FotMob has teamed up with Cadbury to promote the ‘Win For Your Squad’ competition that offers prize winners a unique experience with footballing icons that they can share with up to ten of their nearest and dearest.
Ahead of an epic summer of football, Cadbury’s Win For Your Squad promotion gives chocolate lovers the chance to hang out with Premier League icon Virgil van Dijk.
Commenting on the promotion, Cadbury Ambassador and captain of Liverpool FC and Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk, said:
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(All images and content courtesy of Cadbury)
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Even before John McGinn bagged a brace to make sure of Aston Villa’s win over Nottingham Forest to reach the Europa League final, he’d been the best player on the pitch. The driving force behind Unai Emery’s team and the beating heart of a club on the brink of European glory for the first time since 1982.
McGinn followed up that Man of the Match performance by sticking a finish over Giorgi Mamardashvili and into the top corner of the Liverpool net as Villa secured a top five finish, and Champions League qualification, against last season’s Premier League champions. It was the perfect way to prepare for Wednesday’s showpiece in Istanbul.
McGinn’s last three appearances
Aston Villa have come a long way under Emery. When the Spaniard arrived at Villa Park nearly four years ago, he took over a team merely attempting to stay in the Premier League. Villa were still aiming to establish themselves at the top level of the English game having finished in the bottom half in each of the previous three campaigns.
Under Emery, though, Aston Villa have reached heights they never thought would be possible and nobody embodies this rise better than McGinn. The Scot was already at the club when Emery arrived. He’d already proved his worth at Premier League level, but the former Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Villarreal boss has managed to get even more out of him.
“I can’t speak highly enough of what he’s done here,” said McGinn when asked about Emery’s contribution. “He’s changed the belief of the place, the ambitions, almost single-handedly. His desire, work ethic, determination to succeed and the way he pushes us every single day. We’re very fortunate to have him here and hopefully, we can keep him here for as long as possible.
“Me and him have got a great relationship. He knows he can push me to the limits. He knows that he can trust me in any position that he decides. I think it’s important to have someone that’s got your best interests at heart. And like he always says: the best of me is the best of him.”
Villa’s league finishes since Emery’s arrival in the 2022/23 season
As a player, McGinn’s numbers speak for themselves. Only Morgan Rogers has created more Big Chances and chances in general than the Scotland international who is also averaging more possessions won in the final third per 90 minutes than any other Aston Villa player. On both sides of the ball, McGinn is relentless.
McGinn has registered 13 goal contributions in all contributions in a season which was disrupted by a knee injury that sidelined him for two months. Positionally, it can be difficult to pin down the 31-year-old’s role in the Aston Villa team, but he is simply Emery’s man for all jobs and all occasions.
As a character, McGinn might be even more valuable. By all accounts, he is the life and soul of the Villa Park dressing room. His captain’s armband is more than a symbol and instead accurately signifies the position he holds within the Aston Villa team. Without McGinn, Villa wouldn’t have the same drive.
McGinn’s defensive stats in the Premier League this season
While McGinn is certainly respected as a key figure for Aston Villa, he still doesn’t get the credit he deserves as one of the best, and most consistent, midfielders in the Premier League. At a time when central operators are in high-demand at the elite level of the game, McGinn still manages to fly under the radar.
Another big performance in this season’s Europa League on Wednesday would further entrench McGinn’s status as a modern Aston Villa legend. The way he’s been playing of late, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Scotland international ended up providing the defining contribution of the final against Freiburg.
McGinn’s passing stats in the Premier League this season
McGinn also has a World Cup to look forward to with Scotland preparing for their first match in the competition since 1998. Steve Clarke will need the 31-year-old to be in top form if Scotland are to stand any chance of making it out of a World Cup group for the first time in their history. McGinn could make it happen.
Of course, Aston Villa have several players who could decide Wednesday’s match in Istanbul. Ollie Watkins is in fine goalscoring form while Morgan Rogers has created more chances than any other player in this season’s Europa League. Villa might have too much for Freiburg on the night.
In McGinn, though, Villa have someone who could take the match by the scruff of the neck and ensure the club’s greatest night for over four decades. He has made a habit of that over the course of his Aston Villa career and Wednesday’s Europa League final could be his crowning moment.
(Images from IMAGO)
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On May 7, after beating Braga 3-1 in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final to claim a 4-3 aggregate victory, Freiburg entered uncharted territory. For the first time in their 121-year history, the club booked its place in a European final.
It wasn’t easy for Julian Schuster’s side, who lost 2-1 in the semi-final first leg in Portugal. A comeback was needed, and the Germans delivered in front of their fans.
An early red card for Braga’s Mario Dorgeles in the sixth minute for a professional foul on Jan-Niklas Beste opened the door for Freiburg to create history. Lukas Kübler bundled the hosts into the lead before Johan Manzambi’s long-range beauty put Freiburg two goals ahead. Kübler netted his second after the break to make it three, but Víctor Gómez’s consolation for the visitors set up a nervy finish.
Freiburg survived Braga’s late pressure to secure their passage into the Europa League final, where they face Aston Villa tonight in Istanbul (May 20). After the match, defender Matthias Ginter described the final as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” that the club is “determined” to win.
Freiburg’s final league position in the Bundesliga
Since then, momentum has continued in the Black Forest, and after a 3-2 loss against Hamburg in their penultimate Bundesliga outing of the season, Freiburg sealed seventh place and Conference League qualification for next season courtesy of a resounding 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig at Europa-Park Stadion.
A winless three-match Bundesliga run for Freiburg took the race for European football to the final day, with Schuster’s men tussling with Eintracht Frankfurt for the last remaining spot.
They faced a difficult assignment against third-place Leipzig, who would achieve a club-record points tally in the German top-flight with a victory. Beste and Igor Matanović powered Freiburg into a two-goal lead, before Leipzig pulled one back through Assan Ouédraogo’s rasping drive. Ginter and Derry Scherhant added goals in the second half to round off an eye-catching scoreline for the Breisgau-Brasilianer, who will eagerly head to the banks of the Bosporus to tackle Villa in a buoyant mood.
Schuster was hoisted into the air by Matanović and Maximilian Eggestein to soak up the appreciation of the adoring support, as was the departing Nicolas Höfler, a midfielder who has spent almost the entirety of his career at the club. It was the perfect preparation ahead of today’s final.
Let’s be clear: Unai Emery’s side head into the European showpiece as the overwhelming favourites. The Spaniard is the Europa League master, having won the competition four times with Sevilla and Villarreal.
Villa’s emphatic 4-2 victory over Liverpool means they’ll be playing Champions League football next season, regardless of Wednesday’s result. It lifts a weight off their shoulders of a team already glistening with attacking sparkle. The likes of Ollie Watkins and John McGinn are currently in scintillating form, while Morgan Rogers, though inconsistent, is always capable of magic moments.
The English giants are enduring their own drought for silverware. Villa haven’t won a major trophy since they won 3-0 against Leeds United in the 1996 League Cup final, and they’re aiming to do so in their first European final for 44 years.
Freiburg’s recent season finishes
Freiburg’s patience dwarfs Villa’s wait. The German club’s most notable achievements are its four 2. Bundesliga titles in 1993, 2003, 2009 and 2016, while it heartbreakingly lost the 2022 DFB-Pokal final on penalties to Leipzig following a 1-1 draw, after extra time.
Their European pedigree is almost non-existent. Two round of 16 appearances in consecutive Europa League campaigns in 2023 and 2024 are Freiburg’s strongest offerings on the continent.
While a couple of generations of Villa supporters are yet to see their club lift a major trophy, the entirety of Freiburg’s fanbase – past and present – are dreaming of unprecedented success.
Freiburg possess plenty of talented players and willing runners who will give everything to the cause. Manzambi is enjoying an exceptional breakout campaign, recording 46 appearances and 13 goals in all competitions. The box-to-box midfielder’s energy, tenacity and attacking influence ensure he’s one of Freiburg’s most exciting forces. In the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, he ranks within the top 11% for goals (5), successful dribbles (33) and duels won (179).
Manzambi’s breakout Bundesliga season
Freiburg-born centre-back Ginter is an experienced head at the back, with over 50 caps for the German national team. He’s started every Europa League game this campaign and featured in 32 Bundesliga matches. Eggestein is a similarly reliable presence, playing 13 European outings and starting every Bundesliga fixture.
Vincenzo Grifo has 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season, and is Freiburg’s top scorer in the Europa League, having netted five times. Striker Matanović will be brimming with confidence after bagging three goals in Freiburg’s previous two league games.
Manager Schuster spent a decade at Freiburg between 2008 and 2018 as a player. Appointed in March 2024 to replace the legendary Christian Streich, Freiburg was his first senior managerial role, having acquired his coaching licence the year before. In Schuster’s first season at the helm, the 41-year-old guided the club to a fifth-place finish and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.
This season, Schuster has led Freiburg to another admirable domestic finish and given fans a priceless European adventure that has allowed them to dream. The German underdogs are planning to write their own script in Istanbul and are just one game away from immortality.
(Images via IMAGO)
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Freiburg are the underdogs in their first-ever European final as they take on English side Aston Villa, who were last crowned champions of Europe back in 1982.
Freiburg have firmly established themselves as a Bundesliga club in recent years, having spent all but one of the last 17 seasons in the German top-flight. The Baden-Württemberg-based club will celebrate their 122nd birthday at the end of this month, but are still searching for their first major honour.
The closest Freiburg came to lifting a trophy was in 2022, when they played their only major final to date. They took on RB Leipzig in Berlin with the DFB Pokal at stake, going all the way to penalties before falling short. There would be no fairytale end to Christian Streich’s long tenure at the club, as he left at the end of the subsequent season after completing 12 years in charge of the senior team and 29 years at the club altogether.
Freiburg finished seventh in the Bundesliga this season
Assistant coach Julian Schuster took on the challenge of succeeding the legend and very nearly led the team to a first-ever Champions League qualification in his debut season. Now, he has earned a second shot at making history at the end of a very impressive Europa League campaign.
Aston Villa keen for a coronation in a period of success
Aston Villa will come into this match in high spirits having sealed Champions League qualification in the Premier League with a dominant win over Liverpool on the weekend. So, regardless of how this match goes, they will enjoy a fourth-successive European campaign next term.
Four is not an entirely lucky number for Villa, though, as they have lost each of their last four major finals. They did win their only continental final in the European Cup in 1982, which remains their last major honour discounting League Cups (which they also haven’t won in three decades).
Screenshot
Team news
Freiburg will be without dynamic attacker Yuito Suzuki due to his collarbone fracture. Defensive midfielder Patrick Osterhage is expected to be back fit, while Max Rosenfelder and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh recently featured for the second team upon returning from injury.
Midfield is the area of concern for Aston Villa, since Boubacar Kamara is out and Amadou Onana’s status is uncertain.
Key players
Freiburg’s all-time top-scorer Vincenzo Grifo is a creative threat too, so the 33-year-old Italian will be a key figure in his side’s attacking play. Young starlet Johan Manzambi will be keen to support him from midfield, especially given Villa’s absences. Centre back Mathias Ginter could also chip in from a set-piece, though his defensive work will be much more necessary.
H2H Europa League top scorers comparison
Ollie Watkins has found a rich vein of form at just the right time, with four goals and two assists in the last three games. Morgan Rogers is Aston Villa’s main attacking threat besides him, so the two will hope to combine on the biggest of nights. At the back, Emiliano Martínez shot-stopping — and potentially penalty-killing — could make the difference.
Prediction
Freiburg are a well-drilled and cohesive side and certainly know how to put up a tough fight on the big stage. Four-time Europa League winner Unai Emery will have to bring out his side’s best, but a penalty shoot-out may well be on the cards.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The Premier League Manager of the Season nominees for 2025/26 were announced on May 14, with Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola deservedly breaking into the shortlist. The Spanish coach has masterminded a brilliant campaign, with the Cherries on the verge of playing European football for the first time next season.
Ahead of the fixture against Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday evening, Bournemouth sit sixth, four points in front of ninth-place Sunderland, with a top-eight finish currently guaranteeing a European spot.
Bournemouth are only four points behind Liverpool in fifth, having played a game less, meaning a win against Man City keeps them in the hunt for Champions League football. If Villa finish outside the top four and win the Europa League, sixth place would be enough to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
But for Bournemouth, any form of European football is an exceptional achievement, with the club only needing a point from the last six available to book a spot in the top eight.
The Premier League top six prior to Tuesday’s games
On May 9, Bournemouth claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage thanks to Rayan’s second-half strike. This ensured that the high-flying Cherries extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches, the current longest undefeated streak in Europe’s top five leagues.
Imagine explaining this scenario to a Bournemouth fan at the start of the season. Their heads must be spinning. The team’s current position under Iraola is simply outstanding.
Many feared for Bournemouth after losing key players such as Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara in the summer. Initially, these outgoings seemed inconsequential, and the club started the season excellently. Following an opening day loss to Liverpool, Iraola’s men embarked on an eight-game unbeaten run, which lifted them to second in the table by the end of October.
However, between November and January, Bournemouth endured a challenging spell and went 11 games without a win, their worst run in a top-flight season. Nevertheless, despite floundering in 15th place in the table and teetering nine points above the relegation zone following a 3-2 defeat against Arsenal on Janaury 3, Bournemouth emphatically defied the odds, withIraola navigating an excellent recovery when the season looked to be hurtling towards disaster.
Antoine Semenyo’s much-anticipated departure in January provided another hurdle for the Spaniard to jump. How did he respond? Well, Bournemouth haven’t lost in the league since the dazzling winger joined Man City.
Bournemouth can also be praised for their shrewd recruitment. Djordje Petrovic, Adrien Truffert and Rayan have all seamlessly slotted into the squad, while Eli Junior Kroupi, who originally joined the club at the start of 2025 but is enjoying a breakout campaign this season, has also been brilliant.
The only negative for Bournemouth fans is that Iraola won’t be there to reap the rewards of his impressive work. In April, the club announced that Iraola would leave at the end of the season after he opted not to sign a new deal, with former Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose confirmed as the incoming manager.
“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Iraola told the club’s website. “I feel this is the right moment for me to step away, but I will always carry fantastic memories of this club.”
Chairman Bill Foley also heaped praise on Iraola, adding: “Andoni has been instrumental in shaping the direction of this football club over the past three seasons. He brought intensity, innovation, and a clear philosophy that elevated AFC Bournemouth both on and off the pitch.”
Despite Iraola’s decision, there appears to be no bad blood. The 43-year-old has kept his focus and maintained the squad’s motivation, with Bournemouth’s form reaching dizzying heights. It’s a testament to Iraola’s eye-catching coaching qualities.
Bournemouth’s impressive attacking numbers
It’s not been a simple journey to this point. Iraola’s first managerial role at AEK Larnaca in Cyprus didn’t even last a full season, and he was sacked in January 2019. There was scepticism when he arrived at Bournemouth in June 2023. Some felt that Gary O’Neil’s dismissal was harsh and unjustified, with the Englishman having just commendably steered Bournemouth to Premier League safety.
Iraola’s tricky start on the south coast, which yielded zero wins in his first nine league games, cast further doubt over Foley’s call to remove O’Neil. Iraola overcame these testing times and Bournemouth battled hard to finish 12th. A ninth-place finish followed that, and the club is now sixth, punching well above its weight. Iraola’s appointment has been fully vindicated.
Bournemouth have been yearning for fresh history since Eddie Howe’s tenure. The current Newcastle boss guided the Cherries from the brink of extinction in the fourth tier in 2009 to Premier League promotion in 2015 across two stints. Iraola is the next Bournemouth manager to achieve the unthinkable. His brand of expansive and brave football has charmed and excited, but most importantly, has delivered significant results and progress.
Bournemouth could also break their previous record points tally for a single Premier League campaign (56), which was set under Iraola last season. With two games remaining, Bournemouth sit on 55. A draw would equal the record, while a win would eclipse it.
Bournemouth are set for their best ever league finish
Three points against Man City would also take the race for Champions League to the final day, but Iraola’s burgeoning coaching reputation has already skyrocketed, and a manager of the season nomination is the least he deserves.
(Images via IMAGO)
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In a new video for Cadbury, Arsenal and England midfielder Delcan Rice has named French defender William Saliba as his funniest team-mate, Bukayo Saka as the most reliable, and teenage prodigy Max Dowman as the squad member he’d trust least to look after his house.
When asked about his Arsenal team-mates, Rice revealed:
Asked to name one team-mate he’d trust to look after his house and one he wouldn’t, Rice, said: “I’d trust Saka to look after my house. And who I wouldn’t… Max Dowman. He’d be in all the cupboards and things like that; I know what he’s like!”
Rice selected William Saliba is his funniest team-mate, stating: “He’s just unintentionally funny.”
He backs Bukayo Saka as the best to hang out with for a movie night, “He’s aways asking and talking about movies”, and to pick the best restaurant for dinner: “I’ll say Saka because he picked a good one for his birthday a few years ago. It was called Stork in London. It’s Jamaican …really nice.”
Rice named himself as the Arsenal squad member with the best taste in music and when asked who the biggest fan of a Cadbury snack is, claimed Ben White “loves a snack and would bring loads of chocolate”.
(All images and content courtesy of Cadbury)
Declan Rice is a Cadbury Ambassador and the video content was promoting the Win For Your Squad competition, which gives fans and up to 10 friends the chance to meet Rice, Virgil van Dijk, Lauren James and Ian Wright.
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The World Cup is better with Scotland. There, I’ve said it. With the Tartan Army hitting Boston and Miami in a few weeks, it will be one massive party, especially considering this is the first time Scotland have qualified since 1998.
You only have to look at the scenes in Germany during the last European Championships to see just what Scottish fans bring to a major international tournament.
Partying and atmosphere aside, it is almost time for Steve Clarke to pick his 26-man squad for the summer bonanza in North America.
Loyalty has been a major quality Clarke has installed within his squads since taking over in 2019. There is no doubt that is an admirable trait, but will the 62-year-old bring in a few different faces when he announces his squad on Tuesday?
Looking towards the forward options, however, Clarke might have plenty to ponder.
With so many forwards coming into form at the right time, will he stick with the tried and trusted approach that has served the nation well? Or will one or two wildcards be called up?
Steve Clarke could persist with those who have helped Scotland in the past
Two strikers who have been key – if not controversial – figures throughout Scotland’s rise back to prominence are Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams.
Both were given their debuts by Clarke, yet in front of goal, their international records hardly set the world on fire. Dykes has 10 goals in 50 caps, while Adams has scored 11 times across 46 games for Scotland.
The two centre-forwards do offer plenty to Clarke’s style of play, though. Dykes is able to drop deeper to link play between the attack and midfield, while also being an aerial threat in the penalty area.
Adams offers a physical threat, a trait that has improved during his time in Serie A, and he can either operate as a lone striker or as part of a two-man attack.
This versatility is key for Clarke, but there are questions about the goalscoring form of both this term. Indeed, Adams has managed only five Serie A goals for Torino, netting just four goals overall since November 30, 2025.
In Dykes’ case, the 30-year-old has scored three goals across his previous 36 Championship appearances. Hardly the sort of form to make opposition defences tremble with fear this summer.
Lawrence Shankland has been in and out of Clarke’s plans since 2019, but after another excellent season in Scotland, scoring 20 goals in just 34 games for Hearts, there is certainly a case to be made for him starting against Haiti.
Not only will Scotland want to get off to a flyer, but scoring a few goals will be a huge boost. Shankland, then, should lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Ryan Christe, McTominay and Ben Gannon-Doak operating behind him.
McBurnie hasn’t actually played for Scotland since a 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands in 2021. He does, however, have 17 goals to his name in the Championship as Hull stand on the brink of promotion.
Stewart has just two caps for Scotland, with injuries preventing the forward from reaching his potential. He has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season, including one against Arsenal in the FA Cup. It might be too little, too late for him though.
With the news that Tommy Conway misses out due to injury, Hirst could move up the pecking order. The 27-year-old netted 11 goals for Ipswich as they sealed automatic promotion and has one goal for Scotland in eight caps.
There wont be room for all three, but the performances of the trio recently might have given Clarke a dilemma.
Will there be a wildcard or two?
While the usual suspects will likely be chosen across various positions, bringing along a wildcard or two could be beneficial for Scotland.
One example is Kieran Bowie. He has gone from playing Scottish third-tier football with Raith Rovers to netting against Inter Milan for current club Hellas Verona in the space of just six years.
Bowie won his first cap last year, before making an appearance against Belarus. He is one for the future, but there is no harm in choosing him for North America.
Although not a striker, Rangers winger Findlay Curtis shone during his loan spell with Kilmarnock during the second half of the season, registering six goal contributions in 14 games.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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European football vs. Premier League safety, the stakes are high going into the London derby
Chelsea’s disappointing campaign continued as the Blues produced an underwhelming performance in Saturday’s FA Cup Final, but Calum McFarlane‘s squad still boasts a chance to partially salvage the season by securing European football for next term, before Xabi Alonso takes over in the summer. However, Reece James & co. must end their seven-match (1D, 6L) winless run in the Premier League to make that happen and leave London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, nervously looking over their shoulders going in to Sunday’s final round of games. Something which might even earn a few plaudits from the Stamford Bridge crowd.
Spurs are in pole position to secure safety after West Ham’s dreadful defeat at St. James’ Park over the weekend, and Roberto De Zerbi‘s squad theoretically need only a point from the final two matches to finish just above the relegation zone, due to their vastly superior goal difference.
The Lilywhites are on a four-match (2W, 2D) unbeaten streak, but are without a victory at Stamford Bridge since 2018, which is Tottenham’s only away win against Chelsea in the Premier League era. João Pedro scored the winner when the two sides met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the season.
Key players
Reece James returned to Chelsea’s starting XI at Wembley Stadium, slotting in a midfield role alongside Moisés Caicedo and even though the captain couldn’t help the Blues avoid a defeat, the 26-year-old’s comeback is a big boost. The England international is the joint-highest-rated player (7.27) player in the squad and only behind Enzo Fernández in accurate long balls per 90 (2.6), while just the Argentine (10) and Pedro Neto (11) are ahead of him for big chances created (8).
Conor Gallagher is evolving into one of De Zerbi’s favourites and the energetic midfielder has started in each of the past five matches under the Italian coach, averaging a FotMob rating of 7.44. The 26-year-old found the back of the net against Aston Villa, earning him the Player of the Match award at Villa Park. The Chelsea academy product will play a pivotal role against his boyhood club at Stamford Bridge.
Team news
Levi Colwill is a doubt after completing back-to-back 90-minute appearances for the first time since his return from a long-term injury and the centre-back’s playing time will be managed carefully, something confirmed by the interim head coach. Roméo Lavia picked up a knock and missed the FA Cup final and the Belgian midfielder is also a doubt, while Jesse Derry, Estêvão and Jamie Gittens are all injured.
Guglielmo Vicario is fit and available for the trip to West London, leaving De Zerbi with a big decision to make about whether to drop the in-form Antonín Kinsky and recall the first choice goalkeeper, while James Maddison is also in contention, unlike Dominic Solanke who is not expected to return until Sunday, for the final match of the season.
Prediction
With a top-six finish potentially leading to the Champions League next season, a position that is still mathematically achievable, Chelsea desperately need a win or risk finishing the season in the bottom half of the table, while Spurs are on the brink of securing safety and might even settle for a draw, given their abysmal record at Stamford Bridge and superior goal difference (-9 to West Ham’s -22) in the relegation battle. I expect a low-scoring draw in this London derby.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It’s a must-win game for Manchester City at the top of the Premier League tonight, as they travel to play a Bournemouth team with more than one reason to want to topple them.
It’s do or die for Manchester City tonight, and Bournemouth have more than one reason to want to try and trip them up
It’s crunch time, then, at the top of the Premier League table. Manchester City have now won both of the domestic cups this season, but the league title remains out of their reach, and although Arsenal only edged a 1-0 win against Burnley last night, at this point of the season that’s all you have to do. Fail to beat Bournemouth, and Arsenal are the champions for the first time in 22 years. Coming on top of reports that Pep Guardiola is to leave the club at the end of this season, it’s been a difficult 24 hours for the blue half of Manchester.
And Bournemouth will be more than up for this. Not only do they still have a chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League (though the permutations are too complex to go into here), but this evening also marks Andoni Iraola’s final home game as their manager before departing for (as yet unknown) pastures new. They come into this match off the back of a 16-game unbeaten run, the longest that any club has managed in the Premier League this season.
Bournemouth’s record in this fixture is abysmal, though they did manage to edge it last season
The good news for Guardiola is that Bournemouth’s record in this fixture is historically, famously abysmal. These two clubs have met each other previously 25 times before – strangely, the first of these meetings was as late as 1987 – and of these, City have won 22, drawn two and lost one.
The slightly better news for Andoni Iraola is that the one win that Bournemouth have ever managed in this fixture came last season, with the Cherries winning this very fixture 2-1 in November 2024. City beat them twice last season after this at the Etihad, in the league and the FA Cup, but their last meeting at the Vitality Stadium resulted in a Bournemouth win.
Antoine Semenyo has made light work of moving to an elite level club
Cup Final-winning goalscorer Antoine Semenyo has made light work of moving to an elite level club. He’s bounced back to form following a bit of a dip in February and March, and has scored in each of his last two appearances for them. The goalscoring outlet that he has given City beyond Erling Haaland has been one of the key factors in keeping them in the title race for as long as they’ve managed and this is, of course, his first return to the Vitality Stadium since his January move north.
Semenyo scored 10 of his 16 Premier League goals for Bournemouth this season
Bournemouth also have an in-form attacking player. Junior Kroupi has scored four times in his last six appearances for Bournemouth and has attracted reasonably strong match ratings in recent weeks, although his performance in their last match at Fulham was a little more tepid than we’d seen in previous weeks. His recent run means that he’s now overhauled Semenyo as their top scorer for the season, and he could break Semenyo’s heart tonight.
Manchester City came through the FA Cup final pretty much unscathed
All the Manchester City injury chatter before the FA Cup final concerned Rodri, but he came through his return unscathed before being withdrawn midway through the second half. The only other small concern they had was over Omar Marmoush, who was withdrawn at half-time against Chelsea, but this was confirmed as a tactical switch and he should be available again tonight.
Things aren’t quite as straightforward for Bournemouth. Ryan Christie was sent off in their last match at Fulham and both are suspended for this one. With a three-match ban for his red card, Christie won’t play for them again this season. Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook could return for this one (though Cook has to be considered doubtful, given that he hasn’t played since February), but Bournemouth will be missing Julio Soler with a thigh injury, while Alex Jimenez remains suspended by the club.
Bournemouth have as much to play for as City tonight, but City have the big match pressure experience
There was a time when you’d look at a fixture like this and consider a Manchester City win pretty much inevitable, but there are plenty of good reasons that this might not be the case tonight. Bournemouth have a lot to play for, with European qualification on the line, and that’s before we even look at a desire for the home fans to give a positive goodbye to their manager and put one over on the starboy who left them in pursuit of the elite level of the game in January.
It’s also reasonable to say that City haven’t been the team they were again, this season. That feeling of the crushing inevitability of them winning match after match – which manifested itself most obviously in their record in this exact fixture – has been missing again this season, most obviously in the way in which they re-seized the initiative in the title race by beating Arsenal in the middle of April before scrambling to a 1-0 win at Burnley and then conceding a near-fatal three goals in 13 minutes at Everton in the game after that.
Screenshot
Bournemouth have been unbeaten for not far short of half the entire Premier League season. That’s a record which cannot be overlooked. If Pep Guardiola is the generational coach that he’s universally claimed to be, then he should be able to get his expensively-assembled collection of star players up for this match, at this of all times. But there are too many good reasons why this could go wrong for them, so I’m going for a 1-1 draw, and for the title race to be over with a game to spare.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It was another busy week of MLS action, full of goals and top performances, and a little bit of supporter unrest, as Inter Miami and Lionel Messi attracted global attention to the league once again.
Inter Miami had to wait longer than they might have expected for their first win at Nu Stadium.
They had tried and failed four times to secure a victory since the venue’s inaugural match in April, drawing three before losing against Orlando City earlier this month, which was particularly disappointing as it meant their Florida rivals became the first team to win there.
But this 2-0 win against Portland Timbers was more like the kind of performance expected of Inter Miami in their new home.
🇦🇷🐐 Another goal + assist in his 13th league appearance of the season (vs. Portland) takes Lionel Messi to 17 goal contributions for the season.
Messi has received a FotMob Player of the Match top rating in seven of those 13 games. pic.twitter.com/cY7VTAzLjO
The game featured several classic Messi moments, one of which saw him dribble through traffic, somehow evading opposition players to set up Germán Berterame’s goal, which put Inter Miami 2-0 up and on their way to a first win at their new stadium. By then, he’d already scored a great goal of his own, brilliantly worked between himself and Telasco Segovia.
It was a reminder that even at the age of 38, Messi is still among the best players in the world, and few can perform this kind of mazy dribbling through a defence and finish it off with an assist or goal.
A wonder save
Another moment of the type we’ve regularly seen from Messi over the years came from a free-kick in the 90th minute that looked destined for the top corner.
On this occasion, though, it produced a save that was of the same quality as the free-kick — a world-class strike that could only be prevented by a world-class save.
Portland’s Canadian goalkeeper James Pantemis pawed the ball out of the top corner, producing one of the moments of the matchday.
While his opposite number in this game, Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, is set to be the starter for Canada at the World Cup, Pantemis has so far not been in the picture for a place in the squad.
High-profile saves like this will certainly do his chances of joining St. Clair at the World Cup no harm at all.
A supporter protest
The game was not without its difficulties for Inter Miami. Tension is growing between the club’s hardcore supporters section, a group known as La Familia, and the team’s array of star players.
It has been bubbling for a while, less to do with results and more to do with what the fans see as a lack of connection between the club and supporters, especially from the star players, who regularly leave others to interact with fans and media post-match.
La Familia, who have supported the team loyally since the pre-Messi days (when they were among the worst teams in the league), voiced their discontent at this disconnect between the star players and the fans.
The supporters section remained unusually quiet throughout the game in protest, not at performances or results (this section of Miami fans have been through much worse in that regard) but at players’ lack of acknowledgement of the fans, even in defeat.
“Players, salute your fans, acknowledge your people, who ask nothing else of you,” they chanted in Spanish, replicating the tune of a song popular in Argentina used when a team are not meeting expectations.
In one moment, it looked like Messi gestured in annoyance to these supporters in response to these chants, before holding his hand up in what could be seen as a combination of acknowledgement and apology.
In the dying minutes, with the game already won, the dynamic on the pitch became about that relationship between Messi and the fans.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out going forward, but it’s safe to say there has been some friction between the club’s hardcore support and the league’s star man.
MVP Mukhtar is back
Nashville SC have been one of the most impressive teams in MLS this season, not least because of the way they balanced a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals with a good start to the league season.
They have been hanging around the upper reaches of the table throughout this period, and are now at the very top of the Supporters’ Shield standings after a 3-2 win against Los Angeles FC.
The current Supporters’ Shield standings
Hany Mukhtar was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick which saw him achieve the highest FotMob rating of Matchweek 14, ahead of Messi.
His three goals showed two sides of his finishing ability. One, taken from close range in the style of a true penalty box striker, and the other two struck from free-kicks, showing his technique from dead-ball situations.
LAFC, meanwhile, have dropped off after an impressive start of their own, and this defeat was their fourth in a row in all competitions, having themselves been knocked out of the Champions Cup at the semifinals stage.
But for Nashville, things are looking up, and 2022 MVP Mukhtar is once again emerging as one of the league’s standout players.
FC Dallas and Sam Sarver’s stone-cold celebration
Sometimes MLS will produce a reminder of what makes American soccer unique.
Sam Sarver has only played 182 minutes of football in the league this season, but despite that, he has been one of the most prominent players in recent weeks.
He has come off the bench to score late goals in three of the last four FC Dallas games, as the Texans continue their promising start to the season.
Sarver’s latest was a dramatic added-time winner against high-flying San Jose Earthquakes to give FC Dallas one of their best results of the year to date.
What was even more memorable than the result was Sarver’s double-celebration. The first part was pre-planned, the second off the cuff, as he mimicked scuba diving off the advertising boards with several teammates, before downing a can of beer that was thrown at him by the San Jose fans.
Sarver certainly has something about him, and looks like he could have played for the United States at the 1994 World Cup, such is his vibe. He is very much in the mould of a classic American soccer player and has come through a combination of college and lower league soccer, along with MLS academy football, before being selected in the 2025 SuperDraft by Dallas.
He is the kind of character and the kind of story MLS, and indeed American soccer as a whole, needs. Given his performances in recent weeks, bursting through on goal and finishing with aplomb, he is very much needed by FC Dallas.
“We were thinking about celebrations before the game,” Sarver said.
“I was a big celebrator in college, and my coach, Todd Yeagley, at Indiana, told me about a player from way before I played there that did that scuba celebration, and he yelled at him for it because he didn’t want him to get hurt. And I was like, ‘It’d be funny if we did that.’
“And then after we did that, they were throwing some beers on the field, so I decided to chug one.”
This is soccer heritage.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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