Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca has become a forward watering the mouths of every football fan in Italy over the past year, and very soon he’d certainly be tantalizing the taste-buds of every football fan across the continent and on the world stage.
Nicknamed “Il Bomber”, the 23-year-old has previously been described as “deadly” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and dubbed “a bit Zlatan-ish” by sports journalist Maxi Angelo.
The way his campaign has gone in the Italian Serie A it is easy to see why the £27m-rated hitman has long been considered this season one of the most promising strikers on the continent.
16 goals in 36 league outings breeds pure goal-poaching levels, especially for a player who has just undergone his second-full season in the Italian top flight, considerably improving on his eight goals for Genoa last term.
It is why several clubs across the continent are now scouring after his signature of late with the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan, West Ham United and Newcastle United the latest of potential suitors for the Rome-born forward.
Lazio, Roma, PSV, Sassuolo, Cremonese, PEC Zwolle, Ascoli, Genoa isn’t the usual career path that one of the most promising youth players in Italian football takes. But then again, Gianluca Scamacca isn’t your usual player.
Six foot five inches tall, tattooed up to his neck and with somewhat originating from a quite intriguing and controversial family line — his father smashing executives cars at Roma or his grandfather threatening a man at knifepoint in a bar — the three-time Italian international attacker is the classic example of you should never judge a book by its cover.
So who is Gianluca Scamacca?
It has taken a while for the Italian to apply himself at senior level. For years, he has excelled at international level after debuting for Italy’s under-17 side as a 15-year-old.
While he has flourished at youth level, he had often struggled to translate his dominant performances to senior club level.
First, Scamacca had a torrid time in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven after leaving boyhood club AS Roma as a 16-year-old. His return to Italy with Sassuolo then saw him move on loan to Cremonese in Serie B and PEC Zwolle, where he struggled to play significant minutes.
Eventually, his loan move to Ascoli two seasons ago heralded the long-awaited emergence of Scamacca at senior level. 13 goals in just under 2,500 minutes in Italy’s second division was a healthy return for a young striker still learning to manage the jump in physicality from youth to senior level.
This campaign, and the last has seen the forward take giant steps and improvements in his development and he now looks more and more capable of becoming a physically dominant presence for years to come.
What’s Scamacca’s style of play?
The days of a lumpy and lanky centre-forward are numbered. However, mobile 6′5″ strikers that possess a dominant athletic profile with a well-rounded – though still developing – technical skillset? Every team can certainly use one of those, and these calibre of forwards are in high demand, not least this silky Italian freight-train.
While his frame, looks and physical features and may scream danger zone in some quarters, he plays with the elegance and beauty that is often associated with the prestigious country that he hails from.
At just 23-years of age and having his best season to date — 0.67 goals per ninety minutes played — he appears to be ready for the next step.
Sassuolo signed the striker from PSV in January 2017 but had sent him out on loan every year since. Their intention to give him space this season was signalled when they let Francesco Caputo – scorer of 32 goals over the past two campaigns – leave for Sampdoria in the summer.
It was a gamble. Scamacca’s qualities were evident – physical power, extravagant technique and rare height at almost 6ft 5in. But the step from there to becoming a consistent scorer is still a significant one. He netted a modest nine times at Genoa last season – though that number starts to look more impressive when you see that it was one goal for every 104 minutes he spent on the pitch.
It has taken some time for the 23-year-old to settle into senior football. Despite his height as a teenager, he was not physically equipped to deal with the senior demands in the same way a ready-made player like Erling Braut Haaland was during his emergence at Salzburg in 2019.
The former Genoa man isn’t the most explosive like that of the Norwegian talisman; he is slimmer and more agile, but lacks the same raw straight-line speed and ability to bulldoze through defenders.
Physically, the best historical comparison is probably to a young Zlatan Ibrahimović, to whom Scamacca is frequently compared. A comparison of their technical qualities can be made too. Like Ibrahimović, especially when he was younger, Scamacca is capable of being a nuisance to defenders from anywhere in the final third.
He may not have the physical attributes to bulldoze defenders, but he uses his street-smarts, confidence and arrogance to warn them off.
He is willing to hit the channels and run wide, play a target man role to hold the ball up for others, drop into attacking midfield to combine, or sit on the shoulder of the last man and wait to burst through for an opportunity on goal.
Scamacca certainly doesn’t confine himself to specific areas of the pitch, he likes to get himself about, confusing his markers as well as creating space for the likes of Domenico Berardi to exploit the areas he vacates.
Unlike Zlatan, Scamacca has not found himself in favourable situations at club level, often having to scrap for everything he can playing up front in unfancied teams. But it has certainly helped him mature.
His hold-up play has developed immensely; once predicated predominantly on his sweet first touch, he is now able to receive more difficult passes in the air while simultaneously using his massive levers to fend off opponents.
And he has proven to be an effective decision-maker with his back to goal, not only looking to help his team retain possession but also seeking out avenues that will help drive his team towards the penalty box. This is all underpinned by an under-rated ability to manoeuvre himself with the ball in tight spaces between a crowd of defenders.
As we can see via his season heatmap from SofaScore, while he predominantly operates in the central areas, he is more than able to drop into the midfield areas, our out wide in order to get the ball at his feet.
Scamacca’s season heatmap
He holds the spatial awareness, technicality and the positional nous to perform as somewhat of a false-nine, dragging defenders about the pitch to become most effective to his team’s play. The Italian is very skilled with the ball at his feet, hence his unique ability to evade tight spots despite his tall and lean frame – an uncommon theme for a striker of his ilk.
For example, he is an effective player to play long balls into, as the ball sticks to him and he is able to then hold the ball, lift his head up and relieve the pressure on his defence.
He is a sacrificial lamb for his teammates, but as he has shown on numerous occasions this season, he is still a devastating finisher despite that, in fact one of the finest in the Italian top flight.
Confident strikers are only known for one job, and that’s to score goals. We’ve shown he can perform other roles too, but it’s also vitally important to explain how good he is in front of goal.
His expected goals per ninety has largely stayed the same from last season (0.45 vs. 0.49) but he has more league goals this season than any other campaign previously with a tremendous 16 to his name.
Scamacca currently ranks in the top seventh percentile for non-penalty goals per ninety in the last 365 days compared to his positional peers (0.63), as well as the top fourteenth percentile for non penalty expected goals per ninety (0.42).
His goalscoring is improving, and one notable strength of the Roman is the technique he uses to strike the ball. If you need any indication as to how, just check out his two goals against AC Milan if you haven’t already, goals truly reflecting of the unerring quality, elegance and arrogance to which he performs at.
‘Blink and you’ll miss it’ comes to mind for Scamacca’s shooting technique. He is able to put so much strength into a shot with what looks like so little effort. Goals like the one above aren’t just a one-off either, he is often seen trying the impossible and pulls it off more than any normal human should be able to.
Check out his goal against Napoli too, receiving the ball on his chest in a tight area in the penalty box before unleashing an unstoppable volley in the top of the net (2nd goal in the below clip):
Gianluca Scamacca
Good Linkup Fierce Shot Strong Scores from any range Scores half chances Good Header 22 years old & most likely cheaper than Nunezpic.twitter.com/YxGVYRHrGM
This doesn’t mean he doesn’t score more conventional goals, he is able to — as you’d expect from a 6ft5 striker — use his head to great effect, and act as the poacher/off the shoulder attacker. But goals like this only improve Scamacca’s overall game, with the knowledge he can punish you with even an inch of space, defenders can’t afford him any space, which then opens up attacking areas for his talented teammates in Raspadori & Berardi.
If there is one criticism of Scamacca, then it would probably be the shots he does take. Long-range goals are the pinnacle of the sport when they go in, but they rarely often do.
This can often be to the frustration of teams and coaches. He can often have his head down and take a shot that has little chance of going in. This can of course be coached to a degree, and it is still something that makes Scamacca dangerous, but doing it on a less frequent basis may be beneficial to the Italian’s consistency.
As ever in the modern game, attackers are now expected to do a lot more than just attack. They are also expected to do some of the dirty going towards their own goal too, or even pressing their opponents to stop them progressing play into dangerous areas.
He currently ranks in the top 58th percentile for pressures per ninety (14.34), the top 35th percentile for tackles per ninety (0.88), and the top 50th percentile for interceptions per ninety (0.38). While none of these are exactly the top in his position, his overall defensive profile is extremely solid, and it shows an ability to adapt to his surroundings. He is indeed a confident and robust performer when he wants to be, and that makes him such an attractive prospect for any top calibre side.
Forecasting Scamacca’s Future
Scamacca’s enormous potential is no secret to many of Italy’s biggest clubs, but it is certainly not a surprise to see some of Europe’s other elite sides drawing towards his abilities.
It’s a real shame he won’t be gracing the world stage with Italy this year after their qualification mishap, because his talents certainly warrant a huge platform.
It’s increasingly likely he will leave Sassuolo this coming summer though, and maybe a bigger club and as a result, more refined and advanced coaching could well propel his game to a whole new level next season, and that is a scary sight for Italian defences if he does fulfil his wish to move to a bigger Serie A outfit like Milan or Inter.
Just imagine him with playing alongside Lautaro Martinez or playing with his icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is certainly not short of suitors for next season.
The underlying numbers are there, and the improvement can be seen on the pitch. It feels that the hype around Gianluca Scamacca is simmering, and sooner rather than later it will explode. Italy needs its next great number nine, and Scamacca has all the tools to be that guy.
Manchester United are a club in crisis, an institution that has been steeped in mediocrity for the best part of the last nine years and change is strongly required at Old Trafford.
According to The Athletic, Manchester United have reached an agreement in principle with Erik ten Hag to become their next permanent manager.
It is believed to be a verbal agreement. He is expected to join on a contract to run for up to four years.
This article will aim to analyse Ten Hag’s principles of play, and how it will fare in line with United’s squad and expectations:
Ten Hag’s rise to arguably the biggest job in football might feel fairly swift but his progress has been steady, meticulous and thoughtfully planned in order to maximize his impressive skill-set. At 52, he has been a youth coach and head of education, an assistant coach at home and abroad, and a manager at various other levels.
Erik ten Hag has impressed during his time at Ajax. He’s picked up two Eredivisie titles and historically reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League during the 2018/19 campaign for the first time since the 1996/97 season.
That campaign, he comfortably overcame the giant challenge current holders at that time Real Madrid 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in round 16, and also played Juventus off the par in the quarter-final before their unfortunate defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final.
Since his appointment in 2019, he has had an extremely impressive win percentage of over 70%, a true sign of the significant impact and transformation he’s embarked on that the club since he became manager in 2017.
Considering the change in philosophy, identity and impact he’s made in Amsterdam, the former Utrecht coach could oversee a long-term rebuild at Old Trafford, providing the much-maligned Manchester United hierarchy allows him the opportunity to do so.
So what will Ten Hag bring to Old Trafford?
Erik ten Hag has typically lined his Ajax side up with a possession-based 4-3-3 system.
The practices most widely associated with his team are width, verticality (for example counter-movements), decoy runs and manipulation of opposition presses and deep blocks.
From goal-kicks, Ten Hag’s Ajax build from a deep position with the keeper plus two centre backs. This setup offers a conventional build-up structure with which the centre-backs are required to be typically comfortable in possession, and have the capabilities to be progressive with their passing.
The centre-backs and goalkeeper, and of one of the fullbacks dropping in, Ajax can regularly enjoy positional dominance in build-up against an opposition block; particularly if the opposition uses a front one or two – both of which are very common in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Ajax often drop one of the fullbacks – either Daley Blind or Noussair Mazraoui – into a deeper and more vertical position to aid their build-up play. It allows either of the fullbacks to become a deep-lying orchestrator as they are allowed the ample time and space to find the vertical options on their side of the pitch.
This is very similar to how Pep Guardiola uses his fullbacks in the 4-2-4 build up positional setup, where either Cancelo on the left-flank or Kyle Walker at RB are at times tasked in sitting alongside Rodri when City build up in possession, allowing them to be more accessible against an opposition’s defensive shape, but also providing the team with an extra body in midfield when in possession.
Ajax also frequently stagger their deep midfielders too, pushing one higher, to create a single pivot. The single pivot (Lisandro Martinez) acts as an anchor, holding the opponent’s front line to a narrower berth, and distributing play, again similar to how Pep utilizes Rodri, or how he used Busquets at Barcelona.
Ajax are currently the best defensive performing team in Eredivisie with just 15 goals conceded all campaign at the time of writing, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect.
They are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league.
The foundations of Ten Hag’s build-up are very solid, free-flowing and really quite conventional. But where the value lies, is not only how Ajax are able to progress the ball and begin to create, but how they can utilise well-coached movements and problem solving to adapt against various opposition shapes.
In terms of ball progression, the keys, once in settled possession, are: opening up passing lanes to exploit, having time and space to make the pass and lastly, allowing the receiver to consistently receive in an optimal manner.
When Ajax form their conventional build-up structure, the fullbacks tend to drop into a narrower position. To oppose this, the wingers move wider to open a diagonal lane.
This means the wingers (who are typically inverted) such as Tadic and Antony can receive in a consistent manner, back to touchline providing them the full view and width of the pitch so they can create freely and move into areas (in half-spaces) where they feel they can affect attacking phases of play and hurt the opposition.
Antony & Mazraoui share a strong relationship on the right-flank, with the full-back knowing when to leave the winger in a 1v1 situation against the opposition.
Within Ten Hag’s system, every player holds the confidence in themselves and in their teammates when creating chances, and that is proved in how each component works in tandem to disrupt a deep opposition block.
Rather like Pep, his teams look to open up the pitch and penetrate opposition lines by exploiting the sides of the pitch. United are currently lacking in the winger department, with Jadon Sancho arguably being the only out-and-out winger the team possesses at the moment, this is something ten Hag will be looking to address providing he is confirmed as the United head coach.
Jadon Sancho could play a key role in Ten Hag’s Old Trafford revolution (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Possessing a player of Antony’s qualities could be incredibly useful at Old Trafford, seeing as he is not only an effective out-an-out winger, but an extroadinary creative force via his wand of a left-boot and his ability to link-up effectively with his teammates. So far this season, the forward has registered eight goals and four assists in the Dutch top-flight, building up from his nine goals and eight assists last term.
Like Raphinha at Leeds United, he is just as good creating and forming chances out of nothing than he is scoring them, a unique weapon and surely one which Ten Hag will be looking to add to dramatically improve United’s attacking play.
Ajax often play so the Brazilian can receive 1v1 in a deep and wide position. His distribution from here is excellent – particularly his in-swinging crosses. He also enjoys being in a 1v1 scenario regardless of whether Mazraoui is overlapping or standing off.
Whist in these systems the attacking threat comes from the wings, the midfield also helps out and are positioned quite high up the pitch in attack.
The three central midfield players all have their own unique roles; the central midfield player, previously occupied by United outcast Donny van de Beek and now performed by Steven Berghuis, always maintains a higher position on the pitch in support of the attack.
The two remaining midfield players generally have more defensive responsibilities: the other midfielder – nominally operates in a box-to-box role helping out both in defence and attack, with the remaining midfielder – the single pivot tending to be more composed in possession and confident on the ball.
Edson Alvarez and Ryan Gravenberch have been Ten Hag’s go-to midfield pairing
The overarching point regarding creating chances, is that the distortion through movement and width facilitates the individual quality, which ultimately adds another layer to the level of attacking threat ten Hag’s Ajax produce. They are not based off on individual quality alone, but on the system incorporated, qualities Manchester United just cannot claim to possess currently.
In terms of defensive transitions, Ajax generally perform reasonably, despite a system which makes having a consistent shape rather tedious. They often pack areas near the ball, thus, upon losing possession they are able to nip transitions in the bud with a counter-press.
However, this is where their weakness could lie: their reliance on their full-backs. Blind and Mazraoui are not only vital to build-up, progression, and (decoy) overlaps/underlaps in the final third, but are also integral to their defensive play.
Erik ten Hag’s team is a tactically complete side, evidenced by their impressive performances on the pitch throughout his reign. The opposite can be said of United: The Theatre of Dreams has at times this season become nightmarish. The club must act quickly and decisively and have a manager in place as soon as the season finishes, so the rebuild can commence as soon as possible.
If the Dutchman was named manager, it remains to be seen if any of the current starting XI would fit the bill for such a free-flowing system. Many suspect a large majority of the current squad would be moved on at the end of the season.
Providing Ten Hag moves to Old Trafford, we can expect a strong brand of possession-based football, where the players have a high level of clarity in terms of their role and how to break down the opponent, systematically, as a team – a far cry from what’s been produced by the team in recent years.
The famous and well-renowned Ajax academy has been home to some of the world’s greatest footballing talents throughout the years and still stands as an example of a club possessing a classy and productive working model in player development.
The Dutch giants are not only known for developing their academy products and providing them with the opportunity in the first team but they are also renowned for creating a successful business model when allowing those talents to depart and also bringing in new players from the academy.
A player well versed and moulded in the Ajax strategy, currently taken the Dutch Eredivisie by storm is 20-year-old £27m-rated centre back, Jurrien Timber.
The wonderkid has rightfully earned Erik ten Hag’s trust and confidence with his stunning performances and maturity as well as his composure, vision and defensive understanding that fits perfectly with Ajax’s strategy.
His impressive displays has granted him a regular berth in Ajax’s starting XI which he has grabbed the opportunity with open arms, becoming one of the finest and most trustworthy cogs in Ten Hag’s well-oiled machine.
While they have always been successful in attack, this term their defensive performance has been exceptional. At the time of writing, Ajax have only conceded 13 goals goals in 27 games, a remarkable record underlying the importance and sheer resilience of their defensive players.
Reports are already emerging regarding much interest in his services with Chelsea and Tottenham previously rumoured to be keen on signing him.
With the way Timber has been developing at club and international level, there’s no reason why he can’t make the steady transition to Premier League-level football in the near future.
Who is Jurrien Timber?
Born in Utrecht, Netherlands. Timber and his twin brother Quinten Timber, who is also a footballer plying his trade at FC Utrecht, are of Aruban and Curaçaoan descent. Their mother Marilyn is from Aruba and their father is from Curaçao, both part of the ABC Islands in the Dutch Caribbean.
After impressing scouts for his hometown club, the 20-year-old was snapped up Feyenoord. However, Ajax’s famed history of developing and nurturing young talent was too great for him to ignore, so he joined the club at the age of 13 for the formative years of his footballing education.
Timber has only just recently emerged as the hot prospect everyone is raving about.
After making his debut in the last league game before lockdown, he returned from the enforced break with an even more important role in the first-team squad. The following summer, he was part of the Dutch team at the delayed EURO 2020.
Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, was impressed with what the youngster showed on his debut. “He has proven himself, and I will take that into the new season,” Ten Hag had said after the season abandonment was confirmed.
The Ajax boss was true to his word and the 2020-21 campaign proved a true breakout year for Jurrien Timber. He took every chance that came his way enroute to making 20 appearances in Eredivisie, with 16 coming from the start. He added another five appearances in the Europa League as he gained some continental experience, never once looking out of his depth, a testament to his strength of character.
On the international scene, he has appeared for Netherlands age group teams, from U15s to U21s. Timber has even made his international debut for Netherlands.
The 5 foot 10 defender has won six caps for his country at the age of just 20. Therefore, he is well on his way to matching his esteemed colleagues at the international level, in de Ligt and Van Dijk.
What’s so special about Timber?
Ajax are currently the best performing team in Eredivisie with just 13 goals conceded all campaign so far, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect.
Ten Hag’s men are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league.
Timber has contributed immeasurably to Ajax’s defensive success this season, where he has been rewarded with an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.40 from his performances in the Eredivisie.
Despite the lack of experience, the youngster possesses impressive composure in defence which puts him ahead pf his peers despite his lack of physicality and height. His technique and confidence on the ball allow him to dive into challenges and escape pressure through dribbling which helps the team in retaining possession.
His composure results in winning over 70% of his defensive duels this season, which puts him considerably alongside more experienced stalwarts in Ten Hag’s side such as Lisandro Martinez.
What makes him successful defensively, though, is his positional sense. Timber’s ability to read the game helps him in anticipating the oppositions’ movement and move into spaces so he can pressurise his opponents and block their attacking efforts.
The Dutch wonderkid has won 69% of his ground duels so far this campaign, as well as averaging 2.1 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions highlighting his impressive defensive resilience and ability when halting his opponent’s progress with the ball.
The key qualities that have led to his valuable contribution are his concentration and work ethic. The 20-year-old is constantly aware of his surroundings and it is difficult to catch him out of position and unprepared.
Timber’s defensive work is often forthright and aggressive in his dueling. His positioning during final third attacks often puts him in good stead to press onto forwards immediately. When he has free reign to attack opposition ball-holders, he’s capable of timing his challenges from behind and finding the right space to reach through to nick the ball well.
As you watch him closely, you’ll find that this element of his defensive dueling is his calling card when battling against opposition attackers.
However, it’s all a different matter when Timber is tasked with marking someone.
When pressing from behind against a direct opponent, Timber is at fault for not establishing the sort of technique that can back up his constant aggression. He pushes into his opponent square-on, and will continue to jab towards the ball but without much care or effectiveness, so sharp turns and layoffs past him can easily catch him flat-footed.
It’s area of his game he will need to work on to become much more efficient and well-rounded on a consistent level like his compatriots de Ligt or Virgil van Dijk.
What favours him in many defensive situations though, is his ground coverage and physicality. At below 6ft and not being particularly stocky, Timber doesn’t appear to be much of a force, but it’s something he uses well to suffocate duels he’s engaged in. His height is a reason why he isn’t first to contest every aerial ball, but yet he’s managed to win 64% of his aerial duels. He’s proved himself to be capable of winning duels in plenty of mismatches thanks to his body-to-body strength on the ground.
Going forward, Ajax prefer to build up from the back, starting from circulating the ball laterally between Timber and Martínez. The team usually move into a more advanced position with the centre-backs right behind the central line and the full-backs often going past it to overload the opposition half and provide width. The team’s main strategy is to use high pass frequency and a lot of movement to bypass the opposition pressing structures and advance the ball to the final third.
Ten Hag’s men average over 600 passes per game and possess the highest pass completion rate in the whole division, underlying the players’ strong positional sense and connection.
Timber’s reliability and partnership with Martínez are key in possession. Due to his confidence on the ball and work under pressure, he is used for retaining possession and building up from the back by combining with his CB partner and the fullbacks too.
One of the reasons for Ajax’s success in building up from the back is that both of their centre-backs are ball-playing defenders. Timber is actually one of the highest in the division in terms of pass frequency with his 82 passes per game on average which support the team’s efforts to deliver the ball to the final third.
As per FBRef, Timber ranks within the top 10 percentile amongst the defenders in Europe’s top five leagues for passing metrics over the past 365 days. He ranks in the 98th percentile for passes attempted per 90 minutes (82.34), the 99th percentile for pass completion percentage (93.9%), in the 97th percentile for progressive passes (5.39) and the 97th for progressive carries per90 (6.46) meaning he is indeed one of the best around in his build-up play and progressing the ball in the attacking areas for his team.
His positional sense and the team’s advanced position allow him to have a great contribution to their attack. He supplies the advanced areas with 15.51 passes per 90 which is the second-best record in the league and underlines his impact when progressing the play.
That, combined with his lack of height for a CB, are the reasons why Ten Hag has relied on him as a right-back on a few occasions. He can easily hold onto the ball and deliver it to the advanced areas and has a passing range that allows him to make combinations with his teammates and exploit spaces.
However, the only reason for him not being able to fully succeed in this position is his hesitancy to cross the ball. Due to his inexperience in this position, he has failed to be beneficial for the team in terms of supplying the box with balls and creating goalscoring opportunities.
Apart from that, he remains outstanding in his passing and ball retention as shown in the stats in percentile stats above.
Timber is incredibly patient and will use every second he’s given to manipulate the opposition in order to create alleyways elsewhere. He’ll slowly adjust his position with the ball so that he can create space for teammates to rotate into untracked and unseen. This all facilitates the freeing up of Ajax’s Argentine decisive ball-sprayer, Lisandro Martínez, who can look to maximise the directness and tempo of play.
Despite how smartly he shortens and slows his passes as part of the team’s overall ploy, the 20-year-old has only shown glimpses of potential in this respect. He can weight a long ball perfectly well and is very quick to play through the lines when appropriate, but his adjustments when undecided can kill his ability to play vertically.
It’s why he’s best positioned further towards the right as shown in the heatmap below, as the angles remain open for him even when doing this.
It won’t be a surprise if the Ten Hag temporarily employs him in defensive midfield, trying to use his passing range to orchestrate play, as he has previously said that a central midfield position might be suitable for Timber in the near future.
Indeed, within the Ajax system and footballing approach, their young products are expected to perform numerous roles within their designated positions, and Timber is yet another one of those hugely versatile products within their prestigious roster.
What does the future hold for Jurriën Timber?
The somewhat caged talents of Timber have shed a light on a player with great promise in possession of the ball. Combined with how seamlessly he applies himself to different roles within such concentrated setups, Timber should, right now, be a very desirable offensive prospect for many of those slightly lesser teams in the top leagues that are looking to be assertive, progressive and dominant with the ball.
Even a step up to clubs such as Champions League challengers in Serie A and La Liga could be the perfect platform for him to ramp up his rapid development but also provide him with the added platform to enhance his profile and impress.
Would a move to reportedly interested clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea be the right moves for him at this stage of his career? The former, much more plausible, but for a club like Chelsea who are faced with much pressure to win titles may not allow Timber the room to make mistakes and grow.
It’s a factor he will need to think thoroughly on if he is to embark on fulfilling the supreme and huge potential we know he possesses in abundance.
For a number of years now, Netherlands has been the go-to hotspot for birthing some of the world’s most exciting and decorated young footballing talents, especially from the academy of Ajax. The latest in such a prestigious and rich list of household names is Club Brugge forward, and Ajax academy graduate Noa Lang.
The 22-year-old star, already on the watchlist of some of Europe’s most elite clubs including Liverpool, Arsenal, AC Milan and Leicester City is making tremendous waves in Belgium, regularly touted as the most hottest prospect in the Belgian top flight.
Lang was heavily linked to Leeds United in the summer of 2021, but the big move to England did not materialize. Still only 22, there is plenty of time for a Premier League move in the future; for now, first team football in Belgium (as well as European experience) will continue to aid in his development.
The Ajax academy product has enjoyed a stunning two seasons at Club Brugge, helping them to the Belgian first division title in the 2020/21 campaign last year, as well as a two year run in the UEFA Champions League. Lang hit an incredible 16 goals and seven assists last year, and he’s followed that up this year with an impressive six goals and 11 assists in 27 league appearances.
He also made his national team debut in October 2021, putting him firmly in contention for an appearance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
There are few things as synonymous in football as the Netherlands and exciting, creative wide players, and 21-year-old Noa Lang only enhances strengthens that relationship.
Who is Noa Lang?
Born in Capelle aan den IJssell, a town in the western Netherlands, Lang is of Surinamese descent through his biological father. He had initially burst on to the scene with Ajax, scoring a hat-trick on his first Eredivisie start against FC Twente, where he subsequently spent a short time on-loan with in the 2019/20 campaign.
Whilst he only made 14 first-team appearances for the senior side, they were a fitting reward for a strong, productive youth career with Jong Ajax.
He made his debut for the reserve side as a 17-year-old back in 2017, contributed to 0.6 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes across 47 appearances in the Dutch second division. He also scored key UEFA Youth League goals against Bayern München and Real Madrid for the club’s stacked under-19 side that included the likes of Gravenberch, Botman and Brobbey.
It was at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign that Lang made the transition south to Belgium, and has since taken the league by storm. 16 goals plus seven assists in 29 appearances is an exceptional return, recording an outstanding 0.66 goals per 90 minutes, and 0.29 assists, indicative of his supreme talents and creative and direct threat.
On 20 May 2021, Lang scored as Brugge drew 3–3 with rivals Anderlecht to win the Belgian First Division A title for the fourth time in six years and 17th time overall.
This campaign may not have breaded the same goalscoring return, with just the seven to his name so far, but an improvement on his abilities to turn provider for his teammates, registering 12 assists. the fourth most in the Belgian First Division at the time of writing.
Lang has also significantly strengthened his development, gaining valuable UEFA Champions League experience for Club Brugge following a few cameos for Ajax. He scored his fist European goal against Zenit St. Petersburg – though Brugge were unable to qualify from the group stage. The same is said for this campaign, but Lang put in a tremendous showing against Paris Saint-Germain, in the 1-1 draw back in September. In the return fixture in Paris, he turned provider for Mats Rits with a trademark run in a 4-1 defeat.
Lang was called up by Louis Van Gaal and made his international bow for the Netherlands in October, in a World Cup Qualifier against Latvia, the first of many potential caps for his country.
How good is Noa Lang? What’s his style of play?
This lad is incredibly gifted, so much so he is already drawing favourable comparisons to Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking superstar Neymar Jr. A right-footed wide forward most comfortable coming inside off the left-flank, though he possesses the versatility and nous to play in any position across the attack.
Lang is a true source and hub of creativity and decisive edge in the final third, where his sumptuous and entertaining technical skill, bravery and audaciousness on the ball are the striking characteristics of his education at Ajax’s exceptional De Toekomst academy.
It is his immense creativity and knack for the spectacular which is his most obvious trait. As seen in the clip above, Lang has no qualms in attempting to perform the extraordinary, whether its through an ambitious cross, pass or a mazy dribble.
When the ball is at his feet, he is incredibly hard to dispossess. Lang can effortlessly switch from a languid presence roaming between the lines to a more dynamic and direct style with rapid changes of tempo. It is his appreciation of time and space, knowing when to keep the ball, when to delay a pass or a cross, when to speed up the play, that gives such variation but also makes him so unpredictable when facing his markers.
Once he has the ball on the left flank, you simply do not know what he’s going to do next, just be confident in the fact that he is capable of creating something incredibly special.
Lang is at his flawless best when he comes inside off the wing into the half-spaces, as shown in his heatmap above. It’s in those areas where his ability to create passing lanes allows a high involvement in Club Brugge’s play. Here his wonderful imagination and creativity shines through, constantly looking to break the last line of defence in a variety of ways. He can slide runners in using disguised reverse passes through the eye of the needle, often with the perfect weight.
Lang isn’t a soloist like Neymar Jr, but he is a player who can participate in combination play with teammates as well as do his utmost to create chances for his fellow attackers – his signature style is a quick pass and move around the 18-yard-box to change the tempo of play and create uncertainty and imbalances in opposition defences. He is a nightmare when in the mood. He is also incredibly adept at performing improvised chips, dinks, scoops and round-the-corner flicks to breach defences who operate in a deep block.
Just know, when Noa Lang is around Club Brugge always have a chance of scoring goals. He averages 1.9 dribbles per game in the Belgian First Division, and also averaged an astonishing 3.2 dribbles in the UEFA Champions League. He is not one to shy away from the big stages. To contextualise his creative influence within the final third, he is in the higher percentile of expected assists and successful passes into the penalty area, and has created 15 big chances so far this campaign, with an average key passing tally of 1.9 per game.
(Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
He possesses the quality end product to back up his creative, risk-taking and free-reign style of football which is so entertaining to watch.
As put into numbers previously, he is so dangerous when dribbling and carrying the ball too, both in tight spaces to retain and outmaneuver his opponents as well as in open spaces driving directly towards goal. Over the past year, he is averaging 9.91 progressive carries, pitting him in the top 5% of players in Europe’s top five leagues, he is also amongst the top 3% of players for progressive passes (6.15).
Lang’s best asset is his ability to shift his balance and accelerate quickly into space, enabling him to create and maintain separation from defenders in an instant. He also holds a range of cuts, step overs, chops and pirouettes to fool his markers and glide past them with ease. He does tend to sacrifice possession frequently with the levels of risk he operates in, but the value he adds when he does break through and form chances for himself and his teammates means the reward is currently outweighing that risk by some distance.
It is not just his creativity and influence in the final third that is reaping rewards, but the goalscoring threat that supplements it also. The 22-year-old is not afraid to take shots on goal, possessing an incredibly high shot volume, taking over 2 shots per 90 this season, at a rate that many pure strikers would struggle to hit from time to time. He can generate shots for himself through dribbling and quick shifts with the ball to work an angle, or by attempting intelligent forward runs beyond the ball and into the penalty area to receive passes and get shots off.
He generally finishes with powerful driven shots, and in shooting situations he possesses a calm and collected manner that lets him finish ruthlessly and emphatically, a trait that so few players his age on the continent possess. The past two campaigns have strongly shown the high levels of influence Noa Lang holds for his club, but future employers must beware, Lang does have a hot-streak about him as shown through his 3 red cards over the past year or so already.
He must temper his fiery nature at times or else defenders will use it as a stick to beat him with, when trying to stifle his influence on games. Here’s hoping that improves with age, development, learning and maturity.
What does the future hold for Lang?
It’s fair to say Lang is already outgrowing the quality in the Belgian First Division, and you can be certain him and his representatives will be fielding a whole host of calls for his services this coming summer.
The 22-year-old is a UEFA Champions League quality talent, and a player who’s future lies in a top-five European league, but he should aim to find a team who will embrace his high risk style rather than temper it. There are a number of those even in the Barclays Premier League, and in a division that is evolving tactically, possessing Lang’s qualities are extremely vital as seen through Liverpool’s swift capture of Luis Diaz in the winter window, a player who is as risky as the Dutch prodigy.
Regardless, Lang is an incredible footballing talent, and a player well on his way to reaching worldwide acclaim and stardom, keep your eyes peeled on his potential whereabouts this summer, wherever he goes next, they will have a future star on their hands.
How good is Bukayo Saka? It’s no wonder Arsenal football club are so desperate to tie him down to a new long-term contract.
After a painful conclusion to last summer’s Euros, in which Mikel Arteta has described was “great for his career”, Saka has bounced back and fired on all cylinders so far this campaign, hitting back at his racist critics and proving once again why he is indeed one of Europe’s most prestigious young footballers right now.
In fact, we’d go so far as to say Saka is currently the best young player in the English Premier League. We really can’t bat an eyelid at this strong claim. His sumptuous individual performance against Watford at the weekend underlined is undisputed qualities.
It’s true, history tells us we can’t afford to hype up our young British talents any more than we have been, but when a player is performing as stunning and complete as this, you can’t help but heap such lofty praise.
No player under the age of 21 has been directly involved in more goals than Saka this season (8 goals, 5 assists), and his goal and assist at Vicarage Road in an entertaining 3-2 triumph lifted Arsenal into fourth spot in the table.
If you stretch the field further to Europe’s top five leagues, then only Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (7 goals, 10 assists) has more combined goals and assists than Saka this season.
Players of such sublime skill and quality deserve to be playing Champions League football, and both of these flawless young talents have yet to step foot in Europe’s flagship club competition. Maybe, just maybe that will change come the end of this season.
If Saka continues to play to the level that he did at Watford on Sunday then it won’t be long until he is rubbing shoulders with the continent’s best on a regular basis.
Arsenal now sit fourth in the Premier League, a point ahead of Manchester United, who have played three more matches than the Gunners.
With 13 games remaining this season, Arsenal have moved firmly into pole position for the final Champions League spot.
Arteta will no doubt urge caution, and with games against Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United approaching, there is still lots of work to be done before the celebrations can begin. But Arsenal are on a resurgent run of form right now, with much of their football matching the kind of quality they possess in such a young and vibrant squad.
Bukayo Saka is the face of this new and exciting revolution at the Emirates, and Arteta is backing him to a tilt.
“I think Bukayo had an experience in the summer that not a lot of players would ever have and I think it was great for his career, because the football world showed how much they like him and how much they respect him,” said Mikel Arteta.
“That’s another thing you get much more than that in football apart from winning trophies, so I think that was a big boost for him to realise in difficult moments that people are going to give him support and the club did exactly the same as his team-mates.”
That penalty miss against Italy at Wembley last summer will have haunted any player, but Saka has consummately shrugged off that setback and has never looked back. Arteta in his pre-match comments, urged his team to show a “killer instinct” and no one followed those orders more expressly than Saka.
"He's made one and scored one!" 💪
Bukayo Saka puts Arsenal back in front against Watford with a clinical finish 🎯 pic.twitter.com/89ffLWp8Xx
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 6, 2022
This was not the controlled performance Arsenal demonstrated against Wolves last time out, but it was a ruthless and clinical one. They ended the game with four shots on target and three of those were goals. All three goals were simply mesmeric, including Saka’s and Arsenal’s second.
It was all his own work, possessing the tenacity and resilience to dispossess an unalert Tom Cleverley, before playing a lovely one-touch move with Alexandre Lacazette highlighting the 20-year-old’s incredible knack to make something of nothing, before burying an unbelievable shot into the top corner, no chance for Ben Foster.
A special goal from a special player. One brimming with confidence, style, assuredness and a maturity that is belying his years. The way he dribbles past his markers, links up with the likes of Ødegaard and Smith-Rowe, his courageousness, bravery and unbelievable consistency always marks him out amongst his peers. The 20-year-old ranks sixth in the division for shot-creating actions (90), and eighth for progressive carries (180), as well as averaging 1.9 key passes per 90, highlighting he is one of the best in the division, for his efforts and influence in the attacking third.
Saka was at the heart of all Arsenal’s goals against Watford, highlighting his huge influence on this Arsenal side. He is the main man, the heartbeat alongside Martin Ødegaard. The combination between both of them for the opener was pure Arsenal football at its finest. The third, just as good. Saka taking a quick throw which resulted in a slick move that Gabriel Martinelli emphatically finished.
I knew he was good. The talent is obvious. But it's not until I really focus in on the strengths, gather a ton of clips, look at the numbers, put everything into context, do I see how special he is. Saka is right up there.
— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) March 6, 2022
Arsenal’s success this season has largely been down to their young players and it is fitting they are rising to the occasion as the pressure mounts with every passing week. The Gunners have scored 41 Premier League goals this term; 29 of them have been scored by players 23 or under.
Saka was excellent at Vicarage Road but was so Odegaard, and the pair’s relationship is growing every week.
Then there is Emile Smith Rowe, who missed yesterday’s match after testing positive for Covid-19. Saka is leading the way for goals and assists by Premier League players under the age of 21, but Smith Rowe is second to him and ahead of Phil Foden. Martinelli is fifth on that list.
It all points to a bright future for Arsenal, but suddenly they have the chance to make the present just as exciting.
After a miserable start to the season, losing their opening three Premier League games, Champions League football is within Arsenal’s grasp – and that is exactly where the qualities and brilliance of Bukayo Saka belongs.
The future of Spanish football is looking spectacularly bright and in very good hands.
While all the talk and praise have been heaped on the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Oyarzabal, Olmo and Ferran Torres, all of whom have received first and regular call-ups to the Spanish squad under Luis Enrique and have become key figures for their clubs, there is yet another prestigious and flawless young talent quietly going about his business, slightly under the radar, and that young star is Villarreal’s Yeremi Pino.
After his four-goal haul against Espanyol at the weekend, Pino became the first player to score four goals in a La Liga game since Lionel Messi two years ago. He also became the youngest-ever player to score a first half hat-trick in the Spanish top-flight.
The record-breaking doesn’t stop there, Pino is also the youngest player to score a La Liga brace for Villarreal at the age of 19 years and 130 days.
The teenage Spanish international completed a perfect hat-trick in the first half — left foot, right foot, header — and added his fourth after the break in an emphatic 5-1 win over Espanyol.
The 19-year-old has earned rave reviews since his breakthrough in the Villarreal first team, and also became the first teenager to start a Europa League final, and win the competition as the ‘Yellow Submarine’ triumphed over Manchester United on penalties last season.
Pino has enjoyed yet another tremendous breakthrough campaign for Villarreal, and even made his Champions League debut for the club playing against the likes of Manchester United, and Atalanta. His four goal haul against Espanyol took his overally tally for the season to seven goals and four assists in 23 starts.
So who is Yeremi Pino?
Born and raised in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Pino joined UD Las Palmas’ youth setup in 2014, after representing outfits AD Huracán and Barrio Atlántico CF.
In June 2017, Pino was offered the chance to join Barcelona, a dream move for many young academy products across the country, but interestingly turned down the move and chose to join Villarreal instead.
He made his debut with the C-team in August 2019, coming on as a second-half substitute for Fer Niño and scoring the third goal in a 3-0 victory over CF Recambios Colón in the Tercera División. After finishing his first senior season with three goals in 20 appearances for the Villarreal C-team, he was promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B. A seamless and impressive transition.
It wasn’t long before Pino impressed and caught the eye of the Villarreal coaches in the first team. After spending the pre-season with the first team under Unai Emery, Pino made his professional debut on 22 October 2020, replacing Francis Coquelin in a 5–3 UEFA Europa League win over Sivasspor. He made his La Liga debut three days later, again from the bench in a 0–0 draw at Cádiz CF.
Pino bagged his first professional goal for the club in October 2020, netting the equalizer in a 3–1 away success over Qarabağ FK in the UEFA Europa League. On 12 November that year, he renewed his contract at the club until 2024, with many believing he’d go on to become a leading player for Villarreal in the near future.
In May 2021, Pino was rewarded for his stunning performances, with Emery entrusting him to start the 2021 UEFA Europa League Final against Manchester United, becoming the youngest Spanish player to start a major European final, aged 18 years and 218 days, breaking the previous record of Iker Casillas in the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final, aged 19 years and 4 days.
He also became the youngest player to win the competition, eclipsing the record set by Robin van Persie in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final.
The 19-year-old has represented his country Spain across all levels, even captaining the under-18s. Due to the isolation of some national team players following the positive COVID-19 test of Sergio Busquets, Spain’s under-21 squad were called up for the international friendly against Lithuania on 8 June 2021, in which Pino featured.
Since then, Pino has gone on to make two appearances so far for Luis Enrique’s talented side, making his senior debut for the senior side on October 2021 in the Nations League semi-final against Italy.
What’s so good about Yeremi Pino?
Standing at just 1.72 metres (5ft8in) and 63kg, Pino is a small winger with flair, pace, trickery and a low centre of gravity. Even though he is a right-footer and prefers to be deployed as an inside winger, the 18-year-old can play on both sides of the pitch, showcasing a lot of versatility despite his tender age.
He’s also been deployed up front in a 4-4-2 system also, but prefers being deployed out wide where he can showcase his 1v1 abilities, make the most of space out wide and assist his teammates.
Pino’s main strengths include pace, dribbling and high technical abilities, an eye for a goal, acceleration, agility and, perhaps the most surprising of them all, genuine defensive discipline and work rate as shown through his performance against Manchester United in the Europa League final, tasked in keeping his defensive shape and halting Luke Shaw’s threat on his flank whilst also providing a telling threat on the counter.
Throughout the past year, Pino’s influence and importance to Emery’s organised and compact system has grown. He’s started 17 of his 25 La Liga outings, compared to just starting 6 out of 24 appearances. Whilst he recorded impressive stats in terms of his dribbling and ball-carrying per90 last season, 51.2% dribbles success rate, 2.36 successful dribbles per90, and 7.30 progressive carries per90, his numbers have dropped considerably this season, but that may not be any fault of his own but down to Villarreal’s inconsistencies for large parts of the campaign.
However, that hasn’t stopped him becoming an influence when he is on the field. What is impressive, is his finishing as despite not tallying too many shots per 90 minutes (1.45), the 11th most out of the whole squad and the least out of Unai Emery’s attacking weaponry. Though, Pino is extremely accurate and lethal, even currently outperforming his expected goals (xG) value of 5.4, with 6 goals so far in La Liga. His shots on target % of 54.5 is the 6th best in the Spanish top-flight. He’s also outperforming his expected assists (xA) value of the same figure, with 4.
Without a doubt, one of Pino’s greatest weapons in his arsenal is his dribbling. In the 2020/21 campaign and across all competitions, he registered 6.59 dribbles per 90 minutes with a 60.4% success rate, rating him as one of the more efficient dribblers in La Liga. As stated previously, that figure has dropped this season, but it’s no fault of his own, or to say his abilities and influence are decreasing.
Yeremi Pino’s 21/22 season hasn’t been as explosive as his 20/21 where he in a few months made himself a name on the biggest stage but he has steadily improved in silence. His output and, more importantly, underlying numbers have increased, the latter significantly. Top talent.
He still attempts 3.36 dribbles per 90 with a success rate of 45%, but more interestingly, through those numbers, his influence is actually increasing. He’s so far averaging 2.64 shot creating actions per 90 (meaning the two offensive leading to a shot or goal including live-ball passes, dead-ball passes, successful dribbles, shots which lead to another shot, and being fouled), which is an improvement of his 2.60 for last season, and Pino is also averaging and considerably topping his goal-creating actions figure (0.66) – the eighth best in the division – from last season (0.23).
Yeremi Pino’s heat-map this season
As shown through the above heatmap, Pino has been regularly deployed as right-winger for Unai Emery this season, and that’s where we regularly see the best of him.
Pino can effectively dribble from the halfway line onward but is most effective when entering the final third. Interestingly enough, as a true inverted winger, he will cut inside as he gets closer to the box and this is usually where he’ll try to beat his man to create the biggest advantage for himself.
It’s vital to note, that Unai Emery’s system ensures that the winger is isolated with his marker in large and open spaces, which always benefits him rather than the defender. We’ve seen how effective this is through the consistent performances of new signing Arnaut Danjuma, but Pino is also following suit. In these areas Pino can use his incredible acceleration and pace to cover a lot of ground, carrying the ball at his feet.
After that, he engages in and wins the duel against his marker, finishing the action with a brilliantly executed shot or an action that ultimately leads to a chance for his teammates. While he is certainly not a volume shooter since he’s only registered a total of 21 shots so far in 2021/22, his shot selection is great and the youngster has a keen eye for goal.
Considering he has scored six La Liga goals from a 5.54 xG, we can conclude his finishing has been at the required level. After all, 54.5% of his shots have ended up on target, which is impressive despite a lower overall volume.
All of his goals this season and last have come from a very similar position inside the 18-yard-box. This comes as a direct result of his marauding runs and dribbles, both of which we’ve already concluded originate around that same area. Against Espanyol at the weekend though, Pino showcased his incredible potency scoring from 4 of his 5 shots in an around the penalty area.
His fourth and final goal, arguably the pick of the lot, latching onto a through ball from Arnaut Danjuma before instinctively and skillfully knocking the ball past Diego Lopez in the Espanyol goal, and slotting home. A goal truly encompassing Pino’s sharp trickery, audacity and stunning courageousness when faced with pressured situations.
Passing might not be among Pino’s greatest weapons but when combined with some of his other traits, it makes for a deadly tool at his disposal. He is becoming a player skilful at setting his teammates up as much as finishing the actions himself. Of course, we shouldn’t forget that with only 27.8 passes per 90 minutes, he is not a volume passer and in general, can still be risk-averse in most situations. Pino’s passing can be safe but is also used in lay-offs and quick combinations out on the flanks, showing that he always wants to be on the move, which means his passing isn’t going to be one of his strongest suits.
Overall, with an 79.1% pass success rate, we can say that he’s fairly confident in possession and won’t give away the ball carelessly that often, which speaks volumes about any young, flair winger such as himself. Usually, this is exactly what young players struggle with the most but Pino seems to be mature on the ball, especially for his age. He isn’t afraid of the risky passes either, and it can be devastating when it derives from a mazy dribble and into an area where he can hurt opposition defences.
His 1.18 key passes per 90 so far this season is an improvement on his 0.90 figure from all of last season.
Finally, we’ll will finish with a quick overview of Pino’s contribution to Villarreal’s defensive tactics. In general, Emery’s men are a team that fluctuates between a high press and a mid-block and the youngster is a hard worker in both systems. On average, he engages in 26.08 duels per 90 with a success rate of 47.8%.
The youngster won’t always press as high and be successful at it but tracking back and maintaining the team’s structure is certainly a part of his repertoire. Of course, his success rate will vary from game to game but with almost 50% of his duels being successful on average, we can conclude that he plays a big part in ensuring the flank is not breached.
But when and if he’s asked to press high, Pino will gladly do it and will generally stick well to his man once the second line of press is activated. Emery has him either as part of the front two in a 4-4-2 or as part of the second line in the wider areas. In any case, with 2.89 tackles + interceptions per 90 minutes, he won 7 out of his 10 defensive duels against Espanyol, so there’s an argument to be made about Pino’s tremendous and admirable work rate.
He is a willing runner and defender when asked to but when given the freedom to express himself in attacking areas, he’s a player who certainly won’t shy away from performing the extraordinary.
Forecasting the Future
At 19-years of age, Yeremi Pino is an incredible young talent. The future certainly seems bright.
Pino has proven a blessing for Unai Emery and Villarreal because he does everything asked of him. Give him an in-game task, and he won’t deviate from it. He’s a willing learner, so mature for his age but also a player not shy to express himself on the pitch.
There’s no telling where his long-term future lies but it will certainly be at Villarreal after signing a new deal at the Estadio de la Cerámica, taking him to 2027. The Yellow Submarine will provide him with the perfect platform to grow, learn, develop and maybe become one of the club’s most prestigious every players in the coming future.
Let’s not forget, he could be a key figure not just for his club, but for the Spanish national team also along with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres. Yeremi Pino is certainly amongst that prestigious list of flawless young Spanish talents.
Antonio Conte just may have unearthed his new secret weapon at Tottenham Hotspur.
To put it simply, the new signing on the Hotspur block Dejan Kulusevski is unlike any other forward the Italian serial winner currently has on his roster. A substitute appearance as a second striker. A tireless performance primarily spent tracking back. A switch to right wing-back.
Then a more conventional and traditional shift in familiar territory as a wide forward, its safe to say Kulusevski’s versatility could be Spurs’ most useful tool to shape their season under the former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss.
It’s been an eventful week for talented Swede, taking in four games that have highlighted not just his versatility, but his unique abilities that arguably no other Spurs attacker possesses, bar Harry Kane of course.
Against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Kulusevski’s role as a No 10 was to find space between the lines and create opportunities. He did that well despite the disappointing defeat, almost setting up a goal for Son Heung-min and almost getting on the scoresheet himself.
Against Manchester City, we just why Fabio Paratici personally pushed to sign the Swedish international from Italian giants Juventus. A goal and an assist in amongst an stunning all-round performance, which will have come as no surprise to those who enjoyed Kulusevski in Italy, where he regularly topped the distance-covered charts in Serie A.
While Harry Kane and Son Hueng-Min may have taken all the plaudits for their perfectly synced attacking display, it was the 21-year-old Swede quietly going about his business in devastating fashion. Not just providing an added foil to Spurs’ most destructive attacking pair but also showed why he’s a excellent all-round footballer, sacrificing his own attacking needs to help the team keep their defensive shape.
Having spent much of that Manchester City game defending, he then switched to a right wing-back role for the final 25 minutes in the defeat to Burnley and very nearly scored again, hitting the post with a trademark left-footed curling effort.
On Saturday though, against a faltering and now manager-less Leeds United team, Kulusevski lining up on the the right-wing of Conte’s 3-4-3 setup, provided the ideal ammunition for Spurs to destroy the Whites and doom Marcelo Bielsa to a heartbreaking sacking and departure from Elland Road. He scored again, almost scored another, and was involved all throughout as Spurs revived their slim push for the European places with a 4-0 thrashing.
The Swede’s versatility and tactical willingness will be crucial in the coming weeks and months for Tottenham. Conte’s squad looks relatively slim after the club saw more players depart than arrive in January, so possessing a player who can operate in a variety of positions and be effective in such different game situations will be so vital to Spurs picking up much needed points in their run for European participation.
It's got even worse for Leeds… 😩
Dejan Kulusevski cuts in from the right-wing and finds a gap at the near post to slot home 🎯
Kulusevski’s versatility was a feature of his time at Juventus as well, lining up at times as a right-winger, right-midfielder in a more conservative formation, a left-midfielder, a striker, and as a no.10. Though, its not just his willingness and drive to perform such roles, but his incredible skill-set and flexibility. He’s an effective ball-carrier, a willing runner, a mazy dribbler but also player capable of locating pockets in between opposition lines and wreaking havoc with his fine balance, close-control, technique. He’s also capable of picking out telling passes through his wonderful vision and unique weight of pass.
Dejan Kulusevski's first-half by numbers vs. Leeds:
Kulusevski has also added a clinical edge to his game since joining Spurs — he has scored as many goals in his last three games as he managed in his final 44 Serie A matches for Juventus. This has been an area of his game Kulusevski has wanted to improve for some time. “I need to improve in shooting more often and also in scoring more,” he told Sky Italia upon joining Juventus two years ago.
The early signs of his Spurs career are particularly encouraging, even though it has been with its expected struggles. Given the form of Lucas Moura in the early parts of the season, and the decisive substitute appearances of Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn, it’s impressive how quickly Kulusevski has moved ahead of them in the pecking order. On top of his hard running, dribbling ability (he completed four of five dribbles against Leeds) and goals, Kulusevski has made a positive impression at Tottenham with his attitude, endeavor and hard work, although that has never been an issue for him, even at Parma and Juventus, even when things proved difficult.
He’s a brave, courageous and driven footballer who will only improve further heading into his Tottenham Hotspur career. Providing he does go onto to enjoy a flawless loan spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then Conte and Paratici will be well inclined to activate the purchase option in his loan deal in North London. Against Leeds United, he was at his stunning best, registering a 100% shot accuracy (two attempts), 91% passing accuracy (34 attempts), four dribbles, nine ground duels won and one big chance created.
Conte described Kulusevski as a “perfect player” for Spurs after the game and then told The Athletic that: “He is showing that he is a fantastic player for the present but also if he continues in this way he can become a really important player. He is strong physically, good technically, he has no fear of the opponent or the tackle.”
He certainly demonstrated these invaluable qualities against Leeds, and on a day when Kane and Son broke the Premier League record for a pair creating goals for one another, Kulusevski reminded us that he will be incredibly crucial to Harry Kane and Son’s individual games as they are for each other.
With this current Manchester United squad you just simply have no idea what you are going to get from one week to the next.
One moment they’ll reel you in with some sublime attacking displays and the next, they’ll leave you bewildering and in total disbelief. One constant has been the inexcusable contrast between first-half performances and second-half capitulations, as was again the case at Elland Road at the weekend, regardless of the calibre of the opposition or position of superiority they assume.
It’s become a regular pattern in recent weeks, but also telling representation that this United side may have a wealth of attacking talent, but as a unit they lack the street-smartness and composure to control games to their favour. They can be devastating but unbelievably frail, lacking the panache to control and dominate opponents over 90 minutes.
It’s evidently clear the squad needs some injection of control and bite in midfield, though something that Ralf Rangnick has increasingly been able to rely upon amid the chaos elsewhere in his side has been the performances of £73m summer capture Jadon Sancho.
The England forward is finally adding some goals and assists to his Premier League repertoire helping decide another pulsating mini War of the Rose battle.
You’d be lying if you had said Sancho hasn’t endured a difficult start to life in a Manchester United shirt. Of course, it hasn’t been plain sailing. At Borussia Dortmund, Sancho played in a team with a high-octane style where the general levels of the Bundesliga are slower and tailored perfectly to his flamboyant and jinky style, and though he has grounding of English football from his time at Watford and Manchester City, the English top flight is a significant step for a player still so young.
It took him all of six months to get his first Premier League goal for the club, against Southampton at Old Trafford. Fans have looked at his relatively hefty price tag, rather unfairly expecting him to hit the ground running but even the best of players in this division have found it incredibly difficult to make a swift impact upon arrival, and Sancho is no different.
At times the 21-year-old has been criticized for playing too safe, not showing off his usual mazy dribbles, tricks and deceptive movements but rather playing the ball back when faced 1v1 with his marker. It’s perfectly understandable though, when you’re still trying to adapt to your new surroundings, being too safety-first and cautious under pressure rather than taking risks.
Some even wondered earlier on in the season whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s football, which gave licence to individual flair and creativity, really suited Sancho, and as a result found his place in the team limited. Indeed, Sancho seemed to be the collateral damage of the crisis engulfing Solskjaer, with the former United manager turning to the safety-first of a 3-4-1-2 system that had no room for wingers.
Such uncertainty in style and cohesion in United’s play ultimately led to the sacking of the Norwegian, and rather strangely led to Sancho’s immediate future at Old Trafford being under threat, even after Solskjaer had strongly advocated for the club to sign him last summer.
However, in all honesty, it can be argued that Solskjaer was the man holding him back. Since his departure, Sancho’s performance levels and adaptation to the team has markedly improved. His first goal for the club – under the stewardship of interim boss and former first team coach Michael Carrick – against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League group stage finale, certainly showed a player finally beginning to get into his groove. The 21-year-old was superb on the night as United ran out 2-0 winners in the east of Spain.
Since Ralf Rangnick’s arrival though, Sancho is not just starting to show why United so desperately coveted him for two years, but is also fast becoming one of the few leading lights the club can depend upon to make crucial difference in matches.
The goals and assists may not have arrived until recently but it was clear Sancho was finally getting into the swing of things, accumulating more minutes under his belt, regaining his confidence, Rangnick almost simplifying his game and the tactical freedom around him and he’s now showing more glimpses of why Manchester United paid so much money for him.
Reports within the club in November during his difficult period were positive, with many believing Sancho would finally come good as the season progressed and that he has.
Against Leeds United, the weather helped set the scene and tone for Sunday’s ensuing battle, with incessant heavy rain leaving parts of the pitch sodden, making the trudging through no man’s land to reach your opponent that bit heavier underfoot.
With Leeds defenders bursting with rage and steam streaming from their nostrils bearing down on him, Sancho often remained calm and composed when clipping a sumptuous first time cross onto the head of Bruno Fernandes, who could not miss to put United 2-0 up.
It was the theme throughout the match surrounding Sancho’s performance. While others were slipping and sliding in treacherous conditions, Sancho used it to his advantage gliding across the pitch with such unerring grace and confidence.
Sancho has worked himself into such positions to create openings on plentiful occasions this season, but failed to find that killer pass. Now, he finally had that first elusive Premier League assist, on his 14th start, to prove the 11 he recorded in the German top flight, and the 18 he laid on in all competitions last season were no fluke.
Though, all his good work were about to be undone in a matter of moments in the second-half. Manchester United these days are never comfortable at 2-0 up, if you need any reminders just ask Aston Villa.
Infact, in three of their previous four league games, they had failed to earn victory having been leading by one goal at the break but, they instead conceded two quick-fire goals in 59 seconds early in the second half to allow Leeds back into it, and give the fans around Elland Road hope they could grab all three points.
With pandemonium still ensuing, and emotional embraces lasting longer than when a son or daughter returns home from university for the first time after a long period away, the quality and grace of Jadon Sancho once again dragged his teammates out of the mire and set them on the road to a crucial success.
With options either side of him, the weight on the pass for substitute Fred was something that only the very best can produce, and the Brazilian made no mistake. It was game, set and match from then on in.
Sancho didn’t stop there though, almost laying on another for Anthony Elanga after one of the most stupendous mazy runs and trickery down the touchline to get past three Leeds United players, but Elanga could only fire Sancho’s finely weighted pass straight at Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal.
The Premier League is getting prepared for Jadon Sancho. It took a while but it’s coming.
Whenever Sancho is faced with creative decisions in an around the final third, he always delivers executing them with such wonderful composure, calmness and class that so few in Europe’s top-five leagues can match. It’s almost as if time stands still.
Sancho has now been involved in four goals in his last five games in all competitions – two goals and two assists – twice as many as he was in his first 23 appearances. He completed more progression actions (10) against Leeds than any other United player and he also made the third-most possession recoveries (9), only bettered by Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (11).
Credit must be given to Ralf Rangnick for providing Sancho with the tools and tactical freedom to express himself, almost unburdening him with needless responsibilities but ensuring he performs at maximum capacity.
The German discussed his extensively relationship with Sancho from former years before he chose to move to Borussia Dortmund and that bond and trust is certainly being reflected on the pitch.
In fact, in a matter of months Sancho ranks amongst the best for creativity in the final third amongst Rangnick’s crop of players.
So far this season, the former Dortmund wizard ranks 2nd for key passes per 90 (2.17), 2nd for passes into the penalty area (23), 2nd for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.20) (the two offensive actions leading to a shot, such as passes, dribbles and drawing fouls), he ranks 1st for progressive carries (140), carries into the final third (51) and 18-yard box (36). He’s also recorded the most successful dribbles (33) out of any United player too.
🏴👏 Jadon Sancho had 29 touches in the opposition’s area in February, only Raheem Sterling (33) and Mo Salah (35) managed more in the league. pic.twitter.com/sOqLrCDX5U
Whoever said Jadon Sancho isn’t making an impact at Old Trafford? The above numbers emphatically tells us he is. When United are in need of creativity in the final third, its not just Fernandes they are looking to, but Sancho also. The 21-year-old has almost lifted the creative burden off his Portuguese teammate.
The 21-year-old is playing with real style and confidence again, and it was only a matter of time and opportunity. With all the uncertainty, negative press and rumours engulfing the club in past couple months, Sancho has provided United fans with the hope and optimism that the future is indeed bright at Old Trafford.
From struggling to be considered for a starting berth a few months ago to being one of the first names on the team sheet. Rangnick was always going to look favourably on a player he knows so well from his time in Germany, but in this current form, he simply cannot ignore the man who should be front and centre of this up and coming United revolution.
West Ham United vs Newcastle United, Saturday 12:30PM
Newcastle United will be looking to make it FOUR Premier League wins on the bounce when they travel to the London Stadium to take on top-four chasing West Ham United.
Eddie Howe’s side, who are now four points off the relegation zone, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, while the Hammers played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
West Ham secured a point at Leicester last weekend courtesy of a last-gasp effort from Craig Dawson, who survived a handball shout to make it 2-2, with the Hammers moving onto 41 points for the season.
David Moyes’s side have been knocked out of the top four by Manchester United, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening, with the capital outfit currently fifth in the table, two points behind the Red Devils, while they are two points clear of sixth-placed Arsenal, who still have a considerable three games in hand.
Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh have two games in hand on West Ham, while eighth-placed Tottenham Hotspur have three, so the Hammers could find themselves sliding down the table over the next few weeks if they are unable to put some wins on the board.
Moyes’s team have back-to-back home league games against Newcastle and Wolves before heading to Southampton in the FA Cup, but they have lost two of their last four top-flight fixtures at London Stadium to Southampton and Leeds United, with the visitors scoring three times on each occasion.
The Hammers ran out 4-2 winners at Newcastle earlier this season, but they have actually lost three of their last five matches against the Magpies, including a 2-0 defeat at London Stadium last term.
Newcastle have turned a corner since losing 4-0 at home to Manchester City on December 19, with the Magpies unbeaten in their last five in the Premier League, drawing with Manchester United and Watford, in addition to beating Leeds United, Everton and Aston Villa.
The Magpies have won their last three in the league, including a 1-0 success at home to Aston Villa last weekend, with Kieran Trippier’s first-half free kick deciding the contest at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side are now out of the relegation zone, sitting 17th in the table, four points clear of 18th-placed Norwich City, while they have a game in hand on the Canaries.
Newcastle simply cannot afford relegation this season due to their lucrative takeover, and January signings Chris Wood, Trippier, Dan Burn and Matt Targett have all had a telling impact, but Bruno Guimaraes is still waiting to make his first start for the club, featuring off the bench against Everton and Aston Villa.
The Magpies have the second-worst away record in the league this season, picking up just six points from 10 matches, but confidence is growing at St James’ Park, and another positive result this weekend would lead them nicely into a huge fixture away to Brentford on February 26.
FUN FACT: Newcastle United are vying to earn three consecutive away league wins against West Ham for the first time.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:
West Ham United: WWLLWD
Newcastle United: LDDWWW
KEY MEN: Jarrod Bowen & Allan Saint-Maximin
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals; Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION: West Ham United 2-1 Newcastle United
Arsenal v Brentford, 3:00PM
Arsenal will be looking to boost their chances of a top-four finish as they welcome Brentford to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners will be seeking revenge against the Bees, who began life in the top flight with an impressive 2-0 home win over Mikel Arteta’s men at the Brentford Community Stadium on the opening night of the campaign.
Arsenal ended a five-game winless run across all competitions when they claimed a slender 1-0 victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Thursday night.
Despite Gabriel Martinelli’s controversial dismissal midway through the second half, after receiving two bookings in the space of a few seconds, a 25th-minute tap-in from Gabriel Magalhaes was enough to separate the two sides and help the Gunners secure their first three points of 2022.
Mikel Arteta’s men are now positioned sixth in the Premier League table, four points behind Manchester United in fourth but with three games in hand.
With no European competition or domestic cups to consider for the rest of the season, Arsenal will be solely focused on finishing in the top four, and with plenty of points still to play for, Arteta and co will be confident of fending off their rivals for a Champions League spot.
Saturday’s game against Brentford is the first in a run of eight fixtures the Gunners will have against teams outside the so-called top six; however, they cannot take the Bees lightly after suffering a surprise defeat in the reverse fixture in August.
Arsenal’s opening-day loss was the first of three consecutive setbacks at the beginning of the campaign, which saw Arteta’s men plummet to the foot of the table at the end of August. Since then, however, only Manchester City (18) and Liverpool (14) have won more top-flight games than the Gunners (12).
With Arsenal boasting an impressive 32-game unbeaten home record in the Premier League against promoted teams, they will fancy their chances of beating Brentford this weekend.
Brentford avoided a seventh successive defeat in all competitions when they played out a goalless draw at home against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Thomas Frank will have been pleased with his side’s solid defensive display, keeping their first clean sheet since a 1-0 win over Everton in November last year, but the Dane will be mightily aware that their form needs to improve quickly if they are to avoid slipping into a relegation battle.
The Bees currently sit 14th in the Premier League standings, seven points above the drop zone, but all six teams below them have at least one game in hand.
Brentford head to the Emirates this weekend after failing to win any of their last eight away matches in the top flight, including six defeats and two draws, and they have conceded at least twice in each game during this unwanted run.
After fond memories of facing the Gunners after their jubilant opening-day victory on home soil. Securing all three points again on Saturday would see the Bees become the first promoted team to complete the Premier League double over Arsenal since Blackburn Rovers in the 1992-93 campaign.
FUN FACT: Arsenal are unbeaten in their past 28 Premier League home matches kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday.
Two Premier League sides struggling for form and consistency will lock horns at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon as Aston Villa host Watford.
Steven Gerrard’s men will be seeking revenge against the Hornets, who secured a 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road in the reverse fixture on the opening day.
After a bright start to his reign as Aston Villa manager, winning four of his opening six matches, Gerrard has since endured a difficult spell, with his side claiming only the one win in their last seven across all competitions, including four defeats.
Their most recent disappointment came against a resurgent Newcastle United side, who secured a 1-0 win at St James’ Park courtesy of a Kieran Trippier free kick, which condemned Villa to their 12th Premier League defeat of the campaign.
Villa, who are currently positioned 12th in the table, are now sitting as many points behind the European places as they are above the relegation zone, with 10 points separating them from Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh and Norwich City in 18th.
Saturday’s game provides an opportunity for Villa to go back in with a small shout of claiming an unprecedented European spot or even a top table finish.
Villa, who are currently positioned 12th in the table, are now sitting as many points behind the European places as they are above the relegation zone, with 10 points separating them from Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh and Norwich City in 18th.
As a result, Aston Villa have only won two of their last eight league games on home soil.
Nevertheless, Villa will be confident of returning to winning ways against Watford, who they have only lost once against in their last nine home league meetings.
The swift appointment of Roy Hodgson is yet to reap any rewards as of yet, with the 74-year-old steering his new side to just one point from a possible nine available.
A goalless draw at Burnley and a narrow 1-0 loss at West Ham United were followed by a 2-0 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
Watford have now failed to score in their last four matches, including three under Hodgson, and have also failed to win any of their last 12 league games since beating Manchester United 4-1 in November, which is currently the longest winless run in the division.
After Newcastle United’s third win on the bounce, Watford now sit six points adrift of safety, having played the same number of games as the Magpies in 17th place.
Saturday’s fixture at Villa could boost some sort of morale as they have an impressive record against the Villans; the Hornets have won four of their last five league meetings against Villa, including a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture.
With tricky encounters against Man United and Arsenal soon to come, Hodgson will be keen to see his side claim maximum points this weekend and build much-needed momentum heading into the final third of the campaign.
FUN FACT: Nine Premier League wins for Roy Hodgson against Aston Villa – his best record against any side has faced in the English top-flight.
Still awaiting their first away victory of the season, basement club Burnley will travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Seagulls, meanwhile, have won only one of their last eight league home matches, and are yet to claim maximum points in front of their own fans in 2022.
Brighton’s seven-game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday night as they suffered an unfortunate 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford, after putting in an impressive first-half showing.
Graham Potter’s side remain in the top half of the Premier League, sitting ninth and only four points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh, who currently occupy the final European spot.
Brighton have established a reputation as draw specialists this season, with 12 already to their name – more than any other team in the division – but their first of seven victories this season came at Turf Moor against Burnley back in August, with Neal Maupay and Alexis Mac Allister scoring in the final 20 minutes to help the Seagulls win 2-1.
Eight of the last 12 league games between Brighton and Burnley have finished level, but Potter’s men will be hoping to complete their first league double over the Clarets since the 2012-13 Championship campaign.
Burnley extended their unwanted run without a Premier League win to 11 games when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at home against Liverpool last weekend.
Sean Dyche’s side remain at the foot of the table, with only one win from their 21 league matches, and they sit seven points adrift from safety, albeit with at least two games in hand on the three teams above them.
Plenty of positives can be taken from the two draws played out against both Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks, but with the likes of Newcastle United, Everton and Norwich City all turning a corner, Dyche’s men will soon need to turn those individual points into three if they are to keep pace and miraculously leapfrog their relegation rivals.
Burnley are one of only two teams in the top four tiers of English football without a league win away from home this season, along with Championship outfit Barnsley.
The Clarets have accumulated just five points from a possible 33 available on the road this season, which is the lowest of any team in the top flight, but having claimed eight points from their last five league visits to the Amex Stadium – including four draws and one win – Dyche’s side will be confident of a huge win this weekend.
FUN FACT: Neal Maupay needs just one more goal to overtake Glenn Murray as Brighton’s leading Premier League goalscorer.
Fresh from being crowned champions of the world for the first time in their history, Chelsea return to Premier League action with a London derby against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The match will be Chelsea’s first league outing in almost a month, but they take on a Palace side still without a win in 2022.
The Eagles have only won of their last 16 Premier League London derbies, and they head into Saturday’s match in growing need of a victory.
Patrick Vieira’s men have slipped down to 13th in the table having just taken three points from 15 available since the turn of the year.
Nine points still separate them from the relegation zone and so Palace will not be looking nervously over their shoulders just yet, but the improving form of many of those behind them has marginally increased the urgency to find some form.
Back-to-back draws against promoted duo Norwich City and Brentford – both of whom are below them in the table – would not have raised too much hope that they could push for a top-half finish, although Saturday’s showdown with Chelsea may hold cause for more optimism.
Two of Palace’s five wins this season have come against teams starting the day in the top four, with Vieira’s men having already toppled Tottenham and Man City this season.
Another victory on Saturday would see them win three games against top-four teams in a single top-flight campaign for the first time ever, although they go into the weekend having lost both Premier League home games so far this year.
The faltering form of those behind them means that Chelsea remain fairly comfortable in third place – six points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United with a game in hand – despite the Blues failing to win back-to-back league games since October.
Tuchel’s men have a chance to do just that on Saturday courtesy of their 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in their last Premier League match on January 23, since when they needed extra time to see off League One Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup before going on to win the Club World Cup.
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
That triumph over Tottenham was their first in five league games and only their third in 10 since December 1 – a run which includes defeat to West Ham in their last away London derby.
Having won their previous seven such matches before that, Chelsea now face the prospect of losing back-to-back top-flight London derbies on the road for the first time since December 2017, when incidentally they were beaten by Palace and West Ham in succession.
FUN FACT: Chelsea’s Premier League win rate of 76% versus Palace is the highest of any team to have played the same opponent at least 20 times.
Two teams at opposite ends of the Premier League table meet on Saturday when title-chasing Liverpool welcome relegation-threatened Norwich City to Anfield.
The Reds come into this match still unbeaten in all competitions this calendar year, but face a Norwich side whose survival hopes have been significantly boosted in recent weeks under Dean Smith.
The relentless pace and run set by Manchester City means that every Premier League game is effectively a must-win one for Liverpool right now, and particularly home games against struggling opposition.
Saturday will be the first time in 2022 that Jurgen Klopp’s men have played before Pep Guardiola’s side in the league, giving them the chance to crank up the pressure ever so slightly ahead of Man City’s match against Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s evening kickoff.
The Reds may be hopeful of a favour from a Spurs side that has already beaten Man City this season, but first they must hold up their end of the bargain to close the gap on the leaders to six points – if only temporarily.
Liverpool’s game in hand, as well as the fact that they still have to face Man City, offer them hope in the title race, but they will know that they can ill-afford any slip-ups against the likes of Norwich, whom Man City hammered 4-0 at Carrow Road just last weekend.
The form book does not show many signs of such a slip-up, though; Liverpool are unbeaten in their 10 matches across all competitions since the turn of the year, winning eight of those including a stunning 2-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro in the first leg of their round of 16 tie in midweek.
The Reds cannot afford to let their minds begin to drift towards an EFL Cup final date with Chelsea at the end of the month just yet, and despite being firm favourites for Saturday’s match, Klopp will not allow them to underestimate an improving Norwich side.
For much of the season Norwich have been regarded by many as sure-fire relegation fodder, but seven points from the last 12 on offer have catapulted them off the bottom of the table and up to 18th.
Four points still separate them from safety, and they have played more games than all of the teams around them in the table, but recent victories over Everton and Watford – doubling their tally of wins for the season – have at least offered a serious glimmer of hope.
The 3-0 Watford win was particularly remarkable for a number of reasons, not least as it accounted for half of their measly six-goal tally away from home this season, although they are still the division’s lowest scorers this season with just 14 from their 24 games – not ideal when coming up against a side on a run of three clean sheets in a row.
It also gives Norwich the chance to win back-to-back Premier League away games for the first time in more than a decade, although achieving that at Anfield would take a seismic shock considering the Reds are unbeaten in their last 15 home league games, winning the last six in a row by an aggregate score of 17-1.
Norwich themselves have only won one of their last 12 league visits to Anfield, with that coming all the way back in 1994, while they have also won just one of their last 25 away top-flight games against teams in the top three of the table.
Across all competitions Norwich have now won three of their last four away games, so there are signs of improvement on the road for the Canaries.
FUN FACT: Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has five goal involvements in his past four games against Norwich City (3 goals, 2 assists).
Frank Lampard will be bidding to make it back-to-back Premier League wins as Everton boss when the Toffees make the trip to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon to take on Southampton.
Everton currently sit 16th in the table, boasting 22 points from 22 matches, while an improving Southampton are 10th, having picked up 29 points from their 24 league fixtures this season.
Southampton have been excellent in their last three Premier League matches, holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw on January 22 before winning 3-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur on February 9.
The Saints then picked up a point away to Manchester United last weekend, with Che Adams cancelling out an effort from Jadon Sancho, and the result moved the club onto 29 points, which has left them in 10th position in the table, four points behind ninth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have only lost seven of their 24 league games this term, drawing 11 times in the process, and they will need to start turning some of those stalemates into victories if they are to finish in the top half of the division this term.
Southampton have won three, drawn seven and lost one of their 11 home Premier League matches this season, and they will be taking on an Everton side with the third-worst away record, with the Toffees picking up just six points from their 11 matches on the road.
The Saints actually now have three straight home matches, facing Everton and Norwich City in the league before welcoming West Ham United in the FA Cup at the start of February, and the team appear to be finding their best form at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Everton, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 3-0 win over Leeds last weekend.
Lampard has managed two wins from his three matches in charge, overcoming Brentford in the FA Cup on February 5 before losing at Newcastle United three days later, so the victory over Leeds last time out was crucial, particularly as the Toffees have a tough run of matches ahead.
Indeed, the Merseyside giants will face Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next three league fixtures after this one, while they will take on Boreham Wood in the FA Cup at the start of next month.
A record of six wins, four draws and 12 defeats from 22 matches has left Everton in 16th position in the table on 22 points, just five points clear of the relegation zone, but they have two games in hand over 18th-placed Norwich, and another victory in this match would place them in a strong position.
The Toffees have won their last two Premier League games against Southampton, including a 3-1 victory in the reverse match earlier this season, but they lost 2-0 at St Mary’s last term.
FUN FACT: Everton forward Richarlison has scored five goals in his past six Premier League games against Southampton.
Everton: Pickford (GK); Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Allan, Van de Beek, Gordon; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
SCORE PREDICTION: Southampton 2-2 Everton
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur, 5:30PM
Manchester City will be looking to further strengthen their grip on top spot in the Premier League table when they welcome a faltering Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Citizens are currently nine points clear of Liverpool at the summit, while Tottenham occupy eight position, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Man City all but secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of a stunning performance away to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, running out 5-0 winners in the first leg of their last-16 tie, with Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling on the scoresheet.
The Citizens are also chasing FA Cup success this term, preparing to travel to Peterborough United in the fifth round of the competition at the start of March, while they are in a strong position to retain the Premier League title, sitting top of the pile with 63 points from 25 matches.
Pep Guardiola’s side are nine points ahead of second-placed Liverpool, but the Reds do have a game in hand, so the champions cannot afford to take their eye off the ball and will be fired up to collect all three points against Antonio Conte’s team in Saturday’s late start.
Man City are unbeaten in the league since the end of October, winning 14 of their last 15 matches, which is a staggering run of form at this level of football, and they have been defensively excellent for much of the campaign, conceding just 14 times, which is the best record in the division.
The English champions lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the reverse match in North London earlier this season, but they have the best home record in England’s top flight this term, picking up 31 points from 12 matches, recording victories in 10 of their 12 matches at the Etihad Stadium.
Tottenham will be the underdogs heading into this weekend’s contest, but the capital side have won three of their last four Premier League matches against Man City, with each of the victories coming in London.
Spurs have not overcome the Citizens in Manchester since February 2016, and they will enter this match off the back of defeats in their last three Premier League games, losing at Chelsea on January 23 before home reverses to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Antonio Conte’s side currently sit eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Man United, but they have three games in hand on the Red Devils, so a top-four finish is certainly still achievable, even if their recent form has been disappointing.
Tottenham have scored just 28 Premier League goals this season, though, with Harry Kane, who was denied a big-money switch to the Etihad Stadium last summer, finding the back of the net on just five occasions
Recent comments from Conte will not have helped improve the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and there is certainly a possibility that the Italian could walk away from the club in the coming months, particularly if their form does not improve, but a positive result this weekend could be a springboard for the rest of their season.
FUN FACT: Tottenham’s Harry Kane has failed to score in nine appearances in all competitions against Manchester City since Pep Guardiola took over – his worst record against the 30 teams he has scored against in the Premier League.
LEAGUE FORM:
Manchester City: WWWDWW
Tottenham: DWWLLL
KEY MEN: Raheem Sterling & Harry Kane
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Manchester City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Leeds United v Manchester United, Sunday 2:00PM
Manchester United will be bidding to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to Elland Road on Sunday afternoon to take on Leeds United.
The Red Devils are currently fourth in the table, two points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United, while Leeds sit 15th, six points clear of the relegation zone heading into the next set of fixtures.
Leeds have won five, drawn eight and lost 10 of their 23 Premier League matches this season to collect 23 points, which has left them in 15th spot in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone.
The Whites were excellent on their return to this level last season, finishing in ninth position, but there is no question that they have found it tougher this term, and Leeds are one of the teams that will be looking over their shoulder, especially with Everton and Newcastle United showing signs of improvement.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side won back-to-back league games against Burnley and West Ham last month but have picked up just one point from the last nine available, drawing with Aston Villa either side of a home defeat to Newcastle and away loss to Everton.
Leeds now have three straight league matches against Man United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, and they will be desperate to get one over on the Red Devils, who ran out 5-1 winners in the reverse match at Old Trafford back in August, but the points were shared in a goalless draw at Elland Road last term.
Dan James comes up against his former club Manchester United – whom he left last summer.
The Whites have struggled at home this term, picking up just 13 points from 11 matches, which is the fourth-worst record in the division, while they have won just one of their last four league fixtures at Elland Road, losing at home to Newcastle in their last clash in front of their own fans on January 22.
Man United, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes on the scoresheet at Old Trafford, and the win moved the Red Devils back above West Ham into fourth spot in the table.
Reports of unrest in the camp continue to emerge, but interim head coach Ralf Rangnick has strongly insisted that there is a good atmosphere in the dressing room, while Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire, who will remain as club captain despite recent suggestions, have taken to social media to deny that there are issues.
The Red Devils were disappointingly knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough earlier this month but still have plenty to fight for this term, battling for a top-four position in the league, while they will travel to Atletico Madrid next week for the first leg of their last-16 clash in the Champions League.
(Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Man United are unbeaten in their last six league matches, winning three of their last five, while they have not lost away from home in England’s top flight since the 4-1 reverse at Watford on November 20, which saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lose his job as head coach.
The 20-time English champions will know the importance of picking up another victory here, as they are not only battling West Ham for fourth, with Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham also very much in the argument during a crucial stage of the campaign.
FUN FACT: Former Manchester United winger Dan James can become the first player to score a Premier League goal in this fixture for both clubs.
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Fernandes, McTominay, Pogba; Rashford, Ronaldo, Sancho
SCORE PREDICTION: Leeds United 1-3 Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City, Sunday 4:30PM
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be bidding to continue their push towards an unprecedented top-four place in the Premier League when they host Leicester City at the Molineux on Sunday afternoon.
The home side sit seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with two games in hand, while Leicester sit 11th, 10 points behind their opponents in this match.
Wolves are not being mentioned by too many as candidates to finish in the top four, with Man United, Arsenal, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur seemingly battling for a Champions League position.
However, Bruno Lage’s side are in a strong position in the table, sitting seventh on 37 points, just six points behind fourth-placed Man United with two games in hand, and they appear to be finding their best form at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Wolves disappointingly lost at home to Arsenal on February 10, but that is their only defeat in the Premier League since December 11, winning five of their last seven, including four of their last five, beating Man United, Southampton, Brentford and Tottenham since the turn of the year.
Lage’s team were excellent against Tottenham last Sunday, scoring through Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker to register a two-goal victory in North London, and they will now be bidding to record their 12th victory of the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Wolves have been much better on their travels this term, though, boasting just the 15th-best home record in the Premier League, while they have scored just eight times at Molineux in the league this term.
Leicester were expected to challenge for a top-four spot this season, but that has not been the case, with the Foxes struggling for consistency for much of the campaign, currently sitting down in 11th position.
The Foxes have won seven, drawn six and lost nine of their 22 league matches to collect 27 points, which has left them 16 points off the top four, while they are 10 points behind their opponents in this match.
Brendan Rodgers’s side came extremely close to picking up what would have been a morale-boosting three points at home to West Ham last Sunday, but Craig Dawson levelled the scores in the final exchanges, with the points being shared in a 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester have therefore not won in the league since overcoming Liverpool on December 28, picking up just two points from their last four matches against Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and West Ham.
However, the Foxes will enter this contest off the back of a positive result, having recorded a 4-1 victory over Randers in the first leg of their Europa Conference League knockout round playoff clash on Thursday.
FUN FACT: Wolves have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 12 league matches, dating back to a 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in November.
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