It was somehow fitting that a player with the nickname ‘Cold’ would bring up a Premier League penalty scoring record with a nerveless Panenka straight down the middle of the goal. This is Cole Palmer we’re talking about and Cole Palmer is an extraordinary footballer in just about any way you can imagine. The 22-year-old …
Cole Palmer Breaks Premier League Penalty Record in Typically ‘Ice Cold’ Fashion Read More »
Going into the game as the 3/10 favourites with the bookmakers, Chelsea were expected to hand Southampton something of a towelling in their December 2024 meeting. The Blues had scored two or more goals in four of their prior five outings, while the Saints were conceding, on average, two goals per game on home soil. …
Expecting Goals: Chelsea Break Record for Highest Away xG in a Premier League Game Read More »
Most retired footballers look to stay in the sport after they have hung up their boots, be it as managers, coaches, pundits or club ambassadors. Others make a clean break from football altogether, perhaps looking to reinvest their earnings into property or a burgeoning business empire. A small handful of former pros, meanwhile, have opted …
Former Man City Star Kavelashvili Joins the Ranks of Footballers Turned Politicians Read More »
Imagine being a footballer that has been sent out on loan by their parent club, and who then finds him or herself playing against their employer for their temporary team. The motivation to play well and showcase their ability must be off the chart, and that is reflected in the number of players that have …
Biting the Hand That Feeds: On Loan Players That Have Scored Against Their Parent Club Read More »
Imagine finding yourself inaugurated into a club of which only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are members. That would be proof positive that you were doing something right. Up until November 2024, only two players had scored 100 or more goals in the Champions League since its rebrand from the European Cup in 1992. They …
Lewandowski Joins the Champions League 100-Goal Club… There May Never Be Another Member Read More »
The idea of having a draw to decide who plays who at football tournaments is to ensure the fixture list is random and free of bias. Sure, the seeding system can keep certain teams apart, but that is to reward them for their past performances: it could be their world ranking, league position or the …
Russia vs Ukraine and Other Banned International Football Games Read More »
It comes with the territory as a professional footballer that fans of opposition clubs will give you a hard time. That could range from light-hearted banter to rather more heavyweight chants and abuse, which – while not condoned in any way – are incredibly hard to combat. How do you tell 20,000 people to stop …
How James McClean Became the Most Controversial Footballer in England Read More »
When a football team goes a goal down in a game, it takes character and self-belief on the part of their players to believe they can come back and win. Those of a weaker disposition will tell you that the first goal is everything in a football match, but if the evidence of the 2024/25 …
Comeback Trail: More Premier League Teams Are Winning from Behind Than Ever Before Read More »
They say in life, but especially in football, never go back. So many legacies have been tarnished by players or managers returning to a club for a second time, only to fall short of the standards they set first time around. Mind you, it doesn’t always pan out like that: in fact, sometimes the second …
Claudio Ranieri Joins Ranks of Managers That Have Led the Same Club Three Times or More Read More »
From Aberdeen to Zimbabwe, football – at both club and international level – is blessed with intense rivalries across the globe. Those hostilities could be steeped in geographical proximity or historical competitiveness, but either way there’s noting quite like the intensity of a grudge match in football. But when it comes to rivalries in the …
