Analysis

After 13 Premier League Matchdays in the 2024/25 season, Manchester City aren't just 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool after losing to the Reds convincingly on Sunday, 2-0. No, the Citizens are also now at risk of missing out on the Champions League, as they are fifth, behind Brighton on goal difference (+5 vs. +3). Rodri's season-ending injury looms large, but his absence alone - nor any other injuries - can excuse just how lackluster Man City have looked in recent weeks. A 2-0 loss to Liverpool compounds several poor performances suffered by the Citizens, who are winless since eeking out a 1-0 victory over Southampton on Oct. 26. They couldn't even take down Sporting CP and Feyenoord in the Champions League. Already, the atmosphere around Manchester City has turned to "r...

From superstar forwards Bukayo Saka of Arsenal and Son Heung-min of Tottenham to defensive stalwarts like Chelsea's Moises Caicedo and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, let's take a look at the ten best players of the 2024/25 Premier League season so far after 13 Matchdays...and rank them in order. 10. Chelsea ST Nicolas Jackson At first, I was tempted to go with a player shining for a less successful team like Jarrod Bowen at West Ham, Facundo Buonanotte with Leicester City (on loan from Brighton), or even Everton's underrated Dwight McNeil. However, it was too hard to ignore the eight goals Nicolas Jackson has scored for Chelsea this season, combined with the sort of quality all-around play that he has brought since joining the London-based giants, even when he wasn't scoring goals quite...

From Aston Villa's Jhon Duran to Manchester City's new winger Savinho, a couple of Premier League stars made the cut of the list of the best U21 players in the Champions League. A couple of rising stars in the Bundesliga from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund joined them, but nobody has more great young talent to watch in European football's premier competition than PSG and Barcelona. It wasn't easy to rank all the players, and there were a number of standouts, such as Endrick and Arda Guler, who haven't gotten enough chances to merit a spot in the top 10. But here is a ranking of the 10 best U21 players in the Champions League here in the new-look 2024/25 campaign, with the list based on a mix of overall ability and success in the current season. 10. Aston Villa ST Jhon Duran Jh...

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...