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The Men’s FIFPro Team of the Year: who was missing?

Monday night saw football’s biggest names gather in Italy for the Best FIFA Football Awards, an opportunity to recognise the latest achievements of the sport’s biggest stars. Notable by his absence was Cristiano Ronaldo, although his inclination not to attend was made somewhat clearer when Lionel Messi was voted as the Men’s Player of the Year.

The biggest talking point, however, was the Men’s FIFPro Team of the Year, which appeared as follows:

Alisson, De Ligt, Ramos, Van Dijk, Marcelo, Modric, De Jong, Hazard, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Messi

In years gone by this selection would have been justified, but it seems clear to many that several standout performers of the 2018/19 season had been omitted. Here we look at some of the players that can consider themselves unfortunate not to make the cut.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Having played regularly in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final in 2017/18, last season Alexander-Arnold went one better and lifted his first piece of silverware. The England defender was part of a back line that kept clean sheets at home to Bayern Munich, Porto and Barcelona in the knock out stages, as well as the final. He also provided 12 assists in the league, the highest ever tally for a defender in the Premier League era.

Instead, Matthias De Ligt, who at just 21 years of age captained Ajax to a domestic double and the Champions League semi-finals, was shunted to right back to accommodate Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard’s only piece of silverware in the last season had been the Club World Cup.

Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Across the pitch on Liverpool’s other flank, Robertson contributed 11 assists in the Premier League. The Scotland captain was a key figure in Liverpool’s Champions League victory, made all the more impressive by the fact that just two years earlier he had been part of a Hull side that was relegated from the Premier League.

The left back in the FIFPro Team was Real Madrid’s Marcelo. While there is no denying the Brazilian’s quality and list of achievements, last season was underwhelming to say the least. It is hard to argue the reasons for his selection over Robertson, whether it be regarding domestic or European accomplishments.

Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Manchester City won an unprecedented domestic treble in 2018/19, claiming 98 points in the Premier League (only two points behind a record they themselves set a year earlier).

Despite this, not one of Pep Guardiola’s side was included in the Team of the Year. Silva, in his second season at the club, was one of City’s most impressive players. Often filling the void left by the injured Kevin De Bruyne, the Portuguese started 31 league games and registered seven goals and seven assists.

Luka Modric’s achievements in 2018 included another Champions League triumph and an appearance in World Cup final, which were recognised as he was awarded the Ballon d’Or. However, like his Real Madrid teammates, he did not enjoy a fine 2018/19 campaign.

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Last season marked the moment that Sterling left behind his reputation as a fearsome but frustrating forward and took his place amongst Europe’s top players. He found the net 17 times in the Premier League and fine margins denied him hat tricks in both the FA Cup final and City’s now infamous Champions League clash with Tottenham. Despite this, he still had three major pieces of silverware to his name by the end of the season.

Operating in a similar role to Sterling, Eden Hazard ended his Chelsea career with Europa League glory, which included two goals in the final. He also topped the Premier League’s assist charts with 15. However, this was by no means one of his most memorable seasons, and his achievements seem small when stacked up against Sterling’s. (Let’s not begin to discuss the fact that the FIFPro Team placed him in a three-man midfield…) When compared to the Belgian, it seems remiss not to make room for the Sterling in the team.

Big Game Focus: Barcelona v Villarreal

Barcelona will face a tough test when they host Villarreal as they look to put a bad run of form behind them. Bet on the match here.

Villarreal are in the very unusual position of travelling to Camp Nou while being a place above eighth placed Barcelona in the table. We definitely expect a very entertaining fixture seeing that these are the two highest scoring teams in La Liga this season with 12 goals each.

Ernesto Valverde’s side’s recent defensive efforts have been far from convincing as they have conceded at least two goals in their last four La Liga games. It is clear that this Tuesday’s clash will be extremely important for Valverde as his future with Barcelona may hinge on this game.

Betting preview

Barca have clearly had a catastrophic start to the season following two losses and a draw. However, they can boast of a perfect record at home where they have won all their league games. They beat Real Betis 5-2 before recording the same score against Valencia a few weeks later. Barcelona have won their last four home games against Villarreal with at least a two-goal difference and backing a -1 Handicap Home Win looks good at odds of 1.75.

Barcelona have found the net in three of their last five meetings in La Liga. Villarreal have scored in their last five outings. Both Teams to Score have landed in five of their last seven encounters and it is the way to go here at odds of 1.55.

The last meetings between the two formations in recent years have been rather spectacular. Three of the last five meetings have seen Over 2.5 Goals scored, including an incredible 4-4 last year at Villarreal. Odds of 1.30 looks fair for Over 2.5 Goals

Team news

Barca will again be deprived of the services of left-back Jordi Alba because of a hamstring problem and Samuel Umtiti who is injured. Ousmane Dembele could return whilst Lionel Messi should start for the first time this season. Arthur and Sergio Busquets should both return to the starting lineup as well.

Bruno Soriano and defender Alberto Moreno are expected to miss the match due to injury for the visitors. Karl Toko Ekambi, Samuel Chukwueze, Manu Trigueros and Mario Gaspar are all options in that area. Moi Gomez and Santi Cazorla should keep their place in the starting lineups

Possible lineups

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Semedo, Arthur, Busquets, De Jong, Messi, L Suarez, Griezmann.

Villarreal: Asenjo, Quintilla, Torres, Albiol, Pena, Iborra, Cazorla, Gomez, Chukwueze, Moreno, Ekambi.

Things to look out for in English League Cup: Round 3

 

The Premier League’s big guns enter the Carabao Cup third round with a number of exciting match-ups. Here are the Things to look out for in the English League Cup: Round 3. Bet on football here.  

Another upset by Nottingham Forest against Arsenal?

The Gunners twice came back from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at the Emirates on Sunday, though Unai Emery’s side played the majority of the game with ten men due to Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ first-half red card. Forest go into the match having only lost one of their opening eight matches in the Championship this season. The last meeting between these two was in the FA Cup back in 2018, when Nottingham Forest earned a shock 4-2 victory against Arsenal at the City Ground. Forest have what it takes to take on a second-string Gunners side. Can they upset the odds again?

Chance for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to bounce back

Colchester, tenth in League Two, are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and reached this round following an incredible penalty shootout win away at Crystal Palace in round two. They now face a wounded Spurs side at home. Spurs have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2007/2008 and have had a disappointing week, losing a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Olympiakos in the Champions League and being beaten 2-1 at Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday. This should be a straightforward game for Mauricio Pochettino’s men. Manchester United also lost their last game and welcome third-tier side Rochdale at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are facing an injury crisis and have no fit recognised striker. However, Rochdale should be easy to dispatch.

Everton’s poor away form

Everton are on a poor run of form. Last weekend, they lost to newly-promoted Sheffield United at home which piled more pressure on Marco Silva. The Toffees have won just one game in seven away matches. In the second round, they were pushed to the limit by Lincoln City. Moreover, they are facing a side that has a solid home form at Hillsborough in this competition. They have lost only once at home since a loss to Everton in 2007. That makes it one loss in 11 home games. Gary Monk’s side have won six of their last seven at home in this competition. Things are not looking good at Everton at the moment and they could be in trouble at Hillsborough.

Portsmouth v Southampton rivalry

Portsmouth, 20th in League One, host Premier League side Southampton as the fierce rivals meet for the first time since April 2012. Its 35 years since the Saints last travelled to Fratton Park in a cup competition. The Pompey have won only once in League One since late April and only once in seven this season. Meanwhile, the Saints haven’t lost on the road in the Carabao Cup since a trip to Sheffield United in 2014. While these two teams are on almost opposite ends of English football spectrum, this rivalry is expected to live up to the hype at Fratton Park.

Watford to bounce back after 8-0 defeat v Manchester City

The Hornets were on the end of a comprehensive beat down by Manchester City on Saturday. After firing Javi Gracia early in the season due to poor form, they hired former boss Quique Sanchez Flores who is yet to register a win. They face a strong Swansea City side in the third round at home. Swansea are level on points with Championship leaders Leeds United while Watford are rock bottom in the top flight. However, this is a game that Flores cannot afford to lose. A win will give them the much-needed momentum and confidence given they face a tricky run of fixtures.

Premier League Team of the Week: September 20-22

Man City’s magical midfielders and Leicester’s match winners make our Team of the Week. Bet on the Premier League here.

Dean Henderson (Sheffield United)

At least one Manchester United player kept a clean sheet this weekend! The loanee became the first keeper to stop Everton scoring at Goodison Park since Alisson on March 3 as the Blades continued their unbeaten away run. The newly-promoted side now have five points from three away games – only five Premier League sides have more.

Joel Matip (Liverpool)

Victory at Chelsea extended Liverpool’s winning run in the Premier League to 15 games and proved that they are capable of winning away at England’s biggest sides. Despite a few scares, the Reds looked solid defensively, with Matip making nine clearances (a match high) and three tackles.

Nathan Ake (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth recorded their first win at St. Mary’s in an entertaining win over Southampton on Friday night. Ake opened the scoring after just ten minutes with a powerful header, but that wasn’t the only contribution that stood out. The Dutch defender won two of his three aerial duels, while only Diego Rico made more accurate passes for the Cherries.

Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)

O’Connell won ten aerial duels in his side’s win at Everton, recording 16 clearances in the process. Chris Wilder’s men have looked remarkably comfortable in the Premier League, and more top sides are likely to fall victim to the Blades this season.

Ricardo Pereira (Leicester)

Following last weekend’s loss at Manchester United, Leicester got their top-four challenge back on track with a crucial win against Tottenham. At 1-0 down, the Foxes can consider themselves fortunate not to have fallen further behind, but Pereira’s equaliser spurred on a late comeback.

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

It’s been almost five years since a side scored eight times in a Premier League game, but Manchester City added their name to the list with Watford put to the sword. De Bruyne indicated that it would be an uncomfortable afternoon for the Hornets when he crossed for David Silva to score inside 60 seconds. He added another assist in the second half before he put his own name on the scoresheet in the dying minutes. He also completed four dribbles, a match high. It’s scary to wonder, but how good would City have been last season had he not been injured?

David Silva (Manchester City)

This is Silva’s final season at the Etihad after nearly a decade in Manchester and he’s still as brilliant as ever. Having opened the scoring after 52 seconds, the Spaniard had 103 touches of the ball during the game (no other player managed more), while only Rodrigo played more accurate passes.

Aaron Cresswell (West Ham)

The Irons defeated Manchester United at the London Stadium for the second season in a row to prolong the Red Devils’ wait for an away win. In addition to keeping a clean sheet, Cresswell sealed the points with a free kick that left David De Gea grasping at thin air. That’s 11 points from a possible 15 now for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

No Raheem Sterling in the City line up? There’s no need to panic. Bernardo Silva scored a hat trick as City recorded their highest ever league win. Having made it 4-0 after just 15 minutes on Saturday, the Portuguese completed his treble with two close-range finishes after the break.

Chris Wood (Burnley)

Wood’s quick fire brace was enough to give Burnley a comfortable win over Norwich on Saturday afternoon. Having just beaten champions Manchester City, Norwich were right to be confident before the match but had no answer for Wood’s aerial dominance.

James Maddison (Leicester)

Maddison ended a run of 31 shots without scoring when he provided a late winner for Leicester against Tottenham. The England midfielder completed four dribbles during the game and had four attempts on goal. Can his side threaten the current Premier League hierarchy?

Stats via Whoscored

Top 5 Bets for the Week: September 24-27

 

This week serves up another line-up of exciting matches across Europe. We’ve looked through the stats and odds and came up with Top 5 Bets for the Week for you to reflect on. Bet on these games here. 

Monaco v Nice – Both Teams to Score – 1.85

Monaco are yet to record any victories this season. They have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six Ligue 1 outings.  Nice are third in Ligue 1 with four wins and two losses in their six league matches this season. In all of those games, both teams have found the back of the net. Both teams have also scored in three of their last four encounters.

Inter Milan v Lazio – Inter Milan Win – 2.05

Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan have made a perfect start to the season and have been tipped to challenge Juventus for the Serie A title this season. The Nezaruzzi have won all of their four Serie A games this season and look set to continue when they face Lazio in a huge encounter. Lazio, on the other hand, have won two of their four league games this term. Inter have won three of the last five meetings with Lazio. Inter’s early season form points to another home win.

Leganes v Athletic Bilbao – Athletic Bilbao Win – 2.70

Athletic Bilbao are one of only three unbeaten teams in La Liga this season and currently sit top of La Liga. Bilbao have won three and drawn two of their five matches, with one of those victories coming against Barcelona. Meanwhile, Leganes sit rock bottom of La Liga with a point after five games. Bilbao have won their last three matches against Leganes.

Saint-Etienne v Metz – Over 2.5 Goals – 2.00

Both Saint-Etienne and Metz have had a dismal start to the season and sit 17th and 18th in Ligue 1 respectively. The hosts are winless in their six league games this season while Metz have won once in six but have lost their last four in a row. Three of Metz’s last five games have seen three or more goals scored. Four of Saint-Etienne’s last six Ligue 1 encounters have seen Over 2.5 Goals scored. Four of the last five meetings between these two have seen Over 2.5 Goals.

Eibar v Sevilla – Sevilla Win – 2.20

Sevilla suffered their first defeat of the season by the hands of Real Madrid on Sunday. Before that, they were undefeated. Still, they sit fifth in the table on ten points just one behind league leaders Atheltic Bilbao after three wins, a draw and one defeat in their five games. For the hosts, they have drawn two and lost three of their five league games this term. Sevilla have also beaten them three times in the last four meetings. This is not an ideal game for Eibar to find some form and in their current circumstances, victory over Sevilla might be a step too far.

Winners and Losers in the Premier League: Matchweek 6

The weekend witnessed plenty of action in the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester City both winning their fixtures, whilst other big clubs failed in their fixtures. Here is a look at some of the winners and losers. Bet on football here.

Winners

Title hopefuls

Manchester City put their Norwich nightmare behind them as they blew away Watford at the Etihad. Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez were all unplayable. This should instill some much-needed confidence in their rejigged back four and you can take it that this was a real statement of intent to their title rivals. Elsewhere, Liverpool went five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Reds always looked fragile at the back, but they have the experience to grind out a result even when they are not playing very well.

Brendan Rogers’ project at Leicester City

With six games into the new Premier League season, Leicester City are looking pretty in third spot ahead of Arsenal in the table. Brendan Rogers has been able to transform this team and nothing typifies that than their home win against Tottenham. James Maddison’s fine strike completed the comeback for Leicester after they went 1-0 down in the first half.

West Ham United

West Ham continued their fine start to the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United. The result ensured that Manuel Pellegrini became the first manager to win league games against four different Manchester United managers (David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer). They have now moved to fifth in the table – 12 places and seven points better off than at the same stage last season.

Unai Emery

Arsenal orchestrated a comeback to win 3-2 with ten men on the pitch against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. There were more than a few questions asked about Unai Emery after they failed to protect a 2-0 lead against Watford last week. However, he managed to dispel fears whilst confirming that he is a coach who can react quickly when things are not going well.

Losers

Manchester United

Manchester United produced another uninspiring performance as they went down 2-0 against West Ham United. The visitors looked lethargic from the off and this allowed their opponents to dictate the tempo of the game. Their situation was worsened when Marcus Rashford limped off to become the latest name on a lengthy list of absentees.

Watford

Watford conceded five goals in the first 18 minutes when they played Manchester City in what became the most embarrassing defeat so far in the league. Quique Sanchez Flores was forced to make a change in the 33rd minute bringing on Roberto Pereyra for Dimitri Foulquier who had a debut to forget. They were completely outplayed and they will want to move on from this result soonest.

St. James Park faithful

The Newcastle faithful continued their protest over the weekend as the club recorded their lowest Premier League attendance for nine years. The situation was not made any better by the fact that the home side struggled to string a pass together and did not look sharp in attack. This could just be the beginning of another frustrating season if nothing is done.

Marco Silva

Pressure continued to pile on Everton manager Marcos Silva who saw his side lose 2-0 at home against Sheffield United. This was their third defeat in four league games and they have dropped to 14th in the table. Silva has limited time to turn things around or we could be in for a change of manager soon should the trend continue.