Analysis

Chelsea are back in the Champions League conversation for the first time in the Todd Boehly era, as new manager Enzo Maresca has guided the Blues to their best start in years, coaxing bounce-back seasons from a couple of key transfer investments. Midfielder Moises Caicedo's rebound as one of the world's best has been the most striking, but Nicolas Jackson's newfound consistency has been just as impactful of a storyline at Stamford Bridge. This weekend, Jackson added a seventh goal to his Premier League tally, as he proved decisive with yet another fine all-around performance for the Blues in a 2-1 win over Maresca's former employers, Leicester City. In the spirit of Jackson's improved displays in the 2024/25 season, let's take a look at where the Chelsea star ranks in comparison t...

Tottenham vs. West Ham Tottenham’s devastating 3-2 loss to Brighton was the worst result for any Premier League team on Matchday 7 before the international break. The North London club blew a 2-0 lead to the Seagulls in the second half.  Manager Ange Postecoglou looked despondent after the match, and stressed that what he saw from his side was unacceptable. Admittedly, it’s a bit silly to say, but I can’t see this Tottenham side losing again after such an embarrassing loss. I don’t think ‘Big Ange’ will let them. It’s not just that though.  Son Heung-min is back from injury. Having their club captain back makes Spurs a totally different team on both sides of the ball. Tottenham’s opponents are another reason I’m confident about the Lilywhites’ chances this weekend.  West Ham have...

Aston Villa, as of late, have been a team that has a lot going for them in a collective sense. The club has smartly worked out many signings in the last few years that few people would've understood at first, but then they'd get so much out of them. It's not limited to just signing exciting players. Aston Villa have signed and revived some players who may or may not have had a future in top-level football if it wasn't for them - Ross Barkley rings a bell. Be that as it may, they are also on the lookout for young talent, and, right now, they are reportedly interested in some wingers. According to Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa have been monitoring FC Midtjylland winger Dario Osorio, while Atenção, Vascaínos claim they are interested in Rayan from Vasco de Gama. Rayan has attracted a...

Aston Villa have become one of the best and most exciting teams in Europe ever since Spanish manager Unai Emery took the job. They have signed young, talented players that have massively helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He has developed so many good players and won on so many difficult grounds, it is hard to call this anything less than a success job. However, it is not just on the sporting forefront where Emery has been doing such a fabulous job. One of the most important things Emery has done is build concrete interpersonal connections with his own players, which he has tried to do at every club he has been a part of. So many players at Villa have upped their game ever since the Spanish coach took over, and it is not surprising when he says so many good things abo...

Liverpool are always on the lookout for new forwards to bolster their attack for the present and future, as we've seen an attacker being signed more often than not in the last few years. Most recently, Liverpool have signed Federico Chiesa from Juventus on a bargain - just 12.5 million pounds for a player who clearly has a lot of potential, even though he has been riddled with injuries in the last few years, is a good deal. Worst case scenario, it brings them a good squad player for the foreseeable future. But now, the Reds have been looking at yet another winger. According to The Sunday Mirror and BILD, Liverpool are interested in Jamie Gittens, and have sent scouts over to Germany to watch him play. Gittens is a creative hub with a lot of technical quality with the ball, and any...

Brighton were one of the biggest spenders in all of world football this summer. The Seagulls spent nearly £200m on some of the most in demand players in Europe. Now that we’ve actually seen most of these players in action, let’s rank all of Brighton’s summer transfers. Georginio Rutter: A Fabian Hürzeler took his time bedding in Georginio Rutter after Brighton signed him for a club record fee of £40m from Leeds. It’s still early, but now that we’ve seen what the Frenchman can do, it’s looking like he's worth every penny. Rutter’s technical ability, work rate, versatility has been essential to making Brighton’s attack work while João Pedro has been injured. We saw all three aspects of his game on full display against Tottenham, where he scored a goal and later fought free from three Sp...

Manchester City have the world's best defensive midfielder in Rodri, who is one of the top Ballon d'Or candidates for 2024 after a sensational 2023/24 campaign at the base of the Citizens' midifeld. Alongside him, Man City have three great players capable of manning the second spot in a double-pivot - John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, and Mateo Kovacic. However, Man City have been left thin at the position due to injuries to these players, with Rodri's looming largest. Furthermore, Man City don't have a young player in the center midfield positions. With Kovacic linked to Saudi Arabia and Gundogan likely on his last legs at the elite level, the 2025 transfer windows could be the right time for Man City to strike with a move for an elite 6. Here are five options for Manchester City to c...

Here are the five most underrated Wolverhampton Wanderers players from 2010 to 2019. LW Matthew Jarvis Matthew Jarvis' peak for Wolves was around the tail end of the 2000s and the start of the 2010s, and he was a darn good player for Wolverhampton. Jarvis scored 4 goals with 6 assists in the 2010/11 season and then 8 goals with 4 assists a season later. He was the one saving grace for Wolves, and it says something that he played that well in 2011/12. only for Wolves to finish dead last in the Premiership anyway. And without him, they would have definitely been relegated a season earlier than that anyway. Jarvis was unplayable at times when he was in his peak, though that peak sadly only lasted for a few seasons. His trickery and skill ranked among the best wingers in England, with ...