Author: Kevin Parvizi

6. Fiorentina Alright, before we talk about anything else, we have to praise Andrea Colpani. This guy is legitimately one of the best playmakers in European football, but I'll bet you only the most diehard of Serie A fans have heard of him. Colpani was a top player for Monza for a couple of seasons, delighting with his set pieces and eye for the spectacular from range, and now he's finally off the bag in Firenze with a brace for the Viola. The 25-year-old was the star of the show for Fiorentina in their 6-0 romping of Lecce, scoring an especially delightful volley goal into the absolute postage stamp of the top left portion of the net. Colpani's start to the 2024/25 Serie A season hadn't exactly been ideal, but that display against Lecce is very much a sign of things to come for ...

Here were the top three individual performers in the Premier League on the weekend of Matchday 8 of the 2024/25 season. Manchester United LW Alejandro Garnacho Alejandro Garnacho has been one of the gems of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and even though he is a pretty well-known name on Manchester United, it still feels like more people outside of Old Trafford should be singing the 20-year-old's praises. In a must-win 2-1 triumph over Brentford, Garnacho was irresistible on the left-hand side of the Manchester United attack, showing a lot more incisiveness and threat in that marquee position than veteran Marcus Rashford, who ended up having a key game on the right side himself. Garnacho has more than earned the opportunity to be a regular starter for Manchester United, whether ...

What is the problem with Roma's squad? Roma weren't embarrassed on Sunday against defending champions Inter Milan, but they went down without so much as a whimper in an attacking sense, getting shut out by the league's most talented defense in a 1-0 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. As Roma toil in the midtable and their ultras battle against their putrid ownership, it's fair to want to take a turn towards the sporting and wonder how a team that made two brilliant summer signings in the attack could be so thoroughly boring - and subar. Roma are suffering from the same problem they had that Jose Mourinho papered over with his brilliance, even when the Giallorossi were in Conference League nd Europa League Finals. This squad is completely unbalanced. There is no real attacking width, ...

6. Brighton Brighton have a reputation for being a high-flying team that isn't afraid to go all-out attack and take risks to score goals, particularly against the big boys, so it was good to see them dig their heels in for a gritty 1-0 win over Newcastle. That win should seal the fact that Brighton have a better and more well-rounded squad than Newcastle, who seem to have overestimated their talent in each of the past two seasons. The issue is that when you tally up the goal differential, Brighton are behind both Chelsea and Tottenham in goal difference despite being ahead of both London powerhouses in the league table. I still like Brighton's chances of holding off Tottenham for the final spot in the top six, though, because with Carlos Baleba, they have a superior midfield. Spu...

Aston Villa star center back Pau Torres has been an unsurprising success at Villa Park since joining forces at the club with Unai Emery in 2023. Torres and Emery worked wonderfully together with Villarreal in La Liga, winning the Europa League over Manchester United in 2021. Torres has transitioned well to life in the Premier League, as the graceful giant has been one of Aston Villa's most consistent performers. He is world-class with the ball at his feet, passing and playmaking from deep just as he did in La Liga for several years. But everyone can improve in some aspects, and in Torres' case, he's earning a reputation for being a bit too passive in one-on-ones, especially compared to his peers in the Premier League. Following a big 3-1 win over Fulham, Emery offered some constru...

Who would replace Erik ten Hag if Manchester United fire the Dutch manager? When is Alexander Isak returning to the Newcastle starting lineup? And what is the latest on talented Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana? Here are the latest Premier League news updates heading into Matchday 8. What is the latest injury news on Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana? Southampton star winger Kamaldeen Sulemana hasn't played in the Premier League yet this season due to injury he sustained in the preseason, and the Saints have been anxiously anticipated the return of the Ghanian international to their attack. They have a big game set this weekend against Leicester City, another notable Premier League side making their way back to the top flight after a surprise 2022/23 relegation. Southampton ...

Aston Villa have an exceptionally talented group of attacking players, led by the striker partnership of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. They are so wealthy in attack at the moment that they can't get all their players on the pitch, with Duran scoring four Premier League goals without a single start. Beyond the strikers, Aston Villa also boast another massive breakout star in attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers, as well as wingers Jaden Philogene, Leon Bailey, and the underrated Jacob Ramsey. The average fan of world football likely overlooks the stars of the Aston Villa attack, but they have one of the most exciting offensive units in European football right now. Based on the latest transfer rumors, Aston Villa intend to get even richer up front, as they are eyeing a player who has ...

Aston Villa already have one of the best striker pairings in European football, as Jhon Duran has broken out to become quite the goal-scorer as an option off the bench for Ollie Watkins. Last season, Watkins already had a breakout of his own, establishing himself as one of the best strikers in Europe and one of the best players in the Premier League at any position with 19 goals and 13 assists. Despite already having two phenomenal strikers, it appears Aston Villa may not be done with assessing the market for opportunities at the position, which is actually a wise policy; nothing is for certain in the long term in football. Per a report from Caught Offside, Aston Villa are interested in 20-year-old Bologna striker Santiago Castro, who has stepped in as the main man in the 9 spot a...

Listen, there's no doubt that when we look back at the Harry Maguire transfer for Manchester United, the final verdict will be that the Red Devils never should have made the deal in the first place. Maguire joined Manchester United in 2019 for 87 million euros, which was a beyond exorbitant fee. At the time, Maguire was a very good center back who had proven himself internationally at a World Cup, but there was nothing remarkable about him. Manchester United paid twice the going rate for a center back of his quality, overpaying because he was English and because Leicester City were very, very good at inflating his value. A fee of 87 million euros is normally what you spend on a top attacking player, and even in this inflated market, it is exceedingly rare to see a center back go f...

Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League at the October international "break", and the cries for Erik ten Hag's job continue to grow louder from the Old Trafford faithful. It was already surprising to see INEOS back the embattled Man United manager instead of wiping the slate clean with a new coach, as dream target Thomas Tuchel was available after his falling out with Bayern Munich. Instead, Tuchel had just taken the England national team job, and despite a poor start to the season and emergency meetings deliberating over his job status, Ten Hag remains the Manchester United manager. However, despite Tuchel's appointment by England ostensibly giving Ten Hag more time with the best option off the market, the Dutchman's hold on his position remains tenuous and could abruptl...