What better way to start the new Premier League season than with a six-goal thriller at Anfield as Liverpool rally on to clinch maximum points against Bournemouth, on course to defend the title.
Liverpool opens the 2025/26 League campaign with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth
Hugo Eketike hits the ground running, and Salah gets on the score sheet
The Cherries expose Red’s defensive frailties with a brace by Nelson Semenyo
Bournemouth’s new signings have huge roles to play
The Reds achieved Mission X with their 10th win in their last 13 League openers as Mohammed Salah notched his 10th goal in open day games (the most by a player in Premier League history)
Fun Facts
Hugo Eketike hit the ground running with his debut goal on the night, accounting for his second in two games for the new season, with the €95 million player from Eintracht Frankfurt enjoying fluidity in attack alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohammed Salah, with fellow new signing, Florian Wirtz, forming a synergy in behind.
Eketike got the better of Bournemouth defender Diakaté for pace while profiting off Senesi’s block to gift his employers the opener, before setting up Cody Gakpo for the second goal.
Although Bafodé Diakaté held his own to a point against the Liverpool striker, Hugo Eketike’s fluidity across the final third eventually paid off in fine style.
Just like Liverpool, Mohammed Salah notched his 10th goal in open day games (the most by a player in Premier League history), as the Reds saw off a resilient Bournemouth side in the latter stages of the game.
Early flashes from the Egyptian maestro saw a left-footed effort parried away by Đorđe Petrović in goal for the Cherries, with another in-swinger for Van Dijk’s header to follow.
Hints of more to come this season from Salah, who churned out a Player of the Year performance with his most prolific season in the Premier League last term – 29 goals and 18 assists in 38 games.
The Cherries didn’t go down without a fight as Liverpool’s defensive frailties were exposed in the second half, with Nelson Semenyo bagging a brace to restore parity in the 64th and 76th minutes.
In context, the last time Liverpool kept a clean sheet was in April, against Leicester City in the League.
It’s been 6 competitive games since then, with 14 goals conceded in that run, including League losses to Chelsea, Brighton, and Crystal Palace in the Community Shield (zero clean sheets in five pre-season games).
Head coach Arne Slot has some slots to fill with defensive options like Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Wolfsburg’s Konstantino Koulierakis on Liverpool’s radar in this summer transfer window.
Andonni Iraola, still relishing a joint-best League finish with Bournemouth from last season’s 9th positon, has more to prove this term following big name exits from the club like Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Replacements like Bafodé Diakaté in center back, Adrien Truffert in left back, and Đorđe Petrović in goal are in for a roll with huge roles to play.
From title contention to making the top 4-6 spots and battling in relegation waters, the European top-flight leagues offer football fans much to savor.
Série A
It’s a three-horse race in Italy as Napoli, Inter, and Atalanta (all in their fifties based on point tally) sustain the title race conversation with just five points separating them.
Inter Milan failed to capitalize on their outstanding game to close the gap atop the log after losing three goals to nil away from home to Fiorentina in Florence. Handing I Nerazzurri their second league loss having lost in the Milan derby last September.
Napoli extended their unbeaten run to nine games (7 wins, 2 draws) since losing to Lazio last December after dropping points in front of home fans against Udinese on Sunday.
after macthday 24 of the 2024/2025 Serie a season
Atalanta thumped Verona with five unreplied goals at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. With 54 goals scored thus far, they are the second most prolific team behind Inter in the Série À this season.
A €22 million deal for Mateo Retegui from Genoa over the summer has proved beneficial for Gli Azzurri after scoring a haul of goals (4) against Verona making it his second hattrick of the season with the first coming against his former team (Genoa)
The 25-year-old Italian now leads the goal scorers chart in the Serie A with 20 league goals clinched for the first time in his senior career, with Moise Kean of Fiorentina on 15, Marcos Thuram of Inter on 13, and teammate Ademola Lookman on 10 completing the top four.
On the flip side, Hellas Verona has conceded the most league goals (53) this season following heavy defeats home and away to Atalanta with the reverse fixture ending 6-1 at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
Despite conceding 5+ goals thrice this season, Verona also sealed memorable wins at home against league leaders Napoli and AS Roma (with ten men) and find themselves three points away from safety leaving Parma, Venezia, and Monza battling in relegation waters.
La Liga
Real Madrid, Atletico, and FC Barça battle out a keenly contested title challenge in Spain with the Madrid derby, the latest feat to relish.
Atlético continue to be a thorn in the flesh of Real since last season, having gained four points (home & away) & progressed at the Copa del Rey at Madrid’s expense last term.
This season, Rojiblancos snatched a draw from the jaws of victory at home at the Metropolitano, before settling for a point away at the Bernabéu to remain unbeaten against Los Blancos in the last five league derbies (1 win, 4 draws).
FC Barça took all maximum points away at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla, to make it 9 wins in 11 games across competitions to recover from back-to-back league defeats to Leganes and Atlético after dropping points against Betis.
Fortunately, two of the three teams atop the table have players jostling for the Pichichi (Spain’s Golden Boot award) with Barça’s Raphina (13) and Real’s Kylian Mbappe (16) whiskers behind Robert Lewandowski (19) who leads the charge.
Daylight separates Villareal and Rayo Vallecano from Athletic Bilbao in the top 4 rankings, with Real Sociedad lurking around the European spots. But much is expected with 15 games left to play in La Liga.
Premier League
Liverpool seems to run away with the Premier League title but have a relentless Arsenal side keeping them in check and Nottingham Forest holding their ground.
The Reds fly high on all fronts having booked a final spot in the EFL Cup, finished top in the maiden edition of the newly formatted Champions League Group phase, and are outright favorites for the League title.
Although a quadruple, which eluded former manager Jürgen Klopp in his final days at the club, is now down to a treble in the sights of new gaffer Arne Slot on his debut season with the Reds following a shocking loss to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest finds themselves in unchartered territory sitting comfortably in 3rd position after 24 games (14 wins, 5 draws). Nuno Espirito Santo is having a novel season in his second year with the Tricky Trees with monumental wins thus far in the bag (vs Liverpool, United, Villa, and Spurs).
Chelsea took their feet off the pedal midway through the season while contesting their title contender status, albeit remaining relevant in the top 4 conversations, plus finishing top of the Conference League Group phase.
Enzo Maresca is assured of his team selection, weeding out unwanted legs via the transfer window while setting up a compact and creative side, but lacks the cutting edge in front of goal.
A clear indication of being profligate is citing Cole Palmer’s stats as the best chance creator amongst players in the top 5 European leagues since December but recorded zero assists in that time, with the likes of Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, to mention but a few, all suffering the same fate.
The race for the Golden Boot poses a fairytale, with Newcastle’s star Alexander Isak applying due pressure behind two-time winner Erling Haaland who is second in command to a brilliant Mohammed Salah (a three-time winner).
Ligue 1
Paris Saint-German maintains pole position with a healthy 12-point gap to second-placed Marseille with the odds in favor of the Parisians in France.
Much was at stake for the 12-time champions following the ominous exit of starboy Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer.
Further trimming down the pecking order saw heavyweight midfielder Manuel Ugarte complete a €50 million move to Manchester United over the summer plus Randal Kolo Muani sealing a loan move to Juventus in the winter.
Consequently, the avenue opened for 2023 signings Bradley Barcola, 22 years (€45m), and Ousmane Dembele, 27 years (€50m) to step up, which they did.
It’s been a revelation season for Dembele with 21 goals and 6 assists across competitions alongside Barcola (15 goals, 8 assists) for PSG who are the only team in the league to hit the 50-goal mark (58) while conceding the joint-least (20) with RC Lens.
Olympique Lyon returned to 6th position after ending a seven-game winless run with a vital 4-nil win against ten-man Stade de Reins at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais but remains sandwiched between Lille in 5th (35 points) and Lens in 7th (33 points).
Bundesliga
The invincible status of Bayer Leverkusen from last season seems to dwindle in the Bundesliga this term, with Bayern Munich steering eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.
A win at the Allianz Arena saw Bayern Munich defeat Werder Bremen 3-nil to make it seven consecutive wins in the league to extend the lead at the top of the table after the shocking loss to Mainz last December
Leverkusen dropped points agonizingly away to Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena, sharing the spoils for the 7th time in 21 games (most draws in the league).
Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, VFB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg, and Mainz are left to jostle for the remaining European spots.
Omar Marmoush (15 goals) gave Harry Kane (21 goals) a run for his money in the race for the Golden Boot in the first half of the season before sealing a €75 million move to Manchester City in January, leaving Patrik Schick of Leverkusen (14 goals) and Tim Kleindienst of Borrusia Monchengladbach (12 goals) in the wake.
As It Stands
Harry Kane (21), Mohammed Salah (21), Mateo Retegui (20) Robert Lewandowski (19), and Erling Haaland (19) engage in a tug-of-war for the European Golden Boot, with Liverpool’s Salah leading the charge for the 2025 Ballon d’Or feat following a brilliant campaign in his final season with the Reds.
After a spell of two decades at Manchester United, Marcos Rashford finally seeks “new challenges” outside Carrington and Old Trafford.
It was an interview with football writer Henry Winter published on X back in mid-December 2024 that threw social media and Manchester United fans into a frenzy as Marcos Rashford confirmed there was a ‘bad situation’ in camp.
“If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person.”
He knew that getting dropped for a crucial Manchester Derby the Sunday prior by his new coach Ruben Amorim was a sign of a critical moment in his footballing career. However, Rashford would harbor ‘no hard feelings’ against the club.
“When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
“For me, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.”
The 27-year-old completed a loan move late in the winter transfer window to fellow Premier League Club Aston Villa who would cover 70% of his salary till the summer with an option to trigger a buy-out clause worth £40 million thereafter.
This move creates a leeway for Rashford who has come under several scrutiny and criticism from fans and pundits alike for his dip in form and lack of enthusiasm for reform.
Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the club since making his debut in 2016, having come through the United youth ranks.
He moves to a Villa side in need of a squad depth capable of jostling comfortably between the local league, Cup games, and the Champions League (playoffs) having exited the EFL (Carabao) Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace in the Round of 16.
His buy-out clause included in the loan contract also involves a potential three-and-half-year deal should he meet or surpass expectations for the remainder of the season.
Despite the narrative, Rashford possesses decent qualities that may prove pivotal for Unai Emery and Villa – with his pace, agility, and eye for goal coming in handy.
The Manchester United protege who joined Carrington at the age of 7 has a knack for making an impression on debut days owing to his goals on both his first-team and European debut (vs Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League) in February 2016, plus his Premier League debut (vs Arsenal) in the same month.
He also scored in his first Manchester derby, as well as on his EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League debuts.
Aston Villa has impressed on the continental stage this season after narrowly escaping an extra game through playoffs in the Champions League by finishing amongst the top eight in the Group Phase – losing twice (vs Monaco, Club Brugge), snatching a point off Juventus and winning five.
However, the reverse is the case in the Premier League with 10 wins in 24 games and a negative goal difference tally with Unai Emery’s side struggling to replicate the attacking prowess shown in previous seasons.
Marcos Rashford’s first test if selected would be against Tottenham Hotspurs in the FA Cup with Villa provided with another outlet for silverware aside from the expectation of finishing in the top 6 in the League.
Notable Aston Villa Signings (2024-25):
Amadou Onana (22 years) – €59.35 m from Everton
Ian Maatsen (22 years) – €44.5 m from Chelsea
Donyell Malen (25 years) – €25 m from Borussia Dortmund
Marcos Rashford (27 years) – loan deal from Manchester United
Much has been said about the Derby della Madonnnina this season, but one fact remains – both teams tend to come alive in the fiesta.
It was the 182nd Derby between AC Milan and Internazionale, and the third time of asking in the 2024-25 season with much to savor in regulation and added time.
The ‘away’ side in Inter hoped to change their fortunes against bitter rivals in Milan and found the back of the net three times during the match but were denied twice by the offside flag and once by a foul in the build-up, not to mention hitting the woodwork as many times.
Frederico Dimarco was denied a goal in the 7th minute while Lautaro Martinez suffered frustration in front of goal both in the 33rd and 65th minute, with Inter desperate to close in on Napoli atop the Série À log – albeit with a game in hand.
A timely intervention from Benjamin Pavard was enough to deny Rafael Leao from gifting Milan a golden chance early on in the first half, with Yann Sommer called to question a few times.
However, constant pressure in attack from the ‘home’ side eventually proved beneficial shortly before the break, as a rebound from Leao’s strike fell kindly for Tijani Reijnders who wouldn’t miss from close range.
At 90 minutes, Milan had just five minutes of added time to earn maximum points over their rivals but Stefan de Vrij’s 93rd-minute strike would defy the odds and level the game.
Although former gaffer Paulo Fonseca would hold the bragging rights to the first leg win in September, new sheriff – Sergie Conceacao would settle for a point after proceedings.
The home side find themselves four points off European spots while Inter (with the best goal difference tally) would need maximum points in their outstanding game to regain top position from Napoli.
For a moment, the momentum had shifted for Pep Guardiola’s side returning to winning ways after getting the better of Chelsea the week prior, but the Gunners came out guns blazing to the detriment of the Citizens.
Manchester City endured a poor run of games in the first half of the season, most notably between October and December 2024 with a run of one win and nine losses in thirteen games in all competitions for the first time in Guardiola’s managerial career.
However, after four wins in five league games plus an in-form Phil Foden scoring six goals in that run, the Citizens turned a corner and posed a decent threat to second-placed Arsenal, who were on a 13-game unbeaten run.
That run would turn out to be 14 games to the good of the Gunners who brought City back down to earth just 1 minute 44 seconds into the game after Manuel Akanji was robbed of the ball 25 yards from his own goal with Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard combining for Arsenal’s first goal.
Losing the ball became the order of the day for City as Mateo Kovačić was robbed 20 yards from his goal yet again, but an unmarked Kai Havertz could only see his effort dragged way off target.
As the second half progressed, Erling Haaland thought he had brought the Citizens back into the game with a fine header in the 55th minute, but Thomas Partey had other plans profiting from a loose pass from Phil Foden and seeing his sublime strike take a slight deflection into the back of the net.
Next up, Myles Lewis-Skelly – the 18-year-old academy product registering his first senior goal in grand style for Arsenal to make it three, then Kai Havertz for a fourth, and substitute Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri for the final nail in the coffin in the 90+3 minute in added time.
That was the first time since Opta started keeping stats that Mancity would lose to an Arsenal side conceding five goals in a football game – hence, the Deja vu.
Defending Champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Rangers International FC (Enugu Rangers) gear into the 2024-25 season with an added feather to their sleeve after striking a financially scintillating deal with Nortra Tractors & Equipments Ltd.
The Flying Antelopes clinched their 8th NPFL title with grace last season having won just once (in 2016) since the national league became fully professional (in 1990), thanks to the appointment of 46-year-old Fidelis Ilechukwu as head coach in the summer of 2023.
Fidelis Ilechukwu; Head Coach Rangers International FC
This summer, Rangers International welcomed a leading name in agricultural machinery and solutions to the fold as sleeve sponsors on a two-year deal to the tune of ₦100 million per season, with the Nortra Tractors’ logo poised to display on the left sleeve of the team jerseys.
In a statement released by the club, Rangers International in conjunction with Nortra Tractors “are set to embark on a new journey of success on and off the pitch.”
“This partnership represents a powerful collaboration between two organizations that share a commitment to excellence, innovation, and community development.
Official Club Statement By Rangers International
“The sponsorship will not only provide essential support to Rangers International FC Enugu but will also highlight Nortra Tractors’ dedication to empowering communities and driving progress within the agricultural sector.”
As fortunes may smile on the Enugu-based club now, history remains unkind to the last time Rangers ventured into business dealings by selling ownership stock in November 2008, which made Rangers International the first Nigerian club side to be a public company.
Rangers International Unveils New Signings For 2024-25
Dealings clashed and negotiations fell through, which led to starting the 2009-10 season in debt, and consequently shifting ownership from private to state-owned to this day.
Rangers International is the second most successful team in the NPFL having one title short of Enyimba’s nine while being the second-best active club in the FA Cup with six (with Lagos Railways with 8 Cups now defunct).
Once CAF Champions League finalists in 1975, before reaching the Semis in 1976, 1978, and 1982, Rangers International also enjoyed 12 years of local dominance, clinching the local State FA Cup from 2005 through 2017, and lifting the NPFL title in 2016 under the tutelage of Imama Amapakabo.
Expectations are high on Rangers International going into the new season with Fidelis Ilechukwu setting his sights on his next assignment on the continent in the CAF Champions League First Preliminary Round fixture against Comoros-based US Zilimadjou this month.
“There is a goal, one goal, you have to score a goal. The second goal is to avoid or not to concede a goal.”
– Carlo ancelotti; obi one podcast
This narrative perfectly defines football’s objective, defeating the notion that the game has to be more attacking than defensive, as both sides hold due relevance to the result.
In European football, league winners are known to dominate the log with a defining goal difference tally (+/- goals for & goals against), which most times separates eventual champions from second fiddle.
Using the English Premier League as a case study, ManCity’s transfer business in recent years categorically shows a strategic approach to acquiring elite defenders who have influenced the club’s successes with equal measure to forwards.
In the summer of 2020, Ruben Díaz completed a €71.6 million move from Benfica after Nathan Ake made a £45.3 million move from Bournemouth a month earlier.
In 2021, Jack Grealish smashed the records with a €117.5 million move from Aston Villa to join City’s attacking ranks after Sergio Aguero became a free agent and moved to Spain.
In 2022, Manuel Akanji joined the team from Borussia Dortmund for €20 million, while Joško Gvardiol joined the fray in 2023 from Red Bull Leipzig for a whooping €90 million transfer fee.
During winter in 2022, Julian Alvarez joined City from River Plate for €21.4 million, before Erling Haaland graced the occasion in the summer for €60 million in transfer fees.
Manchester City’s €226.9 million investment in defense plus €198.9 million in attack within the last four years has led to a four-peat in the English Premier League from 2020-21 to 2023-24, scoring the most goals in all four seasons (83, 99, 94, 96) and conceding the least in three of those barring the latest campaign (which City won).
The idea that Pep Guardiola’s team pays less attention to defense is flawed as statistics and results prove otherwise, with City’s defense keeping the most clean sheets in two of the last four seasons.
In other climes, Real Madrid dominated Europe under Carlo Ancellotti domestically and on the continent in 2022 with Karim Benzema combining with Vinicius Junior in attack while Eder Militao and Alaba combined with Thibaut Courtois in defense.
That year, Karim Benzema clinched the most coveted Ballon d’Or gong while topping the goal-scoring chart in the Champions League with 15 strikes and winning La Liga’s Pichichi with 27 goals.
Likewise, Thibaut Courtois dazzled with a record of 62 saves in the Champions League, while being second only to Alex Remiro of Real Sociedad in La Liga’s clean sheet chart.
A fun fact is that Real Madrid won the double twice in the last four years under Don Carlo Ancelotti using the same balanced approach to the game.
Surprisingly, Jose Mourinho who has been a titled victim of the conspiracy has impressive records across the board in different leagues with his solid defensive style as much as in attack which isn’t talked about much.
Saturday, 23 February 2002 was the exact date Mourinho last lost a home game coaching FC Porto in the Portuguese Primera Liga against a struggling Beira-Mar side, who had only won three of their last 15 games at the time, before going on a nine-year unbeaten streak in 150 home games.
The record which lasted nine years, one month, and eleven days was halted by Sporting Gijon in a La Liga game where Real Madrid missed integral players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema, and Marcelo on MatchDay 30 in February 2011.
Regardless, the streak which transcended through the Primera Liga with Porto, the Premier League with Chelsea, Série À with Inter Milan, and La Liga with Real Madrid will go down as an impeccable record in the sands of time for Jose despite his negative football tag.
On the flip side, Jose coached Real Madrid to a record of 102 goals in the 2010-11 La Liga season with Cristiano Ronaldo hitting 40 league goals plus 13 assists while being the second-best defensive team in the league behind title winners FC Barcelona thanks to the brilliance of Iker Casillas in goal behind Pepe and Sergio Ramos in central defense.
Another famous casualty of the negative football tag is 54-year-old Diego Simeone who has managed 681 games with Atlético Madrid following the 2023-24 season in thirteen years since his appointment in December 2011.
His defensive structure and pragmatic approach executed by solid personnel at Atlético has led to two La Liga titles (2013-14, 2020-21), two Europa Leagues (2011-12, 2017-18), two UEFA Super Cups (2012-13, 2018-19), a Copa del Rey (2012-13), a Spanish Super Cup (2012-13), plus a World Best Coach of the Year award (2015-16).
While being their most successful coach in history, Diego Simeone has endeavored to maintain the Top 4 spot in La Liga with Atlético, finishing twice as runners-up (2017-18, 2018-19), seven times in third place, and once in fourth (2023-24) barring his first half-season in 2011-12 when the team finished fifth.
Atlético also reached two UEFA Champions League finals in 2014 and 2016
The narrative that defensive-minded teams play “negative football” remains a myth, as success is subjective to the objective, as the common saying among fans goes, “A good defense wins titles.”
In the beautiful game of football, the result justifies the approach.
A win for Manchester City against West Ham ends all permutations and earns the Citizens a historic four-peat. But a share of the spoils at the Etihad Stadium tilts the tide towards the Gunners who host Everton in the final lap.
Title Race
Arsenal looks to complement a decent run this season with a bite at the cherry, having lagged two decades behind in winning the English Premier League since 2003/04, their third League title in the modern era (inc. 1997/98, 2001/02).
Mikel Arteta would be proud of his team’s performance across the board, with the arrival of Brentford loanee David Raya over the Summer seemingly challenging Aaron Ramsdale’s place as the first choice.
David RayaWilliam Saliba x Gabriel MagalhaesMikel Arteta
The €3.34 million loan move for the 28-year-old Spaniard was rewarding as Arsenal poses with the most clean sheets and the best defensive stats in the league, with the compliments of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba as center-back pairings.
Title hopes for the Gunners hinge on permutations at the Etihad Stadium, with a draw or a loss to the Citizens enough to clinch the much elusive Premier League gong, should things go well at the Emirates.
Erling Haaland’s League tally of 27 goals in 30 games this season is the most for any player as the Citizens continue to produce the most League goals since 2017/18, placing Haaland in pole position for a consecutive Golden Boot award after netting 36 goals in 35 games last term.
The Citizens also produced the Player of the Season in Phil Foden who had a tremendous campaign, producing 17 goals and 8 assists, his best return in a League Season since making his senior team debut in 2017/18.
The City Academy product has been immense for Pep Guardiola’s team as a utility player, featuring on the Left, Right, Center, and Attacking Midfield positions, the Left and Right Wings, and as a Center Forward.
Phil Foden with 2023/24 POTY AwardRodrigo
Arguably City’s Best Player, Rodrigo was shockingly left out of the POTY nominations having gone all season unbeaten as a player in the league (26 wins and 7 draws).
Rodrigo has gone 49 games unbeaten in the EPL since the loss to Tottenham Hotspur on the 5th of February 2023
EPL Stats
Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kevin de Bruyne, Mateo Kovaciç, and Julian Alvarez have also performed decently when selected highlighting the squad depth in Pep Guardiola’s Arsenal (no pun intended).
Champions League Spot
Down the pecking order, Aston Villa astonishingly secured a spot in Europe’s Elite competition for next season following a brilliant campaign under Unai Emery who stands a chance to be nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The Villans took maximum points at least once against Mancity and Chelsea while defeating Tottenham and Arsenal home and away, after going on an eight-game winning streak at Villa Park early in the season.
Tottenham’s loss to City at home on MatchDay 37 sealed their fate outside the Top 4, with Spurs’ European hopes still hanging on a balance should Sheffield United get maximum points, Chelsea win Bournemouth, and Manchester United win the FA Cup.
European Participation
A win for Chelsea seals either 6th or 5th positions which guarantees the side a spot in Europe (unless Manchester United wins the FA Cup, or Spurs defeats Sheffield United) by depriving Bournemouth a chance to finish at the top half of the log should the Cherries get the better of the Blues.
Brighton hosts Manchester United at the Amex stadium hoping to finish amongst the top 10 if results stay positive, with the Red Devils only hope of European participation hinging on the FA Cup Manchester Derby final.
Relegation Waters
Everton and Nottingham Forest overcame daunting tasks to maintain Premier League status after escaping relegation despite sanctions of points deduction by the Jury, with the likes of Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United returning to the Championship the same way they came.
Luton TownBurnleySheffield United
Sheffield United set the record for the most goals conceded in the English Premier League era (101) this season since Swindon Town bagged a century of goals in 1993/94.
It’s also the most goal conceded by a club in Europe’s Top 8 Leagues in 2023/24 including the Dutch Eredivisie, Belgian Jupiler Pro, and the Portuguese Primera Liga.
Victor Boniface with a goal and an assist, plus a Florian Wirtz’ hattrick and a Granit Xhaka strike seal championship victory for Die Werkself on MatchDay 29 against Werder Bremen.
Bayer Leverkusen Are Bundesliga Champions for 2023-24
Founded by the employees of German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Bayer AG in 1904, Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball bags a historic feat by clinching a first-ever Bundesliga in 45 years since gaining promotion to the top tier in 1979.
The historic feat was befitting at the 30,210-capacity BayArena stadium in the factory-based remote city of Leverkusen, located between Düsseldorf to the North and Cologne to the south in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany.
With local rivals as 1. FC Koln, Borrusia Monchengladbach, and Fortuna Dusseldorf Bayer 04 rank among the top five of German football in the modern era due to their regular appearance in European championships and multiple runner-up league finishes (with a league record of five times).
The 2001-02 season remains a season to forget for Die Werkself who were on the brink of clinching the Treble, only to lose the Bundesliga on the final day to Borussia Dortmund via a point (70-69), the UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid (2-1), and the DFB-Pokal final to Schalke 04 (4-2).
“Football intelligence. We have signed strategic players to be more efficient and consistent in our football”
– Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen Coach
The near-success syndrome has now been cured with the advent of current gaffer Xabi Alonso coaching his team to glory in stunning fashion following 25 wins, 4 draws, and 74 goals in 29 games, clinching the Bundesliga undefeated with six games outstanding.
Bayer Leverkusen now sustains a 43-game unbeaten run in the 2023-24 campaign while competing on two more fronts in the UEFA Europa League quarters against West Ham, and the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern.
Bayer’s story would be sketchy without the honorary mention of Wilhelm Hauschild, who wrote a letter on the 27th day of November 1903, signed by 170 of his colleagues, to his employer, Friedrich Bayer & Co of the Bayer AG factory, requesting the company’s support in starting a sports club.
The move birthed TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball, field handball, rowing, tennis, and hockey.
However, in 1999, the football department was separated from the Sports Club into an independent entity called Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, going on to house world-class players like Brazil’s Zé Roberto and Ricardo Kaka, Bulgaria’s Dimitar Berbatov, Mexico’s Javier Hernández (Chicharito), Heung-min Son, Germany’s Toni Kroos, to mention but a few.
From a team tagged with never winning to a squad known for never losing, Die Werkself rises to the occasion and brings Leverkusen to the fore of the German Football Championship unscathed.
This is African football, a constant battle for bragging rights and a historic cabinet, where we win some and lose others. But the Super Eagles of Nigeria live to fight another day after clinching Silver in their 20th AFCON appearance.
Two Group Stage exits, seven third-place finishes, five-time runners-up, and three-time champions paint the overview of Nigeria’s exploits on the Continental stage at the Africa Cup of Nations since the team’s debut in 1963.
Tagged Africa’s most decorated team based on accolades, the Super Eagles of Nigeria by reputation bag expectations whenever the stage is set, and the 34th edition of AFCON was no different for the African Giants.
Before 2024, the last time Nigeria had a bite at the cherry was over a decade ago in South Africa when the team hustled to victory unbeaten and without any extra time needed. (NB: In football, extra time is different from additional time).
But a rejuvenated Super Eagles side by profile and pedigree, plus the advent of Stanley Nwabali in goal and a tweak in formation helped galvanize the team in going the distance albeit falling feebly to the hosts in the final.
Following proceedings in Côte d’Ivoire, the cup is either half full or half empty based on perspectives, as the team did reach the final against all the odds, but struggled in flexibility, tactical awareness, and finishing when it mattered.
To mention but a few, reigning African Best, Victor Osimhen huffed and puffed with energetic display, getting involved albeit indirectly in most of the goals scored, but missing out on his primary Key Performance Index (KPI) – putting the ball in the back of the net or across the goal line.
In seven games, Victor provided an assist and registered one goal from twenty-four shots with none (goal, assist, or shot) coming in the final.
However, fouls on him created two penalty goals courtesy of Williams Troost-Ekong versus Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, with his presence inadvertently forcing Opa Sangante to an own goal against Guinea-Bissau.
More productivity was expected from the Napoli forward who had contributed twelve goals in eighteen games across Italian competitions this season (probably lesser output than 2022-23) but missed big chances in headers, one-v-ones, and close ranges at the AFCON.
The list goes on in the Chronicles of players that underwhelmed, with the likes of Samuel Chukwueze, Zaidu Sanusi, and a fair extent Alex Iwobi facing the jury.
Still, a flip on the page sees players like Alhassan Yusuf, Olaoluwa Aina, Calvin Bassey, Semilogo Ajayi, Williams Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman, and the Knight in a shinning armor – Stanley Nwabali, all flattering to impress.
Speaking of the cup half full, Nigeria moved fourteen steps up on the FIFA rankings from 42nd to 28th in the world, while climbing from 6th to 3rd-best on the continent after finishing as runners-up.
Captain Williams Troost-Ekong was awarded Player of the Tournament and made Team of the Tournament alongside Ademola Lookman and Olaoluwa Aina as Nigeria’s representatives.
Also worthy of note is the end to José Peseiro’s contract as Head Coach of the Super Eagles as the curtains closed on the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, plus the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of play, with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers lined up in the coming months.
A double-header against South Africa, Rwanda, and the Benin Republic, plus return fixtures against Lesotho and Zimbabwe stand in the way of Nigeria for two spots from Group C.
“Waka or Stay” as pronounced in local parlance would be the debate on the streets in Naija, and the realization of an imminent exodus of players from the international scene, with the likes of Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Ahmed Musa, and probably Semilogo Ajayi as potential retirees.
The jury is still out on the status of the Super Eagles as things stand, with the Silver win a silver lining for subsequent features and fixtures.
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