Their 3-0 win at Everton last weekend was enough to put them on top of the table at the end of the first round of matches, and their performance on Merseyside will only further have built confidence that new manager Fabian Hürzeler can unlock something in his squad to propel them up the league table.
Hürzeler is a gamble, of that there is little question. At 31 years old he’s the youngest permanent head coach or manager in the history of the Premier League and the only one to be younger than the league itself. But at Goodison Park his team was fluid and well-organised. There had been some concern over Brighton’s wellbeing at the time of the departure of Roberto De Zerbi. It’s fair to say that many of those fears have already evaporated.
Manchester United, meanwhile, may be under new management – if not quite new ownership yet – but their opening game against Fulham hinted that not quite as much might have changed at Old Trafford over the summer months as many supporters would like. It took a late goal from substitute Joshua Zirkzee to finally secure all three points, but it was a somewhat stodgy performance from a match that they were expected to win. Zirkzee or fellow substitute Matthijs de Ligt could start, if Erik Ten Hag feels that his team needs a freshen up after the Fulham match.
But recent form between the two teams favour Brighton. Manchester United have won two of the last six meetings between the teams in all conmpetitions, and one of those was their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April 2023, a match which United might easily have lost and eventually only won on penalty kicks. Brighton have won each of the other four meetings between the two teams.
Recent H2H results
United can take some comfort from the fact that their other win from these last six fixtures came in the last meeting between the two clubs, at the Amex at the very end of last season. United’s win that day wasn’t enough to improve their final league position of 8th, but it was a decent win which contributed towards a positive end to their season. A win for Brighton will keep them top of the table for a couple of hours. A win for United would be further proof that things might finally be starting to change at Old Trafford.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Over the course of the summer transfer window, we will take a close look at some of the biggest and best business with our ‘Transfer of the Week’ columns. This week, we turn our attention to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who seem to be heading in a new direction this summer.
Ever since Qatar Sports Investments’ takeover, Paris Saint-Germain have spent many a year trying to assemble the modern-day Galácticos. Having clearly established themselves as the dominant force in France, they spent hundreds of millions if not billions on the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé in recent years as they chased European glory, but it has proven ever elusive.
This summer, though, PSG’s transfer business has been the polar opposite of what they have typically done in the last decade. Instead of signing big names, they parted ways with one of the biggest superstars in world football as Mbappé joined Real Madrid. They did not sign any outright replacement, electing to divert their funds to bring in some of the most highly-rated young prospects in various positions.
A shifting transfer strategy
This window will go down as the one that cemented Paris Saint-Germain’s shift in recruitment strategy, but of course, it began a while back. Its origins can be traced to the arrival of Luís Campos, a highly-rated transfer guru with a great track record in France having assembled title-winning squads for both Monaco and Lille. His previous work focused heavily on scouting high-potential young prospects and signing them for relatively cheap fees before they fully broke out, so that is the expertise he brought to PSG.
Looking back, his imprints are clear in PSG’s transfer business right from the off. Their signings in the summer of 2022 included then-22-year-old Porto midfielder Vitinha, who has grown into one of the best performers in his position in France, as well as young Reims forward Hugo Ekitiké. Teenage full-back Nuno Mendes’ loan deal was made permanent, while none of the other signings were more than 25 years old at the time.
It should be said that many of these arrivals such as Renato Sanches and Nordi Mukiele did not exactly turn out to be resounding successes, but the shift in approach was evident. The subsequent summer’s signings, such as Bradley Barcola, Lee Kang-in, Randal Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte and Gonçalo Ramos went on to make a much bigger impact on the first team, allowing Campos to advance his strategy.
Last January, PSG signed 20-year-old defender Lucas Beraldo and 18-year-old midfielder Gabriel Moscardo for €20 million each from Brazil clubs São Paulo and Corinthians respectively. They have not featured much for the first team yet (though Beraldo did play in some big games amidst an injury crisis at left centre-back), but that is not a problem because they were brought in as ones for the future.
Summer signings
Of course, Paris Saint-Germain needed to strengthen their squad besides signing prospects for the future in the summer, and they have managed to do both things at once.
Their most recent signing – that of Désiré Doué from Rennes for €50 million – epitomises that approach. The 19-year-old attacker already has a couple of senior seasons under his belt for Rennes and stood out as one of the most prolific and exciting dribblers in Ligue 1 last season, putting up some eye-popping numbers (per 90).
Doué possession stats per 90, Ligue 1 2023/24
Clearly, Doué is someone who can make an instant impact for this PSG side. He will undoubtedly get his fair share of game time on the left wing spot vacated by Mbappé’s departure, but at the same time, he also has a lot of room to improve. In particular, his decision-making and composure in the final third could use some work if he is to convert his mazy dribbles into goals and assists more consistently.It is another 19-year-old for whom the Parisians paid the biggest transfer fee this summer, namely João Neves who earned Benfica €60 million. That is quite a big number, and yet it looks relatively cheap given the fact that a nine-digit figure was being touted not that long ago. The Portuguese midfielder is arguably much more polished than Doué and could very soon become a world-class ball-winning midfielder.
Neves player traits
PSG have made two other signings so far, again none over 25 years old. One of them is 22-year-old centre-back Willian Pacho, a confident and comfortable ball-player, and the other is goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who should be a backup option behind Gianluigi Donnarumma but will hope to keep his Italian counterpart honest.
Youth takeover
With so many youngsters being signed, it is only natural that they make up a much bigger chunk of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad and therefore get much more game time. In fact, their starting XI for the season-opener against Le Havre was the youngest in the club’s history.
Among the starters was 16-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye, a highly-rated academy prospect who is yet to sign a professional contract (making it hard to find a picture for his profile!). The decision to start him undoubtedly involved an element of convincing him to stay at the club, which is something PSG would never have done just a few years ago.
Le Parisiens have a terrible track record of neglecting top-class prospects in the QSI era, with the list including big names like Kingsley Coman, Mike Maignan, Christopher Nkunku and Moussa Diaby. Now, they finally seem to have realised the massive potential of their academy in developing the next Parisian superstars, having opened a new state-of-the-art training centre last year with a good chunk of facilities exclusively for the academy. The heavy involvement of Warren Zaïre-Emery in their 2023/24 campaign as well as the most recent line-up underscore the fact that PSG are committed to this new approach from top to bottom.
Only time can tell whether PSG’s new approach will finally bring them the Champions League title they have so desperately chased for the last decade, but it often transpires that wanting something too badly has the opposite of the desired effect. At the very least, fans and experts alike can surely conclude that PSG are headed in the direct direction now.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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When Paulo Dybala joined Roma a couple of years ago, his arrival was met with rapturous fanfare. His stint in the capital has gone quite well but an exit at this point does make sense for the club.
Dybala had initially rejected an offer from Saudi side Al-Qadsiah a couple of months ago, making it clear that he would be staying at Roma, where his contract runs out in the summer of 2025. He was expected to be a regular and at the very centre of the project. Fast forward to August and Dybala was left on the bench for a friendly against Everton and Roma boss Daniele de Rossi proceeded to say that La Joya wouldn’t always be a regular. Reports in Italy later confirmed that Roma would not be against an exit and that he is no longer central to ‘the project.’
Things moved quickly soon enough. Al-Qadsiah returned with an offer and Dybala’s agent held a meeting with executives from the Saudi Arabian club. Dybala took his time to answer, as reports suggested that while his wife initially wasn’t in favour of the move, his mother flew into Rome to have a say in the matter. Roma fans even wrote messages outside the club’s training ground, saying: “Paulo is not for sale.”
Gianluca di Marzio has now confirmed that Dybala has accepted the big-money offer from Al-Qadsiah.
While the decision would break the hearts of many football purists, romantics, and Roma fans, there is reason to believe that the decision to move on the gifted Argentine might be the right decision.
Roma remove a high earner off their books
Dybala currently earns about €7.5 million per year in his Roma deal and that is a big amount for a Serie A side, considering the financial realities faced by the league. There has also been talk in the Italian press about the fact that if he plays a certain amount of games in the 2024/25 season, it would trigger a major wage increase and a new deal that would extend to 2026.
If that happens – in a hypothetical scenario, Roma could spend close to €20 million (or more) on the player.
But if they sell La Joya, they save all that money and also earn a transfer fee. While Dybala’s €12 million release clause has expired, Roma will still earn a fee. For now, it seems as if it could be less than €10 million but it still would help Roma financially and give them a lot of leg room in the transfer market.
That isn’t the only reason why moving the Argentine on could be a sensible move.
Availability issues
Dybala is a genius when he’s on song. He has contributed to over 50 goals in domestic competitions across two seasons for Roma, often carrying the attack under José Mourinho and that is something the Portuguese coach also constantly shed light on.
Dybala recent season summary
But he has missed 34 games during that time and that is close to an entire season of a domestic league. Many of the absences are due to muscle injuries and this has led to him missing key games, something that became a huge issue under Mourinho.
Combine that with the fact that he’s one of the biggest wage earners across the entirety of Serie A, Roma would rather spend that wage on players who are more available – even if they’re not as supremely effective as La Joya.
De Rossi’s new era needs new changes
Daniele de Rossi’s approach to the game is much more dynamic and front-foot than Mourinho’s. It requires pro-activity off the ball, tracking back, pressing high and constant movement.
Dybala is increasingly becoming a very ball-to-feet player and that is completely fine, considering his incredible technical ability and how he’s a rare breed in the game. But with a declining physical condition and that burden of the wages on him, he is probably not too suited for a very dynamic approach.
It isn’t to say that he’s been bad under De Rossi – that isn’t the case at all. He has ten goals under the Italian, but there comes a point at a certain juncture of a manager’s tactical evolution when a system can’t revolve around a single player anymore. That is when that player holds a system back; the team back.
History is full of examples where despite a player’s tangible output in terms of goals, the team suffered and never evolved tactical. Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United during his second stint is a classic example and clubs need to learn from it.
As De Rossi enters his first full season of his time at the club of his dreams, his system will evolve and it would be better for him and the Giallorossi to have a more fitter and system-suited player than Dybala.
That would indeed be a sad way to sideline a true great of the sport in Italy, but that is just how it goes.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The history of attacking talents who’ve shone in the Eredivisie and gone on to play in the Premier League has been a checkered one, especially over the past 15 or so years.
The obvious gold standard was Luis Suárez’s time at Liverpool in the early 2010s when he contributed the greatest season in PL history and nearly led the club to a league title in 2014. Other success stories include Christian Eriksen with Tottenham and, to a lesser extent, Wilfried Bony’s brief run as a goalscorer for Swansea City.
There’ve been several players to make the move to England and see a considerable drop off in their performance. One of the more infamous examples was Vincent Janssen, who ended up playing less than 1000 minutes – in total – as a Spurs player. Brighton have spent big in the past for the likes of Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Jürgen Locadia, to little success. As it stands, Antony’s mega-money move to Manchester United could be considered a failure and he’s no longer guaranteed to start going into his third season in England. The mixed results have perhaps made clubs outside of the Netherlands more reticent when scouting attackers from the Eredivisie.
So, when Yankuba Minteh produced 10 goals and 5 assists in less than 1500 league minutes for Feyenoord last season, it’s understandable that there might’ve been some trepidation over just how well his game could translate to English football.
Minteh season summary, Feyenoord 2023/24
The Eredivisie is known for skewing towards a younger average age, and the gap in quality between the top and bottom of the league is massive. With Newcastle having to generate funds to avoid trouble from the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, they are believed to have done well in selling him to Brighton for around £33m. Time will tell whether this ends up being an overpayment, a bargain, or somewhere in between.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Minteh could be someone who transitions well to the demands of English football is the athleticism he showed last season. The dribbling numbers were exceptional, with 3.63 completed dribbles per 90 at a 52.2% success rate. We’ve seen Eredivisie attackers put up prodigious dribble and carry numbers before, given the league dynamics, but it was the way he did so which sparks optimism. He was consistently creating shots for himself and others in the final third, taking a proactive approach in pushing the ball towards the wide zones in the box, and absorbing contact from defenders. His first step when cutting inside to set up his next action is also impressive. With the English top flight boasting incredible athletes and impressive coaching across the board, players who can create something from nothing in the opposition half are incredibly valuable.
Minteh possession stats, Eredivisie 2023/24
Minteh’s playmaking is geared towards finding home-run passes in the final third, not too dissimilar from players such as Ousmane Dembélé at PSG. This is at least partially reflected by him completing less than 70% of his passes yet ranking in the top 20 in the Eredivisie for expected assists per 90. Him being noticeably one-footed as a passer does force him to rely on changing the method of delivery of the pass, resorting to using the trivela. He can be guilty of putting too much weight on the pass towards his teammates and his crossing doesn’t tend to have much loft, which makes him more oriented towards aiming them around the near post.
Without the ball, Minteh shows some promise both in and out of possession. Despite often operating as a touchline winger, he’ll occasionally move centrally after recycling possession to occupy the centre-backs in the final third. The acceleration he possesses allows him to have a larger room for error with his movement, and he’ll try to take advantage of opposition high lines. His speed and timing make him a major threat when counter-attacking. That, along with his determination also allow him to be a potential asset defensively with how quickly he can close down space for the opposition, including tracking back.
Minteh shot map, Eredivisie 2023/24
The result is a shot map from last season which more resembles an above average striker’s return than a wide player. 44 out of 56 shots from inside the box is impressive, with several coming from transition opportunities. That leads to one of the best per 90 expected goal figures from an attacking midfielder or winger. It certainly helps that in Feyenoord, he was playing for one of the biggest clubs in the league, and Arne Slot’s game model made it easier for attacking players to shine. An interesting comparison can be made with Johan Bakayoko from PSV, who’s around the same age with a not too dissimilar skill set. Although the PSV starlet did play over 1000 more minutes, their per 90 output is pretty close and Minteh was more efficient with his shot placement.
Minteh’s game certainly needs some ironing out, which is to be expected for someone who only recently turned 20 and hasn’t played a ton of senior football. The touches while setting up his dribble can occasionally be a bit sloppy. The weighting of his passes could be more consistent, even if he remains a high risk, high reward playmaker. With more experience, his decision making should see improvement as well. However, the building blocks are so tantalising that there’s a solid base to work from. It’d be interesting to see if, as he gets older, his game rounds out to be similar to someone like Sadio Mané, who he’s mentioned as an inspiration.
Minteh player traits
Although he left the season opener vs Everton early due to injury, those 40 minutes or so were a great advertisement for the upside Minteh has. He was a constant threat off the dribble, creating chances for others during fast breaks, and helped destabilise Everton’s buildup on several occasions. His assist for Kaoru Mitoma was the kind of play that star names regularly make. If that debut was anything to go by, Yankuba Minteh will be one of the most exciting players in the Premier League this season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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With Mohamed Salah’s contract running out and Liverpool reluctant to hand long-term deals to players in their 30s, it is an early test of their new-look boardroom.
Mo Salah was blunt in his message to supporters when considering whether or not to included him in their fantasy teams for the season ahead – and for good reason, Liverpool’s No. 11 is inevitable.
He backed that up with an immediate return in the Reds’ opening game of the campaign, with a goal and assist in their 2-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road. In doing so, he broke the record for the most goals in opening-day fixtures in Premier League history, with nine – having been tied with Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard heading into the game.
Two more goal contributions against Ipswich also lifted Salah to the milestone of 300 goals and assists in just 350 appearances for Liverpool. It is a remarkable tally for a player who is already among the club’s all-time top five goalscorers, behind only Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell – legendary names in Liverpool’s history.
Having been such a deadly player under Jürgen Klopp, Salah looks to have been unleashed again in a slightly tweaked role by new head coach Arne Slot.
With the Dutchman preferring a more patient, possession-based approach, Salah’s involvement is more measured, less full-throttle, awaiting the right moment to pounce. That was perfectly summed up when he latched onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sumptuously weighted through ball with a run behind Ipswich left-back Leif Davis and, without needing to take a touch, played it across for Diogo Jota to tap in for 1-0.
Salah’s importance to Slot’s new system was seen throughout pre-season, with the Egyptian one of few senior players available throughout the warmup schedule while many others were absent due to the European Championship and Copa America. He was one of four players tied with the most minutes in Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies (290), ending the summer with a goal, two assists, the second-most chances created (five) and the most touches in the opposition’s box (19).
Against Ipswich, he made the joint-most touches in the opposition box (11), had the most shots on goal (four) and created the fourth-most chances (two), while completing more passes (25) than his average per game for the season just gone (21.7). For much of Liverpool’s first competitive game under Slot, their setup overloaded the left-hand side in order to free up space for Alexander-Arnold to create and Salah to attack.
Passing stats vs. Ipswich Town
It’s clear that Slot has acknowledged the importance of his most prolific forward, telling reporters after the game: “If I see what he does to keep his body as it is and to be ready to play every game, I think there are many more years inside of him to play.”
While that was not intended as a pointed message to the club’s owners – even if the question was loaded in that direction – it comes at a time when Salah and Liverpool find themselves at a pivotal juncture.
The Egyptian has begun the new campaign with only 10 months remaining on his contract, which as it stands will see him leave the club as a free agent at the end of his eighth season at Anfield.
He is not in that situation alone, with vice-captain Alexander-Arnold and club captain Virgil van Dijk both seeing their terms run out in 2025 and no resolution in sight when it comes to extensions. That has, rightly, concerned supporters given their status in the side and the prospect of finding replacements for three of the best players the club has ever seen in their respective positions all in one summer.
While Van Dijk has been vocal in his desire to stay and there is an expectation that, as a boyhood supporter and an academy graduate, Alexander-Arnold would put pen to paper if the right offer is presented to him, Salah’s future seems more precarious. There is known interest from the Saudi Pro League, so much so that Liverpool rejected a world-record bid from Al-Ittihad for his services back in 2023, and he would likely be the most in-demand free agent since Kylian Mbappé were he to decide to leave.
Salah has earned that reputation, having stood out as a prime example of Liverpool’s success in the transfer market under Fenway Sports Group. Brought in from AS Roma for just £36.9 million in 2017, his worth to the Reds has far exceeded that outlay – and certainly expectations both in the club and from those watching on from the outside. Klopp himself had pushed for Julian Brandt, but was persuaded by sporting director Michael Edwards and the club’s data team that Salah was by far and away the more suitable candidate.
It is timely, then, that Salah’s current predicament comes so soon after Edwards’ return to the fold as chief executive of football for FSG, presiding over all football operations including those at Liverpool – having installed long-time collaborator Richard Hughes in his own former role as sporting director.
Liverpool are known to be reluctant to hand long-term contracts to players in their 30s as part of FSG’s self-sustaining model, which is only magnified by the return of Edwards, who was among those internally critical of new deals for the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in the summer of 2021. Salah, who is 32 and the club’s highest earner on around £350,000 a week, would now fit into this bracket as he and his representatives await contact from the higher-ups at Liverpool over a renewal.
The fact that his terms have been allowed to dwindle will partly be due to the reshuffle off the pitch over 2024, but that it has been left this way could spark fears that Liverpool are ready to let their No. 11 leave next summer.
Mo Salah, Liverpool career summary
Only Salah is not like Henderson or Fabinho, players who departed for Saudi Arabia last summer with fans accepting that they had lost a step; Salah is an athletic freak who has shown no signs of slowing down in terms of output. Even if his pace has dropped, his intelligence and technical ability have ensured his threat in final third has not only remained, but arguably improved as he adds new strings to his bow – his rate of key passes (2.34) and progressive passes (5.21) per 90 minutes last season were by far his best creative output since joining Liverpool.
Replacing a player of Salah’s calibre would be near impossible, even with Liverpool’s much-vaunted old guard now back in charge of recruitment. And instead, the best course of action would surely be to break their own rules and hand him another contract in the belief that he can keep this going long into his 30s.
(Images from IMAGO)
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It’s been sixty years this year since fluoride was first introduced to British drinking water, and looking at the state of this summer’s transfer market in the Premier League, it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that the conspiracy theorists might have been onto something.
Because this particular window has just been so… strange. To a point, this was always to be expected. Premier League PSR rules have turned out to be more testing than the clubs who voted it into existence probably expected. Points deductions and fines have already been issued, and there’s every possibility that there will be more this season. Manchester City’s 115 charges, of course, have already been brought forward to September, though that’s obviously a somewhat different matter.
This has a knock-on effect on the ways in which clubs spend money. The June 30th dividing line which marks the demarcation between last season, for example, has been critical for clubs who are desperate to balance their books for last season. Intra-club sales and loans have become increasingly commonplace, and although the Premier League has already carried out the singular trick of taking a bad PSR system and replacing it with something even worse, even that doesn’t really kick in until the end of this season.
Of course, some clubs’ transfer activity has been more bizarre than others. Chelsea continue to act as though the laws of financial physics don’t apply to them, and on the surface their policies remain as demented-looking as ever. Has anyone given any consideration whatsoever to the small matter of how this vast number of players are going to feel over a lack of first team football?
FIFA haven’t increased the number of players allowed in teams because Chelsea appear unable to stop themselves from pulling out their credit card every twenty minutes. Something, it continues to feel, has to give over this. But it doesn’t appear that this has actually happened yet.
You might have thought that Raheem Sterling’s start to the new season, which consisted of being left out of their squad entirely for their first game against Manchester City, might have sounded a few alarm bells among his fellow pros, but there’s been little to indicate that this has actually been the case. It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that there are a lot of young, talented players who are happy to warm the Stamford Bridge bench, and even that’s if they’re lucky; Sterling couldn’t even manage that on the opening weekend.
This is a weirdness that transcends national borders, too. Federico Chiesa, for example, has already been told that he doesn’t feature in the plans of the Juventus head coach Thiago Motta for the new season, and that has led to a predictable flurry of speculation over where his next destination will be. Barcelona are the hot favourites to be his next destination, but it should surprise nobody whatsoever to find out that Chelsea and Manchester United may also both be in the chase for him.
In some senses, it’s understandable. Chiesa is an excellent striker whose contract in Turin expires next summer. Because of this, it’s likely that any transfer fee involved will be relatively modest. But the transfer fee is only one component of the cost of signing him. His wage requirements will be high, and any club bringing in a player of this quality is going to have to accommodate him somewhere.
It’s hardly as though Chiesa is a callow youth with potentially a couple of decades’ playing time left in him, someone who can afford a couple of years on the bench or out on loan. He’s already 26 years old and therefore approaching the peak years of his career. He will surely expect first team football wherever he goes next. Is he guaranteed that at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford this season? Well, it seems that it won’t stop them trying.
And considering what we’ve witnessed over the summer, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to surmise that whoever signs him won’t have given that much thought to what they’re actually going to do with him. Increasingly, Premier League transfer activity feels like rubbernecking at compulsive consumers who can’t stop themselves from spending money, it often feels, for the sake of spending money.
We’re at the point at which it’s almost impossible to say whether some transfer rumours are real or have been generated by AI. Aaron Ramsdale to Wolves? Sure, why not? Eddie Nkeitiah to Nottingham Forest? Might as well! Conor Gallagher to Atlético Madrid? Well, if Eric Dier can make the Bayern Munich first team…
At this point of the season, it feels as though we could just do with this window being closed before league matches begin. Increasingly, it doesn’t really feel as though it’s doing anybody much good any more, even if all that fluoride is very good for your teeth.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Under Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton gatecrashed the top six and claimed an unlikely Europa League spot. Some tipped them as having an outside chance for a top-four finish last term but a disappointing season saw them finish 11th. A combination of injuries and failing to replace the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo meant the Seagulls went into freefall for large periods of the campaign. Some even question De Zerbi’s tactics at times, labelling the Italian as naive.
There’s been a lot of change at the Amex this summer.
De Zerbi left and is now in charge of Marseille. Brighton resisted the urge to bring Graham Potter back to the club and instead hired the highly-rated Fabian Hürzeler. The club, having sat on the Caicedo money for 12 months, have also spent close to £150million on transfers to bolster their squad.
There’s now the potential for the Seagulls to, once again, be one of the surprise packages of the season in the Premier League.
They kicked off their campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win away to Everton on the opening day. Last season, Brighton had to wait until matchday 20 for a clean sheet in the English top-flight. The signs are positive. With the exception of João Pedro, last summer’s recruits all seemed to miss the mark. This time around, though, two debutants bagged assists in the victory at Goodison Park.
Mats Wieffer, a £30million signing from Feyenoord, set up Danny Welbeck for the second goal on Merseyside while Yankuba Minteh, an arrival from Newcastle United, carved out the opener for Kaoru Mitoma with a brilliant right-footed cross. The latter has the potential to be one of the signings of the summer if this 45-minute cameo is anything to go by.
Brighton have also added Georginio Rutter, parting with a club-record £40million fee to pry him away from Leeds United, while the highly-rated Brajan Gruda was signed from Mainz.
Georginio Rutter player traits
What has been interesting this summer is how Brighton have looked to improve their offensive options.
Last term, the Seagulls found the back of the net on just 55 occasions. Their average of 1.4 goals per 90 could be bettered by 11 teams in the Premier League. During the 2022/23 campaign, Brighton scored 72 goals and had the fourth-highest goals per game average (1.9).
Their inability to score goals combined with their inability to keep clean sheets meant the Seagulls couldn’t climb the table. The club clearly felt Hürzeler could improve the defensive side of things with coaching but believed the attack was an area of the team to invest in. After all, goals win you games.
Minteh enjoyed a productive loan spell with Feyenoord. The 20-year-old scored 10 goals and chipped in with five assists across 1,462 minutes in the Eredivisie. He was a key player for Arne Slot at De Kuip. The Brighton No. 17 had unbelievable underlying numbers in Holland, finishing the campaign with an Expected Goals per 90 average of 0.65 and an Expected Assists average of 0.29.
Rutter was a revelation for Leeds in the Championship. The versatile forward finished the season with 21 goal involvements and had an Expected Goals and Expected Assists per 90 Contribution of 0.55. Gruda was impactful for Mainz, too. The young winger, who averaged almost four successful dribbles and created 2.34 chances on a per 90 basis, finished the season with an Expected Assists haul of 0.28.
Brighton now have one of the most exciting attacking units in the Premier League with the likes of Minteh, Rutter and Gruda joining Pedro, Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso, Simon Adingra, and Kaoru Mitoma.
There’s enough firepower there for the Seagulls to gatecrash the European places. With a bit of luck, there’s the potential for them to push for a Champions League spot. They’ve quietly gone about their business this summer and this could see them go under the radar.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
For the first time in the competition’s fledgling history, the Leagues Cup’s semi-finalists are all Major League Soccer sides. Three of them are also in the top four of their Conference standings, meaning they could well battle each other for multiple titles this year.
We are only in the fourth edition of the Leagues Cup and just the second in its current format, but it has already generated its fair share of controversies, and then some. Many have suggested that the competition is designed to favour Major League Soccer sides as all matches are held at their home venues, which is tough to refute. The expansion to a full 47-team format has also added concerns of fixture congestion, which coupled with MLS sides’ withdrawal from the US Open Cup has led to many organised fan groups calling for boycotts of the Leagues Cup.
The teams, of course, cannot afford to do that. The recently added prize of CONCACAF Champions Cup qualification for the top three (including a bye to the Round of 16 for the winners) has ensured that all participants have fielded full-strength teams, aiming to go and win the competition.
Just four teams remain this year as we have reached the semi-final stage, and all of them happen to be MLS sides who look set to pose title challenges on both fronts this year. With a diverse set of playing styles and tactical approaches among them too, we should be in for some very intriguing match-ups both in the coming days and towards the end of the year.
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew are undoubtedly enjoying their golden era. The 2023 MLS Cup champions recorded their best-ever continental campaign earlier this year as they reached the final of the Champions Cup and are set to challenge for three more titles. A big chunk of the credit must go to head coach Wilfried Nancy, whose unique tactical approach was the subject of one of our previous analysis columns.
As the reigning MLS Cup champions, they did not have to bother with the Leagues Cup group stage and were parachuted straight into the knockouts. A big 4-0 win over Sporting Kansas City was the perfect start, after which they took some big scalps by staging a late turnaround to overturn a two-goal deficit against defending champions Inter Miami before deservedly getting the better of the ever-competitive New York City FC on penalties.
Although they have had some scares, the Crew’s performances were top-notch on the whole in each of those games, earning them the highest average FotMob rating in the Leagues Cup this year.
Nancy has developed the Black and Gold into one of the most well-rounded teams in not just America but all of the world as they can control games by retaining the ball to an incredible degree with their disciplined in-possession shapes and press-resistant midfielders, unlock almost any opposition defences at will with dynamic attacking play and drop into a solid defensive block. They most certainly have all the tools to add another trophy to their cabinet.
Philadelphia Union
Despite enduring a pretty tough MLS campaign and currently sitting outside the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union have managed to hit the reset button and become the only team in Leagues Cup history to reach the semi-finals in consecutive years.
Defensive solidity has been the name of the game for Jim Curtin’s side as they have let in just four goals in six games, averaging less than half of their 2024 MLS record of 1.7 goals conceded per game. Their direct attacking in a 4-3-1-2 formation has managed to catch some of their opponents off guard, but they will have to produce something special to repeat the trick in the semi-final.
The Columbus Crew will definitely be the strongest opponents the Union have faced in this Leagues Cup campaign, and they will have to do so without their tournament top-scorer Tai Baribo, who will be suspended. So, Curtin will have to figure out where his side’s goals might come from besides devising a strategy to stop the Crew’s irresistible possession play.
Los Angeles FC
LAFC trod the path of winning the MLS Cup and reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup final a year before the Crew, and they will now seek to stop them from outmatching their achievements.
Although Steve Cherundolo is still their head coach, the side that lifted the MLS Cup and the side going for the Leagues Cup this year are very different. They were a fairly possession-based team in the past and kept nearly 52% of the ball in 2022, but have now transitioned into much more of a low-block-and-counter side.
Among many other things, they have notably changed their formation by going from a back four to a back five. This stylistic shift is perfectly aligned with the changes in their squad, enabling LAFC to remain supremely successful. They can boast of having the most goals as well as clean sheets in the Leagues Cup, with difference-makers at both ends of the pitch in Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris.
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids have turned their fortunes around quite dramatically between seasons. After finishing bottom of the east in 2023, they decided to undergo a bit of an overhaul by bringing in former Manchester United assistant coach Chris Armas as their new head coach and making some interesting signings of capped USMNT players from Europe.
With a new coach and core, the Rapids have adopted a free-flowing style of play focused on attacking in transition to capitalise on disorganised defences. That has led to them producing the most xG in MLS this season.
Of course, all problems cannot be fixed in just a few months, so the Rapids’ defence still is a big issue as they have conceded the joint-most goals in the Leagues Cup. They have managed to outscore their opponents at crunch time thus far, but repeating the trick in the final four will be a much tougher task.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Leagues Cup on FotMob – with deep stats and players ratings. Download the free app here.
The opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign is now in the history books. We have a new Team of the Week for you, but it is filled with familiar faces and we think, based on their showings on Matchday one, this won’t be the first time they’ll be making an appearance in this XI this season.
The Brentford shot-stopper played a key role in their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. Flekken made six saves and faced efforts with an Expected Goals on Target value of over one. The 31-year-old also completed 76% of his attempted passes and recovered the ball on 11 occasions to round out a fairly solid outing for the Bees between the sticks.
Right-Back: Pedro Porro
The Spurs full-back kicked off the season with a goal in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City. Porro glanced home a James Maddison cross to give Ange Postecoglou’s side the lead in the first half. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t see the game out. To go with his goal, the 24-year-old carved out four chances, the most of any player in the match, and completed 89% of his passes. He was a key player for Tottenham was his performance earned a deserved 8.2 FotMob rating.
Centre-Back: Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire is probably only in this Manchester United team because Leny Yoro is injured and Matthijs De Ligt will be eased into life at Old Trafford. But he made the most of this start. The 31-year-old completed 83% of his attempted passes against Fulham. He made three interceptions, five ball recoveries and won five of his six aerial duels as the Red Devils kicked off their campaign with a win and a clean sheet.
Centre-Back: Joško Gvardiol
Gvardiol found his goalscoring touch towards the end of last season. To kick off this campaign though, he put in a fairly dominant defensive showing. The former RB Leipzig man completed 92% of his passes, he made four interceptions, five recoveries and won 100% of his ground duels, playing his part in a clean sheet for Manchester City in their win over Chelsea.
Left-Back: Diogo Dalot
The 25-year-old wasn’t much of an offensive threat for United in their win over Fulham, but he didn’t need to be. The Portuguese full-back was resolute defensively and played a pivotal role in the clean sheet. Dalot won one of two tackles, four of six ground duels and 50% of his aerial duels. He also made six recoveries and one interception. It was a solid showing by the one-time Porto youngster.
Midfield: Amadou Onana
As far as debuts go, this was a dream one for Onana. Signed for a club record fee in the summer, the powerhouse midfielder scored after just four minutes against West Ham. The 23-year-old completed an astonishing 97% of his passes for Villa and bullied the hosts in the middle third, winning seven of his nine ground duels. He also competed in eight aerial duels in a performance that earned him an 8.4 rating.
Midfield: Mateo Kovačić
Kovačić had the unenviable task of filling in for Rodri as champions Manchester City kicked off their 2024/25 campaign with a trip to free spending Chelsea. Kovačić, returning to Stamford Bridge, put on a clinic in front of his former employers. The 30-year-old scored the second, made the most tackles (four), completed 50% of his dribbles and found a teammate with 95% of his attempted passes on his way to an 8.6 FotMob rating.
Midfield: Youri Tielemans
Tielemans ran the show for Aston Villa in their 2-1 in over West Ham United. The former Leicester City maestro racked up an 8.5 rating on Saturday evening. He claimed an assist, created the most chances (three), won 100% of his tackles and triumphed in five of his eight ground duels.
Attack: Bukayo Saka
Saka’s showing against Wolves looked ominous. The Arsenal forward scored and assisted in the 2-0 win for the Gunners. He created the most chances (five) and had five shots the the title hopefuls. There were no signs of rust despite this being the opening day weekend. The 22-year-old looked sharp, with and without the ball, winning 100% of his tackles and four of his nine ground duels.
Attack: Yoane Wissa
The Brentford striker claimed a goal and an assist in the victory over Crystal Palace. In fact, the 27-year-old netted what turned out to be the winner as Thomas Frank’s side kicked off the season with a win at home. Wissa’s showing earned him a FotMob rating of 8.4. To go alongside his two goal involvements, the forward completed 100% of his dribbles, won 83% of his ground duels, 100% of his aerial duels and won four fouls. He was a handful throughout.
Attack: Kai Havertz
Havertz, like Saka, scored and assisted for Arsenal in the comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves. The Germany international now appears to be Mikel Arteta’s starting centre-forward and after that showing, it is not hard to see why. Havertz had five shots, created two chances and involved himself in 19 duels in total. He’s a goal threat but also an asset to this team without the ball.
(Images from IMAGO)
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The 2024/25 Serie A season will see Juventus embark on a transition. While they have witnessed a transition period before, this one will likely be a completely new one.
When Juventus hired Maurizio Sarri, it was hailed as a revolution. It was a step away from the club’s DNA, as they attached themselves to a completely new playing style and identity. When Sarri left a season later, another revolution was said to take place under Andrea Pirlo, who brought the promise of another new style of play and refreshing ideas that were far from what Max Allegri had in his first long stint at the club.
But Allegri returned, as Juve abandoned the transitions and went back to their older identity with the re-hiring of the former boss. The club stagnated and while they did win silverware last season, the fans had grown tired of what the club planned under Allegri and there was a clamour for a breath of fresh air.
It would be a mistake to suggest that Juve will go down the same path as before, as they prepare to undergo another identity surgery under Thiago Motta.
Thiago Motta, recent managerial career
The former-Bologna boss takes over the reins are a hugely impactful spell at Bologna, where he took the Rossoblu to the Champions League and turned the likes of Joshua Zirkzee, Jhon Lucumi and Riccardo Calafiori into stars, utilising their strengths in his progressive brand of football.
As a new era dawns, there is certainly reason to be cautious but there are also reasons to be quite optimistic, and here, we look at why the Bianconeri faithful should be assured that this transition will not be the same as the ones that have gone before.
Cristiano Guintoli’s presence
Cristiano Guintoli arrived at Juve some months ago after a stellar stint at Napoli, where his exceptional recruitment helped them win Serie A.
What stands out in Guintoli’s case is his ability to sign undervalued yet quality players and how he never backs away from replacing key players with lesser known names of the same profile. His recruitment isn’t based on looking at where the big names lie, but more on what the squad demands are.
Juve have kicked themselves in the foot in recent years by ignoring the needs of the squad and signing players on the basis of availability. Guintoli won’t do that, as his track record shows, and his recruitment is always based on the system in place at the club.
Any manager would want that and especially Motta, who operated under a similar sporting director in Giovanni Sartori at Bologna.
Old guard being moved on
During the previous couple of transitions at Juve, one problem that always stood out was the constant presence of the same old players that operated under previous managers. The squad never underwent any major surgery and only minor changes were made, while keeping the old guard or players that don’t add value to the new identity.
In comparison to the earlier transitions, the new era has been much more ruthless. Alex Sandro has left, Mattia de Sciglio is expected to leave, Wojciech Szczesny has had his contract terminated and Federico Chiesa and Filip Kostić have been excluded from the project too. Weston McKennie also looked to be out until his recent return.
It shows that the club is quite keen on bringing in new and perhaps younger players for a manager who has a track record in getting the most out of promising stars. Motta would rather make superstars than manage them right away and the club seems to be following the same route.
Exciting new arrivals
Juve have essentially reformed their entire midfield. Douglas Luiz has arrived from Aston Villa, Khéphren Thuram has joined from Nice and Teun Koopmeiners will soon join from Atalanta and all three of them can operate in the same midfield.
Douglas Luiz player traits
Nico González seems close to arriving from Fiorentina and Juan Cabal has signed from Verona too. All of these signings fix the club’s issues.
Those arrivals have joined also because of some of the exits such as Dean Huijsen, Matías Soulé, with club graduates Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea used in the Douglas Luiz deal. Moise Kean and Koni de Winter have also departed, giving a lot of wiggle room for Juve to operate in despite the tight financial realities of Serie A.
They have upgraded from what they previously had and the window hasn’t even closed yet.
A thriving academy
The Juventus Next Gen plan has yielded them a lot of money this season and it has led to them signing all the aforementioned players. But Kenan Yıldız is expected to play a bigger role this season and the Next Gen side is expected to keep churning out more talent as time goes on.
If the players don’t add quality to the first-team, they will most definitely fetch the club money that can be used in signing other players. No other Serie A side has this setup and Juve are well in position to use what they have.
Clear reasons for optimism
Unlike how things were earlier, the club seems to be pulling in the right direction. There were times earlier when the owners, Andrea Agnelli and Pavel Nedved had varying opinions, leading to decisions that weren’t always the most efficient.
The club, with Guintoli and his team, have a sporting-first identity and Nedved and Agnelli are not around anymore. The major players at Juve seem to be on the same page.
While Motta’s project might take some time to come to full fruition, his ideas around the game will become definitive for the club and what it stands for. He will be given much more time than Sarri and Pirlo were ever given and even if there is a reason to be cautious for every new project, Juve seem to be taking the right steps.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from Serie A on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.
