English Football 2024-2025

[Bulgarian]

It's a few days late to comment on this, but Chelsea were knocked out of the League Cup R16 last week. So it means there will be no fixture clash on 18/19 Dec between the League Cup QF and the Conference League MD6. We'll need to wait until next season to see if it happens and how they would resolve the clash.

Well Chelsea wouldve had enough players for both games anyway

[Lyonnais]

WS marks after 10 games


Top 10

7.97 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, MR, 23, ENG)
7.70 Cole Palmer (Chelsea, AMC, 22, ENG)
7.67 Erling Haaland (Man City, FW, 24, NOR)
7.65 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, AMR, 32, EGY)
7.63 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham, FWL, 32, KRS)
7.40 Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford, AMR, 25, CMR)
7.39 James Maddison (Tottenham, MC, 27, ENG)
7.34 Dominic Solanke (Tottenham, FW, 27, ENG)
7.30 Josko Gvardiol (Man City, DL, 22, CRO)
7.29 Dwight McNeil (Everton, AMC, 24, ENG)
etc.


Best XI

................................................ E.Haaland (Man City) .................................................
................................ Son (Tottenham) - C.Palmer (Chelsea) - B.Saka (Arsenal) ......................
..................................... J.Maddison (Tottenham) - M.Caicedo (Chelsea) .............................
J.Gvardiol (Man City) - V.van Dijk (Liverpool) - C.Romero (Tottenham) - T.Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
............................................ M.Flekken (Brentford) ....................................................


U21 Palyers

7.21 Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester, AMC, 19, ARG)
7.19 Savinho (Man City, MR, 20, BRA)
7.08 Carlos Baleba (Brighton, MC, 20, CMR)
etc.


Best per club

7.65 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, AMR, 32, EGY)
7.67 Erling Haaland (Man City, FW, 24, NOR)
7.19 Chris Wood (Forest, FW, 32, NZL)
7.70 Cole Palmer (Chelsea, AMC, 22, ENG)
7.97 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, MR, 23, ENG)
7.18 Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa, DMC, 27, BEL)
7.63 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham, FWL, 32, KRS)
7.17 Danny Welbeck (Brighton, FW, 33, ENG)
7.15 Antonee Robinson (Fulham, DL, 27, USA)
7.25 Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, AMR, 24, GHA)
7.06 Anthony Gordon (Newcastle, FWL, 23, ENG)
7.40 Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford, AMR, 25, CMR)
6.98 Diogo Dalot (Man Utd, DL, 25, POR)
7.10 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham, MR, 27, ENG)
7.21 Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester, AMC, 19, ARG)
7.29 Dwight McNeil (Everton, AMC, 24, ENG)
6.97 Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace, AMC, 26, ENG)
6.87 Leif Davis (Ipswich, DL, 24, ENG)
6.69 Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton, GK, 26, ENG)
7.17 Matheus Cunha (Wolves, AMC, 25, BRA)

[Lyonnais]

XG Analysis after 10 games


XPts table

What would be the table if all goal chances had been converted?

- Liverpool on top as in the real table
- the big surprise (to me at least) is to see Fulham in such a good position but Fulham doesn't score the goals they are expected to score 14 goals scored instead of 19) and is one of the rare teams to concede more goals than expected (13 vs 10)
- Chelsea and Arsenal not so well placed

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Xpts	Pts	Diff.	
22,0	25	+3,0	Liverpool
20,0	15	-5,0	Fulham
18,8	23	+4,2	Man City
17,5	16	-1,5	Tottenham
-------------------------------------
17,4	18	+0,6	Aston Villa
16,6	19	+2,4	N.Forest
16,5	15	-1,5	Bournemouth
---------------------------------
16,0	18	+2,0	Arsenal
15,6	18	+2,4	Chelsea
15,2	16	+0,8	Brighton
15,1	12	-3,1	Man Utd
13,4	13	-0,4	Brentford
12,3	15	+2,7	Newcastle
11,3	7	-4,3	C.Palace
11,1	11	-0,1	West Ham
10,3	9	-1,3	Everton
8,3	10	+1,7	Leicester
8,2	4	-4,2	Southampton
7,8	3	-4,8	Wolves
6,1	5	-1,1	Ipswich

Offensive efficiency

Liverpool is the team able to create the most goal chances but do not convert all of them
The most efficient strikers are in Brentford (Mbeumo!) and Leicester who score 1 goal more than expected (19 vs 18 for Brentford, 14 vs 13 for leicester)
The least efficient team is Man United 9 goals scored in 10 games (!!!) versus 18 expected; -9 goals difference.

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XG	Goals	Diff.	
21,9	19,0	-2,9	Liverpool
21,4	22,0	+0,6	Tottenham
21,3	21,0	-0,3	Man City
19,9	17,0	-2,9	Arsenal
19,5	20,0	+0,5	Chelsea
(...)
13,4	7,0	-6,4	Southampton
12,9	14,0	+1,1	Leicester
12,4	10,0	-2,4	Everton
11,1	10,0	-1,1	Ipswich
10,9	14,0	+3,1	Wolves

Defensive efficiency

Liverpool best team to create goal chances but also best team not to allow goal chances to their opponents.
The most efficient team is Newcastle (10 goals conceded vs 17 expected)
The least efficient is Wolves 27 goals conceded vs 21 expected

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XGA	GA	Diff.	
9,2	6,0	-3,2	Liverpool
10,4	13,0	+2,6	Fulham
11,3	7,0	-4,3	N.Forest
12,2	11,0	-1,2	Tottenham
12,5	11,0	-1,5	Man City
(...)
20,5	19,0	-1,5	West Ham
20,7	27,0	+6,3	Wolves
24,3	19,0	-5,3	Southampton
24,6	18,0	-6,6	Leicester
26,4	21,0	-5,4	Ipswich

Top scorers

Mbeumo 8 goals scored for less than 4 expected. Not bad

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Goals	XG	Diff.	
11,0	10,1	+0,9	Erling Haaland (Man City)
8,0	3,8	+4,2	Bryan Mbeumo (Bvrentford)
8,0	5,4	+2,6	Chris Wood (N.Forest)
7,0	4,3	+2,7	Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
7,0	6,1	+1,0	Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
6,0	5,1	+1,0	Danny Welbeck (Brighton)
6,0	6,4	-0,4	Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
5,0	2,8	+2,2	Liam Delap (Ipswich)
5,0	3,6	+1,4	Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
5,0	6,8	-1,8	Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

[rpo.castro]

Do Britons celebrate Christmas in November or is this some new tradition from the UAE?

[angel_87]

Nottingham Forest currently 3rd (is winning now vs Newcastle) with a score of 6-4-1, incredible!!

[angel_87]

In the end the magpies come back to win 1-3 vs Nottingham.
FT - Tottenham vs Ipswich 1-2

[mspm89]

Good statement by Newcastle, this was a key match to win. Now it's a big melée after Liverpool and City, and the mags are in it.

[rpo.castro]

The impact of Rodri (that player that some said he didn't deserve the Golden Ball):

In last 81 matches he played, city only lost 1 in the 90', to united in cup final.

In last 25 matches without Rodri, City lost 9.

https://www.abola.pt/futebol/noticias/a ... 3552060494

Transfermarkt focus on Premier League stats with and without Rodri:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/will-miss ... ews/431003

[amenina]

[Greyn]

Kane has his monument in London.



Far from impressive imo, looks a bit like a chocolate figure. Still better than C. Ronaldo's bust in the Funchal Airport in Madera...



I am against monuments for living people, so maybe it is better that they look so terrible.

[seso]

Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Cardiff City in the Championship; Cardiff City is in the relegation zone.
Swansea City vs Leeds United tomorrow; it could be a great afternoon for The Jacks!

[amenina]

Leicester City sack manager Cooper after 12 league games

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... dmndv2n6zo

[mspm89]

First time in all his 8 years and counting in the club that I see Guardiola's position with a degree of vulnerability. To lose 0-4 at home to Tottenham, the epitome of a loser club...

[Ambro]

First time in all his 8 years and counting in the club that I see Guardiola's position with a degree of vulnerability. To lose 0-4 at home to Tottenham, the epitome of a loser club...

Still 2nd in the league and I'm pretty certain Liverpool will have their downs throughout the season.

[Oldelpaso]

First time in all his 8 years and counting in the club that I see Guardiola's position with a degree of vulnerability. To lose 0-4 at home to Tottenham, the epitome of a loser club...

Things would have to get much much worse for there to be any doubt about Guardiola's position - he signed a new contract last week. But this much more than a blip now.

The simplest explanation is injuries. Guardiola likes to run with a small squad, so that he can keep everybody happy with regular minutes. This season has seen more injuries than any other point in his tenure, and they have been concentrated in central midfield and defence. That explains some of it, but it is deeper than that.

Steadily, season by season, City have been giving up more and more chances on the counter attack. Guardiola has been obsessed with preventing it, but it has only got worse. Having the Ballon D'Or holder DM out injured makes it more glaringly obvious, but the pattern started earlier. Previously City made a lot of use of players who were midfielders or defenders in name only at left back. Cancelo, Delph, Zinchenko. After a run of bad results in 2022, Guardiola changed tack and started fielding central defenders as full backs. It worked, and City won the treble. The problem is they aren't as mobile, so the demands on the midfielders are higher in transitions. Teams have got wise to it, and at the same time the midfield has got slower. Which brings us to the next point.

Father Time comes for everyone. Several of the City squad have found like so many before them that age doesn't come for you slowly when you are at the top. It can be sudden and startling. De Bruyne still oozes class when he plays, but the injuries are more and more frequent. Bringing Gundogan back was an overly sentimental mistake, the kind City have generally avoided. A very United signing. He's sadly nowhere near the player he was when he left. Walker has always relied on pace to get him out of trouble. He was the fastest player in the league, but now he's 34 and gets caught out. Stones and Grealish are now getting more and more frequent injuries.

City under Guardiola have always fetishised possession. The treble team exemplified this. Grealish and Mahrez playing wide. Neither explosive, but they rarely lost the ball. Now Doku and Savinho are the most used wide men. They are young and a bit raw. They play in a way that excites crowds. They also give the ball away a lot, and concede counter attacks. They do not fit this system well. Recent transfer windows have seen a lot of decisions that individually look sensible, but add up to problems. Atletico offered crazy money for Alvarez, but he was not replaced. It is now Haaland or nothing. In a game like Spurs where City are losing the middle, they could have switched to Alvarez as false 9. Palmer was big money for a bit part player. Cancelo had an attitude problem, and so on.

For a good while City were always bookies favourites to win everything. That is because the models loved how City played and the underlying numbers to support it were great. City went over a year without losing a game on xG. Every game in this losing streak has also been lost on xG. City are ageing and teams have learned how to counteract their tactics. The Spurs game reminds me of when City beat United 6-1 at Old Trafford. The air of invulnerability forever punctured. Teams that previously crumbled under the inevitable comebacks suddenly believed instead. The ageing United team still had something left - they won the title the season after - but they have been rebuilding ever since. City will also still be competitive for a little while with this team, but they too are due a rebuild. They must not make the same mistakes.