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Team of the Decade: Part 7- The 2010's

Goalkeeper- Manuel Neuer- Germany

Neuer became the first choice keeper for Schalke 04 shortly after his 20th birthday and would remain between the sticks for the club for 5 seasons reaching a Champions League semi-final and winning the German Cup in his final season. That summer of 2011 he moved to Bayern Munich where he has remained ever since. Neuer became the fastest keeper to reach 100 Bundesliga cleansheets, taking just 183 games, 156 of them coming for Schalke. Neuer now holds the record for most Bundesliga cleansheets which have helped Bayern to win 11 Bundesliga titles as of writing. Neuer has also lifted the Champions League twice with Bayern, in 2013 and 2020.

As of writing Neuer has 124 Germany caps, and played a vital role in his nation lifting the 2014 World Cup with his displays earning him 3rd place for that years Balon D'or, just 0.4% behind 2nd placed Lionel Messi. Neuer is considered one of the greatest keepers of all time, who has revolutionised the position with the quality of his passing and composure in possession allowing his teams to build-up attacks with an extra man, with Neuer having the Football ability not too dissimilar from an outfield player. This has allowed Neuer to thrive as a true sweeper-keeper, regularly sprinting out of his penalty area to meet attacks before they can develop and get his team back in possession. At a stocky six feet 4, Neuer maintains a huge presence in goal, proving very difficult to bypass 1 v 1 and that combined with his excellent shot-stopping abilities make him surely the most complete goalkeeper ever.

Right-Back- Daniel Alves- Brazil

Dani Alves joined Sevilla from Bahia in 2003 and spent 5 years with the club, winning 5 trophies including the Copa Del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup & 2 UEFA Cups. From there, Alves signed for Barcelona where he would spend the next 8 years of his career winning 6 La Liga titles, 3 Champions Leagues and 3 World Club Cups amongst a whole host of other trophies.

Alves would add to his packed trophy cabinet at Juventus and PSG before returning for another short spell at Barcelona, still playing at a decent level whilst approaching his 39th birthday. 2 Copa America's, 2 Confederations Cups and an Olympic Gold from the 2020 Games with Brazil took Alves' medal count to 43, with only Leo Messi having more.

Alves is considered one of the greatest right-backs in Football history, and perhaps the full-back with the highest level of technical quality on the ball, due to the way he could combine with forwards in tight spaces and match the ability of some of Barcelona and the world's best attackers when linking with them. Alves constantly provided an option on the ball, either out wide or moving infield depending on where teammates were positioned and this helped Barcelona to sustain constant pressure in the opponents half.

Centre-Back- Sergio Ramos- Spain

Sergio Ramos came through the ranks at Sevilla and after just one season in their first team was snapped up by Real Madrid for €27M in 2005. Ramos was a mainstay in the Real Madrid XI beginning as a centre-back, then moving to right-back before returning to the centre of defence.

Ramos spent 16 seasons with Real, winning 5 La Liga titles and 4 Champions Leagues. Ramos played a vital role in securing his first Champions League title in 2014, Real's 'La Decima' as he headed home a Luka Modric corner in the 94th minute with City-rivals Atletico having one-hand on the trophy before Ramos' powerful header took the game into extra-time which Los Blancos would win 4-1. Ramos scored in a second Champions League final two years later against the same opponent, with Ramos converting his penalty in the subsequent shootout.

In total Ramos made 671 appearances for Real Madrid scoring an incredible 101 goals as a defender. For his country Ramos has won a record 180 caps and scored 23 goals, he started as a right-back in the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup Finals which Spain won and at centre-half in the 2012 Euros final, which a dominant Spain also won 4-0 against Italy. In those 3 successive International tournaments which Spain won, they kept 10 cleansheets in 10 consecutive knockout games.

Ramos is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his era, renowned for his aggressive style, a commanding physical presence and tenacious leadership. As he grew older he developed a reputation as a scorer of crucial goals, stepping up on many occasions to rescue Real Madrid by coming alive in the opposition penalty area and powering home a header. Ramos holds the record for defenders for most appearances in both the FIFPro World 11 (11) and UEFA Team of the Year (9).

Centre-Back- Gerard Pique- Spain

Gerard Pique moved from Barcelona's La Masia academy to Manchester United as a 17-year old, but failed to dislodge United's ever-present pairing of Ferdinand and Vidic. After 4 years he returned to Barcelona and quickly established himself as a starter, helping Barca to win the treble in his first season with the club, including a Champions League win over his former club United. Later that year Pique would win the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup & the World Club Cup meaning Barcelona held all six available trophies.

Pique would go onto win a further 2 Champions Leagues, including another victory over United in 2011 and Juventus in 2015. In total he would also win 9 La Liga titles and 7 Copa Del Reys. He made 616 appearances for Barca and scored 52 goals. With the Spanish national side Pique won 102 caps, winning the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup.

At a stocky 6 feet 4 inches, Pique was a powerful and commanding centre-back, but despite being excellent defensively he was renowned more for his ball-playing capabilities than his physicality. Pique was a defender who best exemplified modern football, due to his composure and passing quality on the ball. His technical quality with the ball at his feet meant that he would often join the attack late in games as an auxiliary forward, either in a move of desperation with Barca trailing or else because the game was already secured and Barca could afford to risk having an extra player upfront.

Left-Back- Marcelo- Brazil

Marcelo joined Real Madrid from Fluminense whilst still a teenager for a sum of €8M. Over the next 15 years Marcelo would prove himself one of the greatest bargains in the clubs illustrious history. Joining mid-way from the 06/07 season, Marcelo would pick up a league winners medal that year and go on to win 6 in total. Marcelo would also win 5 Champions League titles, his first coming in 2014 where he came off the bench to score against Atletico Madrid.

Between 2016 and 2018 Real Madrid would dominate European and World Football winning 3 consecutive Champions League and World Club Cup titles. Marcelo would depart the club after winning a 5th Champions League title in 2022, having been an unused substitute for the final. Marcelo made 546 appearances for Real and scored 38 goals. He won 58 caps for Brazil, appearing at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup and winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Marcelo is regarded as one of the most skilful defenders ever, a classic Brazilian defender in the mould of Roberto Carlos, with Carlos even commenting "Marcelo possesses a better technical ability than me." Marcelo was a key player during Madrid's run of three-peating the Champions League with his pace and trickery allowing him to offer himself as a sort of second winger down Madrid's left, and aswell his passing quality enabling him to create chances as a secondary playmaker.

Defensive Midfield- Sergio Busquets- Spain

After 2 seasons with the B team Sergio Busquets was promoted to the Barcelona first team for the 08/09 winning the treble in his first season. Busquets would spend 15 years in the Barca first team, winning 9 league titles, 7 Copa Del Reys and 3 Champions Leagues. Busquets would make 722 appearances with Barcelona and score 18 goals. He won 143 caps for the Spanish national team, winning the 2010 World Cup where he was named in the team of the tournament and the 2012 Euros.

Busquets is considered one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time and one of the most press-resistant midfielders ever. Due to his incredible awareness and composure, Busquets could evade midfielders sprinting at him, by subtly turning away from them with just a few touches and moving out of any perceived danger into space. So rarely did pressing him lead to him turning possession over, many midfielders would give up on the idea of pressing him due to it being a waste of energy.

Busquets ability to receive the ball under pressure meant he could drop in between the centre-backs to receive the ball deep to help Barca build from the back, or else receive the ball in the midfield and build attacks from there. His absolute mastery over the defensive midfield role led to one of the all-time great Football quotes being said about him by his former Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque: ""If you watch the whole game, you won't see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game."

Centre-Midfield- Luka Modric- Croatia

After joining Tottenham from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, Modric spent 4 seasons in the Premier League before earning a move to Real Madrid. Joining the club with his 27th Birthday approaching, noone could have anticipated that 12 years later he'd still be representing Madrid with distinction in the final year of his 30's.

Modric is the oldest player in Madrid's history and has won more honours for the club than any other player. He has lifted an incredible 27 trophies for the club including a joint-record 6 Champions Leagues, with Modric being one of Real's best performers in most of them. For Croatia, Modric has won 182 caps and appears to be far from done, if the level of his performances tell us anything. He has represented his country at 3 World Cups and in 2018, on top of winning another Champions League with Madrid, Modric helped Croatia to reach the World Cup final for the first time ever. His performances won him the Golden Ball for player of the tournament and later that year the Balon D'or, with Modric becoming the first player outside of Messi or Ronaldo to win the award since back in 2007.

Despite being a diminutive midfielder with great technique, ball-carrying and passing ability, Modric's immense stamina and workrate off the ball means he also makes big contributions out of possession. This has made him an extremely well-rounded midfielder who excels in all areas of the game. From a deep role, he can help to set the tempo with composed volume passing, he can playmake from the centre of the pitch with penetrating, creative passes which catch the opponent out and he can cover ground reliably and relentlessly. Modric is one of the very few players in history who has arguably been better in his 30's than he was in his 20's, ageing like fine wine and consistently dazzling with his class in his advanced years as a pro.

Centre-Midfield- Andres Iniesta- Spain

Iniesta made his Barcelona debut in 2002, becoming a first team regular in 04/05, the season he picked up his first La Liga title. Another would arrive the following season, with Iniesta also lifting the Champions League. Brought on at half-time in the final with Barca trailing to Arsenal, Iniesta was instrumental in turning the game in Barca's favour. Iniesta's importance at Barcelona continued to grow and helped him to force his way into the Spain team, where in 2008 he won the Euros, Spain's first major trophy since 1964.

In 2009 Iniesta won a 2nd Champions League title as part of Barcelona's sextuple, but the following year was to be a tough one on a personal level with injuries & the passing of a close childhood friend pushing Andres into a depression. Battling through his injury struggles in time to make the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta scored the winning goal in the final he was man of the match in, as he won Spain their first ever World Cup. A 3rd Champions League triumph would arrive the following year and the year after that, he and Spain retained the Euros to win a 3rd successive title and cement themselves as perhaps the greatest International side ever. In the end Iniesta made 674 appearances for Barca winning 9 La Liga's, 4 Champions League's and 30 trophies in total. He won 131 caps for Spain, and retired from Football aged 40 after spells in Japan and Qatar saw him reach a total of over 1,000 games in his professional career.

Iniesta was blessed with an incredible football brain from a young age and due to this intelligence aswell as exceptional on the ball ability, he could thrive in every midfield position from sitting deep at the base of a midfield as he did in his early years, to even playing as a left-winger as he did later in his career. Iniesta's football IQ was his superpower and he looked after the ball like a prized possession, rarely losing it by either a misplaced pass or by being tackled. His exquisite close control in tight spaces enabled him to evade the challenges of one or more defenders and his execution of pass was rarely anything other than perfect. Iniesta is remembered as one of Football's greatest ever midfielders whose contribution to the game went far beyond what can be measured in just goals and assists alone and he is currently the only player to have won Man of the Match Awards in Champions League, World Cup and Euros finals.

Right forward- Lionel Messi- Argentina

Messi was brought over to Barcelona as a 13-year old from Argentina as his precocious talent was nurtured with him making his debut for the senior team at the end of the 04/05 season. Messi won a La Liga medal in his first 2 seasons with Barca, and won a Champions League medal in 2006, despite missing out on the latter stages due to injury. It was in the 06/07 where he fully announced himself to the world with a hattrick in El Clasico as a 19 year old. That season Messi also scored 'the Goal of the Century' a goal extraordinary similar to Maradona's solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup. Demonstrating astonishing speed and control as he weaved past one Getafe player after another, far from an anomaly in the career of Lionel Messi, such death-defying acts would soon become the norm.

It was in the 08-09 season, Messi's first under Guardiola where he would become a great goalscorer as he netted 38 goals including 1 in the Champions League final against Manchester United, a rather rare header from the 5 feet 7 forward. 2 years later and Messi would score in another Champions League final against Manchester United, aged just 23, his performance considered perhaps the greatest ever in a Champions League earned him plaudits with many already considering him among the best footballers ever. Messi would keep adding to that argument, scoring a scarcely believable 73 goals the following season, including 50 in La Liga alone. The following season he netted 60 goals in 50 games, taking his Barcelona total across two seasons to 133 goals in 110 games and 96 La Liga goals in 69 games.

Messi would go on to score a total of 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, which is the most anyone has scored for a single club, surpassing Pele's record at Santos. He scored 474 goals in 520 La Liga games which is a record for the competition and 120 in 149 in the Champions League. With the club he lifted 34 trophies, including 10 La Ligas, 4 Champions Leagues, 7 Copa Del Reys and 3 Club World Cups. After leaving Barca, Messi went to PSG where he won another 2 league titles, scoring 32 goals in 75 games before moving on to Inter Miami, the MLS part-owned by David Beckham. His hunger and talent for the game remains firmly intact aged 37, with 34 goals in 39 games for Miami helping the club to win the first 2 honours in its short history.

Whilst aside from his first season at PSG, Messi's club career has been a consistent tale of success both individually and collectively, Messi's time with the national team of Argentina has been more turbulent. A promising beginning saw him score just minutes into his World Cup debut, reach the Copa America with Messi netting in the Quarters and semis before a 3-0 final defeat to Brazil and win an Olympic Gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2010. However, Messi failed to reproduce his Barcelona goalscoring at the 2010 World Cup or 2011 Copa America which Argentina hosted, and despite performing well the luck seemed against him. This feeling of bad luck would persist as between 2014 and 2016, Messi's brilliance helped Argentina to reach 3 successive major finals, only to lose them all. First at the 2014 World Cup and then in back-to-back Copa America's, with both losses coming on penalties against Chile.

After missing his kick in the 2016 final, Messi briefly retired from International Football, but it looked as though his best chance of success with the national team had already been and gone as a poor Argentina team exited the World Cup at the round of 16 stage in 2018, before losing a Copa America semi-final in 2019, in a tournament Messi did not produce his best. However 2 years at the 2021 edition, Messi was very much at his best being involved in 9 of Argentina's 12 goals as either the scorer or assister as at the 6th time of asking, Messi finally ended 28-years of hurt for Argentina. Better was yet to come as the following year at his 5th World Cup, Messi finally put it all together at the game's biggest event, aided by the most balanced supporting cast he'd had to date. Messi scored 2 in the final, and converted from the penalty spot as after losing finals in 2015 and 2016, this time luck was on his side from 12 yards as he emulated Diego Maradona by leading his nation to the ultimate glory.

Messi is considered by many the greatest footballer in history, due to his incredible ability, consistency & end product. With 850 goals and approaching 400 assists, Messi has either scored or assisted every 72 minutes on average throughout his entire career. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers, dribblers and passers in history. The combination of these attributes make him the most complete forward ever, and his consistency and incredibly high ceiling meant he rarely produced a truly bad performance in well over a decade for Barcelona. With the national team he has scored 112 goals in 190 caps, which is the 2nd most in International Football and he holds the record for most goals at the Copa America. By inspiring his nation to lift the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, many feel that was the final box he had left to tick to cement himself as the greatest of all time.

Messi has won a record 8 Balon D'ors, which is 3 more than the next best Cristiano Ronaldo, he won the award for four successive years between 2009 and 2012, which is a record. On 6 occasions, he won the Golden Shoe for Europe's top scorer. He won the Golden Ball award for best player at both the 2014 & 2022 World Cup's and aswell won the Golden Ball twice at the 2015 & 2021 editions of the Copa America.

Left forward- Cristiano Ronaldo- Portugal

A friendly match in the summer of 2003 reportedly convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to sign a teenage Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon, after his performance received rave reviews with United's defence which had been tormented by the winger's lightning quick feet and flashy tricks. However, as he continued to grow and improve at United he would transition from a dazzlingly quick but at times flamboyant showpony, into one of the most devastating and unstoppable goalscoring wingers in English Football history. The transformation really came about in the 06/07 season where Ronaldo led United to their first Premier League in 4 years, as he won the PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year & FWA Footballer of the year awards. The following season Ronaldo retained the two main individual awards whilst winning another Premier League and his first Champions League title, scoring against Chelsea in the final to take his tally across all competitions to 42 in 49 games.

The 08/09 season was his last in Manchester and he won the Premier League for a third successive year before departing United for Real Madrid for a world record sum of £80M. Ronaldo netted 118 goals in 292 games for the Red Devils. In Madrid, he would hit new heights altogether. After an impressive first season, Ronaldo's end product kicked into overdrive as he scored 86 La Liga goals in 72 games across the next 2 campaigns, the 11/12 season his goals helped Madrid to win La Liga with 100 points. Ronaldo's next big prize came in the form of the 13/14 Champions League, where he netted 17 goals in 11 games to help Madrid end their 12-year wait for 'La Decima'.

Ronaldo would go onto win a total of 4 Champions League titles with Real, including a threepeat between 15/16-17/18. In the end he scored 105 goals in 101 Champions League games for Madrid, hitting double figures in the competition in 7 consecutive seasons. In La Liga Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 games and in total scored a ridiculous 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid in his 9 seasons with the club, scoring atleast 50 goals in 6 consecutive seasons. Cristiano then moved to Juventus where he netted 101 goals in 138 games in his 3 seasons with the Italian Club, before returning to Manchester United to score a further 27 goals. Nearing his 40th birthday, Ronaldo is still playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi pro league, as he edges nearer to the incredible number of 1,000 goals in senior football.

Cristiano holds the International record for both appearances with 217 Portugal caps and goals with an absurd 135. He is the record scorer in the history of the Euros, with 3 of his goals coming at the 2016 Euros where he helped his nation to lift the first trophy in their history, despite losing Ronaldo to injury early in the first half. He has played at a record 6 European Championships, scoring in a record 5 editions and has also represented his nation at 5 World Cups to date, scoring at all of them which is a record. He is expected to feature at the 2026 World Cup, where he will look to extend that record.

In his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo was a world class winger with great dribbling ability due to his speed, technical feet whilst running and power. Towards the end of his time at the club and especially after joining Real Madrid he became renowned for his deadly finishing which enabled him to become one of the most prolific goalscorers in Football history. His timing and impressive leap made him one of the best ever goalscorers with his head, and the power he could generate when striking the ball made him a danger when shooting from outside the box, including from free-kick situations. His movement and IQ of which positions to take up have seen him be always in the right position to get on the end of a chance, and when that chance arrived his powerful and accurate finishing made him deadly. Ronaldo's often single-minded mentality, makes him absolutely determined to score every time he takes the field, with his pursuit for goals never fully satisfied for long. This mindset has helped him to score 910 goals to date, with his eyes firmly set on reaching 1,000.

Ronaldo is considered one of the greatest players in history, having won 5 Balon D'ors which is the second most in history, with him winning the award in back-to-back years twice. He won the European Golden Shoe on 4 occasions and was the top scorer in a Champions League season on a record 7 occasions. He is the record goalscorer in the history of Real Madrid, the Champions League, the Euros and International Football as a whole.

Striker- Luis Suarez- Uruguay

Suarez moved to Europe after just one season with his native Uruguayan side Nacional. After one season with Dutch outfit Groningen, he was on the move again to Dutch giants Ajax, where he scored 111 goals in 159 games, including a 49 goals in 48 games season. This earned him a move to Liverpool where he had 2 30 goal seasons, and fell just short of winning the Premier League in 13-14. That summer Suarez joined Barcelona, where he would establish himself as the best striker in the world.

In his first season in Spain, Suarez helped Barcelona to win the treble, scoring in the Champions League final, a 3-1 victory over Juventus. The following season Suarez scored an absurd 59 goals in 53 games, including 40 league goals in 35 La Liga games. This made him the only player outside of Messi and Ronaldo to win the Pichichi Trophy between the seasons 09-10 & 20-21. Suarez would eventually take his Barca tally to 198 goals in 283 games, winning 13 trophies in his six seasons with the club, including 4 La Liga's and 4 Copa Del Rey's.

Suarez was allowed to leave Barca in 2020 and he instantly made them rue the decision, as he helped lead Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title, scoring 21 goals in 32 league games. Suarez has since moved for spells in Uruguay, Brazil and USA, currently playing alongside Messi at Inter Miami. With over 500 club goals, Suarez continues to net goals at a superb rate. Suarez was also a master marksman for Uruguay, representing his country for 18 years, winning 143 caps and scoring 69 goals, more than any other player. He scored in the 2011 Copa America final which Uruguay won 3-0 against Paraguay, and aswell scored at the 2010 World Cup helping his nation reach the Semi-Finals.

Suarez is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. Due to his ingenuity Suarez could turn an unthreatening situation into a goal in the blink of an eye, proving himself to be a constant menace to opposition defences. His technical ability was matched by his speed of thought, his daring and cunning meant defenders up against him were always at risk of humiliation. Despite his ruthless nature infront of goal, Suarez was so much more than just a finisher, he was also an unselfish player with a tireless workrate. Unlike other supremely talented forwards who may have deemed the dogged side of the game beneath them, Suarez would do the running of two players, tirelessly breathing down the necks of defenders, waiting to pounce on a mistake. He also developed exceptional understanding with teammates, non greater than with Lionel Messi and the two of them were just as happy setting up the other to score, as they were when scoring themselves.

Subs:

Xavi Hernandez- Spain

Xavi made his Barcelona debut back in the 98/99 season, with the Catalan giants winning the title in his first season. From there though the club would endure a turbulent few years on and off the pitch, whilst Xavi continued to improve and grow as a young footballer. His second La Liga title would not arrive until 6 years later in 2005 under Frank Rijkaard, but from that point on Xavi's career would feature almost non-stop success.

The following season was an injury plagued one for Xavi however, as he missed out on much of the season which saw Barca retain the league and win the Champions League final against Arsenal, with Xavi unavailable. 2 trophyless seasons followed but in the summer of 2008, Xavi truly announced himself to the world. At Euro 2008, Xavi was the tournament's best player, scoring in the semi-final and assisting Torres' winner in the final against Germany, as Spain won a major trophy for the first time since 1964.

In the 08-09 season, Guardiola's first as Barca manager, Xavi provided an incredible 29 assists from midfield, as Barcelona's new 'tiki taka' style won them the sextuple in 2009. At the 2010 World Cup, Xavi was again immaculate, helping his country to win the World Cup for the very first time. The following year another Champions League title arrived and then in 2012, Spain became the first team to retain the Euros, demonstrating their superiority by destroying Italy 4-0 in the final. Alongside Busquets & Iniesta, Xavi had been a part of one of, if not the greatest midfield of all time at both club and international level. He left Spain for Qatar in 2015, after winning another Champions League title as part of a treble.

Xavi is here a victim of playing his best football in between two decades, as if this was a Team of the Decade for the years 2005-2015, he would be one of the very first names in the starting XI. However, he did not emerge as one of the game's best players until towards the end of the 2000's and retired from European Football in 2015, which was not quite enough time to justify him making the starting XI. However in those 5 years, he achieved so much that he still demanded to be named amongst the 14.

Xavi is considered one of the best midfielders of all time, for Barca he played 767 matches and for the national team he won 133 caps. He is considered one of the most reliable passers ever, registering a 91% pass completion rate through the 2010 World Cup. Xavi was incredibly difficult to dispossess of the ball his speed of thought and understanding of space nearly always allowing him to retain possession. As a deep-lying playmaker, Xavi was a lot more than just a 5-yard sideways passer, his penetrating passes allowed him to notch a high number of assists and 'pre-assists' with his passes often opening the opposition up and unlocking a deep defensive block. Xavi's style earned him the nickname "The Puppet Master" with former Real Madrid player and manager Jorge Valdano saying about him: "If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula. With a ball at his feet, no one else has ever communicated so intelligently with every player on the pitch."

Toni Kroos- Germany

Kroos came through the ranks at Bayern Munich and after impressing on loan with Bayer Leverkusen, he became an established starter for the Bavarian club. In 2013 he would help the club to win the treble as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the all-German Champions League final. The following summer after making the 2014 World Cup team of the tournament and lifting the trophy following a 1-0 triumph over Argentina, Kroos joined European Champions Real Madrid.

In his second season with the club, Kroos won his second Champions League and his first with Real. Los Blancos would go on to threepeat the competition, with Kroos a crucial player in the middle of the pitch, forming an outstanding partnership with Luka Modric. Kroos would spend 10 seasons with Madrid, playing 465 games and winning a huge number of honours including 4 La Liga's, 5 Champions League's and 5 World Club Cups. His final match for the club before retirement was the 2024 Champions League final, with Kroos winning his 6th overall, against Borussia Dortmund, the same opponent from his first final 11 years earlier.

Kroos won 114 Germany caps and scored 17 goals, including 2 in the incredible 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. Kroos will be remembered for his incredibly accurate long-range passing, which allowed him to dictate games from the middle of the pitch and also his consistency, with the German rarely dipping below a 7 or 8 out of 10 over many years, making him one of the most reliable and important players for both club and country.

Neymar- Brazil

Neymar was one of the World's first "Youtube Footballers" amazing fans from all over the world with his goals and flamboyant tricks on the video platform for his native club Santos. Neymar would make 225 appearances for the Brazilian club scoring 136 goals and winning the Copa Libertadores in 2011, with Neymar scoring in the final. In 2013 it was confirmed he had signed for FC Barcelona, but before he could play his first games for the club, he had an international tournament to play with Brazil in the form of the Confederations Cup.

This tournament would excite Barca fans further as their new man lifted the trophy and won the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, scoring in a 3-0 final win over Spain. Neymar had a promising first season at Barcelona, but it was in his second season he truly arrived, starring as one-third of the "MSN" alongside Lionel Messi and new signing Luis Suarez. This devastating forward line would win the treble, with Neymar netting 39 goals. In total Neymar would score 105 goals in 186 games for Barca, before the transfer that shocked the world.

In 2017, Neymar joined PSG for a world-record transfer fee of €222 million. The Brazilian would perform excellently but serious injuries would plague him every season, often forcing him to miss the crucial months of the season. One year he was able to stay fit for the final stages of the Champions League was in 19/20, where he played in PSG's first and to date only Champions League final, but they were beaten by Bayern Munich. Despite scoring 118 goals in 173 games, and starring alongside Mbappe and Messi in another devastating forward line, Neymar could never make his time in France a success that got anywhere close to justifying that enormous fee. Partly due to recurring injuries and partly because after leaving one of the biggest clubs and one of the most-watched leagues in the world to play in Ligue 1 with PSG, the club and the league did not grow significantly in mass appeal.

Neymar has since moved to the Saudi Pro League, where serious injuries have mostly kept him off the field. For his nation, Neymar so far has 79 goals in 128 caps, making him the highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazil national team, surpassing Pele last year. Neymar's bad luck with injuries has also followed him to the national team. An injury against Colombia in the 2014 World Cup Quarter-Finals forced him to miss the semi-final against Germany, which in his absence the team lost 7-1. Injury also forced him to miss the 2019 Copa America in its entirety, which his nation would win. Aswell as winning the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2016 Olympic Gold, both on home soil, Neymar also reached the 2021 Copa America final which also happened to take place in Brazil. Though this time he was on the losing side to Messi's Argentina. He will hope he has one more shot at the World Cup in 2026, but currently it appears unlikely injuries will permit him.

With well over 400 goals in over 700 games, Neymar has a scoring record most out and out number 9's would be proud of. He also has over 200 assists which exemplifies his extreme creative talents and teamplay. But outside of just the numbers, it has been the flair and expression Neymar has played the game with that he will be best remembered for. One of the most skilful players ever, his creative dribbling has forced him to take a huge number of bad challenges over the years, which has sadly plagued the second half of his career with injuries that have prevented him from reaching the highest high's he was surely on course to reach at one stage.

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liamhaydn-blog · 7 months ago

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Team of the Decade: Part 6- The 2000's

Goalkeeper- Gianluigi Buffon- Italy

Buffon came through the ranks at Parma where he won the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup, both in 1999. In 2001 he became the world's most expensive keeper when Juventus parted with €52.9M for his services. Buffon would quickly justify this huge fee, helping Juventus to back-to-back Serie A titles in 2002 and 2003, aswell as reaching the 2003 Champions League final which the Old Lady would lose on a shootout to AC Milan.

In 2006, Italian Football was rocked by the Calciopoli scandal which saw Juve stripped of two Serie A titles and demoted to Serie B. Buffon stayed with the club, helping them to be promoted straight back to Serie A. Juventus would go on to dominate Italian Football in the 2010's with Buffon winning a further 8 Serie A titles and reaching another 2 Champions League finals, though he was never able to lift the trophy, as Juventus suffered losses on both occasions. Buffon left for a short spell with PSG in 2018, before returning for a second stint at Juventus and then a second stint at Parma where he would retire at the age of 45.

Buffon holds the Serie A record for most championships with 10 and he also holds the appearance record with 657 games in Italy's top-flight. Buffon also won a record 176 caps for Italy and in 2006 helped them to lift the World Cup for the first time in 24 years. His performances at the tournament saw him voted 2nd for that year's Balon D'or.

Buffon is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers ever, renowned for his remarkable consistency and the incredibly long time he spent at the top. He was known for his instinctive keeping, producing moments of outstanding shot-stopping due to his quick and acrobatic reflexes. Buffon had a calming and commanding presence between the sticks, working in perfect harmony with some of the best defenders of the era.

Right-Back- Cafu- Brazil

After converting to wingback from a right winger whilst in Sao Paulo's youth team, Cafu would enjoy success with the club winning the Copa Libertadores in 1992 and again in 1993. He joined Real Zaragoza in 1995 but the move was short-lived and he would return to Brazil to play for Palmeiras after less than a year. However in 1997, Cafu moved to Europe once more this time settling much better at AS Roma.

With Roma, Cafu earned the nickname "Il Pendolino" ('the express train') for his marauding runs up and down the right flank. Cafu spent 6 seasons with the club, winning the Scudetto in 2001. In 2003 Cafu joined AC Milan where he would spend the last 5 years of his career, winning another Serie A title and reaching 2 Chamoions League finals both coming against Liverpool, losing the first in 2005 and then gaining revenge 2 years later.

Cafu had an incredible international career, becoming the most capped player ever for Brazil, earning 142 caps. He played at 3 World Cups and played in the final at all of them, winning in 1994 and again in 2002, this time as team captain. Cafu also played in the 1998 final defeat against France and is to date the only player to have played in 3 consecutive World Cup finals. He also won 2 Copa America's and a Confederations Cup for Brazil.

Cafu is regarded as one of the best full-backs ever, a classy, composed player on the ball with skills which reflected a player who'd started out as a winger. His pace, stamina and intelligence made him both defensively and offensively a difficult player to get the better of.

Centre-Back- Alessandro Nesta- Italy

Nesta came through the ranks at Lazio, the club supported by his Father and in 1997 he was made club captain having not long turned 20. As captain Nesta led Lazio to winning the Coppa Italia, the Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup before winning the league and cup double in 2001. The following year Nesta joined AC Milan where he joined a rock solid group of defenders including Cafu, Maldini, Costacurta and Stam.

In his first season Nesta won the Champions League and he would go onto reach a further 2 Champions League finals, losing one and winning the other. Nesta would also lift 2 Scudettos during his 10 years with the Rossoneri. Nesta was part of the Italy team that lost in the Euro 2000 final against France and he was also a member of the Italy squad that went to the 2006 World Cup, however he was injured in a group match and was forced to watch from the sidelines as Italy went onto lift the trophy.

Nesta drew comparisons with Baresi due to being a complete defender, strong and imposing due to his athletic and physical capabilities but also elegant with great composure on the ball with an excellent passing range. Nesta was outstanding in the air and also very quick across the ground, with high tactical intelligence when positioning himself and timing challenges to perfection.

Centre-Back- Fabio Cannavaro- Italy

Cannavaro began his career with Napoli before joining Parma in 1995, where he would spend 7 seasons making almost 300 appearances for the club. With Parma, Cannavaro won 2 Coppa Italia's and the UEFA Cup before moving to Inter Milan. After a fairly unhappy 2 years however, Cannavaro moved on again this time to Juventus where he won 2 Serie A titles in his 2 years with the club. However the Calciopoli scandal saw Juve stripped of those titles and demoted to Serie B and with that he moved on to Real Madrid, where he had a successful stint winning 2 La Liga titles in his 3 years with the club. Cannavaro left the club for a final season with Juventus before retiring in the UAE.

Cannavaro won 136 caps for Italy and played in 4 World Cup's and 3 Euro's. He became captain after the international retirement of Maldini and led Italy at the 2006 World Cup, the tournament for which he is best remembered. His performances at this World Cup held in Germany earned him the nickname "the Berlin Wall" for his imperious performances which helped Italy concede just twice in 7 games, once from an own goal and once from a penalty kick. Cannavaro's role in helping Italy to win the World Cup saw him win the Ballon D'or, as he became the first defender to win the award for 10 years.

Despite his relatively small height for a central defender at 5 foot 9, Cannavaro was renowned for his aerial ability, his timing and impressive leap allowing him to outjump larger attackers. He was also regarded as an excellent tackler due to his expertly executed sliding challenges. Cannavaro excelled in starting attacks out from the back after winning possession due to quality technical ability on the ball. As a leader Cannavaro was expertly suited to the role of captaincy due to his leadership with showcased his charisma, steady calming presence and ability to organise the defence.

Left-Back- Ashley Cole- England

Cole came through the youth ranks at Arsenal and in just his second full season as an established player he won the league and cup double with the club. 2 years later and Cole became an "Invincible" as a member of the 03-04 Arsenal team which went an entire Premier League campaign without losing, on the way to claiming his 2nd Premier League title. In 2006 he played in the Champions League final for Arsenal in which they were narrowly beaten by Barcelona. This would be his final match for the club as that summer he joined London rivals Chelsea.

With Chelsea, Cole picked up another Premier League title and took his FA Cup count to a record 7, 3 with Arsenal and 4 with Chelsea. He also played a further 2 Champions League finals, losing against United in 2008, before finally getting his hands on the trophy at the 3rd time of asking in 2012 against Bayern Munich. Cole won 107 England caps and appeared in 5 international tournaments, where he was usually one of the best performers in England sides which regularly flattered to deceive.

At Arsenal, Cole thrived as an attacking full-back who loved to bomb forward and link up with Pires and Henry down Arsenal's devastating left-side of attack. At Chelsea, Cole's defensive qualities improved further under Mourinho as Cole developed into one of the toughest full-backs in the world to get the better of 1 v 1. Due to his strengths both defensively and going forward, Cole is regarded as one of the best left-backs of recent decades.

Centre-Midfield- Steven Gerrard- England

Gerrard quickly established himself as a key player for his beloved Liverpool not long after joining the first time. In his 3rd season he made 50 appearances as Liverpool won the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup in the same season. A couple of years later he was made club captain, a role he would hold for 12 years. In 2005 Liverpool reached the Champions League final, progressing out of the Group Stage due to a late Gerrard strike from 25-yards. In the final they met AC Milan and trailed 3-0 at half time. However Liverpool scored 3 goals in 6 minutes, Gerrard scoring the first and winning the penalty which Alonso converted via the rebound to level the game up at 3-3. The game progressed through to penalties, with Gerrard as the designated 5th taker in the end not required as Liverpool pulled off "the Miracle of Istanbul".

The following season Gerrard scored 23 goals and helped Liverpool lift the FA Cup, producing one of the all-time great cup final performances scoring twice including a last minute equaliser from 35 yards. This led to the final being known as "the Gerrard final" and made him the first player to score in FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League finals. Gerrard racked up 710 appearances for Liverpool and scored 185 goals. He holds the record for most appearances in the PFA Team of the Year with 8.

Gerrard won 114 England caps, scoring 21 goals and featured for England in 6 major tournaments. Gerrard is one of the best long-range shooters in Football history, possessing a viciously powerful and accurate shot from distance, he was also an exceptional passer of the ball, possessing every type of pass in his locker including the Hollywood long-range passes to inch perfection, but also more intricate passes in tight spaces. Despite his on the ball quality, he also had a tireless workrate, being willing to do the dirty work and he was an exceptional tackler. Gerrard played in Liverpool sides which were often exceptionally average, but he was a player who could elevate the collective through his sheer desire and individual quality.

Centre-Midfield- Zinedine Zidane- France

'Zizou' Zinedine Zidane began his career with Cannes before moving to Bordeaux where he was a runner-up in the 1996 UEFA Cup. That summer he joined Juventus, where he really began to make a name for himself worldwide. In 5 seasons with Juve, Zidane won 2 Serie A title's and aswell reached 2 Champions League finals, but was on the losing side for both. His displays for the Old Lady convinced Real Madrid to part with just over £46M to secure his signature, a world record transfer fee which stood for 8 years. Zidane would justify the fee at the end of his very first season, when he scored the winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final with a spectacular, unforgettable volley from the edge of the box against Bayer Leverkusen.

In 5 seasons with Real, Zidane would establish himself as one of the greatest players in the club's rich history, making 230 appearances for the club and scoring 49 goals. Zidane also goes down as perhaps the greatest player in the history of the French national side, playing a huge role in winning them their first ever World Cup in 1998, as he netted twice in the final against Brazil. 2 years later he had another excellent tournament as France won the Euros for the first time since 1984. Zizou's final match as a professional player came in the 2006 World Cup Final, and he gave France an early lead with an audacious panenka penalty which fell just the right side of the line. However there was to be no fairytale ending, as Zidane was sent for an early bath in his last ever game after infamously headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi for insulting his mother. Zizou's incredible legacy as a legend of France and Football, could not be tarnished however.

Zidane is regarded as one of the most aesthetically gifted Footballers ever, with balletic balance despite his powerful frame, and incredibly technical, quick feet which allowed him to manipulate the ball and the opponent to his will. His elegance and close control afforded him time on the ball no matter how hard opponents tried to pressure him and this made him perfectly suited to his role as either a playmaker from central midfield or a classic number 10. Zidane was also one of the best "big game" players in Football history, usually delivering his best level when the pressure was at its highest, relishing the high stakes and often inspiring his team to victory. This has ensured Zidane goes down as one of the greatest players and midfielders the game has ever seen. Zizou won the FIFA World Player of the Year award on 3 occasions aswell as the 1998 Balon D'or.

Right Attacking Midfield- Kaka- Brazil

Kaka began his career with Sao Paulo in his native Brazil before transferring to AC Milan in 2003. Despite the fact he was joining the reigning European champions, Kaka's quality was such that he quickly forced his way into the side and he would never leave it, helping Milan to win the Serie A title in his first season and reach the Champions League final in his second. In that final Kaka produced one of the greatest assists ever with his astonishing through ball for Crespo which helped Milan to take a 3-0 lead, that they would ultimately lose before succumbing on penalties against Liverpool.

2 years later though they would secure revenge in the rematch Champions League final, with Kaka producing another assist as this time AC Milan came out victorious by 2 goals to 1. Kaka was the best player in the world that season, scoring 10 goals in Milan's Champions League campaign. Kaka's performances led to a bid of over £100M from Manchester City in 2009, which would have been more than double the world record transfer fee at the time. Both Kaka and Milan rejected the deal, but later that year the Brazilian would join Real Madrid for a still-World Record fee of £56M.

Kaka never hit the heights at Real Madrid that he had for Milan, and he returned to the club after 4 years in Spain where he had won a La Liga and Copa Del Rey title. After Milan, Kaka returned for another spell at Sao Paulo before retiring in America. Kaka played just 25 minutes at the 2002 World Cup which he and Brazil won, but he would go on to feature at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and aswell won 2 Confederations Cups during his Brazil career which saw him earn 92 caps.

With over 100 goals for the Rossoneri, Kaka is one of the best players in Milan history, as during his time with the club he was amongst the best players on the planet, peaking in 2007 when he was awarded the Balon D'or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Kaka was an extremely quick dribbler, with an ability to glide past players whilst maintaining tight control over the ball. Despite being over 6 feet tall, Kaka maintained a low centre of gravity when carrying the ball, but with a longer stride than most number 10's who were smaller in stature, he could be even more unstoppable with an ability to gallop away from opponents and leave them trailing in his wake as he did on many occasions. Aswell as possessing an excellent long shot, Kaka was one of the best passers of his generation, making him a devastating all-round playmaker.

Left Attacking Midfield- Ronaldinho- Brazil

Ronaldinho moved to PSG from Gremio as a 21-year old and his displays in his 2 years in Paris, aswell as his role in helping Brazil to lift the World Cup, saw Barcelona beat off the competition in Manchester United to bring the Brazilian to their club in 2003. Barca had become something a sleeping giant, finishing 6th in La Liga in the season prior. Ronaldinho breathed new life into the club, revitalising Barcelona as their star player helping them to lift back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

It was in the 05-06 season that Ronaldinho would earn a standing ovation at the Bernabeu as he ripped Real Madrid apart scoring 2 wonderful solo goals in a 3-0 victory. Ronaldinho scored 26 goals that season and capped it off by winning the Champions League for the first and only time in his career. At his peak Ronaldinho was untouchable but after one more outstanding season with Barca, his lifestyle off the pitch contributed to the end of his very best days, however he continued to entertain crowds with his flamboyance and breathtaking skills for years at AC Milan and back home in Brazil where he helped Atletico Mineiro to lift the Copa Libertadores in 2013. With the Brazil national team Ronaldinho won 97 caps and scored 33 goals, winning the Copa America in 1999, the World Cup in 2002 and the Confederations Cup in 2005.

Ronaldinho is one of the most beloved players in the history of the game, due to being surely the most skilful player Football has ever seen. Ronaldinho in his prime years at Barcelona was one of the most entertaining Footballers ever, the type of player who justifies the entrance fee alone, due to his devastating trickery which could make his opponents look foolish. Ronaldinho looked like someone having fun on the pitch, because he was and he was capable of playing the same way no matter who the opponent was. Ronaldinho may have made La Liga's weaker sides look like children but he demonstrated he could do the exact same to Real Madrid and Mourinho's Chelsea, when at the absolute peak of his powers.

Aswell as being blessed with an endless repertoire of flicks and tricks, Ronaldinho was one of the best free-kick takers in Football history and an excellent striker of the ball scoring around 300 goals in his career. His vision and weight of pass also allowed him to create a high number of goals. Ronaldinho could play as a classic number 10 behind a striker, but was also very suited to playing on the left-wing, with this position allowing him to cut inside onto his right foot. Ronaldinho won the Balon D'or in 2005 and won the FIFA World Player of the Year in back-to-back years between 2004 and 2005.

Striker- Thierry Henry- France

As an explosively quick left-winger Henry came through the ranks at Monaco where he mostly stood out for that electric pace. His performances on the wing earned him a place in France's squad for the 1998 World Cup and he helped his nation along to win the trophy, scoring 3 goals on the road to the final which he did not feature in. The following year he joined Juventus, but failed to win the trust of manager Marcelo Lippi. After a single season, he was sold to Arsenal and under Arsene Wenger Henry would transform into the best striker and arguably best player in the world.

Once Henry had settled into life in the Premier League, he never looked back and his confidence in his game catapulted him and Arsenal to a whole new level, as Henry's goals fired Arsenal to a league and cup double in 2002. After failing to retain the title despite Henry's 24 goals and 20 assists in the 02/03 season, Henry came back somehow even better in 03/04 and with 30 goals he helped Arsenal to achieve an unbeaten league season. In 05/06 Henry delivered his 5th consecutive 30+ goal season and played a huge role in getting Arsenal to their first ever Champions League final, where despite having 10 men for most of the game they came agonisingly close to lifting the trophy.

The following year Henry departed Arsenal for Barcelona, leaving London as the club's all time record scorer. In 3 seasons with Barca, Henry got his hands on the Champions League in 08/09, as part of a treble. He retired at New York Red Bulls in 2014 but not before 'The King' had returned to Arsenal on loan one final time and added yet more incredible memories to his legacy there, taking his overall goal tally for the club to 228. Aswell as the World Cup in 1998, Henry also played a huge role in France lifting the 2000 Euros and 2003 Confederations Cup, and he was unfortunate not to lift the World Cup again in 2006.

Henry is regarded by most as the greatest player in the history of the Premier League and likely the best player ever not to win either the Balon D'or or the FIFA World Player of the Year, with 'Titi' having a very strong case in both 2003 and 2004. Blessed with extraordinary pace and strength, Henry also possessed a high level of creativity and flair, scoring a huge amount of goals despite not being a "penalty box 9", often preferring to get involved in the game by coming deep or drifting wide. Despite his individual quality, Henry was also an unselfish team player who loved setting up chances for others which made him the complete centre forward.

Striker- Samuel Eto'o- Cameroon

Eto'o joined Real Madrid as a youth from a Sports Academy in his native Cameroon, but made only 7 appearances for the Madrid first team, having 3 spells on loan away from the club, until he made a move to Real Mallorca permanent in 2000. He found a home at the club and helped them to win the Copa Del Rey for the first time in their history in 2003, with Eto'o netting a brace in the final. His displays convinced Barcelona to sign him the following year.

The Cameroonian spent 5 seasons with Barca, scoring 130 goals in 199 games, helping the club to 3 La Liga titles and 2 Champions League's within that time. The first came in 2006 with Eto'o scoring the equalising goal in the final against Arsenal, as his goal helped Barcelona to an eventual 2-1 win. 3 years later he was on the scoresheet in another Champions League final against English opposition, as he opened the scoring in a 2-0 win over Manchester United to help Barca to secure a historic treble.

That summer Eto'o joined Inter Milan and won the third Champions League title of his career and a back-to-back treble with 2 different clubs. The following season Eto'o had the most prolific season of his career scoring 37 goals. After departing Inter, Eto'o had spells in Russia, England and Turkey before retiring in Qatar. Eto'o also had a very successful International career winning 118 caps and scoring 56 goals for Cameroon. His goals helped Cameroon to win the 2000 Olympics and 2 African Cup of Nations titles in the early 2000's.

Eto'o was a striker renowned for his finishing abilities with both feet aswell as his head, and a clinical composure infront of goal. His speed and quality of his first touch and close control made him a forward who was constantly dangerous. Eto'o was also an excellent team player due to his ability to combine with others, and his workrate for the team which afforded him the tactical ability to slot in either as a winger or a support striker, roles he fulfilled under Mourinho at Inter Milan.

Subs:

Roberto Carlos- Brazil

Carlos moved to Europe from Palmeiras, joining Inter Milan in 1995. After just one season in Italy, Carlos signed for Real Madrid where he would spend the next 11 years of his career. With Madrid, Carlos would win 4 La Liga's and 3 Champions League titles, making a total of 527 appearances for the club before departing in 2007 for Fenerbahce. Carlos won 125 caps for Brazil, winning the Confederations Cup and 2 Copa America's. He featured at 3 World Cups, reaching the final of two. The first final in 1998 he was on the losing side against France, but 4 years later Brazil made it to the final again and this time triumphed 2-0 over Germany. Carlos made the FIFA Team of the Tournament at both editions.

Nicknamed El Hombre Bala ("The Bullet Man"), Carlos is regarded as one of the best offensive full-backs ever, renowned for bombing forward to contribute in attack for either Real Madrid or Brazil. Carlos was capable of generating incredible power in his shots and scored a number of free-kicks with this technique. His free-kick goal against France is regarded as one of the best in history, with Barthez in goal capable only of standing and watching in astonishment as Carlos' shot swerved in from over 35 yards out.

Andrea Pirlo- Italy

Pirlo joined Inter Milan from Brescia in 1998 but was unable to fully break into the side and after a couple of loans he eventually moved to city rivals AC in 2001. Pirlo quickly found it a better fit and lifted the Champions League with the club in his second season. Pirlo would stay for 10 years at Milan, making over 400 appearances winning 2 Scudetto's and adding another Champions League in 2007. With Pirlo in his 30's Milan opted to let him go in 2011 feeling his best years were behind him. This turned out to be a misjudgement as Pirlo performed at the highest level for a further 4 years, ageing like wine as he helped Juventus to win Serie A every year during his time there and aswell playing the 4th Champions League final of his career, with Juve missing out to Barcelona.

Pirlo won 116 Italy caps and was part of the team which lifted the World Cup in 2006 with the maestro converting his penalty in the final shootout. Pirlo would also appear in the Euros final in 2012 but was this time on the losing side. Pirlo began his career as an attacking midfielder but dropped back to a deep-lying playmaker role which suited him perfectly. Despite lacking pace and defensive qualities, Pirlo's on the ball ability meant these things scarcely mattered. One of the best passers the game has seen, l'architetto ("the Architect") set the tempo of games with his passes weighed and measured to perfection, enabling him to quickly be able to change the direction or speed of his team's attack by switching the play. With time on the ball from his deep-lying role, Pirlo's long balls were always on the money, with teammates not needing to move or break stride to be picked out.

Patrick Vieira- France

Vieira began his career with Cannes before moving to AC Milan in 1995. However Vieira was unable to break into the side and was let go to Arsenal after just 5 appearances. At Arsenal Vieira quickly won over everyone, and in his second season helped Arsenal to achieve the league and cup double for just the second time in history. 4 years later Vieira achieved a second double for Arsenal before in 2004 he and the team reached their pinnacle going an entire league campaign without suffering a single loss with the French midfielder captaining the side. The following year Vieira left Arsenal after 9 years with the club in which he made over 400 appearances, spending the next 5 years in Italy with Juventus and then Inter Milan before retiring at Manchester City.

Vieira won over 100 caps for the French national side, winning the World Cup in '98 coming off the bench in the final and the Euros and Confederations Cup in 2000 and 2001 as a starter. Vieira also started the 2006 World Cup final which France lost on penalties to Italy. Vieira is considered one of the most complete central midfielders ever. From a defensive side he excelled at slide tackles due to his long limbs and good reading of the game, and his imposing size of 6 feet 4 made him impossible to intimidate or bully. Despite his height and defensive quality, Vieira was also exceptional with the ball and very difficult to cleanly dispossess which made him perfect in the box-to-box role. A powerful runner, he could get up and down the pitch to contribute a lot in both defence and attack.

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liamhaydn-blog · 8 months ago

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Team of the Decade: Part 5- The 1990's

Goalkeeper- Peter Schmeichel- Denmark

Peter Schmeichel joined Manchester United from Brondby for a fee of half a million pounds in 1991, a price later described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the "bargain of the century." The summer after his first season in England, Schmeichel unexpectedly would play in the Euros for Denmark. Unexpected because Denmark had failed to qualify for the tournament, finishing behind Yugoslavia, but they would take their place due to Yugoslavia being banned due to the breakup of the country and warfare taking place there.

Even more unexpected was Denmark going on to lift the trophy, beating the might of France, Netherlands & then Germany in the final to achieve glory, with Schmeichel instrumental in denying forwards of the quality of Cantona, Pappin, Bergkamp, Van Basten & Klinsmann.

With Manchester United, Schmeichel was a pivotal player in helping the club win their first league title in 26 years, and then going on to dominate English football with the Great Dane winning 5 Premier League titles & 3 FA Cups, aswell as sealing a historic treble in what was his final game for the club, as United scored twice in stoppage time to win the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

Schmeichel is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time known for his physically imposing presence between the sticks who made the goal extremely small when attackers ran through 1 against 1. He also possessed great shot-stopping ability due to his exceptional reflexes and was known to be able to launch quick counter-attacks due to his accurate long-throwing and kicking abilities.

Right-Back- Lilian Thuram- France

Thuram began his career with AS Monaco before transferring to Parma where he won the Coppa Italia & the UEFA Cup. This convinced Juventus to part with over 40 million euros in 2001 to bring him to Turin. In 5 seasons with the club, Thuram would win 2 Serie A titles (a further 2 were evoked due to the Calciopoli scandal) and reach the 2003 Champions League final which Juve lost on penalties to AC Milan. Thuram then finished his career with Barcelona.

Thuram was a key player in France's 1998 World Cup triumph on home soil, scoring a brace in their 2-1 semi-final win over Croatia, with those two goals being the only goals he ever scored for his country in 142 caps. Thuram was awarded the Bronze Ball as the 3rd best player of the tournament, which France sealed with a 3-0 final win over Brazil. Thuram would also win the Euros and the Confederations Cup with his nation in 2000 and 2003, and would aswell reach the 2006 World Cup final which France lost on penalties to Italy.

Thuram was rated as one of the world's best defenders in his prime. He was extremely difficult to get past either on the ground or in the air, due to his immense physical, technical and tactical attributes. He was aggressive and tenacious in his marking of opponents whilst still maintaining an elegance and the intelligence to read the game well. He could play either as a centre-back or a full-back, and when at full-back he was just as adept when going forward, known for winning the ball back high up the pitch then bombing forward to offer an outlet for the team.

Centre-Back- Fernando Hierro- Spain

Hierro made his La Liga debut with Real Valladolid where he spent 2 seasons before being snapped up by Real Madrid, where he would spend the next 14 years of his career. With Madrid Hierro won a considerable amount of trophies including 5 La Liga titles and 3 Champions Leagues. Hierro was club captain for that final Champions League triumph in 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen. Hierro went on to play in Qatar before retiring at Sam Allardyce's Bolton Wanderers.

Hierro won 89 caps for Spain and scored 29 goals, which remarkably made him his countries all-time leading goalscorer at the time of his retirement, and he still now remains the 6th highest scorer. Hierro was moved into midfield in his early years at Real Madrid, due to his incredible knack for goalscoring for a defensive player and in 91/92 scored a remarkable 26 goals for Real Madrid, with only 1 coming from the penalty spot. His 21 in La Liga alone made him the second top goalscorer in the competition that year. Hierro scored over 100 La Liga goals for Madrid and 127 across all competitions.

As well as an exceptional eye for goal and great passing range which made him adept when going forward, Hierro's physically intimidating defensive presence along with his intelligence when positioning himself and timing challenges made him one of the most complete defenders the game has seen.

Centre-Back- Marcel Desailly- France

Desailly began his career at Nantes before moving to Marseille where he won the first edition of the Champions League in 1993. He would win the Champions League the following season aswell after joining AC Milan, a club where he spent 5 years and won 2 Serie A titles. Desailly then became a fans favourite at Chelsea, where he won the FA Cup in 2000.

Desailly was part of the French team which dominated international football between 1998 and 2003, winning the World Cup, the Euros and the Confederations Cup twice in 2001 and again in 2003. Desaily captained France to their two Confederations Cup successes.

Desailly had success as a midfielder for AC Milan, due to the wealth of talent they had in defence and he excelled for them as a defensive midfielder which highlighted his tough tackling and ball-playing capabilities. Playing as either a centre-back or sweeper for France, he earned the nickname "The Rock" for his solid displays due to his physical qualities and football intelligence which allowed him to lead and organise the defence.

Left-Back- Paulo Maldini- Italy

Paulo Maldini spent every year of his 25-year career with AC Milan racking up 902 appearances for the club and winning 7 Serie A titles and 5 European Cups, amongst a whole host of other honours. Maldini won 126 caps for Italy, though was never able to win a major trophy, as he was a beaten finalist in both the 1994 World Cup and 2000 Euros.

Maldini spent his prime years at left-back where his ability to play with both feet, his technical ability and athleticism established him as the best full-back in the world. In later years as his pace declined he transitioned into one of the best centre-backs in the world, due to his commanding presence and exceptional reading of the game.

The Italian is considered one of the greatest defenders in the history of football, with an elegant style on the ball which meant he could pass for a classy midfielder, the physical stamina to be a tireless worker up and down the left flank as a full-back and a centre-back who timed tackles to perfection, but only when he had to, preferring to rely on his man-marking and positioning to make a tackle unnecessary. His consistency allowed him to make over 1,000 appearances at the very highest level, with the Brazilian Ronaldo calling him "the best defender I faced over the course of my career."

Right-Wing- Luis Figo- Portugal

Figo began his career with Sporting Lisbon, with the talented winger looking set to join Serie A for either Parma or Juventus. However after a weird saga saw him sign a contract with both clubs, he was given a 2-year ban from signing with an Italian club and so instead moved to Barcelona. In 5 seasons with Barca, Figo established himself as the club's talisman and the fan's favourite as he won 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa Del Rey's and the Cup Winners Cup.

In 2000, Figo shocked the world by joining the club's arch-rivals Real Madrid in the most controversial transfer in Football history. Under intense scrutiny, Figo continued to perform to a high standard on the pitch and helped Los Blancos to win 2 league titles and the Champions League during the 'Galacticos' era that his arrival had kickstarted. Figo would retire at Inter Milan, adding 4 more league titles to his bulging trophy cabinet.

Figo won 127 Portugal caps, coming closest to winning a trophy for his country at the 2004 Euros where he lost on home soil to rank outsiders Greece. For a strong and stocky player, Figo was exceptionally quick and an excellent one v one dribbler with great balance and trickery. He produced a high number of assists just to excellent crossing ability. Figo also contributed a fair number of goals due to good ballstriking capability, including from dead-ball situations. Figo was the 2000 recipient of the Balon D'or.

Centre-Midfield- Fernando Redondo- Argentina

Redondo moved to Europe from Argentinos Juniors to join La Liga minnows Tenerife. In his 4 years with the club, Redondo was part of the Tenerife side which on two occasions denied Real Madrid the La Liga title on the last day of the season, with Cruyff's Barcelona the benefactor. In 1994, Redondo would move to Real Madrid and in his 6 years with the club he would win 2 La Liga's and 2 Champions League titles. His performances in the 99/00 Champions League saw him voted the UEFA club footballer of the year, with one performance at Old Trafford against United in the quarter-finals leading Sir Alex Ferguson to ask "What does this player have in his boots? A magnet?"

In 2013 Redondo was named in Marca's best ever foreign XI in Real Madrid's history as he earned the nickname "El Principe" ('the Prince') for his performances in the white of Real Madrid. Redondo would retire at AC Milan, where a serious injury limited his playing time. Redondo had a complicated International career, he turned down going to the 1990 World Cup feeling he would only be a squad player, but was a regular starter between 1992 and 1994 and in that time helped Argentina to win the Copa America and the Confederations Cup, where he won the award for best player of the tournament. Redondo played in the 1994 World Cup but then fell out with manager Passarella due to him banning long hair. Redondo refused to get a haircut, rightly insisting it had nothing to do with football and missed out on the 98 World Cup because of it.

Redondo was a deep-lying playmaker known for his outstanding close control when carrying the ball forward and his ability to control tempo with his creative passing and vision. He would also contribute from a defensive standpoint due to his effective aggression offering protection in front of the backline.

Centre-Midfield- Michael Laudrup- Denmark

Laudrup joined Juventus from Brondby, but due to the two foreign player limit he was immediately loaned to Lazio where he spent two seasons. Laudrup then got his chance at Juve, winning the Serie A in his first season but ultimately been unable to replace Platini's talismanic impact. The Dane decided it was time to leave and joined Cruyff's Barcelona in 1989 and immediately fared much better, winning 4 La Liga's and the 1992 European Cup in 5 seasons with the Blaugrana. Laudrup twice won player of the year in Spain, but when he was left out of the squad for 1994 Champions League final which Barcelona lost 4-0 to AC Milan, he decided it was time to move on.

Reported to have fallen out with Cruyff, Laudrup joined Real Madrid but stated it was a move purely to help a struggling team win again, not out of any petty revenge. Laudrup helped Los Blancos to held Barcelona's stranglehold over La Liga, as they became Champions once more, beating Barcelona 5-0 on the way. Laudrup became the first player to win 5 straight La Liga titles with two different clubs.

Laudrup remains admired and respected by both sets of fans due to his contributions for both clubs with Cruyff remarking: "When Michael plays like a dream, a magic illusion, determined to show his new team his extreme abilities, no one in the world comes anywhere near his level."

Laudrup is considered one of the greatest creators in football history. His vision, unselfish playing style and ability to play long through balls made him a favourite of any striker he played behind. A gifted playmaker, Laudrup could also operate as either a central midfielder, deep-lying playmaker or as a second striker and from anywhere he would create a whole host of chances for his teammates. Laudrup was also an excellent one v one dribbler, with exceptional skills and creative trickery to help him evade defenders, such as the "croqueta" which whilst he was playing was also known as "the Laudrup dribble", this move involved rapidly moving the ball from one foot to the other and has been kept alive by Iniesta, who also mastered the move.

Left-Wing- Hristo Stoichkov- Bulgaria

Stoichkov came to prominence with CSKA Sofia before joining Barcelona in 1990 and achieving success as part of Cruyff's 'Dream Team' as he scored 108 goals in 214 games and won multiple league titles and the 1992 European Cup. Stoichkov left Barcelona for Parma in 1995 but returned a year later for another more short-lived stint. He then had spells back in his native Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia and Japan before retiring in USA.

Stoichkov starred at the 1994 World Cup helping Bulgaria reach the semi-finals with 6 goals which won him the Golden Boot. His performances at this tournament helped him to win the Balon D'or later that year.

The Bulgarian was known for his explosive pace which he combined with great dribbling ability and a fearsome shot which made him at times an unstoppable forward. Stoichkov could play all positions across the front line well, with good crossing and passing ability which also helped him to rack up a decent amount of assists.

Number 10 Position- Roberto Baggio- Italy

Two days after joining Fiorentina from Vicenza, an 18-year old Baggio suffered an injury so severe some doctors feared he would never play again. Fiorentina remained committed to bringing Baggio to the club despite the setback, and Baggio repaid their faith, coming through another serious injury which required 220 stiches not long after he'd returned back from his first serious knee injury. However on that second return he scored an equalising free-kick goal which saved Fiorentina from relegation.

Baggio would establish himself as a hero of the La Viola faithful, and they were left devastated when "Il Divin Codino" ('The Divine Ponytail') joined the club's arch-rivals Juventus for a world record fee of £8M. The transfer led to riots in Florence which injured 50 people. Baggio scored atleast 20 goals in all 4 of his first seasons with Juventus, establishing himself as the teams standout star, who more than justified his fee as helped the club to win the UEFA Cup in 1993. He had to wait until his last season with the club to lift the Serie A title, and it was bittersweet as he began to fall down the pecking order at the club, but he still managed 16 goal involvements in 17 Serie A games. In total Baggio scored 115 goals in 200 games for Juventus.

Baggio won another league title with AC Milan before moving to Bologna where he recaptured his best form, scoring a career best 22 goals in Serie A before moving to Inter Milan where he spent a couple of years before retiring at Brescia. Baggio represented Italy at 2 World Cups, finishing 3rd in 1990 and losing the final in 1994, with Baggio missing the decisive spotkick against Brazil, clearing the crossbar with the most infamous penalty miss ever.

Baggio was described as a "9 and a half" by Platini, due to him creating more chances than a typical number 9, but also scoring more regularly than a traditional number 10. Baggio was a composed finisher, known for his precise, composed shooting rather than for powerful shots. He has the 2nd most assists in Serie A history with 123, behind only Francesco Totti and is remembered for his incredible technical quality which led his former manager at Brescia Carlo Mazzone to declare: "Without the injury problems and the difficulties with his knees, he would have been the very best player in history." Baggio was the 1993 recipient of the Balon D'or.

Striker- Ronaldo- Brazil

With 44 goals in 47 games for Cruzeiro, Ronaldo was snapped up by PSV Eindhoven, and he seamlessly made the jump to European football, scoring 54 goals in 57 games for the club. A still teenage Ronaldo was then brought to Barcelona for a world record fee of $19.5M. In his one season with Barca, R9 scored 47 goals in 49 games helping them to lift the Copa Del Rey and the Cup Winners Cup. Ronaldo was then on the move again for another world record fee, now joining Inter Milan for $27M. Again Ronaldo settled instantly, netting 34 goals in his first season in Italy and winning another UEFA Cup.

Knee injuries then began to plague the Brazilian and immediately after returning from a ruptured tendon that required surgery, Ronaldo's "kneecap exploded" in what was called the worst injury physiotherapist Nilton Petrone had ever seen. Ronaldo would play just 24 club games across the next 3 seasons, and though he would never be quite the same electrifying player again, never again quite as explosively fast returing with a more top-heavy physique, his quality and his finishing ability ensured he returned to be one of the best strikers still on the planet, scoring 104 goals in 177 games for Real Madrid, before retiring after spells with AC Milan and Corinthians.

Ronaldo was part of the Brazil squad which won the 1994 World Cup, though he did not feature at the tournament. He won his first tournament with Brazil at the 1997 Copa America where he was voted best player, and Brazil retained the trophy two years later with Ronaldo winning the Golden Boot and scoring in both finals. In between this tournaments was the 1998 World Cup, where Ronaldo scored 4 and assisted 3 to lead his nation into the final against hosts France. However in the hours before the final, Ronaldo had a fit, likely induced by the stress and pressure he was under to perform. Ronaldo was a shadow of himself in the final as Brazil lost 3-0.

4 years later, Ronaldo returned to the World Cup stage after a turbulent few years in which he had battled career threatening injuries. Injury had forced him to miss the entirety of the qualifying campaign, but at the main event Ronaldo scored in 6 of the 7 matches, including 2 in the final to bring his total to 8. His brace in the final against Germany helped Brazil to lift their 5th World Cup. Ronaldo played his final World Cup 4 years later in 2006, where he became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 15 goals in 19 games.

Ronaldo is considered one of the greatest strikers and footballers in history. He is a two-time recipient of the Balon D'or and won the World Footballer of the Year award on 3 occasions. Considered one of the deadliest finishers ever and a goalkeepers worst nightmare 1 v 1, prime Ronaldo, before his knee injuries had one of the most highest peaks ever and if not for those injuries likely would have been amongst the top handful of greatest players ever, though plenty do still have him in that conversation due to his devastating blend of skill, strength, speed and finishing.

Subs:

Dennis Bergkamp- Netherlands

Bergkamp began his career at Ajax under the tutelage of Cruyff, where he would score 122 goals and win a number of trophies including the 1992 UEFA Cup. The Dutchman earned a dream move to Serie A the following year to play for Inter Milan and scored 8 goals in 11 UEFA Cup games in his debut season to help them to lift the trophy. However Bergkamp struggled in Serie A and fell out of favour with the club and its supporters so after a disappointing second season moved to Arsenal for £7.5M, which smashed the club's highest transfer fee 3 times over.

Bergkamp found a home in North London and in 97-98, helped the club to achieve the league and FA Cup double. He started that season on fire, and in August the top 3 voted goals for Match of the Day's goal of the month competition, were all scored by Bergkamp, including 2 from an unforgettable hattrick away at Leicester. 4 years later Bergkamp would win a second domestic double with the club, with a goal away at Newcastle considered by most sensible people as the greatest goal in the history of the Premier League. In 2004, Bergkamp was then part of the Arsenal team which went a full Premier League campaign without losing as part of a historic 49-game unbeaten run.

Bergkamp's defining moment in the 'Oranje' shirt came in the 1998 World Cup, where he produced one of the greatest World Cup goals ever to secure Netherlands path through against Argentina to reach the semi-finals. Bergkamp scored 37 goals in 79 caps for his country.

Bergkamp is considered one of the greatest 10's in football history, a dream to play alongside for strikers such as Ian Wright & Thierry Henry, who knew he would always try and succeed in setting them up with chances, due to his unselfish nature and the quality of his vision and passing technique. Bergkamp had one of the best first-touches in Football history and he oozed class in every aspect of his game, one of his trademarks was his chipped shot which he regularly executed to perfection to catch out unsuspecting goalkeepers.

Rivaldo- Brazil

Rivaldo joined Deportivo La Coruna from Palmeiras and after an impressive first season in La Liga, he was snapped up by Barcelona for around $26M. Rivaldo's peak years came in his 5-year stint with the club where he established himself as one of the best players in the world, with his goals and performances helping the club to win 2 La Liga titles and the Copa Del Rey.

2000/01 was a more difficult season for Barca with the club fighting for Champions League qualification. It would come down to a straight shootout against Valencia for the final spot. With Barca needing to win, Rivaldo scored arguably the finest hat-trick in Football history. The match was tied at 2-2 when in the 89th minute, Rivaldo chested down a lofted pass on the edge of the box with his back to goal, before in the blink of an eye acrobatically executing a perfect overhead kick into the bottom corner. In total Rivaldo scored 130 goals in 235 for Barca, and though he would go on to have spells with AC Milan and Olympiakos amongst others, it's with the Catalan side he will always be most associated.

Rivaldo had an outstanding international career, winning the Confederations Cup and the Copa America as the tournament's best player, sharing the top scorer award with Ronaldo. Rivaldo was part of "the three R's" along with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho who fired Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, with Rivaldo scoring in the first 5 games. Though Ronaldo took most of the headlines, Brazil manager Scolari named Rivaldo as the best player of the tournament.

Few players have combined physical and technical qualities to the level of Rivaldo. At his peak he was bordering unstoppable due to his strength, dribbling ability, creativity and powerful finishing. He could operate as a winger, second striker or as a classic number 10 and his performances in 1999 earned him both the Balon D'or and the World Footballer of the Year awards.

Romario- Brazil

Romario's first 5 years in Europe came with PSV Eindhoven, the club he'd joined from Vasco da Gama. After scoring 128 goals in 149 games for the Dutch side and winning a host of domestic honours, Romario moved to FC Barcelona. He scored 32 goals in his first season with the club, helping them to win La Liga and reach the Champions League final where they were beaten by AC Milan.

Half-way through his second season Romario left the club after falling out with manager Cruyff and returned to Brazil where he would spend the majority of the remainder of his career scoring prolifically for Flamengo & Vasco. Romario only featured at one World Cup, but he left a huge impact, winning the award for player of the tournament as his 5 goals helped Brazil to win their first World Cup in 24 years. Romario also won the Confederations Cup and 2 Copa America's with the Selecao and scored 55 in 70 internationals.

Romario was a penalty box killer, a deadly finisher inside the 18-yard box due to his ruthless eye for goal. But he was alot more than just a goal-poacher, due to his ability to drop deep or drift outside giving headaches to the defenders tasked with marking him. Football came easily to Romario, maybe a little bit too easy, as if he'd dedicated more time to training and less to partying his European peak would have lasted longer.

#football #soccer #manchester united #brazil #romario #ronaldo nazario #90s #dennis bergkamp #roberto baggio

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liamhaydn-blog · 9 months ago

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Why Andy Murray is Britain's Greatest Ever Sportsperson

The Difficulty of Tennis

Tennis can be regarded as one of the toughest, most demanding Sports there is for many reasons. The physical demands are huge, with speed, strength and endurance all required. The mental demands are great with the need to manage stress and emotions, with mental fatigue just as much as physical needing to be overcome.. The mental exhaustion must be resisted in order to allow you to keep problem-solving on the court, keep producing solutions and asking questions of your opponent. The 1 v 1 nature of tennis, with coaching not allowed in-game amplifies the psychological battle, not solely against your opponent but also raging inside your own mind, with noone to rely on but yourself. With no time limit, the match only ends when you are the first to reach 2 sets (or 3 for men in Grand Slams) and due to this you have to deal with being as little as 1 point away from victory, before having to still be on court battling hours later if you were unable to take that matchpoint.

As well as requiring physical and mental endurance, Tennis also demands a high level of skill with the elite players needing to have every shot in their repertoire to a high standard: be it the backhand, forehand, serve, volley, smash, slice, groundstrokes. Berrettini for example has one of the best serves and forehands in the game, his backhand however is susceptible and this weakness has been exploited by opponents, and in part because of this he is yet to win a big title at the time of writing. You constantly need to be making decisions when serving and returning, and when in rallies the need for accuracy is essential, especially when facing the elite players. You can make the correct decision in the shot type you go for but if the execution is just a few millimetres wrong it could cost you the point.

The tennis season is a long one lasting around 11 months of the year, and it requires you to play on vastly different surfaces, in vastly different conditions, indoor and outdoor whilst also adjusting to new timezones and climates. You also have to deal with the different opponent styles that you face from the other end of the court, and adjust tactically. You could on Monday, play a huge server with a great forehand but with a susceptible backhand who doesn't like to be made to hit on the run. So you play to their backhand and try and move them around as much as possible. Then the very next day, you face a great returner and mover with a solid backhand, but with a less solid serve which is prone to mis-firing. What worked for you yesterday, will now definitely not work and you need an entirely new strategy.

Sports that combine the need for endurance, technical skill & mental strength of the highest order should be considered more difficult and demanding Sports that those which only require 2 of those 3, such as Darts & Snooker. And other sports may be more physically demanding than tennis, but do not require the same level of diverse technical skills.

Tennis is one of the most popular individual sports in the world when it comes to global participation, with it being one of the biggest sports across many continents. The ATP top 50 at the time of writing features men from 23 countries and 5 continents. The chances of a kid from the tiny Scottish town of Dunblane going on to top the world rankings in such a global sport, and during by far the strongest and most competitive era of men's tennis were so incredibly miniscule.

Since the beginning of the Open Era in 1969, 29 different countries have produced a singles Champion, 20 on the men's side alone, from 5 different continents. Asia is the only continent not to have yet produced a men's singles Champion in the Open Era, though Nishikori of Japan reached the US Open final in 2014 and India has produced some of the finest Doubles players ever. In comparison, some of Britain's other great Sportspeople have dominated in sports such as Darts & Snooker. The Darts World Championship has produced 2 winners from outside Britain since the event began in 1994 and Snooker has produced 4 World Champions from outside Britain since the World Championships began in 1927.

Murray's achievements of winning Wimbledon, the Davis Cup & 2 Olympic Gold's in a truly global sport have led to him winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award a record 3 times. Murray won in 2013, 2015 and in 2016, he became the first and to date only person in the award's 70-year history to retain it. That 2016 win came in an Olympics year, following GB's most successful Olympics ever on foreign soil, yet Murray's achievements that year stood out amongst all others.

An Unsuccessful Tennis Nation

Great Britain at the time of Murray's emergence had been a very unsuccessful Tennis nation for a long time, particularly on the men's side. Britain had been one of the strongest nations in the world prior to World War 2, but in the many decades since they'd gradually sunk into a bit of a joke for the rest of the world to laugh at. Britain held the biggest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, but they hadn't produced a men's finalist since 1938. British tennis hit its lowest ebb in the 1980's when it was considered a successful slam if a Brit was able to win a round or two at the event. Tim Henman had restored some British pride, reaching 4 semi-finals at SW19, but he fell at that hurdle every single time and even he was regarded as a nearly man.

Many of the all-time great British athletes had a recently successful Brit in their field to emulate, who'd opened the path somewhat for them. Murray had to be the one setting the path for future generations himself, it was going to have to him who made the journey through unchartered territory for Britain in the Open Era.

In 2012, he became the first British man in 74 years to reach the Wimbledon final and the following month he became the first Brit to take the Gold in the Olympic singles for 104 years. Later that year Murray went on to finally end Britain's 76-year wait for a men's Grand Slam champion at the US Open and then the following year he became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years. Given the level of pressure on Murray and the opponent he faced in that 2013 Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic, statistically unquestionably the greatest Tennis player ever, one of the biggest winners and mentally resilient people sport has ever seen, it has a strong argument for being the greatest victory ever achieved by a British athlete.

It's unlikely any British athlete has ever been under the level of pressure and expectation that Murray had placed on him to win Wimbledon, and not only did he win it, he won it twice. In doing so becoming the only Brit male or female to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era. Murray also ended Britain's 79-year wait to be Davis Cup Champions in 2015, and the following year became the first British man to reach the world number 1 spot since 1941. At Queens, Britain had been without a men's winner since 1938, Murray went on to win the event 5 times, more than anyone else and for this achievement Queens Club immediately announced on his retirement that they will be changing their arena's name to the "Andy Murray Arena" in acknowledgement of their greatest Champion.

In the Open Era, Tim Henman held the record for the British man with the most wins with 496. Murray went onto achieve 243 more. Since the Second World War only two British men had reached a Grand Slam final prior to Murray, John Lloyd and Canadian-Born Greg Rusedski who only switched to British Citizenship in his early 20's. They reached 1 each for a total of 2, Murray had already bettered this by age 24 and his total of 11 Grand Slam finals is more than every other British singles player male and female combined in the Open Era, including Raducanu's 2021 US Open final.

Andy reigned as the British Number 1 for 140 consecutive months, a period of just under 12 years, with only long-term injury ending the run, which undoubtedly otherwise would have gone on for considerably longer. Murray set numerous records in British tennis as the first and only man or player to do many things. He stands alone in the professional era of Tennis as a giant of the British game and his achievements in the sport led him to become the youngest person in modern times to be knighted, earning him the title of 'Sir' before his 30th Birthday.

What Made Him So Good?

What made Murray so good at tennis? Why was he able to compete against the Big 3 for so long, beat them more often than anyone else and dominate the rest of the field? Murray was one of the best returners ever, rated in the same category as the likes of Djokovic, Agassi & Connors when it came to the quality of his return and between August 2015 and June 2017, Murray had a run of breaking his opponent's serve at least once for a run of 136 consecutive matches. That run only coming to an end due to the hip injury.

His ability to read the serve, quickly spotting patterns combined with his reaction speed due to incredible hand eye coordination and speed of movement made him so hard to ace or hit an unreturnable serve against. A great example of this came in the 2016 Wimbledon final, when Raonic hit a 147mph serve, the quickest of the entire Championships into Murray's body in an attempt to jam him up. Raonic quickly looked to move forward off the back of it, assuming that the serve's quality would put him in the drivers seat to finish the point. However Murray's return was so good that it immediately neutralised the point and as Raonic approached Murray simply hit a passing shot which left the Canadian hopeless.

Murray had one of the best backhands not just on the tour, but probably that the game's ever seen. It meant he was incredibly secure off either wing, his depth and quality of shot was always there. Even when a powerful forward was attacking his backhand, it was so reliable at absorbing attacks, and coming back at his opponents over the net even when he was scrambling deep from a defensive position.

The Scot was forever willing to grind behind the baseline and play patient points with deep returns, making it difficult for opponents to come forward and take over the point. This would often force an error to come from the opponents side as they either couldn't match Murray's shot quality or his patience. But Andy was also capable of turning defence into attack with one shot that suddenly caught the opponent off-guard and with that he would suddenly seize the opportunity to finish the point off with a winner. His speed at covering the court, the IQ in which he played points and as well the angles he could find with the ball all made him extremely difficult to beat.

He was an expert at crafting points, but also with an incredible touch and feel for the ball which allowed him to improvise creatively and surprise his opponent. His ability to retrieve the ball from the far corners of the court deep behind the baseline and force his opponent into playing an extra shot often paid dividends. One such famous example came in the 2015 Davis Cup final, which saw a vintage Murray point at matchpoint. Goffin hits a shot down the line which causes some Belgian's to prematurely cheer what looks like a winner to save matchpoint. But Murray reaches it on the stretch and gets it back over the net. Goffin attempts to finish the point again by hitting to the other side of the court but it's not hard enough or far enough away from Murray and he produces one of the finest shots in his repertoire, the backhand lob, high above the head of Goffin before bouncing comfortably in for a winner.

Murray's exquisite touch and feel for the ball always made him a good watch when facing lanky "servebots" who would hit serves and forehands with incredible power. It was always exciting to see Murray often find a way to neutralise all that power, bringing them to the net with his magnificent sliced dropshot, before either hitting a perfect lob over them or a brilliant passing shot often on the run. His ability to reach their attempted winners and force them to keep playing an extra shot or two helped Murray to achieve a great record against the tallest and hardest hitting guys on the tour.

Murray's fitness and durability also made him so difficult to beat. His fitness allowing him to never slow up on the court and keep sprinting for everything. This meant the opponents margin for error was small as if they didn't do enough with their shot, for example if they didn't perfectly execute a dropshot, Murray would be up at the net in no time punishing it. The best-of-five format suited Murray's game and he finished with a total record of 230-60(79.3% win ratio) in BO5 matches. Prior to the hip surgery his BO5 record was 219-48(82% win ratio).

His durability was one reason he had such a good record in deciding set matches, winning 67.7% (193-92), just over two-thirds of matches that went the distance in either best-of-three or best-of-five formats. There was many matches he probably should have lost, but he somehow snatched victory in, just by hanging in there and allowing his opponent to wilt physically or mentally before him.

Another reason Murray won so many of these matches that went the distance was his will to win and his refusal to give up. Murray won 16 matches in his career from matchpoint down and that doesn't even include the two in Doubles with Dan Evans at the Paris Olympics. Andy's memorable run to the 3rd round of the Australian Open in 2023, which he backed up by reaching the final in Doha saw him save matchpoints before winning in 3 different matches in the space of 38 days, and this didn't even include the comeback against Kokkinakis from 2 sets and 2-5 down, with Kokkinakis two points from winning.

Murray won 28 of his 42 career 5-set matches (66.6% win ratio), including a record 11 from 2 sets to love down. 2 of these wins came despite having the metal hip and included the win over Kokkinakis in Australia, which was Murray's most infamous win at a major since winning the Wimbledon title in 2016. The match summed up something else Murray possessed, which alot of the true greats have. Simply he had a hint of madness about him. He's a little bit nuts, a little bit crazy. And this helped him when he was able to drag an opponent into a crazy match. They looked uncomfortable there, like a fish out of water, often close to looking and feeling a bit foolish. Whereas Murray thrived in that situation, the chaotic and random nature seemed to somehow suit him.

The madness of Murray could be epitomised in just one point in that match. He trailed Kokkinakis by 2 sets and 2 games to love. It was the 2nd round of the 2023 Australian Open, a tournament Murray had no chance of winning given he'd not reached the last 16 of a major for six years. It was late at night, he'd just played a near 5-hour match in the first round against Berrettini and the prospect of getting back into this match and taking it the 5-set distance was next to none.

Kokkinakis is serving to make it 3-0 when Murray brings up a breakpoint. But the Australian plays with authority on the point, hitting hard accurate shots corner to corner. Murray retrieves them both forcing Kokkinakis to play another shot to finish the point, a smash put-away. Murray retrieves it and forces him to play another, then another, then another, then another until suddenly Kokkinakis is back behind his own baseline and hitting the ball into the net. Kokkinakis appeared to quickly regain control, going into a 5-2 lead, but it was an illusion. Murray took it to a tiebreak, won it and went on to win the match which concluded at gone 4 in the morning.

Consistency at the Grand Slams

Murray reached 11 Grand Slam Finals, only bettered by 8 men in the Open Era. Only 7 have reached more than his 21 major semi-finals and just 6 have more than his 30 Quarter-Final appearances. He is one of only 7 men along with the Big 3, Rod Laver, former coach Ivan Lendl & childhood hero Andre Agassi, to play in all 4 major finals in the Open Era. Murray is one of just 6 men in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of every slam on at least 3 separate occasions, and the same is true for him reaching the Quarter-Finals of every slam on 6 occasions. Andy reached atleast the Quarters at all 4 majors in the same calendar year on 4 different occasions, which only the Big 3 have done.

Murray has 200 Grand Slam match wins, which only 7 men have bettered in the Open Era. Exactly half of those wins have come on a hard court, which is the 7th highest on the surface. The Scot retires with a 200-57 record (78% win ratio). Prior to the hip resurfacing surgery Murray's slam record stood at 189-45(81%).

The man from Dunblane is one of only 5 men to reach 5 Australian Open finals. Between 2010 and 2016, 5 of the 7 finals featured Murray, with the Scot having the misfortune to meet Novak Djokovic, the best player in the history of the Australian Open in 4 of them. Djokovic won all 4, as he has the other 6 Australian Open finals he's played to date. In that 7 year period, Murray was a remarkable 37-0 against non-Big 3 opponents at the Australian Open, with an overall record of 39-7, with 5 losses to Djokovic (including a 5-set near 5 hour semi-final epic in 2012) and 2 to Federer. With 51 match wins at the event, Murray is 5th highest in the Open Era, with a 51-16 (76%) record. Before the two hip surgeries that record stood at 48-13(79%).

Roland Garros was Murray's weakest slam, yet between 2011 and 2017 he reached at least the semi-final in 5 of the 6 years he played (missing 2013 through injury), losing in the quarters the other year. He had a 30-2 record at the event against non-Big 3 players in this timeframe and 30-6 in total. His record at the French prior to the hip surgeries was 39-10, with an 80% win ratio which remarkably put him in the top 10 men in the Open Era at the event, despite it being his worst surface. With 2 defeats and no more wins at the event since the hip resurfacing, that win % has dropped to 76.

Wimbledon is ofcourse the slam Murray is most associated with and for good reason. His 61 wins is only bettered by 5 men, with him trailing 7-time winner Pete Sampras by just 2 wins. His overall record of 61 wins for 13 losses gives him a win ratio of 82%, the 9th highest on the men's side in the Open Era. Prior to the hip surgery, Murray's record was 57-10(85%) which was then the 7th best.

Between 2008 and 2017, Murray made the Quarter-Finals for 10 consecutive years. His record vs non-Big 3 players in this period was 47-2, with an overall record of 48-7. Between 2009 and 2016, he only once failed to reach the semi-finals, successfully getting there on 7 occasions. Murray's special relationship with Centre Court began with a 5-set loss to David Nalbandian in 2005, the first and only time Andy would ever lose from 2 sets up. From the moment he had defeated Stepanek, ranked 299 places above him in the 2nd round of his first Wimbledon, the hopes of a nation would rest firmly on his shoulders each and every summer. From 2005 up until 2017, Murray would be the last Brit standing on either side of the singles draw every year that he entered.

Though the pressure was immense, Murray progressed steadily each year. From the 3rd round in 2005, then it was the 4th in 2006, then a first Quarter in 2008 after injury ruled him out in 2007. Murray then fell at the semi-final hurdle 3 years consecutively, before finally reaching the final in 2012. He was beaten by Federer, but a year later got himself back there again and this time he wouldn't be denied. The expectation was extraordinary after Federer & Nadal's early exit made Murray a strong favourite alongside Djokovic, but the title looked a long way away as Murray trailed Verdasco 0-2, a set from elimination. But Murray refused to lose, roaring back and in the final comprehensively outplayed Djokovic for a straight sets victory.

The US Open was a special tournament for Murray, he was junior champion there in 2004 and 4 years later he would reach a maiden slam final aged 21. It was another 4 years of waiting before he could be on the winning side of a Major final, and that of course came at Flushing Meadows. Between 2011 and 2016, Murray made at least the Quarter-Finals 5 out of 6 years and achieved 49 wins at the event, which is the 9th most in the Open Era. His career record there is 49-16(75%) with his record before the hip injury 45-12(79%).

Murray had runs of outstanding levels of consistency across all the majors. Between the 2011 Australian Open and the 2013 Wimbledon, he reached at least the semi-finals at 9 of the 10 slams he played, exiting in the Quarter-Final at the other. His record against non-Big 3 players at the slams in this time period was 53-1, and 56-8 in total. Between the 2012 and 2013 Wimbledon's, he reached the final of all 4 majors that he entered (skipping Roland Garros 2013 due to injury), winning two for a 26-2 total record in that time.

Between the 2015 Australian Open and the 2016 Wimbledon was another golden period for Murray, as he reached atleast the semis at 6 of 7 slams played, going on to the final in 4. His record vs non-Big 3 players at this time was 38-1, with a total record of 38-6. He reached 3 successive finals in 2016 across the 3 different surfaces, for a 19-2 record.

In the exactly 9 years between Murray's first and last Quarter-Final appearances he played 36 slams, reaching the Quarters at 30, the Semis at 21 and the Finals of 11.

The Big 4 Was Real

"He had a lot of finals. He was an amazing player that probably played in a difficult moment of the history of tennis, because, he shared the tour at the prime time of Novak, Roger and myself. And he was, in my feeling, the one that was at the same level as us, in general terms. Then, in terms of victories, it's true that he achieved less, but in terms of level of tennis, in terms of holding mentally, the winning spirit week after week... He was the only one that was very close to, to be at the same level as us."- Rafael Nadal

Murray registered 29 victories against the Big 3 (12 whilst they were ranked #1 in the World), which is more than anyone else and 12 more than the next man Del Potro. 25 of those wins came at one of the big events (either Grand Slam, Olympics, Tour Finals or Masters event). Murray had a 14-17 record against the Big 3 in finals, which improved to a pretty remarkable 12-7 in non-Grand Slams. He also had a positive combined record against the Big 3 in Masters finals with 8 wins to 6 losses, with 5 wins and 5 defeats against Djokovic, the most successful player in Masters history.

Murray and Federer had a very competitive rivalry, with the Brit leading the head to head after 20 matches. Federer ended with a 14-11 edge, though Murray led 6-3 in Masters 1000 matches. Against Nadal, Murray won 7 of 24 matches but won 3 of their 4 meetings in finals. His rivalry was close with Djokovic for the first 20 matches, before the Serb pulled away to win 25 of their 36 total matches (including 1 walkover). Though in finals it was significantly closer with Murray winning 8 of 19 and he remains the only man to have won finals against Djokovic on every surface: indoor & outdoor hard, clay & grass.

Murray met Djokovic in 7 Grand Slam Finals, making it the third most played men's final in the Open Era, only trailing the greatest rivalries in Tennis history Nadal-Djokovic & Nadal-Federer which produced 9 slam finals apiece. Murray and Djokovic met in all 4 Grand Slam Finals (a rarity only shared by the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry in Men's Tennis) with Murray winning the US Open & Wimbledon finals and Djokovic winning the French Open & all 4 Australian Open finals.

Between 2008 (the year Murray won his 1st Masters 1000 title) and 2016 (the year he won his last) the Scot won 14 Masters 1000 events and reached 21 finals, Federer also reached 21 finals but won only 10, Nadal won 19 from 30 finals and Djokovic won 27 from 39. Murray had 9 seasons as a top 10 player & in those seasons which came between 2008 and 2016 he won 41 ATP titles, which was 6 more than Federer in the same period and only 5 less than Nadal, with Djokovic winning 59.

From the 2008 US Open where Murray made his first slam final and the 2016 Wimbledon where he made his last, Murray played 11 slam finals, which was the same amount as Federer managed in that period and only 2 fewer than Nadal with Djokovic reaching 19. Between 2012 and 2016, the peak years of Murray's career, he reached 8 slam finals winning 3. Federer in the same time period made exactly half, winning 1 of his 4 finals. Nadal also appeared in less finals reaching 6 but winning 4.

It goes without saying that the Big 3 caused Murray alot of pain throughout his career and they prevented him from winning many more events. But Murray went toe to toe with them for around a decade and when playing at his best, he was extremely difficult for those guys to get past. On the two occasions he met Djokovic on Centre Court, Murray won both in best of 3 and best of 5 format. He's the only man to beat Nadal on the Madrid clay more than once, and is the only man to beat Federer in straight sets on Centre Court in a final.

As the stats clearly demonstrate, in terms of Masters titles, ATP titles & deep runs at all 4 majors, he was comparable to the Big 3 for the 9 years he was at the top of the game and absolutely in the same category as them in the years 2012 to 2016 in particular.

Big Titles

In the 11 Grand Slam finals Murray reached, he met either Federer or Djokovic in 10 of them. This limited Murray to just 3 Grand Slams, but given the opposition they came against and the circumstances in which they were won, they certainly feel worthy of more. Murray went into the 2012 US Open final against Novak Djokovic aiming to not only end Great Britain's 76-year wait for a men's singles champion, but also to avoid his name going into the history books as the first man to lose his first 5 Grand Slam Finals.

It's hard to imagine many more difficult circumstances to win your first major than to face Djokovic on a hard court. Murray let a hard-earned lead of 2-0 slip away as they went into a 5th and deciding set. He was one set away from losing from the most commanding position he'd ever reached in a slam final, and had he done so it's hard to believe he'd ever have recovered mentally.

But he steadied himself and outlasted Djokovic in the joint longest final in US Open history, and the 4th longest Open Era final ever at the time. The win felt like an amazing achievement then, but with hindsight it's aged brilliantly, as Djokovic has gone onto establish himself as the best hard-court player ever and the best 5-set player ever. And for Murray to win his first major against Djokovic on a hard-court in a match that went the 5-set distance, showed not just unbelievable quality but extreme mental fortitude. For a long time this was the only 5-set major final that Djokovic ever lost, until he was beaten aged 36 by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

In the 2013 Wimbledon final, Murray secured his 2nd major with another victory over Djokovic. Winning this one in straight sets was incredible at the time, but seems even more incredible now given that Djokovic has gone on to be a 7-time Wimbledon Champion with a 3-0 final record at SW19 against the 8-time Champion Federer. In 3 extremely tight sets, Murray was able to out-clutch the most clutch player of all time, breaking at the right times and holding his nerve in 3 consecutive sets to see it out. From his first 8 Wimbledon finals, this was the only one Djokovic ever lost until losing in back-to-back years against Alcaraz aged 36 and 37.

In his 11th and what turned out to be last Grand Slam final match, Murray finally met someone other than Federer or Djokovic in the final and didn't let the opportunity pass, defeating the huge serving Milos Raonic in straight sets. Murray dropped just 2 sets all tournament, both against Tsonga in the Quarter-Finals. Aside from that one small blip where he let a 2-0 lead slip to 2-2, in all the rounds before and after he was borderline unplayable, reaching the final without needing to break out of second gear. In the final he played like a man who'd been there many times before and like in 2013, was rock solid in the clutch moments to see out another straight sets victory.

From Murray's 21 Grand Slam semi-final appearances, on the 18 occasions he didn't go on to win the tournament 16 of his losses came against the Big 3. He had a 10-2 record in either Grand Slam semis or finals against non-Big 3 opponents, with Roddick (Wimbledon '09) and Wawrinka (Roland Garros '17) the only men outside of the Big 3 to beat him at that stage.

Murray recorded 5 wins over the Big 3 at Grand Slams with 2 against Nadal, including in the 2008 US Open semi-final, with Murray progressing through to his first slam final. Murray also notched 2 over Djokovic, both in slam finals and came close to more in a couple of semi-final defeats, including memorably in the 2012 Australian Open semi-final, with Murray falling just short, coming within a few points in the deciding set. Murray managed 1 Grand Slam win over Federer, with what was one of his best ever performances at a major in the 2013 Australian Open semi-final. Federer clung in winning 2 tiebreaks, but Murray's serving and forehand was so exceptional on this day that the Swiss only delayed the inevitable.

The Big 3 played a seismic role on keeping Murray at just 3 slams, but he did still manage to win 20 Big titles. This includes 14 Masters 1000 titles, 2 Olympic Golds & the ATP Tour Finals, aswell as the 3 Majors. Only 5 men have won more on the ATP tour, those being Sampras & Agassi, aswell as the Big 3. He is one of only 5 men to reach every major final as well as the Olympics final, with Djokovic only recently joining Andy, aswell as Federer, Nadal & Agassi on the list.

With 14 Masters 1000 titles, Murray has the 5th most, with 3 more than Sampras on 11. He won 7 of the 9 Masters Events, and reached the final at 8. The Monte Carlo event is the only final appearance missing, with Murray losing in 3 semi-finals there. The Scot won 4 Masters 1000 titles without dropping a set, which only the Big 3 have done that many times.

By beating Djokovic to the ATP Tour Finals title in 2016, he prevented the Serbian from winning the event 5 years in a row, with this being the first time someone had beaten him in the final. Murray also topped up his collection with 2 Olympic Gold medals.

His record for GB

Murray has a phenomenal 45-4 record in singles competition when representing Great Britain. With a 92% win percentage, his win ratio for his country is higher than the Big 3's for their respective nations. 12 wins came at the Olympic Games for just 1 sole defeat, and Murray's Davis Cup record stands at 33-3.

At the Olympics, Murray is the most successful singles player, the only player with 2 Olympic singles Golds, and therefore of course the only player to retain it. He won his first at the 2012 games in London, producing one of the most impressive weeks of his career, roared on by his home crowd. After beating Wawrinka in the opening round, Murray progressed to meet Djokovic in the semis, taking him out 7-5, 7-5. In the final he met Federer, the man who'd reduced him to tears and triggered an immense outpouring of emotion from him just weeks prior on the very same court.

This time the outcome was to be totally different, Murray won in straight sets for the loss of just seven games. The biggest title of his career at the time, Andy had earned it by beating Djokovic and Federer (now regarded as the two best grass courters of all time) in back-to-back matches, both in straight sets. 4 years on, Murray would win again this time in Rio De Janeiro, in another carnival atmosphere. Though this time it was one sounding more like a Football crowd due to the number of South Americans in attendance, with plenty pulling for the Argentine Del Potro (who'd defeated Djokovic & Nadal on his way to the final) whilst the Brazilians pulled for Murray. In an epic battle, Murray came through 3 sets to 1, to put his name in the history books forever.

In between winning those two Olympic Golds, Murray brought more glory to British tennis in the form of the 2015 Davis Cup. Andy led GB past USA, France, Australia and Belgium in the final. In total, GB won 9 singles matches and Murray won 8 of them from the 8 he played. Aswell as the singles, Andy also played 3 Doubles matches alongside brother Jamie and he won all of those aswell. This meant that in winning the tournament, GB had won a total of 12 matches & Andy had been on the court for 11 of them.

Anyone who watched the titanic 5 set doubles match in the semi-final against Australia's Hewitt & Groth in an incredible Glasgow atmosphere, or who saw Murray's Davis Cup-clinching matchpoint in the final against Goffin away in Belgium, will surely never forget it. Perhaps noone has ever come closer to winning a team tournament single-handed as Murray did in the Davis Cup that year. The way he absorbed all the pressure and expectation, with the team's chances resting entirely on his shoulders and used it as motivation to inspire the team to victory was extraordinary to see.

When representing Great Britain, Murray often shone outside of just singles action. Aswell as many great performances alongside his brother in the Davis Cup, Murray also has a 3rd Olympic medal for his run to the Mixed final in 2012 alongside Laura Robson. Given all the memorable moments Murray has provided when representing Britain, it was a fitting conclusion to his career that he should finish at the Olympics on the Doubles court alongside Dan Evans, giving the British public that last drop of excitement.

The Olympics is the career pinnacle for most of the all-time great British athletes, and Murray conquered it twice, aswell as reaching the pinnacle in his own Sport by winning 3 Grand Slams. Though the Olympics singles title has sometimes been referred to as the 5th major, and there's an argument for that especially in the years Murray won it when the final was best of 5 sets.

Titles, Finals & Match Statistics

Murray reached 71 ATP finals which is the 16th most in the Open Era on the men's side and won 46 of them which is the 15th highest total. With a 46-25 record, he has a final win ratio of 66.2%, which is the 12th best. Before losing his last 3 finals with the metal hip, his 46-22(67.6%) record was then the 8th highest win ratio in the professional era. Andy won at least 1 ATP title in 13 different seasons, only 6 men have won in more seasons. He also won multiple titles in 10 consecutive seasons with only the Big 3 & Sampras enjoying a longer run since the introduction of the ATP tour in 1990.

What makes Murray's final record even more impressive is he faced a member of the Big 3 in 31 of them, so 44% of his final appearances came against Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Murray won 14 of them, with 17 of his 25 final losses coming against the Big 3, and 17 of the 22 pre-hip surgeries. Murray's final record against non-Big 3 opponents stood at 32-8, and 31-5 prior to the hip injury. From the 2007 title he won in St. Petersburg up until his final title in 2019 at the European Open, Murray won 30 from 32 finals against the non-Big 3. This run included 15 straight wins, with Murray not losing a final against someone outside the Big 3 for six years between a 2010 loss to Sam Querrey and when Marin Cilic ended the streak in 2016.

34 of Murray's 71 titles came on the hard courts with 20 coming outdoors and 14 indoors. Only 5 men have ever won more hard court titles in the Open Era than Andy, and Nadal is not one of them, winning 9 fewer than Murray. 8 of the Scot's titles have come on grass, with only 4 men having more on the surface. Murray also has 3 clay court titles, with 2 of the final wins coming against Nadal & Djokovic. Andy's other title was won on indoor carpet, at the 2007 St. Petersburg Open.

Murray played 1,001 matches on the ATP tour with 739 wins, which is the 4th most since the tours introduction in 1990. His 73.8% win ratio puts him at 17th on the all-time men's list in the professional era. His record prior to the hip surgeries was 663-190 (77.7%) which was at the time the 9th best Open era record. 200 of Murray's wins came at Grand Slams and 230 at Masters 1000 events, which is the 4th most and gives him the 7th highest win ratio.

503 of Murray's win came on hard courts, which is the 5th most in the Open Era and just 15 fewer than Nadal at the time of writing. His record on grass is 119 wins for 30 losses (79.9%), which gives him the 10th best win ratio for men with at least 50 wins on the surface in the Open Era. His record prior to the metal hip was 107-21, which at the time was the 5th highest and had him above Sampras. His indoor record stands at 115-54 (74.2%), the 10th best ratio in the Open Era for men with at least 100 wins.

The stats show Murray's prowess across surfaces, with him being one of the best players on grass, hard and indoor surfaces over the last several decades.

His 2016 Season

In 2016 Murray had one of the most successful years a British athlete has ever enjoyed. He made the first 3 Grand Slam finals of the year, losing the first two against Djokovic, including his first and what was to be his only Roland Garros final as the Serbian became the first man since Laver to hold all 4 slams simultaneously. But Murray's clay season showed the extent to which he had conquered the dirt, of the 4 clay events he played he reached 3 finals meeting Djokovic in all of them and winning the middle one in Rome, with what was his best ever Singles' championship point, delivering a winner from well wide of the court on the run after expertly reading an attempted put-away from Novak. His performance in that Rome Masters final and aswell when knocking out the defending French Open Champion Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals at Roland Garros demonstrated just how much Murray had improved on the surface over the years, he was truly an all-surface specialist by now.

Murray had had to wait until mid-May for his first title of the year, but he would go on to make up for it. After losing the RG final, Murray would bounce back to win a record 5th Queens title, a 2nd Wimbledon title and a 2nd Olympic Gold medal as part of a 22-match win streak which was ended by Cilic in the final of Cincinatti. The Scot then suffered two gruelling 5-set losses, first to Nishikori in the Quarters of the US Open, which was a painful defeat as Murray was the best and most in-form player in the world at that time and it felt like a good chance to win another major. Murray then suffered defeat to Del Potro at home in Glasgow which effectively ended Great Britain's Davis Cup reign. Murray had led both matches 2-1, but he quickly shrugged off any disappointment, responding to the set-backs by going on a 26-match win streak (including two walkovers) to win 5 successive tournaments including two Masters titles in Shanghai and Paris.

Before the Paris final, Murray went onto court knowing he was the new world number 1 no matter the outcome but it would have been very short-lived had he lost the ATP Tour Final against Djokovic to end the year. The year end number 1 was on the line aswell as the trophy. To reach the final Murray had beaten the rest of the top 5, including wins over Nishikori and Raonic which were the longest matches in the competitions history. With a straight sets win over Djokovic, Murray became the only man outside the Big 3 to end the year as World Number 1 between the years of 2004 and 2021. With wins over every other top 5 player, this was one of the most impressive tournament wins of Murray's career, proving that at that moment he was hands down the best tennis player on the planet.

Murray played 17 tournaments in 2016, reaching the final in 13 of them and winning 9, including 5 consecutively to end the year. He reached 7 consecutive tournament finals between May and August and had two separate win-streaks of over 20. He became the first and to date only man to win a Grand Slam, the Olympic Gold Medal & ATP Tour Finals in the same year. He finished the year with a 78-9 win-loss record, winning 63 of his last 67 matches after losing the Madrid final. After losing the RG final, Murray was over 8,000 points behind Djokovic in the race, yet managed to hunt him down and improbably catch him to end the year as World Number 1. For his efforts that year Murray would earn around £16.3M, which is the 2nd most any player has ever earned in a calendar year, but it would also come at a cost, as the 172 singles matches he had played in the last 2 years began to take its toll on his body.

The Unluckiest Tennis Player Ever?

Murray played in what was undoubtedly the Golden Age of Men's Tennis and its strongest era. Aswell as the Big 3 or the Big 4 including Andy, the top 10 was made up of exceptional players such as fellow Grand Slam winners Wawrinka, Del Potro & Cilic, aswell as Berdych, Tsonga, Nishikori & Raonic, all of whom would also have reached and potentially won more finals if not for the Big 4 denying them on so many occasions. Murray had a 21-9 record in Grand Slam matches against those 7 names, with 2 defeats to Wawrinka coming after the hip operations. He also has 9-1 record in ATP finals against them, with Cilic the only one to beat him.

Despite facing off against the Big 3 84 times and playing with metal in his hip for 5 years, Murray still had a winning record against top 10 opponents with 105 wins and 96 defeats. Prior to his hip surgeries his top 10 record was 101-80 (55.8%).

From his first ATP final in Bangkok in 2005, where he met Federer in the final, Murray spent all of his career prior to the hip injury competing against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, players who all have a strong case to be included amongst the top 10 greatest athletes of all time. Given Murray's success against the rest of the top 10, it's likely he would have dominated tennis if not for the Big 3, and if just 1 of them didn't exist, he'd at least have 5 or 6 majors. From 21 semi-finals, 16 times Murray was prevented from lifting the trophy courtesy of a defeat against a Big 3 member. He was also knocked out of a major before the semi-final stage on 4 occasions by either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic.

Against these 3 absolute giants of Sport, Murray was still able to reach the number 1 spot in their era, which is surely one of the greatest achievements ever by a British athlete. He was also able to hold onto the top spot for 41 weeks, which is longer than fellow greats Boris Becker, Ilie Nastase & Mats Wilander managed at the top of the rankings in their careers. Djokovic has a strong argument for being the greatest athlete of all time in an individual Sport, given the amount of records he holds in the era he's played in, and Murray was able to get the better of him in 8 finals, including 2 Grand Slams.

But despite the huge amounts Murray has achieved, he's also not had a great deal of luck. He met either Federer or Djokovic in 10 of his 11 major finals and on the 3 occasions he beat a Big 3 member on the way to a Grand Slam final, each and every time there was another Big 3 player waiting to meet him in the final and deny him the trophy.

Against Federer and Nadal, his age was always more of a disadvantage than an advantage. With Federer being 5 years older, when Murray first began his career the Swiss was in the prime years of his mid-20s. When Murray reached his mid-20s, Federer then had a wealth of experience behind him whilst still being incredibly fit. Murray was only a year younger than Nadal, but it always felt like the gap was bigger, given that the Spaniard was already a major winner as a teenager and had already won every major by the age of 24.

Then at the age of 30 when Murray's age for the first time looked to become an advantage against Federer due to Andy now having more confidence & experience, whilst still having a significant youthful edge over a Federer approaching the other side of 35, that was when Murray's body broke down and he never made a Slam Quarter-Final after the age of 30.

Also sometimes forgotten due to all the success & consistency Murray had is that when his hip effectively ended his career at the highest level, his prime had really only just begun. 2015 & 2016, years in which he won 5 Masters titles, Wimbledon, the Olympic Gold, the Davis Cup & the ATP Tour Finals were really just the beginning of what should have been Murray's trophy winning prime. In this period he was becoming extremely dominant on the court, opponents were beginning to fear him in a similar way they did the Big 3, in the way in which they quickly felt defeated and out of their depth.

A cruel quirk was that in the years Murray was competing for majors, Djokovic was by far the most dominant player and Murray's most regular adversary in semi-finals and finals, with the two meeting in 7 Grand Slam finals, with the Scot losing 5. Between the 2010 and 2016 US Open, Djokovic made the final in 19 of the 25 majors, losing just twice before the semi-finals. But between the 2017 Australian Open and the 2018 Roland Garros he didn't make it past the Quarter-Finals once, due to injuries which caused issues with his form and motivation. This time period was when Murray could have took advantage, now in his prime and taken his slam count up to 5 or 6. But of course, it should happen that just when the path to more majors would have been more open than it had ever been for him, Murray's hip snatched the chance away and it was instead a mid-to-late 30's Federer who capitalised along with Nadal.

In 2019, when Murray had improbably battled back to return to the tour with a metal hip, he won an ATP title against Wawrinka just months into his comeback. But he hadn't played much tennis over the last few years and desperately needed to spend more time on the court if he was to again become a player who could go deep in the big events. But then the following year Covid struck and Murray was limited to just 7 matches over the whole year. And also with the world locked down, tennis players were away from the tour and forced to spend alot of time training solo. This meant there was little to do but work on fitness, and when the full tour returned players seemed a little fitter, a little faster. Murray's endurance levels and speed at getting across the court had been one of his superpowers and one of his advantages over the rest, now it would no longer be the case.

The Comeback

Constant severe hip pain took Murray off the court during his peak. His love for the sport, sheer force of will and stubbornness saw him then return to the game with metal implants inserted into the hip to absorb the surface impact. Noone in singles tennis had previously returned to play in a similar situation, so there was no measuring stick on how the return would go.

In the first months back on the tour, Murray won 2 titles, one with Feliciano Lopez in the Doubles at Queens and the other in singles against Wawrinka in the European Open. For the 5 years Murray would play on with the metal hip this would be as good as it got, though he was able to reach a further 3 ATP finals. But the former World Number 1 had to live with being less than 50% of what he once was.

The player who was once capable of beating Djokovic on hard, Federer on grass and Nadal on clay now had to accept losing regularly in the early rounds of draws against low ranked players. And he did so with a remarkable level of humility, without feeling sorry for himself that he was now reduced to this, that injuries had stolen his time at the very top. Free of ego, Murray endured what must have been at times highly frustrating, with his body unable to do what his mind wanted it to anymore.

Whilst his once-great rivals added to their legacies with Djokovic and Nadal reaching over 20 slams each, Murray continued to grind away, even dropping down to the challenger tour. At less than half of what he once was, he hung around the top 50 for years, reaching as high as 36 in the world with the metal hip, getting right to the edge of being seeded for a major again. His love for the sport kept him going, and the odd bit of magic here and there gave him the encouragement he needed to keep fighting. Like Muhammad Ali in the late '70s, Murray may have been a shadow of his former self but he went on raging against the dying of the light, refusing to quit on anyone's terms but his own. He soaked up the punishment against those he would have toyed with in his prime, without any self-pity, out of sheer love for the fight.

Legacy

Sport ultimately is about entertaining its billions of viewers, making them feel something and for a brief time making the outcome of that sporting event feel like the most important thing in the world. It's doubtful if any athlete has done that better than Andy Murray. You could check the score of a best-of-three sets Murray match and he'd be a set and 1-3 down. You'd check again close to an hour later for the confirmation of defeat and see it was still going, taken to a tiebreak. Murray would be 0-3 down in the tiebreak and you'd again assume it was all over. Then Murray would win the tiebreak and take a 2-0 set lead in the final set. You'd start to relax, the finish line in sight. You'd check back in half an hour later expecting the confirmation of a Murray win and they'd still be going, locked at 4-4. Another half hour later and finally you'd get your winner and much more often than not it'd be Murray

Noone could make you feel as wide a range of emotions as often and as rapidly as Murray. So often he would veer from the sublime to the ridiculous and back. The emotions were only heightened by seeing him go through the exact same emotions on court, all of them clear to see, heart bared on his sleeve. The rollercoasters and level of drama his matches would so often provide made him from an engagement perspective, one of the most entertaining athletes ever. If you wanted to ride the highs and lows with an athlete, there'd have been no better choice than Murray as he experienced the up's and down's with everything in between for the entirety of his career.

The last week of Murray's career at the Olympic Games was an excellent summation of why Murray is so beloved by so many sports watchers. In the opening round he's 9-4 down in the first to 10 points match-deciding tiebreak, he saves 5 matchpoints to come back to win 11-9 alongside Dan Evans. 2 days later and he saves another 2 matchpoints to win 11-9 in the 3rd again. In the end it took 9 matchpoints to finally end the professional career of Andy Murray. Drama loves him and he loves the drama, often finding another level to reach when he most needs it, almost taunting defeat when it feels it has him in his clutches, only for him to say "not today, not just yet."

His love of the game, his love for competing at the sport made him a fantastic ambassador for the game of tennis. Was his behaviour always perfect? No. Was it always utterly genuine, often bizarrely funny? Definitely. Murray found ways to deal with the burden of pressure placed on him not just by the entire country, but also the huge expectations he placed on himself, with Murray demanding near-perfection of himself, knowing that's what was required if he was to beat the Big 3 to a big title. He responded to set-backs and adversity time and again, as the pressure only increased. After losing his first 4 Grand Slam finals, he responded by winning his 5th. After losing in the Wimbledon final to Federer, he came back a month later to the same court to face the same opponent and beat him for the Olympic Gold and then a year later got himself back in the Wimbledon final and this time won it. And in 2019 when injury appeared to have ended his career prematurely at the Australian Open, he battled on for another 5 years.

In total Murray played 1,001 ATP tour level matches, 148 of them with the metal hip. His final win came in his last completed match, fittingly the 1,000th. Murray fighting on for so long with the metal hip and still managing to win more matches than he lost with it on the ATP tour added to his enduring legacy as a titan of British Sport, who kept on fighting longer than anyone could reasonably have asked of him.

With Queens already naming their arena in his honour, it's surely only a matter of time before Wimbledon commissions a statue of him to join Fred Perry, the greatest British man before Murray's arrival. This will go some way toward acknowledging Murray's enormous contribution to Tennis in Britain. And though his contribution on the court may be over, there's plenty left for him to provide for future generations be it through coaching at youth or senior level, or merely through the inspiration his journey will provide others for decades to come.

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liamhaydn-blog · 9 months ago

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Eminem Albums Ranked & Rated:

11. Revival (2017) Rating: D- 3/10

Best Song: Arose

Worst Song: Untouchable

Song that most reflects the album: Walk On Water

Revival is the worst Eminem album. It's something virtually everyone can agree on. There's no real argument you can make for it not being the worst, no way to start this list off in a controversial, contrarian manner by putting something else.

Hiphop fans were suspicious of this album from the moment the tracklist was released, showing a significant number of featured pop artists. The surprising thing was the pop choruses were far from the worst thing about this album. Beyonce delivered a wonderful one, Alicia Keys and Ed Sheeran provided decent ones, the worst part of the album was actually when Eminem was left to his own devices.

A lot of the time, Eminem sounds bored and devoid of subject matters he really cares about. He sounds like he's rapping purely because it's been 4 years since his last album and it's time to make another, rather than really having something meaningful to say and share. When he does find a subject matter he cares about such as Police Brutality against the Black Community in America, he falls way wide of the mark in tone & delivery on 'Untouchable'. 'Like Home' an anti-Trump song during the days of Trump's America is better, but mostly due to a strong chorus from Alicia Keys, and it still falls a million miles short of the standard Eminem had previously set in political songs like "Square Dance" and "Mosh".

The middle songs feature Eminem's worst album run since Encore, and his corniest material yet. The hooks and choruses he himself provides are mostly utterly dreadful, the samples he chooses don't fit an Eminem project, his flow is by the worst it's ever been. It's pretty unlistenable & his tone and lyrics suggest he is bitter but it's not clear exactly what about.

Only the last two songs "Castle" and "Arose" save the album from being completely garbage. They are touching songs, "Castle" another dedication to Hailie, taking us back to the time before she was born, with Eminem bracing for the birth of his first child and "Arose" a great piece of storytelling from the perspective of Eminem as he lay close to death in hospital during the worst times of his addiction. These two songs and "Walk on Water" give the album atleast something redeemable but with the exception of these three songs, this project should've been shelved until Em refound his passion and creative spark.

Revival was a case of Eminem massively overthinking the direction of the project, and trying to be all things to all people, and ending up pleasing nobody. He tried to be political, he tried to produce huge commercial hits alongside huge Pop stars, he tried to be funny, he tried to show off his lyricism (ending up explaining his bars to make sure they weren't missed) and it just fell flat in every regard. He didn't seem to have a clear vision for what he wanted the project to be and instead let himself be guided by what he thought people wanted and it massively backfired.

10. Kamikaze (2018) Rating: D+ 5/10

Best Song: Stepping Stone

Worst Song: Nice Guy

Song that most reflects the album: The Ringer

With Revival mercilessly slaughtered by fans & critics alike, Eminem released Kamikaze 8 months later, an angry response to the backlash he and the album had got. With this album Eminem fired back at the critics, feeling it was now their turn to hear what he thought of them instead of always the other way round. Rappers were also beginning to see Eminem as a bit of an easy target, someone to kick while he was seemingly down with MGK, Tyler The Creator & Joe Budden all taking shots, and being fired back at here.

Eminem also took aim at the state of hip-hop in 2018, namedropping several Gen Z rappers and "their choppy flow everyone copies". Eminem would use this album to showcase how easily he can adopt that flow, regarded as technically basic by true MCs, and not only do it but do it better.

And he did, but it still wasn't particularly fun to listen to and not my favourite way to hear him rap. The album was evidence he still had much more to offer than he showcased on Revival, but it felt like more of an album for the moment, relevant in the context of that time in the immediate aftermath of the Revival backlash. But now that time has past, it doesn't have lots of replay value for me. It's possible Eminem could have got his message across by just releasing 'The Ringer' and 'Not Alike' without needing to put out a full album about it. But it was still somewhat satisfying to hear him fire back at people on other songs such as "Fall" because the level of disrespect Em was getting would make it seem like he was the first big name rapper to ever put out a bad album.

Outside of the horrible "Nice Guy" chorus, the album had fewer low points than the previous two albums but also didn't really add much in the way of true greatness. But it served the purpose of allowing him and everyone else to move on from Revival, and aswell allowed him to move past alot of the anger and bitterness that had been building up in his music over the years. He said what he needed to say and with this was beginning to draw a line under it, to move on to the next phase of his career.

9. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) Rating: C- 5.5/10

Best Song: Survival

Worst Song: Stronger Than I Was

Song that most reflects the album: Evil Twin

The Marshall Mathers LP 2 possessed plenty of warning signs for Revival. That follow-up album being so bad wasn't a massive shock given the course Eminem seemed to be taking with this record. Plenty of things wrong with Revival are also apparent on the Marshall Mathers LP 2. There are plenty of cringy lyrics & voices, his sample choices for the first time are proving to be very hit and miss. The 'Rap Rock' all over this record is one of my least favourite styles from Eminem.

Alot of the songs on this album aren't necessarily really bad, but they're not particularly good either. One example would be 'Love Game' featuring Kendrick Lamar. The songs fine. But a song with these two on it should be a lot more than just fine. There are a few exceptions to the album's mediocrity such as 'Survival' which is like a 'Till I Collapse' follow-up, in its suitability for Gym workouts & its lyrical strength in all 3 verses. 'Rap God' is a memorably impressive technical feat & 'Headlights' a touching closer to his often volatile relationship with his Mother. There are some great moments on the album, but Eminem doesn't knit it all consistently together.

8. Relapse (2009) Rating: C 6/10

Best Song: Deja Vu

Worst Song: Same Song & Dance

Song that most reflects the album: 3AM

"Fuck my last CD that shits in my trash"- Eminem rapping on Cinderella Man about Relapse.

Relapse is probably the most "love it or hate it" album in Eminem's discography. The rapper himself hates it, but the album has a cult following, plenty of Eminem fans love it and place it amongst his best records. The 5 years between his 4th and 5th record had been a tumultuous time in Eminem's life, he had gone through a 2nd divorce with his childhood sweetheart, a battle with addiction to prescription pills which had almost cost him his life & the premature death of his life-long best friend Proof after an altercation outside a nightclub which pushed Em into a deep depression.

Eminem recorded Relapse after fighting through the worst of his demons, but they were still lingering not too far away as Em released by far the darkest and most disturbing album of his career. The album's theme was heavily centred around Eminem as a deranged serial killer & sexual deviant. It's also remembered for the number of strange accents Eminem put on, rarely recording a song with his typical voice.

Some loved the accents and the extreme nature of the album's content, whereas others quickly found the accent tiresome and aswell tired of the content of gruesome descriptions of murders and sexual violence. I am more in the second category, Eminem's best song in this theme was "3AM" and that was the first song on the record. After that the theme began to get repetitive and simply not as good as "3AM".

Like Encore, Relapse was weakest in the middle before finishing strong, with "Deja Vu" my favourite song on the album, detailing Eminem's battle with addiction, just brilliant storytelling and the accent somehow really works for that song. Also coming at the end were the singles 'Beautiful' and 'Crack A Bottle', two songs which really showed Em's versatility. 'Beautiful' covered Eminem's battle with depression in a powerful but measured way. 'Crack A Bottle' was just fun, in a way Eminem wanted Encore to be, but just wasn't.

And also like with Encore, Eminem included songs on the Deluxe Edition which were better than a lot of the songs that made the album. "Careful What You Wish For" is an excellent song which would have made the album better and "My Darling" was much more interesting lyrically than the endless talk of murder.

Relapse is Eminem's least favourite album of his, and while it's far from his worst with a fair few really good songs which boosted his catalog, its far from my favourite.

7. Encore (2004) Rating: C+ 6.5/10

Best Song: Mockingbird

Worst Song: My 1st single

Song that most reflects the album: Evil Deeds

"It became a misstep and I struggled to get over the fact that I didn't do my best. My best would've been good enough if the leaks hadn't happened. But I released what I had at that point in time, and I feel that put a kind of a mark on my catalog. Encore did some decent numbers, but I was never that concerned with numbers. I was more so worried about what people think about the album. Critics and fans were important to me, and they were always at me about that project." - Eminem on Encore (2022)

This is the most frustrating and "what if?" album of Eminem's discography as it should and easily could have been so much better. It ended Eminem's 3-album run of rap classics and it didn't need to, this could easily have been Em's fourth consecutive masterpiece with a better selection of tracks, because all the material was there.

Encore was originally intended by Eminem to be his last album, his farewell to the game. The original tracklisting would have looked something like bowing out on top, still very much at the peak of his powers as 'We As Americans', 'Love You More' & 'Bully' were originally on the album, with the former two ending up on the Deluxe Edition along with 'Ricky Ticky Tok'. 'When I'm Gone' was also recorded earlier that year and was the next single he released after the album, so there's no reason it couldn't have been on the record, and it would have been the perfect closing track given the context of Em planning to walk away. With these tracks on the record, Encore would have been another strong addition to Eminem's legacy.

Instead, shortly before the Album's release the songs leaked online. A furious Eminem reacted by rushing back into the booth and recording new songs. Eminem was in the thralls of his drug addictions at the time and when reflecting on the album years later said: "Around the tail end of Encore, the songs started getting really goofy. 'Rain Man' 'Big Weenie' 'Ass Like That' – that’s when the wheels were coming off. Every day I had a pocketful of pills, and I would just go into the studio and goof off."

Encore features what was until Revival surely the worst six-track run of Eminem's career. And it comes when you'd least expect it, after a more than decent opening to the album which included a very solid 4-track run, concluding with the excellent 'Like Toy Soldiers' and 'Mosh'. The stage is then set for the Album to take a nosedive with 'Puke' and for the next half an hour you're left wondering what the fuck has just happened. 'Ass Like That' and 'Just Lose It' are two of the big singles off the album and whilst having 2 silly songs rather than just the 1 is perhaps overkill, these songs could have been passable as just comedic commercial songs to get some easy radioplay with memorable videos, IF they were atleast by far the lyrically weakest and worst songs on the album. But they weren't. 'Puke' 'My 1st Single', 'Rain Man' and 'Big Weenie' were all just as bad if not worse.

6 incredibly silly songs one after another, taking up half an hour of the albums runtime. By all means throw in 1 or 2 for some light comedic value but 6?! from the same guy who made The Eminem Show just 2 years earlier. The album's last third wasn't too bad and includes 'Mockingbird' which showed Eminem was still the brilliant, thoughtful song crafter, who could still make beautiful music with an emotional message. But it was too late to save the album, the damage had already been done.

Encore was a huge missed opportunity, with heavy drug use causing Eminem to take his eye off the ball, convincing him that putting throwaway songs that he'd recorded in mere minutes on the album was somehow a better idea than just sticking with great songs such as "We As Americans" that a relatively small number in the scheme of things had already heard due to the leak. It's hard to believe a clear-thinking Eminem would have come to such a decision and sadly this was a case of Em probably having too much power over his Album.

As the biggest Artist in the world at the time, noone had the authority to tell him that maybe putting utterly terrible songs on the album ahead of fantastic ones wasn't a good idea. The record company knew the album would still sell like crazy even if it had Eminem belching and farting all over it, which isn't an exaggeration as that was actually the case on "My 1st Single".

"They call the Slim Shady LP the greatest, the Marshall Mathers was a classic, The Eminem Show was fantastic, but Encore just didn't have the caliber to match it" Eminem raps on 'Careful What You Wish For' but the sad thing is it probably did, with a few simple changes to the track selection.

6. Music To Be Murdered By (2020)- Rating: B- 7/10

Best Song: Yah Yah

Worst Song: Little Engine

Song that most reflects the album: Godzilla

Music To Be Murdered By is Eminem's most slept on album. I don't know if after the last 3 albums people had just given up hope of Em making a good album again and just assumed he no longer could but this record deserved more credit. This album was one of Eminem's most interesting projects, full of features with both fellow old heads and aswell rappers from the new school and he meshed together perfectly with both.

The 3 songs Royce Da 5'9 features on are all highlights of the record, with 'Yah Yah' the pick of the bunch. Black Thought provides one of my favourite ever verses from a guest rapper on an Eminem album, but honestly pretty much every rapper on this album delivers. I think with this record, Eminem finally rediscovered a formula that works for him in producing a good album. The competition of other elite lyricists forced him to up his pen game, with that friendly competition he's always had with Royce and other guys from Slaughterhouse. And songs with the newer generation gave the album a feeling of freshness, keeping it modern sounding.

The beats, flows and the lyrics were on a different level to his recent work. The choruses aswell were a lot better than on recent albums, with the only exception being "Little Engine" which stepped the wrong side of the corny line. A few other songs also went close to that line at points, but for the most part he stayed on the right side of it. Though this album doesn't quite crack the top 5, it comes close as it's a genuinely enjoyable listen. At this time I was grateful for an Eminem album that wasn't a chore to get through. This album was just what Em needed at this stage in his career, a return to form. He sounded like he was having some fun again, back rapping with a pure love for the craft of hiphop again, rather than just to prove some point about how good he is.

5. The Death Of Slim Shady (2024) Rating: B 7.5/10

Best Song: Guilty Conscience 2

Worst Song: Road Rage

Song that most reflects the album: Trouble

Coming a quarter of a century after the Slim Shady LP, Eminem announces the Death of Slim Shady in this concept album. The album was a bold creative decision, which could have fell flat and risked tarnishing the Shady name. Being over 50 now, a record like this could've led to an absolute slaughtering from fans and critics if anything was lacking in the delivery or the lyrics.

But Eminem pulled it off. The confidence was apparent right from the beginning with 'Renaissance' and from start to finish, he fully dove in to the concept holding nothing back, free of any self-doubt. Eminem takes some of the best aspects of his previous work and finds a place for it on this record. There is ofcourse Slim Shady and the old voice and flow which made him so well loved. He keeps what worked on Music To Be Murdered By, again featuring new generation rappers such as JID & Ez Mil. There is the back-and-forth storytelling of Guilty Conscience 2 which is so well done & as usual the sentimental closing song, "Somebody Save Me" one of the best songs on the record.

Like Music To Be Murdered By, this is an entertaining listen that never drags. The album concept though allows Eminem to focus his songwriting more and the more consistent theme throughout is a big part of why this one ranks higher and takes a spot in the top 5. The three-track run of 'Evil' 'Lucifer' and 'Antichrist' is one of the best parts of the album with the 'Lucifer' beat being one of the best Em beats in years.

Eminem couldn't really have done much more with this record, it was as good as could be realistically hoped for. For him to be 25 years into his mainstream career and to still be making an album that deservedly takes a spot in his top 5 is testament to his longevity. Which does exist, despite significant dips along the way. But this album, following on from Music To Be Murdered By has got Eminem's career right back on track, as he has rediscovered what works for him musically.

4. Recovery (2010) Rating: B+ 8/10

Best Song : You're Never Over

Worst Song: Love The Way You Lie

Song that most reflects the album: Talkin' 2 Myself

Just a year after the release of Relapse came Recovery and it couldn't have been a more contrasting album. In truth it was very different to every Eminem album that had come before. The sound was more radio-friendly, in some respects more pop-y. Especially the enormous hits from the album "Not Afraid" and "Love The Way You Lie". At the time of its release, as a teenager I had a hard time accepting this new sounding Eminem & those singles prejudiced me against the album for a long time.

However on reflection this album can be considered Eminem's most serious and mature work. There's no skits, no Slim Shady. Coming so soon after the release of Relapse, you can hear in the precision of the lyrics the intense focus Eminem must have put into this record. It's extremely effective in putting you in Eminem's shoes, in his headspace as he struggles through attempting to piece his life back together after addiction had almost taken everything from him.

You feel his confidence returning, his sense of control over his music and his life starting to come back together. This comes out in anthemic hooks & choruses, up with some of his best ever. The album is very consistent, without a really bad song or significant dip at any point.

3. The Slim Shady LP (1999) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Rock Bottom

Worst Song: I'm Shady

Song that most reflects the album: Just Don't Give A Fuck

The Slim Shady LP was the first of Eminem's 3 classic albums and in honesty a strong case could be made that you could have those 3 records in any order and you wouldn't be wrong. The SSLP is arguably Eminem's most consistent record, there's no dip at any point even for a single song, it just remains at an extremely high level throughout.

"My Name Is" followed by "Guilty Conscience" is an incredible start to an album and then comes "If I had" which is an interesting listen, given you hear the Infinite album voice of Eminem, the only song that sounds like it pre-dates the existence of Slim Shady. The reason for putting this album 3rd and not top 2 is that maybe there's slightly fewer 10/10 songs than the two albums that followed, and by slightly less I mean literally 1 or 2, but that's all it takes when the margins are this incredibly thin.

2. The Eminem Show (2002) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Square Dance

Worst Song: Superman

Song that most reflects the album: White America

The Eminem Show established Eminem firmly amongst the all-time greats. His 3rd classic album in 4 years, in some ways this was Em at his very peak. With this album he proved he didn't need "shock rap", he didn't need Slim Shady. He could just rap as Eminem and at that exact time he was the best in the world. And that self-confidence flows through every lyric.

On songs like "Square Dance" Eminem showed he could do more than just poke fun at politicians through the use of a satirical alter ego, he could intelligently dissect and expose them in a direct manner. "Sing For The Moment" and "Till I Collapse" are other standouts, as is "Say What You Say" one of his best collaborations with Dr Dre, with the two flowing hypnotically off each other.

In terms of delivery in the flow and voice, this is Eminem at his best and the three-track run of 'Square Dance', 'Soldier' and 'Say Goodbye Hollywood' is one of the strongest from his entire discography.

1. The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) Rating: A* 10/10

Best Song: Stan

Worst Song: Remember Me

Song that most reflects the album: The Way I Am

Only Eminem could open his Greatest Hits album 'Curtain Call' with 'Fack' and only Eminem could put a 1-minute skit of gay fellatio in the middle of an album that sold 1.78 million copies in its first week. He could do it because the rest of the content just had to be listened to.

'Stan' for me will always be Eminem's best song, to call it genius storytelling would not be going overboard. 'The Way I Am' is also high up on the list of Eminem's greatest ever and 'Kim' remains one of if not the most shocking songs I've ever heard, still impactful over 20 years later, the rage still demanding to be listened to. It may be twisted, but the vivid cinematic picture he conjures with his words on this song are the work of a master creator. "Who Knew", "I'm Back" and "Marshall Mathers" are other highs on an album of so many.

#eminem #Thedeathofslimshady #Slimshady #Marshallmathers #Rap #Hiphop #SSLP #MMLP #TES #ENCORE #RELAPSE #RECOVERY #MMLP2 #REVIVAL #KAMIKAZE #TDOSS

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liamhaydn-blog · 10 months ago

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Team of the Decade: Part 4- The 1980's

Goalkeeper- Jean-Marie Pfaff- Belgium

Pfaff began his career with Beveren where he spent 10 years before joining Bayern Munich. With Bayern he won 3 Bundesliga's in 6 years and also reached the 1987 European Cup final, losing to FC Porto. With the Belgian national team, Pfaff appeared at 2 World Cups and in the 1986 edition he was named in the team of the tournament as Belgium finished 4th, losing to a Maradona-inspired Argentina in the semis.

Pfaff was known for his excellent shot-stopping abilities aided by his rapid reflexes and acrobatic capabilities. He had a big personality on the field and was an authoritative presence commanding his penalty box, quick to fly off his line to meet attackers or else to claim crosses. Pfaff also developed a reputation for saving penalties.

Centre-Back- Franco Baresi- Italy

Franco Baresi spent his entire 20-year senior career with AC Milan, first joining the club's youth set-up as a 12-year old. He won 7 Serie A title's with the Rossoneri aswell as 3 European Cups. Baresi was made club captain aged 22 and was a part of Milan's all-Italian defence alongisde Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti and later Panucci, which is often considered the strongest defence ever assembled. Some of Baresi's best achievements include being part of a Milan defence that conceded just 15 Serie A goals in the 93-94 campaign in which his team avoided losing all season as part of a record 58-game unbeaten run.

Baresi was a member of the Italy squad which won the 1982 World Cup but he did not feature in a World Cup match until the 1990 edition which Italy hosted, where they finished 3rd. 4 years later he captained his nation in the World Cup final against Brazil, though missed in the shootout which Italy would lose.

Baresi is considered one of the greatest defenders of all time, a world class player either at centre-half or as a sweeper due to the way he combined physicality with elegance, to be a defender who truly had it all. Defensively his reading of the game, timing of challenges, strength and intelligence made him extremely difficult to get past and then with the ball at his feet his distribution from the defence and the base of midfield allowed him to start attacks from deep. Baresi was the Balon D'or runner-up in 1989.

Centre-Back- Gaetano Scirea- Italy

After beginning his career with Atalanta, Scirea joined Juventus in 1974 and would spend the rest of his career there, winning 7 Serie A titles, the European Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the UEFA Cup. Scirea was part of the 1982 World Cup winning team as Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the final.

Scirea played the sweeper role for much of his career, which suited his excellent tactical and technical abilities. From that role, aswell as his defensive capabilities, his composed ability on the ball allowed him to also contribute offensively.

Centre-Back- Ronald Koeman- Netherlands

Koeman began his career with Groningen, before joining Ajax. After winning the league and the Dutch Cup there, he moved to PSV in 1986. With PSV he won the treble in 1988, helping the club to win the European Cup for the only time in their history. That summer Koeman also won the 1988 Euros with The Netherlands. Koeman then spent 6 years with Barcelona where he enjoyed even more success, as part of Cruyff's Dream Team which won 4 successive La Liga titles and its first European Cup in 1992, with Koeman scoring the games only goal in the final against Sampdoria.

Koeman is the highest scoring defender in football history, with a total of 252 goals, with a significant amount coming from penalties and free-kicks which he was adept at taking. He was best remembered for incredibly powerful long-range free-kicks, but he was just as capable at clipping or curling free-kicks in from closer range.

Defensive-Midfield- Frank Rijkaard- Netherlands

Riijkard is considered one of the best midfielders ever, mostly operating as a defensive midfielder. However due to being perhaps one of the most complete players ever he could play practically anywhere centrally, be it central defence, central midfield as a box-to-box or even as an attacking midfielder just behind the striker.

The Dutchman started his career with Ajax but would establish himself as one of the best players in the world at AC Milan where he would win 2 Serie A title's and 2 European Cups, with Rijkaard scoring the winning goal in the 1990 final against Benfica. Rijkaard then returned to Ajax where he would finish his career, winning another European Cup by beating his former club Milan in the final. At International level, Rijkaard also won the 1988 Euros with The Netherlands.

At 6 foot 3, Rijkaard was a powerful player, but for his size he also possessed excellent technical quality, which meant that when he won the ball back with his defensive brain and physicality, he could then be instantly dangerous offensively, due to his playmaking abilities from deep.

Centre-Midfield- Lothar Matthaus- Germany

Matthaus was often deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, which was the ideal position for such a complete player who was equally comfortable either bombing forward to score goals with his powerful shooting off either foot, or defending due to his positional sense and expertly timed tackling.

The German began in the Bundesliga with Monchengladbach before moving to Bayern Munich where he won multiple Bundesliga titles and reached the 1987 European Cup final which they lost to FC Porto. Matthaus then moved to Inter where he won a Serie A title and a UEFA Cup, before returning to Bayern where he won another UEFA Cup and lost another European Cup final, this time to Manchester United.

Matthaus is the most capped Germany player ever, winning 150 caps for his nation and winning the Euros in 1980 and the World Cup in 1990, 4 years after being a beaten finalist. Matthaus met Maradona and Argentina in both of those World Cup finals, and aswell battled against him in Serie A and Maradona would define him as "the best rival I ever had." Matthaus was the first outfield player to feature in 5 World Cups and won the Balon D'or award in 1990.

Centre-Midfield- Ruud Gullit- Netherlands

Gullit began his career with HFC Harlem, helping them to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history. From there he represented Feyenoord and later PSV before moving to AC Milan for a world record fee in 1987. There he would be part of a Dutch trio alongside Rijkaard and Van Basten which would help fire Milan to a glorious era with the first of 2 European Cups Gullit won with the club being secured in 1989, with Gullit scoring a brace in a 4-0 final win over Steaua Bucharest. A year earlier Gullit also scored in the 1988 Euros final, giving the Netherlands the lead against the Soviet Union, in a game the Dutch would go on to win 2-0.

At 6 foot 3, Gullit was an extremely powerful and athletic footballer, one of the best the game has seen at heading the ball, due to the height and power his leaps could generate. But Gullit was aswell so much more than just physicality, his game was also graceful and technical, with an elegant quality to his play.

Right Attacking Midfield- Zico- Brazil

Zico earned the nickname "the White Pele" with Pele himself observing that Zico was the one player who came closest to him. Zico was a creative 10, with the vision for a pass and the technical quality to execute it with him being considered one of the best passers ever. The Brazilian was also a prolific goalscorer, as clinical as a deadly striker and a free-kick specialist who remains high on the list for most free-kick goals ever.

The club mostly associated with Zico is Flamengo where he spent 16 years and won the Copa Libertadores in 1981. In between two spells with the club, Zico spent two years with Udinese in Serie A and later finished his career in Japan. With the national team Zico won 71 caps, scoring 48 goals and shone at 2 World Cups. In 1978 he and Brazil finished 3rd, but it is for the 1982 World Cup they are best remembered. Zico starred in a side which will likely forever be regarded as the best team to never lift the World Cup, as Brazil were knocked out by Italy 3-2, in one of the greatest games in the history of Football.

Number 10 position- Michel Platini- France

Despite playing as an offensive midfield player, a creative orchestrator behind a striker, Platini scored with the prolificacy of a number 9 due to being an extremely accurate finisher who did not often pass up good chances. He was also deadly from free-kicks and penalties and considered one of the best ever from those dead ball situations.

Beginning his career with Nancy, Platini scored 127 goals in 213 games for the club and won the French Cup before moving to St. Etienne where he scored 82 goals in 3 seasons and won a First Division title. Platini then spent the remaining 5 years of his career with Juventus where he won 2 Serie A titles, the Cup Winners Cup and the European Cup as the Frenchman scored the only goal in the 1985 final against Liverpool.

Platini also scored an impressive 41 goals in 72 caps for France, including 9 in 5 games at Euro 84, as Platini produced what remains to this day the best individual tournament ever at the Euros, as he scored in every game including 2 hattricks and the match winner in the semi-final against Portugal, before scoring again in a 2-0 final win over Spain. Despite lacking athleticism and physicality, Platini completely made up for such shortcomings with incredible technical ability, skill and the speed of his football brain. He won the Balon D'or 3 times consecutively between 1983 and 1985.

Left Attacking Midfield- Diego Maradona- Argentina

From the moment Diego Maradona made his debut for Argentinos Juniors 10 days before his 16th birthday, his nickname "El Pibe de Oro (the Golden Boy) was a fitting one. Growing to be only 5 foot 5 inches tall, Maradona used his diminutive height to his advantage with his low centre of gravity aiding him in being an astonishingly gifted dribbler, as quick as he was skilful. And what he lacked in height, he made up for in strength with his stocky frame helping him to ride challenges and brush defenders out of his way.

After a season with his dream club Boca Juniors, Maradona moved to FC Barcelona but after just 2 seasons he moved on again to Napoli, in doing so becoming the first player to set the world record transfer fee twice. Napoli were an unfashionable mid-table club, but with Maradona who quickly took on the role of a demigod to the people of Naples, Napoli won 2 Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup with absolutely everything running through their number 10. Maradona's demons were never far away though and his battle with drug addiction worsened, he left the club for short-lived stints with Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys before retiring at his beloved Boca Juniors.

Having narrowly missed out on making the 1978 World Cup squad, which Argentina won at home, Maradona featured at 4 World Cups. His most memorable performance came in 1986, where he carried Argentina to the trophy, scoring 5 and assisting 5 of Argentina's 14 goals. He scored what will forever be the most memorable brace in Football history in the Quarters against England. First Maradona scored the "Hand of God" goal, the most infamous goal ever as he jumped to punch the ball into the net, an action that was missed by nearby officials, and then just 4 minutes later he scored one of the greatest goals ever as he dribbled from the half-way line past any Englishman who tried to tackle him before rounding Shilton and slotting it home. Not satisfied, Maradona scored another world class brace in the Semis against Belgium, before assisting Burruchaga's winner in the final in a 3-2 win over West Germany.

Maradona will forever be considered one of the greatest footballers ever, and one of the best number 10's ever due to his dribbling, creative passing, finishing and free-kick taking ability. His dribbling in particular was at a level not seen before, and only seen since in the figure of another diminutive Argentinian number 10, Lionel Messi.

Striker- Marco Van Basten- Netherlands

Van Basten came through the ranks at Ajax, and quickly began scoring at a prolific rate in the first team, 154 goals in 174 games convinced Berlusconi to bring him to AC Milan. Van Basten helped Milan to dominate at home and on the continent, winning 2 European Cups with the Dutch striker netting a brace in the first final in 1989. A year before Van Basten lifted the Euros with the Netherlands, scoring one of the greatest goals in Football history, a stunning acrobatic volley from what appeared to be an impossible angle in the Final against the Soviet Union.

Serious injury unfortunately curtailed his career prematurely, with Van Basten playing his last match at just 28 years old. However, having netted over 300 goals the Dutchman still established himself as one of the greatest Number 9's ever. Nicknamed the "Swan of Utrecht" for his elegant style, Van Basten was one of the most complete strikers of all time. He could score all types of goals from all types of positions, having a knack for the acrobatic and a spectacular goal catalogue including a number of volleys and bicycle kicks. The power and accuracy on either foot meant that he could be deadly from outside the box and from inside his intelligent movement and heading ability meant he was always dangerous. Van Basten won the Balon D'or on 3 occasions, first winning in 1988 and then again in 1989 and 1992.

Subs:

Andreas Brehme- Germany

Brehme was an attacking full-back and one of the best left-backs of his era. He played alongside Matthaus at Bayern Munich and then Inter Milan, aswell as for the Germany national side, with Matthaus describing him as "the best player I ever played with". With West Germany, Brehme reached 2 World Cup Finals, both against Argentina losing the first and winning the second, with Brehme himself scoring the games only goal from the penalty spot in the 1990 final in Italy.

Brehme retired at Kaiserslautern, a club he'd represented earlier on his career and he finished his career in remarkable fashion helping them to lift the Bundesliga title. Brehme stood out for being truly ambidextrous, with his national team coach at the time, Franz Beckenbauer remarking "I have known him for 20 years and I still don't know if he is left or right footed." Brehme reportedly believed his right foot to be more accurate, but his left foot to be more powerful.

Kenny Dalglish- Scotland

"King Kenny" began his career with Glasgow Celtic where he scored prolifically and won a whole host of domestic honours before joining Liverpool for a British record fee. He would spend the rest of his career on Merseyside winning 6 league titles and 3 European Cups, with Dalglish scoring the only goal in the first of those finals against Club Brugge in 1978. In 1985 Dalglish became player-manager for Liverpool and gradually played less and less over the years, until his retirement in 1990.

Dalglish had the unenviable task of trying to fill the boots of Kevin Keegan at Liverpool, and most would agree he went on to surpass him forming a deadly partnership with Ian Rush, with Dalglish operating just behind him in the hole. Dalglish was the 1983 runner-up for the Balon D'or.

Karl-Heinze Rummenigge- Germany

Rumminegge won the European Cup in his first 2 seasons as a pro with Bayern Munich in the mid-70s. In the early 80's he established himself as one of the best strikers in the world, as his goals helped fire Bayern to Bundesliga titles. From there Rumminegge spent 3 years with Inter Milan before retiring in Switzerland. With the West Germany national team, Rumminegge won the Euros in 1980 and reached back-to-back finals in 1982 and 1986, though was on the losing side on both occasions.

Rumminegge won the Balon D'or in consecutive years in 1980 and 1981, and was the runner-up in 1979. A versatile forward he could play anywhere across the forward line, aswell as the main centre-forward he could also play as a winger due to his exceptional pace or as a second striker.

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liamhaydn-blog · 10 months ago

Text

Team of the Decade: Part 3- The 1970's

Goalkeeper- Dino Zoff- Italy

Dino Zoff was rejected by Juventus and Inter as a teenager due to his lack of height, but perhaps due to his grandmothers recommendation that he should eat 8 eggs a day, he grew to be 6 feet tall and made his Serie A debut with Udinese. After spells with Mantova and Napoli, Zoff joined Juventus where he would spend the rest of his career. With 'The Old Lady' he won 6 Serie A titles, a UEFA Cup and aswell reached 2 European Cup finals, with Juventus losing both 1-0 exactly 10 years apart.

Zoff made his Italy debut in 1968 and won the Euros that same year on home soil. 2 years later he reached the World Cup final in Mexico where Italy were thrashed 4-1 by Brazil. However he got his hands on the trophy 12 years later as Italy captain at the age of 40, as this time his nation were triumphant in the final beating West Germany 3-1.

Zoff was a highly revered keeper due to his consistency throughout his career and an effective style which prioritised efficiency over flamboyance. His dedication and longevity allowed him to remain one of the best keepers in the world long into his 30's and early 40's which was less commonplace for goalkeepers than it is today.

Right-Back- Carlos Alberto- Brazil

Having missed out on making Brazil's World Cup squad in 1966, Carlos Alberto was then given the captain's armband in the wake of Brazil's disastrous group stage exit and 4 years later he would lift the famous trophy aloft. Alberto would only feature at one World Cup but he left a lasting legacy, scoring Brazil's 4th in a 4-1 win over Italy in the final, finishing off a sublime passing move in what is considered one of the most memorable goals in the history of football and one of the best team goals ever.

Alberto began his club career at Fluminense before joining Pele at Santos in 1966 where he would spend 8 years. After spells with other big Brazilian clubs, Alberto moved to the USA where he would finish his career, once again linking up with the great Pele at New York Cosmos. The right-back who also excelled as a right wing-back is remembered as one of the best defenders in the history of the game, due to his leadership qualities, excellent defensive attributes in his tackling and reading of the game, aswell as his dribbling and playmaking abilities which were rare for a defensive player at the time.

Centre-Back- Daniel Passarella- Argentina

Passarella began his career with Sarmiento in his native Argentina, before joining River Plate where he spent 9 years before moving to Serie A where he would represent both Fiorentina and Inter Milan with distinction before returning to retire at River Plate. The defender debuted with his national side in 1976 and just two years later he was captaining his country at the 1978 World Cup which Argentina hosted and he would help his side to lift the trophy for the first time. 8 years later he was in the squad as Argentina went all the way again for a second time, though this time he did not feature atall. But as he was a member of the squad, he remains the only Argentine in history to have won the World Cup twice.

Passarella had several nicknames, all of which implied the esteem to which he was held ""El Gran Capitán" ('the Great Captain') ,"El Kaiser" ) and "El Caudillo" ('the Chief'). The defender was an adept set-piece taker, scoring numerous penalties and free-kicks, and this along with his supreme heading ability and capability to push forward and finish off attacking moves helped him to score 134 goals in 451 matches, which was a record for a defender until Ronald Koeman surpassed it years later.

Centre-Back- Franz Beckenbauer- Germany

'Der Kaiser' (the Emperor) began his career with Bayern Munich where he won 3 successive European Cups between 1974 and 1976, aswell as a host of other trophies. Shortly after establishing himself with Bayern, Beckenbauer forced his way into the West Germany team, playing in the side that finished as runners-up to hosts England in the 1966 World Cup Final.

In 1974 it was West Germany's turn to host the tournament, and as captain he led his nation to glory as they triumphed 2-1 in the Final against The Netherlands. This was Beckenbauer's 2nd international trophy, as he had lifted the Euros 2 years prior, as West Germany defeated the Soviet Union in the final. Beckenbauer played his final international tournament at the 1976 Euros, reaching his 3rd major final, though this time he was on the losing side against Czechoslovakia.

Beckenbauer is considered perhaps the greatest defender in the history of football, he is credited with birthing a new position in the role of a modern sweeper (Libero). He is the only defender to win the Balon D'or more than once, winning the award on 2 occasions first in 1972 and then again in 1976. Der Kaiser also finished as runner-up in 1974 and 1975. He would later go on to become the first man to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager, helping West Germany to lift the trophy at Italia 90.

Left-Back- Ruud Krol- Netherlands

Ruud Krol played as either a left-back or sweeper, but his passing range, tactical intelligence and ability to progress the play forward meant he could also play as a defensive midfielder. He came through the ranks at Ajax and aswell as domestic dominance Krol also helped them to achieve dominance on the continent, lifting 3 successive European Cups between 1971 and 1973.

Krol was a crucial component of the 'Total Football' era of the 1970's both at club and international level with The Netherlands. He made the team of the tournament at both the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, with The Netherlands making successive finals but losing on both occasions. He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of not just his era but also of all time.

Right-Wing- Jairzinho- Brazil

Jairzinho was a versatile attacking player who could play any position across the forward line. He could thrive as either a main striker, second striker or attacking midfielder but his best position was considered the right wing where he earned the nickname "The Hurricane" for his powerful running style up and down the flank. Jairzinho was well suited to the wing due to his pace, strength, dribbling ability and aswell his powerful and accurate shot when cutting inside.

Jairzinho was best remembered for his performances at the 1970 World Cup where he scored in all six matches, including a solo goal against Czechoslovakia in the group stage, which was considered one of the most memorable in World Cup history. His 7 goals helped Brazil to lift the trophy. Due to political pressure, Jairzinho spent the majority of his career in his native Brazil and is mostly associated with Botafogo where he scored 186 goals in 416 games for the club.

Centre-Midfield- Paul Brietner- Germany

Breitner was a key part of the Germany team which won the Euros and World Cup double between 1972 and 1974. He reached a second World Cup final in 1982 but was that time on the losing side against Italy, though in both of those World Cup finals he got his name on the scoresheet. Breitner boycotted the 1978 World Cup which was held in between them in protest against the brutal regime of the Argentine Junta, who were staging the tournament.

At club level he began his career at Bayern Munich starting out as a full-back before moving to Real Madrid and later transitioning into a midfield player. Breitner won 7 league titles and 1 European Cup across his very successful career.

Centre-Midfield- Johan Neeskens- Netherlands

Neeskens was spotted playing for Racing Club Heemstede by Rinus Michels who brought him to Ajax. After winning the European Cup in his first season as a right-back, Neeskens transitioned into a central midfield player where he thrived alongside Johan Cruyff, supporting the maestro with his tireless running, technical quality and an ability to pop up with goals. Neeskens won 2 more European Cups with Ajax before following Michels and Cruyff to Barcelona, where he established himself as a huge favourite with the fans.

With the national team, Neeskens reached 2 World Cup finals in as many tournaments, giving The Netherlands the lead from the spot in the 1974 final that they would go on to lose to West Germany, before meeting the same fate again in 1978, this time losing in extra-time against Argentina.

Left-Wing- Rivellino- Brazil

Rivelino's close ball control when dribbling and his skill with his left foot made him one of the players who most inspired Diego Maradona. As well as his dribbling, he was known for his long range passing and shooting, and ability from dead ball situations due to his bending free kicks. Rivelino is also credited with inventing the 'flip-flap' a skill move which is still used to this day and was kept alive by players such as Ronaldinho.

Rivelino was a key part of Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning team, widely considered the most talented team to ever lift the famous trophy. From the left side of midfield Rivelino notched 3 goals including an infamous bending free-kick against Czechoslovakia. At club level he was a star player for Corinthians and Fluminense, before he finished his career in Saudi Arabia.

Number 10 Position- Johan Cruyff- Netherlands

After breaking into the Ajax team as a teenager, Cruyff quickly became the star of the team and spearheaded them back to the top of Dutch football, which was transforming rapidly from a semi-professional approach to become the frontrunners of a new era of Football which would be known as 'Total Football'. In his first spell with Ajax, Cruyff netted 257 goals in 329 games, along with a huge number of assists and lifted the European Cup 3 times.

This earned him a move to FC Barcelona for a world record fee, where his contribution helped Barca to win La Liga for the first time in 14 years. After a spell in America, Cruyff returned to Ajax and won 2 more league titles, before the club decided not to renew his contract. A furious Cruyff joined the club's arch-rivals Feyenoord and in his last season as a player was a near ever-present for the club and helped them achieve a domestic double.

At international level Cruyff scored 33 goals in 48 caps for The Netherlands, and is best remembered for his performances in the 1974 World Cup where he won player of the tournament for his role in leading the Dutch to their first ever World Cup final.

Cruyff is considered one of the greatest players in football history and perhaps its most influential figure due to his huge understanding of the game as a player, which helped form a philosophy of ideas relating to Football which still impacts the game to this day and allowed Cruyff to have a hugely successful managerial career after retiring from playing.

Striker- Gerd Muller- Germany

Coming from the academy of 1861 Nordlingen, Muller quickly attracted the attention of Bayern Munich after scoring at an astonishing rate upon progressing into the first team. Bayern were in the division below the Bundesliga at the time, but Muller's goals quickly fired them up to the top division, where he would spend the next 14 years of his career and go on to become the top scorer in the division's history. With Bayern he won 4 Bundesliga's and was the divisions top scorer on 7 occasions, scoring a total of 365 goals in 427 games in the competition.

Muller also won the European Cup on 3 successive occasions between 1974 and 1976, and scored a total of 565 goals in 607 games for Bayern (which is over 200 more than the club's second highest scorer ever, Robert Lewandowski). With the national team Muller scored 68 goals in 62 appearances, winning the Euros and World Cup aswell as winning the Golden Boot in 1970 with 10 goals despite West Germany losing in the Semi-Final.

Nicknamed 'Der Bomber' Muller is one of the greatest goalscorers in football history, one of the most reliable and deadliest finishers ever from inside the penalty box, with a knack for always being in the right place. He was the recipient of the 1970 Balon D'or and aswell finished 2nd in 1972.

Subs:

Mario Kempes- Argentina

Mario Kempes could thrive as either a striker or attacking midfielder. When playing as striker, he liked to drop deep for the ball, so he could surge to the edge of the box and then let fly with a powerful shot. Kempes moved to Valencia from Rosario Central, and continued his prolific goalscoring in the Spanish league winning the Pichichi trophy for topscorer consecutively in 1977 and 1978. That summer he returned to Argentina for the World Cup they were hosting and won the Golden Boot with 6 goals including 3 braces.

The most important brace would come in the Final against The Netherlands, with Kempes twice giving Argentina the lead. The second goal came in Extra-Time to set the South Americans back on track for a 3-1 win. Aswell as the Golden Boot, Kempes also won the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, and later that year won the award for Best South American Footballer of the Year.

Kevin Keegan- England

"King Kev" began his career in the Fourth Division with Scunthorpe United, where he was picked up by Bill Shankly's Liverpool. In 6 season's with the club Keegan scored 100 goals in 321 games, won 3 league titles, 2 UEFA Cups and a European Cup. He then moved to Hamburg, where he won 2 Balon D'ors and lifted a Bundesliga title, aswell as reaching another European Cup final. Keegan's dribbling, finishing and aerial ability saw him establish himself as one of the finest players in the world.

Oleg Blokhin- Soviet Union

Blokhin operated as either a striker or winger, due to his outstanding scoring ability and his exceptional pace, with his background in sprinting as a youngster. Blokhin spent close to his entire career with Dynamo Kyiv where he scored 266 goals in 582 games, including a record 211 goals in 432 Soviet Top League games, during a time when it was one of the strongest league's in the world.

As well as winning 8 Top League titles, Blokhin won 2 Cup Winners Cup's with Kyiv, scoring in both finals over 10 years apart. For the Soviet Union, Blokhin appeared in 2 Olympic Games and 2 World Cups. He is the only player to have won over 100 caps for the Soviet Union, appearing 112 times for his country and netting a record 42 goals. He won the 1975 edition of the Balon D'or.

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liamhaydn-blog · 11 months ago

Text

Team of the Decade: Part 2- The 1960's

Goalkeeper- Lev Yashin- Soviet Union

Widely considered as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Yashin was a revolutionary player for the goalkeeping position. Known as the "Black Spider" for how his dark blue kit appeared on black and white television, Yashin's athleticism and eye-catching acrobatic style won him fans all over the world.

Yashin was one of the first keepers to be very vocal, organising his defenders and being part of the defence himself, unlike most goalkeepers of the time who seemed more separate from the rest of the team, mostly hanging back on the goalline and only involved in the action when forced into saves. Yashin was instead a proactive presence, coming off his line to intercept crosses and meet attackers 1 v 1. He was also the first keeper to regularly punch dangerous shots and crosses away, rather than always opting to try and catch them like other goalies of the time, and he would as well attempt to spring quick counter-attacks for his side by quickly throwing the ball out.

Yashin spent his entire club career with Dinamo Moscow and won 74 caps for the Soviet Union. With his nation, Yashin won an Olympic Gold in 1956 and the first edition of the European Championships in 1960. He won the European Goalkeeper of the Year Award on 9 occasions, including 6 times in the 1960's and in 1963 Yashin won the Balon D'or award. He remains the only goalkeeper to ever win the prize.

Right-Back- Tarcisio Burgnich- Italy

In the first 5 years of his career, Burgnich played for 3 clubs including Juventus where he won the Serie A title in his only season with them. In 1962 he moved from Palermo to Inter Milan where he would remain for the next 12 years. Burgnich could play any position across the backline excelling as either a full-back, centre-back or sweeper.

His imposing and tenacious style of play made him a perfect fit for the Catenaccio system deployed by Helenio Herrera which helped lead the "Grande Inter" team to Serie A dominance aswell as back-to-back European Cups in the mid-60's. Burgnich won 66 caps for Italy, appearing in the sides that won the 1968 Euros and reached the 1970 World Cup final.

Centre-Back- Karl-Heinz Schnellinger- Germany

Schnellinger featured in 4 World Cup's for Germany, reaching at least the semi's on 3 occasions and the final in 1966. After leaving FC Koln, he made his home in Italy where he spent 11 years of his career, the bulk of them coming with AC Milan where he won almost everything there is to win including the European Cup in 1969.

Schnellinger was an extremely versatile player who could be deployed either at left-back, centre-back, as a sweeper or even as a defensive midifielder. He was nicknamed "Volkswagen" for his quality, reliability and versatility.

Centre-Back- Bobby Moore- England

Bobby Moore spent his prime years with West Ham, where he is regarded as their finest ever Footballer. During his 16 years with the club he lifted the FA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup. Aged 23 he was made England captain and lifted the teams only major trophy to date in 1966 as England beat Germany 4-2 in the World Cup final.

The moment transformed Moore into a national icon and he always retained the status, always carrying himself with dignity on and off the pitch. Moore was a composed defender, different from the typical image of a centre-back as tough and rough tackling. He was more of a thinking man's defender, renowned for his ability to read the game, and his ability to time tackles making up for his lack of pace. One such tackle is perhaps the most famous in the history of the game, as Moore cleanly dispossessed Jairzinho of the ball during a 1970 World Cup match. Pele who also featured in that match referred to Moore as the greatest defender he ever faced, plaudits do not come much higher than that.

Left-Back- Giacinto Facchetti- Italy

Facchetti spent his entire career with Inter Milan, starring in the "Grande Inter" team, the club's golden era. He won 94 Italy caps and wore the captain's armband for 70 of them including at the 1968 Euros where he lifted the trophy.

Facchetti formed an excellent defensive partnership with Burgnich who played on the opposite side for both club and country. He is seen as one of the first great attacking full-backs and one of the best left-backs. He finished 2nd to only Eusebio for the 1965 Balon D'or.

Right-Wing- Garrincha- Brazil

Garrincha was born with his right leg 6 centimetres shorter than his left, with his left leg turning outwards and his right turning inwards. This led to one doctor certifying him as crippled. This did not stop Garrincha (meaning 'little bird' so named by his sister, due to him being much smaller as a child than kids his own age) from arriving as a professional footballer in his late teens with Botafogo.

Garrincha's displays won the attention of the Brazil national team who capped him for the first time in 1955. He was selected for the 1958 World Cup, however he was left out of the side for the opening two games, for showboating too extravagantly whilst scoring against Fiorentina in a pre-World Cup warm-up game. He won his place back for the next match and played alongside Pele for the first time, the two would never lose a match whilst playing together. Garrincha provided a couple of assists in the World Cup final during a 5-2 triumph over hosts Sweden and was selected in the team of the tournament.

In the years between the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, Garrincha did little other than drink alcohol and impregnate women, but on the pitch he remained unstoppable. His career would reach its highest point at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, with Pele out injured Garrincha put the team on his back, scoring a brace in the Quarters and semi-finals. After the first brace against England, British football press said he "was Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and a snake charmer all rolled into one." Brazil won the final 3-1 against Czechoslovakia and Garrincha was named player of the tournament.

Garrincha is considered one of the greatest dribblers in the history of football, his low centre of gravity and creativity allowed him to torment and terrorise full-backs. He was an entertainer at heart and it's said it was he who introduced the bullfighting "Ole!" chant to football grounds, as Garrincha went past his man again and again, making him look foolish in the process.

Centre-Midfield- Luis Suarez- Spain

Luis Suarez joined Barcelona from Deportivo La Coruna as a teenager and under Helenio Herrera emerged as a key player operating as a left inside forward. Suarez won 2 La Liga titles and was the 1960 Balon D'or recipient, becoming the first Spanish player to receive the award. After featuring in the 1961 European Cup final which Barcelona lost to Benfica, Suarez followed Herrera to Inter Milan becoming the most expensive player in the world in the process, with his fee coming to the equivalent of £152,000.

Shortly following the move, Herrera changed Suarez' position to that of a deep-lying playmaker and from there, the Spaniard quickly justified his fee. The role allowed him to demonstrate his passing range and vision and in 9 seasons with the club he won 3 Serie A titles and 2 European Cups. With the Spanish national side Suarez won the 1964 Euros on home soil.

Suarez is remembered as one of the greatest players Spain has ever produced with his nickname El Arquitecto (the architect) a fitting one given his elegant playing style.

Centre-Midfield- Bobby Charlton- England

Charlton was one of the original Busby Babes, 8 of whom tragically lost their life in the Munich Air Disaster after a European Cup Quarter-Final against Red Star Belgrade. Charlton was hospitalised for a week but was able to make a full recovery and returned to the team, helping United to reach an FA Cup final against the odds which they lost to Bolton. Exactly 10 years on from the disaster, Manchester United reached the European Cup final for the first time and Charlton scored twice as United beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley. Two years earlier Charlton had also won the World Cup on the same turf, after his two goals in the semi-final against Portugal put England into the final which they won against the Germans. That year Charlton was awarded the Balon D'or.

Charlton finished his career as the top goalscorer in both Manchester United and England history, with his records standing for several decades. Charlton was an offensive midfield player scoring many goals from distance due to the power and accuracy he possessed shooting off both feet.

Left-Wing- George Best- Northern Ireland

Aged 15 George Best was discovered by a Manchester United scout who told manager Matt Busby "I think i've found you a genius." In his first full season as a regular starter he helped United to win the First Division title and he catapulted to superstardom the following season after a brace away at the mighty Benfica in a 5-1 victory in the Quarter-Finals of the European Cup. His good looks and haircut saw him christened the "5th Beatle" by the Portuguese press.

A second title win saw Best and United return to the European Cup for the 67-68 season where Best helped United reach the final with a goal in the semi-final against Real Madrid. In the final Best was on the scoresheet again, scoring in extra-time to put his side back in front against Eusebio's Benfica team as United went on to win 4-1. Best won the Balon D'or award that year at just 22 years of age.

Despite continuing to perform at a very high level for the next few years, Best never hit such highs again as the United side he was in continued to decline with new signings failing to deliver as the Red Devils struggled to cope following the departure of Busby. Best's love of women and partying also began to take precedent over his football and in Best's final season with the club United were relegated.

Best spent much of the remainder of his career in the United States, showing mere flashes of his mercurial genius but his best days were over by his mid 20's. Many consider Best's downfall to be a tragic waste of talent, yet even if his peak years were too brief he still distinguished himself as one of the greatest players of all time, with his dribbling speed and ball control appearing decades ahead of his time despite the muddy pitches and knee high tackles he had to contend with.

Striker- Pele- Brazil

Pele spent his first 18 years as a professional including the entirety of the 1960's with Santos, where he won 2 Copa Libertadores titles and 2 Intercontinental Cups as well as a host of domestic trophies. He scored 643 goals in 659 official games for the club and plenty more in unofficial friendly matches as Santos toured the world and regularly faced Europe's best.

It was with the national team that Pele emerged as a superstar, bursting onto the scene as a 17-year old at the 1958 World Cup. Pele scored the only goal in a Quarter-Final win over Wales, a hattrick in the semis against France before scoring another two in the final as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in its history. 4 years later Brazil retained the trophy with Pele missing the entirety of the knockout rounds through injury. Injury again forced him out of the 1966 World Cup during the group stage, but at his final World Cup in 1970 Pele returned to the top of the game scoring 4 goals including one in the final against Italy helping Brazil to a 4-1 win.

Pele retired at New York Cosmos in 1977 as unanimously the greatest player in the history of the sport. As well as being one of the greatest goalscorers ever with his outstanding finishing ability with both feet and his head, Pele was also adept at creating opportunities for others with his creative passing ability. He also possessed excellent dribbling skills and trickery, all in all Pele was a complete forward.

Striker- Eusebio- Portugal

Eusebio began his career in Mozambique, the country of his birth playing for a feeder club of Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese side then tried to sign Eusebio themselves after he netted a scarcely believable 77 goals in 42 appearances in his native country. Eusebio instead opted to join their rivals Benfica, where he would spend the next 15 years and win 11 league titles aswell as the 1962 European Cup with the "Black Panther" scoring twice in the final to help his side to a 5-3 win against Real Madrid. For Benfica he netted 473 goals in 440 games, including 48 in the European Cup.

Eusebio debuted for Portugal in 1961 and made his first World Cup appearance 5 years later, where he was the tournament top scorer with 9 goals, which helped Portugal to finish 3rd. He particularly impressed the English crowd during a Quarter-Final against North Korea where he scored 4 goals. Eusebio was the 1965 Balon D'or winner and finished 2nd on another two occasions. He is considered one of the greatest goalscorers and footballers of all time.

Subs:

Gianni Rivera- Italy

Rivera made his Serie A debut as a 15-year old for Alessandria. Shortly after he became the 2nd youngest scorer in Serie A history and after just 1 full season was snapped up by giants AC Milan, where he would spend the rest of his career. With the Rossoneri, Rivera won 3 Serie A titles and 2 European Cups. With the Italian National Side Rivera appeared in 4 World Cups reaching the final in 1970 and also received a winners medal at the 1968 Euros.

Nicknamed the "Golden Boy", Rivera was a creative playmaker who had efficiency and elegance in equal measure. He could play anywhere across the forward line but particularly excelled in the classic number 10 position. His performances over his career have led to him being regarded as one of the best playmakers ever and one of the greatest footballers Italy has ever produced. His dribbling technique was exceptional due to his quick feet, acceleration, agility and balance and this combined with his vision and passing range allowed him to tott up a considerable amount of assists alongside scoring an impressive 164 goals for AC Milan. Rivera was the 1969 Balon D'or winner and aswell finished 2nd in 1963.

Dragan Džajić- Yugoslavia

Dzajic began his career at left-back but would develop into the one of the best left-wingers in history, due to his dribbling capabilities and a left-foot which regularly scored and assisted. Dzajic spent most of his career in his native Yugoslavia playing for Red Star Belgrade where he won 5 league titles. He would move to Bastia for a couple of seasons before retiring back at Red Star.

With the national team he won 85 caps scoring 23 goals, and was the top goalscorer at the 1968 Euros where Yugoslavia lost to Italy in a Final replay. In the semi-final he lobbed Gordon Banks to progress his team into the final, but after a 1-1 draw that couldn't be decided in extra-time the teams met again 2 days later with Italy this time coming out on top 2-0. That year Dzajic finished 3rd for the Balon D'or. His crossing, dribbling and free-kick taking ability made him an ideal winger, and he is regarded as one of the best players to come out of Yugoslavia.

Uwe Seeler- Germany

Seeler spent 19 years with Hamburg where he won 1 league title and 1 German Cup, aswell as reaching the Cup Winners Cup final where his team missed out to AC Milan. With over 400 league goals and almost 500 in all competitions, he is considered by a considerable distance the best player in the history of the club and one of the greatest strikers Germany has ever produced.

Seeler was also a formidable goalscorer for Germany, appearing in 4 World Cups and until fellow German Miroslav Klose in 2014, he was the only player to score atleast two goals in 4 different World Cups, netting in the 1958,1962,1966 & 1970 editions of the tournament. Seeler is the second highest goalscorer in the history of German Football, second only to Gerd Muller.

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liamhaydn-blog · 11 months ago

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Team of the Decade: Part 1- The 1950's

Goalkeeper- Vladimir Beara- Yugoslavia

Known as "the ballet dancer with the hands of steel" due to his elegant yet efficient goalkeeping style, Vladimir Beara kept goal for Hajduk Split where he won the Yugoslav First League 3 times in the first half of the '50s before moving to Red Star Belgrade adding another 4 league titles.

He won 59 Yugoslavia caps, all of them coming in the 1950's during which time he represented his nation at the 1952 Summer Olympics (winning the Silver Medal after defeat in the final against The Golden Team of Hungary) as well as in 3 World Cups, reaching the Quarters in 1954 and 1958 falling to West Germany on both occasions.

Beara had an unusual training technique, practicing all his catching with a ball as small as a baseball, "after that it was very easy for me to catch a football". Beara's eyecatching style which relied on alot of athleticism and self-confidence saw him routinely make brave decisions such as always trying and often succeeding in catching shots, and coming off his line when many keepers of the time still preferred to wait on the goal line. His brave and commanding style no doubt had an effect on Lev Yashin, who once said "I'm not the best goalkeeper in the world, it is Vladimir Beara."

Right-Back- Djalma Santos- Brazil

Djalma Santos began as a midfielder before moving back into defence where his stamina, marking and tackling saw him earn the nickname "the wall" playing at right-back. As well as being defensively solid, Santos' technique and composure with the ball at his feet saw him use his dribbling skills to carry the ball out of defence even in risky situations whilst being pressured inside his own penalty area.

Santos was one of the pioneers of the modern defender we are all so familiar with today, being one of the first who on top of his defensive duties would get forward and offer an overlap down the flank. Djalma was a capable set-piece taker excelling with penalties, free-kicks and long throws and in a rough era, was also an incredibly fair player never receiving a red card. His dedication to fitness and training saw him feature in 4 World Cups for Brazil, with 2 coming in the 1950's and 2 in the '60s. He made the World Cup All Star XI in his first 3 World Cup tournaments before appearing in his last World Cup aged 37. Santos lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1958 and 1962.

Centre-Back- John Charles- Wales

Welshman John Charles began his career at Leeds United where he excelled in two positions, both centre-half and centre-forward. Charles' powerful and accurate shot off either foot, aswell as his height and strength made him a lethal scorer of goals as he remains to this day the 2nd highest scorer in Leeds history.

In 1957 he moved to Juventus where he established himself as one of the most versatile players in the world, aswell as earning the nickname "Il Gigante Buono" (The Gentle Giant) for his fair and proper behaviour on the pitch. Charles won 3 Serie A titles and 2 Coppa Italia's with Juventus and remains one of Britain's most successful foreign exports.

Charles represented his country 38 times including at the 1958 World Cup where Wales reached the Quarter-Finals, falling to Pele's Brazil. Charles was out injured for the match however with manager Jimmy Murphy arguing "with Charles in the side we might have won." Sir Bobby Robson considered Charles one of the greatest footballers ever due to him being the only great who was world class in two completely different positions. Jack Charlton called him "the most effective player I ever saw, the one that made the most difference to the performance of the whole team."

Centre-Back- Jose Santamaría- Uruguay

José Santamaría began his career in his native Uruguay with Nacional where he won the Primera Division 5 times in the 50's. He then moved to Real Madrid in 1957 where he finished the decade with a La Liga title and 3 successive European Cups. He would go on to win 5 more La Liga's and another European Cup in the 1960's before retiring in 1966.

Santamaría appeared in 2 World Cup's, 1 for Uruguay in 1958 where he made the team of the tournament as the defending Champions finished 4th and in 1962 he appeared for Spain which became his adopted nation following his move to Real Madrid.

Left-Back- Nilton Santos- Brazil

Nilton Santos spent his entire career with Botafogo but is best remembered for what he did in a national team shirt with Brazil. Playing as a left wing-back, like his namesake on the opposite side Santos was one of the first full-backs who did more than just defend, bombing forward whenever possible. Santos was called up for the 1950 World Cup but didn't feature. However from the 1954 World Cup onwards he was ever present for Brazil up to the 1962 Finals in Chile.

In 1958, on the way to winning Brazil's first World Cup in Sweden, Nilton scored a memorable goal where he carried the ball the full length of the field on his way to finishing against Austria. Known as "the Encyclopedia" due to his knowledge of football, Santos was a defender who excelled in both his defensive and offensive duties and won his 2nd World Cup in 1962.

Right Wing- Stanley Matthews- England

Stanley Matthews was the first recipient of the Balon D'or award back in 1956 narrowly beating Alfredo Di Stefano to the prize. He did so whilst representing Blackpool, the club he joined from Stoke City in 1947 already aged 32, having lost his football career from the age of 24 to 30, due to World War 2.

Matthews dreamed of lifting the FA Cup after losing 2 finals with the Seasiders. His 3rd chance came in 1953 with Matthews 37 years old. Despite Mortensen scoring a hat-trick, the final was to be known as the "Matthews' final" as in one of the best FA Cup Final's ever, Blackpool came back from 3-1 down with just over 20 minutes remaining to win 4-3 as Matthews produced the game of his life when it was most required.

Matthews was far ahead of his time in how he looked after his body, never smoking and only drinking alcohol once, champagne out of the FA Cup trophy in 1953. His dedication to his health and fitness allowed him to go on playing First Division football long into his 40's, with his final appearance coming just after his 50th Birthday.

Beckenbauer said of Matthews that his speed and skill meant that "almost noone in the game could stop him".

Centre-Midfield- Jozsef Bozsik- Hungary

Boszik spent his entire career with his hometown club Budapest Honved where he won 5 league titles in the '50s. The club's stadium is known as the "Boszik Arena" in tribute to their legend.

He was a key part of the "Mighty Magyars" the Great Hungary National side which won the 1952 Olympics and reached the World Cup final 2 years later, aswell as recording those famous victories over England, 6-3 at Wembley and then 7-1 in Budapest.

Boszik lacked pace but his technique with his passing and creative flair, aswell as his tactical nous made up for it and allowed him to flourish as a deep lying playmaker, operating then at what was known as a "half-back". With 101 caps for his country, Bozsik held the record for most appearances for Hungary up until 2016.

Centre-Midfield- Didi- Brazil

Didi nearly had his right leg amputated aged 14 due to a severe infection to his injured knee. Thankfully he was able to recover and joined Fluminense in 1949. He made his debut for Brazil in 1952 and 6 years later was player of the tournament in Seleção's 1st World Cup triumph scoring in the 5-2 semi-final win over France, before Brazil beat hosts Sweden by the same score in the final.

Following the World Cup, Didi joined Real Madrid from Botafogo, but only spent 1 season in Europe due to clashing with Di Stefano. However he was still able to become the first Brazilian to win both the World Cup and the European Cup. 2 years later he was able to lift his second World Cup with Brazil, starring in the 3-1 final win over Czechoslovakia.

Didi was an elegant, technical player known for a great range of passing and his ability from free-kicks, with his technique of making the ball swerve later being used by players such as Juninho Pernambucano, regarded as the best free-kick taker of all time.

Left-Wing- Paco Gento- Spain

A flu virus in the Racing Santander squad saw Paco Gento promoted from the reserves to face Real Madrid. Immediately won over by his immense potential, Los Blancos signed him just 3 days later.

Gento spent the rest of his career with Madrid, winning the European Cup six times, a record he held outright until this summer when Nacho, Carvajal and Luka Modric equalled his record, also with Real Madrid. Gento also holds the joint record of appearing in 8 European Cup finals and aswell won a record 12 La Liga titles.

Gento scored 31 in 88 European Cup games for Los Merengues, and aswell scored 128 league goals in 428 La Liga appearances. Nicknamed "The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea" due to his rapid speed down the left-wing, as well as an excellent goal return from his position as an "outside left", Gento also set up countless goals for both Di Stefano and Puskas. Gento won 43 Spain caps and is regarded as one of the greatest Spanish players of all time.

Second Striker- Alfredo Di Stefano- Argentina

After beginning his career with River Plate, Di Stefano joined Real Madrid from Colombian side Millonarios in 1953. He then embarked on a period of domination with Los Blancos helping them to win the first 5 European Cups successively. Remarkably Di Stefano scored in all 5 finals, including a hat-trick in the 1960 final, a 7-3 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt infront of 135,000 fans at Hamden Park. Di Stefano also won 8 La Liga's in his 11 years with Real.

With 308 goals in 396 games, Di Stefano was Real Madrid's all time leading scorer until his record was overtaken by Raul. Di Stefano is considered one of the greatest players ever, whose prolific goalscoring and immense dribbling ability combined with his creativity and vision meant he could thrive almost anywhere on the pitch.

Striker- Ferenc Puskas- Hungary

Puskas scored a remarkable 358 goals in 350 league games with Honved Budapest. In 1956 following a World Tour with Honved, Puskas opted not to return to Communist Hungary, receiving a 2-year Football ban from UEFA for refusing to return to Budapest. When his ban was up, Puskas attempted to sign for an Italian Club, but concerns over his age (31) and his overweight physique, they all passed up the chance to sign him.

During 8 seasons with Madrid Puskas netted 156 league goals, winning the Pichichi 4 times on the way to helping Los Blancos win La Liga 5 times. In the European Cup he scored 35 goals in 39 games, lifting the trophy 3 times with Real. In total Puskas scored 242 goals in 262 games for Real Madrid, an amazing return for a player many considered past his prime when he joined Madrid in his 30's.

Before defecting from Communist Hungary, Puskas appeared 85 times for the national side scoring a staggering 84 goals, including 1 in the 8-3 rout of Germany at the 1954 World Cup and aswell the opener in the "Miracle of Bern" the final which Hungary surprisingly lost against the same opponent despite Puskas giving them an early lead. Puskas had one of the most fearsome shots in Football history, easily generating incredible power which often made his shots virtually unsaveable from close range, with the Hungarian also capable of scoring regularly from distance.

Subs:

Juan Alberto Schiaffino- Uruguay

Schiaffino was a skilful and creative playmaker who could play as a forward as well as an attacking midfielder. The Uruguayan joined AC Milan in 1954 from Penarol for a then world record fee of 52 Million Lire and won 3 Serie A titles in the 1950's. Schiaffino scored in the 1950 World Cup Final as Uruguay beat Brazil in the game known as the "Maracanazo".

Schiaffino began as an inside forward or second striker, but later in his career also excelled as a deep lying playmaker, due to his creative passing and ability to dictate tempo due to his excellent reading of the game, which also helped him to thrive as a leader, organising his teammates. His team ethic meant he was a capable player also when defending, with a willingness to track back and defensive qualities which allowed him to transition into a sweeper by the time he finished his career with AS Roma.

Raymond Kopa- France

Kopa came to prominence with Reims where he won 2 Ligue 1 titles and reached the 1956 European Cup final. After defeat to Real Madrid, the Spanish Giants then signed Kopa and he would win the next 3 European Cups with Los Blancos aswell as two league titles before he returned to his beloved Reims after 3 seasons. Kopa scored 18 in 45 France caps, including 3 at the 1958 World Cup in the same year he received the Balon D'or award.

Kopa was a quick and agile forward known for his dribbling, playmaking and goalscoring and following his passing in 2017 France Football named the Kopa Trophy in his honour, an award going to the best young player of the year.

Laszlo Kubala- Hungary

The Hungarian born Kubala fled the Soviet Union occupied country of his birth and was eventually granted Spanish citizenship by General Franco who used this opportunity as a propaganda play to bolster his regime's legitimacy. After being spotted playing for a team made up of refugees who had fled Eastern Europe, both Real Madrid and Barcelona were interested in signing Kubala, and he opted to join the latter.

After serving out a one-year ban from FIFA for leaving Hungary without permission and without carrying out military service, Kubala quickly made up for lost time scoring 7 goals against Sporting Gijon, which remains a La Liga record for the most goals in a single match. In 10 seasons with Barca, Kubala won 5 La Liga titles, and in 1961 was part of a Barcelona team which became the first club to knock Real Madrid out of the European Cup, on the way to the final which they would lose 3-2 against Benfica. Kubala scored 144 goals in 207 games for the Blaugrana and is considered one of the greatest players in the club's history.

#football #soccer #puskas #distefano

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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The Madness of Manchester City

The Treble

On Saturday the 10th of June Manchester City became just the second English team ever to achieve the treble. Though for all intents and purposes, the treble was secured weeks before when Real Madrid was beaten 4-0 at the Etihad, the only team left in their path with the tournament pedigree to believe they could beat City, without requiring the miracle Manchester United and Inter Milan would have needed. From that point onwards it always felt like a mere formality. There was an inevitability in the way in which the Manchester City machine motored towards the treble. This was after all the third successive season in which City won the Premier League and reached the Semi-Finals of both the FA Cup and the Champions League. The treble has been within touching distance for quite some time.

And that as much as anything else is perhaps what differentiates this version of the Treble from Manchester United’s of 24 years ago. United went into the 98/99 season trying to wrestle the title back from Double winners Arsenal who were looking to form a dynasty of their own. In Europe, United had been knocked out of the previous year’s Champions League at the Quarter-Final stage by AS Monaco, which represented a backwards step from reaching their first Champions League Semi-Final under Ferguson in 1997.

Both United and City suffered indifferent form by their own differing standards on route to the treble. United won just 9 of their first 19 league games in the first half of the season, drawing 7 and losing 3. In December they won 1 of 8 matches across all competitions, going 6 without a win and winning just 1 of their 6 league games. This had United in 4th place at the end of 1998. Manchester City were also considered to be playing well below their best level, yet they still never dropped points in consecutive league games even once, their worst run of form coming either side of the winter World Cup, when they won 2 of 5 league games, losing 2 of them which represented a crisis for them. Despite Arsenal posting their highest ever points total at the halfway stage of a season with 50, an underperforming City were still only 5 points behind them, with 2 meetings between the sides still to come.

With 8 games to go in 98/99, United led Arsenal by 4 points, however in those last 8 games Ferguson’s side were only able to win 4 of them, none of them back to back. This made for an incredibly tight race which went right to the wire, with momentum swinging back and forth on an almost game-by-game basis. A 1-0 win away at Middlesbrough for United meant that with just 2 games to go they and Arsenal were dead level on not just points, but goal difference as well. United topped the table for having scored more goals, but it was Arsenal who had the superior form having won their last 5, scoring 16 in the process and letting in only 3.

It was a victory for another United, Leeds over Arsenal which was the key result in the run-in, swinging the momentum back in United’s favour and though it wobbled still with United only managing a draw at Blackburn and then falling a goal behind at home to Spurs on the final day, it remained in United’s hands and they got the job done. A 2-1 win over Spurs secured the first part of the treble, they had bettered Arsenal by a solitary point and as well bettered them on goal difference by a single goal. Incredibly Arsenal conceded just 17 goals all season and managed the exact same total of points as the previous season with 78. Last season it had won them the title by a point and this time they had missed out by a point, the margins could not have been any tighter.

At the beginning of April, City trailed Arsenal by 8 points with 11 games to play, one of them a game in hand. Before City had even notched their 12th successive win of a run that had begun at the back end of February, they had already been declared Champions for the third successive season. The title decider between City and Arsenal proved an epic mis-match, the meeting between the league’s two best teams resulting in a 4-1 win for City, the same margin by which they had earlier that month already beaten the league’s worst side Southampton and aswell City’s toughest and only challengers of the previous 5 years, Liverpool. By this stage City’s superiority over the rest was such that the opponent just did not seem to matter, they were dispatched in exactly the same manner.

In winning the FA Cup, City did not concede a single goal from open play, a Fernandes penalty in the final proving the only blotch on their copybook. They themselves managed 19 goals across 7 games, reaching the final by scoring 17 and conceding 0. Arsenal were the only side to not concede 3 on City’s route to the final, as they hit Chelsea for 4 and Burnley for 6 in the Quarter-Finals. That United didn’t suffer defeat of a similar margin after falling 1-0 down just 13 seconds into the final (the fastest final goal in FA Cup history) was something of a shock.

In comparison United of ‘99 were minutes away from exiting the FA Cup at the 4th round stage at home to Liverpool. They had trailed for 85 minutes when with 2 minutes of normal time remaining Yorke equalised. Then deep in stoppage time, United avoided a replay back at Anfield courtesy of a winner from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They could not avoid the cup replay in the Quarter-Final against Chelsea, needing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge to advance after a scoreless draw at Old Trafford. In the semi-finals against Arsenal, 120 minutes could not separate the sides, so they met back at Villa Park to do it all again 3 days later. Again the game went to Extra-Time, though only after Schmeichel had repelled a Bergkamp penalty which had been awarded late on, but the odds remained against United. They were down to 10 men, without their captain Roy Keane who had been dismissed and were against a team they had failed to beat in their last 6 attempts, 4 of which had taken place that season.

Then of course Ryan Giggs stepped up and scored the greatest goal of his career at the best possible time to put United into a final they won 2-0 against Newcastle to secure the double. The margins again had been so tight, Bergkamp scoring a penalty and the knock-on effect of Arsenal progressing to the FA Cup final may well have seen them go on to win back-to-back Doubles. As it was, the Double was this time United’s, yet they still wanted more.

Such has been City’s recent results at the Round of 16 stage of the Champions League, a 1-1 1st leg draw away at RB Leipzig represented a novel occurrence. A round of 16 tie involving City which was still alive after the first leg. However City returned to their usual selves in the 2nd leg, winning 7-0 with Haaland grabbing 5. There was another 1-1 draw away in Germany in the Quarter-Finals, though this time coming after City had already effectively killed the tie against Bayern Munich with a 3-0 home win.

Their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid was nicely balanced after a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu but in the second leg City produced a vintage Guardiola team performance, winning 4-0. It wasn’t just the scoreline, but every single statistic which outlined City’s surreal dominance over the defending Champions and a team which featured multiple players who had won the Champions League 5 times. By half time City had mustered 13 attempts to Real Madrid’s 1 and 196 touches in the final third compared to 10 for Real. It took twenty four minutes for Real Madrid to complete a pass in City’s half, a pass which came immediately after City had opened the scoring. City then immediately won the ball back. In the final City met Inter, a club who had spent less money in the last 5 years than Brighton & Hove Albion. The 3-time European Champions were amongst the biggest final underdogs there has ever been in the competition but they fared well, surprising many by only losing by a single goal.

Back in 1999, it was again Inter who stood in the way of a Manchester club in the Champions League, then at the Quarter-Final stage. A 2-0 home win gave United a good platform to build on for the 2nd leg, but they had needed a miraculous save from Schmeichel and an inspired goalline clearance from Henning Berg to deny Inter a precious away goal. In the San Siro, United fell behind in the 63rd minute and were not safely through until the 88th minute when Scholes’ away goal made sure of their progression. In the Semi-Final, United met Juventus, who were looking to reach their 4th successive Champions League final. United needed a 90th minute goal from Giggs to get a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, but in the first 11 minutes in Turin Juventus appeared to wipe away that goal’s importance by going into a 2-0 lead. United looked momentarily dead and buried against a team who made Champions League finals for fun, whilst United were attempting to reach their first in 31 years.

Goals from Keane and Yorke gave United the edge on the away goals rule before Andy Cole made their progression certain in the 84th minute. For the final though they would be without their two first choice centre midfielders, Keane and Scholes both ruled out due to suspension. United’s makeshift midfield saw Beckham move centrally to play alongside Nicky Butt, while Jesper Blomqvist came in on the right. United faced Bayern Munich who were on course for their own treble. The two sides had already met in the Champions League that season in the Group Stage and there was more deja vu for both as they also returned to the Nou Camp, home of FC Barcelona, who had also been in the “Group of Death”. Both of the sides earlier meetings had resulted in draws, but it was Bayern who struck first in the final leading after just 6 minutes.

The Germans were the better side for much of the contest, with the usually deadly combination of Yorke and Cole failing to trouble Kahn very often. It had been a difficult season for Sheringham, he’d scored just 4 goals all season but one had come the previous weekend in the FA Cup final and he got another cup final goal here to equalise for United in the 90th minute after Bayern had failed to clear a Beckham corner. Sheringham was not done yet and he got on the end of another Beckham corner almost immediately, flicking the ball on for Solskjaer to plant in the roof of the net in the dying moments of injury time.

To achieve the treble Manchester United went unbeaten for the last 33 matches of the season, they won 23 and drew 10 including 2 FA Cup games in which they required replays to progress.13 of their 23 victories came by one-goal margin and aswell they trailed in 11 games, being behind for a total of 396 minutes, not including additional time. In City’s last 28 games of the season, they lost just once, on the final day of the league season away at Brentford with the title secured and 2 cup finals looming ahead. City won 22 of their last 28, and just 6 by a one-goal margin, including both finals. Guardiola’s team trailed in just 3 of those 28 games, including the one they lost. Not including additional time, City were behind for just 46 minutes across the final 28 games of their season.

For Manchester City fans, it had been a fairytale season. In fact, if they could write the script themselves they would have come up with something like this. City trailing leaders Arsenal for nearly the whole season, but City’s never say die attitude and relentless pressure forcing the Gunners to fold and in the end finish a distant 2nd best to the Champions who made it 3 in a row. An FA Cup final victory over Manchester United, giving their hated rivals the chance to deny them a treble and then taking that chance away by beating their much inferior opponents, then finally conquering Europe by beating the giants of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. You’d be within your rights to ask what can top/match this for City? Why doing it all again next season, and that will be the target of the manager and owners, who will firmly believe in their capability to do it.

Domination

In the first part of their treble, Manchester City became just the third English club since the Second World War to win 3 league titles on the spin, with Liverpool doing it between 81/82 and 83/84 and United doing it twice under Ferguson, first between 98/99 and 00/01, and then again between 06/07 and 08/09. They also became just the third team in this country to win 5 league titles in 6 years after Liverpool did it between 78/79 and 83/84 and United did it between 95/96 and 00/01.

Liverpool dominated the 70′s and 80′s, aswell as winning 3 in a row they also won back-to-back titles on two other occasions. Between 1975 and 1990, they never went longer than a single season without winning the title back. However despite Liverpool’s long period of dominance, it was still possible in this period for Nottingham Forest to win the title in their first season after promotion from the Second Division, Aston Villa to win their first league title for 71 years using just 14 players as Liverpool finished 5th, Everton to be crowned champions twice in 3 years and Arsenal to win the title at Anfield on the last day of the season by the two-goal margin they required to snatch the Division One trophy from Liverpool.

Shortly after Liverpool’s reign ended, the Premier League began as did Manchester United’s era of dominance under Alex Ferguson. In 21 Premier League seasons under Ferguson, United won 13 league titles becoming the only English club to win the league title 3 years in a row on 2 separate occasions. There was however still room for Arsenal to win 3 league titles in 6 years, 2 as part of a double and the other with an unbeaten league campaign. Chelsea also won 3 and Blackburn and Manchester City won maiden Premier League titles. The closest an English team has ever come to winning 4 in a row came in 2010, when United’s title race against Chelsea went to the final weekend of the season.

City will next season have the chance to do what those great Liverpool and United sides were never able to do by winning the title 6 times in 7 years for their 4th league title in a row. In fact since English Football’s first top-flight campaign was won by Preston North End 134 years ago, no English team has ever won the league 4 years in a row. It is the longest run of any major top-flight European league and this record has played a big part in establishing the English top division as historically the most competitive anywhere in Europe.

With its “Big 6″ the English league has been well positioned to avoid becoming the kind of “one-team league” which is so looked down upon. As well as the massive, historic institutions of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal who have won over 50 league titles combined, there’s Chelsea who have won 5 league titles aswell as 2 Champions League’s this century and the Premier League also had the shock story of 5,000/1 underdogs Leicester City becoming champions in 2016. There is something fitting about Leicester doing that the season before Pep arrived in England, as since then the Premier League’s position as the most competitive, winnable league has become illusory.

United have not finished above Manchester City since winning the league in Ferguson’s final season 10 years ago. Arsenal have finished above City just once in the last 13 seasons, that being the season before Pep took the job. Liverpool have been Pep’s main rival since he arrived in England, yet even they have finished above City just once in 14 seasons, the year they won the league. Since winning the title in 2017 and finishing 15 points above Pep’s City, Chelsea have finished at least 15 points behind City every season since, this past season the gap was 45 points. Spurs finished above City in back-to-back seasons in 15/16 and 16/17, every season since then they have finished over 20 points behind.

Gary Neville, whose Salford City team quickly rose 4 divisions thanks to heavy investment, has been a regular critic of the FFP model, bemoaning that it does not give smaller clubs the chance to compete against the historically big clubs. He argues that FFP makes football “a closed shop”, whereas heavy outside investment means we get a more competitive game where other teams can win. This argument is damaged by the fact that not only can City win now that they have been the benefactor of significant investment, but we have reached the stage where virtually *only* they can win, if you look at how far ahead they are of all their domestic rivals.

Points amassed since the start of the 17/18 Premier League season:

1. Manchester City 547 2. Liverpool 499 3. Manchester United 420 4. Arsenal 403 5. Tottenham 400 6. Chelsea 393

In the last 2 seasons alone, 7 different clubs have finished in the top 4 in the Premier League. Meanwhile Manchester City have finished in the top 4 for each of the last 13 seasons, coming in the top 3 in all but one of them. In 10 of the last 12 seasons, they have finished either 1st or 2nd. As worry of Manchester City’s dominance has grown in recent months, on the final edition of Monday Night Football of the season, Neville took to assuring us that City’s dominance is nothing new for English Football, pointing out that we have seen similar dominance from Liverpool in the 70′s and 80′s and Manchester United in the 90′s and 00′s. He pointed out that City have won 7 league titles in the last 12 years, whilst in the same timeframe Liverpool (between 72-73 & 83-84) and United(between 92-93 & 03-04) each won 8.

However City’s dominance in England goes beyond just the domestic league, it of course stretches to the two domestic cup competitions. This was not mentioned by Neville. In 12 seasons between 1972 and 1984 Liverpool won 13 major domestic trophies (8 leagues, 4 league cups & 1 FA Cup), so 13 out of the 36 available over 12 seasons. In 12 seasons between 1992 and 2004 United won 12 major domestic trophies (8 leagues, 4 FA Cups), 12 out of 36 available. City in 12 seasons between 2011 and 2023 have won 15 major domestic trophies (7 leagues, 6 league cups and 2 FA Cups), 15 out of 36 available. However that includes a 5-year stretch which takes in the Pellegrini era and the first and last seasons of Guardiola and Mancini’s reigns, in which time City only won 1 league title. In the last 6 seasons alone, City have won 11 major domestic trophies (5 leagues, 2 FA Cups and 4 league cups) so 11 of the last 18 available. Meaning that in 6 years, half the time of the Ferguson period Sky Sports used to show this domination is nothing new, City have won just 1 less major domestic trophy.

City will be overwhelming favourites to make it 4 Premier League’s in a row, and we have seen recently the damage one-team domination has done to other leagues. In Germany, Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga for 11 successive seasons. Even this year when Bayern sacked a manager mid-season, a dressing room fight between two star players made headline news and Bayern’s CEO and Sporting Director were both sacked in the immediate aftermath of the season’s conclusion, Bayern still won the league. Juventus’ stranglehold over Serie A lasted 9 seasons in which the league rapidly lost relevance as it became a foregone conclusion. The last 3 seasons has seen 3 different winners, none of them Juventus and it has done wonders for the leagues popularity, with the joyous scenes of Napoli fans celebrating their first Scudetto since 1990 viewed all over the world.

PSG have reached just 2 Champions League Quarter-Finals in the last 7 years, but they have won their domestic league in 9 of the last 11 seasons, which has led it to be spoken of derisively as a “Farmers league”. But since Pep’s arrival in England for the 16/17 there’s been exactly the same number of Premier League winners as there has Ligue 1. City and PSG have won 5 each, whereas Liverpool and Chelsea have been able to nick one each, as have AS Monaco and Lille in France. City have won 5 of the last 6 Premier League title’s and their era of dominance looks far from over.

After going top of the league with a win away at Arsenal, City then dropped points away at Nottingham Forest which allowed Arsenal to regain top spot. City had wasted many opportunities to run out of sight as we have become accustomed to seeing, and this surprising slip-up strengthened some people’s belief that this was not the usual City, there was something wrong. In fact a lot of the media attributed Arsenal being top of the league to the fact City were misfiring. After the Forest game, the players talked and decided that enough was enough. It was time to as they themselves put it “stop messing around.” Just for there to be a title race in England, City were required to not hit top gear for the first 24 games. In the end them just being at their best for 11 successive games was enough, as they amassed maximum points in them to win the league with 3 games to spare.

Arsenal led the table for 93% of the season, 247 days, but they didn’t last long once City hit top gear. One draw at Anfield from 2-0 up was enough to dislodge Arsenal’s confidence as they felt Manchester City gathering speed and unstoppable momentum behind them. City just did what they always do, put together a winning streak which noone can match, in the past it’s been as many as 18, this time 12 was enough as City could let their last 2 games go. The story of this season has of course been Erling Haaland, a player who more than any other before him epitomises the machine of Manchester City, he has even been nicknamed a “Robot” by fans of rival clubs, a name that is part derogatory and part begrudging respect for the prolific 22-year olds goalscoring exploits which saw him break the record for most Premier League goals in a 38-game league season with 7 matches to spare.

Why City will continue to Dominate

There are countless reasons why City’s domination will continue. One is their squad depth. Squad depth is what ultimately wins league titles over a long, hard season and nowhere is that more evident than with Manchester City. City’s squad depth makes for seamless rotation which ensures fatigue is avoided in the final months of the season where trophies are won. City had just 1 player (Rodri) in the Premier League’s top 100 for most minutes played by an outfield player. In comparison, Arsenal had 7, which goes some way to explaining why in the end they had nothing left, they were physically and emotionally shattered. Meanwhile City were peaking. Whilst other teams suffered at the end of a gruelling season, City’s ability to rest players throughout the season due to their incredible strength in depth meant that their players still appeared fresh and therefore less susceptible to pick up injuries which increase in likelihood when players are fatigued.

Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden are two young English talents, both of similar exceptional quality. For Arsenal, Saka started all but one league game, appearing in all of them for a total of 3,194 minutes. Foden in comparison only started around half of City’s league games and played a total of 1,842 league minutes. City’s strength in depth is such that Foden was more often than not an option of the bench, whereas Saka was so essential to Arsenal that when his goals and assists dried up at the end of the season, Arteta felt he could not rest him even when out of form, such is his superiority to Arsenal’s bench players.

Last summer Kalvin Phillips was signed for £42M from Leeds United. He was a regular starter for the England national team, starting in the Euros final in 2021, a year in which he was later voted England player of the year. He made his first Premier League start for City in their 36th league fixture, after the title had already been wrapped up. Fellow new recruit Julian Alvarez scored 4 goals in 5 starts in the mid-season World Cup his country won, with 2 of his goals coming in the semi-final. Before the Premier League was secured, he started just 11 league games. It is not controversial to say City’s squad depth is on another level entirely to the rest.

Another reason City will continue to dominate is of course, their manager Pep Guardiola. In his career thus far he has managed 11 38-game league seasons, and has reached the 90 point mark 6 times. This season he reached 88 with 2 games to spare, and had City been pushed by Arsenal to need to reach 90, they most certainly would have done, which would have meant a 7th 90 point season. Bundesliga seasons are shorter at 34-games long, but despite this Pep added another 90 point season there for a total of 7 90 point or above seasons in his career so far. This has helped Guardiola to achieve 11 league titles thus far in 14 years. That is by far the most of any manager in that time, in fact it as many as the 2nd and 3rd most successful managers Max Allegri and Antonio Conte have combined (Allegri 6 and Conte 5).

Guardiola has ruthless, unmatchable standards. He refuses to allow complacency and accept bad results. After a game in which his side won 4-2 from 0-2 down at home to Tottenham, Guardiola hammered his players to the media, claiming the fire had gone and that he saw that old fire now in Arsenal’s team, whilst his had become what he termed “happy flowers”. Laporte, Walker, Mahrez and Foden have been huge players for City over the years and all of them have done very little wrong in that time. But this season they have been confined to the bench for much of it, as Guardiola holds zero sentimentality about what has gone before, he cares only about the next result, getting the next win. Pep’s ruthlessness stands in contrast to for example Jurgen Klopp who has been sentimental with players he’s had success with and allowed them to stay too long without replacements, which has led to a sharp downturn in the teams results this season.

Another reason City will continue to win is their ownership model, which runs at a level of efficiency on a different level to any in history. In the past there was similarities and comparisons to be made with the ownership of PSG, in that they are both state owned clubs, but in recent years they have taken two very different paths. They were once comparable, but now City care only for winning and dominating the competition, whereas PSG have gone down the path of attempting to grow their brand, which has been successful but has come at a cost of going backwards on the pitch.

City’s squad building is the best ever, they solve problems before they even materialise before our eyes, the opposite of Liverpool whose midfield problem sprung up on them suddenly due to neglect. Even when City appear to have got a rare signing wrong, they work out eventually. For the majority of his first 2 seasons with the club, Nathan Ake was either on the bench or out injured after his £41M move to City, but in this now his third season he’s been a key player for them. Kalvin Phillips has been widely mocked this season, but so was Jack Grealish last season, so who knows he may be another one who eventually comes good.

Their transfer dealings run like clockwork, legends of the club such as Sergio Aguero and David Silva were moved on before they could decline, De Bruyne is turning 32 this month and should be difficult to replace but City always seemed to find the best possible replacement, such as the man who replaced Aguero, Erling Haaland who is 22 and will get even better. Whilst their rivals have weaknesses they have to wait to address, as there is so many squad deficiencies they can’t possibly deal with them all at once, instead having to prioritise, City deal with theirs ahead of time.

City have become beyond a football team, where the usual pitfalls that befall others just do not apply to them. Arsenal fans were happy to see City progress in the cup competitions, the expectation being that playing more games would increase pressure on them and give them more stress. A trip away to Goodison Park should become trickier sandwiched in between two ties with Real Madrid. But City are immune to such things, they can play flawlessly every 3 days. If anything being in the cups actually helped City in the league, they were able to land psychological blows on Arsenal outside of the title race with thumping wins, such as when they scored 13 goals in 4 days against RB Leipzig and Burnley.

Arsenal were City’s only really challengers this season, and with 84 points they managed their 3rd highest points total ever in the Premier League and their highest since winning the league in 2004. But that total is only 1 win higher than what City consider an off-season, with it being just 3 points better than City’s total in 19-20, the only season they failed to win the league in the last 6 years and comfortably their lowest points tally in that time. The best Arsenal team of the last 15 years being just 3 points better off than a “poor” version of Guardiola’s City, shows the enormous gulf that has emerged between City and the rest.

City have spent billions to catch up with the European elite, and now they are ahead of the pack. But they will not rest in the lead and wait for others to catch up, Guardiola will not allow it, he will always want more players and always strive for improvement. And they are currently so far ahead of the rest. Playing twice a week for 3 months, they’ve been behind in 3 games. In that time they’ve played Liverpool, Arsenal, United, Bayern twice, Real Madrid twice and Inter Milan. In the Etihad games against Arsenal and Real, the then league leaders and defending European Champions, they were so much the better team it would be redundant to analyse the visitors’ performances. As there was no performance, you need the ball in order to do things wrong with it, and neither team could get it until they were 3-0 down. Real Madrid and Arsenal are both blessed with excellent young wingers in Rodrygo, Vinicius, Saka and Martinelli. Rodrygo didn’t touch the ball until the 14th minute, the other 3 wingers scarcely fared better. As journalist Colin Millar put it “the games are largely non-events. Often ludicrously lopsided, non-competitive and entirely drama-free.”

The Champions League is a difficult competition to dominate. As a knockout competition factors such as luck, the draw you are dealt and refereeing decisions have a much bigger impact than they would over a 38-game league season. Guardiola’s Barcelona team was until now the best team there’s ever been, but they still only managed 2 Champions League’s in 4 years, and required an outside the box wonder strike from the unlikely source of Andres Iniesta with virtually the last kick of their 2009 semi-final with Chelsea to win the first one of them.

The margins are much thinner for winning or losing a Champions League than they are for the domestic league where there is always enough time to right wrong’s and with a length of 38-games the best team should ultimately always come out on top in the end. However in the Champions League, those fine margins have cost Guardiola, such as in 2012 when Messi struck the crossbar with a penalty in the semi-final against Chelsea whilst the tie hung firmly in the balance, in the end it went Chelsea’s way. Guardiola has also suffered with fine margins in the Champions League whilst at City, being knocked out at the Quarter-Final stage by Spurs in 2019 due to Aguero being stood in a marginally offside position before Sterling seemed to have put City through in stoppage time. Pep has reached the last 4 of the Champions League in 10 of his 14 attempts, with his 4 failures coming in his first 4 seasons at City, where he may feel he got all his bad luck and marginal losses out of the way, falling at the Quarter-Final hurdle 3 seasons in a row.

Real Madrid were fittingly the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles since the competition shifted to a Group Stage format in 92-93. They went on to win 3 in a row, being the first side to do so since Bayern Munich in the 70′s, for what was their 4th Champions League in 5 seasons. Strangely this period never felt predictable nor as dominant as the history books would suggest when only noting the eventual winner. That Real Madrid group is not really thought of as one of the best and most dominant teams in history, partly because in that 5 year period where 4 Champions League’s were won, they only won their domestic league once. Partly also because they were involved in so many compelling Champions League ties which swung this way and that before in the end landing in Madrid’s favour. This of course reflected their winning mentality and resilience but also the fact they had plenty of weaknesses and vulnerability, they undoubtedly had to rely on plenty of luck too.

5 of the 8 quarter-final and semi-final ties Real Madrid played in those winning campaigns were won by a margin of a solitary goal over the two legs, aswell as being taken to extra-time 3 times including in 2 finals. The Spanish giants had so many tight games in this period, it would not be an accurate reflection to call it “domination” as they were often won by the smallest of margins, a penalty or offside decision given or not given and a couple of these ties could so easily have gone the other way.

In their 7 knockout stage games including the final, City scored 19 goals and conceded just 3. They were trailing in just one of the games, falling behind at the Bernabeu. They then scored 5 unanswered goals across the tie to go through 5-1. Domination is felt more in the manner in which Champions League titles are won, rather than necessarily just being about how many of them are won, and due to this City may quickly begin to feel a more dominant Champions League team than Real Madrid did.

Though City will also feel capable of putting a run together similar to Real’s 4 in 5 years. Europe is weaker than it’s been for a long time, next seasons competition will take place without recent winners Liverpool and Chelsea, Barcelona haven’t made the round of 16 since Lionel Messi played for the club, Bayern Munich just had their worst season points wise since 2011, PSG look further away from winning the Champions League as they have perhaps ever looked under the Qatari’s ownership and Real Madrid will need something of a rebuild as they embark on a new era without long time forward Karim Benzema. In this climate, City will be overwhelming favourites to retain the crown.

The Champions League has given Guardiola lots of pain, the 2 narrow semi-final defeats with Barcelona, 3 successive semi-final losses with Bayern Munich, and then falling short in the round of 16, quarter-finals (3x), semi-finals and final with City before finally getting over the line at the 7th attempt. Now he has the chance to do something not even his great Barcelona sides were able to do, retain the Champions League and perhaps then go on to equal Zidane’s Madrid with 3 in a row. To do that would be a huge dream and motivator for Guardiola, who’ll feel he should already have more than 3, as he hunts down Ancelotti’s record of 4.

What ends City dominance?

No matter who City get to replace Pep (the likeliest candidates right now are Roberto De Zerbi and Vincent Kompany, but that may have changed in 2 years time) there will be a drop off. A decline is inevitable, for the players and as well the hierarchy, as they would have to adjust to life post-Pep. City would of course be much better placed to deal with the loss of Guardiola than United were after Ferguson, but there’s no denying that for the first year or two it would feel very strange. There are other intense, demanding managers out there with great tactical acumen but there is not another Guardiola. There is no other manager so set on dominating the field and prepared to take such ruthless actions to ensure it. So the board will no doubt be using all tools of persuasion at their disposal to keep Guardiola for as long as possible.

And they will have lots of strong arguments to make. There’s no other inviting club projects currently, and the other leagues are struggling financially compared to the booming Premier League. So winning leagues in those other countries will not win Guardiola the same respect he gets for winning the English league. Due to the money now invested by the big clubs in the Premier League, Guardiola will always have a rival that presents enough of a challenge to keep him engaged, for years it’s been Liverpool, now it’s Arsenal, in the future it could be Newcastle or United. The league continuing to improve in a way benefits City, as the competitive top 4 and top 7 races will mean all those teams take points off each other regularly, whilst City remain head and shoulders above the pack. The competitive nature of the league has also meant clubs having to pick and choose their games, unable to go for all of them. Noone will ever pick City as the game to go for as beating them is a long shot, so instead teams may look to let that one go (as West Ham did, resting Rice for their trip to the Etihad). Brighton on the other hand targeted Arsenal away winning 3-0 in between heavy defeats at home to Everton and away at Newcastle.

After 7 years at City, Pep has built his best team yet, a team completely without weakness. Next season City have the chance to become the first English team to win 4 straight league titles, the first English team to retain the Champions League since its format altered in 1992 and the first team anywhere in Europe to retain the treble. By winning the Charity Shield, UEFA Super Cup and World Club Cup, City can also become the first English club to hold six trophies. With his 5th league title in England, Pep recently equalled Busby. Next season he can equal Paisley and then it is only Ferguson ahead.

In the aftermath of finally winning the Champions League with City Pep has hinted that this 2-year contract with City will be his last. He undoubtedly felt a lot of pressure to finally win City their first Champions League, it would have taken its toll on him, the embarrassing exits in his first 5 years then falling painfully short against Chelsea and Real Madrid. Getting that monkey off his back will have given him considerable peace of mind. He will want to win another Champions League with City and once he has, he may feel there are not many more ways he could add to his legacy there.

In the summer of 2001 Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from management. His United team had taken 7 of the last 9 Premier Leagues, recently winning the treble and a threepeat of league titles, taking the title by 18 points in 2000. Ferguson felt there was nothing left to achieve and it had become too easy. Of course what happened next was Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal hit top stride becoming a very worthy adversary again, then Chelsea arrived on the scene followed by Manchester City. The thought of retiring became a distant memory, Ferguson stayed at United until 2013.

But if Guardiola adds the UEFA Super Cup and World Club Cup to his City collection and another Champions League aswell as a further Premier League title or two by the time his current deal ends in 2025, he may be having similar thoughts to the ones Ferguson had in 2001. He will be too young for retirement, his need for Football is too strong, but he may feel it’s time to step down from City, with there being nothing left to conquer, at the top of the mountain the only way is down.

As you’d have to be living under a rock not to know by now, Manchester City face over 100 charges from the Premier League. They are accused of 50 breaches of providing inaccurate financial information, 8 breaches in relation to manager remuneration, 5 breaches linked to UEFA financial regulations, 25 profitability and sustainability breaches and 30 breaches of assisting the Premier League investigation that has concluded after more than four years. The case has now been referred to an independent commission and should City be found guilty they could face a multitude of punishments ranging from fines to points deductions to relegation to being stripped of their honours.

The Premier League’s investigation took 4 years to conclude, we are looking at another wait of around 2 to 4 years before the conclusion of the independent commission will finally give us a final verdict. Armed with the best lawyers money can buy, City will fight the charges tirelessly as they did back in 2014, when they had their first brush with UEFA over financial fair play regulations. City’s legal counsel revealed in an email that City Chairman Al Mubarak “says he would rather spend £30m on the best 50 lawyers in the world and sue them [UEFA] for the next 10 years” rather than agree to a financial penalty that UEFA were proposing. UEFA initially imposed a 2-year Champions League ban upon City, but CAS overturned the verdict with some of the charges being time-barred. In the end a fine of around €9M was paid by City for lack of cooperation.

Jamie Carragher said recently that “Manchester City don’t want this hanging over them.” and Pep Guardiola expressed his wish that the outcome comes quickly. But this would be to misunderstand City’s response over the years against charges from both UEFA and the Premier League, which has to been to delay and hold-up the cases for as long as possible. In fact the Premier League was so frustrated with City’s delaying tactics that it went to the Court of Appeal two years ago, accusing the club of “making as many procedural applications and complaints as it possibly can to slow the day when it will actually have to provide the information”.

Carragher went on to say there is something of an asterisk over City’s achievements at the moment, but clearly they don’t agree. City will argue that the asterisk only comes if/when they are found guilty, otherwise why would they want to delay? They don’t care if no outsiders believe they are innocent, City believe it. And for as long as there is no proof of wrongdoing and the punishment that comes with it, they will always maintain that. This season saw Italian giants Juventus docked 15 points for rule-breaking, this was then revoked before a new punishment of 10 points came in before the end of the season. Meanwhile in England, charges against City beginning back in 2009 and extending to 2018 have been allowed to drag on for years with no end in sight.

Manchester City seemed to use the coverage of the Premier League charges levelled against them to their advantage on the pitch. It galvanised the club into an ‘Us against the World’ mentality. Pep was trying desperately before it to get his players riled up enough to take the threat of Arsenal seriously, but it was the public announcement of the charges that seemed to shock City back into life. The Premier League announced their charges on the 6th of February and City didn’t lose again in any competition until the final day of the league season, after they’d already been handed the trophy of the competition charging them for the 5th time in 6 years.

The accusations of wrongdoing united the club, bringing the fanbase, players and manager closer together. City fans quickly made their position clear, booing the Premier League anthem, holding up banners for £5,000 an hour lawyer Lord Pannick (known recently for advising Boris Johnson over the ‘Partygate’ inquiry), and singing the name of club owner Sheikh Mansour, the current Vice President and Deputy Prime Minster of the UAE. In buying Manchester City, Abu Dhabi made the perfect choice in a club with a relatively small local fanbase that had achieved no success since the 1970s. This has kept them outside of the ingrained tribal rivalries of English football, which has meant fans of other clubs will always take them winning trophies over the likes of Liverpool, United and Arsenal. They also have appointed the perfect manager in Pep Guardiola who is worshipped for his methods, and seems to have a messianic-like pull for many football watchers, which takes attention away from any other reasons why City might be so dominant. Perhaps no Football manager has ever been so highly thought of by the media, who seem endlessly fascinated by Pep’s methods.

And for as long as he is City’s manager, the club will not be knocked off their perch. It’s possible someone else might get 1 Premier League, if Arsenal’s young players and manager can continue to improve, or if Klopp, who has already built one great Liverpool team can build another. The Saudis are making huge investments at Newcastle, and United will be under new ownership eventually, but none will keep Pep’s City off top spot for longer than a single season.

If City are found guilty of all or at least some of their charges, we have to be realistic about what that will likely mean. Will they be relegated or stripped of trophies they’ve won under one of the best managers the league has ever seen? It’s highly doubtful. The most likely on pitch punishment (I.E not including fines) would be a points deduction. A points deduction for City would likely see one of the best Premier League title races in history, with clubs who have been starved of winning the league seeing this as their best chance to win in years. It would have to be a significant deduction though to stop City winning the league, if it was 10 or even 15 points you can picture Guardiola staving off sleep and food until City return to a positive points total and with that added motivation they’d likely find a way to win the league anyway.

However, nobody has much faith that the Premier League charges will lead to anything significant. We have seen in recent years how much our systems struggle with holding power accountable and upholding rules. With a Tory Government in power for 13 years, our society has become desensitised to corruption and come to accept that “money talks”. In Sport that is the case even more so. There wasn’t rules in place to stop Chelsea from doing whatever they wanted in the early years of Abramovich, and City have consequently seen it as “if they can do it, why can’t we?”

The media in this country loves winners and sporting excellence regardless of its cost and the reasons for it. They were cheerleaders for Abramovich breaking up United and Arsenal’s hold on the Premier League without asking any critical questions about who he was and why he was doing it. This lack of scrutiny went on for nearly 20 years until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led the Chelsea owners’ assets to be frozen, due to his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich for years had been praised for his ambition and love for Chelsea Football Club, and now suddenly Chelsea fans weren’t allowed to purchase a pie in the stadium.

Lessons have seemingly not been learned, and much of the media remains wilfully ignorant of what the ownership model of Nation States means for football. In 2018 Amnesty International said, “the success of the club(City) has involved a close relationship with a country that relies on exploited migrant labour and locks up peaceful critics and human rights defenders.” Football has less control over its own governance than ever before, the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia was pushed through by the UK Government as the Saudis threatened to pull UK investment if the Premier League resisted the takeover. Under the ownership of Todd Boehly, Chelsea has been handing out 8-year contracts to players to help bypass FFP and reportedly promised to invest in Sporting Lisbon in exchange for them agreeing to sell them Manuel Ugarte.

Going back to the charges, the perception seems to be that there’s only a problem if City are found guilty. People are thinking about what the consequences would be if a club had won all these trophies and received all this praise whilst cheating rules all the way. But if the charges don’t stick, there is still another huge problem and that is that because of City’s ownership model, they could only be consistently beaten to the Premier League title by other Nation states. And even then they have a huge head start on Saudi Arabia at Newcastle and potentially Qatar at Manchester United. When Abu Dhabi came in at City, they were aiming to catch Liverpool and Arsenal teams in decline and a United team with lowered spending under the Glazers. Saudi Arabia and Qatar would be aiming to catch City, and the type of spending required for that would be mind-blowing.

As journalist Miguel Delaney put it what Guardiola has at City is “the perfect sporting infrastructure, constructed to his specific preferences. This (the domination) is what happens when you give a genius these pristine laboratory conditions. It has eroded the likelihood for human failure that actually enriches our sport. City have brutalised the very idea of sporting competition. There’s been no tension. There’s been no drama.” For as long as that is the case, no matter the outcome of City’s case, difficult and uncomfortable questions will persist.

#premierleague #pep #epl #ucl #championsleague

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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Arsenal 22/23 Season Summary:

Gabriel Jesus scored or assisted all 4 of Arsenal’s goals in his home debut, a 4-2 win over Leicester which was sandwiched in between two impressive away wins at Palace and Bournemouth in the never to be seen again pink third kit. Arsenal exercised demons from the previous season by this time kicking the campaign off with a Friday night win away from home, avenging their loss at Crystal Palace of a few months prior. Bournemouth were beaten in style as William Saliba announced himself to the world and the Arsenal fanbase quickly responded in kind by giving him a catchy song as he scored his first goal in a Gunners shirt, with a strike so special it had ex-Manchester City players Zinchenko and Jesus holding their heads in astonishment. Back-to-back 2-1 home wins over Fulham and Villa gave Arsenal their first maximum point start after 5 games since 2004.

Arsenal then travelled to Old Trafford for their first Premier League outing in the black away shirt which would quickly be established as a firm fan’s favourite. They dominated territorially but could only penetrate United once in the penalty area, and were undone at the other end by effective counter-attacking as Arsenal’s high-line was used against them to full effect. Another tricky away game followed at Brentford but Arteta’s men handled it with ease swatting the Bees aside 3-0. Arsenal backed it up with a 3-1 home win in the North London Derby, Partey picking out the top corner with a stunning finish from outside the box being by far the most memorable of the bunch.

Then came the biggest win of the season so far, at a rocking Emirates Stadium with one of the best atmosphere's ever heard at the ground, Arsenal took on Liverpool, a team who for years had dominated them. Not on this day as Arsenal won 3-2, Saka slotting home the winning penalty and fans were beginning to sense something special could be happening. This feeling only grew when Arsenal won away at Elland Road the following week despite being battered in the second half, with backs against the wall Arsenal did not wilt and they kept a cleansheet in a game fans had become accustomed to seeing them crumble in.

After dropping points surprisingly at Southampton on a day Arsenal were left to rue wasteful finishing, aswell as refereeing that had denied them a clear penalty, the Gunners returned to winning ways with a thumping 5-0 win over Forest before winning 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge with a performance much more commanding than the scoreline showed. In their final game before the World Cup break, Arsenal had the chance to go into it 5 points clear after City had surprisingly slipped up at home to Brentford. In the first half Arsenal struggled to create, but in the second it was their captain Odegaard who led by example bagging a brace.

On Boxing Day Arsenal returned to action but they were without the influential Jesus and there was question marks over whether Arsenal could possibly be the same team without him. At the break they trailed 1-0 but roared back with a goal each from their front 3 of Saka, Martinelli and Nketiah, and on a a big day for the latter he stole the show with the goal of the day. The match marked Arsene Wenger’s first game back at the ground since departing in 2018, and the Frenchman could have been watching one of his old teams as a swaggering move was finished off expertly by Nketiah, who eased his marker one way before swivelling off to the other side and coolly lashing the ball into the far corner.

On New Years Eve Arsenal could go 7 points clear after City were held to a draw at home to relegation threatened Everton. However they faced the tricky prospect of Brighton away. Arsenal’s attacking foursome of Saka, Odegaard, Nketiah and Martinelli all found the net as Arsenal impressively ran out 4-2 winners with the skipper once again the star of the show scoring through a sea of bodies to double Arsenal’s lead before the break, then assisting Martinelli with one of the passes of the season with a stunning one-touch through ball from well inside his own half.

Next Arsenal faced 3 massive games against clubs at the top end of the table. First they hosted 3rd place Newcastle and despite a relentless effort from start to finish Arsenal could not break them down as they were held to a frustrating 0--0 draw as the Magpies ended Arsenal’s run of 10 straight home league wins which extended back to the previous season. They next travelled to local rivals Spurs, a fixture they had not won away from home since 2014. But in the first half they were just too good for Spurs to handle, leading 2-0 at the break after a half in which they completely dominated. Tottenham came on stronger in the second half but Arsenal stood up to the test, especially Ramsdale who was equal to everything between the sticks.

Then Manchester United came to town having overtaken Newcastle in 3rd. It was another rocking atmosphere with the Emirates’ pre-match song “North London Forever” helping to further amp a crowd which scarcely needed it. It was United who struck first though through Rashford but their lead would only last for 7 minutes with Arsenal equalising with the head of Nketiah. Saka had one of his best performances of the season, as Shaw looked to avoid going up against him as much as possible and it was in fact Eriksen who Saka was faced with when he made room for the shot and let fly right into the bottom corner past the diving De Gea. The lead lasted just six minutes when Martinez equalised for United, but there was only one team searching for a winning goal and that was Arsenal. After trying endlessly to force it, eventually it came in the 90th minute when the heel of Nketiah flicked the ball past De Gea and in. There was two roars, one when the ball hit the back of the net and the second after an agonising wait for VAR to confirm everyone was onside. It was very tight but the goal was given and at the half-way stage Arsenal were on course for 100 points, having picked up 50 points from their first 19 games with 16 wins, 2 draws and just a sole loss.

The following week Arsenal met City in the FA Cup, for the sides first meeting of three over the coming months. Both sides fielded strong but rotated sides and it was a very close affair which City edged by a single goal. Arsenal were now out of both domestic cups having exited the League Cup at the first hurdle earlier in the season. Given Arsenal’s lack of squad depth, exiting these competitions was not seen as the worst thing in the world, as it meant they could focus on the league. Considered much more damaging was the loss at Goodison Park as Arsenal again lost 1-0 in Sean Dyche’s first game as Everton manager.

Arsenal appeared on course to return to winning ways in their next match against Brentford, after new signing Trossard had given them the lead with his first goal for the club. However Toney equalised for Brentford with one of the most controversial goals of the season after VAR officials “forgot to draw the lines” and missed a clearly offside Brentford player in the build-up. VAR official Lee Mason parted ways with the PGMOL after the mistake, but this was of scant consolation to Arsenal who lost a big 2 points in the title race. They had to quickly put the disappointment behind them as they faced City at the Emirates, but the visitors’ big game experience seemed to make all the difference as they went in level at 1-1 after a first half in which Arsenal had been the better team and then ran out 3-1 winners in the second half brutally punishing lapses from the home team.

Things were in danger of falling apart for Arsenal when they trailed 2-1 at Villa Park that weekend in the day’s early kick off, but the second half was one of Arsenal’s best and most memorable of the season. Arsenal showed incredible fighting spirit to equalise with Zinchenko’s first goal for the club. They pressed for a winner and passed up a couple of glorious chances. It seemed destined not to be their day when Odegaard missed an open net but in the end the winner came in the most surprising way in the 93rd minute. January recruit Jorginho was a rare goalscorer from open play but his shot from outside the box was almost perfect as it hit the underside of the bar, the diving Martinez was powerless to stop the ball crossing the line as it bounced off the back of his head. After going forward for a corner to try and right his wrong, Martinelli was able to score into an unguarded net as Arsenal broke out.

This was the start of a 7-game winning run in the league for Arsenal but it was not all plain sailing. They found themselves 2-0 down at home to Bournemouth with half an hour left to play. Unlikely goalscorers in Partey and White levelled the game up, but Arsenal needed a win. That winner came from perhaps an even more unlikely source, the substitute Reiss Nelson scoring with the last kick of the game sparking the most jubilant scenes ever witnessed at the Emirates. Even when trailing by two with just 30 minutes of normal time to play, on a day when they had a couple of very strong penalty appeals turned down and when Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard had all failed to score, aswell as Trossard who’d gone off injured, Arsenal had still managed to score 3 goals and got the winning goal in the 97th minute.

In an impressive win away at Fulham, Saliba picked up a back injury which got worse during Arsenal’s Europa League second leg tie with Sporting. Arsenal exited the competition on penalties but more importantly they lost both Saliba and Tomiyasu to injury. Neither would be seen again that season, but at first Arsenal held it together continuing to win and win well beating both Palace and Leeds 4-1. Then came the trip to Anfield which felt enormous for Arsenal’s title chances. They led City by 8 points, but Guardiola’s team still had a game in hand and were beginning to build a serious head of steam.

Arsenal’s start came straight from Arteta’s happiest dreams as the Gunners led 2-0 after half an hour. With half time approaching Arsenal were in a commanding position when Salah halved the deficit with a goal against the run of play. This lifeline for Liverpool changed the game as both teams were different in the second half. Liverpool attacked relentlessly whilst Arsenal lost all the composure they had shown in the first half. Holding conceded a penalty which Salah missed but Liverpool kept coming. With just minutes left on the clock, just as it looked like Arsenal may have weathered the storm as they sat on the verge of a seismic victory, Firmino levelled it after Zinchenko had been beaten by Alexander-Arnold. In one of the game’s of the season, there was still time left for someone to force a winner, Ramsdale pulled off not one but two incredible saves in a matter of minutes to deny Liverpool before Arsenal broke out for a momentary 3 v 1 counter-attack, but a fatigued Martinelli could not execute the final pass through to Saka who was running clear.

Arsenal appeared to have put the disappointment behind them by racing out of the blocks at West Ham and leading 2-0 inside the opening 10 minutes. Then inexplicably they self-imploded, first by not going for the kill by trying to get the 3rd goal and instead being content with their lead. The flaw in this plan was exposed when individual errors from Partey and Gabriel led to West Ham winning a penalty with which they halved the deficit. Early in the second half Arsenal won a penalty of their own, but Saka was unsuccessful from the spot pushing his penalty wide. Arsenal seemed panicked at this point, as if they already knew what came next, and what came next was an equaliser from Bowen. Arsenal still had plenty of time to retake the lead but they were somewhat shell-shocked and did not have it in them to snatch another victory.

Bottom team Southampton at home should have presented the perfect opponent to restore some confidence and return to winning ways. However that thinking went out of the window inside 30 seconds when a horrendous mistake from Ramsdale gifted the Saints an early lead. Arsenal were 2-0 down inside 15 minutes after more sloppy play this time from Odegaard was then punished. Martinelli halved the deficit but Southampton’s two-goal cushion was restored after Zinchenko switched off defending a corner. Arsenal almost pulled off another great escape, pulling one back from Odegaard then equalising through Saka just as the board went up for 8 minutes of stoppage time. Arsenal in the end played until the 100th minute pushing for a winner, but this time they could not find it.

Arsenal’s title hopes were effectively ended at the Etihad when they were hammered 4-1 by Manchester City, but the Gunners kept a small glimmer of hope alive by bouncing back to beat Chelsea and more impressively by winning away at Newcastle by 2 goals to 0. However that glimmer of hope was stamped out by Brighton who ended Arsenal’s title bid with 3 second half goals at the Emirates. A loss away at Nottingham Forest on the penultimate weekend of the season made it certain, City were champions before having to play their 36th match. Arsenal were then at least able to close the season out with a morale boosting 5-0 home win against Wolves, which gave fans the chance to say goodbye to the departing Granit Xhaka, and to say thanks to the players and manager who made one of the most unlikely title bids seen in the Premier League era feel possible.

Where did Arsenal lose the league?

Arsenal spent 248 days on top of the Premier League, leading the table after 30 of 38 gameweeks. At the half-way stage they had 50 points, after 16 wins, 2 draws and only 1 defeat. Given this was Arsenal’s best first half of a campaign ever, having achieved 5 more points than the Invincibles had managed by that stage, it is hard to have too many regrets for this period of the season. Though if there was to be one it would probably be Newcastle at home. It was the one opportunity Arsenal had all season to go double-figure points clear, a win would have meant City travelled to Stamford Bridge 10 points behind.

The Newcastle game came just at the wrong time for Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus was badly missed and Trossard had not yet been acquired. Arsenal threw everything they had at a stubborn and extremely well organised Newcastle, but could not break them down and had nothing on the bench to try and turn the game in their favour. Tomiyasu for White was the only sub Arteta made, and in fairness there was no other obvious solution to try. Vieira, Marquinhos and youth team player Butler-Oyedeji who had yet to make his debut were his only attacking options on the bench. City won away at Chelsea and the gap which could have been 10 points was instead now back to 5.

In the first game of the second half of the season, a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park meant that Arsenal had already lost as many games in the second half of the season as they had in the first. Arsenal just narrowly missed out on facing Frank Lampard’s Everton and instead had to contend with the “new manager bounce” of being the visitors for Sean Dyche’s first game in charge of the Toffees. Everton were incredibly up for it, working ferociously hard, but even a 0-0 draw would have been a decent point for Arsenal given that City lost the following day away at Spurs.

Arsenal’s dropped points the following weekend at home to Brentford always felt likely to be big, coming as it did just days before Arsenal hosted City. They were on course for an extremely hard-fought 1-0 triumph, which would have been a huge win on a day they’d often been 2nd best, when abysmal officiating missed the clearly offside Norgaard and allowed the equalising goal to stand despite reviewing the incident for several minutes. The impact of that was City knew with a win at the Emirates they could take top spot, giving them a little extra incentive. In the one Premier League game all season Ben White didn’t start, his replacement Tomiyasu made a costly mistake as his well underhit backpass was pounced on by De Bruyne.

Arsenal responded well though and were the better team for the remainder of the first half, finding the equaliser from the penalty spot and with the crowd reaching deafening levels, Arsenal seemed well positioned to at least take something from the game. However here is where City’s experience and know how paid off. Whilst Arsenal lacked the composure in the final third and wasted several good openings, City were ruthlessly efficient when chances came their way and went away 3-1 winners.

A few weeks prior the sides had met in the FA Cup, and given Arsenal’s small squad many fans were not disappointed to see the Gunners exit the competition so early, as they were in with a big chance of winning a bigger trophy and did not wish to risk the injuries and fatigue that could come with more games. It’s possible Arteta felt similar as he rested White, Zinchenko, Saliba, Martinelli and Odegaard from the start. Arsenal still played well and lost 1-0, having 46% of the ball. It’s possible that had they started with a full strength 11, coming off the back of beating Spurs and United, they may have been able to at least draw the game, which in hindsight may have been better. A draw away at the Etihad would have boosted confidence ahead of the league meetings, showing the players they can get a result against City and it aswell would have ended a 6-game losing run at the ground ahead of their league meeting there, which given its timing at the end of April was always likely to be crucial.

After 29 games Arsenal had 72 points, with 23 wins and 3 draws. They led City by 8 points with a game more played and were even just 2 goals behind City on goal difference which was a remarkable effort. It would be too far to say from that position Arsenal should have won the league, City won 12 in a row during the run-in and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t have gone on winning had they needed too. However Arsenal should have regrets that they didn’t at least make City need something from the Brighton and Brentford away games. Aside from the Arsenal game, they were City’s 2 hardest games from the last 10 and due to Arsenal slip-ups they got to play them with the title already wrapped up.

City were highly unlikely to fall short given the way they peaked in the final months, but Arsenal should have at least taken it to the wire. As we all know the title was lost in the games against West Ham and Southampton. Drawing from 2-0 up at Anfield is one thing, but doing the same thing a week later away at 15th placed West Ham, who had been away in Belgium in European action just days before is another level of bad all together. Bottom placed Southampton’s draw at the Emirates was their only point in 9 matches, and Arsenal failing to beat the worst team in the league either at home or away was desperately poor. Had Arsenal just won those two games, they would have travelled to the Etihad 9 points clear. City would still have 2 games in hand, but it would have been a different level of pressure they faced going into that game, knowing a defeat would leave them 12 points behind. As it was Arsenal led by just 5 points, so even a draw at the Etihad would leave the title in City’s hands.

Both times when going into their league meetings with City, Arsenal had failed to win their previous 3 games. So they always brought bad form with them into the match. Before the home meeting with City, Arsenal had scored just two in their previous 3 games (including the FA Cup tie against City) and before the away meeting at the Etihad Arsenal had conceded 7 goals in 3 games. I don’t believe this is coincidence, as the media would begin speaking about these clashes in the weeks leading up, so it seems likely that having the seismic matches against City on the horizon was a distraction for Arsenal, who were perhaps unable to focus solely on their next opponent, as thoughts already began to drift towards the City matches and the size of the task facing them.

If that was the case, Arsenal made it even harder on themselves as by virtue of dropping points going into the City games, the points gap separating them on the table got smaller, putting even more importance on the meetings. City took top spot by winning at Arsenal due to the Gunners slipping up against Everton and Brentford, and then at the Etihad City cut the gap at the top down to just 2 points with 2 games in hand due to Arsenal’s dropped points against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton.

Only twice in Premier League history has the league winner lost home and away against 2nd place and still won the league. Blackburn did it in 94/95 despite losing twice to United, and then in 08/09 United did it despite losing home and away to 2nd placed Liverpool. Those were the only instances in the 31-year history of the Premier League, which goes to show the importance of getting a result against your main title rival. Losing 6 points against City is always likely to be too much to overturn given how consistent they are against the rest of the league, Arsenal will know in future that if they hope to be Premier League champions they will need to take at the very least a point from clashes with City.

When Arsenal took to the field at home to Brighton, it was the 8th successive gameweek aside from when they played each other that Arsenal went into the game knowing City had already won their Premier League fixture that week. Constantly playing after City added to the feeling of being relentlessly hunted down by them, as Arsenal week after week never got the chance to add pressure onto City by playing before them and winning during the title run-in.

I am surprised Arteta did not mention this more when speaking to the media as it clearly put them at a disadvantage. Of course when selecting the games for TV, it is done in a way where 2nd is given the chance to cut down the gap on 1st and put more pressure on them before their game, but doing so 8 matches in a row when the hunter is the juggernaut of Manchester City and the team being hunted is the 2nd youngest team in the league looking to bring the club’s first league title for almost 2 decades, it always seemed likely to sway things heavily in one’s favour.

There will always be a slight feeling of “What if?” regarding the injuries to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who both suffered season ending injuries against Sporting Lisbon. Saliba was in excellent form, Arsenal had kept 3 cleansheets in their last 4 league games at the time he was injured. We will never know if Arsenal would have won the league had he been available, but I think at the very least it’s likely they would have held onto at least one of their 2-0 leads away at Liverpool and West Ham, given how good his partnership with Gabriel had been away from home keeping 8 cleansheet in 14 league games on the road.

What made matters worse was the injury to Tomiyasu. Had the Japanese right-back not also have been ruled out, he could have come into the side with White shifting back across to centre-back, alongside his partner from the previous season Gabriel. That defence would be 3 of Arsenal’s first choice back 4 from last season so plenty of understanding had already been built up and Saliba’s absence would likely have been coped with much better. As it was, with Tomiyasu also unavailable Arteta’s first choice was to bring in Holding as a direct replacement. This was not his only option as would be evidenced later, but it was the option he went with. Given Holding’s experience and that the right centre-back slot is his natural position, that was the option Arteta went with. This proved to be most definitely a mistake.

In January, Jakub Kiwior was purchased from Spezia for around £20M pounds. He had impressed Arsenal enough to part with a considerable amount of cash and they’d opted to get him in as an option during the season rather than waiting until the summer. He’d started all 4 of Poland’s World Cup matches earlier on in the season. But he was not initially seen as a preferable option to Holding. Kiwior made his Premier League debut in the first match of Saliba’s absence, but only for the final 4 minutes in a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace. He didn’t feature at all in the next league game against Leeds and another comfortable win there meant Holding kept his place for the trip to Anfield. The young Pole did come off the bench in the match though in the 80th minute when Arteta switched to a 5 at the back, which rather invited Liverpool on.

In the next match at West Ham, Arsenal rather lost their composure in the second half, falling into habits we had not seen often from them this season, of being pressured into conceding lots of set-pieces, Holding endured a really bad day against Antonio who was able to bully him with physicality. With the worst team in the league to face at home next, this seemed like the ideal time for Arteta to try a different option in defence, Holding was clearly not working and Kiwior was unlikely to do much worse. Arteta still stuck with Holding and Arsenal drew 3-3. So going into the away trip to City, Arteta was left with two choices, neither particularly appealing. He could stick with what for the last 3 games had not worked, or he could experiment with something new away from home against the best team in the world.

He opted to stick with the same defence and it went predictably badly, as an Arsenal side whose structure had deteriorated in the previous games lost 4-1. It was at this point, Arteta realised something had to change and he finally took Holding out of the firing line for the visit of Chelsea. Kiwior performed well on his Premier League debut with Arsenal looking a lot more like their old selves, and they were even better the following week at Newcastle. Kiwior quickly proved he was the much superior option to Holding, despite it meaning Arsenal playing two left-footed centre-backs, something Arteta clearly does not believe in nor want to do. But despite this, Kiwior’s comfort on the ball and his physical attributes such as his pace are on another level to Holding’s and he is a much more natural fit for this team, given he was signed specifically for this current group, whereas Holding is of course a left-over relic from Wenger’s days at the club.

A 3-0 home defeat to Brighton led Arteta to change things again, as he went with the other option he’s had available to him since the injuries to Saliba and Tomiyasu, which is to play Partey at right-back and move White back into the centre of defence. With this new set-up Arsenal lost 1-0 at Forest but then ended the season with a 5-0 win at home to Wolves. It’s fair to say, Arteta attempted to play it safe by picking Holding initially as he was the reserve back-up for the right centre-back slot. However knowing the limitations of Holding, which he must (having seen him play in the league at the end of last season when Arsenal missed out on top 4) with games against struggling Crystal Palace and Leeds at home, it seemed as good a time as any to try Kiwior there or even to move Partey to right-back with Jorginho replacing him at the base of midfield and White moving over to centre-back.

However, if not initially, Arteta had to act when Arsenal conceded 2 away at West Ham and again the chance presented was a great one. At home to Southampton, the league’s bottom side, it seemed an ideal time to give up on Holding and get Kiwior 90 minutes before playing City. However given that Kiwior was not given the chance to face Southampton, there was no chance of him being thrown in to face City away, nor would Arteta experiment for the first time from the start with Partey at right-back against such a strong opponent. So Pep got to analyse the many weaknesses of this side now that it had Holding starting instead of Saliba and it ruthlessly exploited them.

Arsenal had coped with the loss of Gabriel Jesus for 3 months, managing to keep their position at the top of the table in his absence, and it was a cruel blow to then lose 2 defenders just as he had returned to the side. Saliba is an excellent defender who’s had a tremendous first season in English Football, but even so Arsenal should have done better in his absence. Arsenal beat Palace and Leeds 4-1 with Holding in the side, so there is no excuse for why they couldn’t beat Southampton or West Ham from a position of 2-0 up. Then later when Kiwior had come into the side and Partey had moved to right-back, Arsenal lost away at Forest, being the only team to fail to score against them in their last 16 games, which is also extremely poor. Not winning the league with 2 of your 5 best defenders injured is understandable, but it does not make it acceptable to win just 3 of your last 9 league games and for that Arteta and his players need to reflect honestly about their shortcomings in that period.

Going Forward

Despite winning just 3 of their last 9, Arsenal still won 26 league games which is as many as their league winning campaigns of 2002 and 2004, their 84 points is the highest they’ve achieved since the Invincibles and their tally of 88 goals is the outright most they’ve ever scored in a Premier League season. This is testament to how outstanding they were in the first 8 months of the season. Arsenal fans will remember for a long time the attacking football they exhibited from the rejuvenated Xhaka, the gifted Odegaard, the pace and trickiness of their wing wizards Saka and Martinelli and aswell the creative and unselfish forward play of first Jesus and later Trossard.

At the other end they will remember how excellent Partey was for 8 months allowing those in front of him to play, how Gabriel and Saliba formed the best defensive partnership at the club since Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell, with the Brazilian defender covering the entire left-side of defence alone, allowing Zinchenko to occupy spaces just about anywhere on the pitch, which he did to incredible effect in the middle months of the season. They will remember how Ben White flourished in a new right-back role offering Arsenal so much in defence and attack, and aswell they will remember some outstanding Ramsdale performances especially on the road, and the many crucial and occasionally spectacular saves he made.

Arsenal’s football in the 22-23 season had all the technical quality of those great “Wengerball” sides, with many team goals with opponents sliced open with patient but fast-tempo passing moves. Arsenal also this season found the return of their physicality, bullying sides in ways they hadn’t since those great Wenger teams between 1997 and 2005. They suffocated opposing teams, surrounding them, closing down their passing options and forcing them to turn over the ball before getting right back on the attack, It’s been a sight Arsenal fans have loved seeing.

Arsenal did so much well in 22-23, but they still have plenty of room for improvement. This is best demonstrated by their contrasting defensive record when playing at home versus away. Arsenal topped the Away table for points and kept comfortably the most cleansheets on the road with an impressive 10. Overall they had the second best defensive record away from home, conceding 2 more than champions City. At the Emirates, they kept just 4 cleansheets. Manchester United who finished with 9 points fewer than Arsenal kept 11 cleansheets in the Premier League. Arsenal conceded 25 goals at the Emirates, only 2 other clubs who finished in the top 15 of the Premier League conceded more at home than that. That’s a poor record that needs to be improved upon collectively next season.

I definitely don’t subscribe to the belief Arsenal will “never” have a better chance of winning the league as they definitely will as the manager’s experience and ability grows along with that of their talented crop of youngsters such as Ramsdale, Saliba, Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli. The experience of this title race of coming up against Pep’s City and seeing what it takes to actually beat them and win the league should stand them in good stead for future title races going forward. Next year will mark 20 years since the Invincibles, Arsenal’s last league winning team and it would take something extraordinary to end that long wait for a Championship, given this will be Arsenal’s first season back in the Champions League since 16-17, and the club will have to get used again to playing two big matches most weeks.

For many players it will be their first experience of Champions League football and after waiting so long to get back into it, it’s likely it will take precedence over anything else at times given how important it is for Arsenal to be playing in the competition. After waiting so long they will not want a meek early exit, so I think they will be aiming to at least reach the Semi-Finals for it to qualify as a solid first season back in the competition. It will be difficult to achieve that whilst also competing for the Premier League against the machine of City. Also this campaign has marked Arsenal’s third without a major trophy, this season they were happy to pass up on the League Cup and the FA Cup given the demanding schedule and their position in the Premier League, but next season they will not be able to sacrifice the cups again as they do not want to risk another trophy drought happening such as the one that happened between 2005 and 2014.

Though not a major trophy they will have the chance to lift some silverware in the Community Shield against Manchester City, and it feels like a big game for Arsenal’s season. Arsenal have only ever taken 1 point of Guardiola’s City in 14 meetings, losing their last 12. A win in the Community Shield would show Arsenal they can beat City, which could serve as an important reminder when they meet in the league, as Arsenal cannot afford to lose both league meetings again.

Arsenal made strides forward against Liverpool this year, taking 4 points off them including a first point at Anfield since 2016. In doing the double over Chelsea and Spurs, they aswell ended their 9-year wait for a win away at Spurs, but now next season there are new fixtures they need to put right. As well as finally getting a result against City next season, Arsenal also need to get a win at Goodison Park, a ground they haven’t won at since 2017. Arsenal have lost 4 of their last 5 meetings at the ground which is an appalling record given how poor Everton have been in that time. Arsenal’s home record against Brighton is also extremely bad, with Arsenal only having won 1 of their last 6 matches at the Emirates. So it’s aswell vitally important to win that one next season. If Arsenal want to establish themselves as a force similar to one such as Klopp’s Liverpool, they can’t allow such weak records in certain fixtures to continue.

A good season for Arsenal next year in my opinion would be another minimum top 3 finish with them again getting over the 80-point mark, Arsenal need to prove it wasn’t a one-off season by again comfortably qualifying for the Champions League. They need to do this whilst competing in the competition at the same time and reaching the semi-finals would be a very good first season back in the competition for a side that will be in pot 2 of the Group Stage draw. Arsenal have only reached the semi-finals of the competition twice before in their history, but realistically teams from leagues outside of the Premier League are not as strong as they have been in the recent past and there are not many teams Arsenal should be considered an enormous underdog against. As well as this, for a very good season Arsenal need to win a trophy either the FA Cup or League Cup, so the players can experience that winning feeling and Arteta can back up the work he is doing with the trophies on the table to show success.

Almost an hour after Arsenal’s final match of the season had ended, Arteta took to the field to address the fans in the stadium. Nearly all of them had stayed, and even after waiting so long for Arteta’s address, the wait went on longer as fans could not stop singing his song, “We’ve got Super Mik Arteta”, which had become the anthem of the season heard ringing around the Emirates and numerous away grounds after 3 points. The atmosphere Arteta has cultivated in the stadium is one of the biggest achievements of several from the manager this season. As Gunnerblog (one of Arsenal’s most prominent fan channels) said earlier in the season: “Arsene Wenger built the Emirates and Mikel Arteta has turned on the lights.” The stadium that for too long sat mostly silent filled with an almost equal mix of expectation and dread has now woken up to the role it needs to play in the revival of Arsenal as a true force of English Football, and there is a feeling that this ride has only just begun.

Arsenal player 22/23 season ratings (must have started at least 5 games all competitions, or else appeared in 5 Premier League games):

Ramsdale 8/10- Played a big role in helping Arsenal to top the Away table, with great performances to keep cleansheets away at Leeds, Spurs and Newcastle. He was just as good if not better away at Liverpool despite conceding 3, with 2 extraordinary saves at the death to rescue Arsenal a point. He will be disappointed to have conceded 25 home league goals and only have kept 4 Emirates cleansheets. On the road however he kept an impressive 10 cleansheets.

Turner 6/10- 4 cleansheets in 7 games for the USA number 1, including 3 in a row in the Europa League. Also performed well at the Etihad in a 1-0 loss in the FA Cup, but wasn’t at his best in the 2-2 draw at Sporting Lisbon. During the mid-season World Cup, he was the only keeper not to concede an open-play goal in the Group Stages and though that doesn’t factor into his rating, it suggests Arsenal appear to have a solid back-up keeper.

White 8/10- From the beginning of the season up to the World Cup, White was playing at a world class level. Post World Cup his level came down slightly but he was still very good. Usually solid at the back, he was very effective going forward, combining brilliantly with Saka down the right and even getting a couple of goals himself. He appeared in all 38 league games, starting in 37 and playing 90 minutes in each of his last 10 games due to the injury to Tomiyasu. His reliability and availability this season has been an enormous asset to Arsenal.

Tomiyasu 7/10- Before the January signing of Trossard, Tomiyasu was Arteta’s 12th man, the only player he trusted at a similar level to the starters. The Japanese international even filled in at left-back and did a good job up against Mo Salah when Arsenal beat Liverpool 3-2. He made another rare league start against City and unfortunately made a costly error to allow City to take the lead. Aside from that Tomiyasu was having a reasonable season, showing why Arteta can trust him on the pitch. Sadly his season was cut short in mid-March with a knee injury that required surgery. His injury’s effect on Arsenal was not as obvious as that of Saliba, but Tomiyasu’s absence made the loss of the Frenchman worse.

Saliba 8.5/10- Along with Jesus he was Arsenal’s best player before the World Cup. After being away at the tournament but only appearing once off the bench for France, it took him time to re-find his rhythm on his return to Arsenal and reach his top level again. But he was back to his best before a back injury cruelly ended his season in March. The way Arsenal’s title challenge completely fell apart in his absence highlighted the drop-off in level between him and his replacement Holding.

Holding 4/10- He performed okay in the Europa League group stage which is his level. In the Premier League, when asked to do more than come on to see out the final minutes when Arsenal switch to a 5 at the back, he looks way out of his depth. This should be his last season with the club, his way of defending does not fit in with the way Arteta wants his side to play.

Kiwior 6/10- There is a strong case to be made that following the injury to Saliba he should have been seen in the starting 11 a little sooner but once given the chance to start the Polish International signed in January from Spezia did enough to suggest there’s potentially a good defender there for Arsenal once he has adapted to the Premier League’s physicality.

Gabriel 8/10- The Brazilian centre-back played more minutes than any other outfield player in the Premier League, starting all 38 games and failing to complete just 2 of them. Gabriel has really developed into a commanding defender displaying excellent leadership and at times succeeding in covering the role of both centre-back and left-back enabling Zinchenko to venture forward.

Zinchenko 8/10- Missed 11 league games through injury, including half of Arsenal’s pre-World Cup games. His season peak was very high though, he became one of Arsenal’s best and most important players in January, playing exceptionally well as Arsenal picked up 7 points from successive clashes with Newcastle, Spurs and United. His great form continued through February and March, but since the injury to Saliba he hasn’t been the same. In fairness neither has anyone else in the Arsenal backline, but with the Ukrainian it’s been most notable with Arsenal conceding goals as a direct consequence of his defensive lapses. A disappointing end to a season where he was excellent in the middle months.

Tierney 7/10- The Scottish left-back was his usual reliable self when appearing in the Europa League group stages but started just six league games all season. He has fallen down the pecking order as Arteta has moved away from the more traditional left-back. Tierney has still done a solid job when appearing off the bench and will have no shortage of suitors should he and the club choose to part ways this summer as appears likely.

Partey 8/10- From the start of the season until the end of March, Partey was one of Arsenal’s best players and the league’s best midfielders. He was playing at a very high level, confident and classy in possession, intelligent and astute out of it. However his drop off in the final months was the biggest of any player and Arsenal really felt the consequences of one of their most important players performing considerably worse. Holding’s propensity to defend deep left Partey with too much ground to cover, areas of the pitch he usually shared with Saliba was now left solely for him to deal with and he was then getting lost in games, unable to get close enough to opposing players. There was however little excuse for poor decisions taken such as when he lost the ball needlessly in a bad area of the field against West Ham and when he took a shot from 30 yards out with better options available as the seconds ebbed away against Southampton.

Jorginho 7/10- The signing of the Italian midfielder in January was met with little enthusiasm given the age of the 31-year old and aswell the fact he’d arrived from rival club Chelsea who were enduring a woeful season with him in the team. However Jorginho has proven a lot of people wrong by fitting nicely into the Arsenal team and rarely producing a bad performance.

Xhaka 8/10- His 7th and final season in an Arsenal shirt has been by far his best. With 9 goals he has outscored the total of his previous 4 seasons combined. Aswell as the goals scored the Swiss midfielder also assisted 7, all while having an immense defensive contribution due to his tireless workrate all over the park. His limitations on the ball have occasionally stood out and were noticeable in the home games against Newcastle, City and Brighton when he struggled when given time and space on the ball to progress it effectively. However all in all, it was a very strong season from Xhaka and he will be missed.

Lokonga 4/10- The Belgian looked out of his depth away at United in the league and City in the FA Cup. Not easy grounds to play at when you haven’t played much football but Lokonga was not any more impressive when starting all six of Arsenal’s Europa games. Loaned to Palace where he lost his place after the sacking of Patrick Vieira. Arsenal could look to give him one last-chance loan at Burnley next season where he would be re-united with his former coach Vincent Kompany, or more likely they will cut ties with the player all together and allow him to move permanently to the Clarets.

Odegaard 8.5/10- The captain equalled the Premier League record for most non-penalty goals scored by a midfielder with the 15 he notched to joint top score for Arsenal. Most impressively 9 of the goals came on the road. The Norwegian also managed 7 assists. Aside from just goal contributions, Odegaard helped set the tone with Arsenal’s press, showing great stamina and fitness levels all season. Odegaard had the finesse to go with the fitness, showing his class with the ball at his feet with inventive skills and creative passing. Regularly a joy to watch.

Vieira 4/10- Despite a memorable goal away at Brentford and six assists in all competitions, there’s no denying the Portuguese midfielder has had an extremely disappointing first season in England. Both when starting and coming off the bench he has struggled massively with the physicality of the English game. Big improvements will be required next season if he is to last long at Arsenal.

Smith-Rowe 5/10- After scoring 10 league goals last season, this has been a very tough season for Smith-Rowe. After missing around 4 months through injury, upon his return to fitness he has been unable to convince Arteta to give him many opportunities aside from late cameos. In the league he has played more than 20 minutes just once. ESR is clearly a player who can thrive in the Premier League, but Arteta seems unsure on whether he can trust the midfielders fitness to hold up in such a demanding environment and aswell whether he is tactically suited to any role within this current system. It will be a very important pre-season for the young man as he needs to force his way back into the managers plans.

Saka 8.5/10- One of only 2 players to reach double figures in the Premier League for goals and assists along with Mo Salah. Saka managed 25 goal contributions in the league, that despite tailing off in the last couple of months. Saka peaked in the middle months of the season when he led Arsenal’s title charge from the front, playing with a maturity and confidence under pressure way beyond his years. Between the end of August and the beginning of March, Saka never went longer than 1 league game without a goal or assist which is extraordinary consistency for a player so young. He featured in all 38 of Arsenal’s league games and started 37 of them.

Martinelli 8.5/10- The Brazilian was every bit as good as Saka before the World Cup, enjoying a great link-up with fellow Brazilian Jesus. However with Jesus side-lined, Martinelli struggled a little for a few weeks, having some quieter matches. But the introduction of Trossard and then the re-introduction of Jesus quickly saw Martinelli return to his best form. As Arsenal’s title challenge waned he was one of the very few who continued to perform at similar levels and with his season cut short by injury his final league tally is 15 goals and 5 assists in 36 games. The 21-year old will fancy his chances of getting 20+ goals next season when he makes his Champions League bow, and you wouldn’t bet against the exceptionally talented Brazilian.

Reiss Nelson 6.5/10- Didn’t get many starts but had many lively cameos, where his directness often gave opposition problems. Arsenal want to keep the winger at the club and it’s easy to see why, he did enough to suggest he deserves a new contract.

Jesus 8/10- Arsenal’s best attacker before getting injured at the World Cup. In those pre-World Cup games he was a constant menace with his dribbling skill and team play, constantly harassing opponent defenders. Then a knee injury picked up at the World Cup required surgery, ruling him out for 3 months. He worked tirelessly to come back and on his return to the starting 11 he scored 4 in 3. A few of his performances then frustrated fans as he was particularly wasteful in the vitally important match against Southampton. He hasn’t yet reached his pre-World Cup levels, but given he had a serious injury mid-season that’s understandable and he still finished up with 11 goals and 7 assists in 26 premier league games, which is a fair return.

Nketiah 7/10- The striker scored in 3 of his 7 cup starts before the World Cup but struggled to have much impact coming off the bench in the league. Then with the injury to Jesus he was thrust into the starting line-up and initially did very well scoring 4 in 5 in the league including that unforgettable brace against United. However the goals dried up and he lost his place in the starting line-up to new arrival Trossard. After recovering from an injury, he was further limited by the returning Jesus and Nketiah had to make do with brief cameos off the bench where he failed to have much of an effect.

Trossard 8/10- Arsenal’s Plan B after they failed to acquire Mudryk who ended up at Chelsea and what a Plan B the Belgian has been. Surprisingly Trossard has only netted once, but he’s made up for that with 10 assists which is more than any other player in the league in the same timeframe. He looks to belong at Arsenal, his technicality quality is right at home in this side and he is likely to be a player Arsenal enjoy watching for years to come.

Arteta 9/10- For 30 out of 38 gameweeks, Arsenal led the Premier League. The team whose supposed ceiling was a top 4 battle instead fought for the title and for a time turned doubters into believers until the magnitude of the challenge got to be too much for them, with the juggernaut of City breathing down their necks. Arteta has transformed the whole mood of the club, giving Arsenal fans pride and passion for their team once more and making Arsenal a force again. Though he as much as the players fell short at the end, enormous credit must go to him for getting Arsenal into this unlikely position in the first place, and this huge learning curve of a season will have given Arteta much needed experience going forward.

#arsenal #afc #thearsenal #thegunners #arteta #saka #coyg #epl #premierleague #football #soccer

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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Arsenal 22/23 a season review Part 3 of 3: April-May-

April

From an Arsenal perspective, Bukayo Saka was again the story of the International Break, receiving rave reviews from the media for his role in England’s 2-0 Euros Qualifier win over Ukraine, where the winger grabbed a goal and an assist, the goal being a wonderful curled finish into the top corner from outside the box. On his return to Arsenal he received the award for Premier League player of the month for March, making it the first time since 03/04 that Arsenal had multiple players win the award in the same season.

Given Arsenal’s league form in March, the club’s own player of the month award was just as competitive as the one for the overall competition. Both Saka and Martinelli missed out despite the latter scoring 4 in 4, and the award instead went to Leandro Trossard for his 5 assists. An easier decision to be made was for the Premier League manager of the month, Mikel Arteta picking up the award for the 4th time that season as Arsenal won all 4 games in the competition.

Arsenal’s first game of April would be their first league game of the season without Saka’s name in the starting 11, but in his place came Gabriel Jesus, making his first league start since November. The visitors to the Emirates were Leeds United, in the midst of their own scrap against relegation, them and 8 other teams all in the lower places were fighting for every point to survive in the Premier League’s most competitive season to date.

For the first half an hour or so Arsenal failed to do anything meaningful with their possession, until Jesus faked to shoot then chopped back to manoeuvre his way past Kristensen in the Leeds box, then he left Ayling on the floor and ran past him. As he did so the Leeds defender dangled a leg which caught Jesus on the knee and sent him to the turf. Without hesitation the ref pointed to the spot and after receiving the ball from captain Odegaard, Jesus sent Meslier the wrong way to give Arsenal the lead and score his first goal for exactly 6 months.

Arsenal started the first half slowly, but they were immediately at the races in the second, doubling their lead 2 minutes into the second half when Martinelli beat Ayling then put an inviting ball across the six-yard box. It was right-back Ben White who gambled on it and got to the back-post unopposed. His powerful connection cannoned into the net off the underside of the crossbar. 8 minutes later and Arsenal had their 3rd following a devastating combination between Trossard and Jesus. This was the first game the two started alongside each other, but their understanding on the pitch was already apparent. Jesus found Trossard on the edge of the box, he made his way into the penalty area and found the angle to provide the cut-back to Jesus, who had the easy task of converting from six yards for his first open-play goal since scoring against Tottenham in October.

With a quarter of an hour to go, Arsenal briefly allowed Leeds back into the game with a very soft goal they will feel was very avoidable. As Leeds broke out from Arsenal’s press they attacked the Gunners backline and despite Arsenal managing to get 7 players back behind the ball, the ball still broke to an unmarked Kristensen who had the time to pick his spot and he found the bottom corner as a deflection off Zinchenko took the flight of the ball away from Ramsdale. Like their last game before the break against Crystal Palace, Arsenal had been cruising 3-0 when they’d allowed the visitors a glimmer of hope with a goal against the run of play.

Like against Palace though, Arsenal quickly restored their 3-goal margin, getting their 4th goal in the 84th minute. Substitute Saka dragged 4 men outwide with him, then found Odegaard who instantly looked for the head of Xhaka. Odegaard’s ball was a perfect one but it still needed a good header, and Xhaka certainly provided it, his touch was so good that the keeper didn’t even move for it, he knew he was beaten as Xhaka netted his 4th goal in his last 5 appearances for club and country. In between Arsenal’s two 4-1 home wins against Palace and Leeds, City had a 4-1 home win of their own beating Liverpool, but Arsenal had restored their 8 point advantage (having played a game more).

Next up for Arsenal it would be their turn to face Liverpool as they travelled to Anfield, a ground they had last won at in 2012. Since then the ground had become a graveyard for them with Arsenal having conceded at least 3 goals in 8 of their last 9 Premier League visits to the ground, and having lost by a margin of at least 2 goals in all 6 of their most recent league visits.

For the first time since before the World Cup, Arsenal started with what is considered their first choice front 3 of Saka, Jesus and Martinelli. It was a combination between Arsenal’s young trio of Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli that got the league leaders off to the ideal start. Saka led the attack and found Odegaard who looked to return it to him, though his pass deflected off Van Dijk into the path of Martinelli who kept control of the ball and then poked it beyond Alisson in the 8th minute.

20 minutes later things got even better for Arsenal when Martinelli was found once more, with a clever pass from Xhaka putting him in down the flank, from there he swung in a perfect cross to find the unmarked Gabriel Jesus who headed it down into the ground and into the back of the net for 2-0. The first 40 minutes went better than any Arsenal fan could have dreamed of, in a game that was considered a huge test of their title credentials, they had risen comfortably to the challenge. They led 2-0 and for a spell of around 10 minutes, looked the likelier of the two teams to get the game’s 3rd goal which would surely secure all 3 points.

However at a time when Arsenal looked most in control, Liverpool halved the deficit when Jota’s pull-back for Henderson was steered to the back-post by the Liverpool skipper and Salah was waiting to turn it in from inside the six-yard box. The timing of the goal just 3 minutes from half-time was a crucial one and meant that an entirely different second half was promised and that was what materialised.

Just 7 minutes into the second half and Liverpool won a penalty when Arsenal failed to clear a corner and Holding rather clumsily brought down Jota whilst attempting to reach the ball first. There would be a reprieve for him and his team however as Salah missed the chance to level the contest with his second of the game, pushing his penalty wide of the post. Ramsdale had stayed down the middle so all Salah had to do was hit the target from 12 yards, but he was unable.

The equaliser still looked and felt inevitable as Arsenal continued to toil in the second half, squandering possession cheaply time and again and failing to get to grips with Liverpool who continued to attack, constantly swarming into the Arsenal half with swathes of red shirts and Arsenal seemed caught in a blur as had been the case so many times before at Anfield. However after weathering a storm which in reality lasted around 20 minutes (but must have felt like 6 hours for Arsenal fans, coaches and players) the game began to settle down again with Arsenal finally getting the chance to catch their breath and play some of the game outside of their own half, whilst Liverpool were almost re-charging and preparing themselves for one last big push.

With less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining Liverpool began to get sights of goal again, and a big chance came when substitute Nunez was put through one-on-one against Ramsdale, but the Arsenal keeper was equal to it getting a big hand to the ball as Nunez attempted to pass it beyond him. A 4th goal in the game appeared near certain, but it wasn’t definite which way it would go as Liverpool pushed more bodies into the Arsenal half, the Gunners had threats on the counter attack and aswell almost scored from a corner when Gabriel got good contact on his header but aimed it straight at Alisson. A minute later another Arsenal chance came when Saka got free of 2 Liverpool defenders in the area, but his ball across goal could not find substitute Trossard.

Arsenal were immediately made to rue those missed opportunities when Alexander-Arnold got beyond Zinchenko and stood an inviting ball up to the backpost, Firmino was there and he won the header for his 10th Premier League goal against Arsenal. There was still a couple of minutes of normal time remaining and now Liverpool really smelt blood, feeling the game was now there’s to go and win. With 6 minutes added on, in the 5th minute Salah tried to bend one into the top corner and a deflection off of Gabriel made it even harder for Ramsdale, pushing the ball further away from him but the Arsenal keeper pulled off one of the saves of the season giving the importance of the moment to divert it behind for a corner.

Liverpool were still not done and a flighted ball from Alexander-Arnold found the run of Nunez who had got in behind the Arsenal defence, his header down across the six-yard box found Konate just inches from the goalline, the defender couldn’t go with his head so opted to try and guide it in with his chest when Ramsdale somehow got back on the line in time and was able to push the ball away from goal, when the Liverpool winner looked so certain that some fans began celebrating prematurely. The drama of the game still wasn’t done as Arsenal attempted to counter-attack with Saka, Martinelli and Trossard up against just one Liverpool defender, Martinelli attempted to put Saka in on goal but his pass was too heavy and Alisson got their first. Then the ref called time on a pulsating second half and one of the most dramatic Premier League games in recent memory.

Whether it would be a point gained or two points dropped for Arsenal would ultimately come down to whether they finished 1st or 2nd, as at full-time there were arguments for both. Having led for nearly 80 minutes and outplaying Liverpool for nearly the entirety of the first half they would on one hand rue the opportunities they didn’t take to get the 3rd goal and put it out of Liverpool’s reach. However they had got out of jail with Salah missing a penalty and then they’d had to rely on a miraculous, heroic performance from Ramsdale between the sticks, as he produced not one but two incredible saves in the final minutes.

The following Sunday and Arsenal were on the road again, this time travelling to West Ham who were in the midst of their own fight against relegation. It took Arsenal just 7 minutes to open the scoring. Patient, intricate build-up in and around the West Ham box eventually saw Odegaard play in White, who squared it across the six-yard box for Jesus who was waiting to tap home for his 4th goal in 3 starts. Just 3 minutes later and Arsenal’s advantage was doubled with Martinelli swinging a ball over to an unmarked Odegaard who had all the time he needed to side-foot volley it beyond Fabianski. Arsenal were opening West Ham up at will, and with such a flying start they had roared into such a commanding position that the only question at that point seemed to be: “How many will West Ham keep it down to?”

Arsenal spent the next 20 minutes passing the ball around at a leisurely pace, with no real urgency or desire to push for a 3rd goal, they were content to just leave West Ham chasing shadows as they passed it around the side who had been away in European action just 3 days prior. Arsenal’s casual approach would come back to bite them however, as Partey attempted a flick past Declan Rice who was on him in a flash, charging the ball down and finding Paqueta. His first touch was a dreadful one as he lost control of the ball, but Gabriel had already committed his body to a diving tackle, and though he managed to pull out at the last second, Pacqueta felt enough of a touch off Gabriel to go down and try to win a penalty. It was soft and perhaps harsh, but Arsenal had given the ref a decision to make. Firstly by Partey’s carelessness in possession so close to his own box and then by Gabriel’s clumsy challenge attempt.

Benrahma sent Ramsdale the wrong way to half the deficit and suddenly a game that was completely in Arsenal’s hands was once again in danger of slipping away. The chance to re-establish control emerged early in the second half when a Martinelli shot was charged down by the outstretched arm of Antonio and the ref pointed to the spot for the game’s second penalty.

Saka had never before missed a penalty for Arsenal and stepped up to take it, however on this occasion he pushed it way wide of the goal. Mere minutes after passing up this golden opportunity Arsenal were made to pay, when a simple ball lifted into the box from Kehrer bypassed an Arsenal defence who hadn’t pushed out quickly enough. They were caught cold as the ball arrived for Bowen to take on the volley and his shot which bobbled into the ground beat Ramsdale, who will have been disappointed he didn’t do better with it.

With West Ham’s tails well and truly up, Arsenal were dragged into a game where possession was exchanged regularly and cheaply, as they were forced to defend many situations such as corners and throw-ins. Holding in particular endured a torrid afternoon, with Antonio enjoying regular success in isolating himself against him one v one and getting the better of him. Arsenal wanted to salvage the day and rescue all 3 points which earlier on had looked all but assured, but they lacked the control over the game to do it. Substitutes helped them to re-establish some authority but they never really looked likely to score a 3rd goal and in the end they were forced to accept a second 2-2 draw in a week. Like at Liverpool, they had been 2-0 up but conceded before half-time and like the previous week a missed penalty early in the second half was a crucial moment in the game, this time of course it was Arsenal making the costly miss.

Arsenal had only themselves to blame for squandering such a commanding position through individual errors and a seemingly lax approach, but they had the chance to put things right just 5 days later at the Emirates as they hosted bottom side Southampton. However they got off to an unimaginably start when Ramsdale underhit a pass for Zinchenko, which was easily cut out by Alcaraz who immediately punished the error by putting it straight into the back of the net to put Arsenal behind after just 28 seconds. It was an unfathomably poor attempted pass from Ramsdale and after rescuing his side late away at Anfield, he had on this occasion put his side in a precariously bad position early doors.

A bad start got worse in the 14th minute when sloppy play in midfield eventually led to a poor giveaway from Odegaard which went straight to the Southampton midfield, with one pass they picked out Alcaraz who was in acres of space running towards the Arsenal back four, he spotted the run of Walcott and picked him out in behind Gabriel. The pass allowed the former Arsenal man to take a first time shot, and he was able to simply pass it beyond Ramsdale. 6 minutes later and Arsenal got themselves back into the game with Saka getting beyond his man and digging out a cross from the byline which found Martinelli who expertly steered it in on the volley.

Arsenal pushed for an equalising goal for the remainder of the first half, but Odegaard and Vieira (covering for Xhaka who missed out with illness) were wasteful with their opportunities. The closest Arsenal came to a first half equaliser came when when a clever Ben White header from a corner was cleared off the line.

Arsenal continued their domination in the second half but struggled to calve out many clear-cut chances, despite keeping Southampton pinned in their own third for much of the halves opening 20 minutes. One good chance came just shy of the hour mark when Saka and Jesus both had opportunities to force the ball over the goalline but both were unable. With 25 minutes of normal time remaining Arsenal made their job harder, when Partey unnecessarily played himself into trouble and ended up conceding a corner. From that resulting corner, taken by dead-ball specialist Ward-Prowse, Bella-Kotchap got the contact to send the ball to the backpost where Carleta-Car had been left completely free to nod home. Arsenal had began the game with over 50 more league points than Southampton, but now they trailed them at home by 3 goals to 1, as their title dreams crumbled all around them in the most unlikely of ways.

Just minutes later a big chance falls to Jesus to get Arsenal back in it once more, but on a frustrating night for the Brazilian, surely his worst for the club thus far, he fluffs his lines and skies his volley way over the bar. Another chance comes when a shot from Saka looked likely to find the back of the net before it was blocked by his own teammate in substitute Nketiah. Just as Arsenal had appeared to run out of ideas Odegaard bent one into the bottom corner from outside the box, an excellent strike from the Norwegian who like most of his teammates had endured a poor match. One of the few who hadn’t been poor was Bukayo Saka and 2 minutes later he got the equaliser. A good ball into the box by the lively Trossard (who had replaced the ineffectual Vieira) was held up by Jesus who teed up Nelson for the shot. His effort was saved but fell to the feet of Saka who levelled the game, just before the board for 8 additional minutes went up.

They surely couldn’t do it again could they? They tried. 2 minutes into stoppage time and Trossard thundered one off the bar, a few inches lower and the power would have beaten the keeper and the net would have been bulging. In the 5th minute lightning almost strikes twice for Nelson as he comes close to scoring his 2nd injury time winner of the season, but his effort deflects just wide. Partey’s evening which had been one to forget got even worse in the 98th minute when he ignored all his teammates and opted to try his luck from 30 yards out. It was just what Southampton were hoping for, a dreadful effort which flew miles high and wide of the goal.

Still it wasn’t over though as it went to the 100th minute, with Arsenal still attacking. Another chance fell to Jesus and yet again he was unable to take it, again ending up on the floor and appealing for a penalty which wasn’t forthcoming. The referee called time on a crazy game between top and bottom that ended in a 3-3 draw. The game showcased Arsenal’s fighting spirit and never say die desperation which is why they are top of the league, but it also showed their defensive vulnerabilities and capability to produce abysmal individual errors, which has meant their lead at the top had been cut to 5 points despite them having now played 2 games more than City.

Arsenal had not beaten City in the league since 2015, and since Guardiola took the job the following year, the Gunners had only managed to avoid defeat in the league against him once, going into the game on a run of 11 straight defeats in the Premier League to their title rivals. Arsenal began as 4/1 underdogs and those odds would’ve moved even higher when City scored the opening goal in the 7th minute. A long ball up to Haaland allowed City to bypass Arsenal’s press and the Norwegian touched it down and laid it off with Holding on his back as though he wasn’t there. His pass was perfectly weighted into the path of De Bruyne who was then able to isolate Gabriel 1 v 1, with ease he made room for the shot which beat Ramsdale from outside the box. The Belgian simply passed the ball firmly past the Arsenal keeper, of whom questions would be asked as to if he could have done better, but in fairness it did appear to be a very well placed finish.

Ramsdale was twice called into action later into the half, his intervention needed to stop Haaland doubling the lead on two separate occasions. First when he weaved his way in between Zinchenko and Holding with the ball at his feet and later when he attempted to finish off a cut-back from Gundogan. Ramsdale was equal to these attempts and Arsenal were in touching distance of getting into half time only a goal down. But right on half time, they conceded a free-kick and from the resulting set-piece De Bruyne found the unmarked head of John Stones who made no mistake. The linesman’s flag then immediately shot up for offside, but on VAR review it was found that White’s foot was just playing Stones onside, and now Arsenal had a mountain to climb.

A mountain they never really looked like climbing since they had been completely unable to get their dangerous wingers in the game, as the players instead mostly opted for safety first passes backwards and sideways, as though their only intention was to stave off City attacks for a while by keeping possession in an unthreatening manner. The game already appeared to be over but it was made certain in the 54th minute when a poor pass from Odegaard (typically of Arsenal on this night, one that tried to go backwards to Partey rather than try to progress the ball towards City’s goal) was picked off by De Bruyne who linked with Haaland, the duo’s combinations had destroyed Arsenal all evening and this instance was no exception as De Bruyne finished the move off with another smart finish for his second of the game.

After an opening hour where City had been vastly superior to Arsenal in every department in each area of the pitch, the hosts seemed content with their cushion and looked to see it out, which finally allowed Arsenal to grow into the game and string some passes together in better areas of the pitch. The introductions of Jorginho and Trossard in place of Xhaka and Martinelli who had been completely anonymous saw a slight improvement from Arsenal and it was a combination between them and fellow substitute Reiss Nelson that eventually saw Trossard tee up Holding for a first-time shot. It was a good finish from the centre-back as he gave Arsenal the smallest of small glimmers of hope with 4 minutes of normal time remaining. The final goal of the game would be City’s however when substitute Foden was allowed to bring the ball down on the edge of the box with all the time and space he needed to nudge it on for Haaland to strike first time. It wasn’t the cleanest of strikes but there was enough venom on the shot to beat Ramsdale and make it 4-1.

On the night Arsenal needed to produce their best performance of the season, they in fact produced their worst. Predictably Holding was terrorised by Haaland, Neither Partey or Xhaka had any success getting to grips with De Bruyne and in an attacking sense Odegaard, Martinelli and Saka had their quietest games of the season, with all 3 being subbed off before the end. The warning signs had been there with the contrasting form of the two sides going into the game. The damage had seemingly already been done from Arsenal’s side with the way they had surrendered and threw away points in the previous games. By holding onto their 2-0 lead away at West Ham and then beating the bottom placed side at home they could have gone to Etihad 9 points clear. Instead their slip-ups allowed the City game to be something of a straight shoot-out with the winner being the overwhelming favourite to take the title.

Given Arsenal’s recent struggles with Holding looking out of his depth, the form of Partey really dipping and a host of individual mistakes from others, getting a favourable result from the Etihad appeared a long shot but there could be questions asked of Arteta’s decision to stick with the likes of Holding and as well not bringing in Jorginho to try and bring more control to Arsenal’s midfield, either in support or in place of Partey. By keeping the same team, Arteta allowed Guardiola to see all of Arsenal’s weaknesses in recent games and set up to brutally expose them, which he did.

May

After 4 without a win, Arsenal were desperate to return to winning ways at home to Chelsea who were down in 12th position. Sensing he could persist no longer with what had not been working, Arteta made 3 changes to the starting line-up taking out Holding, Partey and Martinelli and bringing in Kiwior for his first Premier League start, Jorginho and Trossard who had been on the winning side in all 6 of his previous league starts for the club.

Arsenal quickly began to look more like their old selves, pressing aggressively and winning the ball back regularly in duels or by picking up the second ball. They got the goal their start merited in the 18th minute when Xhaka picked up the ball on the left hand side, with time to pick his head up he expertly found Odegaard who had found some space on the edge of the box. The captain’s first-time finish was a magnificent one as his effort went in off the underside of the crossbar. Chelsea almost responded when Kante picked out the run of Chilwell who had got free down the right hand side. Ramsdale produced an excellent stop to push his attempt wide for a corner and keep Arsenal ahead.

Just past the half-hour mark and Arsenal doubled the lead, with that same combination of Xhaka to Odegaard causing the problems for Chelsea once more. A cross from the left-hand side from the Swiss again found an unmarked Odegaard who again scored with a one-touch finish for his 14th league goal of the season. 3 minutes later and Arsenal had their third with White’s diagonal ball to the backpost picking out the chest of Jesus who laid it off for Xhaka to shoot. His effort was blocked but the ball fell to the feet of Jesus who struck it home for his 10th goal of the season, making Arsenal the first side in Europe’s top 5 leagues to have 4 different players hit double figures.

The Gunners looked to continue where they’d left off in the second half and almost got the 4th when Gabriel got his head on a corner, beating Kepa to the ball but Thiago Silva was well positioned on the goalline to clear it away. Chelsea had not been able to deal with Xhaka all night long and he was the next to come close to adding himself to the scoresheet but his effort was saved by Kepa.

As has become a regular occurrence at the Emirates in recent months, just as Arsenal appeared certain to score the game’s 4th goal and make it 4-0, they would instead concede it against the run of play. Yet again it was a goal they should have done better on, Zinchenko this time the guilty party, switching off and allowing Madueke to run off the back of him, which gave Kovacic a clear target to pick out which he did. With one pass, from a situation where there was no danger Madueke was now through on goal and with a good first touch he was able to finish beyond Ramsdale despite the attentions of Gabriel by bobbling the shot into the ground.

Arsenal had once again failed to be ruthless at one end and then at the other switched off to concede a soft, avoidable goal. From there the game got messy, Arsenal could not regain the same control over it they’d had up to conceding, but Chelsea never looked likely to seriously threaten the result of an Arsenal win, with the game ending 3-1. There had been positives for Arsenal, the main one of course being they’d ended their winless run by beating a local rival, and they looked more comfortable as a team with Kiwior in defence who had done well on his first league start. Jorginho as well had been a big improvement on the recent displays in that position from Partey, the Italian midfielder kept things ticking, never dwelling on the ball unnecessarily and that helped Arsenal to move the ball around much quicker and get the ball into the forward players regularly. There would be however tougher tests ahead, such as the away trip to 3rd place Newcastle.

After recent away fixtures at Anfield, West Ham and the Etihad, Arsenal’s travels were not getting any easier as they visited 3rd place Newcastle who had only lost at home once in all competitions and who had recently dispatched Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham 6-1, with the Magpies leading 5-0 after 21 minutes. They threatened to make a similarly fast start against Arsenal, hitting the post inside 70 seconds with Jacob Murphy afforded too much room for the shot by Zinchenko. Pressure from Newcastle forced Arsenal into conceding a corner and from that resulting set-piece, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty judging Kiwior, who had kept his place in the team, to have blocked a Joelinton effort with his arm.

VAR looked at the incident and in the end asked the ref to go across to the monitor and decide for himself. After several re-watches it was clear that the ball had first hit Kiwior around his knee before diverting on to his arm and nearly 3 minutes after pointing to the spot, the referee reversed his decision. It was already looking like another long afternoon for Arsenal though, in an incredibly hot and hostile atmosphere with 50,000 Newcastle fans relishing the occasion of their side coming up against one of the Big Boys and attempting to unsettle them.

In the 14th minute though the game turned in Arsenal’s favour. After winning a free-kick, Jorginho who was keeping Partey out of the team went back inside to Odegaard. Newcastle had expected the ball to be worked outwide so had everyone deep in their box preparing for a cross. This gave Odegaard time to set his sights and after setting the ball out of his feet he let fly with a powerful, accurate strike which quickly travelled through Botman’s legs and all the way into the back of the net. It was a goal eerily similar to the one he scored away at Spurs back in January, and with this one he joined Martinelli on 15 league goals, to mark the first time in Premier League history that Arsenal had 2 players reach 15 goals.

The goal settled Arsenal down massively, and they began to thrive in the white hot atmosphere twice cutting through Newcastle with scintillating passing moves. The first opening came after 20 minutes when after a patient build-up Odegaard suddenly put Martinelli clean through with an exquisite pass, but he could only hit it straight at Pope in goal, Odegaard then forced Pope into immediate action in the aftermath with a curling effort from a wide position. Just minutes later Arsenal were in again as Saka found himself suddenly in on goal after another sharp passing move. He faired no better than Martinelli though hitting his shot straight at the frame of Pope.

Those misses could have been costly as Newcastle forced Ramsdale into action at the other end, but he was on hand to deny Willock with his legs. Right on half-time Arsenal had another huge chance to get into the break 2-0 up but this time it was Odegaard’s turn to be denied by Pope when presented with a one on one. Saka won the ball back down Newcastle’s left and fed Martinelli who was able to find Odegaard. The skipper dummied past Burn who was left on the floor but Pope was quick to close down the angle and Odegaard could not find the precision to beat the big target Pope had imposed.

Newcastle started the second half with the same intensity they began the first, and there was a couple of bad minutes for Zinchenko. First with Murphy running at him, he continued to back off and back off, in the end falling over and allowing Murphy to easily pick out a cross which was met by the end of Isak who was denied by the post. A minute later Zinchenko then gave a cheap free-kick away in a dangerous area. Schar’s head met the subsequent free-kick and but for a fantastic reaction stop from Ramsdale, the Geordies would have been level. Arsenal again responded to the Newcastle chances by coming up with one of their own, Martinelli coming close with a fantastic effort which left Pope rooted to the spot, but didn’t quite come down enough and bounced off the crossbar.

The hosts came close again just shy of the hour mark, but were again denied this time by a fantastic sliding block by Xhaka just as Willock was about to pull the trigger from close range. Xhaka was high upfield but as a good Newcastle move played through Arsenal’s press, the Swiss midfielder chased all the way back and then timed his tackle to perfection. Sensing the precarious nature of Arsenal’s lead, Arteta withdrew Zinchenko who had again suffered in moments and replaced him with Tierney. Arteta made the switch with the intention of preserving the cleansheet but it also had an impact at the other end as the Scot leapt onto a loose Newcastle pass and found Jesus who then fed Martinelli on the half-way line, the winger carried the ball down the flank until slowing down when he was level with the penalty area, he then faced the Newcastle full-back up, teasing him before eventually making room to fire a low cross along the six-yard box which Schar turned into his own net.

With the two-goal cushion Arsenal’s win never again looked in doubt, with Partey brought on in place of Odegaard to try and help shut the game down. Arsenal saw out the 2-0 win for one of their most impressive results of the season, which offered some revival to their title chances. Against a very physical side who attempted to bully them by often leaving a foot in and going in extremely aggressively, the Arsenal players remained brave for 90 minutes and took their bumps and bruises in order to win the game. The Gunners did not allow themselves to be rattled by Newcastle’s roughhouse tactics, instead using them to their advantage by taking their time getting up to frustrate the crowd and stifle the home teams rhythm.

After a wobbly April, The Arsenal looked their old selves again, back to something approaching their best. Ramsdale’s form had dipped in the previous month but here he was flawless as he picked up his 10th away cleansheet of the season, which was twice as many as any other keeper in the league. Kiwior and Jorginho helped Arsenal to look much more solid and composed than they had with Holding and Partey in the side in recent games. Xhaka and Odegaard were also vital in Arsenal picking up the 3 points and with 3 games left to play, they remained alive in the title race.

For the 8th successive gameweek that Arsenal and City were both in Premier League action not against each other, Arsenal took to the field knowing their title rivals had already won that weekend. On this occasion it was particularly damaging. City had a tricky looking fixture away at relegation threatened Everton sandwiched in between two Champions League semis with Real Madrid. To still be in with a fighting chance of the title, realistically Arsenal required City to drop points here, but they won easily by 3 goals to 0 for their 11th successive victory in the league. It was a punch to the gut for the Arsenal fans in the stadium and the players who took to the pitch shortly afterwards.

Arsenal’s opponents on the day Brighton were fighting for European qualification for the first time in the club’s history and they needed to bounce back from a shock 5-1 home defeat to Everton earlier that week. They boasted a good record at the Emirates, having already won there this season in the League Cup. Arsenal had beaten Brighton at the Emirates just once in their last 5 attempts.

Arsenal would be without Zinchenko who had been all but ruled out for the remainder of the season, and after 20 minutes they lost Martinelli aswell, as he was unable to shake off a poor challenge on him by Caicedo that also ruled him out of Arsenal’s last 2 games of the campaign. His replacement Trossard came closest to giving Arsenal the lead against his former club when he travelled into the box with the ball and then let fly, but his shot was just too high and clipped the crossbar on its way over.

For much of the first half Arsenal had to be patient and disciplined as Brighton knocked the ball around with supreme confidence, daring Arsenal to push high and press them, leaving space in behind for their wide players to run onto accurate clipped balls forward. It was a tactic that did give Arsenal some trouble, but they also came close at the other end when pouncing on loose Brighton passes and as the half drew to a close Arsenal were growing into the game and beginning to edge closer to the opening goal. The best Arsenal chance fell to Saka when the Gunners kept the ball alive in the box and it eventually fell to the youngster who looked to find the bottom corner but fired just the wrong side of the post.

The game was finely poised at half-time, Arsenal had been made to accept far less possession at home than they were used to, but they still had the better chances of the half, being let down by less than clinical finishing from Saka and Odegaard. The first goal of this game always felt like being a massive one in deciding the outcome and it was the visitors who got it. Mitoma gave White a torrid afternoon, the Arsenal right-back was completely unable to get to grips with him, he was toyed with and tormented all game in what must have been his most difficult day in an Arsenal shirt since his debut.

The goal came from more Mitoma work down his side, the winger put Estupinan in behind White whose initial cross was blocked but the ball fell to him once more and this time he was able to pick out the head of the 5 foot 7 Enciso who could head home unmarked from point blank range. The goal immediately looked bizarre as just before the cross came in Kiwior went down off the ball clutching his ankle. On the replay it was clear Ferguson had impeded Kiwior by accidentally stepping on the back of his ankle but VAR did not intervene.

Going behind early in the second half was a real blow to Arsenal as it gave Brighton yet more confidence and they began to play even better, raising their level to heights Arsenal were struggling to match. Substitute Nelson who had replaced Xhaka came closest to getting Arsenal an equaliser with a powerful low drive after cutting in from the left, again it was close but not close enough for the hosts. With time running out, Arteta played his final hand and brought on Nketiah and Smith-Rowe, neither of whom had made much impact as second half substitutes all season for Jesus and Odegaard. It seemed something of a bizarre move, as did leaving on Saka who for the 6th time in his last 7 starts failed to notch a goal or assist and was evidently badly struggling for form.

Arsenal did not muster any further threat after these subs and it was Brighton who secured victory in the 86th minute. Arsenal’s day was summed up when Trossard, one of their most consistent performers since joining the club made a costly mistake when he lost possession after being found by his goalkeeper, his attempted pass was instantly blocked by Gross and with that one touch the ball fell perfectly into the flight of Undav who lifted the ball over Ramsdale and into the empty net.

If Arsenal thought their day couldn’t get any worse they were wrong as in the 6th minute of added on time, Ramsdale could only push out an Undav shot to Estupinan who reacted quickly and bobbled his shot beyond the Arsenal keeper, who was celebrating a very unhappy 25th Birthday. It was just the 3rd league game all season Arsenal had failed to find the net and at the other end they’d now conceded 15 goals in their last 8 games. The week before they’d managed to hold onto City’s coattails with a great win at Newcastle, but this time faced with another tough opponent and needing to dig deep once more just to hold onto the coattails of the league leaders that little bit longer, they had been unable to muster what was required. It was a day where everything went wrong.

Arsenal’s final away game all season would also see them wearing their much loved black away strip for the final time, a kit generally considered to be one of the best in the clubs history. The Gunners hoped to bid a fond farewell to it at Nottingham Forest, the home team who knew one more win would keep them mathematically safe from relegation in their first season back in the Premier League. Anything less than an away victory would secure City as Champions with 3 games to spare.

Arteta went with an unusual looking side, Kiwior moved to the left-back position with White filling in for him at centre-half, making his first start of the season in his old position. Partey came back into the team for his first start since the City defeat, filling in at right-back. For the third time in the last 5 games, an Odegaard give-away in midfield led immediately to a goal as another cheap giveaway from the skipper allowed Gibbs-White to break away. His through pass for Awoniyi was weighted just right, Gabriel slid in to try and clear the ball but only succeeded in pushing the ball into the forwards stride as he made contact with the ball and put it beyond the sprawling Ramsdale.

Arsenal had 71 minutes to find an equaliser against a team who had not kept a cleansheet in their last 15 matches. However they never really looked like getting it. With something to protect Forest sat in a compact shape with nearly every player behind the ball and waited for Arsenal to try and break them down. The away team passed the ball around in a laboured fashion, with slow side to side passing where too many touches were taken and the most obvious option was taken again and again.

They were desperate for some creativity but nobody on the field seemed to have it in them to be the game’s spark and get the team back in the game. The most obvious candidates to be that player: Jesus, Trossard, Odegaard and Saka all toiled in their own way. Trossard was anonymous, Jesus was bullied, Odegaard could not find the space to get on the ball in dangerous positions and Saka continued to look all out of ideas and energy. Jesus appeared to have a strong case for a penalty when he was clearly pulled back when trying to get on the end of a pass played in behind by White. Instead of pointing to the spot though, the referee booked Jesus for his angry protests at the penalty not being given.

Arsenal looked like a team desperate for the season to end as they crawled on their knees towards the finish line. Arsenal managed 82% possession but with it mustered just one more shot on target than Forest with 3. 19% possession is the lowest possession with which a team has won a Premier League game since the 03/04 campaign. With the win at Newcastle, Arsenal had given fans hope they could dig in until the end of the season and at least finish it strong, but instead they suffered back to back league defeats for the first time all season, and failed to score in consecutive league games for the first time in the campaign too. After such a magnificent campaign it was now all petering out rather lamely.

Arsenal would close the season out with a home game against Wolves. Arteta opted to keep the same 11 that had lost against Forest, he and everyone else hoped for a better outcome this time. It took Arsenal 11 minutes to end their goalless run when Jesus appeared on the right, reached the by-line and produced a pin-point cross onto the head of the unmarked Xhaka who nodded home from inside the six-yard box. 3 minutes later and Arsenal’s advantage was doubled, again it began with wing play down the right, this time it was Saka beating his man and playing in Odegaard who attempted to return it to him with a flick of his heel, the ball instead was met by Wolves defender Kilman, but he only succeeded in putting the ball in the path of Xhaka who sidefooted it into the net. With a move back to Germany now an open secret, in his 297th and final game in Arsenal colours, the Swiss midfielder had notched his very first brace for the club. The goal was also Arsenal’s 100th of the season across all competitions.

Arsenal went 3-0 up before the half-hour mark, the ball was again worked out wide to Saka who played it to Partey before Trossard and Odegaard combined. This made room for Saka to be fed inside the box by Trossard, the youngster took a sharp, sudden touch to go back inside and with it he made the space for a shot. His shot was an excellent one fiercely curling in beyond Sa in the Wolves goal and the perfect end to the week for the man who had just committed his future to Arsenal with the signing of a new contract.

There was still time in the first half for Xhaka to have the chance to notch his first ever hattrick, an excellent patient passing move we have become accustomed to seeing from Arsenal this season eventually led to Saka finding an umarked Xhaka right infront of goal. He had time to set himself and pick his spot and appeared certain to net his 3rd goal with his 3rd shot, but this time he got the connection all wrong and miscued horribly wide, denying himself the most perfect possible send-off.

Early in the second half Partey momentarily thought he’d put Arsenal 4-0 up but on a replay it was quickly apparent that White had clearly fouled the goalkeeper and the goal was rightly chalked off. However it didn’t take Arsenal much longer to get the 4th goal, an excellent long pass from Jorginho picked out the run of Trossard who waited for support before getting the cross in which was met by the head of Jesus. This was Trossard’s second assist of the game, and already his 10th in Arsenal colours despite only joining in January.

In the 78th minute, Arsenal got their 5th when a corner eventually fell to Kiwior who got decent contact on the ball. However Sa should have done much better with the effort but instead fumbled it over his goalline. Not only was this goal Kiwior’s first for Arsenal, it also gave Arsenal their 88th league goal of the season, which had the distinction of being their highest ever tally in a Premier League season, this goal taking it clear of their previous best of 87 in the 04/05 season. The 5-0 win was their 26th league win of the season which was the club’s joint most ever in a Premier League campaign, equalling the number won in their league winning campaigns of 01-02 and 03-04. Their final points tally of 84 was their highest since the Invincibles 19 years earlier and their 3rd highest ever in a Premier League season.

Arsenal player ratings from April to May (must have started a game or else appeared in at least 5 games):

Ramsdale 6/10- Continuing the seasons pattern he produced his best performances at difficult away grounds, winning Arsenal a point with a series of top saves at Anfield and keeping a cleansheet away at Newcastle with a flawlessly solid display. His worst moment of the season came at the worst possible time, a huge error in the first minute of Arsenal’s home game against Southampton, as the team floundered with their title bid on rocky waters.

White 6/10- All Arsenal’s backline suffered with the loss of Saliba and White was no different. The injury to Tomiyasu also meant White was ever-present in Arsenal’s last 10 games. His worst day of the season came in the 3-0 loss to Brighton where he was terrorised by Mitoma. Otherwise White was usually one of Arsenal’s better performers even in games the team did not play well. He finished the season back in his old centre-back slot as Arteta made tactical alterations.

Holding 3/10- His first 2 games in place of the injured Saliba went fine with Arsenal winning with a combined aggregate score of 8-2 at home to Palace and Leeds. However as fans feared, when tougher tests emerged Holding was found wanting. He conceded a penalty at Anfield and was bullied by Antonio at West Ham as Arsenal dropped points from commanding positions in both games. At this point it seemed unsustainable to continue with Holding in the team, but Arteta did and that’s on the manager not the player. Arsenal then conceded 3 to bottom placed Southampton and the away match at City went predictably badly with Holding up against Haaland. Though it would be unfair to pin Arsenal’s collapse solely on Holding, I don’t think 21-year old Saliba would’ve prevented nerves and the magnitude of the title run-in from hampering Arsenals displays somewhat, but there is no denying Holding complicated matters further for Arsenal due to his style of wanting to defend from a deep position which clashes with how Arsenal want to play. It is likely that with Saliba or even Kiwior, Arsenal would have at least picked up more points than they did in April.

Kiwior 6/10- Made his first league start against Chelsea and helped Arsenal to look more like themselves and end a winless run of 4 games. He looked similarly composed the following game when tested further away at Newcastle. Ended the season at left-back which could suggest this is where Arteta sees his future.

Gabriel 6/10- Didn’t look quite the same without his centre-back partner Saliba. Committed a soft foul in the box against West Ham which allowed them back into the match and was the beginning of Arsenal’s collapse. His need to be present in the middle of defence to help with build-up and because Holding does not have the athleticism to defend the area alone meant Zinchenko was often left more isolated as Gabriel could not offer his usual protection on the left side of defence.

Zinchenko 5/10- A tough end to the season for the left-back. His score of 5 is due to what he gives Arsenal on the ball, always giving them a safe passing option with his technical security. However if it was on defending alone, his score would be much lower as his defensive lapses have cost Arsenal goals on a far too regular basis across the final two months of the season.

Tierney 6/10- His gametime has continued to be limited, even when Zinchenko was ruled out the final 3 games with injury, Arteta still chose a different option to fill in. He started just 2 of Arsenal’s last 10 games, struggling away at West Ham trying to replicate Zinchenko’s inverted role and being on the wrong end of a 3-0 loss at home to Brighton. He fared better in his cameos though, shoring up Arsenal’s defence in the second half at Newcastle when Zinchenko was starting to struggle.

Partey 4.5/10- More than any other player, Partey suffered most from the absence of Saliba. His overplaying which saw him robbed of possession by Rice was the start of things unravelling for him and Arsenal. He made another costly mistake the following game against Southampton losing possession needlessly and Arsenal conceded from the resulting corner to go 3-1 down. After another poor performance away at City, he lost his place to Jorginho. Partey returned to the side in a new right-back role.

Jorginho 6.5/10- Helped Arsenal return to winning ways with his introduction to the starting line-up at home to Chelsea. Followed it up with a classy performance away at Newcastle but was unable to prevent Arsenal losing their next two at home to Brighton and away at Forest.

Xhaka 6.5/10- Got two assists against Chelsea and was excellent in Arsenal’s away win at Newcastle. Like nearly everyone he struggled in Arsenal’s disastrous April but finished the season with a brace in his last game for the club.

Odegaard 6.5/10- 3 poor giveaways in midfield from the skipper led directly to 3 goals conceded in a six-game run. The sloppy passes from Odegaard in what had become a dysfunctional looking team were punished by Southampton, City and Nottingham Forest respectively. However at the other end the Norwegian had a run of 5 goals in as many games, including a nice goal from outside the box against Southampton to get Arsenal back in the game, a brace against Chelsea to help end Arsenal’s 4-game winless run and the opener away at Newcastle which settled the Gunners down after they’d began under the cosh. Vieira 4/10- Started against Southampton but was hooked before the hour-mark after failing to input any personality on the game, and wasting a couple of potential openings. Did not fare any better when appearing off the bench.

Saka 6/10- His missed penalty at West Ham while Arsenal led 2-1 was one of the defining moments of Arsenal’s season. Mentally and physically the season appeared to take its toll on the youngster as the weeks went on as he seemed without his usual creative spark and explosiveness as the season drew to a close. Re-found it on the last day of the season to score a smashing goal to end a 5-game run without a goal or assist.

Martinelli 7.5/10- Scored 2 and assisted 2 in Arsenal’s 3 successive draws. Was anonymous away at City but after returning to the starting line-up away at Newcastle produced a top performance. Unlucky to have his season ended two games early. The 21-year old may lack experience but he didn’t lack belief or fighting spirit as he fought hard to keep Arsenal’s title hopes alive.

Reiss Nelson 6/10- Made a positive impact from the bench when introduced against Southampton and City.

Jesus 6/10- After 4 goals in 3 games he then endured his most frustrating games thus far for the club against Southampton and City where he did not make a positive impact. Returned to the goals against Chelsea and finished with a goal and assist at home to Wolves.

Trossard 6.5/10- The return to fitness of Jesus meant Trossard lost his place in the side but when returning to the starting line-up against Chelsea he played well. An uncharacteristic mistake at home to Brighton led to Arsenal conceding the game killing second goal, but he finished the season well with 2 assists vs Wolves.

Arteta 6/10- The manager had been nearly faultless up to April but in the season defining moments he came up short. His substitutions vs Liverpool and Brighton in particular were eyebrow raising and did not work. His persistence with always starting Saka despite the winger’s apparent lack of fitness aswell as form seemed unnecessary. It was a big ask to keep a young, inexperienced side calm and composed as the pressure built in many players first title race and he was not able to do it. That said, the Emirates Stadium was still near capacity a full hour after the final match of the season against Wolves as fans waited to hear the managers parting message for the summer. This pays testament to the work he has done this season in bringing the fans and the club closer together.

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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The Madness of Manchester City

Manchester City became just the third English club since the Second World War to win 3 league titles on the spin, with Liverpool doing it between 81/82 and 83/84 and United doing it twice under Ferguson, first between 98/99 and 00/01, and then again between 06/07 and 08/09. They also became just the third team in this country to win 5 league titles in 6 years after Liverpool did it between 78/79 and 83/84 and United did it between 95/96 and 00/01.

Liverpool dominated the 70′s and 80′s, aswell as winning 3 in a row they also won back-to-back titles on two separate occasions. Between 1975 and 1990, they never went longer than a single season without winning the title back. However despite Liverpool’s long period of dominance, it was still possible in this period for Nottingham Forest to win the title in their first season after promotion from the Second Division, Aston Villa to win their first league title for 71 years using just 14 players as Liverpool finished 5th, Everton to be crowned champions twice in 3 years and Arsenal to win the title at Anfield on the last day of the season by the two-goal margin they required to snatch the Division One trophy from Liverpool.

On the final Monday Night Football, Neville

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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An Arsenal Fan’s view on what the club need to do this summer to compete on all fronts next season.

The Summer of 2023 promises to be one of the most important ones in recent memory for Arsenal. For much of the last decade plus they’d sleepwalked themselves into becoming something of a sleeping giant. Perhaps understandably at first given the financial restraints of paying off their new stadium, a time where Arsenal spent most of their time anxiously guarding their world class talents. Rather than being able to look around the market and buy more, they instead had to settle for the more mediocre and year after year their best players were plucked from under them and Arsenal had to endure watching them lift the big prizes elsewhere.

The signing of Mesut Ozil was added to Santi Cazorla, and the following summer when the trophy drought was ended, Alexis Sanchez was also brought in. Arsenal appeared to be waking from their stupor. However, just as in the days of Fabregas, Nasri and Van Persie, Wenger was either unable or unwilling to pay up for a support cast that could turn Arsenal back into real title contenders, though the prospect momentarily flickered from time to time.

Next Arsenal gambled and went big with the signings of Lacazette, Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe. There was short-lived success in the shape of another FA Cup, but things quickly lurched to disaster. Arsenal went from finishing 2nd in 2016, to back to back 8th placed finishes by 2021 under fledgling new manager and former captain Mikel Arteta. Transfer policy shifted with Arsenal identifying young talents such as Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard. This added to a special young trio of talents, that of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe. Despite narrowly missing out on Champions League football, the confidence and feel good factor was slowly returning to Arsenal and they then added Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Champions Manchester City.

Those summer additions helped Arsenal produce a starting 11 so good they won 23 of their first 29 league games. However, 2 defensive injuries to the colossal William Saliba and back-up right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu have laid bare the lack of depth that still exists in this Arsenal squad, in terms of being able to actually win the league against one of Sport’s most dominant ever teams in Guardiola’s City. Those injuries have meant Arsenal have had to turn to Rob Holding, a player signed from Bolton for £2M, who peaked in his 1st season for the club as a 20-year old, since then he’s only gone downhill. Arsenal exited the domestic cups very early, they exited the Europa League at its first knockout round, they didn’t have that many players involved at the World Cup as starters for their nations, and STILL injuries have once again derailed their season. It simply must stop happening, the time is now for Arsenal to build a squad which can compete in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Arsenal have a brilliant, ambitious young manager, a fantastically talented young team who with meaningful additions in the right areas this summer can set themselves up to be the kind of team that produces the consistency of say Klopp’s Liverpool at their peak. They really can. But it requires those at the top to continue being bold and not resting on their laurels. The thinking from the board under Wenger was: “So long as we get the Champions League money by making top 4 we’re happy.” Such thinking can not be allowed to return. That kind of thinking damaged Arsenal for years, damaged United in recent years under the Glazers, and is damaging Spurs under Dan Levy now.

Arsenal could be on the precipice of doing special things at home and maybe even abroad, but they are not there yet. But they must not hesitate, the momentum is with them. They are one of the biggest clubs in the biggest league in the world, therefore they are one of the hottest destinations for talent in the world, and they also happen to play in what is regarded as one of the best cities in the world, the City of London. Having woken from their slumber, it’s time for Arsenal to no longer be a sleeping giant and begin to throw their wait around like the big club they are. Can they go and ruthlessly take West Ham’s captain and best player? Can they go back in for Caicedo, and actually get him this time? The outcome to these questions will surely tell us more about whether Arsenal can once again produce glory years akin to those with Pires, Henry and Vieira or if it will be another era of nearly men, of ‘if’s’ ‘but’s’ and ‘maybe’s’.

In this piece I will lay out what Arsenal must, could and should do this summer to ensure they don’t stand still and continue to evolve.

Goalkeeper

No movement required in this area for Arsenal this summer. Ramsdale had an impressive debut season at Arsenal and he’s gotten better in his follow-up campaign. Up until recently he was having a brilliant season, best exemplified by his stellar performance away at Anfield, earlier on he was also outstanding away at Tottenham. In recent weeks his form has dipped, which has led some to question whether he is good enough to be the number 1 keeper in a league winning team. This in my opinion is harsh and a consequence of recency bias, if all Arsenal players were judged on their performances over the last few weeks, they would all need to be replaced as none of them have played like league winners. He’s also one of the best around with his feet which is of course essential to the way Arsenal build-up, so his number 1 spot is assured at the moment.

And at 24, he’s still a baby in goalkeeper years with plenty of room to grow over the coming seasons. If he can keep making small improvements the potential is definitely there to become one of Europe’s top goalkeepers, however he is still a way off the finished article. He hasn’t been commanding in dealing with corners this season, his confidence is usually one of his biggest assets but it has been wobbled slightly at times, and his confidence with passing has occasionally become over-confidence which has caused big problems for him and his side. Overall though, Arsenal can be optimistic that this promising young goalkeeper matures into a really great one.

Matt Turner as USA’s Number 1 isn’t a bad one to have as your back-up keeper, but he will be hopeful Arsenal go much further in the domestic cups than in his first season, or else his game time could be severely limited. At 21 it could be a good time for 3rd choice keeper and Estonian International Karl Hein to get first team football on loan somewhere.

Conclusion

Sell: N/A.

Loan: Hein.

Sign: N/A.

Defence

Gabriel and Saliba have formed what is the most complete centre-back partnership Arsenal have had since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, they are excellent together and Arsenal fans will be hoping they stay together for a long time. However an injury to Saliba exposed Arsenal’s lack of depth at centre-back and this summer needs to be the end of the road at Arsenal for Rob Holding. As the player’s at Arsenal have got better over the last 12 months, the extent to which he has been out of his depth has been further exposed. I think he lacks the speed, physicality, decision making and technical ability to be even a solid mid-table level Premier League defender and would instead be better suited to Serie A, where he could build his career in a way similar to Chris Smalling, who also struggled massively in the Premier League. Holding is obviously a popular dressing room figure, who is liked and trusted by Arteta, but to compete with the likes of City and other strong teams upon their return to the Champions League, they simply need better strength in depth than what Holding can muster and he must be sold.

Arsenal must also part ways with Cedric which seems inevitable, as does the departure of Ainsley Maitland-Niles whom I and many others once considered to have a bright future at Arsenal, due to his versatility. Despite initially winning Arteta over and playing well in Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph, he fell out of favour and having been linked with a permanent move away for some time, surely this is the summer it finally happens. Pablo Mari will also depart permanently for Monza, as per the terms of his loan deal.

Nuno Taveres was signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for £8M but looked out of his depth at left-back in most of Arsenal’s league games, especially at the business end of the season where he was pretty costly in Arsenal’s missing out on top 4. He’s had a resurgent season on loan at Marseille, where he has often been deployed in a more advanced role on the wing. During a particularly good spell it was thought by some that there may be a future for him yet with Arsenal, but I don’t see it. I think he will always lack the tactical discipline and intelligence Arteta demands from his players, and aswell the intensity. The best case here is Taveres finishes the season strong and Marseille want to keep him, in which case Arsenal should be looking to at least make a comfortable profit on the 23-year old.

The subject of Kieran Tierney is an interesting and divisive one. He’s clearly a very good left-back and at 25 is likely approaching his peak. However he is a very different style to Zinchenko, and if the manager wants Zinchenko’s inverted position mimicked by his back-up, Tierney is never gonna be the one to do that well, because he’s not in that mould. Newcastle are thought to be potential admirers, and there’s no doubting he’d likely prove an excellent player for them and improve them even further. So considering Newcastle are now a rival for Champions League places going forward, does that mean Arsenal should definitely refuse to sell to them? Not necessarily, as Arsenal’s top priority has to be Arsenal.

Saudi-backed Newcastle have got huge money and they’re not afraid to splash it around, evidenced in January by them spending £40M on Everton’s want-away winger Anthony Gordon. He had scored 7 times in senior football and never been capped by his country. Therefore if Arsenal are to sell Tierney they would be fools to let him go for less than that.

It’s not essential to sell Tierney as he is a solid player, who’s a good option to bring on to replace Zinchenko to help see games out with more defensive solidity, but Arteta has not often used him like that this season, outside of a few very brief cameos. So if Arteta no longer values his importance to the side that highly, it makes sense for all parties for Arsenal to sell, but they would be smart to not allow Newcastle to secure for a low-ball offer, because he’s likely to be very popular on Tyneside, so the Gunners need to make sure they remain firm and don’t sell for below their asking price. Arsenal have struggled in recent years to get good value for their players, for example allowing Leno to join Fulham for just £8M. It’s an area they must improve in this summer.

Where the money from a Tierney sale should then be invested depends on several decisions Arteta could take. Polish International Jakub Kiwior was signed in January from Spezia for £27M. Given the reliability of Gabriel, and Kiwior being left-footed meaning there is only one CB spot (the LCB spot) available to him I find it hard to believe the 22-year old was signed just as a Gabriel back-up. I feel his profile could be used to replicate Zinchenko’s role in the side as an inverted left-back, taking up the usual central positions the Ukrainian takes. He has experience playing left-back and defensive midfield, so it seems likely this is a role that’s been earmarked for him. Therefore Kiwior could act as first in reserve for both Gabriel and Zinchenko, giving the Pole much more opportunities for game time.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has endured an injury laden 2 seasons with Arsenal, despite mostly being back-up behind Ben White this season. Given Tomiyasu’s 6 foot 2 frame, I believe there could be something to trying to convert him to become a centre-back option. The full-back role demands endless running up and down the flanks, often at speed and I feel trying Tomiyasu in the middle instead could better protect him from injuries. Tomiyasu has experience in the role having played there many times for his country and whilst playing in the Belgian Pro League.

He is a good passer with both feet and usually makes good decisions with the ball but his on the ball limitations are exposed more at full-back in this Arsenal team, as he often doesn’t look completely comfortable in the oppositions final third, rarely making runs beyond Saka to offer him that option or just to pull a defender away from the winger, as we have become accustomed to seeing from White. Whilst a fine right-back defensively, I can only see Tomiyasu’s body breaking down season after season in the role of an attacking full-back, which at Arsenal you need to be, so if he is to have a future at the club I think it needs to be as a back-up for Saliba and Gabriel, with more sporadic appearances at full-back in cases of emergency. Aswell as potentially taking that option, Arsenal will still need to sign a replacement for Holding and it will be very straightforward to identify a clear upgrade, who is more comfortable on the ball and better suited to the physical demands of the Premier League, potentially one who is already playing in it for a club somewhere down the table.

In Arsenal’s position I would then invest money from a Tierney sale on a right-back who can challenge for the position with White, and offer the same things White does with security in possession and with the fitness and attacking instincts to offer the overlap for Saka constantly throughout the game. A new right-back would give Arsenal more defensive flexibility and options, as if suffering with an injury/suspension for eg. they could move White to centre-back where he is reliable and play the new right-back alongside him. Or if White and Saliba were both injured, Tomiyasu could come into RCB with the new right-back now next to him. One right-back Arsenal have recently been interested in is 18-year old Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid, with the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund both vying for his services last January. Considering Arteta already has 2 solid right-back options, it seems likely his interest in a third would suggest he also sees a future for Tomiyasu in a centre-half role.

Conclusion

Sell: Cedric, Tavares, Mari, Tierney (if offered around £40M), Holding.

Loan: Trusty (to Premier League club).

Sign: Right-Back, Centre-Back.

Decisions: Tomiyasu as CB option, Kiwior as LB option.

Midfield

This is the position most rife with rumours when it comes to potential recruits for Arsenal this summer and understandably so. Partey is 30 this summer, Xhaka is already 30 and Jorginho is 31. There are 2 players at the top of virtually every Arsenal fans wishlist: Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Declan Rice of West Ham. Arsenal have already seen a £70M bid for 21-year old Caicedo rejected, but will remain encouraged despite his recent contract extension, due to his initial desire to join the club, which saw him issue a very public transfer request. Since then he has spoken of his desire to see Arsenal win the league, so he seemingly remains interested.

Caicedo shows similarities to the N’Golo Kante we saw at Leicester and in his early years at Chelsea, a player capable of winning the ball cleanly from all manner of unlikely positions, such players are essential to a team and can be the difference across a season between finishing 1st and 2nd, as Kante demonstrated winning back-to-back Premier League’s with Leicester and Chelsea. Caicedo plays well beyond his years, despite having played less than 100 senior club games, with over a third of them being back in the Ecuadorian league. Less than a year after signing him for an undisclosed fee Brighton unequivocally rejected a £70M offer for him, which shows their confidence that when he does leave, it will be for an even bigger fee. They are right to believe that, especially after getting him to commit to a new contract.

Declan Rice has been linked with a move from his beloved West Ham for years now, and Chelsea always seemed likely to be his eventual destination. For Arsenal it was probably seen as a bit of a pipe dream, they’ve not been able to offer him Champions League Football and financially could not get into a bidding war with the likes of Chelsea. However the balance of power has shifted quite drastically this season with Arsenal leading the way for much of the season, with an exciting young manager and group of players which would interest any player looking for his next club.

Caicedo is more of a classic 6 than Rice, though he is much more than just a ball-winner, he possesses a diverse passing range. Rice can excel either as a number 6 or a number 8, so the most ambitious Arsenal fans are dreaming of signing them both and having them in the same midfield along with Odegaard. It’s not impossible, and I think it should at least be the club’s ambition to try. They are the bookies favourites to sign both players, but they will likely face stern competition for these players signatures from Liverpool and Chelsea especially who are both desperate for central midfielders.

With Champions League money in their pocket for the first time since 2016, Arsenal should have the financial might to be in with a shout, and it will be very disappointing if they are unable to secure at least one of those two. Should Arsenal secure for eg. Rice and the bidding war for Caicedo reach such a level where the money is close to £100M which I think it might, Arsenal would have 2 options, walk away and try to secure the services of a cheaper player who also appears to interest them such as Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, or another interesting solution could be to part-fund the signing of Caicedo by off-loading Thomas Partey.

Now Partey at his best is undoubtedly one of the best in the league in his position, some games he oozes class and looks head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch. Overall he’s had a great season and some brilliant spells in particular but.. there has been times where he has cost Arsenal with some lacklustre play, being too careless and almost over confident. And in a league as fast and furious as the Premier League has now become, he can occasionally lack that real intensity to go alongside his obvious ability. There is also the matter of injuries, he played only 48 league games across his first 2 seasons, this season has been better but he has still missed crucial matches such as United away and City at home, both times he felt sorely missed but it has become an all too regular story. He still has 2 years left to run on his current deal and though 30, he remains young enough that they should be able to get a reasonable fee.

If an offer came in from a club overseas such as one of the big Italian clubs I think it would be something to seriously consider. I don’t suggest the sale of Partey lightly, but *if* it enabled Arsenal to bring in both Rice and Caicedo, and they otherwise couldn’t do it, I’d be in favour of it. Because the idea of Arsenal having a Caicedo-Rice-Odegaard midfield... let’s just say I’d sell more than just a Ghanaian Footballer for the prospect of that.

But if not, Arsenal must definitely sign at least one player who can play his position as it’s essential they become less reliant on him. Both Partey and Xhaka can have big roles to play in Arsenal’s future, but they can’t do it for much longer alone, certainly not when playing in 2 elite competitions week after week, when they return to the Champions League.

Odegaard is the captain and has had a fantastic season, however there are question marks about the strength in depth in reserve there. Odegaard has had excellent fitness in his time in North London and we all hope it continues, though when the Champions League gets added to the calendar next year it becomes unrealistic to expect him to be available and in form for every game. Fabio Vieira was signed last summer from FC Porto, but has really struggled to impose himself on games, especially in the Premier League.

He needs to have a big summer where he impresses in pre-season and gives everyone reason for optimism, because right now he looks a long way off the required level. And Arsenal really need him to become a capable understudy to Odegaard when they are aiming to play 50+ matches next season. There is a real possibility in my opinion that the best option for Vieira could be a season long-loan to a Premier League team, to get him more game time to adapt to the league.

He is not going to dislodge the captain from the team, and currently he looks like he could really benefit from more minutes to properly adjust to English football. A good possibility could be someone like Wolves, who have Portuguese players there to help him settle. This depends on how many midfielders Arsenal sign, but if they do bring in 2 and especially if they also keep Xhaka and Partey, by that point Vieira drops really far down the pecking order and there may not be room in the squad for him.

Another issue that’s emerged is with Emile Smith-Rowe, who has fallen out of favour with the manager and it remains unclear where he best fits into this Arsenal side. Outwide? In Xhaka��s position? In Odegaard’s position? None seem naturally suited but something needs to be worked out because the Arsenal youth graduate is too talented and has too much to potentially offer to be left in the cold like this. With 10 league goals last season, we cannot give up on ESR and need to develop the 22-year old in a way where he can operate in the team’s system. He cannot endure another season like this one, though admittedly it didn’t help he’s spent so much of it injured.

I believe it’s the end of the road for Albert Sambi Lokonga and we should look to move him on permanently at the end of the season. A season-long loan would not be the end of the world, but I struggle to see his attitude and mentality ever been warmed to by Arteta. And his performances on the pitch for Arsenal always left you feeling cold, like you know he could have given more. Charlie Patino should be given some game time in pre-season, and either given another season long loan, or if he impresses potentially kept around for domestic cup games.

Conclusion

Sell: Lokonga, Partey (if required to sign both Caicedo&Rice).

Loan: Patino (to Premier League club), potentially Vieira (to a Premier League club) depending on the size of Arsenal’s squad.

Sign: 2 Centre Midfielders are essential, ideally they are Caicedo & Rice.

Decisions: find ESR a role within the system.

Attack

Arsenal have 2 of the best wingers in the league in Saka and Martinelli, and given they are both just 21-years old, the likelihood is that in years to come they will be 2 of the very best in the world. Arsenal getting both players to commit their long-term futures to the club (Martinelli recently signed a new long-term contract, and Saka’s new contract has reportedly been finalised, just not officially announced at time of writing) is as important for the club’s future as any new signing they could complete this summer. They’ve both been incredible this season and are two of the most exciting and promising players in the world.

There has been question marks about Arsenal’s depth in their positions though. The signing of Leandro Trossard has eased those concerns somewhat, he is an extremely able replacement for Martinelli, and the Belgian’s versatility in the forward positions is of massive benefit to Arsenal. His impact on the side following his January move has quickly made him a fan favourite, and he’s one Arsenal fans should enjoy watching for years to come.

However on the right hand side, they are still very reliant on Saka staying fit. Luckily for Arsenal, the youngster has amazing fitness levels, he’s been involved in every Premier League game Arsenal have played since May 9th 2021. But that will become trickier when Arsenal are back playing Champions League Football as The Gunners will need him at his very sharpest to progress in that competition, it stands to reason that at different stages through the season they will need some alternative there.

One option they currently have is Reiss Nelson, the 23-year old who has had an up and down career to date. He had a very successful loan at Hoffenheim, where manager Julian Nagelsmann was very impressed with him. He returned to Arsenal and appeared often after Arteta had replaced Unai Emery but he lost his place the following season and was later loaned out to Feyenoord. This season has been another up and down one for him, he didn’t impress in his Europa League starts, then he got a chance against Forest after Saka went off injured and took it, but then picked up an injury which meant he wasn’t seen again until the Bournemouth game, where he was excellent getting an assist and later an outstanding game-winning goal.

Nelson’s contract expires this summer, though Arsenal are reportedly in talks to extend it. I think that would be a smart move by the club, he’s showed enough in his substitute cameos to prove that there is a real player in there, one definitely good enough to be a solid back-up option. Due to the quality and availability of Saka, Arsenal need a right-wing option who is willing to be patient, but who also has the required quality when called upon. I think Nelson fits into that category, as a Hale End Graduate, an Arsenal boy, he is more likely to be willing to wait patiently on the bench unlike a new signing who could easily get disheartened at the lack of game time. The one concern over Nelson is perhaps his injury record. Given he is behind Saka there will be times in a season where his chances of playing time are few and far between, but there will be definitely be moments he will be needed, whether starting or off the bench, and he needs to be fit and ready for them.

In that right-wing position Arsenal of course still have Nicolas Pepe, who is the club’s record signing after they paid £72M for him in 2019. He has been on loan at Nice this season but has done little to convince anyone there’s a future for him at Arsenal. He is simply too inconsistent. Though capable of hitting real highs, scoring great goals out of nothing and looking very dangerous, just as often he has games where he constantly makes the wrong decisions and is very wasteful. Arteta requires players who even on a bad day never fall below a certain level of technical security and Pepe often falls below that level, so he will never be an Arteta type player. Arsenal should look to move him on this summer, as he is not good enough to push Saka for a place, and will be unwilling to spend the majority of his time sat on the bench. A move is best for all parties, and Arsenal will surely find a willing suitor somewhere in Ligue 1, but should not expect to recoup even half of what they paid out for the Ivorian winger.

Another right-wing option is Marquinhos, who Arsenal signed from Sao Paulo last summer. He had a dream debut away at Zurich where he hit a great goal and assist, but since then on his rare opportunities he’s looked very raw. In January he was sent on loan to Norwich, where again he scored and assisted on his debut but has struggled for impact since. The 20-year old is still young enough to be afforded time and Arsenal have the option to either keep him playing with the under 21′s for now or find another loan move for him.

At striker, Arsenal have some interesting possibilities. Gabriel Jesus was along with William Saliba, Arsenal’s best player before the 2022 World Cup. He brought a new dimension of quality to the attack, and set a new standard for the team with an insatiable work ethic and ability to fashion chances out of very little for himself and his teammates. At the World Cup he picked up a serious injury which required surgery. Upon his return, he quickly got back up to speed and scored 4 goals in his first 3 starts back.

Jesus has many strengths, but he also has his weaknesses, the big one being that he isn’t clinical, which is really the only reason he isn’t one of the world’s very best strikers, because in all other areas such as work rate, intelligence, creativity and dribbling he is, but he is not a man who will ever get 20+ league goals a season. Jesus was very wasteful in the games prior to the World Cup, but Arsenal fans accepted it because they were playing so well, they were winning games anyway in spite of these misses. However in recent games, with the absence of Saliba at the back meaning Arsenal are much less solid defensively, they are conceding more goals and now Jesus’ wastefulness is starting to cost them and therefore becoming more of a problem.

One problem Arsenal have currently is they don’t have a striker who can offer them something completely different to Jesus. The one other out-and-out striker they have is Eddie Nketiah, who other than fresh legs and a fresh mind if Jesus becomes fatigued in a game, doesn’t really offer a different problem to defences than the one Jesus provides. Nketiah doesn’t have an all-round game at the level of Jesus, his hold-up play isn’t as good, even though he’s slightly taller than the Brazilian, hitting long to him is less effective than it is with Jesus on the pitch, and in the box he doesn’t provide a greater threat in the air.

In 9 league starts whilst Jesus was injured, Nketiah played 9 full league matches and scored 4 goals, including that well remembered brace against Manchester United which featured that memorable last minute winner. But in those 9 starts, he fired 6 blanks and didn’t produce any assists either. Nketiah has many good qualities for Arsenal, his attitude is good, he has a serious desire for self-improvement evidenced by the way he has bulked up in recent times, he is a good goal poacher, a reliable cup goalscorer and as a Hale End boy, he loves the club and will be patient for opportunities, conducting himself professionally whilst waiting for a chance, and at 23 he’s young enough to still get better.

However does he have enough quality to ever seriously threaten to dislodge a fit Gabriel Jesus from the side? It’s doubtful and there lies the problem. A team that is looking to win the Premier League and reach the latter stages of the Champions League should be looking to have a striker who can really push Jesus for minutes. It’s of course normal to have a first-choice striker who is a long way clear of the second, and that’s fine if your striker is Erling Haaland or Harry Kane, someone who guarantees lots of goals. Arsenal don’t have that luxury with Jesus and therefore it’s not an acceptable position going forward that Jesus is just the first choice number 9 no matter what, no matter if he has a long scoring drought. Or that if Jesus is struggling in a game, there’s no point taking him off because the back-up striker can’t really offer a better alternative.

So to compete in both the Premier League and the Champions League, Arsenal will need to look at a different option upfront. One such option could be Folarin Balogun, the 21-year old striker currently on loan at Reims. He has scored 18 in 30 league games, and appears to at least present a completely different profile to Jesus, being more of an out-and-out goalscorer and therefore a more clinical finisher. This would definitely seem to present a good substitute option for Arsenal and perhaps even a good starting option at times when Jesus is struggling for scoring form. However there has been rumours circulating that Balogun wants to continue being a first choice striker and doesn’t want the competition of fighting for a starting place. At 21-years old he certainly has no divine right to a starting place ahead of Jesus, so therefore the best option could be to sell the striker. If Arsenal opt for this, they should be looking to get around £40M for him, considering he still has 2 years left to run on his contract. To get less than £30M for him would be a failure, especially if he is sold to a Premier League club.

Given he signed a new contract with the club last summer, I do not expect Nketiah to leave as he appears to have a good relationship with his manager and teammates. Nketiah is one of the better cup competition strikers around so can be relied on to net in the domestic cups. However I view Nketiah as a good mid-table level striker who would be a decent starter for the likes of Crystal Palace and West Ham. Given he has a contract running until 2027, Arsenal could expect to get decent money should they opt to sell him.

And I think there is a strong argument they should sell him, if an opportunity arose to sign a better striker than Nketiah, who aswell offers something completely different to Jesus. Players who fit into that category include the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Dusan Vlahovic. Given the first 2 names are English and play for Premier League clubs, they would be far from cheap. However the sales of both Nketiah and Balogun would surely raise some not insignificant money to put towards capturing one of those players. Arsenal could really use a striker who is a real handful in the air, whether that’s in the penalty area to score from crosses, or someone who can win the header when the team opt to go long. It would also be beneficial for defending set-pieces, which Arsenal have been bad on recently. It would give the team that Plan B option in attack they do not currently possess.

Taking the best player off Aston Villa or Brentford will not be easy to achieve, but if Arsenal want to get over the line in the Premier League and really compete for the Champions League, this is the kind of quality and profile they need to really boost their attack. The other option would be to keep both Balogun and Nketiah, which atleast would give Arsenal some depth in that area and form between them would dictate who’s 2nd choice in that department. However if Balogun is determined to move, Arsenal must then go in for a striker and if the additional sale of Nketiah is required to fund the move of a really top one, such as one of the names mentioned, then in my opinion that’s something they should opt to do.

Conclusion

Sell: Pepe, Balogun (if receive an offer of over £30M), Nketiah (if needed to fund the acquisition of a top striker).

Loan: Marquinhos

Sign: Striker (with a very different style to Jesus).

Decisions: Extend Reiss-Nelson’s contract.

Conclusion

Arsenal played just 3 games across the 2 domestic cups and they played just 8 games in Europe, and they still picked up 2 defensive injuries at the same time which has put their outstanding league campaign on the verge of unravelling. Given they have now been knocked out of the FA Cup before the 5th round stage in each of the last 3 seasons it stands to reason they will be looking to progress deeper in it next season. They had a difficult 3rd round league cup draw in Brighton and an easier draw next season could present the opportunity to go further in that competition.

And after 6 seasons out of the Champions League, Arsenal’s return to the elite European competition is a big moment for the club, they will not want to exit meekly, they will want to make a statement to the world on the biggest stage to show how far they have progressed as a club. The Premier League will be as difficult to win as ever, as it continues to be inundated with quality managers from the top of the league towards the bottom. So assuming that next season Arsenal go further in both cups than they have done this season, the club should be aiming to play over 50 games next season. This will be a new experience for this team, as in recent years they have rotated heavily for the Europa League. Now the team will be expected to perform at a high level twice a week throughout the season and the club needs to ensure they have assembled a squad which can realistically handle that demand.

Season after season, Arsenal’s lack of squad depth has cost them their targets when it gets to April time. They need to reach a stage where they are prepared for the worst case scenario regarding injuries, so they are not in a position where the gap in quality between starter and back-up is as huge as is the case between say Saliba and Holding. Arsenal’s full strength starting 11 is very strong, the one area of the field where there is clear room for improvement is in midfield. Granit Xhaka is a very good player who’s had a very good season, but the difference in the squad’s quality if for example Declan Rice is signed for his position is enormous, as the knock-on effect is that Xhaka would then be a bench option and a very good one as opposed to having Xhaka starting and a bench option like Mohamed Elneny or Sambi-Lokonga, as has been the case at stages this season.

Arsenal have a great starting 11 and they are not miles away from having a great squad, clearing out the last of the deadwood this summer and replacing them with quality will give Arsenal the strength in depth they need to compete on all fronts. With the money they will receive for being back in the Champions League, Josh Kroenke’s growing interest in the club’s on-pitch performance and the possibility of selling non-essential players for a good amount of money, Arsenal have the funds to take their squad to the next level this summer.

#arsenal #afc #thegunners #arsenalfc #premierleague #epl

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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Arsenal 22/23 a season review Part 2 of 3: December-International Break: Leaving it Late, Arsenal beaten but not broken

World Cup & Mid-Season Friendlies

The 2022 World Cup saw Saka take his performances to the biggest stage in football and deliver once more, the winger scoring 3 in 4 games, and he was a regular thorn in France’s side in the Quarters, winning a penalty. It was not all positives however as Arsenal suffered the devastating blow of losing Gabriel Jesus to the treatment table, the Brazilian requiring knee surgery after representing his country against Cameroon.

The Arsenal players either not selected for international duty or who failed to qualify for the World Cup travelled to Dubai to play in the Dubai Super Cup. Arsenal beat Lyon 3-0 then got in some bonus penalty shoot-out practice to gain an extra point. It looked like they could use the practice as they beat Lyon 2-1 on spot kicks after five each. Arsenal then beat AC Milan 2-1 and won the cup with another shootout win, this time 4-3. The day before the World Cup final Arsenal played their final mid-season friendly, losing 2-0 at the Emirates to Juventus.

December

Then on Boxing Day, just 8 days after Messi and Argentina had edged Mbappe and France on penalties after one of the most memorable World Cup finals ever, Arsenal returned to Premier League action. The big question was how they would cover for the loss of Gabriel Jesus, and *if* they could. Eddie Nketiah would be the man to take his place, he had yet to score in the Premier League this season but this would be his first start. And it would come against West Ham at the Emirates.

Saka thought he’d given Arsenal the lead with a smart finish past Fabianski, but he had been offside in the build-up when the ball had just caught his heel on its way through to Nketiah. Arsenal were to be disappointed further, when a West Ham counter attack saw Bowen sprinting into the box, Saliba slid in and caught the West Ham man just enough to justify a penalty. Benrahma didn’t waste the opportunity and against the run of play the visitors led.

Arsenal had it all to do in the second half, and they got on with doing it by equalising in the 53rd minute, after either a poor Ødegaard shot (or else genius pass) found Saka with only the keeper to beat and the youngster slotted home with ease. 5 minutes later and Arsenal completed the turn-around, when Xhaka found Martinelli in the box. The Brazilian winger shifted the ball to provide the angle he wanted for the shot and beat Fabianski with everyone expecting a cross. Nketiah wrapped up the three points after lovely play from White and a pass into the forward by Ødegaard. Arsenal’s number 14 spun his defender who had got too tight, then lashed a fierce shot into the bottom corner for Arsenal’s December goal of the month. It had been six weeks since Arsenal had last played a competitive game, but seemingly little had changed, they were still too hot to handle for overmatched opposition, as Arsenal made it 7 home league wins from 7, this one in front of Arsene Wenger, attending his first match since leaving the club in 2018.

On New Years Eve, Arsenal travelled to Brighton with the extraordinary opportunity to go 7 points clear after City had surprisingly dropped points earlier that day at home to struggling Everton. Arsenal started like a team who meant business, Partey put a stop to a potential Brighton counter and then Zinchenko fed Martinelli, it was hard to say whether his was an attempted cross or shot, but all that matters is the ball eventually came through to Saka who took a quick touch to set himself, then with composure beyond his years he calmly passed it into the net.

In the 39th minute Arsenal’s lead was doubled when a corner was cleared only as far as Ødegaard, whose strike travelled through many bodies and all the way into the net, his decision to hit the ball into the ground proving an excellent one. The second half had barely got under way when Arsenal bagged their third, Martinelli’s shot being spilled by Sanchez, and Nketiah was on hand to profit. Brighton pulled one back through Mitoma, but Arsenal looked to have killed the game once more when one of the passes of the season by Ødegaard put Martinelli in behind the defence. Martinelli had the option of squaring for Saka, but he went and finished it himself. Brighton refused to give up however and cut the deficit down to two once more, when teenage striker Evan Ferguson profited from Saliba’s failure to deal with a long ball down the middle.

With 2 minutes and added time still to play it appeared Brighton had cut the deficit yet further, when Mitoma’s deflected effort beat Ramsdale. Fortunately for The Gunners Mitoma came back from an offside position and the goal was ruled out. Arsenal saw out the 4-2 win, which in the end was perhaps more difficult and nervy than it should have been, but they had scored some fine goals with all 4 of their attackers getting on the scoresheet, and most importantly they had moved 7 points clear of City by winning a tricky away fixture.

Across the start of November and the end of December Arsenal played 4 league games and won all 4, meaning Arteta was voted Premier League manager of the month for the combined period of November/December. Ødegaard had finished up strongly before the World Cup, and following the resumption of the Premier League, he’d started back up even stronger. 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games saw him pick up the Premier League player of the month for November/December. Arsenal’s individual player of the month for December was Saka.

January

Arsenal began 2023 by hosting 3rd place Newcastle United, a team who had won 8 of their last 10 league games, and only lost once in the league all season, that in the 98th minute back in August away at Liverpool. Since losing that game they had conceded just 5 goals in their next 10 league games going into this fixture, so there was no doubting the stern test they would provide.

Arsenal flew out of the traps but Newcastle somehow got out of the opening 10 minutes without falling a goal behind. After weathering the early storm, the game then became littered by fouls, breaking the flow of the game which seemed to suit the visitors much more. The referee Andrew Madley showed 3 yellow cards in 5 minutes as he quickly lost control of the game, it appeared too fast and frantic for him to deal with and it had quickly descended into chaos. By half-time Madley had shown 5 yellow cards, 3 going to the home side. The best chances were all coming from set-pieces, Gabriel coming closest for Arsenal with his header from an Ødegaard free-kick going just wide. Joelinton at the other end missed a big opportunity from a corner, left unmarked at the backpost he failed to hit the target, had he been able to it would have undoubtedly opened the scoring for his side.

In the 59th minute, Arsenal looked to score from a free-kick whipped in by Saka, when Gabriel appeared to be dragged down in the box. Replays show conclusively that his shirt was being pulled from behind by Dan Burn as the Arsenal centre-back attempted to get on the end of the free-kick, VAR reviewed the incident but did not intervene. Arsenal pinned Newcastle in their own half for near the entirety of the second half, but the visitors discipline, organisation and concentration was at such a high level that The Gunners were still only threatening from set-pieces. Martinelli was the latest to go close, with his flicked header going just the wrong side of the post.

Arsenal’s one good chance from open play in the second half fell to Eddie Nketiah after a clever flick from Xhaka, he made room for the shot before it was denied by the outstretched leg of Nick Pope in the Newcastle goal. In additional time, Arsenal had a second strong appeal for a penalty when Xhaka’s attempted cross was blocked by the arm of Jacob Murphy. His arm was away from his body but his back was turned on the ball, there was a case for a penalty as similar incidents had resulted in ones before, but it would have been harsh. Arteta who had been getting increasingly irate on the touchline in the second half was furious with the decision and became engaged in a bitter disagreement with his opposite number Eddie Howe on the touchline. Arsenal players were also livid with the decision and their appeals to the referee in the aftermath saw the club receive an FA charge for failing to control its players. There was of course no such charge for the referee for failing to control the game for the best part of 90 minutes.

In the end Newcastle became the first team to stop Arsenal scoring in the league and the first team to come away from The Emirates with a point. The night could have been a tribute act to Diego Simeone. When watching Newcastle, you could have been watching the Argentine’s Atletico Madrid side at their peak, in the way Newcastle used gamesmanship to run the clock down, but aswell defended for their lives. And on the touchline there was similarities in the way Arteta tried to kick every ball with his team, so passionate and hungry for the win you thought he may at one stage enter the field and try to break Newcastle down himself. Arteta’s passion on the touchline attracted a lot of attention in the media following this night and it grew into something of an obsession for them as for weeks afterwards Arteta’s touchline conduct would be the first thing mentioned to him before and after every game.

The following week and Arsenal were in FA Cup action, travelling away to 3rd tier Oxford United. The Gunners struggled in the first half, the clearest sight of goal coming when a Sambi Lokonga effort was clearly charged down in the box by the arm of an Oxford defender. VAR was not in use for the game, so 4 Arsenal players took their appeals directly to the referee and later received a second FA charge in as many weeks, this time for surrounding a match official. This charge resulted in a £40,000 fine which Arsenal appealed, no doubt because the penalty appeal was no different from the appeals you see multiple times in nearly every Premier League game. The independent Appeal board increased Arsenal’s fine to £60,000. Arsenal finally broke Oxford down in the 63rd minute, when a Vieira free kick found the head of Elneny who made no mistake. An expertly taken brace from Nketiah put Arsenal safely through to the next round, where they would have the unenviable task of travelling to Manchester City.

First though it was back to Premier League action with Arsenal making the short journey to local rivals Tottenham. The day before City had lost their derby away at United, so a chance had opened up for Arsenal to move 8 points clear at the top. However Arsenal had not won away at Spurs since 2014, which was also the last time they’d done the league double over them.

Arsenal dominated the early goings, barely allowing Spurs a kick. When Spurs did have it, they seemed intent on contributing to their own downfall, as Lloris showed early nerves by making a mess of trying to play out, he eventually somewhat redeemed himself by saving Nketiah’s effort from the resulting chance. The Gunners opener came in the 14th minute when Saka went by Ryan Sessegnon (it was already looking like a long afternoon for the full-back tasked with trying to stop Arsenal’s number 7) and his deflected shot forced another Lloris mistake, as he fumbled the ball over the line for an own goal.

Arsenal were feeling supremely confident and they continued to batter Spurs, going inches away from a second when a viciously struck volley from Partey was denied only by the post, the midfielder coming so close to a goal that would have been even better than his one against them at the Emirates. Arsenal’s second did come though in the 36th minute when Martin Ødegaard, who was enjoying a stunningly good match, beat Lloris with a low drive into the bottom corner from well outside the box. Gary Neville on commentary remarked: “No more than Arsenal deserve. Spurs are playing like little boys out there and Arsenal look the real deal!”

Arsenal in the 1st half played with a real authority, a side with the confidence bordering on arrogance to go away to their local rivals knowing that if they played as well as they could, Spurs would not be able to live with them. The quality and control Arsenal played with had not been seen to that extent away at Spurs since the days of the Invincibles. Tottenham were notoriously slow starters and were rightfully renowned as a second half team. And in the second half they did pose some real threats to Arsenal’s cleansheet. Spurs halving the deficit would likely have changed the entire complexion, due to how the crowd would then rally behind them.

Noone seemed more acutely aware of this than Aaron Ramsdale who turned out an inspired performance, undoubtedly his best to date in an Arsenal shirt. The pick of his catalogue of saves, came from a Sessegnon effort. Baring down on goal, the full-back looked to beat Arsenal’s number 1 but his reflexes were too sharp as he got an inspired boot to the ball just in time. It had been the perfect game for Arsenal, in the first half they showed their quality with the ball, Ødegaard and Saka in particular being simply too good for Spurs. And in the second half, they showed the other side to them, by living with the pressure Spurs put on them, and standing up to it rather than crumbling. It was also Zinchenko’s finest display so far in an Arsenal shirt, his teammates knew whenever they found him with the ball he would look after it and play the right pass, he was involved in practically all of Arsenal’s best passing moves of which there were numerous. It was little surprise when he went on to pick up Arsenal’s player of the month award for January.

Things turned ugly at the end when a Tottenham fan came over and kicked Ramsdale in the back as he attempted to collect his belongings behind the goal, and the situation threatened to boil over yet further as both sets of players became entangled in a dispute, but this gave way to joyous scenes for Arsenal as they made their way down to the other end of the pitch where their supporters were gathered to celebrate a great win with their fans.

With the January transfer window open there was no question who Arsenal’s top target was. 22-year old Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk of Shakhtar Donetsk had been linked to the club for many months, and through his open flirting on his social media accounts, it was clear the interest was mutual. However, Arsenal’s negotiations with Shakhtar were painstakingly long, as Arsenal were reluctant to meet the asking price and the Ukrainian club were unwilling to come down with their evaluation. In the end the deal was hijacked by Chelsea, with owner Todd Boehly agreeing on a deal of £62M upfront, with many potential add-ons. £20.5M of the fee was donated by Shakhtar to the Ukrainian military for their war effort, but none of this was now Arsenal’s concern, they’d missed out on their top target and needed to identify an alternative quickly. And they did, in the form of Brighton’s Leandro Trossard, bringing the Belgian to the club for an upfront fee of £21M. The 28-year old went straight into the squad for Arsenal’s next game, a massive home clash with Manchester United.

The visitors struck first when Partey conceded possession in midfield, this proved costly when Rashford moved away from him and into space after putting the ball through his legs, with time and space to shoot he let fly with an unsavable missile into the bottom corner. Arsenal trailed for just seven minutes, finding the equaliser when Xhaka’s floated cross was met by the head of Eddie Nketiah. Before that, Arteta had been booked on the touchline for complaining about a foul on Saka not receiving a yellow card. He was not protesting unusually, so it seems likely the referee had not been unaffected by the constant media noise around Arteta’s behaviour on the side-lines in recent weeks.

The hosts completed the comeback in the 53rd minute when Saka let fly with a special strike from distance. The power and placement was perfect and De Gea was left with no chance. Before the game Saka was informed that he had scored in his last 2 league meetings with United, and only 2 Arsenal players in the Premier League era had ever scored in 3 successive meetings with them. “Challenge accepted.” was his words before the game, and after it he was talking about a goal which he considered the best he’s ever scored. The effort was Arsenal’s goal of the month for January.

However Arsenal’s lead only lasted for 6 minutes, when Ramsdale and Tomiyasu contested the same ball from a corner and in the end got in each other’s way, neither made satisfactory contact and the ball came to Lisandro Martinez, who expertly scooped a header into the Arsenal net. Arsenal vs Manchester United had once been the glamour fixture that put the Premier League on the map worldwide, but in recent years the league had grown whilst at the same time it’s two former star pupils had shrunk into ugly imitations of their former selves, an embarrassing shadow of their past glories. However this 1st vs 3rd meeting was a high quality clash, a reminder of what Arsenal vs Manchester United used to be.

It was finely balanced with Arsenal controlling most of the possession, but United posing a devastating threat on the counter, until Ten Hag blinked first and retreated. He withdrew Eriksen and put on the more defensive Fred, and from that moment it was signalled to everyone that United were happy to leave with a point. This gave Arsenal added impetus to attack United relentlessly and they did for the remainder of the contest. The Gunners winning moment came in the very last of the scheduled 90 minutes. Debutant Trossard fed Zinchenko whose cross was met by Ødegaard. His shot turned into a pass as it was turned home by the outstretched heel of Eddie Nketiah.

The Emirates descended into pandemonium, but it was obvious margins would be tight. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see if first Zinchenko was onside from Trossard’s pass and then if Nketiah was onside when finishing. By the thinnest of margins both players were narrowly onside, and the Emirates erupted for a second time on its confirmation. The win gave them 50 points after 19 games, a club record amount at the half-way stage of the season. Another tough test for Arsenal and they had passed it with flying colours, with 21-year old ‘Starboy’ Saka producing perhaps his best display of the season so far. As well as his goal, he hit the post with an effort from a similar position and ensured his England colleague Luke Shaw had a torrid afternoon at left-back. Back-to-back wins away at rivals Spurs and then at home to Manchester United secured Arteta his third manager of the month award of the season.

The FA Cup then gave Arsenal a break from the high drama of the Premier League, but the fixtures were not getting any easier as it was Manchester City stood in the way of The Gunners progression to the 5th round. A much changed Arsenal side (featuring a full-debut for Trossard) competed well, but in the end lost 1-0. As the January transfer window neared its conclusion, Arsenal hunted for a new centre midfielder, which they desperately needed due to an injury to Elneny and the poor form of Sambi Lokonga who was loaned out to Crystal Palace later in the window.

Top of their list was Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, and the deal appeared to be close when the Ecuadorian issued a very public transfer request on his Instagram site. However, once more Arsenal could not agree to the asking price, with Brighton refusing to move from their estimation of the player. In the end Arsenal moved on and instead secured the services of 31-year old Italian midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea, for £12M. The transfer’s reception was lukewarm at best with fans hoping for the younger, more expensive option. But Arteta was a long-time admirer of Jorginho, and there was no doubting he brought plenty of winning experience to a young team. To try and secure their first league title for nearly 20 years, Arsenal had to settle for their Plan B option for both of their two main signings, but it was hoped the extra depth they provided would be enough.

February

Jorginho’s first game as an Arsenal player came away at Goodison Park, in what was also Sean Dyche’s first game in charge of relegation threatened Everton. For close to an hour, both sides were let down by abysmal finishing. Nketiah and Ødegaard wasted two good opportunities, whereas Saka was more unlucky having one cleared off the line. It was an even game however and Everton calved a few good openings of their own, with the finishing touch badly lacking. That was until the hour-mark when Tarkowski directed a header home from a corner. Desperately looking to cling on for a first win in 11, Everton defended doggedly and Arsenal did not have it in them to break down the home sides resistance, suffering their first league defeat since September.

The chance to bounce back came against Brentford at the Emirates, but the better first-half chances went the visitors way. Arsenal only got into half-time level as a result of poor finishing. The hosts punished them for this in the 66th minute when Saka found substitute Trossard across the six-yard box and he made no mistake for his first Arsenal goal. The lead was wiped out just 8 minutes later by Ivan Toney, though only after Norgaard had been offside in the build-up. VAR spent 3 minutes looking as to whether Pinnock was offside and in the end confirmed he wasn’t, though in doing so they failed to take the time to draw the lines on Norgaard, which would have shown if he was on or offside, he was offside and the goal would not have stood. However VAR operator Lee Mason ‘forgot’ to draw the lines on the player who ended up giving the assist for the goal. Days later Mason left his job at PGMOL ‘by mutual consent’. The PGMOL also apologised to Arsenal over the error, with Arteta responding that he would only be satisfied with receiving the 2 points back.

The 2 points Arsenal lost in this game meant that they knew going into their next match at home to Manchester City, that they would lose top spot if they were beaten by the Champions. In the week prior to the match, City had been rocked by 115 charges relating to financial breaches of Premier League rules, in the biggest financial scandal in the competition’s history.

Arsenal would be without Partey for this vital top of the table clash, the key man in midfield not being fit enough to play, meaning Jorginho made his full debut for the club. The hosts appeared to have weathered a good start from City and forced the best chance so far when Nketiah put wide a free header. Arsenal were made to pay for this miss, when an underhit backpass from Tomiyasu found only De Bruyne and with one touch he hit the ball into an empty net. The Gunners responded well to the set-back though, and began to put City under pressure. A clipped ball in behind from Xhaka found Nketiah, his shot was cleared off the line but Ederson was penalised for making contact with the striker and a penalty kick was awarded. Saka kept his considerable cool and sent Ederson the wrong way to level things up.

Arsenal continued to work some good positions in the second half but were continually let down by failing to make the most of their openings, the last bit of quality was not there on this night for them. For City it was and they retook the lead in the 72nd minute through Grealish. 10 minutes later Haaland made the points safe for the visitors when De Bruyne found him in the box. City had just 34% possession against Arsenal, the lowest a Guardiola side has ever managed in a league game. However the number of players they kept in Arsenal’s half often succeeded in keeping Arsenal boxed in and having possession in areas that were not dangerous to City, and were in fact more dangerous to Arsenal, as they looked to pounce on any errors. And as Arsenal’s centre backs tired of having to keep playing perfect passes under pressure, whilst at the same time dealing with the beast that is Erling Haaland, those mistakes in the end were forced, such as when Gabriel cheaply conceded possession with a poor pass out that led City to score their second, as just 3 passes later they’d worked it over to Grealish with the time and space for a first time shot.

Arsenal had now picked up just 1 point from their last 3 matches and had seen their lead of 5 points disappear, they were now behind on goal difference though still with a game in hand. The Gunners next travelled to Villa Park to face ex-manager Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. Things went from bad to worse for Arsenal when they fell behind to an Ollie Watkins goal inside 5 minutes. Things were in danger of unravelling, the magnificent season they looked to be on course to have was on the verge of being thrown away if they could not turn the tide of momentum back in their favour. Arsenal responded in the 16th minute with Saka lashing in a deadly strike on the half-volley. However just past the half-hour mark they were behind again, Coutinho finishing off a clever move. Arsenal were up against it once more, they had one half to turn it around. Nketiah almost levelled it when he hit the bar with a header, but then just past the hour-mark Zinchenko did equalise with a well struck shot from outside the box which fizzed into the bottom corner. The Ukrainian bagged his first Premier League goal and it could scarcely have arrived at a more crucial stage of Arsenal’s season.

Nketiah came close for a second time when Ødegaard put him clean through on goal, he rounded the keeper expertly but could not keep his shot under the bar. The next chance came when Nketiah returned the favour by setting up a big chance for Ødegaard by squaring the ball and giving him what should have been a simple tap-in. Inexplicably for a player of the Norwegian’s calibre, he dragged his shot wide of the post with the goal gaping. These misses looked costly, and the clock ticked down towards Arsenal going 4 league matches without a win. It could have been worse for them however when Bailey ran clear of the Arsenal defence with a brilliant one-man counter-attack, his shot forced a stunning reaction save from Ramsdale, who was somehow able to tip the Villa man’s shot onto the crossbar and it was cleared away to safety.

Into the 3rd minute of stoppage time, Martinelli had the ball in the Villa penalty area, he opted to set the ball back to the edge of the box for Jorginho, making just his second start for Arsenal in place of the injured Partey. The former Chelsea man had not scored an open play Premier League goal for over 3 years, but his technique from the edge of the D was perfect, Martinez was stretching but never getting there, only the underside of the crossbar denied Jorginho one of the best first goals for Arsenal anyone has ever scored. However, Arsenal were not denied a goal, as the ball ricocheted off the bar onto the back of former Gunners keeper Emi Martinez’s head and into the net.

The game was not won yet however as Villa forced one last corner. Martinez eager to redeem his own goal made his way up into the Arsenal penalty area, the ball was cleared by Saliba to Vieira who carried the ball to the half-way line then slipped in a perfectly weighted ball for Martinelli to run onto. The Brazilian could run the ball into the Villa box then pass it into the empty net to end his six-game goal drought in the Premier League. At half-time Arsenal stared down the barrel of another extremely damaging defeat, but in the end they rescued all 3 points with a second half performance full of character. And It was the unlikeliest of heroes, Jorginho, with the sweet strike responsible for Arsenal’s most vital win of the season so far. Adding to the victories importance, later that afternoon City dropped points away at Nottingham Forest, which put Arsenal 2 points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Arsenal returned to the Midlands the following Saturday to take on Leicester. Trossard appeared to give the league leaders the lead with a sweet strike into the top corner, which goalkeeper Ward could only stand and admire. However, VAR asked referee Craig Pawson to review a potential foul in the build-up from White on goalkeeper Ward, and upon reviewing the monitor, the ref judged that the Arsenal defender held onto one of Ward’s arms as he attempted to jump for the ball. It appeared extremely soft, as Ward did not even appeal until after Trossard’s strike had beaten him.

Moments later Saka had a strong appeal for a penalty, when Leicester defender Souttar slipped and appeared to drag Arsenal’s number 7 down with him. No penalty was the remarkable decision, given that a seemingly softer foul from White in the lead-up to Trossard’s disallowed goal had been judged a foul, yet this wasn’t. So somehow, Arsenal went into the break goalless. They got the perfect start to the second half however, scoring in the first minute when Trossard did brilliantly on the wing to find the run of Martinelli, who took a touch then rolled it beyond the goalkeeper for 1-0. Another Arsenal goal from Saka was later disallowed for offside but in the end The Gunners couldn’t find a second.

Luckily they didn’t need to, as they defended excellently all across the pitch, limiting Leicester to just 1 shot in 90 minutes, that one going wide off the target from distance. Arsenal for the majority of the second half managed the game very well and never looked in real danger of conceding. February had been Arsenal’s most challenging month of the season but they had finished it strongly, Zinchenko was voted the club’s player of the month for a second successive month.

March

Arsenal began March with their game in hand against Everton, which was originally scheduled for way back in September. The hosts went into the game having only won 1 of their last 4 home league games. The opening 39 minutes was difficult for Arsenal, they struggled to find areas to exploit against an Everton side there to frustrate them, beginning with timewasting and game management tactics almost immediately. As half-time neared, Arsenal had not threatened the goal once, until the 40th minute when they finally managed to work an opening. ZInchenko was able to thread a pass into the penalty area to an unmarked Saka. The young man didn’t waste this rare freedom, he took a touch which allowed him to turn and face the goal, his second touch worked space for the shot and with his third he let fly on his weaker right with a shot which was a perfect mix of power and deadly accuracy for 1-0 Arsenal. Saka’s first half work was not yet through however, right on the verge of half-time he picked the pocket of a sleeping Gueye and the ball was taken on by Martinelli who finished past the sprawling Pickford. The offside flag instantly shot up, but on VAR review, it was clear that Martinelli was just onside. In the space of six minutes, Saka and Martinelli had both scored their 10th league goals of the season.

Arsenal were in cruise control for much of the second half, helped by the introduction of Partey at half-time, who was fit again after injury and already looked back to his best. The game was finally put to bed in the 71st minute when a Trossard cut-back was finished by Ødegaard. Everton’s misery was compounded yet further with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, when this time Nketiah squared for Martinelli to get his brace at the near post. There was pressure on Arsenal going into this one, they knew they had to win their game in hand, and avenge their recent defeat at Goodison Park. It had required patience and clinical finishing to break Everton’s resistance, but once Arsenal took the lead they produced an immaculate performance to move 5 clear at the top.

Arsenal looked to secure a second home win in 4 days when they hosted Bournemouth later that week. However they got off to an impossibly bad start when they fell behind to the second fastest Premier League goal of all time, clocked at just 9.11 seconds. It was a ridiculously poor goal for Arsenal to concede, though replays did show that Bournemouth had 2 players clearly in the opposition half before the kick off. However this wasn’t spotted and Arsenal had to try and come back from a goal down. Ramsdale kept the damage to a minimum when he rescued Arsenal with a great save at the end of an impressive Bournemouth counter attack. By half time the hosts had registered 86% possession but still trailed on the scoreboard. Arsenal’s best chance of drawing level in the first half came from a couple of penalty appeals, the strongest being when a missed header from Mepham saw the ball instead clearly come off his arm though on review VAR did not intervene.

The mountain Arsenal had to climb in the second half got bigger when in the 57th minute, lapse marking allowed Senesi a free header from a corner and he doubled Bournemouth’s advantage. 5 minutes later Arsenal halved the deficit through Thomas Partey who was found from the head of substitute Smith-Rowe. On the 70th minute Arsenal got the equaliser, with the timely occurrence of White’s first goal for Arsenal. With Trossard substituted due to injury, and Nketiah also out of the squad with injury, Arteta’s attacking options were limited. However he maximised them by subbing a substitute, taking off Smith-Rowe and introducing Reiss Nelson, who like Smith-Rowe had been sidelined for much of the season with injury. The sub worked immediately as it was his cross that found White at the backpost, and his shot just about went over the line despite the efforts of Neto in goal.

Arsenal pushed desperately for a winner, and had yet more strong appeals for a penalty turned down. A Saka cross was diverted against his own post and then out for a corner by the arm of Stephens, who appeared fortunate to get away with leaning his body into the ball to block its path, with his upper arm making the contact. In the end Arsenal totalled 5 penalty appeals, 4 relating to handball, all of varying but reasonable strength though in the end none were given.

Six minutes of added time was announced and in that sixth minute a dangerous cross-cum-shot by Zinchenko was cleared behind for Arsenal’s 17th corner. Ødegaard’s corner was headed out as far as Reiss-Nelson right on the edge of the box, he chested it, flicked it out of his feet then cut across it to perfection. No arm could get in the way of this one, not even the goalkeepers and Arsenal had won in the 97th minute. It was their 30th shot of the match and the best of them had certainly been saved until last. For a third time in the past 8 games, Arsenal had won with the winning goal scored in the 90th minute or later. This gave them their 20th league win of the season, in their 26th match, with 10 wins from 13 at home, and 10 wins from 13 away.

Following this enormous win, Arsenal returned to European action with a trip to Sporting Lisbon for the 1st leg of their round of 16 tie, with Arteta making six changes from the side that beat Bournemouth. The score was opened though by a man who’d retained his place in the team, with Saliba rising to meet Vieira’s corner to give Arsenal the lead in the 22nd minute. The Gunners lead lasted only 12 minutes though, when confusion in the defence allowed Inacio to equalise from a set-piece. The goal did not cover Arsenal in glory, as they allowed the Sporting man a completely free header in front of goal, with neither goalkeeper Turner or debuting centre-back Jakub Kiwior (signed in January from Spezia) reacting at all.

The home side turned the game on its head in the 55th minute when despite having good numbers around the ball, Arsenal could not prevent Sporting from getting their shot away, and though the shot was initially saved it was Paulinho who got to the ball first, reacting before two Arsenal defenders for a straightforward tap-in. Martinelli almost replied near instantly with a brilliant run from well inside his own half. His pace took him past two Sporting bodies, then he managed to keep his balance past a third defender as he galloped on into Lisbon’s half. He evaded a desperate last man lunge, and then rounded the goalkeeper but his second touch was too heavy and it allowed a Sporting player to slide in and send it out for a corner before Martinelli could do the simple part of passing it into the open goal.

Arsenal’s equaliser did come however in the 62nd minute, though it was significantly less beautiful than Martinelli’s solo effort would have been. Xhaka attempted to find Martinelli but instead the ball took a huge deflection off Morita and went straight into the net for an own goal. This came only a minute after Lisbon had spurned a golden chance to go 3-1 up after wasteful finishing from Paulinho, who should have bagged his second. 2-2 was how the score remained, leaving the tie in the balance ahead of the second leg meeting at The Emirates.

3 days later and Arsenal returned to Premier League action away at Fulham. With Nketiah and Trossard missing from recent games through injury and Jesus back in training but not to that point back in a matchday squad, there was concerns that Arsenal’s attacking numbers would be severely limited for this game. However Arsenal instead got the significant boost of Trossard being fit to start and Jesus being in their playing squad for the first time since November. Arsenal appeared to take the lead in the 18th minute when Xhaka played a forward pass which looked to find the run of Martinelli, who reached the ball as it arrived in the penalty area, Leno saved his shot only for it to rebound in off Robinson. However on VAR review, Martinelli was just marginally offside as Xhaka played the pass. Fulham remained level for just three minutes more, as this time there could be no complaints as Gabriel met Trossard’s corner to get Arsenal off and running.

5 minutes later and Arsenal’s lead doubled after a 23-pass move in which every outfield player touched the ball. As Arsenal passed it in their own third, Fulham sensed the chance to press them, but a ball out from Saliba to Xhaka saw Arsenal easily bypass them and now Arsenal attacked with 5 against Fulham’s back 4. Xhaka played it to Trossard, who got beyond his man and hung up a cross for Martinelli to meet and with virtually a free header he finished a perfect move off. Right on the verge of half-time Trossard picked out Ødegaard who was able to bring the ball down, then cut inside on his left foot and smash it into the bottom corner. This was Ødegaard’s 10th league goal of the campaign, meaning Arsenal now had 3 players on at least 10 goals, noone else in the league had yet registered two players on double figures. The goal gave Trossard a hattrick of assists, as he became the first player in Premier League history to get 3 assists in a single half away from home. Arsenal’s 3-0 halftime lead did not flatter them in the slightest, it had been a scintillating half of football.

Fulham had not been able to lay a glove on Arsenal in the first half, but they had more threat about them in the second half. They could not however find the goal to give them a glimmer of hope, being denied by both Ramsdale and the crossbar. Arsenal’s threat at the other end did not diminish either though, as confidence brimmed through every player, with every touch oozing self-assurance. On a number of occasions, Arsenal’s quick incisive passing was too much for Fulham, but unlike in the first half the finishing touch was not quite there.

In the 78th minute, Jesus made his long awaited return to action and it was almost the stuff of fairy-tales, as he quickly got himself amongst the action first by flicking the ball with his heel around the corner to Vieira and then latching onto the Portuguese midfielder’s return ball to him. However Jesus could only shoot straight at Leno. It was as if the Brazilian had never been away, as he forced a chance through his own brilliance but failed to cap the move with a goal. It was a sight Arsenal fans had got used to seeing in the first part of the season and now it was back.

Even without the icing on the cake a Jesus goal would have provided, it was an excellent game for everyone connected with Arsenal not least manager Mikel Arteta, who secured his 100th win as club manager. There had been no fatigue from their Thursday evening activities, if anything it had made them even sharper and questions of Trossard and Jesus’ fitness had been passed with flying colours. Jesus had left Arsenal 5 points clear after 14 games, and as he re-entered the pitch 13 games later Arsenal were still 5 points clear. The January addition of Trossard had been key in helping to cover his absence, scoring 1 and assisting 5, and now for the first time both players would be available to Mikel Arteta.

As Arsenal approached the final run-in that would define their season, the Europa League returned for their Round of 16 2nd leg at home to Sporting Lisbon. The fanbase was divided, with some feeling an early exit from Europe and an escape from the demanding Thursday-Sunday weekly schedule that comes with it, the path would be cleared for them to have a straight run at winning the Premier League. Others felt that the prospect of winning an European Trophy was to good to turn down for a club which has had little recent success in lifting European honours.

Arteta appeared to stand in the second camp, evidenced by him starting 4 of his usual Premier League back 5, with only Ben White planned for a rest. There were rests for Partey, Ødegaard and Saka however, as Gabriel Jesus made his first start since the World Cup. White’s scheduled rest lasted just 9 minutes as he was forced into early action due to a concerning injury to Tomiyasu. 10 minutes later Arsenal scored the game’s opening goal, with a great pass from Jorginho putting Martinelli in behind the Sporting defence, his shot was saved but Xhaka was waiting to turn in the rebound for his first goal since October. A couple of minutes later and Arteta was forced into a second early defensive change, this time with Saliba departing.

Despite trailing Sporting remained well in the contest, coming close on a couple of occasions in the first half as Arsenal too easily allowed them shooting positions. The Portuguese side got on top early in the second half, and the chance of an equaliser grew more likely. Though it seemed unlikely to come from an effort from just inside the Arsenal half. However the pace and technique from Pedro Goncalves was flawless and his effort sailed over the head of Ramsdale. The effort deserved a goal and that’s just what it got, a special goal to draw Sporting level again in the tie. Arteta responded swiftly sending on the big boys, Partey and Saka. Arsenal continued to teeter on the edge of elimination, relying on the face of Ramsdale to block a shot from Edwards as he advanced on goal.

One thing all Arsenal fans could agree on, whether they were in favour of progressing or going out, was that the one thing nobody wanted was Extra-Time. Of course that’s what they got. The best first-half chance went to Trossard who was denied by a combination of Adan and the post. Arteta’s final substitution was the introduction of Ødegaard in the 101st minute and from that point on, Arsenal did all the attacking with Sporting clinging on for penalties. Their desperation was evidenced by a very late tackle by Ugarte on Saka as he looked to launch an Arsenal counter. The Uruguayan had already been booked and was given his marching orders but with mere minutes remaining it didn’t mean much.

After 210 minutes, the teams were still locked together at 3-3 on aggregate, so it would mean the first ever Emirates Stadium penalty shootout. Sporting would go first and St. Juste gave Ramsdale no chance. Ødegaard responded for The Gunners, calmy sending Adan the wrong way. Esgaio re-established Sporting’s lead with a powerful kick, before Saka, involved in his first shootout since missing the decisive kick in the Euros final 2 years prior, levelled things up once more. Ramsdale then got so close to saving Inacio’s effort that some Arsenal fans celebrated prematurely, but his contact though a strong one, was not strong enough to keep it out. Trossard restored parity once more, before Ramsdale dived the right way for Arthur Gomes’ effort, but could not prevent it from going in. Martinelli became the first man to miss from the spot, his penalty a poor one, easily placed for Adan to save. Santos had the chance to make it 5 from 5 for Sporting and secure their path into the last 8. He took the chance and Sporting Lisbon had pulled off the upset, knocking Arsenal out of the Europa League.

With Manchester City competing in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals that weekend, Arsenal were presented with the opportunity to go into the final International Break of the season with an 8-point lead at the top. Stood in their way were Crystal Palace, a team who were without a win in 2023 and who had just parted ways with their manager, former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira. Palace had a good recent record at the Emirates, having not lost at the ground in the previous 4 seasons. They would be hoping for a European hangover for Arsenal, who in turn wanted to quickly move on from their mid-week exploits. They would have to do it without Saliba, his injury meaning for the first time in the Premier League, Arsenal would start without the Saliba-Gabriel centre-back pairing, Rob Holding coming in for his first start of the season.

Palace came very close to taking the lead in the 12th minute, when Zaha did well to escape the attentions of White enough to make room for a shot which looked to find the near corner. He instead hit the near post, and the ball came off Ramsdale and went behind for a corner. It could have been a repeat of Arsenal’s goal against Villa, when the ball went in off the back of Martinez’s head, though luckily for Arsenal in this instance, the ball hit the back of Ramsdale’s legs which were facing away from his goal or else it most certainly would have been an own goal.

Arsenal probed without being able to find that real incision in the Palace box, until the 28th minute when White beat Zaha to the ball from a Palace clearance, and kept the visitors penned in. He found Saka who put the ball right across the box from right to left all the way out to Martinelli, who controlled it then with a second touch moved it onto his left foot to strike and the shot gave Palace’s 19-year old keeper no chance, the ball was past him and in the net in a flash. The goal brought up Saka’s 10th assist of the season, making him the first player in the Premier League to hit double figures for goals and assists.

Now they had the lead, Arsenal really began to settle into the game, taking full charge of it and a second goal only looked a matter of time. It came with a couple of first half minutes remaining, the goal again starting on the right side of Arsenal’s attack, with White and Saka linking effectively once more. Saka retrieved the ball and played it to White who returned it to the winger who had found himself some space in the box. He didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, picking his spot and coolly rolling the ball into the net for 2-0.

It took just 10 second half minutes for Arsenal to get a 3rd, a sharp move between Zinchenko, Trossard and Xhaka was finished off by the latter for his second goal in a week. With his 6th goal of the season, Xhaka had doubled his tally from his last 3 seasons combined. There was a downside for Arsenal in the 63rd minute, when Schlupp pulled one back from a corner, another corner from which Arsenal had failed to clear the danger, it was becoming a recurring theme. It meant they had failed to keep a home cleansheet for the 6th time in their last 7 matches at the Emirates, a concerning occurrence that Arteta and the team would be desperate to put right in order to increase their tittle hopes.

There was no problem for Arsenal at the other end though, which they demonstrated by getting their 4th of the game, as Saka bagged a brace with a superb first-time finish from substitute Tierney’s cutback. 4-1 was how the scoreline remained and Arsenal headed into the international break 8 points clear of City, who now had a game in hand. With 10 games to play upon the Premier League’s resumption in April, Arsenal were positioned brilliantly to give themselves a real shot of going all the way and bringing home their first league title for 19 years.

Arsenal went into the World Cup 5 points clear with 12 wins, 1 draw and just 1 defeat from their opening 14 games. Upon the resumption, they won 10, drew 2 and lost 2 of the following 14 games as we reached the second International Break of the season, this time with a 8 point gap, despite the fact key striker Jesus had not been able to start a single league game in that time, playing less than 40 minutes in the Premier League.

Arsenal had responded to a blip in March by winning all their Premier League games, and taking their winning run in the league to 6 straight matches, the highest Arteta has managed as coach. He received his 4th manager of the month award that season with Bukayo Saka winning the Premier League player of the month award, the first since the 03/04 campaign that atleast 2 Arsenal players had won the award in the same season.

This International Break gave everyone connected to Arsenal a chance to catch their breath and prepare for the final run-in which would decide the destination of the title, and aswell have the chance to reflect on a few months where Arsenal’s credentials had been severely tested, but they had weathered the storm and come through the other side all the stronger for it. This was thanks to many notable key performers, who we can take this time to assess.

Arsenal player ratings from Boxing Day- March International Break:

Ramsdale 8.5/10- The 24 year old keeper has been called upon more often in the second part of the season. He made several impressive saves away at Spurs to ensure Arsenal took 3 points home from there for the first time in 9 years. Also made several crucial stops in vital wins over United, Villa and Bournemouth.

White 8.5/10- A yellow card after struggling in the first half against Rashford when Arsenal hosted United led to his withdrawal at half-time. His form dipped slightly in February, which led to him starting on the bench against City. Quickly re-found top form however, scoring his first Arsenal goal at a vital time to equalise against Bournemouth.

Saliba 8.5/10- Took a while for him to re-gain his pre-World Cup form, as the lack of match practice during the World Cup appeared to give him some rust. As the weeks have past he’s got better and better again and got back to pre-World Cup, when he was the league’s best performing centre-back. A back injury suffered against Sporting Lisbon will now rule him out for some time, how much is unclear, but all connected with Arsenal will hope he’s back on the pitch this season.

Gabriel 9/10- The Brazilian has responded from the disappointment of not being picked for the World Cup, by performing better than ever before for his club. Has been one of Arsenal’s most consistently excellent performers since the World Cup, and a player of vital importance given the way he at times fills two spaces at once, which allows Zinchenko to move infield as he loves to do.

Holding 6.5/10- Came on for the injured Saliba early in the first half against Sporting Lisbon and due to the severity of the injury kept his place as Arsenal beat Palace 4-1. Holding looked fine, but tougher tests are ahead and there will be questions asked for him, due to his role in Arsenal falling short in the top 4 race the previous season. Came up against Haaland in the 4th round of the FA Cup and adopted a very physical approach that saw him booked and withdrew at half-time.

Zinchenko 9/10- With Jesus injured, it’s been the other former Manchester City player in Arsenal’s side who has come to the fore for Arsenal, playing with a level of leadership and passion that you’d normally associate with a youth team product. As well as passion, the quality of Zinchenko has aswell been ever present, evidenced by him starting 2023 with back-to-back player of the month awards for his club.

Tomiyasu & Tierney 7/10- Tomiyasu has appeared in most Arsenal games since the World Cup, usually off the bench and usually proving a reliable understudy. Suffered a bitterly disappointing moment in a rare league start however when an under-hit back pass gave De Bruyne and City a soft opening goal in the top of the table clash. Appeared to have put this behind him however, until yet another injury has left the Japanese right-back requiring surgery that could keep him out for the rest of the season, which is undoubtedly a blow. Due to the form and importance of Zinchenko, Tierney has not played much football and has had to be very patient. When he has got minutes though, he’s been his usual reliable self, and he will hope for more opportunities in Arsenal’s final run-in.

Partey 9/10- The Ghanaian midfielder was a massive loss to Arsenal when he was unavailable to face City. His availability in the season’s final months will be critical to Arsenal’s chances of the title as they just aren’t quite the same team without him. He’s been in excellent form, standing out as one of the Premier League’s best central midfielders this season, giving Arsenal the kind of strength aswell as silk they haven’t had in the middle since the days of Patrick Vieira.

Xhaka 8.5/10- Like Saliba, Xhaka has taken a while to get back to his pre-World Cup level. At times in matches vs Newcastle and City at the Emirates, he struggled in the final third to deliver with the same confidence he had in the first part of the season. He’s continued to work hard and be a vital part of this Arsenal team however, his professionalism and commitment to doing the dirty work allowing his teammates to shine. His scoring touch aswell seems to have now returned, with goals in back-to-back games just before the International break.

Jorginho 7.5/10- Jorginho was quickly thrown into the starting 11 due to injury to Partey. The experienced Italian rose to the challenge, with performances that have impressed the sceptics among the Arsenal fanbase, who doubted the move. His shot which resulted in Arsenal’s win at Villa Park was maybe Arsenal’s most important game of the season thus far, it stopped them going 4 without a win in the league and instead set them on a path of 6 straight league wins going into the break.

Lokonga 4/10- In a rare start he failed to impose himself on the midfield against League One Oxford, and his performance off the bench the following round against City appeared to be something off a last chance which was missed and the young Belgian was shortly afterwards loaned to Crystal Palace.

Ødegaard 9/10- The Norwegian maestro was fantastic before the World Cup but since the return of club football, it’s become a phenomenal season for him. Not only is he bringing goals, assists and exceptional quality on the ball, he is tenacious out of possession with a level of work rate which pays tribute to his huge desire and fitness levels.

Vieira 5/10- Improving cameos such as his one at Villa Park where he laid on a brilliant assist for Martinelli, saw Vieira earn a first Premier League start since September. However his progress has again come to a halt, as he continues to blow hot and cold in a difficult first season for the club. Though he can still maintain realistic hopes of coming good at the most vital stage of the season for Arsenal, which is yet to come.

Saka 9.5/10- Saka was brilliant before the World Cup, he was brilliant at the World Cup, but he’s gone up another level again. Since the Premier League returned on Boxing Day he has only once gone longer than a single game without scoring or assisting, and never more than 2 games. This form has led him to become the first player in the league to notch double figures for goals and assists, which is an excellent achievement for the 21-year old. Knowing the young man’s talent and abilities however, he won’t be satisfied yet, he will be confident of boosting those numbers considerably in the final 10 games.

Martinelli 8.5/10- A six-game goal and assist drought for Martinelli came during a time when Arsenal won just 2 league games, which demonstrates the importance he has to the team. Arsenal need him at his best, but he struggled to form anything like an effective understanding with Nketiah. This led to Martinelli losing his place in the side, but he quickly won it back, after just 1 game in fact and he has since go on to notch 6 goals in his last 6 league games, thanks to a much better partnership with Trossard.

Reiss Nelson 7/10- The 23-year old has had an inconsistent up and down career to date but he captured the quality he possesses in one moment, when he held his nerve when everyone else in the stadium’s appeared to have gone, when he delivered a 97th minute winner against Bournemouth, which caused undoubtedly the loudest eruption of noise in the stadium’s 17-year history.

Nketiah 7.5/10- The young English forward scored 4 in his first 5 league games as a starter, including a vital brace against Manchester United which of course featured *that* last minute winner. Afterwards though, the goals did dry up and he lost his place in the side due to his failure to link effectively with Martinelli and Xhaka on the left side of attack in particular. However, Nketiah came in at a crucial time and kept the team’s momentum going in the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ injury and will hope to still have a role to play in the run-in.

Trossard 8/10- Trossard’s mark is only not higher because he’s only started 6 league games, having to leave the field after just 22 minutes in one of them due to injury. However watching Trossard it feels like he’s already started 60 for Arsenal, such is the way he clearly belongs in this team. He has 6 assists in the league since joining Arsenal, which is comfortably more than any other player in the Premier League in that time. He has just the 1 goal, but can consider himself very unlucky his beautiful strike away at Leicester was chalked off for a foul in the build-up. Playing at the level he currently is, he can be confident there will be plenty more opportunities for goals though in the final months.

Arteta 9.5/10- The resilience he has instilled in this young Arsenal team has been evidenced countless time in the past months. Backing up an away win at Spurs with a last minute home winner against United, keeping the belief in the group strong at a time when Arsenal saw their lead disappear as they dropped to 2nd for a few days. The last-minute winners against Aston Villa and Bournemouth in particular have showcased the incredible spirit in the Arsenal camp, and the real belief among the players that they can go all the way. The only real negative has been the defensive injuries to Saliba and Tomiyasu, which came in the Europa League 2nd leg. Knowing how vital they are to Arsenal’s season it was a risk to start Saliba in a competition much less integral to the success of Arsenal’s season just before the final league run-in, and it was a decision that could prove very costly.

#arsenal #thearsenal #afc #thegunners #premierleague #epl #saka #arteta

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liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

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From Willie Groves to Neymar Jr. via Cruyff, Denilson & Zidane: The History of World Record Transfer Fees

It was 8 years after Football became a professional sport that the first transfer fee of £100 was made when Scottish striker Willie Groves joined Aston Villa from West Brom in 1893. Sunderland born Alf Common was the first player to command a fee of over £500 in 1902 when he re-joined his local team from Sheffield United. Just six months later he became the game’s first 4-figure signing when he switched Sunderland for Middlesbrough.

The first £1M transfer happened in 1975, but it wasn’t until 17 years later in 1992 that the first £10M move took place. From that summer of 1992, football changed with the sudden influx of huge money from advertising companies worldwide as the newly formed competitions of the Premier League and the Champions League became awash with money. In 1991 the most expensive player was Roberto Baggio at £8M, just 10 years later and that figure had rose to £46M, as the world transfer fee record was broken 9 times in 9 years, and for 6 consecutive summers between 1996 and 2001.

From 1952 up until 1996, the only club outside of Italy to break the world transfer record was FC Barcelona, other than that Italian Clubs had the financial muscle to outspend everyone. As Florentino Perez established Real Madrid as the most marketable club on the planet, they set the new record at the turn of the millennium and broke their own record another 4 times over. United’s £89M purchase of Pogba showed the financial might of the Premier League, before the state-backed PSG obliterated the record by capturing Neymar for £198M, demonstrating the extent to which teams owned by nation states could blow the rest out of the water financially.

The argument of the morality in the kind of spending Football has seen over the last couple of decades has been an evolving one. At first the fans of the game, the majority of whom are working class, were uncomfortable seeing players begin to move for sums of around £30M in the late 1990′s. Institutions such as the Vatican were highly critical, and the media were sceptical with the BBC asking “has the World gone mad?” when Hernan Crespo cost Lazio over 35 million pounds in 2000. However as the 2000′s progressed, attitudes in the media and amongst fanbases began to change, as mega spending from owners such as Roman Abramovich was lapped up. As figures got bigger, they got more and more meaningless, they became just numbers on a page. Now all that mattered to most fans was that they signed as many players as possible, for as much money as possible, the more they cost the better they were likely to be, became most people’s perception. Now if a player didn’t cost a fortune, he couldn’t possibly be good and big expensive transfers became something to celebrate as though it was in itself a trophy, to see your club spend alot of money, which showed ‘ambition’.

After Kaka ended Zidane’s 8-year run as the world’s most expensive player, the record breaking threatened to go on endlessly, with a new world transfer record being set over and over again. That was until the transfer of Neymar to PSG. The new record of £198M set in 2017 was so enormous that it could remain the record for a very long time. We have since seen a change in the way transfers are done, with players now more likely to let their contracts run down in order to secure a move, so clubs can sign them with only a year left on their deal for a reduced price, or else get them on a free transfer when their contract expires. This suits players as that transfer money can be instead spent on giving them a massive signing bonus. However, it feels inevitable that one day perhaps not too far from now, some club will be tempted to bid the sort of money that will guarantee them headlines as they deem a player to be worth close to a quarter of a Billion pounds.

Until that day comes let’s look back on the story of the World-Record transfer Fee, from its humble beginnings when the first transfer fee of £100 was made in 1893 when Willie Groves joined Aston Villa from West Brom, all the way through to that £198M transfer of Neymar in 2017.

Willie Groves- West Brom to Aston Villa, 1893. £100.

Willie Groves made his debut with Hibernian as a 16-year old where he won the Scottish Cup, before moving to newly formed Celtic in 1888. After a couple of years he moved to England signing for West Brom, where he featured in the FA Cup final on the winning side as the Baggies beat Aston Villa 3-0. His performance may have in part enticed Villa to make him the first player to cost £100 as they brought him to their club the next year. Villa were fined by the FA having been deemed to have illegally poached the player, but the club got their consolation by winning the league title at the end of Groves’ first season. Groves returned to Hibernian at the end of that one season however due to a contract dispute.

For Hibernian, Groves played in but lost the 1896 Scottish Cup final against Hearts, remembered as the only one in the competition’s history to take place outside of Glasgow. He then returned to Celtic, but retired quickly afterwards, suffering from tuberculosis. Groves died at the age of just 39.

Alf Common- Sunderland to Middlesbrough, 1905. £1k .

Alf Common began at Sunderland before transferring to Sheffield United after a single season. There he won the 1902 FA Cup. After 3 seasons he wished to return to Sunderland and moved for a new record fee of £520. Just six months later he was on the move again, joining Middlesbrough for £1,000, the first 4-figure signing in Football. Boro were a side struggling in the Second Division and the signing of Common helped them to beat the drop. Aged 30 he switched to Woolwich Arsenal, where he played for a couple of years before moving to Preston North End, whom he helped get promoted to the First Division in 1913 before retiring the following year.

David Jack- Bolton to Arsenal, 1928. £10,890.

After joining Bolton Wanderers from Plymouth Argyle in 1920 for £3,500, David Jack had 8 successful seasons with the Trotters, scoring 161 goals in 324 games. One of those many goals came in the “White Horse Final” the 1923 FA Cup Final against West Ham United, which was the first Football match played at Wembley Stadium. Jack scored the opening goal to become the first man to score at Wembley, in front of an official crowd of 126,047, though estimations for the actual attendance go up as high as 300,000. 3 years on and Jack scored his second FA Cup Final goal to win his 2nd winners medal as his was the only goal as Bolton triumphed over Sheffield United.

In 1928 with Bolton in financial trouble, David Jack became the first 5-figure signing when Herbert Chapman took him to Arsenal. In order to do this, Chapman negotiated with Bolton representatives over drinks in a hotel bar. Chapman’s gin & tonic’s were served to him without gin, whilst under the Arsenal manager’s instruction, the other side were served up double measures. With his mind clear, he haggled Bolton’s asking price down to £10,890, a fee he considered a bargain.

Jack proved to be a bargain, becoming the first player to win the FA Cup with 2 different clubs as he helped Arsenal to win their first in 1930 against Huddersfield Town. This was Arsenal’s first FA Cup win and it kickstarted an era of massive success for the club, Jack a part of the side that won 3 consecutive league titles. Jack retired in 1934 and remains one of only 3 players in English Football history (along with Jimmy Greaves & Alan Shearer) to score over 100 top-flight league goals for two clubs. David Jack also won 9 England caps, scoring 3 times.

Bernabe Ferreyra- Tigre to River Plate, 1932. £23k.

Bernabe Ferreyra had the distinction of being the first player outside of England to set a new transfer record when the Argentine moved from Tigre to River Plate in 1932 becoming the first player to cost more than £20,000. He remained the World’s most expensive footballer for 17 years, the longest thus far that anyone has held the title. Ferreyra was known by a multitude of nicknames such as ‘the fierce’, ‘net breaker’ and ‘Balazo’ (gunshot). These nicknames came out of reverence for his fearsome shooting power, which helped him to net 187 goals in 185 games for River. Independiente goalkeeper Fernando Bello injured both his wrists saving a penalty from the force of Ferreyra’s kick, but the forward suffered injuries of his own due to rough treatment from defender’s looking to find any way to stop him scoring. Ferreyra was forced into early retirement at the age of 29, but he will forever be remembered for his goal scoring prowess.

Hasse Jeppson- Atalanta to Napoli, 1952. £52k.

Ferreyra’s record was finally broken in 1949 as Johnny Morris departed Manchester United for Derby County, and 3 years later Hasse Jeppson became the first player to move for a sum of over £50,000. The Swedish striker began at domestic sides Örgryte and Djurgårdens before becoming the second Swede to join an English team when he appeared 11 times for Charlton Athletic. From there he moved to Atalanta where 22 goals in 27 league games convinced Napoli to break the world transfer record. For this Napoli supporters nicknamed him “the Bank of Naples”. Jeppson scored 52 times in 112 league games, before finishing his career after a season with Torino. Jeppson won 12 Sweden caps and scored 9 goals, including 2 at the 1950 World Cup.

Luis Suarez-Barcelona to Inter Milan, 1961. £152k.

Spanish midfielder Luis Suarez became Football’s first six-figure signing when he left FC Barcelona for Italian Giants Inter Milan for £152,000. El Arquitecto (the architect) began his career with local club Deportivo La Coruna, before joining Barcelona in 1955. He won back-to-back league titles with the club alongside other cup competitions. His contributions saw him win the 1960 Balon D’or and to this day he remains the only Spanish-born player to win the award.

Suarez’s final game for Barca came in the 1961 European Cup final, as the Catalans were beaten 3-2 by Benfica. The Architect had a one-in-two goal ratio for Barcelona in La Liga, but aside from goals, Suarez’s passing range and creativity were what made him such a special player. Upon joining Inter, Suarez transitioned into a deeper lying playmaker in Helenio Herrera’s ‘Grande Inter’ team which dominated in the early to mid 60′s. Between 1963 and 1966 Suarez helped Inter to lift 3 Serie A titles, 2 European Cups and 2 Intercontinental cups. The Spaniard in the end totalled 328 games for Inter in 9 years, scoring 55 goals. Suarez also won 32 Spain caps, scoring 14 goals. In 1964 he helped his country win their first major honour as they won the European Championships beating Soviet Union in the final.

Angelo Sormani- Mantova to AS Roma, 1963. £250k.

Brazilian born striker Angelo Sormani began his career at Santos, where he was understudy to Pele, before breaking into the team and playing alongside the legendary striker. Sormani moved to Italy in 1961 where he joined A.C Mantova and earned the nickname the ‘White Pele’. The nickname put him on the radar of many top clubs and in the end it was AS Roma who made him the most expensive player in the world and the first to cost a quarter of a million pounds. Aswell as the 500 Million Lire Roma paid, they also exchanged a further 3 players to Mantova. The striker however failed to live up to his promise in Rome and left for Sampdoria after just one season. He again struggled there, but AC Milan decided to give him a shot in 1965. There he finally established himself as one of the league’s best players, delivering on his early promise as he helped Milan to a league title and then their first ever European Cup in 1969, scoring his team’s 4th in a 4-1 win over Ajax.

Pietro Anastasi- Varese to Juventus, 1968. £500k.

Pietro Anastasi began his career in Serie D, before joining Serie B outfit Varese. After helping Varese to promotion, Anastasi scored a hattrick in Varese’s shock 5-0 victory over Juventus. This prompted Juventus to make him the first player to cost half a million pounds, when they brought him to Turin in 1968 for 650 million Lire. In 8 years with the club Anastasi won 3 league titles and was also a runner-up in the 1973 European Cup final as Juventus lost 1-0 to Ajax. The striker scored 130 goals in his time with The Old Lady, which currently has him seated 7th on their all-time scorers chart. Anastasi also won 25 caps for Italy, debuting in the 1968 Euros final against Yugoslavia, he scored 8 goals for The Azzurri.

Johan Cruyff- Ajax to FC Barcelona, 1973. £920k

Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruyff brought football close to its first £1M player when he joined FC Barcelona from Ajax for £920,000 in 1973. Cruyff was taken on by Ajax as a youth without the need of a formal trial, after an Ajax youth team coach spotted the youngster’s immense talent on a neighbourhood playground. After breaking into the team as a teen Cruyff quickly established himself as the team’s star player, scoring 25 goals in 23 appearances in his second season at senior level. Cruyff won 3 successive Eredivisie titles with the first coming in 1966, he was also part of the first Dutch team to play a European Cup final in 1969, though Ajax went down 4-1 against AC Milan.

2 years later Ajax were back in the final, this time lifting the trophy with a 2-0 success over Panathinaikos. That year Cruyff won his first of three Balon D’or awards. The following season, Ajax retained the European Cup, again winning 2-0 in the final, this time against Inter Milan, with Cruyff bagging both goals. Ajax then became the first side since Real Madrid in the 1950′s to win 3 successive European Cups when they beat Juventus 1-0. In 9 years with his boyhood club Cruyff scored 257 goals in 329 games, and won 5 league titles, 4 Dutch cups and 3 European Cups.

As the face of ‘Totaalvoetbal’ (Total Football) Cruyff had established himself in his native country as by far the best footballer on the planet. It was time to take that step up to the next level, by establishing FC Barcelona as one of the world’s best. In his first season, he helped secure their first La Liga title for 14 years. On the way to that honour, he inspired the team to a 5-0 triumph over hated rivals Real Madrid, which led a New York Times journalist to declare: “Cruyff has done more for the spirit of the Catalan people in 90 minutes than many politicians in years of struggle.” Later during his time with the club, Cruyff also lifted the Copa Del Rey trophy, before moving to America to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs.

Cruyff scored 85 goals in 227 games for Barca, but his impact could not be measured in mere statistics. During his time as a player he showed Barcelona a new way of playing the game, a style he then went on to perfect as club manager as he led Barcelona’s ‘Dream Team’ to 4 successive league titles and the club’s first ever European Cup in 1992. One of his disciples in that Dream Team was Pep Guardiola who would build off Cruyff’s principles, and use them as the foundation to bring Barca’s greatest ever era. Johann Cruyff has had a greater influence on Football than anyone else, and other than Ajax, no club has been more influenced than Barcelona. So for that reason, it’s probably the best money they have ever spent.

Giuseppe Savoldi- Bologna to Napoli, 1975. £1.2M.

Giuseppe Savoldi was the first £1M footballer, when Napoli paid two billion Lira (£1.2M) to Bologna for his services. The striker had began his career with Atalanta before joining Bologna in 1968. In 7 years with Bologna, Savoldi won 2 Coppa Italia’s and he won a third in his first season in Naples. The striker was a popular figure during his 4 years with Napoli scoring 55 goals in 118 Serie A appearances, though he could not lead a side on the decline to a first Scudetto. Savoldi then returned to Bologna, but was involved in the headlines once more in May of 1980, when his role in an underground betting scandal saw him receive a three-and-a-half year ban from the sport, reduced to two on appeal.

Paulo Rossi- Juventus to Vicenza, 1978. £1.7M.

Paulo Rossi began his career as a winger at Juventus though knee injuries which required three significant surgeries limited him to just 3 appearances in his first 2 seasons, none of which came in the league. Rossi faired little better on loan at Como featuring just six times for them. The young winger was then loaned to Serie B side Vicenza, where he underwent a significant transformation. Converted to a striker by coach Giovan Fabbri, Rossi emerged as a natural at finding space in the box and finishing. He thrived in this new role, now able to stay fit for the first time he fired Vicenza to promotion with 21 league goals.

After top scoring in Serie B, Rossi became the first player to back that up by top-scoring in Serie A the very next season. This time he netted 24 in 30 Serie A appearances as Vicenza finished 2nd only to Juventus, who in an unusual arrangement still co-owned Rossi along with Vicenza. However, after Rossi’s stock grew only further with his displays at the 1978 World Cup, both clubs were called upon to find a sole owner for the player. With a sum of 2.6B Lire (around £1.7M) Vicenza made Rossi the World’s most expensive footballer. However Vicenza were relegated back to Serie B, and Rossi loaned to Perugia, so he could continue playing in Italy’s top division.

In 1980, things turned bleak for Rossi, as he was implicated in the Totonero betting scandal and banned from Football for 3 years, this was later reduced to 2. Despite his ban, Juventus signed him back to their club in 1981. Rossi was eligible to compete at the 1982 World Cup, though he had played just 3 matches across the last 2 seasons because of the ban. In Italy’s first 3 games, he failed to score as Italy failed to beat Poland, Peru or Cameroon, only making it through to the next stage in 2nd place by virtue of goals scored, with 2. Rossi was described by Italian Journalists as a “ghost aimlessly wandering around the field” but manager Enzo Bearzot persisted with him for the second group stage and in the decisive game against Brazil, Rossi netted a hattrick to put Italy into the final 4.

He then bagged both goals in the semi-finals as Italy dispatched Poland to take their place in the final against West Germany. Rossi opened the scoring as Italy took the World Cup with a 3-1 win, and Rossi picked up the Golden Boot with all six of his goals coming in his last 3 games, having failed to score in his first 4. Recently a disgraced figure in a betting scandal that had rocked the nation, Rossi was now a national hero, the key player in winning Italy’s first World Cup since 1938.

Diego Maradona- Boca Juniors to FC Barcelona, 1982. £3M.

Diego Armando Maradona made his professional debut aged 15 for Argentinos Juniors. After 5 years in which the young Argentine scored 116 goals in 166 games, he was transferred to Argentine giants Boca Juniors in 1981. 28 goals in 40 games helped Boca to win the Primera Division, and following Maradona’s first World Cup in 1982, FC Barcelona made him the most expensive player in history, at £3M.

Maradona’s first season saw him lift the Copa Del Rey as Real Madrid were beaten in the final, but it had been far from a complete success. Diego quickly clashed with manager Udo Lattek, taking exception to his demanding early morning training sessions. Hepatitis and a lack of protection from referees led to prolonged spells on the sidelines. Maradona’s problem with Lattek was removed when the German coach was sacked and replaced with Maradona’s former national team manager Cesar Menotti. However Diego had a greater problem brewing with the Barcelona board, in particular club president Jose Luis Nunez, who struggled to maintain authority over the natural rebel Maradona, who had begun his cocaine use and threw regular wild parties late into the night, such behaviour filtered up the chain of the command to Nunez.

Maradona’s second season was typified by an on-field rivalry with Athletic Bilbao, then champions of Spain. The Argentine had long been complaining about the harsh treatment he received from opponents which largely went unpunished by referees. This culminated in Maradona being left side-lined for 3 months with an injury first thought career threatening by the “Butcher of Bilbao” Andoni Goikoetxea. A few weeks after his return to fitness, Maradona lined up to face Bilbao again, this time at the San Mames stadium. Maradona led his team heroically through another brutal match, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win for his side in one of the dirtiest matches seen at the stadium.

Maradona’s duels with Bilbao didn’t end here though, and they would reach a stunning conclusion in the 1984 King’s Cup final infront of 100,000 spectators and half of Spain’s watching public. After a 1-0 defeat featuring the usual Bilbao treatment whenever Diego went near the ball, and racist insults towards him regarding his Father’s native American Indian ancestry, he was given a ‘fuck off’ sign by unused Bilbao substitute Sola, and Maradona subsequently knocked him to the floor before kneeing him out cold. Chaos ensued with a mass brawl involving all the players, with flying kicks everywhere you looked. Maradona was at one stage knocked to the floor with a Bilbao player standing over him, when out of nowhere a teammate jumped in with a huge kick to the players back sending him flying. The brawl resulted in 60 people being injured as fans rained missiles down on players, coaches and photographers. Maradona left the pitch with his Barcelona shirt torn, he would never wear one again.

Diego Maradona- FC Barcelona to Napoli, 1984. £5M.

Despite any concerns over injuries or behaviour, Maradona with 38 goals in 58 games for the Blaugrana was the still the most desired player on earth. Aswell as for his talent, the Maradona signing had political motivations. The North vs South divide in Italy was at its most tumultuous. Upon hearing of Juventus’ interest in signing the Argentine, Napoli were determined to get one over on the more illustrious then-champions, who already boasted that summer’s standout player at Euro 84, Michel Platini. Maradona chose the poorer, economically disadvantaged South, a region that had never produced a Serie A winner. Napoli, a club formed in 1926 that had to that point only won 2 major trophies, had signed the best player in the world, for a record fee of £5M.

Maradona found himself feeling instantly more at home than he had ever felt at Barcelona. The poor background he came from aswell as having a Mother of Italian descent gave Maradona an immediate affinity with the city of Naples, and he could also relate to the feeling of being looked down upon that Neapolitans felt from those in the more affluent and politically prioritised North.

75,000 Napoli supporters packed into the Stadio San Paulo to see the official presentation of Diego Armando Maradona as a Napoli player. For all present that day, the Saviour had arrived. As one local newspaper put it “despite the lack of a mayor, houses, schools, buses, employment and sanitation, none of this matters because we have Maradona."

Though the team he was joining had a modest history to date, the league he would playing in was by far the best and most competitive in the world. Though a defensive league with emphasis put on the ‘Cattenacio’ style of play, featuring tight man-to-man marking and a sweeper, Maradona could atleast rely on better protection from referees than he’d received in Spain.

Hellas Verona were champions for the only time in their history in Maradona’s debut season, with Napoli having to settle for 8th place. This improved to 3rd in the following year, then in Maradona’s 3rd season he hit the peak of his considerable powers. Fresh off the back of inspiring Argentina to the 1986 World Cup trophy, his encore was delivering Napoli to the promised land as they took their first ever Scudetto, with a league double over Juventus proving decisive. Winning Serie A sparked a week-long party in Naples, so often the butt of the North’s jokes, it was they who were laughing now. Maradona had put Napoli and the entire city of Naples on top of Italy, and in doing so his standing amongst the people could not have been any higher. In the eyes of the adoring Neapolitans he was more than a footballer, more than a man even.

Maradona and Napoli were unable to retain their crown and problems between Maradona and Napoli president Corrado Ferlaino began to materialise. Napoli who had so far accepted his unwillingness to be controlled had grown frustrated at his missing of training sessions and the following season with Maradona injured or missing from training all the more regularly, Napoli ended further away from the Scudetto. Though still 2nd they finished 11 points behind Internazionale and were beaten in the Coppa Italia final. But there was redemption in the Uefa Cup which Napoli won beating Stuggart in the two-legged final, after dispatching Juventus and Bayern Munich to reach it.

After a slow start to the 89-90 season, with the World Cup that summer looming ever closer, Maradona’s motivation soared again and he had his most prolific season for Napoli, scoring 16 in 28 league games as they finished 2 points above Milan to take the Scudetto for the 2nd time in 4 years. Maradona had responded to the adversity by climbing back to the top, it was the final time in his career he would sit there.

Diego’s time at Napoli would end unceremoniously. During police investigations into organised crime in Naples, Maradona was heard on tape requesting cocaine and prostitutes. This led to a subsequent investigation into him, at which time Napoli chose to abandon their lax approach to drug testing, and Maradona was suddenly tested twice, both by Napoli doctors and outside doctors brought in by the club. Both tests returned positive and Diego received a 15-month ban from Football. Napoli finished the season in 8th, where they finished in Diego’s 1st season with the club. The cycle had been completed and Maradona’s Neapolitan dream had turned into a nightmare.

However, absence made the heart grow fonder, and Maradona and Napoli would always be remembered for the love story it had once been, where Maradona briefly found a home and played the best football of his career to lead Napoli to heights they’d never scaled before. He scored 115 goals in 259 games for the club and won 5 trophies in his 7 years with the club.

Ruud Gullit- PSV to AC Milan, 1987. £6M.

Ruud Gullit began his career with HFC Harlem, after 3 seasons he was taken by Feyenoord. Gullit completed a league and cup double in his second season with the club, where he won the Dutch Footballer of the Year award. After his 3rd season, he transferred to PSV Eindhoven, where he established himself as a truly world class player. In his two seasons with the club, PSV were champions both times and Gullit scored 53 times in 78 appearances.

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi was determined to return the club to its glory days of the 1960′s and thought Gullit was a player to help bring that about. He paid a world record price of £6M to bring him to the San Siro. Marco Van Basten also joined that summer from Ajax. During that first season, Gullit won the 1987 Balon D’or award and dedicated it Nelson Mandela, at that time still imprisoned in Apartheid South Africa. Under new coach Arrigo Sacchi, Milan won their 1st Scudetto in 9 years to qualify for the following seasons European Cup.

In a 5-0 European Cup semi-final win over Real Madrid, Gullit picked up an injury and was in a race against time to be fit for the final. He played and scored twice as Milan beat Steaua Bucharest 4-0 to win their first European Cup since 1969. The following season which saw fellow Dutchman Frank Rijkaard added to the squad, Gullit appeared just three times for Milan, though one of them was in the European Cup final and again he was on the winning side as Milan beat Benfica 1-0. Milan’s hold on the European Cup was halted in bizarre circumstances the following season when they refused to complete a game against Marseille after it had been halted in the 87th minute due to floodlight failure. Milan were barred from all European competitions the following year.

The lack of European distraction helped Gullit and Milan focus domestically as they won the Serie A for the first time since the Dutchman’s first season with the club. Now under the tutelage of Fabio Capello they went the full 34-game league season without losing a game. The run was ended after an incredible 58 game run, though Milan still managed to retain their title. Though Gullit had by this time lost his place in the side and didn’t make the bench for the first ever Champions League final in 1993, which Milan lost to Marseille.

Gullit was then loaned out to Sampdoria, he briefly returned to Milan before joining Sampdoria on a permanent deal. He finished his career at Chelsea, though he will be forever best known for his time spent at AC Milan and with the Dutch National team, where along with Van Basten and Rijkaard, he was a part of one of the greatest trios Football has ever known. Gullit appeared 66 times for the Netherlands and scored 17, including the opener in the 1988 Euros final, where the Dutch won their sole major honour to date with a 2-0 win over the USSR.

Roberto Baggio- Fiorentina to Juventus, 1990. £8M.

Roberto Baggio began his career in Serie C with Vicenza. After 3 seasons with the club, he was 2 days from finalising a deal to move to Fiorentina, when he shattered both his ACL and the meniscus of his right knee. His career was in serious threat, but Fiorentina kept faith in him and signed him anyway. After a season on the sidelines, Baggio suffered another serious injury to his knee just a week after his Serie A debut, this one required 220 stitches to have it rebuilt. Baggio returned at the end of the season and with a free-kick scored a goal which saved La Viola from relegation. Baggio was finally able to stay fit the following two seasons and prove his worth with 87 appearances in that time and 43 goals, which ensured he would be a starter for Italy as they hosted the World Cup in 1990. Baggio scored twice at the World Cup, including the goal of the tournament against Czechoslovakia. He was left out of the starting 11 for the Semi-Final against Argentina, with the more experienced Vialli chosen, a decision which was criticised.

Baggio had become a hero to Fiorentina fans, and the teams star player. However, he was sold to club rivals Juventus for a world record fee of £8M. This led to riots on the streets of Florence, where 50 people were injured. When Baggio returned to face Fiorentina in the colours of Juve, he refused to take a penalty, which was subsequently missed and picked up a Fiorentina scarf thrown at him as he left the pitch when substituted. This incident made Juventus supporters reluctant to accept him, though Baggio performed on the pitch with 27 goals in his first season, despite the team struggling in the league especially. Baggio won over the fans in his second season as he became one of the team’s leaders as Juve performed better finishing runners-up in Serie A.

Baggio was made captain the following season and responded by scoring 30 goals in all competitions. These goals helped Juventus on the way to winning the UEFA Cup as they thumped Borussia Dortmund 6-1 on aggregate in the final, Baggio scoring two of them. Roberto was the recipient of the 1993 Balon D’or award and aswell the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Baggio and Juventus finished 2nd to Milan for a second time in three years in 1994, and that summer they appointed Marcelo Lippi as manager. Baggio was injured for some of the season, and when fit others were occasionally preferred such as the young Alessandro Del Piero. However Baggio still played his part in bringing Juventus their first league title in 9 years. In 17 league games, he scored 8 and assisted 8, including 3 in the 4-0 win over Parma which secured the title. Baggio also scored 4 in 8 as Juventus reached the final of the UEFA Cup, but they were defeated by Parma.

Baggio departed Juve that summer for AC Milan, after 115 goals in 200 games for the club. The ‘Divine Ponytail’ went on to play for Bologna and Inter Milan before retiring at Brescia. Baggio is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, one of Italy’s best ever players and one of the finest number 10′s Football has ever seen, for his elegance and impressive numbers in scoring and assisting others.

Baggio won 56 Italy caps and scored 27 times, including 9 World Cup finals goals. He scored 2 at Italia 90 and 5 at the 1994 World Cup, all of them in the knockout rounds as he led Italy to the final scoring 5 of the team’s knockout stage goals. In the final against Brazil, he missed the crucial penalty in the first ever World Cup decided by a penalty shootout. He scored twice at the 1998 World Cup but Italy were eliminated by France. He is the only Italian to have scored in 3 World Cups.

Jean-Pierre Papin- Marseille to AC Milan, 1992. £10M.

Jean-Pierre Papin started out at Valenciennes before moving to Club Brugge. After just one successful season he returned to France, now with Olympique Marseille. Papin became captain of Marseille and won the league 4 years in a row, in those 4 years he scored over 30 goals across all competitions in every season. Such prolific scoring saw AC Milan make him the first 8-figure signing, paying £10M to secure his signature. However, the three-foreigner rule limited Papin’s game time as he competed against a whole host of foreign imports to start games for AC.

He came off the bench in the 1993 Champions League final as Milan were defeated by his former side Marseille. Papin’s game time was limited yet further the following season and after it, the French forward was signed by Bayern Munich for £2.1M. Papin scored 31 times in 63 games for the Rossoneri, and won 5 trophies including 2 Serie A titles and the 1994 Champions League, though he did not make the bench for Milan’s 4-0 win over Barcelona. Papin lost his scoring touch at Bayern, and returned home to France where he played for Bordeaux and Guingamp before retiring.

Gianluca Vialli- Sampdoria to Juventus, 1992. £12M.

Striker Gianluca Vialli was signed by Sampdoria from Cremonese after 3 full seasons with the Serie B side. His 8 seasons with Sampdoria took in the greatest years in the clubs history as they won the Serie A for the first time ever in 1991, aswell as the Cup Winners Cup and 3 Italian Cups. They also reached the European Cup final for the one and only time in their history, but were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Cruyff’s Barcelona. The 1992 final was Vialli’s 327th and last match for Sampdoria, he scored 141 goals for the club.

£12.5M was spent by Juventus to bring him to the club, and in his first season he helped them to lift the UEFA Cup. He made only 10 league appearances in his second season, but the following year he was back scoring 17 in 30 league games as he led Juventus to the Scudetto. In his final season with Juve, Vialli was the team captain as they won the 1996 Champions League in his last match for the club, beating Ajax on penalties. Vialli subsequently moved to Chelsea, where he finished his career. Vialli is remembered for his versatility as a forward which allowed him to play on the wings, through the middle, or even deeper roles in the midfield such as the playmaker role, such was his ability to fashion chances for others. Vialli was known for having exceptional technical and physical qualities, combining natural dribbling skills and ball control with pace, stamina and strength.

Gianluigi Lentini- Torino to AC Milan, 1992. £13M.

1992 was an integral year to the modern history of Football. The European Cup rebranded to the Champions League and the old English First Division became the Premier League. However, whilst English Football’s most expensive player for its inaugural Premier League season was Alan Shearer, who cost Blackburn Rovers £3.6M, Italian clubs were that same summer smashing the World-record transfer fee on 3 separate occasions. At the beginning of the summer, Baggio held the record at £8M for his move to Juventus in 1990. Across 2 months in 1992, the world record was broken 3 times, first by Milan to sign Papin, then by Juventus to bring Vialli, and finally Milan not to be outdone took the record back when they paid £13M for Gianluigi Lentini. The young winger was still seen as a mercurial talent, who at the age of 23 was still largely unproven. Lentini was perhaps the first player to move for a huge sum based more on the player he might become, rather than the level he had shown up to that point. This was to become the norm though at the time The Vatican called the fee paid for him “an offence to the dignity of work”.

Winger Lentini came through the youth academy of Torino, and starred for the club in Serie A where they came 3rd in 1992, aswell as in the UEFA Cup as Torino reached the final knocking out Real Madrid in the semis, before losing out to Ajax. After his performances saw him debut for the Italy national side, many clubs were interested in Lentini, with AC Milan ensuring he was theirs, with a massive £13M bid. The winger showed plenty of promise in his first season with the Rossoneri, helping the team to win Serie A. However that summer Lentini was involved in a serious car crash which saw him fracture his skull and damage his eye socket. Following the crash Lentini suffered with blurred vision, memory loss and dizzy spells. He returned to Football, but never recovered his mercurial dribbling skills. Lentini was an unused substitute for the 1994 Champions League final which Milan won 4-0. Teammate Marcel Desailly would later admit: “You could see the skills, how he was before the accident and after the accident, the balance was completely different.”

Lentini would leave Milan in 1996 with 3 Serie A winners medals, though in his final years at the club he was mostly confined to the bench, unable to produce the impact that was hoped of the World’s most expensive footballer. From Milan Lentini joined Atalanta, before featuring for another 7 Italian clubs, including a spell back at Torino. He retired aged 43 after a spell in Italy’s lower divisions.

Ronaldo, PSV to FC Barcelona, 1996. £13.2M.

Whilst still a teenager, Ronaldo scored 44 goals in 47 matches for Brazilian side Cruzeiro. He was selected for Brazil’s 1994 World Cup squad, which won the tournament, though he didn’t feature. That summer he moved to Europe, joining Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven. In his first season he scored 35 goals in 36 games, but it wasn’t just the goals, it was the manner in which he scored them. He was breathtakingly quick with the ball, his blindingly quick step-overs a nightmare for goalkeepers and defenders alike. Despite still being a teenager, he was blessed with phenomenal body strength, and could score a goal out of nowhere within the blink of an eye. He radiated danger, when Ronaldo had the ball, the opposition was never safe.

The Brazilian striker, aptly nicknamed O Fenômeno (the Phenomenon) suffered a more injury hit second season, but after 2 seasons he had tallied 54 goals in 57 games. He was ready for a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs and it was Barcelona who put up the record fee of £13.2M and signed R9 up to a 9-year contract. In no time at all, he proved value for money. In La Liga he scored 34 times in 37 appearances to win the European Golden Shoe. He was just as deadly in the cups, leading Barcelona to success in the Cup Winners Cup, Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Supercup.

In total he scored 47 goals in 49 matches, his most memorable goal being a solo effort away at SD Compostela, where he dribbled from the halfway line, showing unbelievable strength and close control as he consistently evaded desperate attempts to bring him down by any means. The goal was said to have been replayed 160 times on the main Spanish television channels in the 48 hours following the game. Ronaldo remains to this day perhaps the most complete and accomplished footballer at 20 years old, the game has ever seen. He remains the youngest player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. Oscar Ruiz reflected on his then teammate saying "Back then, he was all fibre and muscle. He was a perfect physical specimen. Such incredible power matched to his technical skills could make him unstoppable.”

Alan Shearer- Blackburn to Newcastle, 1996. £15M.

Alan Shearer set the British record in 1992 when he moved from Southampton to Blackburn for £3.6M. Just 4 years later and Shearer’s transfer to Newcastle United would break the world record with the Magpies paying £15M to bring him to St. James Park. This marked the first time in decades an English club had broken the world record, and showcased the Premier League’s rapid growth to a money-making machine.

Shearer scored 130 goals in 171 games for Blackburn and won the golden boot in the club’s 94-95 league winning season. The hope was for Newcastle that with the best striker in the country, they could find similar success after narrowly missing out on the title the previous season after blowing a big lead. Shearer was PFA Player of the Year in his first season, scoring 25 goals in 31 league games for the Toon, but Newcastle finished 2nd to United once again. That summer Bobby Robson attempted to bring Shearer to Barcelona, in a move that would have seen him break the world transfer fee record for the second time in 12 months, but the bid was rejected. That money instead went on a young Brazilian striker by the name of Ronaldo.

The following season, Shearer missed a lot of the campaign with an ankle injury and his importance to Newcastle was reflected by their 13th place finish. They did reach the FA Cup final however with Shearer scoring the winner in their semi-final win over Sheffield United, but they were beaten 2-0 in the final by Arsenal.

Shearer and Newcastle were back in the FA Cup Final the next season but again lost 2-0, this time to Manchester United. Despite making him Newcastle captain, manager Ruud Gullit later dropped Shearer for an all-important Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland, which Newcastle lost and at that point the writing was on the wall for the Dutchman, who was sacked and replaced by the man who had recently tried to sign Shearer, Bobby Robson. Shearer was quickly back in the team and scoring goals once more, though he suffered an injury ravaged 00-01 campaign.

The following season though he was back to his best, scoring 27 in all competitions and leading Newcastle to a 4th place finish, what saw them qualify for the Champions League. Newcastle lost their first 3 Champions League Group matches, but managed to turn it around dramatically, winning their next 3 to qualify for the second phase. One such win came against Juventus, whose manager Marcelo Lippi came away extremely impressed by Shearer’s performance as legendary striker Gabriel Batistuta once explained: “If you throw in a number of serious injuries...how many? Three? And for the man to still be producing at the highest level is really an amazing feat. After a match against Juventus I met Alex Del Piero who like myself could only speak in the most glowing of terms about Shearer. He'd terrorised the Juve defenders when the clubs met in Newcastle. They found him one of the most difficult opponents they had ever faced. The coach Marcello Lippi had been purring about Shearer's performance. So much so that his strikers Del Piero, Trezeguet and Marcelo Salas were ordered to take home videos and study Shearer's display."

In the second Group Phase, Shearer scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen and a brace against Inter Milan, but Newcastle fell short of progression to the Quarter-Finals. In the league they finish 5th to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Shearer announced the 04-05 season would be his last, and in the league he only managed 7 goals. He was more prolific in Europe however scoring 11 goals in 9 as Newcastle reached the Quarters. He was persuaded to stay at Newcastle for one final season and in that season he scored his 201st Newcastle goal, which made him the club’s record goalscorer. He finished with a club total of 206 in 405 matches, going down as the club’s greatest ever player.

Ronaldo- FC Barcelona to Inter Milan, 1997. £19.5M.

Ronaldo became almost too good and too big commercially for any club to keep hold of, Football had never had something like him before, he was perhaps the first player to become such a superstar that commercially he could alone rival Football clubs with a long-standing of history and success.

R9 appeared to have signed a new contract with Barca, but that agreement collapsed and suddenly club president Josep Nunez was resigned to losing him. Inter Milan paid £19.5M to make Ronaldo the first player since Maradona to break the world transfer record twice. Once more Ronaldo seemed immune to the pressure and rose to the expectations of him, instantly adapting to a new league. He scored 34 goals in his debut season, including 25 in Serie A as his goals fired Inter to 2nd place and won him the Golden Boot. He won the Balon D’or and for a second successive year was the FIFA World Player of the Year. He also scored goals in the UEFA Cup including one in the final, rounding the goalkeeper after some trademark celebrations to help Inter to a 3-0 win over Lazio.

When Ronaldo returned to Inter after the 1998 World Cup, where his displays led Brazil to a final he was only present for in body not mind, he was appointed as club captain. He was in and out of that side that post World Cup season only appearing in half of Inter’s league games, but still managing to score 14. But much worse was to come for the Phenomenon, as he suffered his first serious injury in November of 99-00 rupturing a tendon in his knee. He required surgery and was ruled out u, but upon return he suffered an even more devastating injury after just 6 minutes, this time suffering a complete rupture of the kneecap. Ronaldo’s physiotherapist called it the worst Football injury he’d ever seen, “his kneecap actually exploded.”

He was ruled out for the entirety of the 00-01 season and many doubted for some time if Ronaldo would ever be seen on a football pitch again. After going through 2 operations and rehabilitation, Ronaldo did return, though he was never quite the same player, as he lost the element of explosive pace which was what separated him from every other player and made him so unstoppable. He was in a race against time to convince Scolari to pick him for the plane to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. His Inter Manager Hector Cuper was reluctant to trust Ronaldo to play, but in the end when the chance came R9 didn’t waste it, scoring 7 goals in 10 Serie A games as Inter took their pursuit of the Scudetto to the final day, in the end losing at home to Lazio, to finish 3rd in a dramatically close title race.

That summer Ronaldo shocked the world, having played just 24 club games in his last 3 seasons, he started for Brazil and scored 8 goals in 7 games, including 2 in the Final win over Germany, which ensured him the ultimate redemption from his final nightmare of 4 years earlier. With such a performance on the biggest stage, Real Madrid had to make him a Galactico and he departed Inter that summer. Ronaldo scored 104 in 177 for Real Madrid before returning to Milan to play for rivals AC Milan. After which he returned to Brazil to retire with Corinthians, rightfully regarded as one of the greatest strikers and players in the history of Football. Ronaldo won 98 Brazil caps and scored 62 goals, he won the World Cup, two Copa America’s and the Confederations Cup with his national side.

Denilson- Sao Paulo to Real Betis, 1998. £21.5M.

Denilson made his Sao Paulo debut aged 17 and impressed enough to win his first Brazil cap whilst still a teenager. During the 1997 Copa America he forced his way into the side and scored in Brazil’s 7-0 semi-final win over Peru, the Selecao going on to lift the trophy. Later that year he also featured in the Confederations Cup which was also won by Brazil. Following the 1998 World Cup where Denilson appeared in all of Brazil’s games, usually off the bench, he was poised to begin his career in Europe. He was linked with a whole host of clubs, the usual suspects such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Lazio.

In the end it was Real Betis who secured his signature, making him the first player to cost over £20M pounds, when they paid £21.5M to bring him to Seville. The fee was around 3x more than they’d ever paid for a player before. After being promoted back to the top-flight in 1994, Betis had done well finishing in the top 3 twice in the 4 seasons prior to Denilson’s signing. Betis felt sure they’d signed the next big thing in Brazilian Football, their hottest new talent and signed him up to a 10-year deal worth £40,000 a week. President Manuel Ruiz de Lopera had been mesmerised by Denilson’s quick feet and dazzling skills, and inserted a £260M buyout clause into his contract.

However had President Lopera paid slightly closer attention, he may have realised that for all Denilson’s flicks and tricks, he didn’t actually score very often for a winger. He scored 26 goals in 191 Sao Paulo appearances in the league, but perhaps Lopera felt that as Denilson matured and developed, after all he was still just 21, more goals would come. However, they did not. Denilson scored just 5 times in 74 Betis games across his first 2 seasons and Betis were relegated to the Segunda Division. Denilson was loaned back to his native Brazil that summer and scored 4 in 17 for Flamengo, which for him was practically prolific. He returned to Betis in January and added 1 goal to their promotion push, helping return them to La Liga. He was selected for Brazil’s 2001 Copa America campaign and played the full 90 minutes as they were knocked out in the Quarters by Honduras.

Upon their return to La Liga, Betis did well finishing in 6th place and Denilson was called up for the 2002 World Cup which Brazil won. He made 5 appearances all off the bench, including in the final against Germany where he featured for the last minute. Being a World Cup winner didn’t bring about any changes to his club form as he continued to score extremely sporadically. In 2003 he played his last game for Brazil, a 0-0 draw with China in which he won his 61st and final cap, he was still only 25. In 04-05 Betis qualified for the Champions League, but by this point Denilson had lost his place in the side and featured in just 10 league games, playing over an hour just once. That summer he was deemed surplus to requirements and sold to Bordeaux. Across 7 years with Betis he scored only 15 goals in all competitions, and never more than 3 in a single campaign.

After a year in France, Denilson joined Saudi side Al-Nassr, now of course the home of Cristiano Ronaldo. He then had spells in America, Brazil and Vietnam where he played just once Haiphong, earning £17,000 in the process. Around that time Denilson also had trials for Gary Megson’s Bolton Wanderers, with the manager saying “He mixed in with everyone else, and if anyone rang me up about giving him a reference he’d get nothing but positives.” He was not taken on by the club.

At 43 he returned to football by signing a 2-year contract with Greek club Kavala, but he was later released without playing a single game. Denilson would be remembered fondly for his dribbling skills, but less fondly for his finishing in front of goal.

Christian Vieri- Lazio to Inter Milan, 1999. £32M.

Christian Vieri made his Torino debut at 18 but could not break into a strong side that reached the UEFA Cup final during his time with the club. He was sold to Serie B side Pisa. After 2 goals in 18 games, he was sold to fellow Serie B side Ravenna and after 1 season there, he joined his 3rd Serie B club now moving to Venezia. With 11 goals in 29 games, Vieri got a move back to Serie A joining Atalanta. In one season there, he impressed enough for Juventus to bring him to their club for the 96-97 season. He performed well domestically and in Europe, his goals helping Juve to win the Scudetto and reach the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Borussia Dortmund.

Atletico Madrid president Jesus Gil was splashing the cash in the summer of 1997 and brought Vieri to Spain for £12.5M, a significant profit for Juventus. Vieri received a significant wage increase when he swapped black-and-white stripes for red-and-white, but he proved his worth scoring 24 La Liga goals in 24 La Liga games, and adding another 5 in the UEFA Cup. After scoring 5 goals in 5 games at the 1998 World Cup, Vieri was on the move yet again returning to Italy to join Lazio. There he scored 14 goals in 28 games including 1 in the last ever Cup Winners Cup Final, as his side beat Real Mallorca.

Remarkably that summer Vieri would be on the move again, joining his 8th different Italian club and his 9th team overall, he was still only 26. Inter paid a world-record £32M for the striker. The Vatican again spoke out against the money spent, calling it “an offence to poor people.” A football fans suicide note referenced the first ever transfer to cost over £30M as he wrote: “Lazio have sold Vieri. All that money for a footballer, but money is not everything in life."

In his first season, Vieri scored 18 goals and managed 1 better in his second, the first time in his career he’d stayed at a club for 2 seasons. Between 01-02 & 02-03, Vieri scored 46 goals in 48 Serie A games, but both times he was unable to win the Scudetto, finishing 3rd, 2 points behind winners Juventus and then 2nd as the Turin side retained their crown. That season Inter also reached the Champions League semi-final where they met rivals AC, but Vieri was unfortunately injured and Inter went out on Away Goals even though both games took place in the same stadium.

Vieri was never as prolific after that 2003 injury, but he still put up very respectable numbers and got his 100th goal for the club in January of 2004. Vieri finally won his first trophy with Inter in his 6th and final season with the club. Though he did not appear in either of the Final’s two legs against AS Roma, he played his part in the success scoring twice in the Semi-Final win over Cagliari. Vieri left that summer after netting 123 goals in 190 Inter Milan appearances. He didn’t move far, signing for AC, but he delivered just 2 goals in 14 games and subsequently left for AS Monaco in January of that season. There he suffered an injury which ruled him out of the 2006 World Cup, which the Azzurri would win. Vieri returned to Italy to sign for Atalanta, but again only featured sporadically. He then moved to Fiorentina, where he was often available scoring 9 in 39 games, before returning to Atalanta for a third spell at the club. However again, he rarely featured and in an early termination of his contract was agreed.

Vieri turned out for 12 clubs across 14 spells over 18 seasons, and is remembered for his excellent goalscoring record, aswell as the many devastating strike partnerships he formed across various clubs with the likes of Boksic, Salas, Ronaldo, Crespo and Adriano. Vieri scored 23 goals in 49 games for Italy, and his World Cup record stands at an impressive 9 goals from 9 games.

Hernan Crespo- Parma to Lazio, 2000. £35M.

Hernan Crespo scored 16 goals in his first season with River Plate whilst still a teenager. While not managing to be quite so prolific in his next 2 seasons, he scored a brace in the Copa Libertadores final, as his goals turned the tie around to win the trophy for River against America de Cali. Crespo then moved to Europe signing for Parma. He had a slow start to life in Serie A, scoring just once in his first 14 league games, the majority of which he started. He was at first unpopular with Parma supporters who were unimpressed with him, but Ancelotti kept the faith in him, despite receiving criticism for doing so. Crespo would begin to reward his manager’s faith scoring 11 in the last 14 league games as Parma finished in 2nd place.

Crespo hit 14 in all competitions the following season, before doubling that tally in 98-99 as his goals helped Parma to win both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup, Crespo scoring the opener in the final as the Italians beat Marseille 3-0. Another excellent season followed and took Crespo’s total to 80 goals in 151 Parma games. That summer he joined Serie A Champions Lazio for a world-record fee of £35M. He scored 26 in the league but Lazio were unable to retain their title. Crespo suffered injuries in his second season as the attacking talent around him in Veron and Nedved was sold, leaving near total responsibility on his shoulders when he was fit. That summer Crespo was also sold after 48 goals in 73 games, he joined Inter Milan.

In his one season with Inter, Crespo scored more Champions League goals than Serie A goals before becoming one of the first high-profile recruits of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea. After one season he was loaned to AC Milan with Mourinho deeming him surplus to requirements at Chelsea. He scored 17 goals for Milan including 2 in the Champions League final, but he ended up on the losing side as Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win via penalty shootout.

He returned to Chelsea that summer, this time being the chance by Mourinho to compete with Drogba. Crespo won the first league title of his career, helping Chelsea to retain the title with 10 league goals. Crespo was then loaned to Inter for a second spell. After 2 seasons on loan where he helped Inter to back-to-back league titles, the club signed him permanently. But that same summer Mourinho joined Inter and Crespo’s appearances were more limited. He then spent a year at Genoa before returning to Parma where he retired as the club’s all-time record goalscorer. He is remembered as one of Argentina and Serie A’s best ever strikers.

Luis Figo- FC Barcelona to Real Madrid, 2000. £37M.

Luis Figo came through the academy of Sporting Lisbon and debuted for the side as a 17-year old. In 1991 he became a regular starter for the team and quickly began to attract the attention of top clubs. After scoring 11 goals in back-to-back seasons, he was embroiled in the first controversial transfer saga of his career. It certainly wouldn’t be the last. Figo signed contracts to sign for both Juventus and Parma, so in the end neither could sign him and Figo was banned from transferring to an Italian Club for 2 years. In stepped Barcelona who took Figo for £2.25M. The Portuguese star was instantly popular at Camp Nou and in his second season he scored twice in the Copa Del Rey final including the extra-time winner. Starring alongside Ronaldo, he also won the Cup Winners Cup that season.

In 97-98 Figo and Barca won the league and cup double, and they retained their La Liga crown the following season, their centenary season. During their title celebrations with fans, Figo appeared on the balcony with his hair dyed the colours of Barcelona’s strip, and led chants of “Madrid, crybabies! Salute the Champions.” Figo and Rivaldo were the stars of the team, and though Rivaldo was the team’s best goalscorer, Figo was the most adored and the first player Barca turned to when they were in a tough situation. A Barca teammate summed it up by saying: “Our plan was simple: give the ball to Luís. He never, ever hid"

Figo had been taken into Catalan hearts in a way no outsider had since the manager who had signed him, Johan Cruyff and in 99-00 he produced perhaps his best season yet, scoring 14 goals, although he was unable to secure Barca’s progression to what would have been the first El Clasico Champions League final, he missed the semi-final 1st leg against Valencia, which Barca lost 4-1. Figo may have felt the fans admiration, but he felt less appreciated by the board, who appeared to be stalling over giving him a new contract with a wage he felt more befitted his status.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid were on the verge of staging their presidential elections. Lorenzo Sanz was the overwhelming favourite to stay in power, after all, under him the club had finally ended their long 28-year wait for another European Cup and 2 years later they won it again. Going into the election, as the reigning European Champion, this was surely nothing but a formality. Florentino Perez would need a bold play to stand a chance. He took a poll asking Real Madrid members which one player they wanted over any other, the answer came back: Luis Figo. Not just for the players quality, but for the sheer audacity of going to Barcelona and removing their hero and star man.

Perez made a promise, if elected president he would either sign Figo, or give Real Madrid season ticket holders the next season for free. Rumours circulated that Paulo Futre, the man operating on Figo’s behalf had agreed a deal for Figo, the player passionately refuted such claims. But a deal of sorts had been struck, If Perez won the election Figo would either join Madrid or his representative Futre have to pay a penalty of around £22M, but if Perez lost, Figo could keep the £1.7M he’d been paid to sign this pre-arrangement contract. Futre perhaps saw it as free money, there was no way Perez would win.

Figo perhaps hoped the real possibility of the player joining Real Madrid would spur Barca into action and present him with a new contract, which would make void the buy-out clause of £37M which was in his current contract. However Barcelona were unable to make a move, they too were staging presidential elections as Nunez was stepping down. Joan Gaspart and Lluis Bassat were fighting it out to become the next president, but neither yet had the power to give Figo a new contract, Barca were therefore trapped. Perez won the presidential election and paid the world record fee of £37M. Figo now knew if he didn’t join Real, his friend Futre would be made bankrupt, and with that he swapped the Nou Camp for the Bernabeu in the most controversial transfer of all time.

3 months after joining, Figo returned to the Nou Camp for El Clasico, and this one would be one of the most hostile to ever take place. Not just Figo but the entire Real Madrid team struggled in this hot-bed of hate and everyone was happy to get out of there as quickly as possible with a 2-0 loss, after all manner of different objects had rained down from the stands. The hatred and intensity reached such a level, that certain Catalan news outlets felt obligated to apologise to Figo, feeling they bared some level of responsibility for the level of animosity he faced. Overall though, despite this extreme focus every time he stepped onto the field, Figo displayed his immense football ability under the most intense of spotlights, matching his 14-goal campaign of the previous season at Barca and winning the La Liga title. Individually he won the 2000 Balon D’or for his performances in the shirts of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

In his second season Figo scored in the home El Clasico, but injury ruled him out of two away meetings with them, one of them being a Champions League semi-final which Madrid won 2-0 to reach the final. Figo was back for the final as he and Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1. Earlier that season he had won the 2001 FIFA World Footballer of the year award.

Figo returned to the Nou Camp for a second time in November 2002, and the atmosphere waiting for him was somehow even more hate-fuelled than when he first went back. Barcelona fans were furious, their team was a mess having failed to adequately replace Figo and to rub it in, he and the Madrid side he’d joined were now European champions. Teammate Miguel Salgado recalls what happened every time Figo went close to the crowd to take a corner: “I used to offer Luís the chance to take the short corner, drawing up close to him near the touchline. By the second or third corner I turned to Luís Figo and said: 'Forget it, mate. You're on your own'. Missiles were raining down from the stands: coins, a knife, a glass whiskey bottle. Best to keep away. Short corners? No thanks.” Amongst the assortment of objects thrown was most famously, the bloody head of a dead pig. The game at one stage had to be paused for 16 minutes, as the missiles continued to pour down from the stands. Figo won his second league title that term.

Figo played two more seasons for Real Madrid before departing for Inter Milan. He played for a total of 10 seasons in Spain, 5 each for Barcelona and Madrid and left with the most assists in the competitions history. In 4 seasons with Inter, Figo won 4 Serie A titles, the first one being awarded to them after a 2nd place season, due to Juventus’ role in the Calciopoli scandal. He is remembered as one of the best wingers in football history, known for his elegant dribbling and goal contributions, both when scoring and creating chances for teammates. Figo won 127 Portugal caps and scored 32 goals, playing in the nation’s first ever major final at Euro 2004, a 1-0 loss to Greece.

Zinedine Zidane- Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001. £46.6M.

Zinedine Zidane, also known as ‘Zizou’ later in his career made his professional debut with AS Cannes in 1989. The 90-91 campaign was the one in which he established himself as a starter, and Cannes achieved their best ever league finish, coming 4th to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The following season they qualified for the UEFA Cup once more, this time finishing 5th. That was Zidane’s final year with the club as he joined Bordeaux. With Zidane the club also achieved regular European qualification until 95/96 where they fell to 16th. Though that season they did reach the UEFA Cup final, eliminating AC Milan along the way, but they were unable to get the better of Bayern Munich.

During his time with Bordeaux, Zidane was touted for moves to the Premier League but clubs such as Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle turned him down. In the end Zidane would wear black-and-white stripes, but it would be for Juventus in Serie A. Juve were the current European Champions and in Zizou’s debut season they reached the final again, but they were unable to retain the trophy for what would have been the first time in their history. Juventus were back in the final for a 3rd successive year in 1998 but were again beaten, this time by Real Madrid. The Italian giants were able to win the Serie A title in back-to-back years in this time however, and that year Zinedine Zidane was the winner of the Balon D’or and FIFA World Player of the Year.

Juventus lost their way domestically in Zidane’s third season, finishing 7th but in 99-00 they were back in the title race finishing below Lazio by a single point. Zidane was a second time winner of FIFA’s World Player of the year award in that year of 2000. Zidane’s 5th and final season in Italy saw them Juve finish 2nd once more. Then in the summer of 2001, Real Madrid paid 12.8 Billion Pesetas (£46.6M) in a move that smashed the World Record Los Blancos had themselves set the previous summer.

In his first season in all-white Zidane won the Champions League for the first time in his career, scoring the goal which won Madrid their 3rd European Cup in 5 years and what a goal it was. Roberto Carlos’ ball into the penalty area was almost impossibly high but Zidane waited on the edge of the box like he had all the time in the world and patiently waited for it to drop. When it did, he connected with his weaker left and it was past the keeper in the flash. It felt like a goal that no other player in world football at that time, would have been able to score. And he did it on European football’s biggest stage, this was a master at the peak of his powers.

Florentino Perez did not only win the election by promising to sign Luis Figo, he won because he had a clear vision of what Real Madrid could become, quicker than almost everyone else, he realised the direction football was going, and that the club’s potential marketability could produce a money making machine. He took over a club that despite winning that 2000 Champions League, had sold out for just one home league game all season. He came up with an idea that would make Real Madrid the hottest ticket in town. He wanted to create a team full of superstars. He inherited Roberto Carlos and Raul, and then each summer between 2000 and 2003, he added one more player to make the brand of what became known as ‘The Galacticos’ bigger and bigger. First Figo, then Zidane, next Ronaldo and finally in 2003 the most marketable footballer there had maybe ever been to that point, David Beckham.

The Galacticos arrival at away grounds in Spain had more the feeling of a boyband arriving in town, teenage girls screamed and people of all ages came out to just gawp at these superstars. On their own some of them such as Raul and Roberto Carlos would not have been that huge, but together, in that group of “Galacticos” they became the modern-day Beatles. What was best for the Brand wasn’t always to the benefit of the football team however, despite winning La Liga in 2003, Perez refused to settle on a manager, sacking Vicente Del Bosque despite him winning 2 La Liga’s and 2 Champions League’s in the past 4 seasons. Winning La Liga and a narrow Champions League semi-final defeat to Juventus were deemed not good enough for Perez. That year Zidane won the FIFA World Player of the Year for a third time.

None of Del Bosque’s replacements fared nearly as well as he did, as the flaws in the ‘Galacticos’ concept became apparent. The idea was for the team to be half world class superstars on huge wages, and the other half to made up of players from the Real Madrid youth academy, who played for a more humble wage and did the hard work behind that let the superstars get the glory. One such humble hard-worker was not from the youth academy, he was Frenchman Claude Makelele, and he was sold to Chelsea with Perez missing his importance and value to the team, unimpressed with his lack of goals. Real Madrid were never the same team without him, and with Chelsea he won successive league titles whilst Real failed to win anything in 04-05 or 05-06. The failure in their strategy was best demonstrated by their rejection of signing Ronaldinho, with the player deemed too “ugly” to sell shirts. Instead he moved to FC Barcelona, and completely turned around the clubs fortunes, he was the star man and the best player in the world in 2006 as they won their first European Cup for 14 years.

Though questions could be asked of Perez’s Galactico policy, none could be levelled at Zidane and in his last game at the Bernabeu, a 3-3 draw with Villarreal in which he scored, Zidane was honoured with a banner which read “Thanks for the magic.” Zizou has gone down as one of the best players to ever play for Juventus, Real Madrid and the France national side. He is considered one of the best players in the history of the game and is remembered as perhaps the most elegant players ever seen, and as a player who despite his enormous individual gifts was an excellent team player, as happy creating chances for others as scoring them himself. He is also remembered as a sensitive player who throughout his career was prone to moments of violence due to his fierce pride over his Algerian roots.

Zidane’s last football came at the 2006 World Cup and the tournament would typify the player Zizou had been over his career. At moments he was majestic, such as when he stood head and shoulders above everyone in a Quarter-Final against Brazil, he was daring such as when he used a ‘Panenka’ chip which just bounced over the goalline after hitting the underside of the bar to give France the lead in the World Cup final, and then there was the violence as Zidane left the field for his final match early with a red card shown after he had headbutted Marco Materazzi for insulting his mother. France forgave him remarkably quickly, after all it was Zidane, and geniuses have often been given more leeway for their madness. Zidane won 108 France caps and scored 31 goals, including 2 in the 1998 World Cup final which France won on home soil. 2 years later he also won the Euros, scoring the Golden Goal in the semis as France beat Portugal.

Kaka- AC Milan to Real Madrid, 2009. £56M.

Perez left Madrid in 2006, but returned for his 2nd term as president in 2009. In his time away from the club, his policy had no changed, only the biggest and the best would do for Real Madrid. Zidane remained the most expensive player in football for 8 years the longest time the record had stood since the 1940′s. Though it was close to being broken in that time. In his first years as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was outspending everyone and his target for his first marquee signing was Madrid’s own Raul to the club, but his bid of £71M was rejected in 2003. 5 years later Manchester City were bought by a group fronted by Sheikh Mansour, from one of the richest families in the world. City made a bid of £91M for AC Milan’s Kaka that would have practically doubled the current world record. AC Milan accepted the bid, but Kaka rejected the deal despite being offered £500,000 a week in wages.

Kaka had joined AC Milan in 2003 for €8.5M after beginning his career with Sao Paulo. The Brazilian went straight into Milan’s starting 11 and won the Serie A in his 1st season. The following year, he reached the Champions League final and produced one of football’s best ever assists. With one touch he instantly turned himself clear of the attentions of Gerrard and then from inside his own half played an almost impossibly perfect through-pass which beat the desperate outstretched leg of Carragher and put Crespo clean through on goal. Crespo did the rest to give Milan a 3-0 lead in the first-half. However then came the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ with Liverpool launching an improbable comeback, taking the game to penalty kicks. Kaka scored his penalty but Milan lost 3-2.

The following season AC Milan were docked 30 points for their role in the Calciopoli scandal, but this only took them down from 2nd to 3rd, so they still qualified for the 06-07 Champions League. Kaka had a brilliant on-field relationship with Andriy Shevchenko, but following the striker’s departure to Chelsea, Kaka became Milan’s main man and he was more than up to the task. The Brazilian maestro produced an extraordinary Champions League campaign, scoring 5 in the group stage including a hat-trick against Anderlecht.

In the round of 16, AC Milan were locked in battle with Glasgow Celtic, with neither team able to score in 180 minutes of football. 3 minutes into extra-time, whilst still inside his own half, Kaka shrugged off the attentions of a Celtic midfielder and ran straight at the heart of the defence with only one thing in mind. He made into the box and slotted between the legs of the goalkeeper as if it was the most straightforward thing in the world. In the semi-finals against Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo gave United an early lead but Kaka responded not once but twice, the first goal was classy, the second was perhaps the finest he ever scored. Kaka was all alone in the United half against 3 United shirts, first he won a duel against Fletcher, next he flicked the ball round Heinze, then as Heinze and Evra came together to try and stop him, Kaka simply headed the ball between them and ran round the other side as the defenders clattered into one another, left with only Van Der Sar to beat, he coolly slotted it beyond him. 2 Rooney goals however gave United a 3-2 win.

11 minutes into the 2nd leg and Kaka cancelled that lead out and Milan went onto win 3-0. In the final they met Liverpool once again, with the chance to exercise some demons. Milan this time were 2-1 winners, Kaka providing the assist for the second goal. Noone deserved to be European Champion more than him, he scored 10 goals in the campaign, 4 more than any other player in the competition. That year he won the Balon D’or and FIFA World Player of the Year. After 2 more years with Milan, Kaka departed for Madrid after 95 goals in 270 games. For a record £56M, Real Madrid were signing a humble superstar, who at the age of 27 still had plenty of football ahead of him, it seemed like a no-brainer.

After a reasonable first season blighted by some injury trouble, Kaka suffered the worst injury of his career by far which kept him out for 8 months. When he returned he was never the same player again, though he was still able to help Madrid win the La Liga title in 11-12 as they amassed a ridiculous 100 points. They were unable to reach the Champions League final however, losing a semi-final shootout with Bayern, Kaka being one of the players to miss. The following season was Kaka’s last in a Madrid shirt as he expressed his desire to leave the club after only featuring in half their league games in the 12-13 campaign.

Kaka returned to AC Milan where he was able to score his 100th goal for the club in his one season back with them, before he returned to Brazil. There he spent one season with another former club Sao Paulo before retiring in MLS with Orlando City. Kaka is remembered as one of the best players of his generation, who possessed fantastic close control when dribbling at high speed. His ability to pick passes and finish off chances himself made him almost unstoppable at the peak of his powers. Kaka won 92 Brazil caps and scored 29 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo- Manchester United to Real Madrid, 2009. £80M.

Cristiano Ronaldo had began as a tricky out-and-out winger with Sporting Lisbon, and he continued to be one in his first years at Old Trafford after completing a £12M move to the club as an 18-year old. His game was mostly centred on dribbling past people which he did with regularity due to his speed, blindingly quick step-overs and a packed arsenal of other skills. However as he moved into his early 20′s he began to pack on muscle and the improvements to his finishing, which had at first been gradual, suddenly rocketed. He scored 23 in 06-07 as United won their first Premier League in 4 years, and the following season he scored 42, including one in the Champions League final which United won against Chelsea. That year Ronaldo won his first Balon D’or. A move to Ronaldo’s dream club of Real felt inevitable but he spent one more season at United winning another league title and taking his total to 118 goals for the club.

Cristiano scored 33 goals in 35 games in his first season which was not too shabby. However in his next 6 seasons he would never score fewer than 50. In his 3rd season, he played all 38 of Real’s league games and scored 46 goals as the club won La Liga, ending Barcelona’s 3-year long hold on the trophy. The wait for Real Madrid’s La Decima, their 10th European Cup, went on until Ronaldo’s 5th season with the club, a season he scored 17 Champions League goals in 11 games. This included 2 in a 4-0 semi-final away win at Guardiola’s Bayern Munich and a goal in the final against Atletico Madrid, Ronaldo adding the 4th goal in the 120th minute to secure a 4-1 Extra-Time win.

The following season, Ronaldo scored 48 league goals in 35 games, to score 61 in all competitions, his best tally ever. Despite this Real won neither the league or the Champions League. The following season however, the Champions League was won back, with Ronaldo scored 16 from 12 appearances. Most crucial was his Quarter-Final hattrick in the second leg against Wolfsburg, those goals ensuring Madrid’s 2-0 away defeat was overturned. In the final they met Atletico once more, this time going to a penalty shoot-out and Ronaldo scored the winning spot-kick with the 5th and final kick.

In 16-17 Ronaldo won La Liga for just the 2nd time, and his first La Liga and Champions League double. Ronaldo this time scored 12 in 13 Champions League games, with 10 of them coming from the Quarter-Final onwards, as he netted hattricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, before scoring a brace in the final against Juventus. 17-18 was Ronaldo’s last season for Madrid and it saw him win his 4th Champions League with the club, and his 3rd in a row. His biggest contribution came in the Quarter-Finals against Juventus. In the 1st leg away from home, Madrid won 3-0, including a brace from Ronaldo which featured one of his best goals for the club, a bicycle kick which left Buffon rooted to the spot and drew the Juventus supporters into applause.

In his 438th and final Real Madrid appearance, his side beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Champions League final. Cristiano scored 450 goals for the club, including 311 in 292 league games and 105 in 101 Champions League matches. Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid is remembered for the rivalry he shared with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Between 2008 and 2017, they won every Balon D’or between them, winning 5 each. In the 9 years they spent competing directly against each other in Spain, Ronaldo and Messi scored a combined 922 goals, including 640 in La Liga.

Ronaldo moved to Juventus, where he spent 3 seasons and scored 101 in 134. After a season and a half back at Manchester United, he now plays in the Saudi League for Al-Nassr. Ronaldo will be remembered as inarguably one of the greatest players and goalscorers in football history. With 5 Balon D’ors, only Messi has won more. He is the leading all-time goalscorer for both Real Madrid and his National Team.

Gareth Bale- Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013. £86M.

Gareth Bale started out as a left-back for then Championship side Southampton. He was spotted by Tottenham and became a Spurs player in the summer of 2007. His early seasons were tough, with injuries and other players often keeping him out of the side. 10-11 was when things started to go his way, he was moved forward to the left-wing position by manager Harry Redknapp and never looked back. His first career hat-trick came at the San Siro of all places, as he memorably terrorised opposition full-back Maicon. Spurs were 4-0 down and had their goalkeeper sent off in the opening 10 minutes, when Bale attempted a one-man solo mission which fell just short of achieving an improbable comeback. Spurs reached the Champions League Quarters for the first time in their history but were knocked out by Real Madrid.

After another good season in 11-12, Bale signed a new contract and moved away from the number 3 shirt, to become Spurs’ no.11, he was certainly not a full-back anymore. Bale hit 26 goals, including 21 in the league and was voted both PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, despite Spurs only finishing 5th. That summer of 2013, he became a ‘Galactico’ moving to the Bernabeu for a world record £86M.

Bale scored on his Madrid debut, but his start was slowed with injuries. However when his fitness returned he was quickly scoring and assisting. He scored 22 goals in 44 games, including the winner in the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona. with 5 minutes left on the clock, Bale received the ball on the half-way line, he attempted to launch a counter-attack and took one heavy touch infront of him to run onto. Bartra was the defender up against Bale, and knowing he couldn’t beat him in a foot race, he attempted to block the wingers path. Bale avoided him by sprinting off the pitch, and running down the outside lane. Still he beat Bartra to the ball, still with a lot to do he carried the ball into the box then poked it under goalkeeper Pinto for one of the great El Clasico goals.

The following month he scored an even more important goal. Real Madrid were in their first Champions League final in 12 years, up against their local rivals Atleti. After a 93rd minute equaliser from Sergio Ramos took the game to extra-time, it was the Welshman who stepped up in the 110th minute, as he was waiting at the backpost to head home after Di Maria’s shot had initially been denied. Real Madrid went on to win 4-1 and secure ‘La Decima’.

In 15-16 despite injuries limiting Bale’s appearances, he managed 19 league goals in 23 games and won his 2nd Champions League, scoring his penalty in the final shootout against Atletico. The following season, injuries were a problem once more with Bale only playing half of Madrid’s league games, though he did win the first league winners medal of his career and aswell a 3rd Champions League title, this time coming off the bench as Madrid thrashed Juventus 4-1.

The 17-18 campaign was Bale’s most prolific for Real as he scored 21 goals including 2 in the Champions League final against Liverpool. Again Bale was on the bench, but he came on for the final half an hour with the match tied at 1-1. He was only on the pitch for 2 minutes when he scored one of the great Champions League final goals, getting incredible power on a bicycle kick after Marcelo had floated it into the box. With 7 minutes left to play, Bale had a go from distance, and goalkeeper Karius fumbled it into the net to secure Real’s 3rd successive Champions League title.

The following season Bale got his 100th goal for Real Madrid, but after that slipped down the pecking order at the club. He won his 2nd league title in 2020, but only appeared in 16 league games, scoring twice. The following season he was loaned back to Tottenham and he scored 16 in 34. Bale had one more season at Real Madrid, winning a 3rd league title, but he appeared in just 5 league games. That summer he departed for Los Angeles to play in the MLS. Bale reached extraordinary highs with Madrid, but it ended very sourly. His relationship with the fans and the Spanish press fell apart in his final years as he continued to collect a huge wage from the club despite spending most of his time on the bench. However there was no denying Bale had left memories that would last a lifetime, and played a big part in Madrid’s era of 4 Champions Leagues in 5 years. He retired after the 2022 World Cup and will be remembered as one of the best British players ever. Bale won 111 Wales caps and is the countries all-time leading goalscorer with 41 goals. In their first major tournament since 1958, Bale led Wales all the way to the semi-finals at Euro 2016.

Paul Pogba- Juventus to Manchester United, 2016. £89M.

Manchester United brought Paul Pogba to Old Trafford as a 16-year old from Le Havre. The Frenchman made his first-team debut for the club 2 years after joining, playing a total of 7 games for United. That summer, Pogba’s contract ran out and he did not sign a new one, instead choosing to sign for Juventus on a free transfer. Sir Alex Ferguson said of the move: "It is disappointing. I don't think he showed us any respect at all, to be honest. If Footballers want to carry on that way, they're probably better doing it away from us."

Pogba immediately became a first-team regular at Juventus winning the Serie A in his first season, before really nailing down a permanent place in the starting 11 the following season as Juventus again won the Scudetto. In 14-15 Pogba and Juve were one game away from winning the treble when they met Barcelona in the Champions League final. Barca were after a treble of their own and it was they who secured it, beating Juventus 3-1. Pogba scored 10 goals both that season and the season after, the latter being his final season with Juventus. He won 4 league titles in 4 years and had established himself as one of the best young players in the world.

In the summer of 2016, 4 years after he’d been allowed to leave the club for free, Manchester United re-signed Pogba for a world record £89M. The midfielder had an up-and-down first season, scoring a few great goals, but also having performances where he looked lost and thoroughly unworthy of the hype. He did end the season by scoring in the Europa League final as United beat Ajax. Pogba faced lots of criticism in 17-18 for a perceived laziness when United were out of possession and a lack of discipline positionally. At times in the season Pogba lost his place in the side to youngster Scott McTominay. On the eve of a Manchester Derby in which City could secure the title with a result against United, Guardiola attempted to stir the pot, attempting to add fuel to the fire by claiming Pogba’s agent had offered the player to City. The move backfired as Pogba scored twice as United came from 2 down to win 3-2 away at their neighbours.

Pogba was made temporary captain the following season, but the relationship between him and manager Mourinho broke down. After playing poorly, Pogba was benched but returned to the side when Jose was sacked and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Pogba then played the best football of his United career and finished the season with 16 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. Despite this, his form had tailed off again at the end, as his performances came under criticism once more. After the final home game of the season, he was seen engaging in angry confrontations with fans.

Pogba spoke that summer of his desire to leave the club but a bid from Real Madrid was rejected as being far below United’s evaluation. Ankle injuries ruled the player out for much of the season, as he featured in just 16 league games, scoring once. Pogba began to play better again the following season as United found themselves top of the table in January. However Pogba again suffered an injury and United finished a distant 2nd. The 21-22 season was Pogba’s last in a United shirt, with neither player or club having any desire to prolong his stay. His time at United petered out with him scoring only once in 27 matches in his final season.

In 6 seasons with the club, Pogba showed his best quality only in fleeting spells. United continued to persist with him, despite frequent pleas from the player and his agent to leave the club. United continued to hope he would eventually come good, but they continued to leave his defensive frailties exposed by not signing a top-class defensive midfielder. The signing epitomised United in the near-decade since Ferguson’s departure, a player signed for his commercial value more than his playing ability. And what playing ability he had they failed to get the best out of. Pogba returned to Juventus where he has spent practically the entire season injured.

Neymar Jr- FC Barcelona to PSG, 2017. £198M.

Soon after making his debut for Santos aged 17, Neymar Jr. was tipped for superstardom. An incredible 42 goals in his second season whilst still 18 meant Neymar was considered Brazil’s best young talent since Ronaldo in the early 90′s. The following year he helped Santos to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 1963, when they’d won it with a certain Pele in the team. On the day of his 20th Birthday, Neymar scored the 100th career goal of his still only fledgling career, and by now Europe’s top clubs were lining up to sign him.

Neymar planned to have a season in Europe to play at a higher level in preparation for the 2014 World Cup which would be held in Brazil. Before the 2013 Confederations Cup also held in Brazil, FC Barcelona announced the signing of Neymar. The player was announced by the club to have cost them €57.1M. However the transfer was mired in controversy and a subsequent investigation later found that Neymar had in fact cost Barcelona £71.5M, due to payments made to Neymar’s parents. Barca were subsequently charged with tax fraud.

Neymar was the best player at the Confederations Cup, scoring 4 times including 1 in the final as Brazil triumphed 3-0 over Spain. These displays would have whetted the appetite of Barca supporters desperate to see him in action for their club. The Brazilian had a good first season in Spain, scoring in the Spanish Supercup against Atletico Madrid aswell as scoring and assisting in his first El Clasico. Neymar made a bright start to the 2014 World Cup but was stretchered off during Brazil’s quarter-final with Colombia. He was therefore absent for the worst result in his nation’s history, a 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany.

Neymar’s 2nd season with Barca was incredibly successful, both individually and as a collective. He scored 39 goals, including one in the Copa Del Rey final and the 3rd goal in Barca’s 3-1 Champions League final win over Juventus, which saw them secure the treble. In doing so, Neymar became the first player to score in both a Libertadores and Champions League final. The 15-16 season saw Barcelona win a domestic double, with their incredible front 3 of Messi, Neymar and Suarez scoring a ridiculous 131 goals between them.

Perhaps Neymar’s best performance in a Barca shirt came in his 4th and final season. Barcelona trailed PSG 4-0 after the first leg in Paris. Neymar scored twice including with a brilliant free-kick, then assisted Barca’s tie-deciding 6th goal, as they miraculously won 6-1 in one of the most memorable Champions League games ever. That summer of 2017, PSG paid the buyout clause of Neymar’s contract, which was €222M.

Usually the payment would be paid to La Liga who would officially release the player from his contract and then pass the money to the selling club. La Liga refused to process it, believing PSG to be in breach of Financial Fair Play, so instead the money was paid directly from PSG to Barcelona. Neymar scored 105 goals in 186 games for Barcelona, but perhaps felt to become the World’s best player, he had to be the biggest star on his team, and that was not going to happen whilst Messi was in Barcelona. The £198M paid for him made Neymar the first player to cost over £100M, and more than doubled the record amount United had paid for Pogba the previous summer.

Neymar scored 28 goals in 30 games in his first season, which was cut short by a metatarsal fracture at the beginning of March. The same injury hit Neymar again in the January of his second season, ruling him out of the Champions League Round of 16, where PSG squandered a 3-1 lead by losing 2-0 at home to United. That summer Neymar was in discussion over a possible return to Barcelona, but talks broke down and the player was faced with disciplinary action for his absence from training. Neymar performed well in the season however, helping PSG to their 1st ever Champions League final, but they were beaten by Bayern Munich.

Neymar then had yet another stop-start season, missing lots of league games with injury issues as for the first time since joining the club PSG missed out on the league title, finishing 2nd behind Lille. Ankle injuries have continued to blight his time at PSG, forcing him to miss some matches in 21/22. He made a great start to the 22/23 campaign, but yet another ankle problem meant he needed surgery on it and once again his season has been cut short. Given Neymar will not play again this season due to the surgery, by the end of this campaign he will have missed 105 from a possible 212 league games (the 19-20 campaign was cut short by Covid-19). Neymar has scored 118 games in 173 games for Paris, but his injury-prone nature, especially with those injuries coming at the business end of the season have really ruined Neymar’s prime.

Neymar was signed by PSG as a 25-year old to win them the Champions League and become the best player in the world. Neither has happened, and still the peak of Neymar’s career has come before he joined Paris, when he was still in his early 20′s for Barcelona. Neymar has mostly performed well for PSG, he just hasn’t been on the pitch anywhere near enough to come close to justifying the near £200M the Parisian side spent on him. Now 31 years of age, Neymar is likely to go down as a great player, but who didn’t become the player he could have, with his last 6 seasons consistently wrecked by injury. He will go down as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer however, as he currently ties Pele on 77. He will get one last chance to win the World Cup for his country in 2026.

#football #transfers #soccer #neymar #cr7 #cristianoronaldo #ronaldo #zidane #realmadrid #galacticos

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