Another Clásico, another trophy. Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah on Sunday night, the Spanish Supercopa on the line – and for the third straight year it’s the two biggest clubs in LaLiga who will contest the final.
Starting in 2020, the powers that be in Spain decided that there wasn’t enough variety in the Supercopa, not enough fans getting a chance at seeing their team lift the trophy. Or, perhaps, they decided there wasn’t enough money in the national game, or not enough fixtures. Either way, the outcome was an outsourced competition: four sides, semifinals and then a final, played (except in the Covid campaign) in Saudi Arabia.
In the 14 years prior to the change, the winners were Real Madrid or Barcelona 11 times – or 79 per cent. After this final, the sixth edition of the new format, it’ll be one of those sides who triumph for the fifth time, or 83 per cent of the time. Perhaps the original intentions were good, but the more things change, the more they seem stay the same.
Still, El Clásico is a much-watched event whenever it occurs and no wonder given the stars on show. Barca’s shone in autumn to rampage at the Bernabéu and win 4-0; prior to that Madrid had won three in a row. More intriguingly, the fixture is currently on 15 consecutive matches without a draw; one more and it will equal the all-time record in the rivalry, set between 1948 and 1954.
Recent form
Real Madrid sit top of LaLiga after winning six of their last eight, while across all competitions it’s six wins in seven (Atlético could leapfrog them today, as they play a league fixture vs. Osasuna). That includes a Copa del Rey win over minnows Minera though, as well as the semi-final of this competition in midweek. Between October and December, Real had endured a run of four defeats in seven.
As for Barcelona, they’ve been the reverse: immense earlier, stuttering lately. A seven-match win streak was halted in mid-November and since then it’s only five wins from 11, seeing them drop from first to third in the league just before Christmas.
Eduardo Camavinga might have a dual role on Sunday, with the midfielder a potential stand-in defensively and a necessary runner centrally if Valverde or Bellingham miss out. Fortunately he’s excellent in both areas of the pitch, ranking in the top ten per cent Europe-wide for his role in touches of the ball and the top two per cent for defensive actions.
Camavinga player traits
Prediction
Real Madrid to simply find a way, which would make them 14-times winners of the trophy, jointly the most alongside their rivals. Madrid 2-1 Barcelona.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Coming off the back of a win against Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semifinal first leg to lose to Tamworth in the FA Cup would be to achieve actual peak Spurs; but it might be a step too far.
Tottenham Hotspur, eight time winners of the FA Cup, continue to bewilder and baffle. Their 1-0 win against Liverpool in midweek came straight out of the blue, in a sense a particularly Tottenham thing to do.
Tamworth are currently 16th in the National League – England’s fifth tier and the top division of the non-league game. They’re freshly installed at this level following two successive league titles, the National League North and the Southern League Premier Division Central, over the last two years.
First ever meeting
Obviously, these two have never met before. Tamworth do however have history in the Third Round of the FA Cup. In 2005/06 they beat Bournemouth en route to losing to Stoke City on penalties. The following season they got that far again before losing at home to Norwich City, while in 2011/12 they did it again before losing 2-0 to Everton.
Famously, Spurs were the last non-league club to win the FA Cup, as members of the Southern League all the way back in 1909. They’ve also played non-league opposition at this stage of this competition before. In 2021 they beat Marine 5-0, while in the mid-1990s they played two similar ties in three years; Marlow in 1993 and Altrincham in 1995. Altrincham took them to a replay in 1979, before Spurs won 3-0 in a replay that was switched to Manchester City’s Maine Road.
Key players
Spurs are now missing enough players for their first team to effectively be everyone who’s left standing. It’s difficult to get too precious about resting players when you’ve got ten of them out injured, though this would be a good opportunity for Richarlison to return, should he be fit.
There is little celebrity around the Tamworth dressing room, no names that would be familiar to any beyond avid National League watchers or a handful of supporters of lower division EFL clubs with pretty long memories. Striker Dan Creaney is their top scorer this season, with eight goals in the league.
Team News
Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to be absent following his injury on Wednesday night. But both Fraser Forster and Richarlison could be available. Having said that, the debut put in by new goalkeeping reinforcement Antonín Kinský on Wednesday night may put paid to any involvement from Forster. There was no indication of fresh injuries in the Tamworth camp from their 1-0 loss at Sutton United in the FA Trophy last weekend.
Prediction
The biggest battle that Spurs face at Tamworth is the unfamiliar. They’ll be on an artificial pitch in front of a crowd of 5,000. It’s a different world to the padded seats of North London. And, well, it’s Spurs, isn’t it? The clown princes of the Premier League; the team most likely to slip on this type of banana skin and land flat on their faces. But we have to be somewhat realistic, here. The gulf is massive and Tamworth aren’t even a particularly strong team at their level of the game. The away side should really run away with this. I’ll say 3-0 Spurs, though it could be more.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Manchester City host Salford City in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad Stadium. It’s a game that could be considered a local derby, with just five miles separating their respective grounds.
This will be the first time the two teams have met in their history, with Salford only recently climbing up the football pyramid over the last few years. Ties like this are what the FA Cup is all about, as League Two Salford City prepare to take on the Premier League champions.
Oscar Bobb nearing a return
Pep Guardiola confirmed in his press conference before the game that Oscar Bobb is back training with the group after his long-term absence, but the Spanish manager hinted that this game could come too soon.
Ederson is now ‘fine’ after a recent leg problem, but John Stones remains unavailable for the Manchester club.
Savinho finding his feet
Man City are enduring a difficult season by their immense standards, with some of their key stars struggling to hit the heights expected of them. Guardiola’s side have looked blunt in attack at times, but Savinho has shown in recent weeks why he could quickly become a key player.
Savinho recent performances
The Brazilian has been given a run of three starts in a row, providing four goal contributions in that time. With the likes of Jack Grealish and Jérémy Doku not pulling up any trees of late, Savinho may have cemented himself as a regular starter.
Four players ruled out for Salford
Kelly Nmai, Dan Chesters, Josh Austerfield and Frankie Okoronkwo will all be unavailable for the League Two side as they make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
This will be Salford’s first game without Stephan Negru after the defender was re-called from his loan spell by Oxford United earlier this week. Finally, Ben Woodburn is a doubt for Karl Robinson’s side.
Cole Stockton the danger man
Cole Stockton has been a key player for Salford this season in attack, helping them in their push for promotion up to League One. The English striker has scored seven goals and provided two assists in just 16 League Two starts, while also finding the back of the net in the previous round of the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town.
Stockton shot map, League Two 2024/25
Salford also carry a bit of a threat from left-back, with former Everton defender Luke Garbutt creating 34 chances in League Two this season, ranking him eighth in the division. The 31-year-old regularly takes set pieces for Robinson’s side, and that could be their best route to finding a goal against Man City.
Prediction
It’s difficult to see past a Man City win in this one. The Premier League side are at home, and despite a disappointing campaign in comparison to the last few years, they should have too much quality for League Two Salford.
Guardiola could rest some of his key stars, but we’re going for a comfortable 4-0 victory for the Citizens at the Etihad Stadium.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Minnows (or should that be Shrimps?) Morecambe travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Premier League giants Chelsea, hoping to pull off one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in the history of football’s oldest competition.
The West London club have had some rotten FA Cup luck in recent years, making the final in three of the last five seasons, losing all of them against Arsenal, Leicester City, and Liverpool as they head into their first game of the 2024/25 edition.
It’s the kind of record Morecambe fans would kill for, a side that have only been above League Two twice in the last 15 years and are struggling to stay in the football league this season.
Chelsea have a history
The task seems insurmountable for lil ol’ Morecambe, but Chelsea have lost to lower league opposition in the FA Cup before, notably losing 4-2 to League One Bradford all the way back in 2015.
It’s been a decade since the defeat to Bradford, and Chelsea are no longer have a chiselled Gary Cahill or a Russian oligarch to rely upon, now it’s young Levi Colwill and a consortium of American venture capitalists.
Just like pundits up and down the nation like to say, ‘anything can happen’, and it’s happened before, Morecambe beat Bradford in the previous round after all, but the odds are certainly in Chelsea’s favour.
A goal scoring defender
Morecambe have a secret weapon in Jamie Stott. A defender who happens to be their second top league goal scorer, boasting the best xG in the side, but in true centre-back style, also having the most missed big chances.
He’s not the type of player who should be fight against relegation in League Two and has been a driving force in the two wins they have from their last five games, scoring in the 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers and showing his ability at the back in the 1-0 victory against Carlisle.
Of course, Chelsea are a completely different beast, but it’s a game in which Stott could impress potential suitors.
Give the kids a chance
One of the most positive things Enzo Maresca has done is give Chelsea’s kids hope after a summer of upheaval for their famed youth conveyer belt. Both Neil Bath and Jim Fraser stepped down as academy directors.
Players such as Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, and Lewis Hall, just to name a few, were shipped out for ‘pure profit’, leaving genuine question marks regarding a clear pathway for the current academy stars.
Chelsea will be hoping despite all the change, more players will commit to the club and do a Josh Acheampong rather than a Rio Ngumoha, and games like this are the perfect chance to show them they’re wanted.
Prediction
It’s easy to get carried away with the romance of the FA Cup and giant killings etc. but it’s important to remain realistic.
Morecambe winning this would arguably be the biggest thing to happen to the club, but it would take a miracle, so we’re going to go with 4-0 to Chelsea.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Tempting as it is to start a look at this fixture by listing out why milk is the drink of football heroes of yesteryear*, there’s a somewhat more serious undertone to the game now for Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders, who have just shown the slightest wobble of form of late.
*Before we go any further, and if you’re weren’t alive in the UK during the 1980s, here’s a link to the TV advert that will forever link these two clubs – watch here.
Top of everything, winless in two
Liverpool’s midweek League Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, contentious as it was, means Slot’s side are two without a win in all competitions, following a surprise home draw to Manchester United. For most teams that would be nothing of note; for the Merseyside club it’s their worst run of the campaign.
Yet, as we’re told every year, the magic of the FA Cup means it’s not always about form, favourites or even footballers. Fourth tier Accrington Stanley visit the top side in the country and the storylines write themselves, not the least of which is Josh Woods being likely to lineup for the away side, when he can frequently be found in the stands instead, supporting the Anfield club. This is only the second-ever time the teams have met, after the Reds won 2-0 in the FA Cup third round in 1956.
Recent form
Prior to losing at Spurs it was 24 in a row unbeaten for Slot’s team, so there won’t be panic buttons being pummelled just yet. Accrington have actually won their last two, so come into this game as the in-form team…though if we want to add context, which we should, victories over Grimsby and Colchester don’t move the needle much – particularly coming after a winless run of eight beforehand. Bottom line: they’re 19th in League Two, away to the Premier League leaders.
Team news
Liverpool should be able to call upon the previously ill Dominik Szoboszlai, while Jarell Quansah went off in the first half midweek. Joe Gomez is the only other definite absentee after some recent returns to fitness for Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konaté, but Slot will probably also start the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Darwin Núñez, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo.
Accrington have a full squad available and will likely go with a full-strength side in a bid to cause the biggest shock of the third round.
Key player
Tough to know exactly where Slot will go with his lineup, but given the Forest game is three days away, rotations in some areas are a necessity, including full-back. That gives Conor Bradley another chance to shine, particularly on the back of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s poor showing against Manchester United and the ongoing contract talks there. While Bradley’s 250-odd league minutes are nowhere near enough to be truly telling, his per-90 stats are alarmingly high across the board in shooting, passing, dribbling, recoveries and touches. The more we see of him, the more idea we’ll have of just how sustainable that is…and whether he could really be a long-term answer for the Reds.
Prediction
No cup shock this time around; Liverpool’s second string will ease aside Accrington and continue their domestic cup adventures. Liverpool 4-0 Accrington…exactly.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every FA Cup game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
With AFC Bournemouth flying high this season, sitting in seventh in the Premier League at the time of writing, it was inevitable that the Cherries’ young stars would catch the eye of England’s top clubs, and that’s certainly the case with their talented left back, Milos Kerkez.
FotMob understands from sources in Hungary that Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are all closely following his development, but the Red Devils are leading the race to sign the 21-year-old defender, who has started each and every match in England’s top-flight this season. However, Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell with the Hungarian international who is contracted on a long-term deal until 2028, and Bill Foley & co. are set to ask north of £35m if the interest materialises in the player, who arrived at the Vitality Stadium from AZ Alkmaar just 18 months ago for reportedly for a fee around the £15m mark.
Here, we analyse Kerkez’s most likely destination, if the left back is to leave during the January transfer window, and give the lowdown on what makes him one of the top full-back prospects in the Premier League as well as Europe, despite questions remaining about his character.
United in desperate need of fresh energy on the left flank
Even though each of the five clubs mentioned hold an interest in signing the prodigy, Manchester United’s need for a new left wing-back is the most urgent, and FotMob understands that Kerkez is one of the leading candidates on the club’s shortlist to strengthen the squad during the January transfer window.
Kerkez possession stats, Premier League 2024/25
The Hungarian impressed Rúben Amorim in last month’s audition at Old Trafford, and it is quite telling that Tyrell Malacia has not played a single minute since that 3-0 defeat to the Cherries, a match in which Kerkez earned a 7.3 FotMob rating, while the Dutchman was hooked at half-time with a damning 5.7 rating. Additionally, with Luke Shaw and Malacia’s injury troubles over the past couple of seasons and Amorim’s change of system to 3-4-3, the 21-year-old could be the ideal solution on the left flank for the newly-appointed head coach. Furthermore, reports indicate that Kerkez is extremely interested in a move to Manchester United and would relish the chance to play at the Theatre of Dreams, with the Kerkez family being lifelong supporters of the club, and the player himself spoke about the interest last year, referring to Nemanja Vidić as his childhood idol.
The rough diamond can develop into one of the world’s best left backs under the right coach, although doubts exist about his character
With 48 Premier League’s appearances under his belt at the age of 21, it is fair to say that Kerkez is not only a young and talented left back, but a fairly experienced one for his age. Also, with three assists and one goal scored this season, the Hungarian ranks among the top five full-backs in the Premier League based on goal involvements, and only Trent Alexander-Arnold (5), Pedro Porro (6), Antonee Robinson (7) and Rayan Ait Nouri (8) are ahead of him.
Kerkez passing stats, Premier League 2024/25
With that being said, doubts remain over his character, andsources in Hungary explain that if judged only by his talent, his world-class potential and on pitch abilities, the 21-year-old would be top of Manchester United’s shortlist and the other interested parties, but some people within the club have doubts about the player’s character and whether the Hungarian is mentally ready to make the next step now and excel at a top level club.
Also, figuring high on a shortlist that includes the likes of Alphonso Davies, Theo Hernández and Nuno Mendes among others, just shows how highly rated Kerkez really is. On the other hand, despite the doubts about his mentality, the left back only turned 21 in November and under the right coaching staff, he has all the tools and time on his side to improve, both on and off the pitch. Another factor in Kerkez’s favour is his tactical versatility, as the efficient dribbler is capable of playing both as a left back in a four-man defence and as a left wing-back in a three-man defence, a role he occupies for his national team, which gives the coaches a variety of options on how to use him.
Summary
The Cherries are in no rush to sell and are aware that some of the interested parties, like Manchester United, find themselves in a tight financial situation in January, plus they believe Kerkez’s value and subsequently, price will only rise if he continues to perform well in the second part of the season and if they can possibly maintain their push for securing European football for next season.
Finally, with the market of young, talented and fairly experienced left backs in the Premier League being limited, and with Liverpool’s ever-growing need to find Andrew Robertson‘s successor, with Joško Gvardiol being Man City’s only left back option, and Arsenal’s never-ending search for defensive reinforcements, it might be in Bournemouth’s best interest to resist any attempts to part ways with Kerkez in January as the summer might be the ideal time to cash in on him.
(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.
Thierno Barry signed off for LaLiga’s winter in break in style. Indeed, 22-year-old scored three times in Villarreal’s final match before Christmas – a 5-2 win over Leganés. This was Barry’s biggest haul of the season so far, but it highlighted the potential of a player who has quickly settled into his new surroundings at El Madrigal.
Signed from Basel last summer, few truly knew what to expect from Barry at Villarreal. The Frenchman had shown glimpses of his ability in Switzerland, but scored just nine goals in 35 games over the course of his one and only full season at St Jakob Park during which Basel battled relegation.
Since joining Villarreal for a reported €14m, though, Barry has taken a major step forward in his development. His seven goals in 17 games (only 12 of them starts) make him LaLiga’s top-scoring youngster alongside Jude Bellingham with the Yellow Submarine once again incubating the growth of another elite level centre forward in the making.
Alexander Sørloth led the line for Villarreal last season, scoring 26 times in all competitions. This convinced Atlético Madrid to spend €35m on the Norwegian who is now a key figure in Diego Simeone’s title-chasing team. This was the void Barry stepped into last summer and the 22-year-old is doing a good job of filling it.
Barry player traits
In terms of his all-round game, Barry might even be an improvement on Sorloth who is a penalty box poacher. Physically, Barry is an imposing figure. Standing at 6’5”, the young Frenchman is dangerous in the air and can hold his own against even the strongest opposition defenders. He gives Villarreal a focal point to target with crosses and long passes.
Barry’s intelligent movement is another trait that makes him special. This allows him to play on the shoulder of the last defender and get in behind, taking up good goal-scoring positions inside the box. Countless LaLiga defenders have been caught out by the Villarreal striker’s shape-shifting in the final third this season. Barry’s movement is arguably his best quality.
For someone of such physical stature, Barry is remarkable comfortable on the ball. And mobile, too. He likes to drift out wide to create overloads and is handy in tight spaces. He can dribble and carry possession. These are qualities which surely have scouts from even bigger clubs keeping a close eye on the young French centre forward.
Nobody is averaging more shots per 90 minutes for Villarreal this season than Barry (3.6). It helps that he has the likes of Álex Baena and Dani Parejo to create for him, with Ayoze Pérez a useful foil and attacking partner, but Barry is undoubtedly Villarreal’s attacking focal point. Their forward line is built around him.
Barry shot map, LaLiga 2024/25
Critics could argue that Barry has been wasteful in front of goal at times this season. After all, he is underperforming his Expected Goals (xG) of 7.9. However, this shows that Barry’s goal-scoring form is no fluke. Top-level scouts value forwards who get into high percentage positions to find the back of the net and Barry does that consistently.
Villarreal have a strong track record of harnessing young forwards and sending them on their way to the elite level. Before Sørloth, the Yellow Submarine had Nicolas Jackson who is now leading the line for Chelsea in the Premier League. Samuel Chukwueze is another attacker – albeit a winger – who used Villarreal as a platform with the Nigerian now at AC Milan.
Under Marcelino, Villarreal have gone from fighting relegation to being in European contention. The former Athletic Club and Valencia manager is clear in his tactical ideas. He likes a compact defence that can manage a game. He favours a hard-working midfield unit that can offer plenty on both sides of the ball.
In the attack, Marcelino wants forwards who can press from the front and attack open space. Against the strongest opponents, Villarreal can play on the counter-attack. Against lower calibre teams who sit deep in a low defensive block, though, Marcelino’s approach gives his team enough control and creativity to cope.
Barry is the perfect striker for this system, although he could still afford to refine some areas of his game. His passing numbers aren’t the best. He is only in the third percentile for passes completed per 90 minutes, averaging just 7.9. This is because Villarreal funnel their attacking play into the Frenchman, but the best modern forwards can create as well.
On a fundamental level, though, Barry has a unique skill set. On his current trajectory, the French youngster is destined for the top and has even been tipped for an international call-up. Les Blues need new attackers after the international retirement of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann. Barry could fit the bill.
For the time being, Barry is spearheading a resurgent Villarreal team and developing at a rapid pace few could have envisaged when he made the move to LaLiga from Switzerland. The 22-year-old is following in the footsteps of Jackson and Sorloth in yellow. He will have more opportunities to showcase his potential when the LaLiga season resumes this weekend.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from LaLiga on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Over the course of the January transfer window, we are taking a close look at some of the biggest and best business in our ‘Transfer of the Week’ columns. The first edition focuses on new Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonín Kinský, who has already impressed on debut.
Tottenham Hotspur’s season has been anything but straightforward. An ever-growing list of injury issues among other factors has forced them to fall on contingency plan after contingency plan, unsurprisingly impacting their performances and results.
The January transfer window could not have come soon enough for them, so they have already made a noteworthy move. With first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out for at least a couple of more months due to an ankle injury and backup Fraser Forster seemingly unfit for Ange Postecoglu’s ball-playing requirements, Spurs spent €16.5 million to sign Antonín Kinský. The Czech goalkeeper was dropped straight into the thick of it as he made his club debut in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool this week, and he hit the ground running with a man of the match performance.
Tottenham fans will surely be excited to see more of the youngster now, so we have taken a look at what they should expect.
Promising modern goalkeeper
As is most often the case in the mid-season transfer window, Tottenham have had to pay a bit of a premium to sign Kinský at this time. Nevertheless, they will hope that he proves to be worth the fee in the long run.
The 21-year-old shot-stopper has only seen a season and half of top-flight action so far, though he has looked quite good after a promising youth career. The son of a former Czech national team goalkeeper of the same name, Kinský spent much of his childhood under his tutelage at Tempo Prague. Even before he made his senior debut, he earned a national team call-up with the under-17 side.
Kinský has only gone from strength to strength since. He got his senior breakthrough with Dukla Prague in 2020, playing a handful of matches for the then-second-tier side. A year later, domestic giants Slavia decided to sign just after he turned 18 years old. As is often the case at such big clubs, though, the youngster had no clear shot at regular first-team action and soon had to look elsewhere for game time. He decided to get more second-tier action at MFK Vyškov, playing close to 50 matches for the club in a season and half on loan.
Kinský player traits
The situation at Slavia remained similar thereafter, but Kinský’s consistent showings in the second division attracted interest from top-flight clubs. So, Pardubice decided to bring him in for the 2023/24 season and give him his first taste of top-flight action. He got off to a rocky start by picking up a red card in the second match of the season and soon suffered some physical setbacks, so it was not until December that he made his third appearance for the club. Nevertheless, he went on to have a strong second half of the season, ending the season with an impressive save percentage of 79 with an average of around 4 saves per match. The youngster also showed himself to be very capable on the ball, completing just over nine long passes per 90.
As he returned to Slavia once again last summer, Kinský was prepared to seek a permanent move away in search of sustained game time. However, a long-term injury suffered by the club’s first-choice goalkeeper gave him a golden opportunity at the club, and he took it with both hands. In his 19 league matches for the Czech leaders this season, Kinský let in just seven goals and kept out 83% of the shots he faced, making him the best stopper in the division in that respect. He also continued to shine with the ball at his feet, averaging 27.5 successful passes per 90 of which a third were accurate long balls. The youngster could be regularly seen playing well outside the box, but was not caught out of position for any goals conceded and consistently made the right decisions when it came to intercepting balls in behind.
This combination of excellent shot-stopping and ball-playing quality is surely what moved Spurs to sign Kinský in this window. He should be expected to keep that up in the English Premier League, but it will be interesting to see how he deals with corners and set-pieces. That has been the glaring weakness in Vicario’s game this term which opponents have looked to target while Tottenham’s defending has not been great either, so Kinský could be in for some tough tests against dead balls.
Long-term role
All being well, nothing should stop Kinský from immediately establishing himself as Tottenham’s second-choice goalkeeper. His performance against Liverpool showed that he is well up to the task, so he should continue to start between the sticks ahead of Forster and Brandon Austin until Vicario returns from injury.
Thereafter, it will be interesting to see whether the Czech youngster can challenge the 28-year-old Italian for the starting spot. Vicario should certainly retain the edge, but his set-piece weakness might just give Kinský a potential opening. At the very least, he should be Spurs’ cup goalkeeper next season.
Kinský also has a great opportunity to earn his first national team cap and even become the first-choice for Czechia before long. Slavia’s Jindřich Staněk and Bayer Leverkusen’s Matej Kovar are the only two keepers currently standing in his way, but he could easily overtake them with a run of impressive performances at the highest level of English football.
Clearly, the future looks quite bright for Kinský, but making a memorable instant impact at Tottenham should remain his foremost task.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
To keep up date with all the latest deals this window, check out the FotMob Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.
Premier League clubs spent over £2bn during the summer transfer window. A lot of big moves occurred and a number of teams were prematurely crowned winners of the window.
With half of the season now in the history books, it is becoming much clearer who actually won the transfer window and which player has the best claim to the title of bargain of the summer.
Bournemouth. The Cherries are the winners after their purchase of Dean Huijsen for just £16million. The centre-back is now being chased by Real Madrid and Manchester City having impressed in his first few months in the English top flight.
What makes this even more remarkable is the fact he only started two of the opening 13 games for Andoni Iraola’s side. Since breaking into the starting XI having settled into life in the Premier League, Huijsen has bossed, well, everything. He’s made the FotMob Team of the Week in four of his last seven appearances.
He made the matchday 14 team with a rating of 8.3 after netting the winner against Spurs. The former Juventus youngster then made the team on successive machdays, 17 and 18, with ratings of 8.3 and 8.4 One of these arrived against Manchester United in a 3-0 win for the Cherries, another game in which Huijsen found the back of the net. He missed Team of the Week for Matchday 19 but returned for Matchday 20, as Iraola’s side claimed a win over Everton to move to within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea.
Key to this climb up the table has been a steady flow of clean sheets. The Cherries have kept five clean sheets all season, three have arrived in their last four outings. In fact, Huijsen has been present for all but one of those performances.
The 19-year-old has had a transformative impact on this side following his move in the summer. The 6″5′ centre-back, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AS Roma, was highly rated during his time in Italy but there had been question marks over his suitability to first-team football right now.
Transfer expert Jatin Dietl had some reservations this summer when the centre-back was linked with Liverpool and Newcastle, saying: “He was not (yet) at the level to be a starter for a club like Roma. But he has a lot of potential and extremely good technique for a central defender.
“Sometimes at Roma he even played in midfield. He’s very elegant but he lacks experience in one-v-one defensive situations and he also has to grow physically to adapt to the higher requirements of top level football. So I would say it would be an investment in the future, but if he develops well he can become a very good modern defender.”
Those reservations appear to have been misplaced with the 19-year-old seamlessly adapting to life in the English top tier. So much so, in fact, he’s now being courted by the champions of England and the reigning champions of Europe.
Huijsen player traits
His career has been a strange one.
Born in Amsterdam, his parents moved to Spain when he was a youngster and he grew up idolising Sergio Ramos. He was on the books of Malaga before Juventus snapped him up. He was expected to be the next great defender to play for the Old Lady of Italian football but was sacrificed with Juventus needing to raise funds for a rebuild.
Bournemouth snapping him up was viewed as a coup at the time. Now it appears to be a masterstroke.
His game showcases his upbringing. There’s a Dutch bluntness to his ways mixed with a Spanish flair. The fact he’s now playing for Spain ahead of the Netherlands is a huge blow to the latter who may well have seen him as a long-term heir to Virgil van Dijk.
In the English top flight this term, he’s won, on average 75% of his tackles. He’s winning almost five duels per 90 and his aerial duel win rate currently stands at 60%. The latter figure will likely rise as he grows into his body. It has to. He’s 6″5′!
Huijsen defensive numbers, Premier League 2024/25
His aggressiveness without the ball, combined with his composure in possession, has helped give the Cherries a platform in the Premier League this term.
They’re seventh in the league having allowed just 23 goals in 20 matches. They’ve conceded fewer goals than the likes of Manchester City (27), Chelsea (24) and Aston Villa (32). They’re averaging just 1.2 goals against per game, the fifth best record in the league. It is a staggering improvement on the 1.8 they conceded last term.
Only four teams have a lower xG Conceded total than Bournemouth’s 24.9. And three of those teams – Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest – make up the top three in the Premier League.
Bournemouth have assembled a squad made up of a lot of talent with huge potential. The one with the most potential, however, could well be Huijsen. How he finishes the season could well dictate how much the Cherries bank when he’s inevitably sold in the summer.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Despite not yet turning 22, his birthday less than two months before this season’s Champions League final, Harvey Elliott is something of a veteran of this Liverpool squad.
But despite already making 128 appearances for the first team – thus triggering the majority of the clauses worked into the £4.3 million deal that brought him from Fulham in 2019 – there is a sense that he is yet to fully convince Arne Slot.
With the Premier League’s halfway point reached in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, Elliott reached mid-season having only started one game – that being the 2-1 win over Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup in mid-December.
Elliott recent season summary
After featuring in the second-most games of any Liverpool player last season (53) and forcing Jürgen Klopp to admit he wished he’d started him more often, the 21-year-old has only played nine times under Slot so far.
Eight of those nine appearances have come in the last 10 games and in the seven of those outings that came from the bench he averaged only seven minutes on the pitch; his longest, at 16 minutes, came when Liverpool were already 4-0 up at West Ham.
That can, of course, be partly explained by a fractured foot suffered in training with England’s under-21s in September, an issue which kept the playmaker out for two months.
But ahead of a likely second start of the season against League Two strugglers Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round, it is hard to escape the feeling that, if he were to figure prominently in Slot’s plans, his reintegration would have been accelerated.
The Dutchman has effectively admitted as much, explaining of Elliott’s peripheral role at the beginning of January: “The ones that have played a lot under me, it is easier to come back after an injury than the ones that didn’t because the ones that played under me, I know what I can expect from them and I know what they bring to the team.
“With the ones, for example, Harvey, he was injured after two games I think. But he is also in competition with many good midfielders who are doing really well so that makes it hard for him to get playing time at the moment.”
At face value, it is a reasonable explanation, but there are aspects that don’t exactly wash.
Elliott player traits
For starters, Elliott was a staple of Slot’s first pre-season in charge of the club: no player clocked more minutes (290), made more assists (two), created more chances (nine) or played more passes into the final third (26).
It seemed throughout Liverpool’s warmup schedule that the youngster could fit seamlessly into the new head coach’s setup, with a more natural No. 10 built into Slot’s nominal 4-3-3 shape.
But the return of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch from summer international duty, along with Elliott’s prolonged spell on the sidelines, have shunted the No. 19 down the pecking order; only Curtis Jones, who was required to fill in as a deep-lying midfielder at the start of the summer, has broken into that established unit.
However, with Szoboszlai sidelined through illness in the last two games and Jones struggling against both Manchester United (2-2 draw) and Tottenham (1-0 loss), that Slot still did not turn to Elliott may be telling.
Slot only made four changes to his starting lineup for the Carabao Cup semi-final opener at Tottenham on Wednesday night, with Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota coming in, but he retained his midfield trio of Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Jones.
Even in a game of little quality and certainly less control than Liverpool usually enjoy, both Gravenberch and, most notably, Jones played the full 90 minutes – Mac Allister only withdrawn after 80 minutes as Wataru Endo moved from centre-back to midfield.
Elliott spent a night he will have been hoping to start on the pitch as an unused substitute – the first time in eight games that he did not get the call-up, but perhaps the most significant occasion.
Instead Jones was left to toil away, safe in his passing (completing 45 of 47, or 96%) but failing to create a single chance or attempt a shot on goal, on a night where Liverpool really needed a spark to establish a lead going into the second leg at Anfield.
The visit of Accrington Stanley will almost certainly be one for Liverpool’s second string, and Elliott’s status among those is belying the unique ability he can offer as one of Slot’s No. 10s.
Though of shorter stature than either Szoboszlai or Jones and therefore lacking the same natural running power of Slot’s regular options in that advanced role, that is not to suggest that Elliott lacks the endeavour or off-ball grit required.
And more importantly, he arguably offers more thrust and, crucially, productivity in the final third; admittedly his sample size is small at just 147 minutes this season, but he has averaged 7.14 shot-creating actions per 90 in that time.
In a different system and under a different manager last term, Elliott averaged 4.72 shot-creating actions per 90 – similar to Szoboszlai (4.74), considerably more than Jones (2.77) and the sixth-most of Klopp’s regular starters, the highest being Luis Díaz (5.40).
Only Mo Salah (14) and Darwin Núñez (13) assisted more goals than Elliott last term (11), which is perhaps the clearest indicator of what he can offer as the creative outlet in Slot’s midfield.
That will no doubt have informed those clubs reportedly considering a move for the Englishman in January, with Sky Sports crediting both Dortmund and Brighton with interest in a deal.
But more importantly it should be of paramount interest to Slot at Liverpool.
The hope is that this is simply a longer-term bedding-in process and that the new head coach has not already decided a player who has invested so much into his life at Anfield is not the profile of midfielder he needs.
“With the games coming thick and fast, it’s now just about practising the new style of play that we’ve learned with the gaffer and how we’re going to keep applying it in games,” Elliott explained of his marginal role in a recent interview.
“It’s completely different to what we used to play before, so it’s like if you’re performing, if you’ve got a show, you keep going over and rehearsing it and rehearsing your lines or your part of the play.
“That’s kind of what we’re doing at the moment. We just keep going over and over things and making sure we’re getting it to a tee, really.”
Only time will tell, starting with Accrington Stanley on Saturday, but Elliott clearly deserves the opportunity to prove on a bigger platform why he has earned the nickname of Liverpool’s little diamond all over again.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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