Tag: Chelsea

2026 World Cup Predictions: An early ranking of the top 5 projected Golden Boot winners
6Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

2026 World Cup Predictions: An early ranking of the top 5 projected Golden Boot winners

Since the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches are ongoing and it is now less than a full calendar year before the World Cup in North America begins, it's more than fair game to start an early preview of what we can expect at next year's World Cup tournament. There are few players who make more headlines on the international stage than the superstars scoring the goals, so from regulars at the top of the scoring charts to new stars around world football, let's take a look at an early projection of the top five Golden Boot candidates at the next World Cup. 5. Brazil RW Estevao Willian Estevao Willian has been scoring wondergoals for years, even though he's still just 18 years of age, and the new Chelsea arrival has been arguably even better than advertised - and Chelsea fans were already h...
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Premier League Predictions: Every Big Six club’s biggest problem in 2025/26
5Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Predictions: Every Big Six club’s biggest problem in 2025/26

With the first month of the 2025/26 Premier League season in the books, the big clubs in the English top flight are figuring out how their new-look squads are taking shape, especially after finalizing deadline day transfers on Sept. 1. Over the international break, managers around the Premier League will be busy tweaking their tactics in response to what they saw over the first three matchdays of the campaign Here is the biggest problem every Big Six club in the Premier League needs to address during the 2025/26 season, based on a combination of preconceived notions before the campaign began and what transpired across the first three fixtures. Manchester United Ruben Amorim's rigid marriage to his 3-4-3 system has been well-documented, though the Portuguese manager has shown signs ...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 5 best players to start the 2025/26 season
4Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 5 best players to start the 2025/26 season

The first month of the 2025/26 Premier League season is in the books, and although there's been only 3 matches played by every team as we sit in the September international break, that's enough time to give a nod to the players who have started the season on a hot streak. Whether it's long-time stars of the Premier League, new transfers making an immediate impact, or underrated players just waiting to get their due, there's been no shortage of standout performances to start the campaign. In fact, it was awfully tough leaving out players like Cody Gakpo, Trevoh Chalobah, Jurrien Timber, Antoine Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus, and more footballers who have started the 2025/26 Premier League season on a torrid pace. But here are the top five. 5. Liverpool CB Virgil van Dijk In case anyone ha...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best strikers for the 2025/26 season
4Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best strikers for the 2025/26 season

Now that the summer 2025 transfer window has come to a close, every Premier League club knows who their starting striker is, and there has been a huge influx of talent into the league's top teams at the striker position. That isn't surprising, and it is a response to virtually all the top teams in England having a major need up top, with fans lamenting the comparative lack of striker quality in the Premier League - and world football as a whole - since the 2000s. How do the new faces stack up against the established starters in the Premier League? Who gets snubbed? Which newcomers still have a point to prove before they can be ranked highly? Here are the top 10 strikers in the Premier League for the 2025/26 season as we come out of a very busy summer transfer market. 10. Liam Del...
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Premier League Power Rankings: Predicting the Top 5 after Transfer Deadline Day 2025
1Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: Predicting the Top 5 after Transfer Deadline Day 2025

The 2025 summer transfer window is now officially done and dusted, and there weren't all that many major deals made on deadline day in the Premier League - and two of them were already expected. After signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle the day before deadline day, Liverpool sealed their other expected dream signing, bagging superstar center back Marc Guehi from FA Cup winners Crystal Palace to become not just the Premier League title favorites but also Champions League title favorites. Meanwhile, Chelsea sealed the transfer of Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich after recalling Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland to replace him, while London rivals Tottenham added depth at the striker position with the loan acquisition of PSG's Randal Kolo Muani. And finally, Manchester City wra...
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Premier League Power Rankings: Every Big 6 defense from worst to first in 2025/26
29Aug By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: Every Big 6 defense from worst to first in 2025/26

I'm not sure how much the American football saying "defense wins championships" holds true in world football, but it seems pretty appropriate when you look at the difference between teams that were and were not successful in the title races last season. For example, Napoli won Serie A against the odds over one of the best striker tandems in European football in Inter Milan with only Romelu Lukaku as a true standout forward. And they did so because they were so organized defensively and structurally under Antonio Conte. In the Premier League, Manchester City fell out of the Premier League title race entirely because their defense was no longer a stalwart engine, as they clearly suffered from Rodri's torn ACL. Liverpool and Arsenal, meanwhile, had the best defenses in the league. So...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best U21 players for the 2025/26 season
27Aug By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best U21 players for the 2025/26 season

Even though it's been just two games, the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is already giving us the impression that this is going to be a season written by the young stars of the league. And I'm not just talking about players who are indeed young but are already established Premier League superstars like Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Martin Odegaard, and now Florian Wirtz. No, I'm talking about players who haven't even turned 21 years old yet or are just teenagers, already scoring decisive goals and shining for some of the Premier League's biggest clubs. So with the 2025/26 Premier League campaign now fully under way, let's preview the youngsters who could have a big say on the final table, ranking the top 10 U21 players in English football right now. 10. Arsenal LB My...
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Premier League Predictions: The biggest question for each Big 6 club in 2025/26
25Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Predictions: The biggest question for each Big 6 club in 2025/26

The Premier League is underway, but there’s still enough time to interrogate the league’s top teams. Here is one question for each Big 6 club that could decide their seasons.  Manchester United: Who plays in midfield? Ruben Amorim’s first half-season at Manchester United was plagued by every problem imaginable. As David Moyes once said, Man Utd “must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending.” The Red Devils addressed some of those issues in attack by spending €225m to sign Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha. The defense was already in decent shape and should remain so this season (provided key players stay healthy). Goalkeeper is another issue, but Andre Onana is at least serviceable. That just leaves the midfield.  So far, Amorim...
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Ranking the 5 best teenagers in European football for the 2025/26 season
19Aug By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 5 best teenagers in European football for the 2025/26 season

It's not easy to step right in and be a star in one of the top five leagues in European football before you've turned the age of 23, let alone before turning the age of 21...or 20, for that matter. Lamine Yamal's success at Barcelona may be leading some to unrealistic expectations of what young players can do, because the 18-year-old's success in his first two seasons as a full-time starter - and Barca's most crucial player on a team filled with stars - has been nothing short of extraordinary. Not even the two GOATs, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, were playing at this level before they even became legal adults. But for the most part, the wider world of football fans understand both how special Yamal is and how difficult it is for anyone to even start at the highest levels of Eur...
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Ranking the 5 Best Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season
19Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 5 Best Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season

The 2025 summer transfer window has been one of the busiest in history. Premier League clubs have spent £2.2 billion on players to reinforce their squads for this season. With that in mind, let’s look at where things stand now and the five best Premier League squads heading into the 2025-26 season.  5. Brighton The top four Premier League squads pretty much speak for themselves. The order is the only real thing up for debate. Number five, though, is tough. I’ve gone with Brighton because I think their squad is talented and also unique compared to other top-flight clubs.  For one, the Seagulls are incredibly young. Even with James Milner (39), Danny Welbeck (34), and Lewis Dunk (33) in the side, Brighton were the second-youngest team in the league last season, with an average age of 23...
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