Manchester City for £63m, it is incredible to think that Iraola’s men are in a position to challenge for a European spot.
Although draws have been Bournemouth’s kryptonite this season – managing 15 across 32 Premier League matches – only Arsenal and Manchester City have lost more games.
The Cherries have lost just four of their 11 meetings with the current top six (at the time of writing) and sprung a shock last weekend when they dented Arsenal’s title hopes thanks to an impressive 2-1 victory.
Alex Scott netted the winner in the Saturday lunchtime kick off at the Emirates and he has arguably been one of the main reasons why Bournemouth remain firmly in contention for Europe.
Alex Scott powered Bournemouth to win over Arsenal
Arsenal weren’t quite at their fluid best against the Cherries as Iraola’s men took full advantage of the jitters to seal a wonderful victory.
The goal to seal it was a delightful one. With the tie finely poised at 1-1, David Brooks passed to Evanilson, who cushioned the ball directly into the path of Scott with a deft touch.
Shot map for Scott’s goal vs. Arsenal
Scott ghosted into the space left behind by Martin Zubimendi, who failed to match the Englishman for pace, before taking one touch and slotting the winner beyond David Raya.
It was as an aesthetically pleasing goal that you will see all season and it proved that the young Cherries midfielder is more than capable of providing a cutting edge in the final third.
While his goal sealed all three points, his all-round relentlessness throughout the clash demonstrated why he is among one of the finest English talents in the game.
Operating in the heart of the midfield alongside Ryan Christie, Scott was a defensive titan, preventing Arsenal from gaining much success in the final third.
With 13 defensive contributions, Scott led the way. He made three blocks and one tackle, while more importantly, registered eight recoveries during the game.
Scott’s shot map vs. Arsenal
“He has played for us as a number 10, a number eight; today as a number six and he has added a lot of defensive work and a lot of duel-winning to the ability he has on the ball,” gushed Iraola following the win.
“We know, if we give him good options on the ball, space to carry the ball, arrivals, he will give us this.
“I’m very happy because he is becoming a very, very complete player.”
The Spaniard announced that he would be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season, but he is clearly counting on Scott to help push the south coast side into Europe for the first time in their history.
With three goals and one assist, the Guernsey-born starlet isn’t known for his proficiency in front of goal, despite scoring against Arsenal, but that shouldn’t deter from just how impressive he has been at the heart of the Bournemouth midfield this term.
When compared to his positional peers in the Premier League since the start of the season, Scott’s statistics across a range of metrics demonstrate his effectiveness.
Scott’s player traits compared with similar players in Top 5 leagues
Indeed, the 22-year-old ranks in the top 7% for defensive contributions (322), along with ranking in the top 10% for interceptions (32), recoveries (157) and duels won (158) this campaign.
He has played a part in all 32 league matches for the Cherries so far this season and with just three cautions to his name, Scott has exuded maturity well beyond his years.
While leading his club side into the heady heights of European competition is the priority for Scott, a chance of sealing a place in England’s World Cup squad remains a tantalising incentive over the next few weeks.
The former Bristol City player is doing all he can to make the plane for the tournament according to Iraola.
“He is playing so well, but I understand in this country you have so many good players and sometimes to be at your very best level, it is not enough because there is someone also performing very well,” said the Spaniard.
“I suppose every time Thomas has to make a call-up it is very difficult because there are so many good options, but I am sure he will continue the same way and he will finish the season strongly.”
Scott received his first international call up for the matches against Serbia and Albania last November, yet he failed to make it onto the field.
Despite his excellent performances in the Premier League, Tuchel surprisingly left him out of the 35-man squad for the friendlies against Japan and Uruguay last month.
By finishing the season strongly, Scott can give himself the best possible chance of securing a seat on the plane.
Could he become only the second player born in the Channel Islands to play for England at a World Cup after Graeme le Saux?
The next few weeks could turn out to be the most important of his career, no doubt about that.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Under-fire Gunners seek a confidence boost ahead of Man City showdown
The pressure is reaching an all-time high at the Emirates following Arsenal’s damning defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League and ahead of this return leg in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Mikel Arteta‘s squad were sloppy in possession and lacked both composure and the belief to inspire a comeback against the Cherries, enabling the away side to inflict a damaging defeat.
However, the fact remains that the Gunners are still in control of the title race in England and hold a hard-earned 1-0 lead from Lisbon going in to what is the most important week of their season to date, and it is up to them to rise from the setback and prove their title-winning credentials, both domestically and in Europe.
Sporting put that first leg’s stoppage-time loss to Arsenal behind them with a victory at Estrela da Amadora over the weekend, a result that keeps them in the Liga Portugal title race.
Now, the focus of the Rui Borges-led squad is on sparking a surprise in London and continuing their fairytale campaign in the Champions League, and judging by their past visits, that might not be so far-fetched.
The reigning Portuguese champions are unbeaten at the Emirates Stadium, as Sporting held the Gunners to a draw both in 2018 and 2023, respectively, before then progressing to the Europa League quarter-finals via a penalty shoot-out on the latter occasion.
Key players
David Raya is a dark horse in the race for Arsenal’s Player of the Season award, with the in-form goalkeeper’s performances becoming increasingly important in recent weeks, as their opponents enjoy more possession and thus more chances to score. The Spaniard is leading the charts for clean sheets, both in the Premier League (15) as well as the Champions League (7), and furthermore, the 30-year-old boasts the highest save percentage (90%) in Europe’s elite competition.
Key goalkeeper stats in the Champions League
The free-scoring Luis Suárez might be stealing the headlines, but Pedro Gonçalves‘s importance is as crucial to Sporting this campaign and in recent years as well.
Tasked with the mission impossible of replacing Bruno Fernandes back in 2020, the so-called ‘Pote’ is the Lions’ maestro, and apart from his injury-plagued 2024/25 season, the Portuguese international has scored at least 15 goals across all competitions in five of the past six seasons.
Additionally, the versatile playmaker is the squad’s third-highest-FotMob rated player (7.70) in the league and is ranking second in terms of goals + assists (19) and chances created (45) as well.
Arsenal’s nervous body language is becoming quite telling, and their fragile confidence has been exposed in recent weeks, resulting in both EFL Cup final defeat and exit from the FA Cup. But despite the strength of this Sporting team, I still expect the Gunners to progress to the semi-finals with a win or draw, mainly due to their outstanding defensive stability and individual quality.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The 30th competitive meeting between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid promises to be a cracker as both sides are well in with a shout of advancing to the semi-final.
Bayern Munich’s attack has been nothing short of spectacular this season. They have already smashed the single-season scoring record in the Bundesliga with five games to spare, having taken their tally to 105 last weekend. They are also the top scorers in the Champions League this season with 34 goals in 11 matches so far.
So, the fact that they built up a two-goal lead against Real Madrid’s subpar defence in the first leg was no surprise, but their subsequent inability to tighten up the game was concerning. Los Blancos created plenty of chances, eventually halved their deficit and could easily have scored another on a different day. Either way, that kept the tie wide open for this second leg.
Key stats from the first leg
Winless streak building pressure on Real Madrid
Despite mounting a good fightback in the second half last week, Real Madrid have to be quite disappointed with their recent form and results. That defeat was their first loss to Bayern in nine matches (since 2011), and built up to what is now a three-match winless run.
Los Blancos have only picked up one point in their last two league matches, dropping nine points behind leaders Barcelona. Should they fail to win again in Munich, this will be their longest winless streak since the days of Julen Lopetegui in 2018.
Needless to say, pressure is building on Álvaro Arbeloa. The Champions League is the only competition his side can realistically win, so his job may well be on the line with this tie.
Team news
Bayern Munich significantly rotated their side on the weekend, so their stars will be fit and raring to go for this game. Their only noteworthy absences are teenage starlet Lennart Karl and back-up goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
Real Madrid will also be without a shot-stopper, but they’ll miss their number one in Thibaut Courtois. Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended after being booked in the first leg, while Rodrygo remains absent with a long-term injury.
Key players
Harry Kane is on the cusp of reaching the 50-goal mark across all competitions in a single club season for the first time in his career. He’ll surely cross it at some point in the coming weeks to join an exclusive list of just six other men to have achieved this feat in the 21st century.
Kylian Mbappé is among those on the list, but has a mere 39 this term. He’ll be counting on Vinícius Júnior’s support while Michael Olise will be keen to add to his tally of 42 goal involvements this term. Against such big-name attackers, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Dean Huijsen will have to put in big shifts for either side.
Prediction
Both teams have scored in the last seven meetings between these sides, and that run should be expected to continue here. In the end, Bayern might just have enough to get over the line.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, physical metrics, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
