Author: Frank G. Barnes

Purveyor of footy since the 90s. Favor the Premier League and old school Serie A with a touch of Bundesliga. More than a touch. Professional writer for 20 years, covering every sport but now focused on the Premier League and world football. You won't be able to guess my favorite team.
Arsenal CM Mikel Merino just served notice to the rest of the Premier League
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Arsenal CM Mikel Merino just served notice to the rest of the Premier League

Mikel Merino isn't even a starter for Arsenal, but he's still one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. And in case you forgot about that, just watch how badly he cooked Croatia with this go-ahead goal for Spain in the Nations League in the 89th minute. I mean, that touch and finish with the left foot into the near post of the goal, smacking the postage stamp, is exactly what football is all about. And it's exactly what Merino is all about. The guy is maybe the most clutch goal-scoring midfield hero for both Spain and Arsenal, to the point where he can play the false nine or desperation striker role better than actual strikers in this league (here's to you, Big Dominic Solanke). Merino's finish here is a lovely message to Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali, and the rest of the ...
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Projecting the Premier League top 5 heading into Matchday 6
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Projecting the Premier League top 5 heading into Matchday 6

It's time to start thinking about the Premier League again now that the September/October international break is wrapping up. After 5 Matchdays, it's time to project the teams that will make it to the Champions League from the English top flight next season by finishing in the top 5. And with the way the season has gone thus far and how poorly a few of the big clubs have been, it's not easy to predict who is Champions League bound for the 2027/28 campaign. 5. Manchester United Why they could be this high: We can't forget that Manchester United finished third in the Premier League last season and showed real improvement in terms of how they created chances and played with the ball under Michael Carrick, who was a great midfielder himself. When everyone is healthy, Man United are above ave...
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The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break

It's time to talk Premier League again, as the season will return after the break in just a few days, starting with reigning champions Arsenal taking on surprise package Leeds United on Saturday. Although the break is a reset point for most, there are a handful of players who find themselves under immense pressure right now and are going to be squarely under the microscope when the action returns. Manchester United LW Marcus Rashford Marcus Rashford has started four games for Manchester United this season, and while he's had at least three key passes in three matches and has been pretty good on the ball with his dribbling, he really hasn't emerged as a clear option in the 11 for the Red Devils. And he wasn't even a player they wanted to keep for this season; they just had to take him bac...
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5 Premier League teams we still don’t know what to make of
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

5 Premier League teams we still don’t know what to make of

The 2026/27 Premier League season is back in action again this weekend with Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City vs. Liverpool headlining a host of tantalizing matchups. But as we await the next games, let's take a look at five teams that we are all having a hard time figuring out just where they will end up in May when the season concludes. Chelsea Chelsea sit 10th in the Premier League table right now, and their defense looks like a mess. They have clearly missed Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park both defensively and even going forward in possession, and they have to be honest and say that losing Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City was a pivotal switch that does not bode well for their hopes of getting back to European football. The Blues have talent on t...
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Premier League Grades for every Big 6 club heading into October after the international break
5Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Grades for every Big 6 club heading into October after the international break

The 2026/27 Premier League season is back in action after the September/October international break, and now that the cobwebs are clearing and our minds are getting integrated back into thinking about club football, it's time to take a step back and grade how all the Big Six clubs have been doing so far this season. Arsenal Honestly, even though Arsenal are not in first place right now. I have been blown away by the job Mikel Arteta has done thus far, and I really like how the attack looks with Greek star Christos Tzolis out on the left as compared to Gabriel Martinelli. On paper, Tzolis is less dynamic, but I don't really think Martinelli was doing enough to take players on and stretch the pitch anyway. So that small drawback is nothing compared to the huge benefit of having a player wh...
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FPL Start or Sit for Matchday 6: Danny Welbeck and Senne Lammens get hot
5Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

FPL Start or Sit for Matchday 6: Danny Welbeck and Senne Lammens get hot

Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 Premier League season is upon us as the September/October international break comes to a close. Fantasy Premier League managers are already keeping one eye open on the week ahead. Here are players worth starting and a few that need to sit. Goalkeeper Start: Senne Lammens, Manchester United Manchester United are going up against a Tottenham Hotspur team that almost never scores, shoots a lot, and takes a lot of poor-quality shots. This is a personnel problem, not a tactical one, and so it's not going to change magically just because there was a break in club football. That makes Senne Lammens a must-start for FPL owners this week. Start: Caoimhin Kelleher, Brentford Caoimhin Kelleher looked like a real star for Liverpool when he was a young keeper backing up A...
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Premier League Matchday 6 Injury Tracker: Latest News, FPL Impact on Joao Pedro, Amad Diallo, and more
4Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Matchday 6 Injury Tracker: Latest News, FPL Impact on Joao Pedro, Amad Diallo, and more

Premier League Matchday 6 is on the horizon, and it's time to track the biggest stars around the league with updates on if they will be back this weekend and, if not, when fans can expect to see them and plug them into their FPL teams. Chelsea DM Moises Caicedo Chelsea's world-class defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo has been out since the end of August with a calf injury, but his return is on the horizon. He's been resting in London over this international break, and these three weeks off football are the perfect time for him to train. As of right now, Caicedo is expected to return for Chelsea on Oct. 10 when they face Bournemouth. Many expected him to be back against Brentford before the break, but he was held out as a precaution. It would be a surprise if he didn't train and make his...
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Premier League Matchday 6 Bold Predictions: Evanilson shreds Chelsea; Anthony Elanga has the game of the week
4Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Matchday 6 Bold Predictions: Evanilson shreds Chelsea; Anthony Elanga has the game of the week

The 2026/27 Premier League season will return next weekend after the international break with Matchday 6 as Manchester City and Arsenal continue to jockey at the top of the table while Tottenham Hotspur look for their first win of the campaign at the very bottom. Before the action begins next weekend with Arsenal and Leeds, let's look at seven bold predictions for the upcoming matches. Evanilson will own Chelsea Bournemouth finished in the top six last season, and while they are in the bottom four without Andoni Iraola, they will still pose a threat to a Chelsea side that also look far away from European football themselves. Xabi Alonso has not brought the Blues forwards thus far, and their suspect back line is going to continue to struggle with a manager who has never really been able t...
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A star on every Premier League Big 6 club who would be better somewhere else
3Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

A star on every Premier League Big 6 club who would be better somewhere else

Sometimes, a player just doesn't fit a club. Even if they are a world-class footballer, they just might not fit the DNA, playing style, or manager. They may not even fit the league at all, or things have just become so corrosive over time that a change of scenery is what is needed to right the course. Here is every Premier League Big Six club's star player who would be better served playing somewhere else. Arsenal Honestly, I just don't think Viktor Gyokeres is a good fit for the Premier League. There's just not enough space for him to play in transition, which is where he was killing people at Sporting CP, and he's just not quick enough in tight spaces to get shooting opportunities off. That's a real killer for a striker who is supposed to be a real sharpshooter in the box, but he's mor...
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The biggest takeaway for each Premier League Big 6 club before 2026/27 season resumes in October
2Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

The biggest takeaway for each Premier League Big 6 club before 2026/27 season resumes in October

For the most part, where the Premier League Big Six clubs land in the 2026/27 table after five Matchdays is pretty similar to where they were last year, with the exception that Manchester United find themselves in the bottom half of the standings right now after looking resurgent last season. Tottenham Hotspur are somehow ranked lower despite playing better, Chelsea still stink, Arsenal and Manchester City are still at the top, and Liverpool are somehow falling behind the likes of Leeds. Before the Premier League returns this October following a lengthy international break, it's time to dissect the biggest takeaway from each of the Big Six clubs after five matches played in 2026/27. Arsenal I think Arsenal's biggest takeaway is that they have to be feeling pretty good about themselves...
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