The reigning World Cup champions, Argentina, take another step along their preparations before attempting to defend their crown this summer as they face Mauritania in a friendly in Buenos Aires.
Argentina are also playing Zambia during this international break in what’s effectively now a farewell to the public before trying to make it back-to-back successes on the global stage.
Spectacle and superstar
There won’t be much surprise if the lead-up to the game – and maybe the first half at least – is all about the usual Lionel Messi sideshow. At 38 years of age he’s still sharp and relentless in the final third; in MLS he may be but he can still top the lot, ranking ahead of 99% of similar forwards for goals and chances created and all 100% of them for touches and shots.
Still, the idea is to maximise what you get from Messi while maintaining balance elsewhere, which makes the likes of Julián Alvarez and Thiago Almada so vital with movement and workrate off the ball.
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Plan in action
A little over a decade ago, Mauritania were in the bottom handful of national teams on the entire planet, by Fifa rankings anyway. Ground has been made in that regard, and they’ve been to three Afcon tournaments in the past seven years, but didn’t qualify for 2025’s edition and have never been to a World Cup.
It doesn’t seem like a testing opponent on first glance for Argentina, but they do face another (much stronger) African side in their World Cup group – Algeria – and also a World Cup finals debutant, in Jordan, so perhaps a defensive-minded opponent will provide some practice for what lies ahead. In reality, this is maybe the best alternative on offer at short notice, given Messi and co were supposed to be facing Spain in the Finalissima this weekend.
Recent matches
Three not-high-profile opponents have been Argentina’s choices since the qualifiers ended in a 1-0 defeat to Ecuador, with Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Angola all duly dispatched. Mauritania haven’t won any of their last six and have just one victory since the end of 2024.
Team news
Lionel Scaloni had a full squad in training at the start of the week and it’s expected the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Alvarez will all start, though Rodrigo De Paul could miss out with a knock.
Mauritania will look to Romania-based captain Aly Abeid for defensive organisation while Rangers winger Djeidi Gassama is hoping for an international debut.
Key Player
Enzo Fernández has been in the headlines over a potential summer move; at his best he is a scheming danger in the final third but he has been hot and cold this term. Over the past year he ranks in the top 5% of all attacking midfielders in Europe for getting on the ball; he should have plenty of that in this game so it’s all about whether he can find the telling ball to the front men.
Prediction
A routine win for the South American side but the key will be keeping up the tempo if they want to rack up the scoreline: Argentina 3-0 Mauritania.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Thomas Tuchel’s selection process for the upcoming World Cup continues with a Friday night fixture against international football’s perennial overachievers, Uruguay.
Thomas Tuchel has to continue his England filtration process over this international break weekend
A surplus of talent is no bad thing for an international coach, but that’s where Thomas Tuchel finds himself ahead of England’s two international friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Tuchel has taken the unusual step of naming a 35-player squad for these two matches with players arriving at different times, depending on the number of minutes they have played for their clubs this season. and it’s his job to now start filtering through those players to select his final 26-player squad. And recent form is good. Since losing 3-1 at home to Senegal in June, they’ve won six in a row and have kept six clean sheets.
Uruguay qualified for this summer’s finals in fourth place in the CONMEBOL megagroup, in which Argentina were the runaway winners, with only one point separating the next five nations. Their last run out, however, ended in a fairly dismal 5-1 defeat to the USA in a friendly back in November.
Screenshot
England have never beaten Uruguay in a competitive match
It is something of an anomaly that England have never beaten Uruguay in a competitive match, and this poor record extends to friendlies, as well. The Three Lions have only beaten Uruguay once at all since 1969, and that came twenty years ago. Their last meeting, at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, also ended in a 2-1 Uruguay win.
This is a game for those fighting for a place in Tuchel’s summer squad
With 35 players and staggered arrivals, there will be two very different England teams playing their two upcoming friendly matches and attention will naturally turn to those who are trying to push their way into the squad or the starting eleven.
One player who will be travelling but will be trying to secure a starting place is Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace. Wharton made his England debut almost two years ago against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it took until September last year for him to return to the team; he’s now made three appearances for the national team. Wharton’s had a decent season for Crystal Palace and will be hoping to start in this fixture in order to make his case to start in the summer.
There will, of course, be familiar faces in the Uruguay team and one of them will be that of Darwin Núñez, who left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia last summer. Núñez has scored six goals in 14 appearances for Al Hilal this season, and his record for his national team is decent, with 13 goals in 36 appearances for La Celeste. He may have been a little too erratic for Liverpool, but he’s been a mainstay of his national team’s attack for a long time.
Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo and Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde are among the more familiar names who may start for Uruguay, along with Manuel Ugarte, who’s been struggling for game time with Manchester United this season. Perhaps the biggest cheer of the evening will be reserved for the Uruguay head coach and former Leeds United icon Marcelo Bielsa, who’s returning to England for the first time since leaving Elland Road in 2022. Expect a larger than usual contingent of Leeds fans in the Wembley crowd for this match.
Prediction
Of course, with these upcoming matches being friendly fixtures, there is more at play for Thomas Tuchel over the next four days than the actual results of the matches. Tuchel finds himself in a privileged position, with a plethora of talent to choose from. Sooner this than not having enough, we might reasonably presume.
Expectations for England this summer are high. Ranked fourth in the current FIFA rankings, there will be considerable disappointment should they not make it as far as the semi-finals, and this is arguably a reflection on the decision to hire Tuchel with the very specific aim of going as far as possible in this tournament. Knives will be quickly drawn, should performances fall short.
Uruguay are not to be taken lightly. They qualified for these finals by a comfortable margin and are ranked 17th in the world themselves, and this is a nation defined by the outsized success that its national football team has had, going right the way back to the first World Cup in 1930. That a country of 3.5 million people should have produced a team that has won this tournament twice and remains a regular qualifier for its finals remains one of the World Cup’s more curious and enduring anomalies.
But with so many players with something to prove and a squad that is so strong that the head coach can divide it between two matches, England should have enough about them to take a positive result from this match, so I’ll go for a narrow 2-1 home win, with the big question of the weekend really being whether Tuchel finishes it with a much clearer idea of what his final summer squad will look like.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Harvey Barnes could have been heading north for this month’s international break. He might have been preparing to make his Scotland debut at Hampden Park having been wooed by Steve Clarke following a years-long pursuit. Instead, Barnes will be at Wembley Stadium on Friday as part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Initially left out of the 35-man squad for the matches against Uruguay and Japan, Barnes was called up after Eberechi Eze’s withdrawal due to injury. Now, the 28-year-old will have the opportunity to prove he deserves a place in Tuchel’s final 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup. Scotland’s loss could be England’s gain.
Barnes has been in exceptional form for Newcastle this season. Many fans in the North East believe the winger has been their most consistent performer for a number of months, as illustrated by Barnes’ return of five goal contributions in his last 10 matches for the Magpies in all competitions.
Barnes’ season summary
Only Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade have a higher Expected Goals (xG) than Barnes within the Newcastle squad this season with the 28-year-old averaging a team-high 2.7 shots per match. At a time when Eddie Howe has chopped and changed his forward line regularly, Barnes has remained a consistent threat.
It’s unsurprising Tuchel’s eye has been caught by the Newcastle winger who could force his way into the reckoning to feature for England on the left side at this summer’s World Cup. While competition within the squad is stiff, there is a question mark over that particular part of Tuchel’s team as the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada gets closer.
Barnes’ shooting numbers in the Premier League this season
Tuchel has started three different wingers on the left side in England’s last three matches. Eze, Gordon and Marcus Rashford have all been given a chance to prove themselves in the position with varying degrees of success. Barnes could stake a claim by performing well against Uruguay and Japan.
By calling up 35 players for the March camp, Tuchel is clearly intent on casting an eye over as many players as possible before selecting his World Cup squad. There is plenty to occupy the mind of the German coach. England boast one of the deepest squads in the international game, but that could give Tuchel a selection headache.
Barnes’ passing numbers in the Champions League this season
The road testing could extend to the left wing. Rashford has enjoyed a resurgence on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United this season, but hasn’t registered a goal contribution in any of his last seven games in all competitions. The 28-year-old is currently a peripheral figure for the Catalans. His primary role is as an impact sub off the bench.
England’s pre-World Cup schedule
Gordon is part of Tuchel’s left wing rotation, but went over a year without scoring an open play goal in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Eze is most comfortable in a number 10 position. Even when the Arsenal attacker is deployed on the left side, he has the natural instinct to cut inside.
Barnes would give England verticality. The 28-year-old plays with an irrepressible willingness to push forward into the opposition box and frequently has the composure to find the back of the net when he gets there. Barnes could give The Three Lions a different dimension should he do enough to make their World Cup squad.
It’s been a long road for Barnes to reach this point in his career. The winger has already been capped for England, but that one appearance for the national team came all the way back in 2020. From loan spells at MK Dons and Barnsley to Leicester City and Newcastle United, Barnes has had to prove himself every step of the way.
Even at Newcastle after making a £38m transfer from Leicester three years ago, Barnes has had to be patient. It’s only now that he is establishing himself as one of the Magpies’ most important players. He could now do something similar for England having waited years, and rejected the interest of another nation, for another opportunity.
(Images from IMAGO)
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It’s time for us to be honest with ourselves, Italy haven’t had a top striker since they won the World Cup in 2006. Mario Balotelli was meant to be the guy, but he couldn’t keep his head cool enough to fulfil all that potential.
The drop off from Francesco Totti and Alessandro del Piero has been a harsh one, but it’s not going to last forever. In fact, Italy may have finally found the heir. Francesco Pio Esposito doesn’t just look the part; he walks the walk.
Esposito comes from a footballing family. His father was a centre back, who made it to the third tier of Italian football before turning to coaching, while his older brothers, Salvatore and Sebastiano, play for Sampdoria and Cagliari, both on loan.
Neither have reached the hights of the youngest Esposito, which one may assume makes for a few interesting family dinners, but there appears to be a deep level of support amongst the family.
Esposito player traits compared with other strikers in Top 5 leagues
“We grew up in an area where there was only the football field,” Salvatore, the eldest Esposito, explained in an interview with Che Fatica La Vita Da Bomber. “There were loads of other good kids, but we were lucky that we had the support of our family and the desire to get where we wanted to go. There was a lot of competition, also between us.”
The three brothers signed for Inter in 2014. Salvatore left in 2014 for SPAL without making an appearance, but Sebastiano, who made his debut as a 16-year-old in the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt is still contracted to the club.
Francesco, or Pio as he is increasingly better known by, was handed a new contract in 2023 and shipped out to Spezia on a two-year loan. His first season was poor, scoring just three goals in his 39 games across all competitions, but he really came into his own in 2024/25.
He ended his second season at Spezia with 19 Serie B goals, the second most in the division. Inter decided to keep him rather than send him back out on loan, and Esposito has grasped that opportunity with both hands.
The optics are almost perfect; Esposito is everything we imagine a proper Italian number nine to be. He’s 6’2”, incredibly passionate, but perhaps most importantly, he has great hair. He wouldn’t have looked out of place with the 2006 World Cup squad!
Esposito senior career summary
Esposito isn’t fazed by anything. He’s a bit of a throwback striker, very physical and not afraid to throw down with defenders ten years his senior in a league that is famous for pragmatic football.
“I must admit that he is surprising me with how well he’s doing, as he plays for the team and knows how to do certain things, is not afraid of anything, and always keeps a cool head in front of goal,” Christian Chivu told DAZN after Inter’s 2-0 win over Cagliari.
“Despite being so young, he handles the pressure well. He can also handle the physical duels on the pitch and works hard for the team. I’m very pleased with how he is doing.”
That fearlessness is so obvious on the pitch. In Inter’s 3-1 Champions League round of 16 first leg defeat to Bodø/Glimt, while his teammates were flailing, Esposito, who scored Inter’s goal, remained calm and kept going.
More recently, Esposito opened the scoring in the first minute in Inter’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, and he would have won it if it wasn’t from a fantastic David de Gea save in the dying seconds of injury time.
The numbers back it all up. Esposito has won 85 duels at a success rate of 49.7%, he also remarkably strong in the air, winning 35 aerial duels at a 50% success rate, and won possession in the final third nine times in the Serie A.
Esposito possession stats in Series A this season
Of course, because Italian football can’t have anything nice anymore, Esposito has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League. Man United and Arsenal are both reportedly keen, with Chelsea also said to be circling.
In the here and now, Esposito is excelling on the international stage having scored three goals in five appearances for Italy since being handed his international debut by Gennaro Gattuso last September. He has started one of those games, the 4-1 defeat to Norway, in which he scored the opener.
Just like at club level in Italy, the national side play a back three, it’s beyond an obsession at this point. Esposito played alongside Mateo Retegui in the Norway loss, and it’s expected that the Inter ace will be benched for Moise Kean in their World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland.
Hearing praise from Luca Toni, who had a very similar profile to Esposito, during a post-game interview with for DAZN on Sunday, the striker said that such words “counted double.” Reflecting on De Gea’s late save he added: “If it wouldn’t go in today, let’s hope it’s just waiting for Thursday.”
A striker like Esposito, who handles pressure like none they’ve had for quite some time is a huge asset for a nation that failed to score in their previous two World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and North Macedonia
Four-time winners Italy haven’t qualified for the biggest spectacle in sports since Brazil 2014, missing out on a third consecutive tournament, especially when it’s the biggest in history, is simply unthinkable.
There is a very fine line that needs to be walked upon. Esposito is 20-year-old, the powers shouldn’t be putting too much pressure on the lad, but at the same time, it’s important to recognise he’s a rare talent that Italy hasn’t seen for years.
Esposito shooting stats in Serie A this season
Gattuso spoke about that, saying: “Pio’s main quality is humility. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that it’s difficult for someone like him to get too big for his boots or have a negative attitude.
“The way he thinks, the way he trains, and the way he does make him seem like a 30-year-old: like everyone else, he’ll have his bad moments, but he works, he keeps quiet, he pushes, and he wants to improve.”
It’s been a long time coming, but the future is bright for Italy up top.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Up until 2006 the Black Stars had never played at a World Cup but since then they have played in all but one edition. In 2010, they went as far as the quarter-finals and were minutes away from reaching the semi-finals too.
Qualification for the 2026 World Cup came amidst the disappointment around the failure to even make it to the most recent African Cup of Nations but now, there is a bigger goal in sight for Yirenkyi, and his teammates.
The 20-year-old midfielder is now a regular for the national team, having also come leaps and bounds for Nordsjælland at club level. A central midfielder by trade, Yirenkyi has often played as the deepest of the Danish club’s midfield three and has also been utilised as a right central midfielder.
He boasts impressive athletic ability and loves to move the ball forward from the middle of the park. There have been suggestions of interest from major English clubs and when one glances closely at his profile, there is no surprise at all.
This season, in the Superligaen, he has played 22 times, contributing to a total of seven goals along the way. A product of Right to Dream’s increasingly famous academy, he could follow in the footsteps of Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus and Atalanta’s Kamaldeen Sulemana by making the big jump to one of Europe’s big five leagues.
Right to Dream’s academy structure has roots spread across Ghana and multiple other countries including Egypt, the US, and Denmark. The system is based on the holistic development of young footballers and improving them not just on the pitch but also nurturing them as people.
The Ghana international joined Nordsjaelland’s U19s side back in 2024, having first played for Right to Dream’s Ghana Academy back in 2017 when he was just 11.
Yirenkyi player traits compared against similar midfielders in comparable leagues
Yirenkyi is described as a man of few words but deep within, he has qualities that have always stood out for the coaches. All of this has led him to here – on the verge of making Ghana’s World Cup squad, having already played seven times for his country’s senior side.
Nordsjaelland’s Transitions Coach Thomas Kristensen played over 100 games for the club and featured several times for the Danish national team. He also saw Yirenkyi from quite close quarters when he was with the Right to Dream international academy team which consisted of players from academies in Ghana, Denmark, and Egypt, who visited Denmark several times a year, and also took part in international tournaments with clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.
Kristensen first came across the Ghanaian two and a half years ago and points out Yirenkyi’s humble approach to life and the game.
“I think early on, it was more like his character which stood out. He was also a very good player, but he was very humble and hardworking and always ready to help others. He was always the last guy leaving the dressing room, cleaning up after everyone.”
“Last to leave the bus, last to leave the pitch. Always make sure that all the balls are there. So I think that what really stood out in the start was how humble he was.”
Right To Dream’s Ryan French, who was Yirenkyi’s first coach during the youngster’s time with the Right To Dream setup in Ghana and also managed the housing in which Yirenkyi lived in, looks back on when the midfielder was coming through the youth side.
He agrees that Yirenkyi came across as very shy but his competitiveness shone through on the pitch.
“To describe him as a person – when Caleb came in, he was very quiet, almost shy. However, when you put him in competitive situations, you really saw the strength of his personality or at least the strong attributes of his personality stand out. First, he was very competitive.”
“All the players there are very competitive. Everyone who arrives is determined to succeed. But with Caleb, it’s a steely determination. It’s almost like a quiet resolve.”
Yirenkyi still comes across as very competitive on the pitch too, as his attempts to keep winning his duels in the heart of the park whenever he features for Nordsjaelland would testify.
Yirenkyi’s possession stats in the Danish Superliga this season
French believes it was one of his standout qualities even when the player was young.
“When you put him in competitive scenarios, you can really see him enjoy the process of competition and enjoy figuring out how he was going to succeed. I really admired that about Caleb, that he didn’t rush through competition or figuring that out. He was very competitive. He worked with the tools that he had and then just made them into strength.”
The 20-year-old does have a funny side to him that shines through when he is interacting with his teammates.
FotMob also asked Yirenkyi about his role models growing up. He, in his classic way, suggested he simply loves doing what he does for the love of the game.
“I don’t really have one, I just like to see the effort they put in the game and [play for] the joy of it.”
It is French who goes into the details of his playing style, noting his all-round abilities on the pitch.
“He loves contact. He likes to create. He really enjoys playing forward. He’s capable of a decisive pass. He’s so technical that, even at a young age, he had a mastery of striking the ball.”
Further, French reveals it was the youngster’s explorative nature that helped him across the way: “He was very curious about exploring that and figuring out how to do that well. So I see him do all of those things and I see him now do it with both that determination and that competitive spirit, but also with a process that he’s clearly enjoyed. He really enjoys playing football. And you can see that when he’s playing.”
Going deeper into his curious nature, he explains how this helped Yirenkyi use both feet effectively.
“When he was a young player, Caleb was very technical, capable of using both feet. He definitely prioritized one over the other, but he wasn’t shy to use the non-dominant foot and was even exploring ways to improve it at a young age. Like, he had this discipline, knowing that it was important to develop that side of his technical coordination but he also had a curiosity that was leading him in that direction.”
The Black Stars’ up and comer’s own words perhaps shed light on his sponge-like nature, as he is always super-focused on learning from what is around him.
Yirenkyi’s passing numbers in the Danish Superliga this season
Yirenkyi says: “I go on the pitch and do the best I can, try to learn everything every day from coaches and teammates.”
Yirenkyi has also been described as a multi-directional player and those traits were visible since he was very young. This has made sure that he has become a press-resistant midfielder, making him suited for a deeper role too.
“What we really noticed about Caleb is when we wanted him to play in every direction, to be this multi-directional player, he was key. And that was central to the team that we were playing in. This is a small-sided game, so we’re playing 5v5, 7v7, 9v9, at these ages, depending on the format and the day.”
“We’ve changed the game model, but Caleb was usually central to the team for playing in a multi-directional way. Playing multi-directional was really important, usually for his role in the position. However, as capable as he was to do that, he often had the ability to chase the pressure and go forward anyway.”
While Kristensen is proud of how everything is coming together for Yirenkyi, French believes it shows how well Right to Dream’s approaches talented players and nurtures them from an all-round standpoint.
The culture at the academy helps youngsters like Yirenkyi to have a reliable core group behind them which, in turn, goes a long way in shaping their career.
“The relationships they develop inside these environments create an incredible support network for the players. And you see that now. You know, the players, as they move on from the academy, staying in touch, the coaches, the scouting staff, it’s kind of just this big, giant network that’s something akin to a family.”
“So I give a lot of credit to Right to Dream for developing the whole person, not just the whole player, and staying true to that and staying focused on that.”
Kristensen adds that featuring at the World Cup will be a definite game-changer for the Nordsjaelland star.
“It’s a big thing for everyone to represent the national team. For him, it means a lot. You can really see how much he looks forward to it. It doesn’t matter if they have to travel halfway around the world to play a game.”
“The World Cup is a massive thing that hopefully he will be able to go to in the summer. And that is also something that will maybe take him to the next level playing against the best competition in the world.”
In his very own way, Yirenkyi tells FotMob about his ambitions for the summer: “The players and the staff will give everything they have to make our fans proud and I hope I will be a part of the experience.”
Indeed, Yirenkyi is someone who prefers to do his talking on the pitch. His demeanour is calm and he saves his energy for dominating the midfield, leaving his coaches to tell tales of what he truly brings to the table.
That is largely emblematic of who and what Yirenkyi is. Ghana can be assured that their future could well be in safe hands. Selection for the World Cup brings a ton of pressure with it but the 20-year-old is clearly someone who can handle whatever comes his way.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Nashville’s English striker continues to be one of the star performers in MLS, while elsewhere, Lionel Messi visited a historic New York venue, and the Colorado Rapids have some hope.
Sam Surridge continued his MLS goalscoring exploits with a hat-trick against Orlando City on Sunday, taking him to seven goals from his three starts so far in the 2026 season.
Surridge’s performances in front of goal went somewhat under the radar last year. It’s easy for that to happen when Messi is in the league, but at one point, towards the end of the regular season, he was leading the Golden Boot race ahead of the Argentine.
Sam Surridge season summary for 2025 and 2026 so far…
He ended up with 24 goals from 34 appearances in the league, and added an extra one in the playoffs. He scored six goals as Nashville won America’s domestic cup, the US Open Cup, adding a trophy to his name in the process.
Early form suggests this goalscoring form will continue. In fact, the rate at which he is scoring so far suggests he will be even better this year, which would immediately make him not just a Golden Boot contender but a challenger for Messi’s MVP award, too.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, and just enjoy his latest collection of goals from this weekend, which helped Nashville to a 5-0 win at home to Orlando.
The third goal of the hat-trick, in particular, following a penalty and a poacher’s effort, was one to savour, hit with the point of his right foot with great technique into the far corner.
The combination of Surridge and the potential signing of the season, Cristian Espinoza, makes Nashville a real threat in 2026.
Sam Surridge hattrick vs. Orlando, goal three highlighted
Messi in New York
A headline-grabbing player in a headline-grabbing city is always a draw, and this was the case once again as Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team visited The Bronx to face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
Messi’s presence produced the second-highest attendance in NYCFC’s history. Sunday’s crowd of 45,845 is only bettered by a Hudson River Derby game against local rivals New York Red Bulls in 2015, which attracted 48,047 spectators.
Inter Miami came into this game having missed out on one of their key goals this season, after they were knocked out of the Champions Cup (Concacaf’s Champions League or Copa Libertadores equivalent) by Nashville in midweek.
Javier Mascherano and the rest of the Miami franchise had, admirably, not hidden their desire to claim continental silverware this season, but limped out at the last 16.
Fernández Mercau hit a Messi-like free-kick to open the scoring, bouncing it in off the underside of the bar to leave Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair a mere spectator.
But it was Messi who ended up with the highest FotMob rating of the game, putting in a typical performance. He hit the post twice and scored a free-kick of his own, albeit via a deflection, to get his team back in the game at 2-1 down. Brazilian centre-back Micael scored the winner for Miami shortly after with a great header back across goal into the far corner.
In the end, New York City scored two goals that were outstanding in their own way to give their fans something to cheer for, but it was Messi and Miami who were able to get the win and go some way to recovering from the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions Cup.
There were cheers for Messi as his name was read out pre-match, but boos at the final whistle as the New York crowd believed a couple of key decisions went against their team, as they suffered their first defeat of 2026.
Wells starts well in Colorado
Taking up the job as the head coach of Colorado Rapids is no easy gig. For a young manager, it might almost be seen as a risk, but it’s a testament to Matt Wells’ belief in his coaching ideas that he has taken on the challenge.
One thing MLS does offer is a chance to try things out. There is no risk of relegation, and teams generally do well if a coach can come up with a plan and get their players to buy into it.
This has worked most obviously in the past for teams like the Columbus Crew and Montreal with Wilfried Nancy, Philadelphia Union under Jim Curtin, and the Rapids themselves for one season under Robin Fraser in 2021.
It’s early days, but there is a chance that Colorado could do something similar under Wells, the former Spurs assistant coach. For Rapids fans, simply being in with a chance offers more hope than they have had in recent years.
As MLS writer Matt Doyle highlighted on BlueSky, the Rapids have adapted to some simple but effective changes introduced by Wells this season, particularly building attacks quickly and directly from the back via some neat combination play.
They have now won two of their games 4-1, at home to LA Galaxy and this weekend away to Sporting Kansas City, and have settled into a position in the top half of the Western Conference with three wins from their five games.
A princely performance but Montréal still fall
Speaking of teams that have struggled in recent years, Montréal supporters are more familiar than most when it comes to this side of football fandom.
Their agonising 4-3 defeat to a 10-man FC Cincinnati team was more of the same as far as this is concerned, but there were at least some goals to celebrate on this occasion and a standout performance from Prince Owusu.
The striker finished the game with a FotMob rating of 9.4, thanks to contributing to each of Montréal’s goals, ending the game with two goals and an assist. It made him the second-highest rated player of the week after Surridge.
Montréal couldn’t make the most of the goals and the man advantage, though, and in the end conceded a fourth themselves and left Ohio with nothing. Nothing apart from some encouraging attacking play from Owusu and Wiki Carmona, anyway.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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A big derby clash in LaLiga is always an enjoyable affair but there’s more at stake than usual with Real Madrid chasing a title and Atlético Madrid starting a defining run of five fixtures where they face Real or Barcelona four times.
For Real Madrid there’s nothing unusual about the run-in which starts here: they want to win the Champions League and the Spanish title, they are in the hunt for both and the push for silverware is utterly expected. What’s different is the manager, with Álvaro Arbeloa fewer than 20 games into his senior side managerial career, and the fact that they are not considered favourites for either competition as things stand. To catch Barcelona in LaLiga they’ll need an upturn in consistency, especially at home where they have suffered two defeats this term – but there’s a four-point gap and ten to play, so it’s far from insurmountable.
Simeone caught between ideals?
Atleti were the posterboys for rock solid defences under Diego Simeone during the prime era of Gabi, Koke, Diego Godin and Diego Costa. Koke remains, but the side is very different now, trying to be more expansive but not quite hitting the elite heights of some other teams in attack while also not being as tough to break down as their former selves. There’s little between Atleti and Real these days in defensive terms, with los rojiblancos seeing an xG against them of 30.5 to Real’s 30.8, conceding 25 to Real’s 24 and keeping 12 clean sheets to Real’s 11.
This really shows up as fixture where Atlético have to outperform themselves by a wide margin in the attacking third if they want to complete a league double over their local rivals this term – as they did earlier in the campaign by stomping Real 5-2.
Recent form
Real have won four in a row including two wins over Manchester City recently, while it’s nine wins from ten at home in all competitions. Atlético lost in midweek to Tottenham but won on aggregate, with six victories in their last eight all told – but only three wins in their last ten on the road.
Neither side will have their first choice keeper, with Thibaut Courtois ruled out for Real and Jan Oblak a huge miss for Atlético. Matteo Ruggeri could miss out too.
Key player
It’s tough to second guess Simeone at times but Julián Alvarez must surely play – he’s key to any hopes for Atlético to shock their rivals. Relentless and talented but super creative too; Alvarez is LaLiga’s best forward for expected assists, creates 2.3 chances and 1.3 accurate crosses per 90 minutes. In Europe over the past year, he’s ahead of 99% of all forwards for chances created too – yet he last completed a league 90 minutes on 25 January. Simeone loves to sub him.
Alvarez’s player traits comparison with other strikers in Top 5 Leagues
Prediction
Home form will be telling for Los Blancos in the title fight and this one has to start by being three points: Real Madrid 3-1 Atlético Madrid.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The stakes could hardly be any higher for Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest ahead of Sunday’s encounter. Their status as a Premier League club could be on the line.
One point is all that separates the two teams in the table with Spurs and Forest perched precariously above the relegation zone. Depending on how West Ham fare against Aston Villa, either side could end the weekend in the bottom three.
The relegation battle – prior to Saturday’s games
Spurs have reason for optimism after Wednesday’s encouraging showing against Atlético Madrid. While Igor Tudor’s team exited the Champions League, their 3-2 win lifted the mood around the North London club. It might prove to be a turning point.
Forest also found encouragement on the continent during the week, overturning a 1-0 deficit to beat FC Midtjylland on penalties and make the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Tottenham are without a win in their last 12 league outings while Forest are winless in their last seven league games. Sunday’s meeting is a massive match for all concerned. Survival is at stake.
Key players
Xavi Simons produced his best performance as a Spurs shirt against Atlético Madrid, scoring twice and giving Tudor the sort of creative spark he has linked since taking over as the club’s interim manager.
Mathys Tel was also impressive in the Champions League and so Tudor could hand the Frenchman a starting role against Nottingham Forest while Randal Kolo Muani may keep his place as Tottenham’s number nine.
Archie Gray caught the eye against Atleti and could be deployed in central midfield again to get Tottenham on the front-foot. Gray was exceptional at winning the ball in the middle of the pitch in the Champions League. His energy could be useful against Forest.
On their day, Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven are two of the best centre backs in the Premier League. Those days, however, have been too few and far between this season.
Morgan Gibbs-White came close to joining Spurs last summer and is pushing Nottingham Forest away from relegation danger more than any other player, scoring eight times in the league this season.
Box-to-box midfielder Elliot Anderson will be the driving force for the visiting team through the centre of the pitch. Only Omari Hutchison has created more Big Chances than the England international has for Forest this season.
Team news
While Tottenham’s injury woes have eased in recent weeks, Tudor is still without a number of important players for the visit of Nottingham Forest to North London this weekend.
It’s been a calamitous season for both clubs but we suspect the relegation picture will be no clearer following a result here that helps neither side: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Nottingham Forest.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Are Arsenal about to pick up the first leg of a 2025-26 quadruple? Manchester City might have something to say about that in this weekend’s Carabao Cup final.
Arsenal look serene, while Manchester City are having an uncharacteristic wobble
It might have been a chastening week in the Champions League for English clubs, but it wasn’t for Arsenal. A comfortable 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen saw them through to the quarter-finals of the competition to round off a satisfying few days for the Gunners, on top of the previous weekend’s results allowing them to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League still further, to nine points (albeit City have a game in hand).
Manchester City, meanwhile, have continued to wobble. A 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in their Champions League midweek match completed a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate win for Los Madridistas, and they’ve only won one game in five since the start of March, a figure all the more surprising because by this point of the season they’re usually into a relentless rhythm of winning which has, in the past, seen them pick up shedloads of silverware.
Arsenal are unbeaten in six vs City, but their League Cup final record is terrible
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six games against Manchester City in all competitions, going back to the start of the 2023/24 season. The two clubs still have to play each other at the The Etihad, and their meeting earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw.
Yet Arsenal’s recent record in the Carabao Cup isn’t good. They’ve won it twice, in 1987 and 1993, but they’ve lost the final six times, to Leeds United in 1968, Swindon Town in 1969, Luton Town in 1988, Chelsea in 2007, Birmingham City in 2011, and Manchester City themselves in 2018.
Manchester City’s record is far better. They’ve won it eight times in total; in 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and they’ve only lost the final once, to Wolverhampton Wanderers way back in 1974.
Declan Rice could tip the balance in favour of the Gunners
When looking at the players most likely to win matches for Arsenal this season, it’s difficult to look much further than Declan Rice, who could be on his way to lifting his first piece of silverware since West Ham’s Europa Conference League win in 2023. Rice’s consistently excellent performances for Arsenal this season may just have been the most fundamental difference between them and the rest of the Premier League.
Erling Haaland hasn’t looked like quite as much of a cheat mode in the Premier League season as he has in previous years. He’s still the top goalscorer on 22 in all competitions, but that’s only three ahead of Igor Thiago, and he’s been doing his business for Brentford. His goal against Real Madrid in midweek was his first in five games, and only his fifth in 2026, in all competitions.
Arsenal face late tests for three, but City should be more or less at full strength
Arsenal are definitely missing Mikel Merino, who’s out for the season, while there are question marks surrounding Eberechi Eze, Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber. Eze limped off against Bayer Leverkusen and will likely be subject to a late test, while the same will be the case for the other two, with Timber having picked up an ankle injury against Everton which kept him out of the Leverkusen match and Ødegaard having not played since their North London Derby win against Spurs last month.
Manchester City are relatively light on the injuries front. Joško Gvardiol will be out for the rest of the season, while Marc Guéhi is cup-tied, having played for Crystal Palace in the competition earlier in the season.
Arsenal’s form and quality leave no reason to predict anything but for them to win
If Arsenal are to win this quadruple, this is the day that they have to start. The good news for them on this front is that they couldn’t really be going into it in a much better state of mind, having pulled clear at the top of the Premier League and with their place in the Champions League assured. It’s fair to say that their record in this competition isn’t particularly good, but it’s equally fair to say that this Arsenal team isn’t the same as they’ve had before.
Having dropped four points from what should have been eminently winnable games against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, and with their elimination from the Champions League having been achieved with some degree of comfort by Real Madrid, the same cannot be said for Manchester City at the moment. Something just hasn’t clicked at The Etihad this season, in the same way that has become so familiar in recent years.
But their record in this competition is good – although it’s been five years since they last reached a final – and one-off matches can see form books go out the window. City’s experience in these finals might prove an effective counterbalance to Arsenal’s squad being stronger on paper.
On this occasion, though, the head says Arsenal. They’re the better team at the moment, and they’re in considerably better form than their opponents. 2-1 to the Arsenal has got a bit of a ring to it.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Hansi Flick’s side also have the advantage of playing before rivals Real Madrid, which means a victory will see them stretch their advantage at the top to seven points.
Barcelona peaking at precisely the right time
The Spanish title race has been topsy-turvy this season, no doubt about that. At one stage, Real Madrid led the way as Barcelona lost two and drew one of their opening ten matches.
Since then, however, the Catalan outfit have won 16 of the next 18 league matches to overtake their rivals and edge towards yet another LaLiga title.
Loses to Real Sociedad and Girona have been the only blemishes this year, with the club scoring 26 goals across just ten games in 2026.
The top of the table prior to Saturday’s games
Hansi Flick wont just be determined to defend the league trophy either, especially given Barcelona’s recent demolition of Newcastle in the Champions League.
An 8-3 aggregate thrashing of the Magpies sets up a quarter-final clash against Atlético Madrid. With Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Fermín López all in superb form, plus the fact Robert Lewandowski looked back to his best in midweek, Flick has plenty of options at his disposal in a quest to win the double.
Rayo Vallecano eyeing an upset
Earlier this season, Fran Pérez scored an equaliser against Barcelona which secured a point for Rayo and they will be hoping for something similar on Sunday.
Rayo enjoyed their own European success in midweek, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Turkish side Samsunspor to move into the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
Rayo’s leading scorers in LaLiga
That result marked just the second time the club have reached the quarter-final stage of a European competition and this should give them confidence heading into the Barcelona clash.
Flick will need to be wary of the threat posed by wingers Álvaro García and Jorge de Frutos, who have each scored 12 goals this season (all comps).
The club haven’t lost in LaLiga since February 1, winning two and drawing four of their last six domestic games, including a 3-0 win over Atlético.
On a more positive note, both Joan García and Eric García should be ready to feature, despite going off against Newcastle.
Diego Méndez is the only injury absentee for the away side this weekend. Elsewhere, Nobel Mendy is suspended and will therefore be unavailable.
Prediction
Rayo showed their mettle when the two clubs met back in August, but Barcelona have been operating on a different level since then.
Buoyed by making it into the Champions League quarter-finals, the home side should seal three point comfortably on Sunday. They must be wary of complacency, however, especially considering the goalscoring threat of both García and De Fruto for Rayo.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow all the games from LaLiga on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
