Tag: Manchester City

Champions League Power Rankings: The top 12 strikers before the 2025/26 season
Rankings

Champions League Power Rankings: The top 12 strikers before the 2025/26 season

There isn't a single position on the football pitch that receives as much attention as the striker position, It is the marquee position, because there's a school of thought that every great team needs a great player who can finish off the goals. Although Real Madrid have won a Champions League title in recent years without a true No. 9 and Manchester City have won the Premier League without one, those are exceptions to the rule. Because Real Madrid have also dropped Champions League titles without a true top goal-scorer, while Manchester City only became Champions League winners after they added Erling Haaland, a record-breaking striker. Ahead of the 2025/26 Champions League season, which will officially begin next month with the league phase, let's do an intial power ranking of t...
Premier League Power Rankings: Every Big 6 defense from worst to first in 2025/26
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...
Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best U21 players for the 2025/26 season
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...
Premier League Predictions: The biggest question for each Big 6 club in 2025/26
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...
Ranking the 5 Best Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season
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...
Ranking the 10 best left-footed players in the Premier League for 2025/26 season
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best left-footed players in the Premier League for 2025/26 season

There's just something extra special about a left-footed footballer who can dazzle on the ball, and whether it's Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona, some of the world's most legendary and captivating players of all time have been left-footed wizards. In 2025/26, the Premier League boasts an enviable collection of left-footed stars, both in terms of well-established legends of the league, as well as young superstars with Ballon d'Or potential. There are even defenders who are a class above the rest on the ball with their left feet. So in honor of the southpaws, let's rank the top 10 left-footed players in the Premier League heading into the 2025/26 season. 10. Tottenham CB Micky van de Ven We begin with a center back because defenders are important, too. And Europa League-winning Totten...
Every Champions League contender’s best Ballon d’Or candidate for 2025/26
Analysis

Every Champions League contender’s best Ballon d’Or candidate for 2025/26

PSG took everyone by surprise and conquered the 2024/25 Champions League, and although their triumph of world football's premier club competition was marked by a transition to a more team-oriented setup after the departure of Kylian Mbappe, the Parisians still had one of the Ballon d'Or favorites from the campaign in the resurrected form of a more mature Ousmane Dembele. Every high-achieving club needs at least one superstar to lead the way, and in 2025/26, there's a wide open slate of contenders of the Champions League crown, whether it's the defending champions PSG or the competition's record-holding champions Real Madrid. So in that spirit, let's take a preview of what could unfold in the 2025/26 and name every Champions League title contender's best shot at capturing the Ballon d...
5 Declining Premier League Stars Who Could Revive Careers With a Summer 2025 Transfer
Transfer News

5 Declining Premier League Stars Who Could Revive Careers With a Summer 2025 Transfer

Father Time takes no prisoners, but, sometimes, there are footballers who have the appearance of declining in quality but have the capability of returning to a high level of football in a different setting. The Premier League is particularly unforgiving to veteran players, especially in comparison to some of the other top five leagues in European football, and in light of Kevin De Bruyne's move to Serie A champions Napoli, let's take a look at a handful of other stars in the English top flight who could rebound with a change in scenery. Manchester City LW Jack Grealish The most obvious name on the list is Jack Grealish, and while he's been linked to a desperate Tottenham Hotspur as his only concrete suitor thus far in the summer transfer window, a move outside the Premier League may b...
Top 10 Young Wingers in the Premier League 2025/26: Future Stars to Watch This Season
Rankings

Top 10 Young Wingers in the Premier League 2025/26: Future Stars to Watch This Season

The 2025/26 Premier League season is set to showcase a new wave of electric young wingers ready to take over English football. From explosive dribblers to versatile goal threats, these wide players aren’t just promising; they’re already impacting the biggest games. In an era dominated by pace, creativity, and tactical flexibility, the league is stacked with under-23 talent destined for superstardom. Whether it’s Manchester City’s next breakout star or a Brighton gem flying under the radar, this list ranks the top 10 young wingers in the Premier League to watch in 2025/26. Expect future Ballon d’Or contenders in here. 10. Wilson Odobert, Tottenham Tottenham invested 25 million pounds in Wilson Odobert from Burnley last summer, and while the highly talented Frenchman has yet to break ou...
10 Summer Transfers That Will Have The Biggest Tactical Impact In 2025/26
Transfer News

10 Summer Transfers That Will Have The Biggest Tactical Impact In 2025/26

The 2025 summer transfer window has delivered more than just blockbuster deals; it’s reshaped the tactical landscape of world football. From La Liga and the Premier League to Serie A, the Bundesliga, and the Champions League elite, this year’s biggest signings are less about marketing and more about evolution on the pitch. These are transfers that shift systems, redefine pressing structures, and spark entirely new tactical blueprints. We rank 10 summer signings that will have the biggest tactical impact in world football during the 2025/26 season, analyzing how they’ll influence formations, possession structures, and the balance of power across Europe. 10. Jonathan Burkardt to Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt have made three of the biggest transfers in European football in t...