WanderlustSport

Even while a lot of modern football has changed into physical and tactical warfare, success still heavily rests on individual quality, as this weekend has painfully brought home. Oliver Glasner's team won the FA Cup after Eberechi Eze took advantage of his huge chance for Crystal Palace at Wembley, while Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush did not show up for Manchester City. Jarod Bowen's genius turned a 2-0 deficit into a huge fright that Nuno Espirito Santo's team had to endure after West Ham gave nothing at all for more than 80 minutes against Nottingham Forest. Black-and-white supporters were understandably alarmed to learn that Alexander Isak had not been cleared to play in Newcastle United's match against Arsenal. Those concerns turned out to be valid. Aside from giving it away to give the visitors their first significant chance on goal, David Raya was on course for an absolute worldie, even making up for that error twice over with a fantastic double save. The fir...

With Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United impacted, Chelsea will be active during the "exceptional" early transfer window added for Club World Cup signings. Dean Huijsen [From Bournemouth to Real Madrid or Chelsea] According to the incredibly ambiguous most recent rumour, Chelsea wants A Winger and A Striker to arrive in time for the competition, therefore it is inevitable that they will be busy. However, it is obvious that they are interested in Huijsen and that they will have fierce competition for him. They may not mind if Chelsea's desperation stops a summer-long auction because Bournemouth is unlikely to obstruct the center-half and a £50 million release clause puts it mainly out of their control anyhow. Although Huijsen "dreams" of Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso may have a bright center-half in his new team, Arsenal and Liverpool are also in the running. Trent Alexander-Arnold [From Liverpool to Real Madrid]  By opting to fly the coop, one of their own...

Right now, Chelsea supporters are primarily discussing two topics: will we make it into the Champions League? And if we don't, will Enzo Maresca continue to work? "Probably" is the response to both questions.  The Blues will finish fifth at worst with two victories over Manchester United, an embarrassment, and Nottingham Forest, a team that looks eager to snatch defeat from the jaws of triumph. Their chances are favorable. No matter how obvious Maresca says the "improvement" is, his employment will be in grave danger if they don't qualify. How many times did Chelsea finish in the Champions League [places] over the last two years? And we have spent practically the entire season there this year. Is it better or worse? Already, things have improved.  He's not incorrect. With two games remaining, Chelsea has now tied the record set by Mauricio Pochettino last season, and the Italian is already feeling the effects of his quick start. If Chelsea's ...

The Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur is something to look forward to. Despite their domestic issues, they have been the two finest teams in the league this season.  In stark contrast to their Premier League performance, Spurs have been strangely comfortable in Europe, as Ruben Amorim's team is still the only undefeated team in the European competition this year. They defeated Athletic Bilbao 7-1 overall, including two three-goal victories. Even though the second leg on Thursday had a hint of drama, Old Trafford never really went into panic since Bilbao was unable to score a second goal. Amorim chose the same starting lineup that had dominated in Spain because he didn't want to take any chances in a competition that United had to win. This time, things were never going to be as simple as they had been in the first leg, and even without the Williams brothers, who were both sidelined due to injury—yes, that Inaki Williams, who once played 251 c...

It wasn't a consolation, but rather a lifeline, as we put it in Big Midweek. It was a way to get back into the match with Spurs' lead less certain going into the trip to a tricky little stadium with a very tricky pitch and some very tricky weather conditions, not to mention a Bodo/Glimt team fully recovered after all those first-leg suspensions were over. Their chances were in their favor, they weren't afraid to express it, and no one believed they were mistaken. The home team's decision to water an artificial field with wrinkles in every corner despite hours of rain and the unfurling of a massive Minion-based Tifo made it difficult to avoid the impression that Spursiness would not be able to improve the situation before kickoff. Many clubs that aren't as good at self-defeating slapstick have shuddered in the past when they saw Minions. However, it is not what actually happened. On these Europa League evenings, Spurs are seemingly made of much tougher stuff. Spu...

The Beast appeared to win for fifteen minutes, but Beauty defeated Arsenal, leaving us to wonder once more, "what might have been?" in a match when their "arrogant" hero was humbled and we learned exactly what Mikel Arteta's team was lacking in Thomas Partey—mostly negative things.  Anyone who offered an upbeat perspective on Arsenal's lackluster performance at the Emirates as a significant lift ahead of this away match was likely doing so more out of hope than expectation given the circumstances of the first leg. We expected an improvement in stopping PSG's rapid breakouts, but the Ghanaian's contribution to the quarterfinal victory over Real Madrid was more significant due to the freedom he gave Declan Rice to advance than his own ability to fill midfield voids. PSG often broke on Arsenal, and Partey was usually nowhere to be seen, so we didn't get that improvement. Instead, we got six long throw-ins and a couple of costly mistakes from Partey...

Twenty-one years after Michael Owen departed Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004, Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to follow suit. Owen should have added "f*** 'em" since that would have been sage advise to a young man who had to make the most important decision of his life. "It will tarnish him in some eyes even though it shouldn't," Owen remarked. Alexander-Arnold should have seriously considered the opinions of a minority before making his choice. After more than 300 games of devoted genius, he owes Liverpool supporters nothing except a hefty salary. In more than two decades, he has never been anything but loyal to Liverpool, never shirked, and never complained. Only fools would not believe that to be sufficient, and they ought to be disregarded. Since Owen left Liverpool in 2004, the world has become both smaller and larger at the same time. Only the most cynical redheads would now pretend that Real Madrid could never have any appeal, that no team could e...

Reports indicate that Man City has proposed a deal to Tottenham for attacking midfielder James Maddison prior to the summer transfer window.  The Citizens have experienced a disappointing season by their benchmarks, with Pep Guardiola’s team not contending for the Premier League title.  Last weekend, Liverpool were declared champions and are now 18 points clear of Man City, with the Reds set to play their game in hand against Chelsea on Sunday.  Man City ended nine points in front of Liverpool last season as Guardiola’s team claimed their fourth straight Premier League championship.  Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Juma Bah were all signed during the January transfer window as Man City aimed to resolve several problems in their team.  Kevin de Bruyne, the sole scorer in Man City's victory over Wolves on Friday, is one player who will be leaving during the summer transfer window, and the Belgian international is expected to leave...

Ollie Watkins' struggles intensify Aston Villa's desire for Marcus Rashford as he approaches a departure, while Unai Emery's true standout performer shone brightly once more…  Aston Villa have managed their initial year returning to the Champions League along with domestic responsibilities better than Newcastle United and Leicester City, yet Unai Emery’s team is barely crossing the finish line.  Their return to the Champions League was bound to make this season memorable for Villa fans, but their journey in the tournament surpassed expectations as they didn’t merely show up for experiences – they contended with Europe’s top teams and demonstrated they deserve a place at the highest level.  Amid the immense allure of the Champions League, Aston Villa have notably done enough to stay in contention for the five Champions League spots with four matches left and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.  This has been facilitated by Villa’s nearly perfect recruitment during the exc...