Tag: Jeremy Doku

Ranking the 25 best Premier League wingers of the last 5 years
Features, Premier League

Ranking the 25 best Premier League wingers of the last 5 years

Ranking the best wingers in the Premier League is a task so onerous that it may seem foolhardy, because even restricting the time span to the last five years doesn't make the task even easier. How do you rank, for example, a new breakout star like Anthony Gordon against a fallen superstar like Sadio Mane? Where does a gifted footballer like Riyad Mahrez stand against a former goal-scoring machine like Raheem Sterling? I tried my best to be fair and account for the unique merits each player brought to the table and avoid any club-based bias. I also decided to discard players who mostly offered value at non-winger positions, specifically Bernardo Silva, mostly to make my own job easier. (Don't worry, I'll have plenty of nice things to say about Silva in other pieces.) Finally, I did...
Ranking the 10 best dribblers in world football right now in 2024
Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best dribblers in world football right now in 2024

Few player profiles captivating the world football audience's attention more than fleet-footed dribblers. Whether they are explosive progressors who eat up space before putting defenders on skates or playmakers who subtly weave their magic to carve up an entire defense, those superstars who can create something out of nothing but their own genius and athletic ability are more coveted an anyone. That holds true for managers, too. Pep Guardiola has become infatuated with elite dribblers, and a couple of these recent additions will show up on this list of the best dribblers in world football today. Other managers feel the same, as Carlo Ancelotti, for example, has always had a soft spot for flair dribblers like current superstars Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior. (Spoiler: They will sho...
Best Premier League U23 Player Rankings: Arsenal dominate; Hope for Chelsea; Don’t sleep on Everton
Features, Premier League

Best Premier League U23 Player Rankings: Arsenal dominate; Hope for Chelsea; Don’t sleep on Everton

Here is a ranking of the 10 best U23 players in the Premier League right now during the 2023/2024 season. 10. Everton CM James Garner Everton may be near the bottom of the Premier League table, but they do have a number of young talents worth betting on for the future, with center midfielder James Garner quietly standing out alongside Amadou Onana. While Onana is the one getting looks from the likes of Barcelona, Garner has been arguably even better this season with 2.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game. He's even making a difference offensively with 1.2 key passes and 1.3 fouls drawn per game. At 22, Garner is a young general in midfield for Everton and can become one of the best at his position in the Premier League. 9. Manchester United RW Alejandro Garnacho Famou...
Best U23 players in the world for 2024: Man City and Arsenal make it, Jamal Musiala or Jude Bellingham No. 1?
Champions League, Features

Best U23 players in the world for 2024: Man City and Arsenal make it, Jamal Musiala or Jude Bellingham No. 1?

Who are the best U23 players in world football as the year 2023 closes? Is most of the young talent concentrated in the Premier League or more spread out amongst different leagues? And is Jude Bellingham or Jamal Musiala the best young player? Let's rank the top 10 U23 players in the world before 2024 begins. 10. Manchester City LW Jérémy Doku It may seem too soon to rank Jérémy Doku in the top ten of the world's best U23 players, given this is his first season with Manchester City and he hasn't even logged 700 minutes for the Citizens. However, Doku was already exceptional for Rennes before Pep Guardiola wisely snapped him up for City, where he has remained one of the world's finest dribblers with four dribbles completed per match in the world's most competitive league. A g...
Best Premier League wingers 2024: Man City dominate, West Ham in, Mohamed Salah or Bukayo Saka?
Features, Premier League

Best Premier League wingers 2024: Man City dominate, West Ham in, Mohamed Salah or Bukayo Saka?

The Premier League is loaded with attacking talent right now, especially when it comes to wingers in the primes of their careers. With about half of the 2023/24 season in the books, let's try to rank the 10 best wingers in the English top flight based on overall pedigree and current performance. 10. Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Since Son Heung-min is playing as a striker, Dejan Kulusevski is the Tottenham winger who gets ranked on the list. He's having another very strong season for Spurs, who were in the Premier League title mix for much of the season. Even now, Tottenham are in contention to return to the Champions League after missing out on European football entirely. Kulusevski has helped step up with Harry Kane gone to Bayern Munich, scoring goals but doing a lot more crea...
Ranking the 10 best young Premier League players: Man City dominate, Wolves and Chelsea get in, Arsenal star No. 1
Features, Premier League

Ranking the 10 best young Premier League players: Man City dominate, Wolves and Chelsea get in, Arsenal star No. 1

The Premier League captures the world's attention like no other club footballing competition. Throughout the season, the English top flight provides fans with nonstop drama, surprises, and breakout performances. There are so many quality young ballers in this league that it's difficult to focus our attention on everyone. But we will do our best to rank the top 10 young players in the Premier League based on their 2023/24 performance thus far. Only players 23 years of age and younger are considered. 10. Tottenham RW Dejan Kulusevski Dejan Kulusevski was actually named the best young player in Serie A back in the 2019/20 season when he played for Parma. The Swedish international made it to the Juventus first team after his loan ended, and while the former Atalanta man had his moments in...
The 10 best signings made by UCL clubs: Barcelona and Bayern on twice, Real Madrid and Arsenal join in
Champions League, Features

The 10 best signings made by UCL clubs: Barcelona and Bayern on twice, Real Madrid and Arsenal join in

Every team in the 2023/24 Champions League group stages has faced each other at least once, as the third round of fixtures finished on Wednesday night with more intrigue and a few surprising finishes. With Matchday 3 in the books, let's take a look at the new faces in the Champions League who are making a big impact for their current clubs. Here are the 10 best signings made by UCL outfits in the 2023/24 season. Real Madrid CM Jude Bellingham No signing in world football has made more of an impact than Jude Bellingham, as it is fair to say that the England international is the early Ballon d'Or favorite. Bellingham added another exquisite - and decisive - finish to what is become quite the catalogue of goals in a Real Madrid kit. He passed the ball into the net expertly to give Real a...
10 best Premier League transfers so far: Tottenham dominate, Arsenal get 2, Crystal Palace’s bargain
Features, Premier League

10 best Premier League transfers so far: Tottenham dominate, Arsenal get 2, Crystal Palace’s bargain

Premier League clubs were busy wheeling and dealing in the last summer transfer window, making full use of an influx of cash from the Saudi Pro League buying up veteran players. The English top flight continues to lap the competition in European football when it comes to spending, signing some of the most talented footballers in Serie A and the Bundesliga, for example. Which signings have already paid off thus far after six Matchdays of action? Let's take a look at the 10 best signings of the season to this, very early, point. West Ham CM James Ward-Prowse Known as the finest free-kick specialist in all the land, James Ward-Prowse is earning a reputation as an even more impressive footballer for West Ham United. The Hammers raised eyebrows by spending 30 million pounds on the 28...