Analysing Paul Pogba's decline at Manchester United
Manchester United are facing a huge Christmas period as their short-term future is in the balance. Their Champions League elimination will have been met with disappointment, as they had control of the group following the first two matchdays. Prior to the match against RB Leipzig, Mino Raiola have an unhelpful interview about the future of Paul Pogba, which would have annoyed those at Old Trafford. The Frenchman was left out of the starting eleven on Tuesday, but he may have …
Analysing Tottenham's defensive improvement under Jose Mourinho
Tottenham may have been spoken about as a 'pony' in the title race by Jose Mourinho, but they are quickly developing into a very good team. The focus has been on the form of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane for good reason. The pair are set for their best individual seasons. However, the defence has been quietly improving in the background. At his peak, Mourinho was known as a coach that organised a defence well and made his teams difficult …
Analysing Diogo Jota's explosive start at Liverpool
It has been a dream start for Diogo Jota at Liverpool with the Portuguese attacker emerging as one of the most in-form players in Europe. When the signing was announced, it was seen as one to strengthen the squad, but he is now one of the first names on the team-sheet. Although there has been disappointment caused by defensive injuries, results have continued to be impressive and their summer signing has been central to their early success. There is no …
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Matchweek 9
The international break swept through the football calendar like a tornado and in it's path left a trail of destruction. Between injuries and positive Covid-19 tests there was a massive group of players who were perfectly healthy the last time their clubs saw them who returned unable to play in at least one game, and in some cases unable to play again this season.
What the logic was in forcing players to play so many games in a short space …
Analysing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's start at Tottenham
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was seen as an important signing for Tottenham during the summer. Although he wasn't going to come in and transform the team, Spurs have lacked a dominating presence in the middle of the park. The Danish international has already had a big impact on the team and is now one of the first names on the team-sheet. He is the only outfield player to feature in every single minute of the new Premier League
Jose Mourinho was quick …
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Matchweek 8
We've reached the second international break of the season, and we can now pause and reflect on what we've seen so far in the 20/21 Premier League season. It's all been a bit mental. It's hard to decide whether Southampton being fourth or Sheffield United and Burnley being the bottom two is more surprising. It's impossibly to figure out what was the most surprising result of the season thus far.
Everyone has at least one loss, zero teams have a …
Tottenham vs Brighton Match Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men
Tottenham return to Premier League action on the back of a poor performance away to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League. They will host Brighton and Hove Albion as they attempt to put a poor run of home form behind them. In the previous two home Premier League matches, they have conceded late equalisers to Newcastle United and West Ham United. They should have seen out both matches, but those memories will be fresh in the mind and Jose Mourinho …
Burnley vs Chelsea Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men
Chelsea face a challenging trip to face an improving Burnley team, just days after their Champions League victory against Krasnodar. The time that the Blues have to prepare for the fixture could prove an issue for them, especially when the long haul flights are factored in. This should give a chance to Burnley, who are yet to win a match this season. That said, they have conceded once in their last two matches and are beginning to get back to …