It seems that in recent times, football and controversy go perfectly hand in hand, from the dubious decisions made by VAR to the havoc caused by the pandemic.
The events of the last seven days were no different and have not only caused uproar amongst supporters, but some would argue that it made a mockery of the system in which determines when a match should be re-arranged.
Just two days prior to the original date of the fixture, Liverpool submitted an application for the postponement of the first-leg due to a suspected COVID-19 outbreak amongst the coaching staff and players.
However, this week’s hosts were reportedly unwilling to inform the English Football League which players had been affected by a positive case or even how many they had, and as a result, the governing body made the decision to push the fixture back a week.
The Reds’ training facilities at the AXA Training Centre were subsequently closed at the time of the appeal, and once the news broke that they had been successful in their attempts, it was re-opened just two days later.
Surprisingly, their Third Round FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town was still able to take place, despite it being played under 72 hours after when they were due to take on Arsenal.
After Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Shrewsbury on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp revealed a shock admission in his post-match press conference.
‘We had last week a proper outbreak and it showed up that we had a lot of false positives but the rules are like they are, so all these players who are false positives couldn’t play,” said the German coach.
“The only real positive came from Trent Alexander-Arnold and all the rest were false positives.”
Despite the unusual circumstances, the EFL stand by the fact that the Merseyside club submitted enough evidence to justify their decision and the rumours of them opening an investigation into the matter have been put to bed.
As a result of the changes, the fixtures have been flipped with the Gunners now playing the first-leg away and the second-leg at home.
Both sides will be hoping to book their place in the final with their opponents looking likely to be Chelsea following the Blues’ 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge over London rivals Tottenham last Wednesday.
However, Arsenal will need to improve upon their performance after the Gunners’ poor display against Nottingham Forest saw them crash out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been struggling with injuries and COVID-19 cases themselves with Granit Xhaka and the recently departed Florian Balogun both missing the last game due to the virus. Key players like Takehiro Tomiyasu and Emile Smith Rowe were also unavailable as a result of a tight groin and tight right calf respectively.
Not only this, but a combination of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny leaving for the African Cup of Nations and allowing Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join AS Roma on loan, means Arteta finds himself in somewhat of a crisis in central midfield.
Last time out, the Spaniard opted to play 18-year-old academy prospect, Charlie Patino, alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga, however unsurprisingly the pair struggled due to their inexperience.
It is extremely unlikely that a replacement is brought in between now and the first-leg, but perhaps the Spanish manager will be hopeful that Xhaka is back available for the important top-four clash with rivals Tottenham at the weekend.
Jurgen Klopp will also be without a number of key names as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are all away at AFCON while Thiago Alcantara will miss out with a hip injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be unavailable due to testing positive for COVID-19.
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After six qualifying games ahead of next year’s World Cup in Qatar, it couldn’t have gone any smoother for Gareth Southgate’s men, which some may have expected. When the draw for Group I was made, England were the favourites to finish top and that certainly hasn’t changed after their convincing displays.
The Three Lions enter matchday seven having won five of their six fixtures and remain unbeaten having come through arguably their toughest test away to Poland last month unscathed. As a result, they are currently in pole position to claim automatic qualification, sitting four points above second-place Albania and five clear of Poland in third.
Finding the back of the net hasn’t been hard to come by either for the visitors, as they’ve managed to score 18 times while only conceding twice across the six games, making their goal difference largely superior to the rest of the group.
During previous qualifying campaigns, England haven’t always had the same level of resilience in defence that supporters have become accustomed to seeing this time around, but it appears Southgate’s side are reaping the rewards from a successful tournament at EURO 2020.
Last summer allowed the 51-year-old to not only establish his preferred starting 11 but pick them on a consistent basis which appears to have brought cohesion to the group, especially to the back four as this seems to be contributing to their recent run of form.
For Andorra, the situation doesn’t look quite as promising as they sit second from bottom, having lost five times with their only victory coming against San Marino. Koldo Alvarez’s team have struggled with a familiar theme at the top of the pitch, as their four goals during qualifying thus far, has proved problematic in picking up points on a consistent basis.
The hosts will also be without three key players when England visit at the weekend with Albert Alavedra, Marcio Vieira and Moises San Nicolas missing out due to an accumulation of yellow cards. The trio have been a mainstay within the Andorra system throughout qualifying and all started their last match against Hungary in which they narrowly lost 2-1.
Similarly, for England, they are expected to make a number of changes with their position in the group and the tough artificial pitch being key components in the decision. They are already missing multiple players through injuries such as Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Reece James and Kalvin Phillips, therefore Southgate will be hoping to come away without adding to the problem.
Aaron Ramsdale, who has endured a fine start to life at Arsenal, could be in line for his first appearance at international level while Fikayo Tomori could also feature for the first time since November 2019 following an impressive start to the season in Italy with AC Milan.
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Sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend that Bellingham is just 18 years-old, especially when he’s the one making the difference on important European nights, and displaying a level of maturity on the pitch that some players will never reach.
When he first arrived in Dortmund just over a year ago in a £25 million move from boyhood club Birmingham City, his combination of natural talent and physical prowess was clear to see, albeit quite raw. However, in such a short period of time, the teenager’s development has accelerated drastically, and it could be pinpointed to the fact that the club put a huge amount of faith into their youth.
As we’ve seen in the past, most notably with Jadon Sancho, many young Englishmen have taken the step to play in Germany at a crucial stage in their careers, in order to gain valuable experience while training and learning from some of the world’s best players.
It also provides them with the platform of the Bundesliga, and in Dortmund’s case, the Champions League to showcase their talent and challenge themselves in some of football’s most prestigious competitions. For Bellingham, this decision to take the next step and test himself at a higher level certainly won’t be one he regrets.
He’s always had the fundamental qualities to succeed, as his blend of height, intelligence, vision and skillfulness makes him the epitome of a modern-day box-to-box midfielder.
Couple that with his renowned willingness to learn and professional attitude, Bellingham’s future has never been out of his own hands, however, it was about finding an environment that can nurture his talent while allowing him to express himself.
That place is definitely at Dortmund and his performance on Wednesday night against Besiktas proved it. In the opening exchanges, the hosts were the team that took the initiative in the game and almost went ahead in the fifth minute.
Miralem Pjanic found fellow new signing Michy Batshuayi in the area, in which the latter chested the ball down and unleashed a fierce effort towards goal. Gregor Kobel sprawled himself to his right-hand side to produce an incredible save to deny the Belgian and to stop his side from going 1-0 down.
After weathering the storm in the early stages, Dortmund gradually grew into the game and took the lead after 20 minutes. As we’ve seen before, it was Bellingham who took control of proceedings, as his clever late run into the box was found by Thomas Meunier, in which he applied the finish to match.
One touch with his chest which took the ball away from the defender was followed by an even better second, when he drove his low shot through the legs of Ersin Destanoğlu from a tight angle, to put the visitors in control.
Chances weren’t hard to come by for Marco Rose’s men after the opener, with Erling Haaland and Marco Reus squandering a couple which would usually see the net bulging, however on the stroke of half-time that changed when Bellingham provided another moment of quality to set up his Norwegian teammate.
Raphaël Guerreiro’s quick throw-in found the 18-year-old just inside the Besiktas area, in which he took the ball in his stride and effortlessly glided around Welinton as if he wasn’t there, before scanning his options to pick out an unmarked Haaland in the six-yard box for an easy tap-in.
It was an assist that truly summarised Bellingham’s game, showcasing the elegance he possesses on the ball to easily beat his marker, followed by the composure and awareness in order to find the correct pass. Heading into the break, Dortmund were 2-0 up courtesy of the brilliance of their number 22.
In the second 45 minutes, the dynamic changed with the emphasis on the home team to be brave in possession, in the hope of getting back into the game. Dortmund naturally sat deeper as they looked to preserve their two-goal advantage and only ventured forward when the time was right.
They nearly made it three when Haaland and Bellingham combined again on the counter, with the striker opting to thread the Englishman in behind on this occasion. The midfielder sat down Francisco Montero with some close control and then cut back inside onto his weaker left-foot past Valentin Rosier, creating the space for an effort that was well saved.
Moments prior to being substituted with 20 minutes left to play, Bellingham highlighted another facet of his game, which was crucial for Dortmund especially as they were up against it. Besiktas left-back, Fabrice Nsakala, attempted to take the youngster on in the area before trying his luck from distance, however, Bellingham tracked him all the way and threw his body on the line to block it out for a corner.
The Turkish side were able to pull one back just before the final whistle when Pjanic’s set-piece was met by Montero to head home from close-range, although, in the end, it turned out to be nothing but a consolation as Dortmund ran out 2-1 winners.
For someone so young, Bellingham’s game is so well-rounded and if this display has taught us something, it’s that Dortmund have a potential superstar on their hands.
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“This will be an interesting game to draw conclusions about where we are,” Barca manager Ronald Koeman said before the game. The outcome was as many expected, Barcelona are far from the team they once were during the Lionel Messi era, and a triumph in the Champions League looks further away than ever.
Bayern were simply levels above the Spanish outfit, as their tactical understanding of the system and pure technical quality shone through, even on a night where they were uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal and hardly got out of first gear.
Granted, the comparison between the sides has to consider how far into the project both managers are, as well as the resources they’ve had available. Julian Nagelsmann took over in Bavaria off the back of Hansi Flick’s fine work in building a side which were crowned Champions of Europe just over a year ago and had won the previous nine Bundesliga titles.
Whereas Koeman inherited an ageing squad, with many key players coming to the end of their illustrious careers, along with huge financial constraints in the transfer market to replace them. Not to mention the loss of their greatest ever player and top scorer, as a result of the same issues.
Despite failing to register a shot on target during a game in the Champions League for the first time in their history, there was one positive for Barcelona to take from this game. 13 months ago in the same fixture they were outclassed in an 8-2 defeat, but this time it was only three.
It’s statistics such as this one that truly put it into perspective not only where they stand as a club, but how much effort it’s going to take in order to be competing with Europe’s elite again. The standards have fallen drastically in recent times, so much so that this can be considered as an improvement, and a step in the right direction.
Much like in the previous victory at Camp Nou for Bayern there was one player that stood out from the rest and that was Lewandowski.
For large spells in the first half, it felt like the Poland international was on the periphery of the game, as he was tasked with the role of occupying the three Barcelona centre-backs. However, his lack of involvement in the build-up didn’t stop him from looking like he was going to get on the scoresheet, as he threatened in behind on a couple of occasions.
Joshua Kimmich’s deft chipped through ball found Lewandowski just inside the area, where he was met by the two hands of Ronald Araujo in the back, which knocked him off balance. On second inspection, the challenge was rash and could have been deemed a foul, if it wasn’t for the striker’s persistence to stay on his feet.
Although no notable shot came from the opportunity, it provided a warning sign for the hosts. Moments later, Jamal Musiala received the ball in space, allowing him to drive towards goal before attempting to slot Lewandowski through on goal.
Unfortunately, the pass was slightly overhit and forced him towards the touchline, but what came after proved the quality that Bayern’s number nine possesses. His first touch helped keep the ball in play, then his second left the onrushing Jordi Alba on the turf, as he was able to chop the ball back inside to evade the challenge.
It was executed in one smooth motion and followed by a teasing cross into the box to match, but none of his teammates were on the same wavelength this time. As the game approached half-time, it was Bayern’s other deadly attacker that made the breakthrough, as Thomas Muller’s long-range strike beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Leroy Sane prodded the ball into the path of the German, allowing him to line one up from distance. His effort deflected heavily off Eric Garcia into the back of the net following the youngster’s decision to turn his back on the play. For all their dominance, the match was still in the balance heading into the break, however, Barcelona’s hope was short-lived.
Once again, Lewandowski was at the heart of everything positive coming from the visitors, as this time he almost turned provider for Sane. With Gerard Pique always in close proximity, the 33-year-old utilised the space in front of him, in order to act as Bayern’s springboard while attacking.
One glance over his shoulder prior to receiving the ball meant he had already identified the space, before returning it back into the path of the winger. Sane used his quick feet to create some room for a shot but was unable to supply the finishing touch to beat his fellow compatriot in goal.
In the 56th minute, Bayern doubled their advantage through Lewandowski when he was the first to come alive in the box, following Musiala’s shot coming back off the post. The teenager’s half-volley on the edge of the area looked to have beaten ter Stegen, however as it crashed back off the woodwork, the forward instinctively finished into an empty net to make it 2-0.
Even when the game was out of sight, the away side’s relentless press continued to suffocate Barcelona deeper into their own half, and ultimately led to the final goal of the night. Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman harried Yusuf Demir out of possession with the latter proceeding to pick out his fellow substitute, Serge Gnabry, with an accurate through-ball.
Gnabry’s low effort rebounded back off the post, where Bayern’s talisman was first on hand to mop up the second phase again. Lewandowski had the composure to cut back onto his weaker left foot, sitting down Pique in the process, before unleashing his shot into the goal to wrap up a 3-0 victory.
It was another fine performance from the German side in the Champions League during recent years and this campaign they will be hoping to go all the way for the seventh time in their history. If they are to do so and Lewandowski continues his incredible form, is it about time we all considered him as the favourite for the Ballon d’Or?
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It appears that for sometime, Depay has been seriously underrated by the footballing world, whether that was due to his underwhelming spell in England clouding people’s judgement or the stigma surrounding the quality of opposition in France, it remains unclear.
The past couple of years haven’t been plain sailing for Barcelona’s new talisman, as towards the back-end of 2019 he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which kept him on the sidelines for 198 days. Even though this type of injury seems to be more common in the modern game, not everyone comes back from it stronger than before.
Many of football’s elite have struggled to find their prior form, as although their bodies may make full recoveries, the mental side of such a traumatic experience can affect performances in the long-term.
However since his comeback Depay looks to be an anomaly to that theory, as the forward’s numbers have gone up to another level, with his 42 goals and assists in 38 games during 2021 firmly putting him in the conversation when speaking about the top attackers in Europe.
On Tuesday night, that was no different. The 27-year-old once again showcased his refined skill-set as the Netherlands went top of Group G, above Norway on goal difference, in the hunt for World Cup qualification.
“I’m happy, but I expect more from myself. People think that I’m always floating and that everything is going well,” Depay said after the game.
“I’m important and threatening, I always will be, whatever happens. I thought it was a great evening with a great atmosphere, I hope everyone enjoyed it.”
This was Depay’s verdict from an evening which saw him contribute to four goals in the form of his first international hat-trick, that took him above Wesley Sneijder in the goal scoring charts, and level with the legendary Johan Cruyff.
Not to mention the clever flick which provided the assist for the opener, most strikers would be delighted with that in one night’s work, however it gives an insight into the mentality of a player gunning to gain the recognition he deserves.
Vision, dribbling, link-up play and finishing were all on display throughout the game and frankly the Dutchman looked a level above his opposition from the first whistle.
Under a minute into proceedings, the hosts won the ball back high into Turkey’s third, with Steven Berghuis having the composure to lift his head and find the unmarked Davy Klaassen in the area. The midfielder found Depay with a clever back-heel flick, in which he returned the favour with his first-touch, to create an opening for a shot.
With little room to operate in and with his back to goal, the weight of pass from the striker was sublime as it allowed Klaassen to pick his spot in the far corner, all without breaking stride. With the home support behind them along with an early lead Van Gaal’s men could smell blood and quickly went chasing the second goal.
One feature of Depay’s game which was apparent throughout, is his willingness to drop deep in order to influence the build-up, which is how the second goal came into fruition. All elite attacking players have to be aware of their surroundings on the pitch, to utilise the spaces so they can create overloads, and that’s an aspect he excels in.
One quick glance over his shoulder allowed him to receive the ball in the pocket and play a first-time flick into the path of Klaassen. The pairs understanding during the game was key, as they appeared to possess the same level of innovation in their play, which in turn led to the latter returning the ball back into the path of Depay with an astute through pass.
In one motion, he controlled the ball and swept home his effort low down to the keepers left-hand side, to double the Dutch’s advantage. It was a move that boasted such fluidity along with a composed finish to match and highlighted just how confident he is in his own ability.
That confidence slowly turned into an air of arrogance for the third goal, after Klaassen broke into the box and was fouled by Caglar Soyuncu for a penalty. Depay stepped up to the spot, as he always does for the national team, and audaciously executed a panenka penalty to claim his second of the night.
Matters went from bad to worse for a Turkish team undoubtedly in turmoil after their poor showing at Euro 2020, when the hosts’ talisman was involved again, spinning Soyuncu on the half-way line which forced the centre-back to bring him down for a second yellow card.
Quickly after the break, it was clear to see that the Dutch weren’t finished there, as they looked to improve upon their goal difference. In the 54th minute they did just that, when Berghuis found Depay in the six-yard box for a simple tap-in.
A cross field switch from Steven Bergwijn to his counterpart on the right allowed him to head the ball back into the six-yard box for Depay to cushion home for his hat-trick. The first two strikes flaunted his imagination, flair and quality, however this goal was the definition of a poachers finish.
With little time to assess the situation, Depay was able to identify the space and time his run into the six-yard box without straying offside, which is a quality that shouldn’t be underestimated when attempting to find the back of the net.
The top forwards in the world pride themselves off these type of goals, as although they aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, they require intelligence in and around the box to execute. His movement is another facet to his game that is constantly evolving and could be seen as one of the main factors as to why his numbers have improved so drastically in the past 12 months.
Although his goal involvements were done for the evening after this, it didn’t stop his teammates from getting in on the act. Young midfielder Guus Til got his name on the scoresheet for the first time for his country and substitute striker Donyell Malen rounded off proceedings with a clinical finish two minutes from full-time.
Cenzig Under was able to give the 10-men of Turkey a consolation goal after an awful mix-up at the back from Virgil Van Dijk and goalkeeper Justin Bijlow allowed him to roll the ball into an empty net to make it 6-1.
If Depay’s performance against Turkey has taught us one thing, it’s that he is currently one of the most underrated players in Europe right now.
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One aspect of Lukaku’s game that has never been doubted is his natural ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
As we’ve seen during his previous spells in England, no matter what system he is deployed in, he’s a striker that is not only the focal point of the attack but also one who can be relied on to carry the burden of scoring goals. Whether it was for a struggling West Brom side, where chances came at a premium, or at Manchester United with the pressure almost intangible at times, his numbers were always admirable.
Lukaku may not have been viewed as someone who was aesthetically pleasing to watch, but he was certainly effective. The Belgian’s robust style often meant that he could bully opposition defenders, in one of the most physical leagues in the world, and his clever movement turned him into a player not many teams wanted to face.
However, perhaps the biggest defect which was holding him up from becoming the complete striker was his capability to bring others into the game through intricate passes and link the midfield to the attack.
The 28-year-old’s journey hasn’t always been the smoothest in the Premier League, but the valuable lessons which he learned at a crucial period in his development, will undoubtedly mean that he reaps the rewards during his second spell at Chelsea.
For all the positives these experiences gave him, there’s one that cannot be underestimated. His Belgium national team coach, Roberto Martinez, is convinced that his time in Italy with Inter Milan has played a huge part in his growth as a player.
If one statistic could signify the improvement he’s made in the weakest facet of his game, it’s that nobody made more assists from open play in the Serie A last season. Granted, out of his 11 assists, a number of them could be seen as passes which any striker is expected to make, but it’s the reasons behind why he’s now creating so many chances which are fascinating.
Italian football is renowned for its slow pace, with many sides favouring a possession-based style, therefore it’s rare to see a free-flowing counter-attack which we’ve become so accustomed to in the Premier League. As a result, having players that are secure with the ball is vital, and this would have been something that Lukaku worked religiously at under Antonio Conte.
This skill is harder to master than it may look, as being assured in possession could result in playing the simple pass every time, but chances often can’t be created without taking risks. It’s finding that balance which Lukaku managed so effectively during his time at Inter and one which will undoubtedly see him continue to improve in the years to come as this attribute becomes more refined.
The emphasis on the tactical side of the game could be seen as more important in Italy as well, with regular viewers of the league often relating fixtures to a game of chess. Throughout his two seasons there, it’s helped to enhance his understanding of the position not only in an attacking sense but a defensive one as well which is crucial in order to have an impact in the Premier League.
Despite a successful first six months under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, in which the Blues won the Champions League for only the second time in the club’s history, there was one glaring weakness within their system.
Chances were being fashioned on a regular basis, as the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz were given the freedom to thrive in the final third, due to the security which playing with an extra centre-back provided. The addition of Lukaku will only mean Chelsea improve in this aspect, however, last season they didn’t have a consistent source of goals.
Thus far we haven’t had the opportunity to watch the Belgian over a long period in his new team, but if his performance against Arsenal is anything to go by, the Blues could go all the way in the Premier League this term.
When tasked with the role of occupying Arsenal’s centre-backs, Pablo Mari and Rob Holding, he acted as the perfect springboard for Chelsea’s counterattacks with his decisiveness in the final third standing out. Whether it was firm, first-time passes into the other attacking flair or if he decided to turn and run towards goal, everything was done with authority.
He looked like a player confident in his own ability and executed the game-plan with an air of arrogance about him. During the first 15 minutes, the away side weren’t completely in control of the game at the Emirates, but the deadlock was swiftly broken after Lukaku showcased his new blend of awareness and movement.
A quick one-two with Mateo Kovacic opened up the picture and allowed the midfielder to find the onrushing Recce James on the right-wing. The Englishman took the ball in his stride and had the simplest of tasks to roll his cross into the unmarked forward for an easy tap-in.
Although the finish may well turn out to be one of the most straightforward this season for Chelsea’s new man, the buildup to that point will fill the supporters with hope, as it looked as if Lukaku had been a part of the team for many years.
Later in the half, Tuchel’s men doubled their advantage, and despite his impact not being as influential in this goal, it was still vital. The Belgian’s willingness to drop deep and suck the defenders out of position was causing confusion along the Arsenal backline, as they weren’t sure whether to follow him into the space.
In turn, it gifted Mount the freedom to operate in the pocket behind him, along with all the time in the world to pick out James again down the right. This time, the 21-year-old didn’t look up for a pass and smashed his effort high past Bernd Leno into the top corner to put Chelsea out of sight.
Lukaku quickly noticed Mari’s reluctance to follow him and often pulled away to the right-hand side in the second half, in order to create an overload, and exploit the space. By making his runs so varied, it nearly lead to him getting on the scoresheet again, if it weren’t for a wonder save by Leno.
After cutting in from the byline and finding Mount on the edge of the area, he acted off the instinct to get into the box between the two centre-backs. The ball was perfectly weighted onto his head but Arsenal’s shot-stopper pulled off an incredible save to keep the score at 2-0.
His performance was everything that Chelsea would have expected from their new £97.5 million striker and he looks to have added another dimension to their already talented team.
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Just hours before the Gunners were set to kick off their Premier League campaign away to Brentford on Friday, news broke that the forward du0 had been suffering from illness, which saw them be ruled out for their 2-0 opening day defeat.
It came as a major blow to Mikel Arteta, as he was without not only both senior strikers in the squad but his main source of goals. In the absence of Eddie Nketiah, he opted to play youngster Florian Balogun through the middle, but ultimately these weren’t ideal circumstances to hand him his first domestic senior start.
After the game, speculation surrounding the strikers’ relationship with Arteta was thrown into doubt as a result of his reluctance to speak on the situation, but almost a week later, it was put to bed when Arsenal confirmed that the illness was in fact Covid-19.
There were fears that their game at the Brentford Community Stadium would be called off, due to two other first-team players in Willian and Alex Runarsson also testing positive, however after some last-minute testing, the game went ahead.
The theme of having little options upfront looks set to continue, with Aubameyang and Lacazette both missing training again on Wednesday afternoon, as Arsenal ramped up their efforts in an attempt to avoid two defeats from as many games to start off the season.
Although the club captain is now coming back negative in the testing, it’s unlikely that he will recover in time to come straight back into the starting 11, whereas the Frenchman has already been ruled out by the club’s medical team.
In his post-match press conference, Arteta was quick to apologise for his side’s showing against the newly-promoted side and knows improvement is needed to pick up points with two tough games coming up.
“First of all, I want to thank them because the support that they’ve given to the team, all the travelling fans that were here, and after that apologise for the result. We know that we have to improve. We have two big games coming up and we need a different performance to get a different result.”
Despite the poor start to the campaign, Arsenal will be optimistic heading into the game against Chelsea as they’ve beaten them in their last three fixtures in all competitions, including a first league double over the Blues since 2003/04 last season.
However, one man who will be standing in their way of making it four in a row will be new signing Romelu Lukaku. The former Chelsea man made his return to Stamford Bridge after seven years away last week, in a £97.5 million move from Inter Milan, which saw him become the second most expensive signing in Premier League history after Jack Grealish’s transfer to Manchester City.
Expectations will be at an all-time high for the Belgian, with Thomas Tuchel’s men looking to kick on after their impressive Champions League triumph a couple of months ago, and if last season’s showing was anything to go by, Lukaku could be the missing piece of the puzzle to fire Chelsea to the title.
The West London club started as many expected them to against Crystal Palace and ran out 3-0 winners on the day, as youngster Trevoh Chalobah capped off a fine domestic debut with a goal, to help send a statement of intent to the rest of the league.
Tuchel could also be boosted by the return of N’Golo Kante and Hakim Ziyech into the first-team fold after they look to have progressed well from ankle and shoulder injuries respectively. The midfield duo have been key for the German coach in pre-season, therefore he will be pleased to have them at his disposal in the coming weeks.
However, Chelsea will be without American winger Christian Pulisic who scored on the opening day at Stamford Bridge, due to him testing positive for Covid-19. The 22-year-old is reportedly experiencing no symptoms of the virus and will complete his isolation period at home.
The hosts find themselves in somewhat of a crisis this early into the season, as a combination of the virus and injuries, could see up to seven first-team players miss out against their London rivals. Thomas Partey and Nketiah are both working their way back from ankle problems which they sustained in pre-season against this weekend’s opponents.
They are expected to be back within the next couple of weeks, but Arteta will be hoping to accelerate that process in order to have them available for the important fixture against Manchester City in just over seven days time.
Arsenal will also have central defender Gabriel Magalhaes missing from the matchday squad after he sustained a knee injury when away with the Brazilian Olympic squad. The 23-year-old is currently on course to return to training at the end of the month and therefore should be available following the international break.
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It is no secret that Barcelona find themselves in the worst financial position which they have ever been in, as years of neglecting how much they spend on transfer fees, player wages and staff have all caught up with them.
Add the constraints of the pandemic to that and you have a recipe for disaster, one so significant that it could shape the future of the Spanish outfit for some time. The bottom line is that the Blaugrana are in desperate need of money, with many reporting that the damage runs so deep that the club are technically bankrupt.
From the outside looking in, player sales may seem like the logical way to generate funds and navigate their way out of these troublesome circumstances, but it’s easier said than done. As we’ve seen with other clubs in this transfer window, it can prove taxing to trim the deadwood within the squad, especially when they are unwilling to take a pay cut in order to be moved on.
Letting the wage structure become so disproportionated is one of the defining factors to why they find themselves where they are, and is one of the decisions which they are quickly scrambling to fix, with many of their key players being forced to reduce their weekly salary if they wish to register new signings.
No matter how bleak the reality is for Barcelona, one man who seems set on turning their fortunes around is newly appointed president Laporta. The 59-year-old is amidst his second stint in this role at the club and will need to harvest all of his experience to ensure the long-term future is stable.
From losing their best-ever player on a free transfer to being unable to register new signings, this week has perhaps been one of the most challenging in the club’s history. Laporta was the first to recognise this in his latest press conference on Monday evening, in which he outlined not only the reasons behind the mess but how he plans on fixing it.
“Our salaries represent 103 per cent of the club’s total income. That’s 20-25 per cent more than our competitors. The first thing we had to do when we arrived was to ask for a loan of €80m because otherwise, we could not pay the salaries. The previous regime was full of lies.
“We found the wage policy in the form of an inverted pyramid – veterans on long contracts and youngsters on short deal. There were no wages cuts – lies.
“Barcelona has a negative net worth of €451m – it is a terrible inheritance. What has been happening is very worrying.
“Bartomeu’s (open) letter is an effort to justify management that is unjustifiable. It is an exercise in desperation. They are responsible for everything until March 7. They will not escape their doing.
“The situation is dramatic, but we have good news,” said Laporta. “The strategic plan based on our credibility and experience, on the assets that Barca have, makes this situation temporary. I think that in a couple of years, the club’s economy will be healthy.”
The Spaniard also pointed to the old regime for making sizeable payments to intermediaries, some of which weren’t even player agents, and perhaps the most worrying of all was a scout receiving an €8 million a year salary to track talent in South America.
It’s no wonder that the severity of the situation has reached this point, as the clear disregard shown by the club’s hierarchy over the past decade has been apparent, which ultimately led to them paying the price when it comes to Lionel Messi.
Having committed his whole career to Barcelona, the 34-year-old was willing to do it all again, but this time with a reduced salary of 50%. The contract was all signed and ready to be processed, however, his boyhood club were unable to register him, due to their wage bill not complying with La Liga’s rules.
It was a cruel ending for their greatest ever player, arguably the greatest to ever play the game, and signified just how much trouble they are actually in.
Although the decision was partly out of his hands, Laporta showed that he only had the best interests of Barcelona at heart as trying to shoehorn Messi into the current wage structure would only plunge them into further financial difficulty, and it will take many more tough decisions like this to get them back to where they once were.
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Amidst the chaos surrounding Messi’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, is the repercussions with their new signing Sergio Aguero. The former Manchester City man revealed his main desire to make the move to the Camp Nou this summer was to play alongside his compatriot, but with that out of the question, his relationship with the club is already thrown into doubt.
Another unsolved enigma heading into the final few weeks of the transfer window is the future of Philippe Coutinho, whose €19 million a year contract is a big part of why Barcelona’s wage bill is the highest in world football at €442 million. His time in Catalonia has been far from smooth, having gone out on loan since his move from Liverpool, while also struggling with multiple injuries it means potential suitors are few and far between.
The Brazilian isn’t the only first-team star with an uncertain future with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Antione Griezmann and Miralem Pjanic all deemed surplus to requirements if the correct bid comes in. So far, any deals for these players are yet to materialise and it looks unlikely that the situation will change between now and the end of the transfer window.
Away from the struggles of shifting unwanted players, one of the factors which have been a big contributor to the chaos is spending too freely, especially after the sale of Neymar to PSG in a record transfer fee of €222 million. After such a big loss, naturally, the club felt as if they needed to bring in several marquee signings to fill the void, but looking back this turned out to be the root cause of their financial trouble.
By the end of that summer, they had already spent the whole fee which they received for Neymar, with the majority going on Coutinho and Dembele. As a result of this and making other signings, Barcelona still owe €174 million in instalment fees for previously completed deals, some of which have already been and gone from the club.
Undoubtedly, this has a knock-on effect on other factors, putting their plans to build a new stadium on hold in the meantime. The idea was to renovate their already iconic stadium, to not only increase the capacity but to give it some much-needed maintenance.
So with the amount of work Barcelona need to do within the next couple of years to change the fortunes of the club going forward, will Laporta be the man to do so?
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Club football is finally back on Friday night, when Arsenal make the trip to face newly-promoted Brentford, in the first game of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The fixture marks a significant change between this year and the last, as fans are being welcomed back into stadiums with full capacity for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit 18 months ago, as the country begins to return to some form of normality.
So on the eve of the new campaign, it’s only right to pick out a few players who could have a big impact on their teams in the coming weeks.
After an impressive campaign with Norwich in the Championship last season, in which he notched 15 goals and 17 assists in 39 appearances and helped the club win the division for the fifth time, Buendia was earmarked as the perfect successor to fill the void of Jack Grealish.
Aston Villa were able to pick up the Championship Player of the Year for a club-record fee of £33 million, which may well turn out to be a shrewd piece of business in a few years time if he continues to develop at the same rate.
The 24-year-old’s impact for the Canaries during their last season in the top flight was significant, and although he wasn’t able to help them avoid relegation, his creative stats were amongst the best in the league. Throughout the 2019/20 season, the Argentine created 83 chances, a statistic better only by the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kevin De Bruyne, who are some of the most established creators in Europe.
Buendia will be looking to build on this when he makes his awaited return with Villa and the signs look positive after his debut against Walsall. It appears Dean Smith will deploy him in a similar role to the departed Grealish, as the playmaker will be gifted the freedom to operate in either the spaces behind the striker or stay out wide on the right-hand side, to receive the ball in the pockets and look for the key final pass in the opposition third.
His first appearance for the Villans was capped with two excellent assists, both of which for Ollie Watkins, as his tendency to always look up and play forward really stood out. The two passes were of a very similar nature with Buendia taking the ball on the half-turn and picking out his striker with a low, but accurate through ball to set him one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
In just 45 minutes, he had showcased to his new supporters exactly what his style was about, and more importantly just how influential he could be in the upcoming season. There’s little doubt that Villa will be disappointed to lose their captain, but the signing of Buendia could help them to forget about that rather quickly.
Another player to keep an eye on throughout the season is Tottenham’s new signing Romero, who comes into the side to replace the ever-dependable Toby Alderweireld, following his scintillating form for club and country last term.
The 23-year-old played a key role at the heart of Argentina’s defence to help them win their first Copa America title since 1993 and also scooped Atalanta’s Player of the Season award as they secured Champions League football for the fourth consecutive year.
Spurs were able to secure his services on loan with an obligation to buy set at €55 million, which could be deemed as smart business considering that they don’t have to stump up the full fee in this transfer window.
Romero’s style looks bespoke for the Premier League, as he’s comfortable in possession and likes to play progressive passes into the midfield, while also possessing the physical capabilities to deal with the intensity in England.
Despite being just six-foot, one of his main strengths is aerial situations, whether that be attacking or defensive which is another quality that any successful player in that position must-have.
However, one question mark over Romero is surrounding his ability to play within a back four, due to him being deployed at the centre of a three-man defence for much of his time in Italy.
It remains unclear whether new manager Nuno Espirito Santo will persist with his preferred 3-4-3 formation which he used frequently at the start of his tenure in England or if he will switch to a 4-2-3-1 which he experimented with towards the back end of last season. The arrival of the South American could be an indicator of his intention t0 stick with the former as it’s served him so well in the past.
After sanctioning the sales of some key players in this area of the squad, it was imperative for Spurs to get in a replacement with suitable quality, and it appears they have done so in Romero. The young centre-back has all the tools to succeed in North London, therefore it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first season at the club.
Perhaps a surprise addition to the list is Lokonga, who made his move to Arsenal this summer in a €20 million move from R.S.C Anderlecht, after a promising campaign under former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. Not many supporters away from the club will know much about the midfielder, however, if his performances in pre-season are anything to go by, they certainly will in the coming weeks.
Despite only making a handful of appearances under Mikel Arteta, the Belgian looks to be an exciting prospect playing just in front of the backline, with his main aim being to help win the ball back and distribute it quickly through forward-thinking passes.
Lokonga’s desire to receive the ball on the half-turn in order to get his head up and scan the different options around the pitch is evident thus far, which will stand him in good stead when competing in the Premier League due to its quick nature.
Although he’s only 21-years-old, Lokonga portrays the key characteristics that any leader should have, as he’s not afraid to get on the ball during difficult spells in the game or give out orders to teammates. This is an aspect of his game that hasn’t just been noted since his arrival in North London, as Kompany also spotted this as a strength, and therefore awarded him with the captain’s armband in his last season with the club.
Whilst Thomas Partey’s injury is far from ideal for Arsenal, it could gift Lokonga further minutes to showcase his ability, ahead of potentially forming a partnership with the Ghanian upon his return. With some difficult fixtures coming up in the Gunners’ opening six games, it will provide an insight into the potential of the youngster, and whether he’s ready to become a key player for the club.
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Sometimes in football, club’s can plan strenuously ahead of the transfer window, but until it’s actually underway, nobody knows what opportunities may arise.
Especially during the pandemic, the financial situation for certain clubs is changing at a quicker rate than ever, meaning some of football’s giants are having to sell their best players in order to balance the books. The effects coronavirus is having on the game is going beyond what many imagined, and in turn, it created a new volatile market where all clubs are experiencing ups and downs.
For Arsenal, it appears that an opportunity has developed in the last couple of days which could see them become the beneficiaries of the latest market, as Inter are supposedly ready to listen to suitable offers for star striker Martinez.
The decisive factor behind the deal is the Italians desire to make at least €80 million net profit this window, and although they have already sold Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain, that is thought to be one part of their efforts to slash the running costs by around 20%.
Despite this transfer being far from completed, it’s believed that the player would be open to the move, and therefore begs the question: What would Martinez bring to Arsenal?
When looking at any potential signing, the first aspect which needs to be considered is what areas of their game will improve the team, and how they differ from those already at the club.
One clear attribute which Martinez excels in is attacking aerial situations. Despite being just five-foot-nine, he utilises his clever movement in and around the area, in combination with his powerful leap to score goals regularly with his head.
Even though crosses don’t come into the box as frequently, ever since Mikel Arteta changed from five at the back to his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, it’s crucial that the striker can adapt to different scenarios within a game, and in the likelihood of Arsenal chasing a goal, his aerial prowess will provide another dimension to the attack.
Just last season alone, the 23-year-old scored on four occasions with headers which is just one less than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette combined, making him far superior in this department compared to Arsenal’s current options.
Another important skill for any striker to possess is the ability to score goals with both feet, as it adds to their unpredictability around the penalty area, and increases their output due to being more competent in a variety of different positions in front of goal.
Out of Martinez’s 19 strikes in all competitions, three were scored with his left foot which may not sound like a lot, but the quality of these goals proved he is capable of producing on his weaker foot when required to. Last season there was none better than his effort against Crotone.
With the scores level, the Argentine peeled away from his marker and was fed through on goal by teammate Marcelo Brozovic, in which he set himself with his right foot and dinked the ball over the goalkeeper into the roof of the net with his left. The motion was effortless and demonstrated not only his quality with both feet but his invention in front of goal as well.
In comparison to Aubameyang and Lacazette, the former didn’t manage any goals with his weak foot, whereas the latter actually outperformed Martinez by scoring four times.
For someone so young, the Argentine has been able to hone an impressive skillset, with one of his strongest facets being his dribbling. Undoubtedly, his low centre of gravity and quick feet in constricted spaces play a major factor as to why he’s so effective in this area and producing some of his best numbers.
Last season, he managed 1.32 dribbles per game at a success rate of 71%, which shows he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet and looks to beat a man before performing the decisive action in the opposition’s half.
Looking to turn and run at their marker is an aspect of both Lacazette’s and Aubameyang’s game which they aren’t renowned for, as a result, it can make attacks more predictable to defend against, and can be seen by their averages of 1.05 and 0.42 successful dribbles per game respectively.
However, if Arsenal were to gain Martinez’s signature, he would provide them with more variety in the final third and potentially benefit his fellow forwards by dragging opposition defenders out of position.
On top of his already balanced profile as a striker, there are more noticeable strengths to his game which could suit the philosophy of Arteta. Often throughout games, Martinez will pull out to the left-hand side to receive the ball, then drive inside to get a shot away.
He showcased this trait on multiple occasions last campaign, and more often than not, it resulted in either a shot on target or him finding the back of the net. In the likelihood of Martinez playing in a front three with the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka on each wing, the fact that he has a tendency to drift wide could see them thrive, due to them being able to run into the space vacated.
As Pepe and Saka are capable of playing on either side regardless, it could result in a very fluid front three, with many interchanges across the 90 minutes.
Not only this, but a further asset Martinez has is being able to run in behind defenders, as he can adapt his movement based on how high the opposition line is during the game. If the opponents were playing high, he has the inclination to make out to in runs, in order to exploit the space and give himself an opportunity to get on the scoresheet.
The second aspect when analysing a potential new player is to observe the weaknesses in their game and whether they can be improved significantly.
Nowadays, in order to be classed as a complete forward just putting the ball in the net isn’t enough, as they are expected to contribute to attacks by getting involved with the buildup and linking the midfield to the forwards.
For Martinez this is an aspect of his game which has come under question, as although he managed 11 assists last term, it doesn’t necessarily mean that his linkup is a speciality.
Across the course of 2020/21, he averaged 19.32 passes per 90 minutes at a completion rate of 71.6%, which suggests that the Argentine is a striker that prefers to stay away from the buildup so he can be well-positioned for when the ball arrives in the box. If he was to make the move to North London, there’s no doubt that this is an aspect that Arteta would want to improve, as his system is reliant on the centre forward dropping deep to keep the team ticking.
Compared to Aubameyang, both his passes completed at 25.33 per 90 and his success rate at 74.8%, was better than the Inter striker, adding to the doubts whether Arsenal would have to adapt their system or deploy Martinez in a slightly different role if he was to lead the line.
Another uncertainty surrounding his skillset is how effective he is playing as a lone striker, as ever since his move to Inter in 2018, Martinez went straight into the team while playing in a front two and thrived by having someone to compliment with.
His partnership with Romelu Lukaku worked so effectively due to them both being able to play off each other in the final third, however, in the Premier League two striker formations are very rare, therefore Martinez would have to learn the role of a sole centre forward.
The positive for Martinez is that he’s just 23 and at the stage in his career where he is still developing, consequently any flaws can be rectified under the correct management. It may take him a while to get up to speed in this role, but he did gain experience playing there for Argentina at the Copa America in which he scored three goals in six appearances, hence why many think this won’t be a major stumbling block.
So will Martinez make the move over to North London or will Inter find the money to offer him a better contract in the hope of keeping him?
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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