Everton host Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday evening, as the Toffees look to take advantage of Liam Rosenior’s side’s recent struggles.
Chelsea secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton the last time the two sides met earlier in the season under Enzo Maresca, ending a winless run to defeat the Merseyside club.
Everton have lost just once in their previous eight home games against Chelsea, winning five of those meetings.
Team news
Once again, Everton will be without Jack Grealish and Charly Alcaraz due to injury, while Tyrique George will be unable to face his parent club, having signed on loan from Chelsea in the January window.
David Moyes confirmed that Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski could both return after missing the game against Arsenal last time out, but he failed to report any fresh injury concerns.
Chelsea suffered another injury blow in their previous game, with Trevoh Chalobah stretchered off, meaning he misses out this weekend.
Everton have conceded just 1.2 goals per game in the Premier League this season, a figure only bettered by Manchester City and Arsenal. Finding the back of the net at the other end of the pitch has been their Achilles’ heel, and they find themselves sitting in eighth place in the Premier League table thanks to their resolute defence.
The Merseyside club will have to improve their home record if they want to qualify for Europe, however, winning just five times on their own turf in the league this term, and securing more victories on the road.
Chelsea devoid of confidence
After a strong start to Rosenior’s tenure, Chelsea have taken a few steps back in recent weeks. The Blues have lost their last three games in all competitions, suffering a hammering 8-2 defeat on aggregate against PSG in the Champions League.
Chelsea need to get back on track as soon as possible if they want to rescue their chances of finishing in the top four. Rosenior’s men sit three points off of fourth heading into the weekend, and they’ll have to put a stop to their disappointing run away at Everton.
Dewsbury-Hall to haunt his former club
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left Chelsea for Everton in the previous summer transfer window, and it’s a decision he won’t regret. The English midfielder already has nine goals and assists combined for the Toffees, while he struggled for game time during his spell at Stamford Bridge.
Dewsbury-Hall will be out to prove a point against his former club, especially after he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half when the two sides met earlier in the season. This game will mean more to him than most, and he could be the one to watch in this clash.
Prediction
Given Chelsea’s injuries and their record away at Everton, we’re going for a 1-0 home win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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A win for Liverpool on Saturday afternoon would, momentarily at least, lift them into fourth spot in the Premier League. A win for Brighton, however, could see the Seagulls leapfrog four teams and move into eighth position. There’s still an outside chance they claim a European place this season.
Liverpool kicked off the campaign in good form, winning five from five and this was before the new-look attack had clicked. Retaining their Premier League crown appeared to be a formality. And then the wheels fell off.
Since then, it’s been a case of being consistently inconsistent. A good performance here and there turned out to be nothing but false dawns. The Reds, now too scared to lose, set up in a way to make the game as boring as possible. The result? A lot more draws than you probably expected.
Despite their inconsistent results, Arne Slot’s side are still well placed to claim a top five finish. But, at some point, they’re going to need to put together a few wins to guarantee this.
Saturday presents them with a good opportunity to get a win on the board before the international break. Brighton also happen to be consistently inconsistent. It’s why they find themselves in 12th position. They’re fifth in the form table right now, though, with three wins and two defeats in their last five outings. Only Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have taken more points across this period.
Before this turnaround, the Seagulls had a winless run of five in the English top-flight. See, consistently inconsistent.
They’ve lost twice to Liverpool already this season, 2-0 in the Premier League and 3-0 in the FA Cup. However, in both instances, Fabian Hürzeler’s side deserved better. At Anfield in December, the visitors actually finished with a higher xG haul while in the FA Cup loss, it felt more like a 2-1 defeat than a 3-0 one.
Brighton are due some luck against Liverpool. Perhaps they cash in on Saturday.
Recent H2H results
Key Players
For the hosts, all eyes will be on Yankuba Minteh. He scored the winner against Sunderland last time out and could be up against Joe Gomez this weekend. He’ll fancy his chances against the versatile defender. He’ll also want to impress Liverpool with the Reds reportedly keen on him as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah.
For the Reds, and with Salah now injured after impressing against Galatasaray in the Champions League in mi-week, the focus will be on Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman also scored in that game but will be looking to break a three-game goalless streak back in England’s top flight.
Team News
Liverpool are still without the services of Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak. Salah was subbed off after 74 minutes on Wednesday and Slot said they’d have to see how the No.11 is, and consequently ruled out his involvement.
Brighton, meanwhile, are without Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas. There are doubts over whether or not Karou Mitoma will be fit for the visit of the champions. The Seagulls will be hopeful of his availability as he has a good record against the Reds.
Prediction
We’re going with a narrow 2-1 win for the away side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The 2025 World Happiness Report has Denmark as the third happiest country on the planet. If they speak to FC København fans this year, they’ll probably fall ten places. Some of the best healthcare, education, and social programs around don’t mean much when your club is in crisis.
At a time in which we live through unprecedented events seemingly every day, it’s been a miserable 2025/26 for Denmark’s most successful and richest club. For the first time in their history, FC København are in the Superligaen’s relegation phase (and they’re not even top of that!).
This was unimaginable just seven/eight months ago. Jacob Neestrup had just led København to a record extending 16th league title, qualifying for the Champions League league phase, in which they earned respectable draws against Napoli and Bayern Leverkusen.
FCK’s current league position
Now, they look bereft of ideas, and in danger of losing their identity. Many of the numbers point to a side that dominates games – they average 54.4% possession, have the third highest xG (40.8), and have the most touches in the opposition area (747).
So, why isn’t this translating to points on the board? Danish football expert Sebastian Stanbury told FotMob, “I am not sure anybody knows. You can still see what København want to do. There is still structure in their performances.
“But when they dominate matches – as they have done a couple of times in 2026 – they don’t create big enough chances, and if they do they squander them. And in every match they collapse towards the end.”
“FC København have conceded 10 goals in their last five league games, with the goals coming on ’85, ’72, ’80, ’45, ’46, ’17, ’90, ’79 and ’87 minutes.”
That implies a worrying level of mental fragility. Looking at their recruitment last summer, perhaps they tried to change too much too quickly. As it turns out, letting leaders like Rasmus Falk, Kevin Diks, and Lukas Lerager leave, along with Nicolai Boilesen’s retirement has certainly had a negative effect.
All of those players are on the older side, so, again, it’s easy to see what they were trying to do, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The loss of midfielder Victor Froholdt to Porto for €20 million was justified even if Neestrup was against it, they just needed to make sure they replaced him.
“They didn’t bring in enough players, and the ones they did buy, have not been good enough. Froholdt was a revelation last year, the best player in the league, and he was sold – against the wishes of his coach and many others at the club,” said Stanbury.
“Neestrup wanted a replacement, and when another central midfielder, Magnus Mattsson, injured his knee and they qualified for the Champions League, Neestrup wanted two.”
“He only got one central midfielder, Mads Emil Madsen from AGF in Aarhus, and he hasn’t exactly reached the heights København hoped for. Ironically his former team AGF is now fighting to win the league.”
The signing of Football Manager favourite Youssoufa Moukoko garnered a lot of attention. Could he finally live up to the hype? Well, so far, with three goals in his 19 Superligaen games, simply isn’t good enough.
“The former Dortmund wunderkind was seen as a steal, but it turns out there was a reason a Danish club could get him. He has a problematic first touch and wastes too many chances even though he has scored some goals,” Stanbury told us.
It’s not all doom and gloom, Junnosuke Suzuki, signed from Japanese side Shonan Bellmare has impressed. He’s an impressive ball carrier for a centre back, completing nine dribbles, winning 69 duels, and having 33 touches in the opposition box. Perfect for a back three system.
“Suzuki has been a star signing and will soon play in a much better league than the Danish,” said Stanbury, and we agree, it feels like just a matter of time before a side in a top five league comes sniffing.
On the pitch issues can be fixed, it may take a little time, and a few million Euros, but uninterested owners? That’s a little trickier. Fans are not happy with the club’s leadership, and they’ve voiced that in the stands and beyond.
“The board hasn’t helped. FC København’s majority owners are not interested in football. Not at all. They judge every decision based on finances,” said Stanbury. “The club has the biggest budget in Denmark and have spent a lot of money. But the feeling is that more needs to be spent. FCK’s training ground is not good enough when compared to the best in Denmark.”
In January, the club even received a warning from the Danish Working Environment Authority to improve conditions at their training facility when mould was found in the ceiling, which was so bad it posed a health risk for the employees.
Neestrup has a mountain to climb. The former player who returned to Copenhagen to win two league titles no longer looks like the man to take the club forward, even if the issues aren’t entirely his fault.
Injuries haven’t helped, two ACL injuries for Mattsson and Rodrigo Huescas is absolutely rotten luck, while striker Andreas Cornelius has not been available on a consistent enough basis to make a difference.
There has been the odd individual error too. Goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski received threats from ‘fans’ following his performance in their 3-2 Champions League win over Kairat Almaty when Dastan Satpaev dispossessed him and went on to score into an open net.
“I think he [Neestrup] will leave in the summer. But København have qualified for the cup final and that might have saved his job right now. Also, he has a long contract. It will be expensive to let him go.”
We don’t want to end this on a sour note, though. FC København are a club with a reputation for bringing through remarkable talents, and 17-year-old striker Viktor Dadason may well be the next.
He has seven goals in his 21 games across all competitions, and although none of them have come in the league, his performances in the Champions League have been nothing short of fantastic.
“Dadason has been a breath of fresh air, especially in the Champions League, but Andreas Cornelius’ many injuries and lack of competition for the number 9 spot meant that too much responsibility was put on him way too soon.
“He has been left out of the squad for the last couple of matches because he was close to invisible in the Superliga this spring and needed a break. But he is still only 17 years old and will bounce back. I really like his composure in front of goal. It is remarkable for such a young striker,” Stanbury told us.
The reality is, a club can be too big to fail. FC København aren’t having a good season, in fact it’s a terrible one, but it won’t last. This is an outlier, an anomaly, and 2026/27 will be a new chapter. Expect them to come out swinging.
(Images from IMAGO)
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As a safe pair of hands, Michael Carrick has been the antidote to everything Manchester United suffered from under Ruben Amorim. He has simplified things. Players are being used in their natural positions. The former midfielder has helped to put United’s season back on track with Champions League qualification now likely.
Initially hired to keep the seat warm until Manchester United could make a permanent appointment this summer, Carrick must be taken seriously as a candidate in his own right. If the 44-year-old has fixed many of the Old Trafford outfit’s problems, why would they risk breaking everything again by hiring someone else?
There’s no doubt many of the names linked with the United job have better managerial records than Carrick. Julian Nagelsmann, for example, is a Bundesliga-winning coach. He could be a World Cup-winning coach by the time he finishes his stint as Germany national team boss this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino has managed some of the biggest clubs, and best players, in the world. The Argentine is another candidate who could be available after the 2026 World Cup with Pochettino currently in charge of the USA national team. There’s good reason to believe he would be successful at Old Trafford.
Nothing is certain, though. Amorim was widely considered one of the best young coaches in Europe before he took the Manchester United job. In one of the sport’s most demanding environments, though, he floundered. Is the C.V of a prospective manager worth more than the actual evidence of being a good fit for the job Carrick is currently providing?
Carrick has managed Manchester United like he played for them. He hasn’t complicated matters. Carrick has untangled the convoluted dogmatism of the Amorim era, adopting an uncomplicated 4-2-3-1 formation that appears to suit the group of players he inherited from his predecessor.
Several of United’s squad have found new levels in their individual performances, highlighting Carrick’s man-management skills. Is anyone in the Premier League playing better football than Bruno Fernandes is at this moment in time? Now operating in his favoured number 10 role again, the 31-year-old is a formidable creative force.
Under Amorim, Benjamin Šeško struggled for any sort of consistency. With Carrick at the helm, though, the £74m striker has scored five goals in his last seven games including winners against Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace. His goals have been worth seven points on their own.
Šeško’s shot map in the Premier League this season
Casemiro has looked more like the Casemiro of old while Kobbie Mainoo has been reintegrated after Amorim froze him out of the first team. Mainoo still has flaws to his game, but his mobility and willingness to rotate possession has given Manchester United some much-needed connective tissue in the centre of the pitch. His return has also been timely for his career, given he has just received a recall to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming international break.
On and off the field, Carrick has taken the job of being United manager in his stride. While Amorim frequently caused problems for himself by making ill-advised comments to the media, Carrick has barely said anything of note since taking over. When Paul Scholes’ Instagram posts could have created a distraction, the United interim manager brushed off the controversy with ease.
At the time, the loss to 10-man Newcastle United at St James’ Park was a big blow. However, it gave Carrick and his team the opportunity to show they could bounce back from adversity, which they did by dismantling Aston Villa on Sunday to take another important step towards a top-five finish.
United’s results under Carrick have been better than their performances. The 1-0 win over Everton last month was somewhat fortunate as was the 2-1 home victory against Crystal Palace when an opposition red card gave Manchester United an advantage they possibly didn’t deserve.
Nonetheless, Carrick has undeniably made a positive impact over the last two months, His United team is playing well and Champions League qualification would give the club a platform to strengthen further ahead of next season. For the first time in a long while, the Old Trafford outfit is moving in the right direction.
“This place means a lot to me, so to have so much positivity, with everyone enjoying coming to the games and obviously for me to have an influence on that, of course it feels good, I’m not going to lie,” said Carrick when asked about his impact as interim manager. “The players have to take a lot of credit for that in terms of what they put on the pitch.”
The Champions League picture with eight games to play
Manchester United have a big decision to make. Two months ago, the idea of appointing Carrick permanently was farfetched. It would have been criticised as being unambitious. Now, the former midfielder is making a strong case for his continued employment. If it ain’t broke, don’t hire another manager.
(Images from IMAGO)
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The Cherries have drawn each of their previous four Premier League matches, with the club currently occupying 10th place.
United, on the other hand, sit third and are well on course to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Draws have been Bournemouth’s downfall this season
Bournemouth have drawn nearly 50% of their Premier League matches this term (14/30), securing just nine wins in the process.
Indeed, only six clubs have registered fewer victories than the Cherries and they occupy 15th-20th in the standings.
Despite that, Andoni Iraola’s side remain only eight points adrift of Liverpool in eighth and a winning run could see them vault up the table.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in 10 league games but haven’t won a league game since February 10, drawing their four subsequent matches heading into this clash.
Having scored just twice during those games, Iraola will need his men to step up in order to break down a stubborn United side.
They did score four at Old Trafford in December, yet, only took a point from the game.
Michael Carrick has Manchester United dreaming of the promised land
Not even the most ardent United supporter would have believed a third place finish was possible a few months ago, but here we are.
Michael Carrick has done a wonderful job since arriving on an interim basis following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
Seven wins from nine has the Red Devils dreaming of the Champions League. Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all been defeated during this wonderful run of form recently.
The loss to Newcastle has been the only blemish, but with just eight matches to go this season, a return to the promised land of Champions League football is looking increasingly likely.
If so, will Carrick be appointed as permanent manager? That remains to be seen.
Those are the only four injury issues, however, for the Cherries as they seek a first win since mid-February.
Carrick’s main injury absentees concern the defence. Lisandro Martínez remains out for the foreseeable future due to a calf issue.
Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs De Ligt won’t return until the middle of April due to hamstring and back injuries respectively.
Recent H2H results
Prediction
United have only won once at the Vitality since 2018, with that victory coming in May 2023.
Incidentally, that was the last time the Red Devils managed to get the better of Bournemouth and Carrick will be keen to end this three-year winless drought against the south coast side.
As such, expect the United boss to unleash a strong starting XI, especially as a win will put pressure on those around them in the table.
Bournemouth will provide a threat and wont want to end their ten-game unbeaten run. Expect the away side to emerge with all three points though.
(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.
Real Madrid had Vinícius Júnior to thank as they ended Manchester City’s Champions league ambitions on Tuesday evening, but the real damage was done last week.
The Brazilian opened the scoring with a penalty after Bernardo Silva was sent off for handball in the first-half.
With just minutes remaining, he then slotted home Madrid’s winner to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Despite City’s dominance during the game, Madrid’s chances improved after Silva was sent off, but the damage had already been done in the first leg.
Indeed, the star of the show was Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan maestro delivered one of the finest modern day Champions League performances as he scored a stunning hat-trick at the Bernabeu in the 3-0 win.
Vinícius Júnior may have stolen the plaudits on Tuesday, but the foundations of success were laid by Valverde.
Federico Valverde was sensational against Manchester City
Prior to the first leg against City, Valverde had scored three Champions League goals across 75 matches in the competition for Madrid.
That all changed at the Bernabéu. Valverde opened the scoring after 20 minutes, perfectly controlling a pass from Thibaut Courtois before rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma and slotting the ball home from a tight angle.
Seven minutes later, the midfielder was at it again. He popped up with another fine finish, taking advantage of a sleepy City defence to make it 2-0.
Shot map for Valverde’s hat trick, with third goal highlighted
Valverde saved the best for last. Brahim Díaz chipped a pass into the box which the Uruguayan controlled perfectly by flicking it over the head of Marc Guéhi before firing a shot into the net to seal his first ever career hat-trick.
It was a first half of dreams, not only for Madrid, but for Valverde. FotMob awarded him a match rating of 9.7, while L’Equipe – famed for their distinction of rarely giving out perfect ratings – awarded Valverde a 10/10 for his display. As such, he became only the 20th player to receive the highest possible rating.
While he will be remembered for his goal scoring exploits in that first leg, the midfielder also made nine defensive contributions, the most throughout the game, along with winning 11 duels and playing four passes into the penalty area.
Former Arsenal and France icon Thierry Henry summed up his display perfectly, saying: “Fede Valverde was not only Bergkamp today.
“He was Thuram, Bergkamp, Makelele. He was everybody.”
Valverde’s heat map vs. Man City, first leg
High praise indeed and certainly well deserved given his efforts, both defensively and going forwards.
Valverde may not have scored during the second leg, yet he did end the game with a 92% pass success rate while registering seven defensive actions during the 2-1 victory.
Those performances could go a long way to rejuvenating Madrid, especially with a LaLiga and Champions League double still very much within reach for Los Blancos.
Valverde is delivering when it really matters
His performance against Man City will be eulogised for years to come, yet Valverde has been producing for Madrid when it matters since the start of 2026.
He scored the opener against Atlético Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, before providing the assist for Rodrygo to net the winner.
A month later, Valverde scored against Real Sociedad before registering two assists against Benfica in the Champions League.
Perhaps more importantly, the 27-year-old scored a vital late winner against Celta Vigo in LaLiga at the start of the month and this was the first of his five goals in the space of just eight days.
Valverde’s passing stats in LaLiga this season
Domestically, Valverde has been a key factor in Madrid’s title challenge. Not only does he rank in the top 1% compared to his peers for chances created (39) and shots on target (13), but the midfielder also ranks in the top 5% for touches (1891) and in the top 7% for recoveries (117), showcasing his class across a range of metrics.
It is in the Champions League, however, where Valverde has truly shone. The midfielder ranks seventh among all players in the competition for top speed (35.8 km/h) and sixth for assists (four) this season.
Valverde is very much at the peak of his powers right now and while Madrid’s season has endured its rocky moments, he appears to be the fulcrum in this star-studded side.
Valverde’s physical metrics in the Champions League this season
He offers the perfect balance between attack and defence, allowing others such as Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé to focus purely on the opposition goal.
This was something Luka Modrić excelled in and it is evident that Valverde is following in his footsteps this season.
His ever-increasing influence is becoming more apparent under the leadership of Álvaro Arbeloa, who is clearly bringing the best out of him.
“He’s such a talented guy that he could excel in any position,” Arbeloa said about Valverde.
“He’s a fantastic captain, as he’s shown in recent months. He offers us so much in a range of roles. Fede is Real Madrid through and through, and an outstanding ambassador for the club.”
Mbappé and Vinícius may be the jewels in Madrid’s crown, especially with their attacking output, but there is no doubt Valverde is the player that holds everything together.
The next few months might well turn out to be the most important of his career. First up, he will look to fire Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League titles, bolstering his medal collection in the process.
If that isn’t enough, Valverde will be looking to take Uruguay as far as possible in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
Perform like he has done over the next few months and might we be talking about Valverde being a contender for the Ballon d’Or?
Only time will tell.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Noahkai Banks has a big decision to make. Born in Hawaii to an American father and a Spanish-German mother, the 19-year-old is eligible for three different national teams, two of which are believed to be making a play for his services with the 2026 World Cup just around the corner.
While reports in Germany claim Banks hasn’t spoken to Julian Nagelsmann, the player himself has publicly revealed the German FA (DFB) are in contact. Earlier this month, Banks admitted to being “very torn” and has apparently rejected any call-up from the USA for the upcoming March friendlies to give himself more time to think.
Banks’ player traits comparison against other centrebacks in the top five leagues
That Banks, who has played for the USA at youth level, won’t be in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the games against Belgium and Portugal is already a blow. In an ideal world, the young defender would have been given an opportunity to showcase his quality in an area of the pitch where the USA has a growing number of concerns.
Chris Richards is one centre back the US can count on this summer. The Crystal Palace defender is operating at a high level in the Premier League and has grown into a leadership role for his national team since the last World Cup. Pochettino has built around Richards in the backline.
Next to Richards, though, there is a big question mark. Tim Ream has performed the role more than any other player, but the 38-year-old is starting to look his age. Anyone who watched Ream get torn to shreds by the LA Galaxy in a recent match for Charlotte FC surely has concerns about how his World Cup might go.
Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, and Auston Trusty could all be in contention to start alongside Richards this summer, but Banks is operating at a higher level than all of them and certainly has a higher ceiling as a player. This is a player Pochettino said has the potential to become one of the best defenders in Europe.
It therefore makes sense that Germany are interested. Having failed to make it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, there is pressure on Nagelsmann to plot a deeper run at this summer’s tournament even if Germany lack the top-end talent that made them champions in 2014.
In Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah, Germany boast two elite level centre backs with the former on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs and the latter on course for Bundesliga, and possibly Champions League, glory with Bayern Munich. Beyond those two, though, Nagelsmann is short of depth.
Banks would fit in well. The 19-year-old is comfortable on the ball, as his assist for Augsburg in a recent match against Köln proved. Afforded some space on the edge of the box, Banks surged to the byline and squared a pass into the area for Rodrigo Ribeiro to finish from close range. It was a moment that showcased his athleticism and talent in possession.
Banks’ passing numbers in the Bundesliga this season
For Augsburg, Banks has most commonly played on the right side of a back three. Pochettino has used a back three on occasion as USMNT head coach and Banks could allow him to push Richards into a more central role as the dominant defensive presence in the national team backline.
There are flaws to Banks’ game. He has made mistakes this season, but that’s to be expected of a young player. He has played over 1,600 minutes in the Bundesliga this season and is established as a first team figure in a Big Five league as a teenager. That exposure is helping Banks improve.
Banks’s defensive numbers in the Bundesliga this season
Banks has vowed not to make a decision on his long-term international future on the basis of the 2026 World Cup. “I hopefully have a long career ahead of me, so I want to think carefully and speak with my family,” said the teenager. “I don’t want to make it dependent on a World Cup. I’m just happy to be in this position and to be able to make this decision. We’ll see what happens.”
The more Banks impresses in the Bundesliga, though, the more the clamour for the teenager to play at this summer’s World Cup will increase, particularly from the USA side. Pochettino would surely like to be able to call up the young defender for the tournament on home soil. Banks could feasibly be a first team figure.
Whatever decision Banks ultimately makes, he has a bright future for club and country ahead of him. Pochettino has good reason to be bullish on the 19-year-old’s potential even if the USA ends up losing out to Germany in the race for his international allegiance. An American wonderkid could be a German star.
(Images from IMAGO)
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John F. Kennedy was in the White House; Elvis Presley topped the UK Singles Chart; and construction of the Berlin Wall was still three months off beginning: a window into how the world looked the last time Lincoln City occupied the heights they’re poised to hit this spring.
By Tom Hancock
It was April 1961 and Lincoln had just finished bottom of the old Second Division – a division they shared with Bill Shankly’s Liverpool – bringing to an end a near decade-long stint at the level, having been promoted as Third Division North champions for the third time in 1952.
Sixty-five years on, for JFK, see Trump; for Elvis, see Harry Styles; for the yet-to-be-built Berlin Wall, see the scattered remnants. And for Second Division Lincoln City, see Championship Lincoln City (prospectively).
The Imps are on the up, needing no more than 10 points from their remaining eight League One games to clinch promotion. And any neutral would back them to do it: Michael Skubala’s table-toppers have won eight of their last 10 games and are unbeaten since late November – a 21-match streak which has seen them take 53 points from a possible 63.
It’s just a decade since Lincoln finished in the bottom half of the National League for the fifth straight season, below the likes of Eastleigh, Gateshead and Woking; in a matter of months, they could feasibly be welcoming Tottenham Hotspur to Sincil Bank – their unassuming but vanishingly penetrable home where they’ve lost just two league games in 12 months – as equals.
“I call it the end game,” says Gary Hutchinson, editor of long-running independent Lincoln site The Stacey West, of the Imps’ dizzying current position. “And with football, there’s never an end game, is there? Because there’s always next season. But it does feel like the original Skubala blueprint.”
Skubala succeeded Mark Kennedy as head coach in November 2023, having previously led Leeds United’s U21s and taken caretaker charge of their first team in the Premier League. And the 43-year-old’s trajectory to frontline management is emblematic of the changing face of the English dugout.
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Having never played professionally, Skubala worked as a PE teacher in his native Leicestershire then became director of football at Loughborough University, an institution steeped in sporting excellence, before being headhunted by the FA and spending three years as head coach of the England futsal team.
“I think that’s the new way with football,” Hutchinson continues, who notes how different Skubala is in character to Danny Cowley, another former PE teacher, who guided Lincoln from the fifth tier to the third as champions of the National League and League Two.
Incidentally, since the highest level of non-League went national in 1979, no club has ever won fifth, fourth and third-tier titles – a piece of history for Lincoln (who were also 1987/88 Conference champions) to target, there.
Lincoln’s rise under Cowley
“You walked into a room and you knew Danny Cowley was the manager of the football club,” Hutchinson explains, “because he owned it and he was brilliant at it…Walk into a room of 20 blokes not knowing who Michael Skubala was and you’d be through 10 of them before you said, ‘Well, maybe he’s the football manager’.
“He’s unassuming; he’s laid back’ he’s quiet; he’s meticulous – but that does come from an educational background, doesn’t it? Education is stripping everything back to the core basics and then teaching it from the ground up and adding bits on. And I think that’s where our overall kind of playing structures come from.”
Lincoln are thriving under Skubala’s academically-influenced tactical approach, perhaps the most unique in League One. The Imps average the lowest possession in the league (42.1%), but their football is far from turgid route-one fare.
Key to Skubala’s detail-oriented philosophy are positional flexibility, considered pressing and rapid transitions – as Lincoln showed to devastating effect in their recent 2-0 win away to title rivals Cardiff City, a statement victory in their seemingly unstoppable charge towards the Championship.
The Imps are often at their most devastating on the break, scoring the joint most goals from counter-attacks in League One this term (nine) And they’re one of the most clinical teams in the division outright, ranking second for goals scored relative to expected goals (xG), outperforming their xG by 14.8.
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They share the goals around, too. Having lost veteran striker James Collins to a serious knee injury in December, Lincoln have 12 players who’ve found the net three or more times, including eight-goal joint top scorers Jack Moylan, Reeco Hackett and Rob Street – only the latter of whom is an out-and-out number nine, and even he began the campaign as third choice in that department.
Set-pieces are arguably an even more important part of the Imps’ attacking arsenal: they’ve chalked up 23 goals from dead-ball situations – the second-most in League One – accounting for almost a third of their overall tally of 71, also the second-highest in the league. On top of that, they have at their disposal one of the most fearsome long-throw proponents in England: Tom Hamer, whose projectile hurls have more than a touch of Rory Delap about them.
Twenty-six-year-old centre-back Hamer is the youngest member of a veteran back four that’s helped Lincoln harvest the best defensive record in League One (34 goals conceded in 38 games). Joining him are Tendayi Darikwa, Sonny Bradley (both aged 34) and Adam Reach (33) – all of whom boast ample Championship experience.
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“It sounds like Dad’s Army,” Hutchinson jests, “but it’s actually a really meticulous recruitment process…’We’ve got a person in this position – how can we make them better? … Who will they learn best from?’”
Part of that process is the club’s more left-field recruitment, best exemplified by young Ukrainian defensive midfielder Ivan Varfolomeev – signed from Czech side Slovan Liberec last summer in what Hutchinson calls a “mad, crazy spot” on the recruitment team’s part.
Mad, crazy: two apt words for Lincoln’s season – one which could yet see them hit the 100-point mark, something which has only ever been done seven times in the third tier during the era of three points for a win.
“Most fans would have said, ‘Oh, I’ll take play-offs’ [at the start of the season],” notes Hutchinson. “If there’s a Lincoln fan that tells you that they thought we’d be in the top two this season, they’re a liar.”
But, in mid-March, the top of the League One table doesn’t lie: Lincoln are deservedly bossing a division – and they’re doing it while staying to true to themselves.
“Some football clubs treat people like customers,” remarks Hutchinson, “and Lincoln City have always treated them like people. And I’d like to think that karma is now dealing us a bit of a return on the field.”
(Images from IMAGO)
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We aren’t in the realms of Liverpool needing another famous European night at Anfield to make it into the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but the Reds do need a win against Galatasaray on Wednesday night.
Assessing the seasons of both teams feels a little redundant right now. This is, for all intents and purposes, a one-off match. What has come before this is, to be blunt, irrelevant.
Liverpool know a win on the night is required if they’re to progress. If they want to progress inside of 90 minutes, their victory needs to be by two clear goals following the 1-0 loss in Istanbul.
The same applies in extra time. To avoid a penalty shootout, the Reds know they need a minimum of two goals. This is easier said than done with Arne Slot‘s side scoring two or more in just four of their last 10 outings across all competitions. And two of those times arrived in FA Cup ties.
For Galatasaray, it is a lot more straightforward. Avoid defeat and they add Liverpool to their list of upsets this season after they knocked Juventus out in the playoff round last time out.
The Turkish giants head into this game in good form too having won five on the bounce, keeping clean sheets in their last three. A clean sheet at Anfield sees them into the next round. It’s as simple as that.
You wouldn’t say Galatasaray have Liverpool’s number, despite winning both matches against the Reds this term, as both the game in the league phase and the first leg have been fairly even. They have, however, managed to keep clean sheets in both outings against the Premier League champions. Perhaps there’s a mental edge there that cannot be quantified.
Key Players
It’s kind of ironic that Liverpool’s most dangerous player right now probably won’t set foot on the pitch on Wednesday. Rio Ngumoha has been a revelation for the Reds over recent weeks but his minutes need to be managed and after playing 65 minutes against Spurs on Sunday, a cameo here feels unlikely.
For the away side, the main man is Victor Osimhen. He scored the winner against the Reds in the first clash and assisted the winner last time out. He’s a constant threat no matter the opposition. Expect another big showing here.
Team News
There are no fresh injury concerns for Slot. He’s without Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni but everyone else is available to him. He rested players on Sunday so it’ll be interesting to see what he does with his lineup on Wednesday.
The away side have no injury issues at all and it means they have quite the depth heading to Anfield. Options off of the bench could be key.
Prediction
We’re thinking Liverpool win on the night but progression may only be secured via penalties.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Can a reenergised Newcastle finally beat Barça this season?
Barcelona continued their LaLiga title defence with an emphatic win against Sevilla at Camp Nou over the weekend and Hansi Flick‘s squad is now unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions (W5, D1). With 17 goals (2.8 per 90) scored and three clean sheets during the confidence-inspiring run, Barça could not have asked for more, amid Joan Laporta’s re-election as president, and ahead of the Champions League Round of 16 return leg against Newcastle.
It took a penalty from the cool-headed Lamine Yamal to snatch a last-gasp draw at St. James’ Park in the first leg, but back on their own turf, Barça will be confident of seeing out the aggregate win. They’ve won all 12 games played at home since returning to the refurbished Camp Nou and their last and still the only home defeat this season dates back to October.
The Magpies are faring quite well in the midst of an incredibly difficult run of fixtures and despite the FA Cup exit to Manchester City, Eddie Howe‘s team have impressed against Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea of late.
Anthony Gordon‘s winner at Stamford Bridge last weekend lifted the Tyneside club to ninth in the Premier League table, and now, Newcastle will travel to Catalonia in a much better place than a few weeks ago. Newcastle have never tasted victory at Camp Nou, leaving disappointed on their previous two visits (1997 and 2002).
Key players
Lewis Hall kept Lamine Yamal at bay in the first leg and earned the ‘anti-Lamine’ nickname from the Spanish media while taking FotMob’s Player of the Match award with a rating of 7.9. The English left-back followed it up with an impressive performance (7.1) against Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho , and the 21-year-old is Newcastle’s third-highest-rated player in the Premier League this season. Furthermore, no player in the squad has made more tackles (2.5 per 90) and successful dribbles (1.8 per 90), which makes him a strong contender for the role of England’s starting left back at this summer’s World Cup.
Since the first leg, Raphinha has delivered a true captain’s performance by scoring a hat trick in the win against Sevilla. And despite his injury troubles this season, the electric Brazilian continues to produce impressive numbers (22 G/A). In the league, Raphinha is only behind Lamine Yamal (23) in both goals + assists (14) despite playing considerably less minutes.
For Newcastle, Fabian Schär is out and so is captain, Bruno Guimarães, who will be sorely missed in the middle of the park. However, Newcastle’s injury list is finally improving.
Prediction
Barça enjoy a stellar record at Camp Nou this season, but with the tie still in the balance and Newcastle’s reputation for always turning up in the big games, Hansi Flick’s side will have to be at its best to progress. But if you look at the facts and the individual qualities of the players likely to start the game, it will require a shock upset for the reigning LaLiga champions to miss out on a place in the quarter-finals, and I expect them to run out as winners.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.
