Page 27 – The Pulse of Football

Apr

2026

Juan Mata: The ‘humble bloke’ having a huge impact on Melbourne Victory in the A-League

Ask an Australian about football and they might be likely to go on about Rugby League… or Union… or Aussie Rules than they are the beautiful game. Even after all that, the top European leagues might be on their radar before the A-League.

By Alex Roberts

It’s a sport loving nation, and historically Australians have punched WELL above their weight, securing 21.68 medals per million inhabitants between 1896 and 2020, the third highest among nations with populations over 10 million.

Football isn’t always a major part of that consciousness, but that hasn’t stopped some huge names from heading down under. In the early 2010s, it was Alessandro De Piero at Sydney FC, now, Juan Mata is making waves at Melbourne Victory.

The former Chelsea and Man United playmaker didn’t start his Australian odyssey in Melbourne, though. After four months and a single appearance for Japanese side Vissel Kobe, he joined Western Sydney Wanders FC for the 2024/25 season.

Unfortunately, or fortunately if you’re associated with Melbourne Victory, it didn’t work out. Mata scored just one goal and provided three assists in his 23 A League games, and at the end of the season, he once again found himself looking for a new club.

He’s clearly a fan of Australia, and it’s hard to blame him. The sun, the lifestyle, and in Melbourne, the coffee and the food, who wouldn’t want to spend the last years of their career in a place like that?

According to Victory boss Arthur Diles, it was all pretty fortuitous. “I was speaking to his agent about other players,” he told FotMob. “We were looking for the new make-up of the squad for the upcoming season and during that conversation he goes, ‘how about Juan Mata? Would you be interested in Juan?’

“And I said, well, ‘of course I’d be interested in Juan’ but at this point in time we’re not stashed with funds, and I don’t want to be in a position where we’re disrespectful to a player with such a great history, name, and reputation.”

“I made it very clear that financially we had some restraints. And when he said, ‘look, let’s not worry about that. We can always work that out’.

“We play with a traditional number 10, so I said he’d fit our system well. He goes, ‘okay, let’s arrange a Zoom with Juan and have a meeting with him and then we’ll go from there’.

“The next day, Juan and I were on the phone having a chat and he loved what he heard, I loved what I heard, and then we left it to them to make it happen and they did.”

For those of us lucky enough to have watched Mata during his time in the Premier League, his game was characterised by sharp movement, quick passing, and a deceptive burst of pace. With Eden Hazard and Oscar alongside him at Chelsea, he was almost impossible to defend against.

At 37-years-old, Mata may have lost that extra yard of pace he once had, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a creative force to be reckoned with. “He’s got natural ability of making the difficult things look easy and doing the easy things consistently well,” said Diles.

“He’s a creative player who has to take risks on the park in terms of a defence-splitting pass, but his passing percentage, for example, is so high for an attacking midfielder. That’s what I mean by he makes things look so easy when they’re not.

The numbers back that up. Mata is a high-risk passer and Melbourne Victory’s undisputed creative outlet with 13 assists, 856 successful passes at an accuracy rate of 86.9%, and 85 chances created, by far the most in the A-League.

*Mata’s A-League passing stats this season*

Of course, talent only gets you so far. Mata has a World Cup and a Champions League, among plenty of other trophies on his CV. He has every right to be a little egotistical, and his teammates may well have been wary of that when he first joined.

That couldn’t be further from the truth according to Diles. The secret to all of Mata’s success? Being a good bloke. “The most significant thing is how humble he is as a human being,” he said.

“He has not disrupted the changing room with an ego, with entourage, with bells and whistles. He’s fitted into the team so well. He’s so humble that the players half the time, just by rubbing shoulders with him in a changing room, wouldn’t even realise who he actually is and what he’s actually achieved.

“He trains at his maximum effort every single day, which that, for me, is the biggest eye-opener for all his teammates should see and say, wow, this guy, there’s no off day with him.”

Players with the level of experience of Mata are increasingly rare in the A-League. The financial landscape is really bleak, The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) recently decided to drastically reduce central distributions to clubs by almost $1.5 million to $530,000 due to a failed TV deal.

The A-League has an average attendance of 8,218. Clubs are not getting enough bums in seats to help make up for the TV money they’ve lost, so, naturally, they turn to merchandising, and a Melbourne Victory shirt with ‘Mata’ on the back is a big deal.

Next season, clubs will have to deal with a $3 million hard salary cap, introduced to prevent them from engaging in a “player-spend arms race.” Clubs would be allowed to sign one marquee player outside of the cap, however.

Now, there should be one big silver lining from this, and that is the production of young Australian talent. Clubs will likely have to put more reliance on their academies, and Melbourne Victory have one of the best in the country.

Whether those youngsters make the most of their time with Mata, Diles has put the impetuous on them. “He’s very valued and all the players look up to him. So how deep they want to go with him in terms of conversing and asking questions, that’s on them.

“I don’t get too involved in how close they are because I believe in respecting their space as players, but I can see just how much time he spends with every member of the squad, whether it’s a young player, whether it’s a senior player.

“I’m sure he’s very valuable in just passing on information and experiences that are helping these guys on a daily basis because a lot of my players are young. A lot of them are looking to go abroad and have better careers outside of Australia.”

Mata has long been regarded as one of football’s good guys and former teammates are still celebrating his goals. Following his stunning freekick against Sydney FC, a video of Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes reacting to it went viral.

Like it or not, we live in the social media age. Likes and views have a major influence on the everyday lives of millions. Diles recognises the value players like Mata have in terms of getting eyes not just on Melbourne Victory, but the A-League as a whole.

“I’d say over the last few years with the financial restraints we’ve had, not being able to sign big marquee players like we used to, the capacity these players have to just bring attention to Australia has been forgotten,” he said.

“It’s been really pleasing and a real injection of attention that the club needed, the league needed. There was probably a month period where the goals he was scoring in the derbies against Sydney FC and Melbourne City where you’re talking millions and millions of shares and views.

“I think we’ve forgotten about how much benefit we can have from players such as Juan and players in the past like Del Piero, what they can actually bring to our league and the noise they can create for us globally.”

Mata brings so much more than just his absurd natural ability. An experienced head, a reliable teammate, but most importantly, a good person in a world where leaders have forgotten how to be just that.

“People are seeing the true value of Juan Mata,” Diles concluded.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the A League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

The MLS Wrap, MD7: Wonder Kid Season

Major League Soccer witnessed its first managerial sacking of the season in a weekend where young players continued to shine, and Inter Miami tried to win their first game at the Nu Stadium.

By James Nalton

Julian Zakrzewski Hall Passes

Inter Miami fans may have had their Lionel Messi moment at their new stadium, as he scored a goal in their first game at the new facility, but after two games there, they have yet to witness a win for the home team.

What they did witness on Saturday, though, was another outstanding performance from one of the best young players in the league at the beginning of the 2026 season.

New York Red Bulls emerged from their trip to South Florida with a 2-2 draw, thanks to another eye-catching display from 18-year-old Julian Zakrzewski Hall.

Hall hails from Manhattan, New York City, across the Hudson River from the Red Bulls’ home in Harrison, New Jersey. He’s putting the New York in the New York Red Bulls, building on four starts and 22 appearances off the bench in MLS last season, with starts in every game so far this year under new head coach Michael Bradley.

Hall has five goals already in the opening seven games, but this weekend he added his first assists.

He set up goals for Jorge Ruvalcaba and Adri Mehmeti with some great holdup play and timing of the pass, carving out the space and drawing defenders so the goals could be scored.

These moments for Hall, as he helped create chances for others, were as encouraging as his goals in this standout start to the new season.

MLS benefiting from youth development

Zakrzewski Hall is not the only young player making waves in MLS this year. The 2026 season has opened with something of a youth revolution, the kind of which makes any league immediately more interesting to follow.

The majority of the teams putting in good performances so far this season are doing so with an accompanying narrative of impressive young players coming through their ranks.

It is looking set to be one of the best seasons MLS has seen, not only in terms of the number of young players coming through, but also in the standard of play they are producing.

Australian centre-back Lucas Herrington, 18, is a regular in the heart of the Colorado Rapids defence and has played more minutes than most players in the league so far this season. Few players in the league are more involved within games, too. Only San Diego midfielder Jeppe Tverskov has completed more passes than Herrington, who boasts a pass success of 95%.

It will be a big year in America for the teenager, as he will also be part of the Australia squad for the 2026 World Cup. He could even be pushing to start games by the time the tournament comes around, thanks to his regular performances with the Rapids.

Elsewhere, there is a whole host of young American homegrown players coming through the ranks. Though it is probably too late for any of them to be around the US squad for the World Cup, there is a big Olympic tournament coming up on home soil in 2028, which will offer a glimpse at the future of the USMNT and give them much-needed tournament experience.

As well as Hall and Mehmeti at the Red Bulls, the likes of Zavier Gozo of Real Salt Lake, Luca Bombino at San Diego, Niko Tsakiris and Beau Leroux at San Jose Earthquakes, are among a group of young players featuring regularly for their teams and performing consistently.

Montréal sack Marco Donadel

CF Montréal were confirmed as the worst team in MLS this weekend, losing the basement battle against defending Supporters’ Shield champions Philadelphia Union, who picked up not only their first MLS win, but their first points of 2026.

Questions have been asked of Union head coach Bradley Carnell, too, given their sharp decline from league leaders in 2025 to being the last team to pick up a win in 2026, but it was Donadel’s team that lost out in this head-to-head and the Italian who ultimately lost his job.

*Montréal sit bottom of the Eastern Conference and Supporter’s Shield*

Montréal is one of the best and most historic soccer cities in the US and Canada, but it has not been often enough in recent years that it’s had a team to match that status.

Apart from one Wilfried Nancy-inspired season in 2022, they have had little to get excited about in MLS.

Historically known as Montreal Impact, or Impact de Montréal in the city’s primary language of French, the city lost part of that football heritage when the franchise changed its name to CF Montréal in 2020.

The impact of this soccer team has been lost along with its name, and though Donadel is the latest coach to be fired, there will be little for his replacement to work with.

Unless they can find a coach such as Nancy, who was able to instil a style of play and a mentality that meant the team overperformed, there will be little optimism that simply changing the head coach is the answer for the team that are now rooted to the bottom of the overall Supporters’ Shield standings.

Well well Wells

As Tottenham Hotspur struggle in the Premier League, with relegation now a real possibility, their former assistant manager has had a promising start to life in MLS.

In a recent interview with Backheeled, Colorado Rapids head coach Matt Wells spoke of a desire he had to make the move from assistant to head coach in order to have more control over a team and put his thoughts and observations into practice more directly.

His approach of directing certain plays from the sideline during games might seem like an extreme level of control, but it could be the kind of regular instruction a struggling team like the Rapids needed.

Indeed, they are no longer struggling, at least not so far this season. It’s the type of turnaround the aforementioned Montréal will be looking for in their next head coach, as Wells’ approach has turned the Rapids into apparent contenders in the Western Conference.

They showed this with a 6-2 win against Houston at the weekend, which featured a player of the round performance from Rafael Navarro. And with young players like Harrington and Paxten Aaronson impressing, there is cause for optimism in Commerce City.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Equipping the next generation to bring joy and unscripted magic back to football

JOGA, the viral shinpad brand wants to restore flair to the world’s favourite sport. The way to do that is by giving kids the freedom to play as they feel, but not without safety at its heart.

By Jamie Spencer

If you’re starting to fall out of love with elite-level football, finding the game increasingly predictable, perhaps even boring, you’re probably not alone.

Everything is resting on finer margins. The Premier League is the most watched league in the world, reaching 189 countries and almost one billion people globally. But there has been a clear shift towards and what might be considered ‘manufactured’ football. The xG data in 2025/26 shows that teams are deliberately targeting set-pieces as a means of generating chances over other methods.

It feels like important games between big clubs are too often decided. The joy and the raw magic that drew us to the sport in the first place is being sucked out.

JOGA is trying to protect what co-founder Zack Chislett says football “used to be,” by celebrating it in its purest form. The JOGA Starz brand is aimed at giving kids, specifically, the freedom to enjoy football as it is meant to be and then keeping that expression throughout their journey in football.

“We were the people that needed JOGA, really, we wanted the small shinpads, we wanted to feel flair, you want to bring football back to its roots really,” Chislett tells FotMob.

Freedom is “100%” missing from the modern game. “That’s why this is probably the biggest catalyst for the brand. I feel like football is getting more robotic, I’m enjoying watching football less and less, because everyone just tries to be the same, and there’s not as much personality anymore.”

JOGA shinpads have taken football by storm in recent years. Chelsea forward João Pedro, Nottingham Forest winger Omari Hutchinson and Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock are signed up as brand ambassadors. But plenty of others – including WSL star Lauren James and mercurial talent Jack Grealish – have bought the shinpads off their own back. At one point, half of Manchester City’s squad was requesting the gear from the club’s equipment manager.

“[Professional players] were just gravitating towards the products, because I think they liked the mission about bringing football back to its roots and that football’s becoming boring,” Chislett, himself becoming a pro footballer in Dubai, adds. “The product is almost like a vessel to bring that mission to life. The players were really enjoying it. They were putting it on their Instagram stories.

“It’s also a testament to how we build our products that it’s really made for footballers by footballers.” His brother Ethan, the other half of the founding duo and currently signed to Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa after over 150 EFL appearances. “We know exactly what footballers want, how they want to feel, how they want to look, when they step on the pitch. We always look to make products for professional footballers, because we think that all trickles down [to grassroots].”

Putting kids in the picture

After JOGA launched four years ago, JOGA Starz began when the Chislett brothers realised that the same kind of gear was not available for kids, the next generation of footballers. A third brother, Cruz, is nine-years-old and at Brighton’s academy, serving as their inspiration.

But the safety aspect of ensuring that children playing football are protected is crucial.

Liverpool and England legend John Barnes, a brand ambassador for JOGA Starz, was the epitome of flair in the 1980s. “In my day, shinpads were very important, because of the way tackles were. Even though now, it probably isn’t as violent as it was, you still have players getting injured by tackling,” he says. “A lot of the kids now see players take their shinpads off and wear socks around by their ankles. It’s important for kids to be aware of how necessary player safety is. Of course, now everything is all about style and what looks good, so if you can marry the two.”

Chislett continues: “Initially, to be honest, we probably got it wrong [with JOGA Starz]. We tried to just go, what we were thinking with JOGA about like the smaller shinpads, less about protection and more about the look. But as we progressed, we’ve catered more to the parents and brought our products up to where parents feel confident their kids wearing.

“We want to be everything for a footballer, from when the footballer gets their first pair of shinpads to when they play in professional leagues and the Champions League. We want to be there throughout their whole journey.

“Kids aren’t really making their own decisions at that age and those injuries could really stop their growth in the game. We wanted to move along the protection route and make sure we’re ticking all the boxes. That’s why we’re bringing out the ultra sleeve, which will be coming out this upcoming season. It’s CE certified and took us literally 12 months to get tested and created. We want to make the kids extremely happy and cool when they wear it, but on the other side, the people who are actually buying the product, the parents, that they’re happy with it as well.”

For Barnes and the older generation, uncomfortable or annoying shinpads – “If they stuck in the sock” – would only encourage players to discard them completely. “You know, you’re going to get a broken leg if you don’t wear shinpads. In the last 10 years, they don’t necessarily have those tackles all the time. But with the new JOGA-style shinpad, it’s a sleeve and you can’t take them off.”

(Image from IMAGO, all other images courtesy of SW / Will Aitchison)

For more on the JOGA Starz brand, check out the website – here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Man United host rivals Leeds United on Monday night

Man United remain in a great position to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, sealing a return to the Champions League in the process.

By Ross Kilvington

Man United looking to get back to winning ways

Last time out, Michael Carrick’s men could only draw 2-2 with Bournemouth and he will be looking to return to winning ways at Old Trafford against Leeds.

The reverse fixture finished 1-1 and Carrick knows that a victory will enable his team to remain in third place heading into the final six league matches of the season.

Having suffered just one defeat in his opening ten Premier League matches, another win will further bolster his chances of landing the top job on a permanent basis.

Former Man United midfielder Nicky Butt believes that the Red Devils will be far too good at home for their opponents.

“I really fancy Man United at Old Trafford at the moment. I think they’re on a roll where I just don’t see them getting beat. I think Man United in the next few games will just keep finding ways to win. It’s brilliant,” said Butt, who was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power.

“The players have stepped up to the plate. The coaches and the managers are doing a good job. I think they’ll get to third and I think they’ll continue to win.”

Leeds fighting hard to retain Premier League status

Leeds have only lost four league matches since the turn of the year and this form means they occupy 15^th place in the table.

Daniel Farke has even led the club to a first FA Cup semi-final for 39 years and they will be looking to take this confidence to Old Trafford tonight.

The last time Leeds avoided defeat in either of the meetings against Man United in a top flight campaign was in 1994/95. Surely this enough incentive for Farke and his squad to seal another positive result.

Team news

Carrick will be without Harry Maguire due to suspension for the game. Elsewhere, Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu are missing because of injury.

Anton Stach, Daniel James and Joe Rodon will all definitely be absent for Leeds heading into this clash.

Key players

Bryan Mbuemo and Benjamin Šeško have both scored ten goals each across all competitions this season. Carrick will be expecting them to continue their fine form over the next few weeks.

Across his last four Premier League games, Bruno Fernandes has registered six goal contributions and he can be United’s key man once again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has endured somewhat of a rejuvenation this season. After scoring just 12 Premier League goals across his previous three campaigns, the Englishman is already on ten this term.

Brenden Aaronson scored in the 1-1 earlier this season and he could play another vital role for Farke at Old Trafford.

Prediction

Despite Leeds playing well in recent weeks, a trip to Old Trafford could prove to be a dauting task. Indeed, Leeds have not won at the ground since an FA Cup third round upset back in January 2010.

As such, expect the home side to deliver another three points, which will bolster their Champions League ambitions in the process.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the Premier League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: De Zerbi takes charge for the first time as Spurs visit Sunderland

Spurs continue their battle to avoid sliding into the Championship with a long journey north to play a Sunderland team who are still playing for a place in Europe next season.

By Ian King

It’s been a busy three weeks off for crisis club Spurs

A combination of the international break and the FA Cup mean that it’s been three weeks since Spurs capitulated at home to Nottingham Forest, but that’s not to say that the club haven’t been busy in the meantime. Igor Tudor has now departed the head coach’s position and, in true Tottenham Hotspur style, have gone for a replacement who may prove divisive among the club’s fans in the form of Roberto De Zerbi.

A long trip north to Sunderland is probably the last thing that De Zerbi will have wanted. The Black Cats have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League season, and although they’re down in 11th place in the table, they come into the match off the high of having beaten Newcastle United away from home in their last league match, while they’re still chasing a place in Europe for next season.

Sunderland haven’t beaten Spurs in a competitive match in 16 years

It’s been 16 years since Sunderland last beat Spurs in a competitive match, with that win coming by three goals to one at The Stadium of Light in April 2010. When the two clubs met earlier in the season at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they drew 1-1, and curiously this was also the score between the two teams when they met at White Hart Lane during Spurs’ last relegation season, 1976/77. For those looking for omens for this weekend’s match, Sunderland won the return match at Roker Park 2-1.

Archie Gray has been one of the few Spurs players to emerge from this season with much credit

Few Spurs players have impressed this season, but one of those who has is midfielder Archie Gray, who’s played in several different positions over the course of this season but who is, at heart, a defensive midfielder. Gray has shown notable maturity under difficult circumstances this season, and he would be a big loss, should he decide that his development as a player would be served better elsewhere during the summer.

The £20 million that Sunderland paid Roma for the 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Le Fée is already starting to look like a bargain. Le Fée has been a consistent performer for the Black Cats in recent weeks, and he’s also their second-highest goalscorer behind Brian Brobbey in all competitions, with five, while he’s also contributed four assists in the Premier League.

Kudus setback is the latest in a long line of Spurs injuries

The latest in the epic saga that Spurs’ injury woes throughout the 2025/26 season has become is the news that Mohammed Kudus has not, as had been hoped, recovered from his injury and has now had a setback which may keep him out for the remainder of this season. He joins Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in their very congested treatment room.

Sunderland could welcome back Robin Roefs and Dan Ballard from thigh injuries, though both remain doubtful for this match. Jocelin Ta Bi, Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo remain longer-term absentees.

Spurs need strength of character from their team for a tough trip north

Reports from the training ground at Spurs have been that there’s been a positive reaction to the arrival of the new head coach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to be the quick success that the club needs if they’re to retain their Premier League status. And given his previous comments while at Marseille, his appointment has already been a deeply divisive one which has upset many supporters.

There is no manager that would get a great deal of patience at the moment, but the decision that the senior management of the club have made may get less than most. And the Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told the Telegraph in 2023 that De Zerbi’s early meetings with players were “baffling” and that his first fortnight at the Amex were “a carnage two weeks.”

Sunderland have had an excellent season, They were pre-season favourites to go down, but Régis Le Bris has done a superb job of keeping his team organised and picking enough points for relegation not to have been a major concern for the team all season. With seven games to play, they’re three points off a place in next season’s Europa Conference League, and five off a Europa League position. That’s quite an incentive to keep going until the end of the season.

Time is running out for Spurs to save their season, and with West Ham winning on Friday night, they will be sitting in the bottom three when they kick off at The Stadium of Light. The problem is that matches like this are a test of character, and they’ve shown precious little of that, this season. I’m going to say a 2-0 win for Sunderland, and any new manager bounce to be so slight as to be unnoticeable.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game in the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Chelsea set for Man City clash without key man Enzo Fernandez

There is a lot on the line for both clubs in this one – as former Chelsea man Joe Cole helps us explain. City are just about still in the title race, and Chelsea’s hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are hanging by a thread. They face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea ended their four-game losing streak with a 7-0 FA Cup win over bottom of League One Port Vale. Don’t read too much into that, their last clean sheet came in the 4-0 win over Hull, and Man City are an entirely different kind of opposition.

Pep Guardiola’s side appear to have entered their end of season flow state. Their elimination from the Champions League at the hand of Real Madrid lit a fire under them, going on to beat Arsenal in the League Cup final, and then dominate Liverpool.

Unsung hero

City have some tremendously talented players on their books, but do you know who not enough people are talking about? Matheus Nunes. He has gone from being a fringe central midfielder to one of the best right backs in the league.

Of course, a Guardiola right-back isn’t a typical right back, but his numbers speak for themselves. 20 chances created, 23 successful dribbles, 48 tackles, and 134 recoveries. Simply put, he’s taken his game to a level few thought he had.

Erling Haaland and Rodri, who happen to be FotMob’s top two rated Man City players, still get all the plaudits, and rightly so, they’re great, but Nunes, who is third, deserves his flowers, and we’re here to give them to him.

“I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club“

Enzo Fernández spent the international break flirting with Real Madrid, although he never mentioned them by name. Chelsea then decided to suspend him for two games, and he has since apologised to the squad and manager Liam Rosenior.

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t need him against Port Vale, and in all honesty, it was probably pretty unlikely he would have started in the first place. Fans called for his suspension to be lifted for the City game, but Rosenior has now confirmed that it stands.

It’s a huge call from a manager that is yet to win the supporters over. If Chelsea go on to lose this game, questions about how they would have performed with Fernández in the line-up are inevitable.

For Chelsea legend Joe Cole, who was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power during the week, the situation reflects badly on both parties:

“It’s a difficult one, it’s not so much the punishment’s right, it’s the fact that it’s the second time this has happened now [with Enzo Fernández]. The club has got to take a stand.

“For players like Enzo, this wasn’t the Chelsea he was sold at the start when he joined. I don’t think it’s right coming out and saying you’d leave the club, but I do understand his frustration.

“Then you get to the question of whether the punishment is right. The rubber is going to hit the road at some point where if he does want to leave, he’s going to have to put a transfer request in.

“We don’t know how long this has been going on for, but if it’s got to the point where Chelsea have had to ban him for a crucial match (against Manchester City), I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club.

“If you’re the club, you say to Enzo ‘You’re contracted with us for five more years. You carry on with this rubbish and we’re happy to throw away whatever we’re paying a week and your career’ [by not playing him].

“I must admit, I don’t know if this is the right model. I haven’t thought of a better way [of dealing with Fernandez], so it’s a mess, it really is.”

Team news

Man City don’t have any self-imposed suspensions to deal with, but they do have a few injuries. John Stones (calf) and Joško Gvardiol (broken leg) are both out.

Guardiola confirmed that Rúben Dias (hamstring) is close to making his return as we head into the final few games, but the trip to West London has come a little too soon for him.

The hosts have a few more worries. Reece James (hamstring), Trevoh Chalobah (ankle), Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Filip Jörgensen (groin), and Levi Colwill (ACL) are all out.

With Fernández suspended too, Chelsea are without their captain and vice-captain, leaving a major leadership void. Cole Palmer wore the arm band against Port Vale, but his performance wasn’t the best, so it remains to be seen who will get it against City.

Prediction

We’re not expecting much from Chelsea in this one, City are a far better side, and that should show. So, we reckon it’ll be 3-0 win for Guardiola’s lads.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Joe Cole was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power.

Apr

2026

FotMob Profile: FC Supra du Quebec ready for historic Canadian Premier League debut

As one of the 2026 World Cup co-hosts, Canada will be catapulted to the forefront of the global football scene this summer. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) will enjoy unprecedented exposure, with the recently formed FC Supra du Québec looking to maximise this opportunity by showcasing its proudly unique, localised philosophy.

By Alex Connor

In September 2025, it was announced that Québec would welcome its first-ever CPL club ahead of the 2026 season. Supra was born, and they’ll make their much-awaited debut on Saturday 11th April, when they play Pacific FC in British Columbia.

Supra have ripped up the script in North America and adopted LaLiga side Athletic Club’s ‘Cantera’ policy, a non-negotiable practice where only players born or trained in the Basque Country can be selected. Supra will apply this in Québec, harnessing the region’s distinct cultural identity and footballing potential.

Québec is Canada’s second-most populous and only Francophone-majority province. The region welcomes international immigration, which feeds into its multicultural society. However, Québec promotes an “interculturalism” model that still advocates diversity to create an ever-evolving society but champions its French-speaking tradition and other historical customs to retain its regional identity. Québécois people have unquestionable pride in their cultural heritage and held independence referendums in 1980 and 1995, but neither proposal passed.

CF Montréal have competed in the MLS for over a decade, meaning Québec haven’t been represented in the CPL since the division’s first season in 2019. Supra will fill this glaring gap in the Canadian soccer market, providing a more feasible route for homegrown players into the professional game. This focus will provide a crucial platform for specifically Québécois talent, where it can be nurtured and developed. Québec native Nathan Saliba is set to play a huge role for Canada at the World Cup, while another local star, highly-rated defender Moïse Bombito, is still recovering from an injury but should be fit for the tournament.

The club’s branding is inspired by the Montreal Supra, who competed in the Canadian Soccer League from 1988 until 1992. The new Supra keeps the same colour scheme. The red links to Canadian pride, the blue is a tribute to Québec’s Francophone heritage, and the white signifies unity and an exciting future.

Matt Rizzetta, Supra chairman, said they felt like “reviving a brand with such tradition and history”, which “conjures up so much pride for the past generation that really paved the way for soccer in Québec.”

Montréal Supra played an important role in platforming an abundance of Canadian talent. Alex Bunbury, Lyndon Hooper, and Mark Watson, who all enjoyed spells with Montréal Supra in the early stages of their careers, combined to make over 200 appearances for the Canadian national team.

Mauro Biello also featured for the now extinct club. The Québec-born forward started his career at Montreal Supra, then had two separate stints with Montreal Impact from 1993 to 1998 and 2000 to 2009. Biello heads into the World Cup as Canada’s assistant manager and one of the most influential figures in Canadian soccer.

Supra’s formation reveals a closer family connection for Mauro, whose son, Alessandro, has signed with the club and will play this season. Alessandro rose through the ranks at CF Montréal and made his first-team debut in May 2024. However, his contract wasn’t renewed, but Supra have stepped in to give the 20-year-old a fresh start.

“It makes it mean a little more,” Alessandro told the Montreal Gazette. “I’m a young player looking to kickstart my career, and my dad was kind of in the same situation as a young player joining Supra. So there’s that connection as well. I think it’s an amazing opportunity, and it just means a little bit more with my dad having played for Supra as well.”

The new set-up aims to revive and elevate the old club’s legacy, with considerably greater longevity. Over 30 years later, the Biello name remains an enduring tradition, further emphasising Supra’s Québécois philosophy.

This DNA runs through every level of the club. Supra’s president and co-founder, Rocco Placentino, who hails from Québec, watched Montreal Supra as a child before embarking on a commendable playing career, featuring for Montréal Impact and earning one cap for the Canadian national team. After retirement, he spent 13 years as the technical director of CS Saint-Laurent, a semi-professional soccer team in Québec.

Supra’s head coach also developed an acclaimed reputation at CS Saint-Laurent as the club’s manager. Nick Razzaghi led the semi-professional outfit to a historic double in 2023, picking up the Ligue 1 Quebéc title and the Coupe L1QC.

Supra will play its first two home fixtures, against Atletico Ottawa and Halifax Wanderers, at the CEPSUM Stadium on the Université de Montreal campus, before moving to the Stade Boreale in Laval, which is also home to women’s Northern Super League outfit Montréal Roses, to face Cavalry FC on 3rd May.

Across different divisions, three professional soccer teams will now represent Québec. It’s a cultural milestone for the region’s footballing landscape, providing the local community with a relatable and progressive foundation.

Razzaghi said the project “means everything” and is a “truly unbelievable opportunity” to show what Quebec has to offer. “Our goal is to put Quebec on the map,” he continued.

It’s a new dawn for the CPL, which is also trialling Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule, an idea that requires a clear gap between the attacker and the last defender. Supra’s first match against 2021 CPL winners Pacific FC presents a massive challenge. Still, everyone at the club is brimming with excitement at the prospect of demonstrating what this defiant, distinct and proud province is capable of.

(Images courtesy of the Canadian Premier League)

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Apr

2026

Preview: Barcelona set for derby day meeting with Espanyol

Barcelona will be looking to go 10 points clear at the top of LaLiga this weekend as they host Espanyol, their struggling cross town rivals.

By Matt Smith

Hansi Flick’s side could make it seven victories on the bounce in the league, while they’ve also won every single game at home so far this season.

Espanyol are on a dismal run, failing to win in their last 13 matches, losing to Barcelona at the start of that run.

The Catalan giants secured a 2-0 victory over Espanyol in the last meeting, scoring twice in the final five minutes to take the three points.

Team news

Barcelona will be without Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Marc Bernal who are all out injured for the home side in this one, but Frenkie de Jong is edging closer to returning to action.

The Dutch midfielder remains a doubt, but he could make the squad.

Espanyol will, once again, be without Javi Puado, who won’t play again this season.

Clemens Riedel is going to be unavailable due to suspension after he was awarded his fifth yellow card of the season in Espanyol’s previous game.

Home fortress to deliver the title

Barcelona are cruising to the Spanish title at the moment, and they’ll secure the accomplishment with games to spare if their form continues. Flick’s side now have a seven-point lead over Real Madrid in LaLiga, with Álvaro Arbeloa’s side dropping off, but Barcelona are showing no signs of slipping up at the minute, especially at home.

Barcelona have won every single game on their own turf this season, conceding just eight goals in 15 games. The Catalan side need just four more wins to go the whole campaign without dropping a single point at home.

Barcelona are Espanyol’s bogey team

It’s perhaps a harsh statement, considering the strength of Barcelona over the years, but they are undoubtedly one of Espanyol’s bogey teams. They haven’t beaten Barcelona in LaLiga since FotMob started tracking the league data, with Barcelona winning the last four meetings in a row.

They were close to securing a point when the two sides last met, with Barcelona not finding the back of the net until the 85th minute. Only two sides have had less possession than Espanyol this season, and they’ll be seeing little of the ball against one of the most dominant sides in Europe.

Rashford’s time to step up

With Raphinha on the treatment table once again, Barcelona need someone to step up on the left-hand side of attack. The Brazilian winger scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory just before the international break, but he’s now set to watch from the sidelines due to injury.

Marcus Rashford looks set to start in his place after being in the XI against Atlético Madrid in their last LaLiga meeting, and it’s time for him to step up once again.

Prediction

It would be wild to predict against a Barcelona home win considering their form this season, so we’re going for a 3-0 victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Liverpool aiming to turn a page with home game vs. Fulham

Time really is running out for Liverpool to keep their European dreams alive. A 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in mid-week likely means their run in the Champions League this season is ending at the quarter-final stage. The Reds host Fulham on Saturday evening looking to cling onto the final Champions League berth in the Premier League.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Arne Slot’s side enter this weekend looking to halt a run of three successive losses. The Reds suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, followed by a 2-0 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday. Prior to the international break, Brighton claimed a 2-1 win.

Liverpool trail fourth placed Aston Villa by five points and are just three points ahead of eighth placed Everton. A bad weekend for the Reds could genuinely see them end matchday 32 in eighth position, just two points clear of ninth-placed Fulham.

Slot’s men last won a Premier League game back in February. To say things aren’t going well would be a bit of an understatement.

Fulham, meanwhile, have proven to be a tough nut to crack this term. Marco Silva’s men have already taken points off Liverpool this season, salvaging a 2-2 draw in added time at Craven Cottage when the two sides faced off in January. They’ve also beaten Chelsea and narrowly lost to Manchester United (3-2) and Manchester City (5-4). They make life difficult for teams.

The Cottagers will fancy their chances against a Liverpool team lacking any real identity and struggling for goals. A positive Fulham result wouldn’t actually be a surprise right now.

Key Players

Expect Mohamed Salah to start after he watched on from the bench against PSG in the Champions League. The four-time Golden Boot winner sat out the last Premier League match for the Reds, the 2-1 loss to Brighton, and struggled against Manchester City in the FA Cup. He’ll want a performance on Saturday in a bid to force his way in to the XI for PSG’s trip to Anfield. After all, It could well be his final European appearance for the Reds.

For the away side, the main man is Harry Wilson. The former Liverpool youngster netted when the two teams faced off in January and he’s in the form of his career, with 10 goals and six assists in the Premier League this term. He’ll be determined to add to that haul at Anfield.

Team News

The hosts are slowly welcoming back key players, with Alexander Isak now back but remain without Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, and Giovanni Leoni.

Fulham have some concerns of their own, with Kenny Tete and Kevin Santos sidelined.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a 2-1 win for Liverpool on Saturday evening. With the Anfield crowd behind them and a host of attacking options, the Reds should have just enough quality to overcome a disciplined Fulham side and keep their top-five charge on track. They need momentum heading into the PSG clash.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Arsenal face Bournemouth in first league fixture in four weeks

Arsenal have had their ups and downs across different cup competitions over the last month, but they remain in pole position to claim the Premier League title

By Neel Shelat

Arsenal looking to bounce back after consecutive domestic defeats

Arsenal’s quadruple dreams came crashing down in the space of two matches, as their first back-to-back defeats of the season knocked them out of both domestic cup competitions. The EFL Cup final against Manchester City was always going to be a tough fixture, so the FA Cup defeat to Southampton is the more disappointing result.

A small upside of that is that it enables the Gunners to turn full attention to the two biggest competitions — the Premier League and Champions League. They showed good character to come away with a one-goal win against Sporting in Lisbon in midweek, but even bigger tests will come now as they have a tough run of fixtures coming up.

The nine-point gap at the top of the table is somewhat inflated as Manchester City have a game in hand, and with a head-to-head between the top two up next, getting a good result here will be crucial for Arsenal.

Bournemouth’s streak of draws

Bournemouth aren’t easy opponents for anyone. They haven’t lost any of their last 12 matches, meaning their previous defeat was against none other than Arsenal in the reverse fixture. Even so, the Cherries have slipped down the table lately amidst a run of five consecutive draws against all sorts of opposition.

Indeed, this tendency to draw games is what has kept Bournemouth on the fringes of the European battle rather than in the thick of it. Nearly half of their league fixtures have ended with the spoils shared as they have drawn 15 of 31 games, with only one other team (Leeds United with 12) managing more than 10.

That said, they surely wouldn’t mind coming away from London with a point on this occasion.

Team news

Arsenal are sure to be without Piero Hincapié and Mikel Merino, while Martin Ødegaard’s status is doubtful after he had to limp off in Lisbon in midweek. There’s some positive news as well, as both Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze are in contention to return to the squad at least.

Bournemouth will be without Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook and Julio Soler, while Tyler Adams’ condition is uncertain.

Key players

Kai Havertz came off the bench to score the stoppage-time winner against Sporting, so he’ll be quite keen to score in consecutive matches for the first time since January 2025. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will hope that top-scorer Eli Junior Kroupi can produce another moment of brilliance for them.

The battle down the Cherries’ right wing between lively winter signing Rayan and Arsenal left back Riccardo Calafiori is sure to be crucial going both ways. More broadly, the visitors will look to make this an end-to-end game and hope to see someone like Alex Scott get time and space on the ball, while Martín Zubimendi will have a key role to play in preventing that for Arsenal.

Prediction

Bournemouth definitely aren’t a pleasant team to face on their day, but Arsenal should have enough quality to eke out a hard-fought victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.