All posts by h716a5.icu

With college football's top prospects set to be snapped up by teams over the next three days, Goal ponders how such a process would work in soccer…

With the Covid-19 pandemic having brought a halt to almost all sport around the world, fans are begging for any kind of live event to get their teeth into while spending almost all their time at home.

The 2020 NFL Draft promises, then, to garner even more interest this week as the top college American football prospects are signed by the top professional league's 32 teams from Thursday through to Saturday.

However, what if soccer introduced a similar process for top clubs to select the best young players each year? How would it look, and could it give some of Europe's fallen giants the opportunity to rise again?

Goal has chosen to conduct such an experiment, using the recently revealed NxGn list of the 50 best teenage male footballers on the planet as the '2020 Draft Class', meaning the likes of Mason Greenwood, Gabriel Martinelli, Ansu Fati and winner Rodrygo are all up for grabs.

So how does our draft work? Here are the rules:

– Goal has selected 15 of Europe's biggest clubs to take part in the draft, with those selected regarded as the frontrunners to form a 'European Super League' should that ever come to pass.

– Clubs will select in reverse order of strength, based on their ELO rating, which calculates a team's ranking using historic results (full details here). The draft will consist of two rounds, meaning 30 players will be drafted.

– Unlike in the NFL and other North American sports drafts, there will be no trades made at any point.

– The draft is theoretically taking place ahead of the 2020-21 season. As such, clubs should consider all out-of-contract players as having left to become free agents, while players whose loan deals expire at the end of the current campaign have returned to their parent clubs.

– Players within the draft should also be considered as being unattached rather than part of squads.

So with that all hopefully explained, clubs must now consider where the major gaps are in their squad and which players can fill them. Let the 2020 Goal Draft begin!

Getty1LIVERPOOL select CURTIS JONES

With the final pick of the second round, Liverpool are left with a choice: take the best player left on the board in Lee Kang-in or opt for local knowledge in the same position and take Curtis Jones?

They choose the latter, knowing that the Anfield faithful love watching fellow Scousers thrive for the Reds.

AdvertisementGetty Images2BAYERN MUNICH select JOAO PEDRO

The strong class of strikers in 2020 is really baring its teeth in the second round as yet another team opt to add goals to their squad.

This time it's Bayern, and with Zirkzee lost to the draft, they bring in the next-best player in his position, Joao Pedro, to serve as Robert Lewandowski's understudy.

Getty3MANCHESTER CITY select RAYAN CHERKI

Having been left disappointed in the first round, City can barely believe their luck that they have the chance to bring in Rayan Cherki with the 28th overall pick.

The needs of other teams have left Pep Guardiola's side with a free path to the French playmaker, and though he does not necessarily fill any kind of void in their squad, the 16-year-old can learn under the Catalan before eventually making his mark on the first team.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty4BARCELONA select JOSHUA ZIRKZEE

Not a difficult one this for Barcelona, who desperately need someone to provide able back-up for an ageing Luis Suarez.

As the top striker left on the board, Joshua Zirkzee is their man, with the Dutch star having already shown he can handle the pressure of first-team football.

GOAL highlights the outstanding moments from the continent's stars in Europe

GettyInsightful details from the weekend

In this feature, GOAL's Seye Omidiora picks out some of the under-the-radar stats you may have missed this week – and explains what they mean for Africa's biggest stars.

AdvertisementGettyTaiwo Awoniyi

The Union Berlin forward fired blanks in a 4-0 thrashing at Bayern Munich but it was not for the want of trying.

Awoniyi missed two chances deemed to be clear-cut opportunities before his substitution on the hour mark.

This not only saw the Nigeria international fail to add to his 11 Bundesliga goals but also miss out on making history for the club.

With 16 goals across all competitions for Union, the forward would have gone ahead of Max Kruse as the club’s record goalscorer in the German top flight.

While there is still time to supplant Kruse, the forward must have rued missing out on achieving the feat at Bayern.

GettyIsmael Bennacer

Bennacer netted AC Milan’s only goal in their 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Cagliari on Saturday night.

Interestingly, it is the second time this season in which Bennacer has scored the winning goal for his side, having come up trumps at Bologna in October.

Having failed to score in Serie A in the entirety of last season, the Algeria midfielder has netted twice in 2021/22, and both strikes have been timely, to say the least.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyMoses Simon

Nantes were beaten by outgoing Ligue 1 champions Lille on Saturday, ending the Canaries’ seven-game Ligue 1 unbeaten run at Stade de la Beaujoire.

Since registering his seventh league assist against Paris Saint-Germain, Simon has fashioned eight chances in three games without success.

He fashioned four opportunities in the 1-0 defeat by Lille, with one falling into the ‘big chance’ category.

The defeat saw Nantes drop to ninth in Ligue 1.

Being a football manager at any level is a precarious occupation, and the Premier League is the most intense pressure cooker of all.

Life as a Premier League manager is tough, particularly when filling the dugout of an ambitious outfit that expects to be challenging at the business end of the division while also chasing down major honours.

Securing silverware is not enough for some, with short memories ensuring that nobody is ever more than a few games away from the Job Centre.

Some notable names have found that out to their cost down the years, with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham giving coaches little time at the start of any given season in which to prove their worth.

Thomas Tuchel has become the latest to face the chop, with GOAL on hand to cast an eye over some of the earliest managerial changes that have been implemented by members of the so-called ‘Big Six’.

Getty ImagesJuande Ramos | Tottenham | 2008-09 | Eight games

It was quite impressive that Juande Ramos managed to get Tottenham into the position they were in by October 2008.

After just eight Premier League matches, Spurs were firmly rooted to the bottom of the table with only two points – earned via draws with Chelsea and Wigan Athletic. Although Spurs weren't getting blown away in games – they lost by more than one goal just once during this spell – it was clear that something had to change.

Martin Jol came in to replace Ramos and went on a five-match unbeaten run that included four wins, eventually guiding Spurs to an eighth-placed finish.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBrendan Rodgers | Liverpool | 2015-16 | Eight games

Brendan Rodgers had a net spend of over £70m in the three transfer windows that followed Liverpool's agonising second-place finish in 2014.

And what did the Reds have to show for it after eight games of the 2015-16 campaign? 12 points, that's what. This might have been acceptable had the club been showing the green shoots of a recovery, but a 1-1 draw in the Merseyside derby proved to be the final straw.

Rodgers was sacked in October 2015 and swiftly replaced by a certain Jurgen Klopp, who has since transformed Liverpool back into an elite force on domestic and European fronts.

Getty ImagesGlenn Hoddle | Tottenham | 2003-04 | Six games

He may have been a club legend from his playing days, but that was not enough to keep Glenn Hoddle’s neck from the chopping block once the going got tough in north London.

The former England manager was relieved of his duties at White Hart Lane by the end of September in the 2003-04 campaign, with only four points taken from six Premier League fixtures.

Spurs came unstuck against Birmingham City, Fulham and Chelsea before seeing their manager moved on after going down 3-1 at home to Southampton.

David Pleat stepped in as caretaker coach, but only managed to lift a sleeping giant as high as 14th in the table.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesThomas Tuchel | Chelsea | 2022-23 | Six games

On May 29, 2021, Thomas Tuchel got his hands on the Champions League trophy following Chelsea’s narrow 1-0 victory over domestic rivals Manchester City at Estadio do Dragao in Porto.

By September 7, 2022, fortune had reversed so dramatically for the German tactician that was handed a P45 at Stamford Bridge.

Eyebrows were raised when the axe fell in west London but, given the Blues’ penchant for change in the dugout, such drastic action was not all that surprising.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel was moved on after picking up 10 points from six games in the Premier League and suffering a 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in an opening European encounter of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Reds' nightmare season reached a new low as they were battered 3-0 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium to further damage their top-four hopes.

Liverpool’s season from hell reached a new low on Saturday, as Jurgen Klopp’s men suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton which leaves their hopes of a top-four finish in tatters.

The Reds have been a shadow of their former selves throughout a nightmare campaign, and they were second best again at the Amex Stadium, as Roberto De Zerbi’s side, slick, organised and everything the visitors are not in terms of energy and confidence, thoroughly deserved their win.

Solly March did the damage for the Seagulls, striking twice in the space of six second-half minutes to give his side a cushion. Substitute Danny Welbeck added a third late on as Brighton move above Liverpool in the Premier League table, and leave Klopp scratching his head at yet another rotten away showing from his side.

Liverpool have now lost their first two league games of a calendar year for the first time since 1993, and look a team bereft of belief, ideas and cohesion. Their midfield, continually criticised throughout this campaign, was non-existent again, their defence was unable to cope under the constant pressure it was placed under, and a makeshift attack featuring new signing Cody Gakpo on his Premier League debut offered nothing by way of a goal threat.

They are in big trouble, clearly. They could find themselves 10 points off the top four by the end of the weekend, and it would take a brave punter to back them to fight back from the position they currently find themselves in.

Here, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from the Amex…

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Solly March:

He might not be the most glamorous or well-known of Premier League footballers, but he's a fine and reliable player, is Solly March. Brighton wouldn't swap him for anyone, I'm sure, and he was their match-winner here. Starting on the right of the home side's attack, the 28-year-old was a permanent threat as he stretched the pitch, found space with ease and constantly ran at a Reds backline that got little to no protection from what was in front of it. March might have had a penalty in the first half when fouled by Alisson Becker, only for the VAR to spot a tight offside, but he was there where it mattered to slip home Kaoru Mitoma's low cross and open the scoring, two minutes after the break, and soon after he was there again, arrowing a beautiful left-foot shot across Alisson and into the far corner, after yet another lung-busting run from deep. He's played more than 250 games for Albion, the majority in the top flight, but is yet to win a senior England cap. Playing like this, that could change soon.

Kaoru Mitoma:

You didn't have to look far to find strong performers in blue and white, but aside from March, one man stood out a mile. Never mind Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, in Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton have found themselves another gem who looks like he could earn them big money down the line. The 25-year-old Japanese international actually joined the Seagulls in 2021, but spent last season on loan in Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise as he waited to qualify for a UK work permit. He’s here now, though, and boy can he play. Starting on the left of Roberto De Zerbi’s attack, he was too quick and too sharp for Trent Alexander-Arnold, repeatedly storming past the England international and into dangerous positions. From one of those, he was able to set up the opener for March, and he might have capitalised himself on a few others, denied on more than one occasion by Alisson or by desperate defending. He got a standing ovation when replaced late on, and no wonder. This was a hell of a display. The kind Liverpool could do with, actually.

Liverpool's injured players:

There's only one to come out well from a performance like this; don't be a part of it. The return of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk cannot come soon enough, as far as the Reds are concerned, but the worry is that even a full-strength squad wouldn't solve this team's issues. This is a broken side, one in need of desperate surgery. And quick.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Jordan Henderson:

Listen, he was far from the only one wearing red to struggle here. And listen, he’s been a great servant to Liverpool down the years, and has come back after being written off on more than one occasion. But boy is Henderson struggling at the moment. Time waits for no man, goes the saying, and the England international is looking every one of his 32 years right now. His first-half performance here was painful, second to everything, petrified in possession and bewildered by midfielders who were quicker, stronger, smarter and just plain better. His frustration showed with a late challenge on Moises Caicedo, which earned him a yellow card, and it was a surprise to see the captain emerge for the second half in all honesty. He lasted until the 69th minute, as it happens, but that is as much down to Klopp's lack of faith in his other midfield options as anything else, surely?

Joel Matip:

You felt for Matip in the first half at times, asked repeatedly to get himself involved in footraces with the likes of Mitoma and Evan Ferguson down the Liverpool right. But you could have no sympathy with the defender when, a couple of minutes after the restart and with his side desperately in need of a bit of composure and experience, he misplaced a risky pass into Henderson and allowed Brighton to break. They did so with relish, the break ending with March knocking in their opening goal. Liverpool, having escaped until the interval and then surely had a half-time rocket from Klopp, suddenly found themselves where they deserved to be. Behind and chasing the game. They never looked like recovering.

Jurgen Klopp:

"We speak about it as if we are bottom of the league. We are not." Klopp had stated at his pre-match press conference on Friday, but this was the kind of performance relegation strugglers turn in. We know that Liverpool are not themselves, but they have not been this bad at any point this season. Their display was unbefitting a club of such size, history and ambition, and the sight of the away end emptying rapidly before the final whistle spoke volumes. Klopp and his players could have no complaints, the fans who had trekked down to the South Coast in the rain deserved far, far better than to watch the dross their team served up. Liverpool have sent their supporters on the most wonderful of rides in recent seasons, but they are punishing them at the moment. This was another weekend-ruiner. Whatever you do, steer clear of Klopp for the next 48 hours or so. He won't be good company.

Getty ImagesLiverpool Ratings: Defence

Alisson Becker (6/10):

Escaped conceding a penalty thanks to VAR but was left exposed time and time again by his defence and midfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):

Tormented by the brilliant Mitoma, and had no answer. Put in some good balls that didn't get the finish they deserved in the second half

Joel Matip (4/10):

Booked for taking out Mitoma, and gave the ball away sloppily for Brighton's opener. Subbed.

Ibrahima Konate (6/10):

Some sloppy passes, although his options weren't great. Recovery pace vital in the first half, but crumbled like the rest after the break.

Andy Robertson (5/10):

Had a tough time against March, and offered little going the other way.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesMidfield

Fabinho (4/10):

A mile off the pace, though did play one good ball to Salah first half. Looked like he was running in quicksand at times.

Jordan Henderson (3/10):

His first half showing was about as bad as it gets. He was lucky to last as long as he did.

Thiago Alcantara (4/10):

Started as an advanced No.10, but barely saw the ball. Dropped deeper and couldn't keep it. A poor performance.

The Catalan coach deserves more respect for dominating English and German football, even though Europe's biggest prize has eluded him since 2011

Revisionists will tell you that Pep Guardiola was a failure at Bayern Munich because he did not win the Champions League. They are lying. Rival fans will tell you that he will be a failure at Manchester City unless he wins Europe's biggest prize. They too are lying.

It cannot be denied that not lifting the European Cup since toppling Manchester United with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 sticks in Guardiola's craw. A coach of his pedigree and with the squads he has had at his disposal should have won it more often.

But in knockout football there are so many unknown factors, chance events which can mean the difference between a place in the history books and being left empty handed.

🏆 TOP STORY: Chelsea hold Gavi talks as Barca contract could be VOIDED📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Bayern the ONLY team who can stop Man City in the UCL🚨 MUST READ: Lukaku not the answer to Chelsea's striker problem

The league table, however, does not lie. Throughout the course of a season, you have the opportunity to make amends for freak results, and at both Bayern and City, and indeed Barcelona before then, Guardiola has swept the competition aside.

And so no matter what happens in City's blockbuster quarter-final tie against Bayern and old friend Thomas Tuchel, Guardiola deserves more respect for what he has done at both clubs. His astonishing achievements cannot be dismissed due to a series of mishaps in Europe.

Getty ImagesThe fastest Bundesliga title win

When the Catalan took over at Bayern in 2013, refreshed after taking a sabbatical in New York following four intense years with Barcelona, he inherited a team that had just won the treble under predecessor Jupp Heynckes and broke the record for winning the Bundesliga at the earliest possible stage.

Sounds ideal right? Not exactly. Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken on numerous occasions of the difficulty in keeping a successful team motivated. Vicente del Bosque, meanwhile, admitted that he could see that his Spain players were not motivated after winning the World Cup and back-to-back European Championships.

But Guardiola managed to make a world-beating team even better domestically, wrapping up the title in March 2014 after 27 games, setting a new record for the fastest Bundesliga win and finishing the season with 90 points, 19 ahead of Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in second.

His side also set a record for earning the most points in the first half of the season, taking an astonishing 47 from a possible 51. Bayern then completed the double by comprehensively beating Dortmund 2-0 in the DFB-Pokal final.

The only sour note of an otherwise dream first season was losing 5-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, after knocking out Arsenal and Manchester United earlier in the competition.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAnother title but more European pain

The following season, Guardiola became the first Bayern manager to retain the Bundesliga title since Felix Magath in 2006.

His side were not as ruthless as in the first campaign, picking up just 79 points, but still finished 10 ahead of closest challengers Wolfsburg.

Bayern enjoyed some great European nights, thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 in the last 16 and hammering Porto 6-1 in the quarter-finals, although there was more heartache against a Spanish team in the semi-finals.

In an emotional first match against his beloved Barcelona, Pep's Bayern were beaten 3-0 at the Camp Nou, and though they won the second leg 3-2, they went out 5-3 on aggregate.

It was a heavy defeat, but luck was definitely not on his side, as Arjen Robben, David Alaba and Franck Ribery all missed both legs, while Robert Lewandowski played while wearing a mask after breaking his jaw.

Barca, meanwhile, had a full squad available and were firing on all cylinders in the first season of the magical 'MSN' forward line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

Bayern also missed out on the domestic cup, being beaten on penalties in the semi-finals by Dortmund. All in all, it was Guardiola's worst season in Munich, but still a pretty good one.

Getty ImagesA trophy-laden legacy and a sack full of records

Bayern came back with a vengeance the following season, sweeping to the title with 88 points. And they were agonisingly close to making the Champions League final, losing out on away goals to Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals after Thomas Muller had missed a penalty and his team had 35 shots, 12 on target.

Guardiola, who had already agreed to join City, still ended his tenure on a high by winning the DFB-Pokal, beating Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund in the final on penalties.

He left Bayern having won five out of six domestic trophies, plus the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Guardiola’s Bayern scored a record 254 goals in 102 league matches while conceding just 58. They also kept 59 clean sheets – another record.

He won 82 out of 104 games, a win percentage of 80.4 which destroyed that of his closest challenger, Ottmar Hitzfeld (58.4%).

Guardiola's Bayern did not just win the Bundesliga, they utterly destroyed the opposition.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesA serene era in Bavaria compared to his successors

And it is easy to forget that before he arrived, the German title race was far from the cakewalk it has become for Bayern in the last decade.

They failed to win the title in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2011, only two years before Guardiola joined, they came third.

Guardiola's three-year tenure might not sound long either, but by Bayern standards, it was Ferguson-esque.

His three years in charge make him their longest-serving manager since Hitzfeld, who spent six years at the helm between 1998 and 2004.

Since the Catalan swapped Bavaria for Manchester, Carlo Ancelotti and Niko Kovac lasted little more than a year.

Hansi Flick was given less than two years despite winning the treble, while Julian Nagelsmann was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in March as he was in danger of losing the Bundesliga title to Dortmund.

Compared to his successors, Pep's time at Bayern was stable and serene and the the Bundesliga crown, which Bayern hold so dear, was never in doubt.

Jurgen Klopp had plenty to smile about as the Reds battered Leeds 6-1 at Elland Road to keep their top-four hopes flickering

Liverpool haven't had many enjoyable away days this season, but they could certainly savour this one as they battered Leeds 6-1 at Elland Road to keep their faint top-four hopes alive.

Diogo Jota scored twice – his first Reds goals in more than a year – and Mohamed Salah also bagged a brace, with Cody Gakpo and substitute Darwin Nunez rounding off a devastating attacking performance from Jurgen Klopp's side, who remain nothing if not unpredictable, at least.

They remain nine points short of Newcastle, who occupy the last Champions League qualification spot at present, but after a performance like this, and their biggest away league win since December 2020, there must at least be a little more optimism around Anfield now, with eight games still to play between now and the end of the season.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Elland Road…

GettyWINNER: Diogo Jota

The drought is well and truly over! After 12 months without a goal, Diogo Jota must have wondered when, indeed if, his luck would turn.

The answer came here, and in emphatic fashion, as the Portuguese star scored twice – both instinctive, first-time finishes – and added an assist for Mohamed Salah for good measure.

Jota actually started the game poorly, giving the ball away repeatedly in the opening half hour, but when Weston McKennie dawdled in midfield, the Reds' No.20 was on him in a flash. He won the ball off the Leeds man, drove forward and fed Salah, who placed his shot brilliantly inside Ilian Meslier's near post to make it 2-0 to Liverpool.

Confidence restored, Jota then set about making his own dent on the scoresheet. He needed only seven minutes of the second half to do so, timing his run perfectly to slam Curtis Jones' defence-splitting pass past Meslier for 3-1.

There was more to come, as Jota met Jordan Henderson's cross from the right with a fine, 18-yard strike which fizzed home via the right-hand post. Minimal celebration, but a smile as wide as the Mersey from a man who needed a goal desperately and, after 372 barren days, ended up with a pair of them here.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Javi Gracia

A lot of teams have enjoyed playing against Liverpool this season, but the Leeds boss must be sick of the sight of those red shirts.

This was the fourth time Gracia has faced Jurgen Klopp's team as a manager, and he has lost all four. His teams – Watford and now Leeds – have conceded 19 times in those four matches, scoring only once. Ouch.

There were boos from the home fans at the final whistle here, and no wonder. Leeds were negative, timid and completely overwhelmed once Liverpool got their noses in front. Elland Road can be a fortress, and it briefly roared after Luis Sinisterra gave the home side hope at 2-1, but this was not a performance for supporters to get behind.

Gracia has done OK since replacing Jesse Marsch, and Leeds are still a couple of points and a couple of places above the relegation zone, but he's going to have to earn his money after this. It was painful to watch at times.

GettyWINNER: Trent Alexander-Arnold

He's had plenty of criticism this season, plenty of it deserved too, but let's get one thing straight here; this was a quite magnificent performance from Liverpool's No.66.

Alexander-Arnold's positioning has been the subject of much debate of late, with the right-back – under instruction from Klopp – moving into much more of a central midfield role when Liverpool have had possession. It has had mixed results so far, but it worked a treat here.

The England international was outstanding, setting up Liverpool's first goal for Cody Gakpo and their last goal for Darwin Nunez. Typical Trent, inch-perfect deliveries just begging to be finished off.

But there was so much more to enjoy too. Alexander-Arnold had more touches (153) and won possession more frequently (11 times) than any other player on the pitch. He completed 124 passes, and with a completion rate of more than 91 percent. He won tackles, made clearances and generally, through his skill and his sheer footballing intelligence, helped Liverpool boss the game pretty much from start to finish.

A glimpse of the future, perhaps? For all the focus on Alexander-Arnold's weaknesses, his strengths are what make him the player he is; a truly world-class talent, whether at right-back or in central midfield.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyLOSER: Ibrahima Konate

It feels harsh to pick out a 'loser' after a 6-1 away win in the Premier League, but Konate won't want to watch Leeds' goal back any time soon.

The Frenchman had produced a dominant first half, but he dallied on the ball early in the second and was punished accordingly. Sinisterra robbed him, finished impudently past Alisson Becker and suddenly, for a brief moment, the game was on at 2-1.

Konate, to his credit, reacted well to his error, but boy will he have been relieved when Jota made it 3-1 within five minutes of Sinisterra's strike. Liverpool ran riot from there, but they won't want too many more slip-ups like this one from their centre-back. Lesson learned.

Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz also got on the scoresheet as the French champions edged ever closer to another Ligue 1 title

Kylian Mbappe and the oft-criticised midfield duo of Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha found the net as Paris Saint-Germain saw off relegation-threatened Troyes without the suspended Lionel Messi with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Mbappe grabbed the opener, nodding the ball into an empty net after a fortunate deflection off the crossbar. Danilo Pereira then had a good chance to make it two, but headed narrowly over from a corner.

Vitinha added a second on the hour, following his own rebound for a tap-in with the goalkeeper sprawling. And although Troyes momentarily threatened by grabbing a goal of their own, Ruiz settled things with a wonderful curled effort into the top corner.

PSG have Ligue 1 all-but wrapped up, and can now only be evaluated by the calibre of performances they put in. And this one, although not exactly world-beating, was enough to see off a far inferior opponent

GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade de l'Aube…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Made a save at full stretch to keep Troyes out just before half-time. Will be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.

Marquinhos (6/10):

Completely lost his man on Troyes' goal. Had little to do otherwise.

Sergio Ramos (8/10):

Good in the air, moved the ball well. Continues to make his case for a new contract.

Danilo Pereira (7/10):

Still looks a bit awkward at centre-back, but was mostly untroubled. Nearly scored from a corner.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Warren Zaire-Emery (7/10):

Infuriatingly stuck out wide, despite being a natural midfielder. Completed the most dribbles in the match.

Vitinha (8/10):

Scored PSG's second. Now has three goal contributions in his last four outings.

Marco Verratti (7/10):

Kept things ticking, created six chances, completed 97 percent of his passes.

Fabian Ruiz (8/10):

Had a long-range effort turned around the post in the first half, scored late in the second. One of his best performances in a while.

Juan Bernat (6/10):

Surprisingly adventurous in possession, but lacks a spark in the final third. Truly a back-up option.

Getty ImagesAttack

Hugo Ekitike (7/10):

Handed an opportunity with Messi suspended. Started centrally before being pushed out to the left. Still learning, but had some good moments.

Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

Scored PSG's opener to draw level with Alex Lacazette atop the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts. Continues to bang them in, despite losing the other two of PSG's fabled front three.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Carlos Soler (6/10):

No time to make an impact

Renato Sanches (6/10):

A welcome return from yet another injury.

Ismael Gharbi (N/A):

Brought on for 30 seconds, for some reason.

Christophe Galtier (6/10):

Returned to his preferred 3-5-2 formation, despite being heavily favoured on the night. PSG dominated possession, but would have perhaps liked to create more chances given the gap in quality between the two sides. He'll take the win, but his job remains in question.

We independently choose all products featured on our site. We may earn a commission when you purchase something through the links provided.

Everything you need to know about the new Irons kits for the 2023-24 season

West Ham and Umbro are set to team up once more for their 2023-24 kit range, as the Hammers look to push on from their first piece of major silverware in over four decades following success in the Europa League.

👕 Shop West Ham 2023-24 kits at Umbro now

On July 10, Umbro released the West Ham 2023-24 home kit. The West Ham 2023-24 home kit is available to pre-order from the Umbro website.
David Moyes banished the demons of a tough domestic season with continental success to end a long-time drought at London Stadium, and his side will be keen to look their best next term too.

The English sportswear giant, who celebrate 100 years in the business in 2024, will be just as determined to deliver a fit worthy for the champion club they have supplied since 2015, as the London outfit prepares for another push in both the Premier League and the Europa League following their exploits in Prague.

So, what new kits will West Ham wear in 2023-24? GOAL takes a look at the jerseys that are set to be sported by Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and more, while we also give you the lowdown on rumours and leaks alongside details on how to buy them online.

West Ham 2023-24 kits

West Ham has released their 2023-24 home kit, and it's all about the club's famous anthem – "I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles". The anthem is etched into the fabric of the club's history, and the shirt features a distinctive Bubbles pattern which is woven through the kit.

The shirt is enveloped in the traditional claret body with blue sleeves. Bubbles and West Ham United go hand-in-hand, and there are several theories as to how the Broadway song came to be synonymous with the Claret and Blue Army.

Some say it started with Billy ‘Bubbles’ Murray, a Hammers player in the 1920s, who was said to have resembled the curly-haired child seen in the Pears Soap adverts of the time. 

Others will tell you it was the Beckton Gas Works Band who brought it to the club by playing it pitchside at the Boleyn Ground. It was also sung during the Blitz in the Tube stations and heard on the terraces when West Ham won the War Cup.

But, whatever the story, it's the fabric of the club and is proudly worn on the shirt design for next season.

You can pre-order the kit at Umbro for £75.00

Advertisement

Much as with the home kit, details as to what the 2023-24 away kit will entail for West Ham are being kept under lock and key by Umbro, though supporters will be hoping for an impressive follow-up to the effortlessly cool black number they wore last term.

With the club unlikely to repeat the colour scheme however, it looks likely that the Hammers will still opt for something with a touch of class, potentially favouring a white-bodied number not too dissimilar to the third strip they sported in 2022-23.

Such classic designs have a rich reverse strip heritage under Umbro, with the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons both seeing white as the main colour for the away kit, but until an official confirmation is made by West Ham, their 2023-24 away kit remains unknown.

The price of the kit will likely match that of the home strip, with a replica shirt expected to retail for £65.00 at Umbro.

As with the home and away strips, there is not too much known about the little details when it comes to West Ham’s third kit for the 2023-24 season, but supporters might not be surprised if this one offers the jazziest option of the campaign for them.

With little in the way of leaks, few things are known about what the alternate option will offer for fans next term, but last campaign’s white number with geometrically inspired fire-splatter trim certainly was among the most eye-catching in the Premier League.

Speculation suggests a darker ocean blue colourway, but this is not confirmed – although a few mockups have been seen online.

However, nothing will be confirmed until the club officially announce their third-choice strip, with everything else remaining speculation until then by fans looking to figure out a fresh fit.

As with plenty of other third-choice kits for next season, not much is known about an exact release date, but you can expect it to match the price of their other strips, retailing at an anticipated £65.00 through Umbro.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Much as with the rest of West Ham’s 2023-24 kit range, their training strip remains under lock and key so far, though fans may well be waiting to see just how the club expands their apparel range following their silverware success.

Fans will be hopeful that the design may differ significantly from last term, where a full-bodied claret design cut remarkably close to mimicking their home strip. 

There is no official release date set for the pre-match jersey, but we can expect to see a late summer 2023 launch after the rest of West Ham’s kits have been debuted.

Ange Postecoglou has made quite the impression at Tottenham, with the Australian coach already boasting his own song among Spurs supporters.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Australian coach appointed in 2023Lured away from Scottish giants CelticFavours an attacking brand of footballWhat are the lyrics to the ‘Lovin’ big Ange instead’ chant?

The song, which is sung to the tune of ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams, goes:

AdvertisementGettyWhy does Ange Postecoglou have his own song at Spurs?

Postecoglou was acquired by Tottenham in the summer of 2023 on a four-year contract. He had spent the previous two years in Glasgow with Scottish giants Celtic – helping them to a Premiership title, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup treble during his final season at the helm. The Australian has become famed for his ball-playing philosophy, and that approach has instantly endeared him to a fan base in north London that demands both winning and entertaining football.

What does the Ange Postecoglou song sound like?

The terrace tune that has been pieced together for Postecoglou by James Black takes inspiration from the famous Robbie Williams track ‘Angels’. The former Take That star, who has a record-breaking 18 Brit Awards to his name, is a diehard Port Vale supporter, but he is a fan of the new song at Spurs and has found himself singing along to it.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

What happens next?

Tottenham slipped out of the Premier League’s top four last season and have only qualified for the Champions League once in the last four campaigns. Postecoglou has been acquired to help bring about a reversal in fortune, with his front-foot style of play winning plenty of admirers as Spurs adjust quickly to life without all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane leading their line.

Ryan Reynolds “caught the bug” for Wrexham during an FA Cup clash with Sheffield United, claims a photographer that worked with the Dragons.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Takeover completed in 2021Memorable run enjoyed in North WalesFamous owners fully investedWHAT HAPPENED?

The Deadpool actor bought into the Welsh outfit alongside fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney back in 2021. They saw Wrexham make it to Wembley in their first full season at the helm, but it was the 2022-23 campaign that really lit the fuse when it comes to passion in the boardroom at SToK Racecourse.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT THEY SAID

Wrexham enjoyed a memorable cup run last term, while also securing promotion back into the Football League in record-breaking style. Reynolds and McElhenney were regulars at crunch clashes, with Cody Froggatt – who has been rubbing shoulders with the A-list elite while taking pictures for the Dragons – telling : “Rob and Ryan are interesting, I can always tell you the game where Ryan caught the bug for the club. It was the Sheffield United game in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Rob and Ryan are really nice, and they're media savvy at the end of the day so they do play up for the cameras a little bit. I've met Blake (Lively, Reynolds' wife) and I've met Rob's wife and I've met all the kids and that. They are just people at the end of the day and they are just chilled out and really nice. Obviously when you're first shooting them you do get a bit star-struck, but after the first time you've done it just becomes a bit normal. Like when Will Ferrell turned up one day, as we say at the ground – just another day at Wrexham! Because it does get a bit like that, you never know who's going to turn up. The first thing I do when I walk in is if I see the other photographers I'll go: 'Is anyone in the box today? And they'll go: 'Oh, X is in or Y is in!' And you go: 'Alright, OK!' It does become a bit normalised in a sense that you just get used to them.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Reynolds and McElhenney have committed fully to a long-term project at Wrexham, with Froggatt adding on how the pair are able to mix business with pleasure: “He'll [Reynolds] just come down from the suite and just sign a load of autographs literally 10 minutes before kick-off. He'll come down half an hour before kick-off and he'll just spend time down there with the fans talking with them and signing stuff. They are massive on the community aspect of the club, you can see that in the title parades. I think it has gone beyond a project, it's gone to their hearts the club, they are all in with it.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Wrexham have endured a testing start to life back in the Football League, despite being tipped by many to piece together another promotion push in 2023-24, with Phil Parkinson’s side taking nine points from six fourth tier fixtures.