Without the injured Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, as well as, of course, David de Gea, who has been rested in domestic cup competitions this season,  Manchester United took on a full strength Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge. They didn’t just beat them: they wiped the floor with them, adding to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s honeymoon…

Barcelona’s £65 million capture of Frenkie de Jong was met with a great deal of fanfare amongst Culés, and it is easy to see what all the hype is about. De Jong combines superb vision, an exquisite first touch, and an incredible passing range with a dribbling ability that leaves entire teams trailing in his wake,…

“Seven Sporting Lisbon players have rescinded their contracts in response to an attack by fans; a group of 50 people attacked the players and staff following a loss in the last matchday which saw Sporting fail to make next year’s edition of the Champions League.” The words of the Portuguese Players’ Union last summer spelled doom…

It was the summer of 2008, and little did Arsenal fans know it, but the pillars of an empire were starting to wobble. Impacted by the brunt of the Emirates stadium debt, Arsenal had to change its model in order to pay off the debt. No longer was this a team competing for Premier League…

When an archer needs to shoot, he needs arrows to use with his bow. When an Olympic marksman needs to shoot, he needs bullets to use with his rifle. When a central forward needs to shoot, he needs to have the right technique with his feet, adequate strength his in legs, and deadly precision to…

Many players have shown immense promise in their formative years, but ultimately failed to live up to the hype and expectations bestowed upon them by millions. Some fail due to poor attitude, some due to shady entourages, some due to cruel injuries. From Antonio Cassano to Ravel Morrison, a fair amount of players have enchanted the…

Jan Bednarek has been resurgent since the arrival of Ralph Hasenhüttl at Southampton. The 22-year-old Polish international has flourished over the Christmas period, establishing himself as not just a first choice defender, but a fan favourite too. The Polish international was out of favour at the club under the previous regime, with Mark Hughes at…

It’s not easy leading the line for Brazil when your predecessors are Pelé, Romário, and Ronaldo Fenômeno. Just ask Fred, Luís Fabiano and even Robinho; anything other than bringing home the Copa do Mundo is regarded as a failure. So you could imagine the pressure on a 21-year-old Gabriel Jesus’ shoulders knowing that an entire nation was…

History was made on Wednesday as Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea for a fee of $73 million. The transfer fee is a record for American players, and while Pulisic has bags of potential, excitement and expectations should be tempered. Two years ago, the hype surrounding the young American was astronomical. He had finally broken into the…