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Champions League Preview

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Manchester City will surely never have a better chance of winning the Champions League and in turn a famous Treble. That is not to say that Inter are pushovers, but are the weakest of the three teams standing in City’s way for their tilt at history, the others being Premier League runners-up Arsenal and FA Cup finalists Manchester United.

The teams are meeting for the first time and the venue is the biggest club prize, the European Champions League. City has been knocking on the door for some time now, this makes it their second time getting close to lifting their most dreaded trophy. Manchester was beaten in the final against Chelsea last two years and they seem to have learned from their past mistakes with the manner in which they dispatched Bayern and the holders Real Madrid, it is no surprise they are regarded by many as favorites.

Back in the final after 13 years, tactically, Inter is solid at the back and fluid going forward, moving well as a team, with a physically demanding style of play that requires everyone on their A-game. The Nerazzuri defense is a block and they attack as a unit, they have shown themselves to be adept at understudying well their opponent, so the hope is that they defend low and play on the break, but will this be enough to lift the trophy the fourth time?

Adding yet another Premier League trophy and FA Cup crown to his distinguished resume in 2022-23, Guardiola’s list of domestic achievements at the Etihad is endless, but the coveted continental honor has consistently eluded him since he left the comfort of Camp Nou behind.

Although the Nerazzuri’s efforts to stop Napoli from winning the Serie A title were unsuccessful, the focus of pre-match discussions is on Man City’s attempt to win both domestic and continental trophies. However, Simone Inzaghi’s team can achieve a similar level of success. Four months after their victory over Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana, Inter defeated Milan again, this time in the Champions League semifinals, to secure a place in the final and make a grand return to Europe’s biggest stage.

Just eight days after that, Inter won both the Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia titles, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the latter’s final. This was the first of two final losses for Viola, whose hopes of Europa Conference League triumph were dashed by West Ham United. As the Citizens prepares for its second Champions League final, Inter will aim to avoid a similar fate to their fellow Italian club.

Team Updates

Kyle Walker (RB) for the Citizens wasn’t at the training on Monday and Guardiola confessed he is experiencing trouble in his back, however, Walker dismissed concerns about his fitness, the English should form part of a fully-fit contingent for City, come Saturday.

Goalkeepers
Age
Nationality
S. Handanovič
S.Handanovič
Age:
39
39
A. Onana
A.Onana
Age:
27
27
A. Cordaz
A.Cordaz
Age:
40
40
Gabriel Brazão
GabrielBrazão
Age:
22
22
W. Rovida
W.Rovida
Age:
20
20
N. Botis
N.Botis
Age:
19
19
I. Radu
I.Radu
Age:
26
26
Defenders
Age
Nationality
V. Lazaro
V.Lazaro
Age:
27
27
A. Hoti
A.Hoti
Age:
20
20
E. Sottini
E.Sottini
Age:
21
21
A. Silvestro
A.Silvestro
Age:
21
21
D. D'Ambrosio
D.D'Ambrosio
Age:
35
35
S. de Vrij
S.de Vrij
Age:
31
31
M. Škriniar
M.Škriniar
Age:
28
28
D. Dumfries
D.Dumfries
Age:
27
27
M. Darmian
M.Darmian
Age:
33
33
F. Acerbi
F.Acerbi
Age:
35
35
R. Gosens
R.Gosens
Age:
29
29
A. Bastoni
A.Bastoni
Age:
24
24
F. Dimarco
F.Dimarco
Age:
25
25
R. Bellanova
R.Bellanova
Age:
23
23
M. Zanotti
M.Zanotti
Age:
20
20
A. Fontanarosa
A.Fontanarosa
Age:
20
20
T. Guercio
T.Guercio
Age:
18
18
S. Di Pentima
S.Di Pentima
Age:
19
19
A. Kolarov
A.Kolarov
Age:
37
37
F. Cortinovis
F.Cortinovis
Age:
21
21
Dalbert Henrique
DalbertHenrique
Age:
30
30
A. Ranocchia
A.Ranocchia
Age:
35
35
L. Pirola
L.Pirola
Age:
21
21
C. Dimarco
C.Dimarco
Age:
21
21
F. Carboni
F.Carboni
Age:
20
20
Z. Vanheusden
Z.Vanheusden
Age:
24
24
Midfielders
Age
Nationality
L. Agoumé
L.Agoumé
Age:
21
21
M. Sangalli
M.Sangalli
Age:
21
21
R. Gagliardini
R.Gagliardini
Age:
29
29
H. Mkhitaryan
H.Mkhitaryan
Age:
34
34
H. Çalhanoğlu
H.Çalhanoğlu
Age:
29
29
K. Asllani
K.Asllani
Age:
21
21
M. Brozović
M.Brozović
Age:
30
30
N. Barella
N.Barella
Age:
26
26
A. Pelamatti
A.Pelamatti
Age:
18
18
V. Carboni
V.Carboni
Age:
18
18
N. Biral
N.Biral
Age:
19
19
C. Casadei
C.Casadei
Age:
20
20
A. Vidal
A.Vidal
Age:
36
36
S. Andersen
S.Andersen
Age:
19
19
I. Kamate
I.Kamate
Age:
19
19
S. Sensi
S.Sensi
Age:
28
28
G. Fabbian
G.Fabbian
Age:
20
20
I. Perišić
I.Perišić
Age:
34
34
M. Vecino
M.Vecino
Age:
32
32
T. Persyn
T.Persyn
Age:
21
21
G. Oristanio
G.Oristanio
Age:
20
20
Forwards
Age
Nationality
Lautaro Martínez
LautaroMartínez
Age:
26
26
E. Džeko
E.Džeko
Age:
37
37
R. Lukaku
R.Lukaku
Age:
30
30
J. Correa
J.Correa
Age:
29
29
N. Iliev
N.Iliev
Age:
19
19
D. Curatolo
D.Curatolo
Age:
19
19
A. Stanković
A.Stanković
Age:
18
18
J. Żuberek
J.Żuberek
Age:
19
19
E. Salcedo
E.Salcedo
Age:
21
21
F. Colidio
F.Colidio
Age:
23
23
A. Pinamonti
A.Pinamonti
Age:
24
24
M. Satriano
M.Satriano
Age:
22
22
S. Esposito
S.Esposito
Age:
21
21
A. Sánchez
A.Sánchez
Age:
34
34
F. Caicedo Corozo
F.Caicedo Corozo
Age:
35
35
Coach
Age
Nationality
R. Guarino
R.Guarino
Age:
52
52
S. Inzaghi
S.Inzaghi
Age:
47
47

Erling Haaland (CF), goalscoring prowess could earn him a goal that would see him overtake Ruud van Nistelrooy for the most single Champions League goals for an English team, the hitman has never gone three successive games without a goal in Europe’s tourney.

As for the Nerazzuri, Inter’s ex-Man United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan to a thigh injury in the second leg of his side’s semi-final success over AC Milan, but he’s reportedly winning the battle to be fit for the big stage.

Joaquin Correa, Inter’s attacker is said to have acquired a calf injury against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final, although a spot on the bench will await the 28-year-old if the need arises.

Simone Inzaghi has consistently settled on Martinez and Dzeko as his established strike pairing crunch matches while Romelu Lukaku will also aim to provide impetus from the bench before bidding farewell for the second time. Marcelo Brozovic may get remanded on the sidelines if Mkhitaryan can prove his fitness.

Possible Starting line-ups

Man City:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland

Inter Milan:
Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko

Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host the final on Saturday 10 June 2023. The winners gain a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic campaign.

 

Transfer Rumors of the Week

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– Declan Rice is rumored to be Bayern and Arsenal

The Gunners are in a heated battle to sign Declan Rice from West Ham this Summer, but Manchester and Bayern are also in the race. The race to sign West Ham captain is on the rise as the England international nears the final game with the Hammers. The captain is set to lead his team out in the Europa Conference League final in the coming week as they challenge Fiorentina to the trophy. According to media outlets, Bayern held a meeting with Rice about the possibility of a switch, and the outcome for them is said to be positive. While that may sound true, the overall position following it is still a boost to Arsenal at the moment. It remains to be seen how this all plays out but the north London outfit will have to sit tight for now, awaiting the European finals to play out first.

Benzema is Going To Saudi

The Saudi government has decided to inject $20 BILLION to develop the top Saudi clubs and thus give credibility to their league. They want to sign lots of “big names”.  With Ronaldo is earning £173million-a-year with Al Nassr while players such as Lionel Messi and other football icons have been approached. Benzema reportedly became the latest footballer to be offered huge sums of money to make the move to the Saudi Pro League. Although the Frenchman has just one year left on his contract with Real Madrid, questions have been raised about his future at the Bernabeu. Reports stated that Benzema had his head turned by an eye-watering offer from Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. He had reportedly informed Carlo Ancelotti that he wanted to leave Real to join up with the Saudi side, although a fee between the two clubs hadn’t been agreed.

Harry Kane remains Real Madrid’s target to replace Karim Benzema and the Tottenham striker is willing to make the move. Although Man United is also bidding for the Spurs striker, Daniel Levy, Spurs chairman will be willing to sell only to a club outside the Premier League which gives Real Madrid an upper hand in negotiations to bid below the asking price for the sale of the England national which was set at £100m. Kane, 29, has a year left on his deal at Spurs, this could be their chance to cash in on the striker.

Where goes Messi?

Lionel Messi is expected to decide on his future over the coming hours – at most, days. Currently, he has two lucrative offers on the table: One from Saudi Arabia, and one from Miami. Over the past couple of days, the idea of going to Miami has become a reality for the player as this guarantees his family’s safety and comfort. However, the middle east, is a much more lucrative one, offering him more money: Messi is expected to take on a role within something of a State project that has been set up by the government with him and Cristiano Ronaldo has the poster boys.

Ugarte is going to Chelsea

Chelsea is set to sign Manuel Ugarte from Sporting CP with the mid-fielder having agreed to join the Premier League side on a transfer that could cost up to €65 million.

A Portuguese media outlet states that Ugarte has picked the Blues over interests from PSG who has offered the Uruguay international a better wage package than the London side. He is a player noted for his enormous defensive qualities, which is something that Chelsea has missed in their midfield throughout what has been a very difficult season.

There has been previous interest from England’s top flight, Liverpool but it is said the Old Lady pulled out of the deal fearful that the player’s €60m release clause was excessive.

The former Famalicao player’s desire to play in the Premier League is underlined by the fact that he turned down substantially higher wages at PSG to join Chelsea. Reports from Portugal stated that the French club offered him €5m per season to join whereas he will only be paid around €3.5m with Pochettino’s side.

Ugarte will play alongside fellow South American Enzo Fernandez at the heart of the Chelsea Midfield next season.

Mac Allister to Liverpool

Reports were on the rise last week that Mac Allister is close to reaching a personal agreement with the Reds over a summer move, as Premier League champions Manchester City refrained from making an offer despite reports of their interest.

The Brighton midfielder is set to be joining the Reds this summer and no other destinations have emerged, what’s yet to be known is “at what cost?” with Romano also stating earlier in the week that it will be ‘much less’ than €75m.

Whatever the cost is, Mac Allister could yet be the first signing of the summer for the Old Lady, but much more work has to be done after that to get Jürgen Klopp’s squad into shape.

 

Premier League Season Review

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– Team of the Season

Stars from Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle and Manchester City make the cut for the top combined XI of the campaign. With the 2022/23 season Premier League being confined to the sands of time, Manchester City gets its hands on the trophy once again, just edging out Mikel Arteta’s impressive Arsenal side in an exciting title race.

There’s been so many outstanding performers during yet another dramatic campaign in the English top flight, from the brilliance of Bukayo Saka and Kevin De Bruyne to the goalscoring heroics of Erling Haaland.

But who has done enough to be part of the Premier League Team of the Season for 2022-23?

GK: Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

There have been few contenders for the goalie’s spot. No doubt no keeper kept a more clean sheet than David de Gea, as the Spanish shot-stopper leads the Golden Glove race with 15 clean sheets ahead of his contemporaries. But despite that, the Manchester United stopper has had a far from convincing season. On the other hand, Aaron Ramsdale has been largely excellent for Arsenal with some exceptional saves, there’s definitely some tough competition in net, but the Gunners star gets the nod.

Without an iota of doubt, Newcastle (27) and Man City (30) have conceded significantly fewer goals than Arsenal (39), but 24-year-old novice Ramsdale, in just his second season at the Emirates, has locked down the No 1 jersey.

RB: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)

Kieran Trippier has been a God-sent at Newcastle since his move from Atletico Madrid in the early months of 2022, and has played a critical role in Eddie Howe’s side securing qualification  for the Champions League this season.

He has solidified the defense, making it impenetrable from the onslaughts of attacks, and going forward he has been an exceptional supply line for the Magpie’s forward, creating problems repeatedly with the quality of delivery, both from open play and set-pieces. He had seven league assists and a goal.

Gunners Ben White deserves a mention for his outstanding feat for Arsenal with his incredibly consistent and his support with Bukayo Saka but Trippier sealed this one.

CB: William Saliba (Arsenal) and Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd)

What a debut season it’s been for both star players in the Premier League. They both started the campaign with doubts from their critics but those critics have long been silenced.

As for the Frenchman, his injury may have played a huge role in Mikel Arteta’s side missing out to Manchester City in the title race.

Like Saliba, Lisandro Martinez missed the end of the season due to injury, but prior to his spell on the sidelines he had been sensational at the heart of the United defense. His aggression, will to win and his technical ability really make him stand out. No doubt he’s been a fine addition to the Premier League.

LB: Nathan Ake (Man City)

Much can be said that three Manchester City players who were up for the club’s Player of the season were the goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland, the midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne and the enigma of defense Nathan Ake, given the latter’s status compared to two genuine superstars of the game.

When Pep began using Ake as cover in the left-back role, many thought it could be a weakness that City’s opponents could take advantage of, on the contrary, Ake has been so impressive and has made a name in City’s team sheet.

Luke Shaw (Man Utd) has had a good season, while Oleksandr Zinchenko has made a transformative impact at Arsenal, but Ake aced top in the left-back battle.

DM: Casemiro (Man Utd), CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), CM: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

In midfield, the trio largely picked themselves with their painstaking impact in their respective team. Casemiro, a former Real madrid maestro made a transformative effect on his new club, has brought a genuine title-winning experience and pedigree to Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils.

On either side of him are Kevin De Bruyne, the playmaker-in-chief of  Pep’s complicated orchestra, and potentially one of the best pieces of transfer in the last few years of the Premier League. At Just £30 million Martin Odegaard has  proven to be an absolute steal for Arsenal. With 15 Premier League goals, that’s more than any other midfielder for the Gunners in a single season in Premier League history. His work rate, his vision and leadership remained a constant driving force that his team-mates have fed off.

CF: Erling Haaland (Man City), LW: Mohammed Salah (Liverpool), RW: Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

Up front, it’s the three that commands respect and cast fear in the hearts of any opposition players unfortunate enough to meet them. What can you say? An absolute goal scoring machine who has taken the Premier League by storm and ripped up the record books in his debut season in England. Enough said, Harry Kane of Tottenham has been remarkable but there’s only one striker spot in the team and it goes to the 51-goal man.

On the right, Mohamed Salah has been a rare spark of light in a disappointing Liverpool season, with 29 goals and 11 assists.

For Rashford, the season turned out great, with him bearing the burden of driving United’s bid for Champions League qualification by himself in terms of his attacking output.

A tally of 17 league goals is an excellent return from a player who commenced the season with many questioning his known competence, he rediscovered his best form yet again and it’s a joy to watch him in full flow cutting in from the left wing.

– Biggest Overachievers

Brighton and Brentford are the biggest overachievers in the Premier League according to wages spent. Brentford remain the club overachieving the most.

Brighton with lots of similarities with Brentford have come through the leagues with a unique style of play and gone on to upset the established elites, with a plus eight positional difference as they sit sixth after having the 14th highest wage bill.

– Biggest Underachievers

Chelsea were undoubtedly the biggest underachievers, with their £600 million outlay on new players helping them attain the lofty heights of 12th on the table. The figures are much damning for the blues as this gives hope to smaller clubs that in spite of big spenders elsewhere, it won’t always guarantee success – and there are no better examples of that than Brentford and Brighton.

– Best Young Player

Player Stats
Player Position
Ederson Moraes Goalkeeper 39 39 3510 3 0 0 33 14
S. Carson Goalkeeper 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
S. Ortega Goalkeeper 5 5 450 0 0 0 2 3
 
Player Position
A. Robertson Midfielder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Aymeric Laporte Defender 15 14 1261 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B. Knight Midfielder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bernardo Silva Midfielder 40 26 2482 5 0 0 4 0 0 5
C. Gomes Midfielder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C. Palmer Midfielder 18 3 495 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
E. Haaland Forward 39 37 3027 5 0 0 41 7 0 8
İ. Gündoğan Midfielder 37 32 2771 1 0 0 8 0 0 4
J. Álvarez Forward 37 17 1866 1 0 0 11 1 0 2
J. Grealish Midfielder 34 28 2404 3 0 0 5 0 0 7
J. Stones Defender 25 23 2029 2 0 0 3 0 1 2
J. Wilson-Esbrand Defender 2 0 44 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
João Cancelo Defender 23 21 1655 4 0 1 2 0 0 4
K. De Bruyne Midfielder 36 31 2690 1 0 0 7 0 0 19
K. Phillips Midfielder 14 2 304 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
K. Walker Defender 27 22 1955 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
L. Delap Forward 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L. Mbete-Tabu Defender 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M. Akanji Defender 33 27 2601 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Maximo Perrone Midfielder 1 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N. Aké Defender 29 24 2059 2 0 0 1 0 0 0
Nico O’Reilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
P. Foden Midfielder 37 25 2128 2 0 0 12 0 0 5
P. Guardiola 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
R. Lewis Defender 16 11 1021 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
R. Mahrez Forward 36 27 2294 2 0 0 7 2 0 11
Rodri Midfielder 41 38 3314 6 0 0 2 0 0 6
Rúben Dias Defender 31 26 2416 4 0 0 1 0 0 0
S. Charles Defender 1 0 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sergio Gómez Midfielder 16 6 621 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

The young player of the 2022/23 Premier League season has been confirmed in an official statement by the English FA.

Following an eventful 2022/23 premier league season and the discovery of some of the biggest young talents in football, on the 18th of May 2023, eight nominees were announced for the Premier League Young Player of the season award due to the impact they made in their various roles for the entire season.

On top of the List is Erling Haaland (Man City)

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Sven Botman (Newcastle United)

Moises Caicedo (Brighton Hove Albion)

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton Hove Albion)

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)

Erling Halaand was crowned the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award following his impressive and noteworthy form in the 2022/23 season at Manchester City. With 36 goals in his debut season in the premier league, he became the first and only player in the Premier League’s history to be crowned the Player of the season and the the Young Player of the season in the same year.

– Player of the Season

Erling Haaland earned the player of the season award after his outstanding performance in the Premier League this season, the young player is regarded as a lab-created goalmonster sent from the future to destroy the present. Haaland isn’t the best in everything – there have been and still are more skillful and innovative center-forwards. But the overall package of power and timing, of willingness and positioning, are like nothing the game has ever seen – and he’s still improving.

– Playmaker of the Year

The Castrol Playmaker of the Season honor goes to none other than Kevin De Bruyne. With 16 assists overall, De Bruyne records the most in a Premier League season for the the third time in his professional endeavor. Was honored with the title in 2017/18 and 2019/20.

– Goalkeeper of the Year

David De Gea remained the recipient of the Golden Glove award for his exceptional feat in the net during the 2022/23 Premier League Season. The shot-stopper established himself as United’s best custodian by keeping the most clean sheets.

His 17 clean sheets in the competition were crucial for the Red Devils as they finished third in the league table.

– Manager of the Year

Pep Guardiola has been confirmed as the 2022/23 Premier League Manager of the Season. The City boss has held on to this award for the fourth time in his seventh campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

 

Chelsea FC New Coach: What can we expect?

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Chelsea made its third appointment for a permanent manager inside a year after its declaration of Pochettino on 29 May, 2023. With the season ending in a turmoil at Stamford Bridge that had four managers, £600m spent and a 12th-placed dismal finish, the Argentine knows a lot of work needs to be done. Graham Potter was given the reins to manage Chelsea last September on a five-year deal with the hope of creating a long-term strategy under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake ownership, who made the decision to ditch Champions League-winning Thomas Tuchel after a slightly bad start to the season. After six months and just 29 league goals, the new owners lost interest in the continuity of the contract and a replacement became imminent.

Who Are the Candidates?

At the time Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, both free agents after their contracts got abruptly truncated by Spain and Bayern Munich respectively, were the initial frontrunners, prior to Mauricio Pochettino’s interview. “Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward,” said the clubs co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

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“He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.” Bruno Saltor took charge of one game as interim  head coach but had little interest in remaining in the role so former player and sacked manager Frank Lampard assumed the role for the rest of the season. Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner was also on the shortlist. Napoli’s Luciano Spaletti was never a likely option with his team closing in – and now winning – a historic Italian league title.

The Declaration

Pochettino emerged as the favorite to permanently succeed Graham Potter following a series of positive talks between the Argentine and Chelsea. The move towards Pochettino was welcomed in the Chelsea dressing-room, with players said to be positive and excited about his appointment. Pochettino’s conversations have focused around fitness concerns, in particular a need for a settled squad in pre-season and a manageable schedule. He has made it clear he is willing to work with current assets whilst also not being afraid to cut players out.

Coaching Style

Pochettino is known to play an attacking style of football and mostly uses a similar formation at the clubs he manages. He gives his squad instructions to build from the back, use a quick-pressing strategy to frighten and unnerve opponents and work the ball into the box. Pochettino has an excellent track record of bonding with and developing young players. If the Blues are to be molded into a real force again the progression of Mykailo Mudryk, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernandez, etc will be paramount. 

Previous Appointments

Poch began his managerial career in Espanyol in 2009 with the team struggling to survive relegation. Upon joining Espanyol, his task was to ransom the team from the imminent relegation. He had only recently acquired his UEFA Pro License in December 2008, and aside from a brief stint as the women’s team assistant coach, he had no prior coaching experience. His first match was home with FC Barcelona, coached by Pep Guardiola, in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Espanyol concluded the season comfortably without being relegated. Their most praiseworthy performance was a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the league rivalry, which was their first at Camp Nou in the competition in 27 years. In January 2013, he joined Southampton where he spent just a season before joining Tottenham in 2014.

He led Tottenham to two finals during his years, the Carabao Cup and Champions League final but lost both finals. He was then sacked in 2019 after a poor season. He moved to PSG in 2021 where he won three first major trophies in one and a half years before leaving in 2022.

Managerial Record

Matches                598

Won                      292

Drawn                   129

Lost                       177

Win Percentage     48.8%

Points per game    1.68        

Honors

Chelsea become the fifth club to be managed by new boss Mauricio Pochettino in his 14 year managerial career. Pochettino spent six years managing in the Premier League.

As a manager, he bagged very few trophies; Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions at Paris Saint Germain. He won the Premier League Manager of the Month four times during his years in England and was also given the London Football Awards Manager of the Year in 2018.

 

The Premier League has announced that the 2023 summer transfer will officially open for business on Wednesday, June 14.

Top 10 Biggest Transfer Rumors in the Summer

Avatar for Abdulwaasi BamgbalaAbdulwaasi Bamgbala

As the Summer Transfer window is just around the corner, we look at the top 10 transfer rumors which are taking the internet down by a storm. A couple of selling clubs are months away from making huge amounts of money for their outstanding players who are on high demand. Since the closure of the January window, the sports media have been buzzing with hearsays about which player will be moving to a better club and at what value the deal will turn out.

At Football WorldNet, we sift through the unending rumors to bring you facts to digest. Wonder has it that Liverpool refused to sign a player in the penultimate transfer even though there is a great need for it, the possible reason for this could be as a result of its interest in the Borussia Dortmund Center Midfielder Jude Bellingham, A young English prodigy who has lots of prospects up his sleeve.

Manchester United have identified Brighton’s 18-year old striker Evan Ferguson as a target for the 2024 summer transfer window. Everton plan to sell 21-year-old Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana for around £60m to fund their summer transfer plans. 

Roberto Firmino is willing to move to Barcelona but the Spanish giants are thought to be prioritizing a move for Chelsea’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Ruben Neves has turned down a deal from Arsenal as he is waiting for Barcelona to make a bid for him. 

Bayern Munich have identified Argentina forward Julián Álvarez as a possible summer transfer target. Real Madrid have added Liverpool’s Andy Robertson to a list of possible replacements for Ferland Mendy and believe they could get him for £40m.

RB Leipzig are ready to enter negotiations with Manchester City for Joško Gvardiol! The German club expects a bid of at least €100M. Arsenal plan to sell as many as 14 first-team players to fund 8 new signings in a major summer rebuild. Granit Xhaka, Kieran Tierney and Nicolas Pepe are among those set to leave.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

West Ham and Aston Villa are both in the race to sign £50m-rated winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester this summer. Manchester United are positioning themselves to sign Vinicius Jr, in case he leaves Real Madrid. United’s aura, Casemiro’s presence and an enticing salary could influence his decision. Manchester United and Tottenham have identified Evan Ferguson as a strong candidate to become their number 9 for the long-term. Both clubs are laying down the groundwork to pursue him next summer. 

Manchester United have been told they must pay £140m if they want to sign Victor Osimhen this summer after agreeing a deal for Kim Min-Jae. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are all set to battle it out for the £55m-rated Mason Mount this summer.

DONE DEAL

B. Saka
Midfielder
Club
Arsenal Arsenal
profile

Everton has activated the option to extend Abdoulaye Doucouré’s contract until the end of 2024. Mohammed Kudus would like to leave Ajax this summer. His price has been set for €45M. Dortmund are in pole position to sign Edson Álvarez from Ajax this summer. His price when Chelsea were in for him last year was €55m.

There are no negotiations between Manchester United and PSG for Neymar! Manchester United are interested in Moussa Diaby, who is valued by Bayer Leverkusen at around €70M-€80M. The next step depends on what happens with the ownership of the club.

Bukayo Saka has signed a new four-year contract at Arsenal until June 2027. Jules Koundé is open to leaving Barcelona and the club would be willing to sell him for around €80M. He does not feel comfortable at full-back.

Alexis Mac Allister is expected to sign for Liverpool before June 10th, when he meets up with the Argentina national team. Rafael Leão will sign his contract extension with AC Milan on Friday! 

Manchester United are aiming to complete a deal for Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae as soon as possible, as PSG circle. His £40m release clause can be activated from July 1st. João Cancelo is now Barcelona’s No. 1 option for the full-back position! However, they will not be able to offer more than a loan.

Bayern Munich consider Declan Rice as the perfect player to play next to Joshua Kimmich! Angel Di Maria will leave Juventus at the end of the season and become a free agent.

Manchester City defeated West Ham in a total domination of a game and took back the 1st place spot in the Premier League.

Man City Crowned Champions – Could win treble

Avatar for Abdulwaasi BamgbalaAbdulwaasi Bamgbala

Pep Guardiola seeks to lead Man City to an unprecedented treble after Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal on Saturday May 20.

Man City has been crowned the Premier League champions for the 2022-23 season after defeating Chelsea in their home at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday May 21. The Citizens face a Wembley showdown with rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final. In Europe, they made it to the finals a second time in the Champions League after humiliating Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

What’s their Driving Force?

No doubt, Erling Haaland’s record-breaking season helped the citizens as he set a new record for the most goals ever scored by any player in a single Premier League season. Man City 11-straight wins facilitated their rise above Arsenal even though they were 8 points below the Gunners as late as March 2023, although with a match outstanding.

Man City’s renowned play-makers Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rodri played their part down the stretch. The switch from its conventional 4-3-3 to a 3-2-4-1 formation over the last few months was also key but quite simply, this was a total team effort. Given their strides over the last few months, Manchester City have shown that an historic treble seems very likely as they aim to make the 2022-23 season one of the best in football history.

Who Do Man City Need to beat to win the treble?

Man City’s hope of winning the treble rests on this month which heralds the end of the season. They have just two matches left in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup final and another in the UEFA Champions League.

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Premier League

Prior to their game with the Blues on Sunday May 21, they got crowned the champions before kicking the ball due to the Gunner’s defeat by Nottingham Forest.

Champions League

After their victory against Bayern Munich in the quarter finals, Guardiola’s side faced Real Madrid in the semifinals of the Champions League. They got knocked out by the Madridstas at the same stage after an unimaginable comeback by the reigning champions. Rodrygo scored a duo in the injury time before Karim Benzema capped it all with a penalty in the extra-time to seal a 6-5 defeat on aggregate for Man City.

Times have changed as City had a great comeback at the Bernabeu against Madrid with Kevin De Bruyne on target for the guests. In the follow-up in England, the citizens utterly destroyed the holders, winning the host 4-0 on the night to affirm a 5-1 aggregate victory.

FA Cup

Man City will be up against their local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The showpiece event is expected to take place unfailingly on June 3.

City made it to the final via a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United in the semifinals with a hat-trick from Riyad Mahrez. Meanwhile, the Red devils made it to the final via a penalty shootout win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Have Man City won a treble before?

Indeed, Man City have won a treble before but it is nothing when compared to what they are chasing in the 2022/23 season.

During the 2018/19 season, Guardiola-led Man City won the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup domestic treble, heralding a treble victory that was unprecedented in the history of the club.

However, winning a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League will certainly surpass their accomplishment of four years back. It would also put them at par with Manchester United who remained the only English club to have won the three trophies in the same season.

But their coach Guardiola has won a similar feat while he was head coach of Barcelona, winning Spain’s La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2008/09.

Brighton defeated Manchester United in a last minute thriller to put further pressure on their top 4 aspirations in the Premier League.

MacAllister penalty shocks Man Utd in a dramatic match

Avatar for Yasmin RasidiYasmin Rasidi

The host Brighton shocked Manchester United due to the stoppage time penalty in the Premier League match Gameweek 34 on Thursday. The match was a revenge for both teams. Brighton humiliated the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the Premier League’s first match of the season. And Manchester United beat the Seagulls in the FA Cup semifinals on a penalty shoot-out two weeks ago.

Both teams attacked each other. The visiting team almost scored the opener, but Anthony’s shot went wide in the 2nd minute. Two minutes later, the home team should have scored if Kaoru Mitoma’s shot had not hit David De Gea’s head.

Both teams continued to attack and put pressure on each other. Jason Steele was outstanding when he quickly denied Marcus Rashford’s shot. 

Brighton dominated the second half

Roberto De Zerbi’s men dominated the second half. However, they got frustrated thanks to the visiting team’s solid defense. Steele deserved to be the man of the match after the goalkeeper saved Bruno Fernandes’ ball. De Gea was also a hero for The Red Devils when he denied a close-range shot from Pervis Estupian. The game seemed to end until Luke Shaw’s handball sent a disaster for the visiting side. The referees decided to give a penalty for the home team after watching VAR.

Alexis MacAllister scored the decisive penalty in the 99th minute. Eight yellow cards were shown in the entertaining game.

Brighton’s race for European football continues as MacAllister secures win

The Seagulls’ dramatic win at home sent them to sixth at the table. At the same time, Manchester United remained at fourth. Brighton are facing Everton, while Manchester United are playing against West Ham this weekend.

Manchester City defeated West Ham in a total domination of a game and took back the 1st place spot in the Premier League.

Manchester City stun West Ham as Haaland sets a new record

Avatar for Yasmin RasidiYasmin Rasidi

Manchester City removed Arsenal from the top of the table after winning 3-0 over West Ham at Etihad on the Premier League Game Week 34 Wednesday. Erling Haaland scored one, setting a new record for the number of goals in a single campaign in the domestic competition (35). The Citizens almost scored the opener in the ninth minute when Riyad Mahrez fired a shot outside the penalty box. However, West Ham’s Lukas Fabianski saved the ball.

West Ham forced the home team to an endless draw in the first half after several attempts from Riyad Mahrez, and Haaland failed to score the opener for the Premier League defending champions. Nathan Ake came to score after heading a ball from Mahrez’s free kick in the 50th minute. Haaland doubled the victory for the Citizens 20 minutes after finishing Jack Grealish’s pass. Phil Foden scored five minutes before the final whistle, booking the club’s 1,000th goal under Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City climb to the top

Phil Foden and colleagues removed Arsenal from the top of the Premier League table in 24 hours after the Citizen’s victory against the Hammer. Manchester City are now leading with 79 points, one point ahead of The Gunners (78). The race between Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League trophy continues as they face Leeds and Newcastle on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.