Page 39 – The Pulse of Football

Mar

2026

The MLS Wrap: Messi League Soccer is back!

The 2025 MLS Most Valuable Player was back in the goals on Sunday night, and back leading the way as the outstanding performer of Matchday 2.

By James Nalton

Inter Miami underwhelmed on the opening weekend of the new season, though they did face what will likely be the toughest fixture in the league this year: a trip to Los Angeles FC. They won’t be the first team to go there and lose by multiple goals.

Their second game of the new campaign offered a chance to get back on track, but it wasn’t exactly a gimme as they travelled up the Florida peninsula to face Orlando City, a place they had yet to taste victory.

As Orlando took a two-goal lead in the first half, it looked like Miami’s poor record there and their stuttering start to the season would continue.

Then Lionel Messi happened, but not before a wonderful strike from halftime substitute Mateo Silvetti gave the No. 10 the platform from which to complete the comeback.

Messi scored twice from outside the area, including a 90th-minute free-kick for good measure, getting his eye in for the rest of the season, as he’ll be the favourite to be named MLS MVP once again.

…with support from Telasco Segovia

This is where the top performer of the week, per the FotMob ratings, might normally get a mention, but we’ve already spoken about Messi, so, instead, it offers a chance to talk about the second-highest rated player of the week, Messi’s teammate, Telasco Segovia.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan has been an important part of Messi’s supporting cast since joining the club last season.

His role has naturally increased in 2026 following the retirement of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez’s legs being another year older.

The replacements for those players don’t necessarily come in the shape of positionally like-for-like successors, but in difference-makers across the pitch who can contribute alongside Messi.

Segovia showed he could step up to be one such player, providing assists for Silvetti and Messi before adding a goal of his own, which gave Miami the lead.

Repeat performance from Red Bull wonderkids

When praising young players who’ve impressed in one particular game, the worry is that it can be some time until they follow that up and back up the hype.

The nature of the pathway from a youth academy to first-team, senior football means inconsistency can be expected, as lessons are learned and players find their feet.

This was not the case for the New York Red Bulls contingent, who made the league sit up and take note on opening day and followed that up with another influential performance this weekend against New England Revolution.

This was epitomised by the game’s only goal as 17-year-old Matthew Dos Santos crossed to 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti, who headed on for 17-year-old Julian Hall to finish at the far post.

Hall was named the league’s Player of the Matchday last weekend, and though this week’s accolade is likely to go to Messi, the young Red Bulls continued to impress.

The excitement around these players will surely see more fans flock to the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, as they show that MLS is as much about developing players as it is offering a home to headline-grabbing older stars.

Nectarios Triantis: good at football

As mentioned earlier, there is no like-for-like replacement for Sergio Busquets, not for Inter Miami, not for anyone, but you do wonder if David Beckham’s lot considered Triantis as the Spaniard’s successor in South Florida.

Instead, Minnesota United moved for the Aussie-born Greek international central operator in August, signing him from Sunderland following his spell on loan at Hibernian. The Loons seem to have a player on their hands.

Though no one is really like Busquets, Triantis’ height and comfort on the ball, especially in tight situations in midfield, bear brief resemblance.

He’s also able to use his physique to power out of situations, making him worth a watch, and he was part of a 1-0 win for Minnesota against Cincinnati this weekend.

Matt Wells vs. Phil Neville

Colorado Rapids new head coach won one of MLS’s battles of the English head coaches, defeating Neville’s Portland Timbers this weekend.

It was a convincing performance from Wells’ side in their home opener, as the former Spurs assistant joins Neville and Dean Smith as the league’s English head coaching contingent.

Müller speaks and scores twice in Canada clash

Thomas Müller is a thinker on the pitch and off it.

He scored twice in Vancouver Whitecaps’ 3-0 win against fellow Canadians Toronto at the weekend, and has also had some interesting things to say about football’s place in the sporting landscape up there in the west of Canada, specifically.

Speaking to German outlet Kicker, translated by Derek Rae on Bluesky, Müller said:

“You must separate two different things. Football here still has no big significance in the life of the general population. It’s not spoken about in the office on a Monday morning, but the football bubble is not in fact so small.

“In the stadia, there’s a euphoric atmosphere. The people are interested in the game, but the rest of the population doesn’t know the football bubble at all, they have other topics and other sports.

“They grew up with ice hockey, basketball, and [gridiron]. The ranking of football is perhaps comparable to handball in Germany. Due to the topography in Canada, there are significantly fewer football pitches than ice hockey rinks. However, in the playoffs, our stadium was packed with 50,000 spectators.”

Müller’s compatriot Timo Werner also made an impact this weekend, getting an assist for San Jose Earthquakes after coming off the bench for his debut in their 2-0 win against Atlanta United.

LA Galaxy’s five-minute treble

Goals from Lucas Sanabria in the 8th minute and João Klauss in the 11th and 13th minutes left Charlotte stunned on Saturday night.

The linkup for the second goal, between Gabriel Pec and fellow Brazilian Klauss, was very encouraging for the Galaxy, who are looking to return to the form that won them the MLS Cup in 2024.

This 3-0 win was a sign they might be able to do so.

(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.

Mar

2026

Preview: Real Madrid in LaLiga action against Getafe

Real Madrid welcome Getafe to the Bernabéu on Monday evening as they look to close the gap to league leaders Barcelona.

By Ross Kilvington

Real Madrid are looking to build momentum

Los Blancos may have lost to Osasuna last time out in LaLiga, but momentum has been building in recent weeks.

The 2-1 win over Benfica in midweek ensured progress into the last 16 of the Champions League, while a victory against Getafe would move them to within a point of leaders Barcelona.

Barcelona remain favourites for the title, but the narrative could still be flipped, meaning every game is now a must win for Álvaro Arbeloa’s men.

Key to any success Madrid have had in recent weeks has been due to the attacking output of both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Indeed, the duo have scored nine and seven goals respectively since Arbeloa took over as interim coach, enjoying plenty of freedom in the process.

The Brazilian in particular has been impressive. He scored yet again in midweek against Benfica and looks primed to play a vital role in the title run in.

Arbeloa will also be buoyed by the fact several first-team stars are nearing a return from injury. Rodrygo could add something extra in the final third when he recovers from a hamstring issue, while Jude Bellingham looks set to be back in action sooner rather than later for Madrid.

With the club fighting on both European and domestic fronts over the next couple of weeks, having a full strength squad to call on will be imperative for success.

Getafe looking for first win over Real Madrid since 2022

January 2022 was the last time Getafe defeated Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants going on to win the eight subsequent meetings between the two.

Could Getafe find solace in the fact Osasuna sealed a 2-1 victory against Los Blancos last weekend?

They have lost just one of their last five LaLiga matches and a win over Madrid would see them edge closer to the top half of the table.

Top scorer Borja Mayoral could miss the match due to injury, so the away side will have to count on Mauro Arambarri (5) and Juanmi (5) as their main goal threats.

Team news

Despite things on the injury front looking more promising for Madrid compared to a few weeks ago, the likes of Éder Militão, Bellingham, Dani Ceballos, Dean Huijsen, Mbappé, and Raul Asensio are ruled out of this match.

For Getafe, Davinchi and Abu Kamara will both be absent for the clash on Monday evening.

Elsewhere, Djené is suspended and Abdel Abqar faces a late fitness check ahead of the game to see whether he is fit or not.

Prediction

Madrid will be keen to follow up their 2-1 triumph over Benfica with another victory.

The desire to avoid losing ground in the title race should be enough incentive for Arbeloa and his men and they will seal all three points in comfortable fashion.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2026

Preview: Arsenal and Chelsea set for third clash of 2026

Liam Rosenior will face Arsenal for the third time since becoming Chelsea manager on Sunday. His side put up decent fights in the previous two, but the Premier League leaders proved too strong. Could third time be the charm?

By Alex Roberts

Remember that Gennaro Gattuso meme, “sometimes maybe good…”? Well, that sums Chelsea up at the moment. They’ve dropped an incredible 19 points from leading positions in the league, 17 of which have been at home, so far this season. If they held on to those leads, Chelsea could be above Arsenal.

Talk of Mikel Arteta’s lads bottling the title race it have simmered down following their comfortable 4-1 win over a dismal Tottenham side in the North London derby. Still, that narrative will shift once again if they were to drop points here.

*The standings prior to Saturday’s games*

Discipline continues to be an issue

There is only so many times ‘inexperience’ can be used as an excuse for Chelsea. Yes, they have the youngest squad in the Premier League, but that doesn’t make six red cards any less unacceptable.

Wesley Fofana was the latest player to throw his teammates under the bus. 1-0 up against likely to be relegated Burnley, once the Frenchman picked up his second yellow, the game completely shifted, and Chelsea dropped even more points.

A lot can be said about the squad that has been built by the ownership over the past few years, especially when Chelsea’s pre-tax loss this financial year is the WORST in English football history. They simply won’t be winning any major trophies if they don’t sort their discipline.

The REAL Viktor Gyökeres

It’s taken a little while, but we’re starting to see the Gyökeres we all expected when he joined from Sporting last summer. The tenacity, instinctive finishing, it’s all coming to the forefront just when Arsenal need it.

His performance against Spurs was the best we’ve seen from him since arriving at the Emirates. Scoring twice from an xG of 0.32, having 41 touches, and making five defensive contributions, it was almost perfect.

Now, he’s level on Premier League goals with Liverpool’s Hugo Ekiteke, who has largely been considered a successful signing by pundits and journalists alike. Whether people are ready to have the conversation or not, Gyökeres has been a good buy for Arsenal.

Team news

Bukayo Saka went off injured late in Arsenal’s win over Spurs but came back out to celebrate with his teammates after the final whistle. He should be good to face Chelsea, if not, we’ll probably see Noni Madueke face off against his former club.

Arteta doesn’t have too many injuries to stress about. Kai Havertz (muscle) is a doubt, Ben White (knock), Max Dowman (ankle), and Mikel Merino (foot) are all out.

As for Chelsea, Fofana will see out his one-game suspension here, perhaps he just didn’t fancy it. Levi Colwill (ACL), Filip Jorgensen (knock), Marc Cucurella (hamstring), Dário Essugo (muscle), and Jamie Gittens (muscle) will be on the sideline.

Prediction

We’re going to go a little deeper than usual with this one, because almost every Chelsea game seems to play out the same way. So, we think they’ll take the lead in the first half, and then Arsenal will rally and win 3-1.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Man United look to continue their good run as Palace visit Old Trafford

Michael Carrick’s team are really on a roll in pursuit of Champions League football next term and facing a midweek-fatigued Crystal Palace presents another big chance to move closer to that prize.

By Karl Matchett

All eyes will be on United’s starting lineup and, more to the point, whether Benjamin Šeško is given the nod up front. After some wretched struggles – he wasn’t the only one – under Ruben Amorim’s style and set-up, the Slovenian has come to the fore during the Red Devils’ resurgence…but from the bench.

Juggling act or fixed decisions?

One of the most important early acts Carrick took was to play the 4-2-3-1 system but, more notably, play players within that in their primary roles. So, Bruno Fernandes was pushed to the No. 10, Amad Diallo is back as a winger and the likes of Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot are full-backs when they are used, not outside centre-backs.

A knock-on of that was a strict pick of one starting striker – Bryan Mbeumo most of the time – rather than fitting in several attackers, with some needing to play from the channel or in deeper support roles. But Šeško’s form might mean reconsideration is needed. After scoring a brace under Darren Fletcher in early January, he has since netted off the bench against Fulham, West Ham and Everton – across 94 minutes of action during five sub appearances.

If Šeško is to start it might mean no true winger, with Matheus Cunha and one other out wide – or we might see Carrick make a bold managerial call to drop one of those impactful options to the bench, maintaining a tactical plan which has worked well.

Selhurst discontent

For Palace, the Conference League win over Zrinjski means their European campaign will roll on, but their domestic one hasn’t been fun. Amid Oliver Glasner’s imminent departure and some questionable transfer activity, plus sinking to 13th in the table, fans have been vocal about wanting better from the board.

At the very least, they’re over the dismal run of 12 winless games in succession, but uncertainty over the future remains a cloud and it’s probably no bad thing to be away from home for a couple of matches for the Eagles.

Recent results

It’s five wins in six for United, while at home in the Premier League they’ve lost only once since late November – there’s been a few draws in there though. Palace have now lost only one in the last six in all competitions but on the road it hasn’t been pretty this season. One win from eight is their current streak, though they did end a two-month win for a league victory at Brighton recently.

Team news

Patrick Dorgu remains out, while Mason Mount, Mbeumo, and Lisandro Martínez are doubts for United. Jean-Philippe Mateta is still sidelined for the visitors, with Jefferson Lerma out too.

Key player

It could Benjamin Šeško, why not!? He now has the most shots on target per 90 minutes than anyone else in the whole league (1.9). Can he do it from the start?

Prediction

This should be three more points on the board for Carrick and it would be no surprise this game needs another late decider: Man United 2-1 Palace.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Tudor takes Spurs to Fulham looking for a first win

Igor Tudor’s arrival at Spurs didn’t dampen the fire currently raging at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but will a trip across London to play Fulham calm their relegation fears?

By Ian King

The arrival of Igor Tudor did not automatically cure Spurs’ ills

Still without a Premier League win in 2026, the arrival of emergency interim head coach Igor Tudor has so far shown few indications that Tottenham Hotspur’s form is going to change much in the foreseeable future.

A 4-1 home defeat in the North London Derby last weekend saw a passable first half performance from struggling Spurs, but an abject second 45 minutes only reaffirmed the feeling that the problems at the club run so deep that changing the head coach is akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Fulham, meanwhile, are settled and comfortable in mid-table. They’re exactly halfway down the Premier League going into the weekend (they will likely be a little lower by kick-off), with an impressive 3-1 win at Sunderland having ended a run of three successive defeats.

Who needs to finish where in order to qualify for Europe next season remains up in the air, but seventh – possibly even eighth – could be enough for the Europa Conference League. The Cottagers are only three points off that position, so they still have much to – potentially – play for in their remaining fixtures.

Fulham have the upper hand in recent meetings between these two teams

The historical omens for Spurs from this fixture do not look much better than their current form. Fulham have won four and drawn one of the two teams’ last six meetings, and they won 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the two clubs met in the corresponding fixture this season, at the end of November.

In order to find a straw for Spurs fans to grasp at, you have to go a little further back into the history books. Fulham only beat Spurs once between 1948 and 1999, though it should be added that they ‘only’ met each other 30 times over those 51 years.

Randal Kolo Muani’s improved performance was Spurs’ sole bright spot from their North London Derby humbling

Two goals at Sunderland last week makes Raúl Jiménez Fulham’s main goal threat. He’s scored eight goals and registered three assists, and he’ll be fancying his chances of increasing that tally against a defence which hasn’t kept a clean sheet in the league since New Year’s Day.

Randal Kolo Muani has worked with Igor Tudor before, and one of the tiny bright spots of Spurs’ North London Derby defeat was a better performance from the French striker. He scored his first Premier League goal and had a second slightly harshly disallowed last weekend; Tudor will need more of the same throughout the rest of the season.

Both sides have players returning, but Spurs remain deep in a horrendous injury crisis

With Tudor favouring three at the back, it’s expected that Kevin Danso will return, so the new head coach will be able to play his preferred system without having to crowbar defensive midfielder João Palhinha into his back line. Pedro Porro should be available again following his lay-off.

Cristian Romero remains suspended, while Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain out of action. Spurs essentially had 13 fit first-team players for last weekend’s match, which gives an indication of just how severe their injury situation has been. Why the club didn’t even really attempt to rectify this during the January transfer window remains completely mystifying. The word ‘crisis’ is thrown around far too cheaply in football these days, but Spurs remain deep in the midst of an injury crisis.

Fulham have few such concerns. They’ve had Saša Lukić, Samuel Chukwueze and Antonee Robinson out with injury, but all three of these players should be returning in the very near future. Of the three, Lukić seems the least likely to be ready for this match. Robinson should be available again, while Chukuwueze is touch and go. Tom Cairney returned against Sunderland with a late cameo from the bench after three weeks out without any issues.

Doctor Tottenham remains on call, and Fulham should take advantage of his services

Wolves, Burnley, West Ham and Nottingham Forest may beg to differ, but there really are no other teams in the Premier League who need a win quite as much as Spurs do at the moment. Their current winless run feels like a seal that they need to break; a losing mentality seems to have become deeply embedded in their players.

It remains the case that the watching media and public alike are of the view that it’s inconceivable that the ninth-richest football club in the world could get relegated from the Premier League, but scales do seem to be falling from some eyes. The unthinkable is rapidly becoming very thinkable indeed, and Igor Tudor does not have much time left to rearrange those deckchairs if he wants it to make any material difference to their fortunes.

Fulham’s win at Sunderland last week ended a brief downturn in form, and with all Premier League clubs apparently now welcoming their visits from Doctor Tottenham, they’ll be looking forward to this visit as an opportunity to push back into the top half of the table. The grim truth for Spurs fans is that, for opposing teams, this is currently the most winnable fixture in their remaining schedules. A comfortable 2-0 win for Fulham would hardly lift the sinking feeling that is now rapidly descending over The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

(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.

Feb

2026

Open road in Europe but rough terrain in the Premier League: What now for Eddie Howe and Newcastle?

A path for a major Champions League run has been laid before Newcastle United, but is it more their domestic form that poses the question of whether Eddie Howe has taken the Magpies as far as he’s realistically able to?

By Karl Matchett

The two-legged hammering of Qarabağ meant Newcastle made light work of reaching the round of 16 in the Champions League, and there’s no immediate reason to think the St. James’ Park club will stop there.

Light at the end of the Euro tunnel

In the bottom half of the draw, they’ll face Barcelona next – tough opponents but one that Newcastle have held their own against this term already. They lost to the Spanish champions 2-1 in the league phase but it was a close-fought game until final-third quality told after the break.

Over two legs, they’ll fancy their chances of being able to out-muscle and out-tactic Barca if a majority of players are fit and, should they triumph, neither Atlético Madrid (13 points behind Barca in LaLiga) nor Tottenham would hold further fears. Overall, the draw is a decent one: it’s far from unthinkable that Newcastle, at the very least, have a reasonable possibility to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Where’s the consistency, Eddie?

If that’s what the north east side could aim for over the last three months of the season, it also brings another question: How can the last four in Europe be a possibility, if the top ten in England still isn’t assured? Newcastle are 11th in the Premier League, as close by points to Nottingham Forest, who are just outside the relegation zone, as they are to Liverpool, who are just outside the Champions League spots.

It has been an infuriating campaign of inconsistency where the Magpies are concerned, only managing back-to-back league wins twice, in November and across the new year, when they managed three in a row. They’ve been both four unbeaten and four without victory. Those runs actually criss-crossed each other: three wins, a draw, three defeats in a seven-game span, highlighting the fickle nature of a side which won a cup and looked on the up only a year ago.

*Howe’s points per game average is down this season*

Management and supporters alike will point to injuries, and that’s fair to an extent, but every big club has a similar tale to tell. Analysis in January showed Newcastle had lost the most days to player absences, but each of Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds had suffered more individual injuries.

Results also show that’s far from the full story. Only four teams have won fewer points away from home this term than Eddie Howe’s side, and that dismal stat started right at the beginning of the season – they didn’t win away until late November. The Guimarães–Tonali–Joelinton midfield trio was in-situ for all three defeats at Brighton, West Ham and Brentford; only Yoane Wissa was missing from the attack options for most of the first six on the road, which yielded three points and three goals.

*Newcastle’s home and away record this season*

St. James’ is meant to be a fortress, but they’ve won three of the last seven and lost the last two. Newcastle are very much middle of the pack overall: 11th place in a “home games only” league table, seventh for possession, ninth for clean sheets, ninth for xG, eighth for big chances created, 12th for possession won in the final third. They are top four for xG conceded (32.5), so credit is more due there – but it’s somewhat spoiled by being only 12th for actual goals conceded (39), with Nick Pope conceding 2.7 more than he might have and his understudy, Aaron Ramsdale, almost matching that tally (2.4), conceding ten goals and making ten saves this term.

Backwards numbers don’t tell all but they’re on course for around a 51-point season, good for 13th last term – and recent form points down, not up.

Howe to reinvent yourself

There was a train of thought which suggested Eddie Howe might look to England for his next job, with Thomas Tuchel only contracted to the World Cup – but that’s now no longer an option, whether Howe, as a rare trophy-winning English manager, is good enough to warrant a turn or not.

As such, his immediate future may be dictated by what Newcastle’s ownership expect and are willing to back – a £98m net spend last summer was equal to or less than eight other top-flight English clubs.

Given the relentless competition from at least six teams now for four or five Champions League spots – and probably eight who think they are capable in any given year – it’s more often than not going to be a question of how much you back your coach, your teambuilding plan and your style of play.

As for considering what a manager might do next, it’s important to have the context of what he’s done before. And Howe, for certain, deserves credit here: his Bournemouth side were full of possession, playing out, idealism and rapid wingers.

Newcastle under the same manager have been both a battling outfit with set plays and height, and a free-flowing swarm with magnificent central creativity. He hasn’t stuck to one way of playing regardless of what the context of the league demands – that will likely set him up for future success, at Newcastle or elsewhere, but it might be that this particular journey has run out of road come the summer.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: First meets third in LaLiga as Barcelona face Villarreal

Barcelona will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga this weekend as they host Villarreal.

By Matt Smith

Hansi Flick’s side recently bounced back from a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Girona, beating Levante 3-0 at home.

Villarreal have lost just once in their last five, but they’re currently at least three wins behind Real Madrid, who sit in second.

When these two sides met back in December, Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory away from home. Renato Veiga was sent off in the first half, giving Villarreal a mountain to climb in that one.

Team news

Barcelona could be boosted by the return of Gavi, who is back in first-team training, but having not played since August, it’s unlikely that he’s going to be rushed back. Andreas Christensen remains out, but they should be the only injury concerns for the home side.

As for Villarreal, Willy Kambwala, Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes, and Juan Foyth all remain out injured. Gerard Moreno and Pape Gueye could make it, but the duo are doubts for this one.

Barcelona flying despite recent slip-up

Barcelona recently suffered back-to-back defeats, losing in the Copa del Rey before their loss against Girona in LaLiga. Flick’s side are just one point ahead of Real Madrid in the title race, but it’s still the best season they’ve had in a long, long time.

Barcelona are averaging 2.4 points per game under Flick this season, winning 80% of their matches. The title race is looking incredibly tight, but Barcelona can’t be doing much more than they already are, given how strong their win percentage is in comparison to previous seasons.

xG to catch up with Villarreal?

Villarreal are the ‘best of the rest’ in LaLiga this season. It’s rare that it isn’t Barcelona or Real Madrid battling in the top two, and that’s evident this campaign with Real Madrid being nine points clear of third.

Villarreal sit behind Álvaro Arbeloa’s side, but perhaps slightly fortunately. Marcelino’s team have created 38.9 expected goals (xG) this season, but have managed to find the back of the net on 47 occasions. Could their poor xG start catching up with them?

Lamine Yamal to bounce back

Lamine Yamal has failed to score in his last three games, which isn’t usually a disaster for an 18-year-old, but he’s set the standard so high. Before the goalless run, Yamal had scored in five straight games in all competitions, and it’s time for him to bounce back.

The Spanish youngster did produce an assist last time out after failing to produce a contribution in his previous two games, where Barcelona suffered two straight defeats. It’s a tough clash with third-placed Villarreal, and it’s time for Yamal to step up again.

Prediction

Villarreal have won two of the previous five meetings, and both of them have been away from home. However, Barcelona have won every single home game this season, so we’re going for a 2-1 victory to Flick’s side.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Title chasing Man City head to Leeds on Saturday evening

Can Manchester City keep up the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League by winning at Elland Road?

By Graham Ruthven

Title pressure

The stakes in this season’s Premier League title race have never been higher than they are right now. Make no mistake, this is the fabled business end of the season.

Manchester City have whittled down Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to such an extent that victory at Elland Road on Saturday would narrow the gap to just two points. The spectre of Pep Guardiola’s team is larger than ever.

*The top of the table heading into the weekend*

City enter Saturday’s game against Leeds on the back of a five-game winning run in all competitions. They have also lost just one of their last six away games in the league.

Guardiola’s side still aren’t the formidable force of a few years ago, but their experience of winning titles could give them an edge in the title race if Arsenal continue to wobble down the home stretch.

Leeds also have plenty to play for. Daniel Farke’s team are slowly but surely pushing themselves away from relegation danger near the foot of the Premier League table. Safety might only be a handful of points away.

The Whites have lost just two of their last 14 league matches, winning two of their last three games at Elland Road. Saturday’s encounter promises to be a compelling one with real stakes for both teams involved.

Key players

No English player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Dominic Calvert-Lewin who reached double figures for the season by finding the back of the net in Leeds’ last home match against Nottingham Forest.

Farke’s system relies on energy and a willingness to support Calvert-Lewin in the attack from Brenden Aaronson and Anton Stach, both of whom have been in good form recently.

Leeds’ back three of Joe Rodon, James Justin and Pascal Struijk will have their hands full against Erling Haaland who has registered four goal contributions in his last three games in all competitions. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow will be called upon too.

Nico O’Reilly bagged a brace in City’s win over Newcastle United last weekend and could keep his place on the left wing for the trip to Elland Road.

Rúben Dias and Marc Guéhi are expected to continue as Manchester City’s first-choice centre back pairing while Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal. Only David Raya has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than the Italian.

Team news

Noah Okafor is expected to miss between two and four weeks of action with a hamstring problem. Otherwise, Leeds manager Farke has a full-strength squad to choose from.

Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić remain sidelined through injury for Manchester City while Max Alleyne and Jérémy Doku are doubts.

Guardiola has a number of selection decisions to make in the final third. Rayan Cherki could start ahead of Omar Marmoush or Antoine Semenyo who were given the nod against Newcastle last week.

Prediction

Considering what’s at stake, and City’s traditional knack for getting results at the backend of the season, we expect Guardiola’s side to engineer a win. But the home side should make it difficult: Leeds United 1-2 Manchester City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2026

Preview: Liverpool face a West Ham side in need of points

Liverpool have the opportunity to move to level on points with fourth placed Manchester United on Saturday as they host West Ham United at Anfield.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

The only consistent thing about Liverpool this season is how inconsistent they have been. The reigning Premier League champions find themselves in sixth position in the table, 16 points behind leaders Arsenal despite kicking off the campaign with five wins from five.

A torrid run of nine defeats across 12 games in all competitions threatened to derail their season before a 13 match unbeaten run helped get things back on track. They have won two and lost two of their last four in the Premier League and find themselves in a difficult position.

Wins are needed to keep pace with the pack chasing Champions League football. Back to back losses could see them plummet into mid-table if they aren’t careful.

Anfield hasn’t been the fortress it once was for the Reds and they rank seventh in the home form table with 24 points from 13 matches at Anfield. West Ham, meanwhile, have just three wins on the road all season.

However, under Nuno Espírito Santo, things look a little more positive. In fact, heading into this game they’re seventh in the form table, a single point behind Liverpool. The Hammers have actually lost fewer games over the last five in the Premier League and are conceding, on average, one goal per game.

Since the turn of the year, West Ham have recorded some good results, with draws against Bournemouth and Manchester United, a narrow loss to Chelsea having been 2-0 up, and wins over Sunderland and Spurs. January signings have helped their battle against relegation. The Hammers are yet to concede a goal with Axel Disasi in their defence following a loan move from Chelsea.

*The relegation picture going into the weekend*

Key Players

For Liverpool, the focus will be on Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker missed the win over Forest after picking up an injury during the warm-up. Without him in the XI, the Reds looked bereft of ideas and struggled in the first half. It was an eye-opener. Over recent weeks, their attacking numbers had spiked but without the £100million signing in the team, things looked blunt.

For the Hammers, it is, and always will be, Jarrod Bowen. He has two goals and two assists in his last five appearances and an average FotMob rating of 7.7 across these games. He’s the team’s top scorer (eight) and the only player for West Ham to be in double digits for goal involvements (11).

Team News

Espirito Santo has a full squad to pick from by all accounts while Liverpool are still missing some key players. Alexander Isak, the man who scored the opener when the two sides last met, is out for at least another month. Conor Bradley is out for the season, as is Giovanni Leoni, while Jeremie Frimpong remains absent.

Prediction

If Liverpool have hopes of finishing in the top four, this needs to be a win. It’ll be a tight game though so we’re going with a 2-0 win for the hosts.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Dortmund meet Bayern in Der Klassiker with no room for error in the title race

With eight points separating Germany’s Big Two, the upcoming derby at Signal Iduna Park will inevitably influence the title race, one way or the other.

By Filip Mishov

The most important match in Dortmund’s season

Fabio Silva salvaged a draw deep in to injury time at the Red Bull Arena last weekend and ensured Borussia Dortmund’s 16-match unbeaten league run, which stretches back to October last year, stayed intact ahead of Der Klassiker.

On the other hand, BVB suffered a painful Champions League exit in midweek through a last-gasp Atalanta penalty, after squandering a two-goal first leg lead in Bergamo, leaving them just with only the Bundesliga title race to focus on until the end of the season. Interestingly enough, Bayern München are the last and only club to defeat Dortmund in Germany’s top tier this season, with Niko Kovač‘s squad still yet to suffer a home league loss, being the only side boasting such an impressive record in the competition.

Unlike the Black and Yellow who played in midweek, the reigning champions enjoyed a full week preparing for the trip to Dortmund. Vincent Kompany is in charge of the highest-scoring squad (85 goals) across Europe’s top five leagues and the Bavarians are undefeated on the road in the Bundesliga this campaign. Furthermore, the recent history of this fixture is on their side, as Bayern are without a single loss (5W, 2D) at Signal Iduna Park since 2019, when no other than Niko Kovač was their manager.

Key players

Serhou Guirassy will be a favourite of the faithful in the Yellow Wall for the second year running, and rightly so, as the Guinean striker is the club’s leading goalscorer with 20 goals scored across all competitions this season. The 29-year-old has reached double figures in each of his last four seasons in the Bundesliga and has found the net five times in his previous four appearances.

Harry Kane is having his most productive season by some distance, and his numbers are simply astonishing, as the striker is already on 46 goals scored across all competitions and is averaging more than a goal scored per 90 (28 scored in 26 league matches). Additionally, the England captain is averaging a FotMob rating of 8.32 in the Bundesliga as well, making him the highest-rated player behind his teammates, Michael Olise (8.19) and Luis Díaz (8.09).

Team news

Niko Kovač will be missing his leading assist maker (11), Julian Ryerson, for Der Klassiker, with the right wing back suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, which is a massive blow. On the bright side, both Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can are back from injury, leaving only Niklas Süle and Filippo Mane sidelined.

Manuel Neuer is struggling with a calf injury and although Bayern’s captain participated in partial first-team training, his availability will be touch-and-go, while Alphonso Davies remains out for a few weeks.

Prediction

With both Serhou Guirassy and Harry Kane in stellar form, goals for both teams are almost a certainty, as has been the case in all but two of the last 13 meetings between this two old rivals. It’s hard to look past Bayern’s position as favourites, given their individual quality, squad depth, and the fact that BVB suffered a confidence-shattering defeat only a few days ago.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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