This weekend’s headline Premier League fixture sees Manchester City take on Liverpool in a clash that could have a big impact on the early title race. City enter the game second with 19 points, while Liverpool sit just behind on 18, having regained momentum following a five-game winless streak across...
The opening three gameweeks of the Premier League delivered some fascinating fixtures, one of which took place at St. James’ Park as Newcastle United hosted Liverpool in one of the highlights of the season so far. The reigning champions secured a hard-fought victory in the dying moments. However, the home...
After lifting the 2024/2025 Premier League title, Liverpool entered the summer transfer window with an unmistakable sense of ambition. Under new tactical leadership, the Reds were not merely content to defend their crown; they were intent on refining and reinforcing their squad to maintain both domestic and European dominance. This...
Watford have completed the signing of 19-year-old Australian winger Nestory Irankunda from German giants Bayern Munich. The move was concluded for a final fee of €3m, with a buy-back clause and a 50% sell-on fee. The initial figure from Watford and the buy-back clause from FC Bayern signal how highly the...
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have revolutionised the full-back game within the Premier League. The pairing has defined an era for Liverpool, personifying the high-pressing, attacking style that former manager Jürgen Klopp adored. However, the time has now come for new pastures. Trent leaves for Real Madrid on a free...
Now it’s finally official: Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint as Real Madrid manager has come to an end, and former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso will replace him. It has been an open secret for over a year that Florentino Perez wanted his former player to be the next Real Madrid manager. With the current season...
In the 2023/2024 season, Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title. They took the world by storm by not losing a single game until the UEFA Europa League final that term. They were that close to an undefeated treble. During that season, many players from the squad received much-deserved world attention,...
Despite currently enjoying an eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, putting them on the path to a record-extending 34th German championship, Bayern Munich were unable to break their Bayer Leverkusen hoodoo on the domestic scene from last season in their direct battles. With both league fixtures for the...
While the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, they have not reached the same round in the UEFA European Championships since 2008 – they failed to earn qualification at all for the 2016 Euros and were dumped out at the round of 16 in the 2020...
Throughout the history of football tactics, certain coaches are synonymous with back-three systems. Helenio Herrera famously deployed a 5-3-2 system during the 1960s with great success at Inter, winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups during those glory years. Carlos Billardo was famed for using a 3-5-2 with...
Jeremie Frimpong is a product of the Man City youth academy, which already raises expectations slightly for any player. The 21-year-old Dutch wing-back has had a crazy past 18 months. After two years in the Scottish Premiership at Celtic, he moved to UEFA Champions League side Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of...
Bayer Leverkusen were more active in the winter transfer period than many European teams. Timothy Fosu-Mensah from Manchester United and Demarai Gray from Leicester City were signed from the Premier League, while Jeremie Frimpong was purchased from the Scottish Premiership. Frimpong was the most expensive acquisition – on the longest...
Celtic have dominated their domestic league for the last decade. Winning the league offers the chance to compete at top European competitions. However, to compete at the European stage, Celtic had to bring in quality players at a relatively low price, which met their tight budget constraints. Between 2010 and...
