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Manchester United miss Patrick Dorgu even more than they thought

5Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Manchester United miss Patrick Dorgu even more than they thought

Manchester United have been European football's most resurgent side ever since Michael Carrick took over the operation, and one of their most resurgent players was left back Patrick Dorgu before his recent injury. And Dorgu cannot come back to the Manchester United side soon enough. The Danish international actually showed his most valuable production for Man United as a left winger under Carrick, and the width he offers this team on both ends of the pitch as a progressor and ball winner have been sorely missed. They were missed the most in this 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United, as the Red Devils were a total disaster on that flank with Luke Shaw at left back in support of the inverted attacking playmaker Matheus Cunha. While Cunha was actually brilliant on the ball with nine combin...

Piero Hincapie just became another Arsenal undroppable

4Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Piero Hincapie just became another Arsenal undroppable

Arsenal slogged out another quality win in the Premier League, outlasting Brighton with a rugged defensive display, 1-0, and with Manchester City drawing relegation candidates Nottingham Forest, the Gunners are in an even better position to win the league. The best player on the pitch for Arsenal was none other than Piero Hincapie. Like against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Hincapie was tremendous defensively on that left flank, showing exactly why Arsenal signed him for who he is: an elite defensive player who brings the quality of a center back with the athleticism of a fullback to either the left back or center back positions (and surely right back, if asked). Hincapie looks like an absolute warrior out there, even better than he did at Bayer Leverkusen now that he is on an Arsenal te...

Alejandro Garnacho finally did what Chelsea brought him to do

4Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Alejandro Garnacho finally did what Chelsea brought him to do

Alejandro Garnacho has not enjoyed an ideal start to life at Chelsea after a blockbuster transfer from Manchester United this past summer transfer window, but he shone brightly in the Blues 4-1 demolition of fellow top five contenders Aston Villa in his latest Premier League outing. For the most part, Garnacho has only been standing out positively in the smaller cup games, as he has been such a passenger in the Premier League that there are already Chelsea fans who want him sold after just one season. But Garnacho provided clear evidence that he deserves more time and may have the upside the Blues are looking for in the attack with a real playmaker's performance vs. Villa. Yes, Joao Pedro was obviously the best player on the pitch with a hat trick and another assist for good measu...

Sandro Tonali is only looking more likely for Manchester United

4Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Sandro Tonali is only looking more likely for Manchester United

Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali is a dream transfer target for several clubs around European football this summer transfer window, but Manchester United and Arsenal are the two clear favorites for his services. Although Arsenal may be gunning after the Italian international more since Mikel Arteta loves his center midfielders having been one himself, Man United do need the former AC Milan star even more than their Premier League Big Six rivals. That need was patently obvious during Man United's tough to swallow 2-1 loss to a 10 man Newcastle at St. James's Park. Tonali himself was splendid, leading the Magpies with three key passes from deep while defending incredibly intelligently and shielding the ball well. It was a perfect deep lying midfielder's performance for a 10 man t...

Cody Gakpo has become laughably predictable

4Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Cody Gakpo has become laughably predictable

Liverpool fans are still reeling from their shock loss to relegation candidates Wolves, and, once again, left winger Cody Gakpo drew the ire of supporters for a lackadaisical performance in the attack. The Reds have to be better at creating chances this season, and when Florian Wirtz is unavailable, it really shows just how one dimensional this team is - and it really is a credit to striker Hugo Ekitke that he is getting on so well in his first season at Anfield with the wing play has been this bad. Gakpo is actually a quality technician who can find passes and cross the ball, and he isn't a terrible athlete either. The problem is that his game has become so predictable that Premier League fullbacks are easily neutralizing him. Even when Gakpo first came to Liverpool and his attac...

Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi solution is beyond obvious

4Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi solution is beyond obvious

Arsenal star defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi has been one of the keys to the Gunners controlling Premier League midfields with ease and thus the title race to this point, but the Spanish international has begun to look a little long in the legs. And it is no surprise either. Out of all the players in the Premier League thus far in the 2025/26 campaign, Zubimendi is the leader in total kilometers traveled with nearly 300. Not even Everton workhorse midfielder James Garner or Nottingham Forest dynamo Elliot Anderson have covered more ground. Every single Arsenal fan can tell that Zubi is gassed, and they greatly appreciate all the dirty work he does so that the other players on Arsenal, including Ballon d'Or candidate Declan Rice, can shine with their statistics. Not only that...

Cody Gakpo’s Liverpool stock has reached an all-time low

3Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Cody Gakpo’s Liverpool stock has reached an all-time low

Liverpool had won three straight Premier League games after tough loss to rivals Manchester City, but after putting up five on relegation candidates West Ham United, the Reds lost to another relegation threatened side in Wolves to send them crashing back down to earth again. As Arne Slot rightfully draws the brunt of the criticism from Kopites for another horrendous managerial performance out of many this season, his favorite player, Cody Gakpo, also deserves plenty of criticism for one of the most disastrous winger performances by any player this Premier League season. Gakpo was the epitome of everything wrong with Liverpool in this one. At least fellow struggling winger Mohamed Salah managed to salvage a goal, because the Dutch forward did not prove himself useful in the slightest....

Mohamed Salah isn’t the only Liverpool star regressing to liability status

3Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Mohamed Salah isn’t the only Liverpool star regressing to liability status

Plenty has been said about Mohamed Salah's regression this season and abrupt decline in 2025/26 after being the best player in the Premier League last year, and while he did score the lone goal for the Reds in their shock defeat to relegation candidates Wolves, Liverpool fans are not changing their tune about the Egyptian legend. However, they are now adding another Premier League Player of the Season caliber star from the 2024/25 title winning season to their list of regressors partially responsible for their downturn in 2025/26. Ryan Gravenberch was a massive success story under Arne Slot last season and the best midfielder in the Premier League, dominating in all phases. Now, he is a shell of himself and a liability like Salah, holding back the midfield. Liverpool have gone fro...

Somewhere, Luis Diaz is laughing at Liverpool

3Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Somewhere, Luis Diaz is laughing at Liverpool

Liverpool thought the summer 2025 transfer window was the right time to cash in on Luis Diaz and that his best days would soon be behind him, but it is the Colombian superstar who is now laughing as one third of the best attacking trio in world football as he and Bayern Munich sit in the driver's seat in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Liverpool are missing Diaz so badly that even in games in which a current star like Florian Wirtz is unavailable, it is the dynamic left winger whom they miss the most. Liverpool are a stagnant team with issues progressing the ball, serious creativity woes besides Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai, and unproductive wing play that is as unthreatening as it is predictable. As Diaz carves up Bundesliga defenses for fun, setting the table for Ballon d'Or fa...

Liverpool fans already know their ideal Arne Slot replacement

3Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Liverpool fans already know their ideal Arne Slot replacement

Liverpool seemed to have been turning the corner with a string of positive results, but they were sent crashing down to earth by Rob Edwards's suddenly dangerous Wolves sides, leading to the same old questions about Arne Slot being asked by Kopites. When Liverpool hired Slot, they did so over former center midfielder Xabi Alonso, who had just won the Bundesliga with a fairytale, undefeated season at Bayer Leverkusen - previously nicknamed "Neverkusen" for their inability to win the big one - to break up Bayern Munich's historic hegemony. But the Reds did not regret their decision, dominating the Premier League in 2024/25 in Slot's first season filling the massive shoes of Jurgen Klopp. Meanwhile, Alonso joined Real Madrid this past summer and was fired in months, unable to handle the...