Illegal or Ingenious? How One Alert Fan Identifies EPL Lineup Changes Before They Happen
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was understandably furious when he discovered that news of Jack Grealish's training ground injury had leaked online.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was understandably furious when he discovered that news of Jack Grealish's training ground injury had leaked online.
Life as a goalkeeper is difficult. A keeper can have fantastic game, but if one ball gets past them, they receive all of the blame.
Stats like goals against or save percentage have been used haphazardly to evaluate goalkeepers for years, but they fail to paint the whole picture.
For instance, if a goalkeeper plays behind a good defense they will be expected to allow fewer goals. Conversely, if opposing teams keep hitting top-corner screamers, the keeper allows goals that they can do little to prevent.
With soccer tactics constantly changing, certain types of players are not always accommodated.
Roles like the libero, trequartista, striker partnerships and burly center backs have become, or are quickly becoming, outdated in modern football. Other roles like ball-playing goalkeepers, false nines and wingers that cut inside onto their stronger foot have become very trendy.
This often leaves current players wishing they had played in a previous decade and former players wishing their career had started a little later. Ah, what could have been.
Sam Kerr signed with Chelsea in November of 2019. She’s yet to lose a league match with the Blues.
Kerr scored the opener as Chelsea eased past Aston Villa 4-0 on Tuesday. The win moved the Blues’ unbeaten streak in FA Women’s Super League action to 32, setting a new record and breaking a tie with Manchester City.
32 games unbeaten in the #BarclaysFAWSL.
With the Premier League season nearly half over, this current lull in matches is the perfect time to look back at the campaign so far.
We've all been following the matches and have a general idea about where each team sits in the league table, so the next logical step is to dive deeper into the analytical side of the Premier League and examine the expected goals league table.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Manchester United has the opportunity to pull even with Liverpool on Friday, but the Norwegian and his side will have no easy task.
Next: #MUNAVL! pic.twitter.com/8J7VgURoZo
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 30, 2020
Given the fact that Christian Pulisic had already missed time this year because of a calf strain, major hamstring tear and subsequent hamstring complaint, it was surprising to see the American in Chelsea’s starting lineup on Monday after going the full 90 against Arsenal on Saturday, but it affirmed the fact that Frank Lampard saw the American as a lone bright spot in that 3-1 defeat.
Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was sent off just before halftime with his side nursing a one-goal lead against Crystal Palace. Then Villa really showed how good it is.
Despite playing the entire second half down a man, Aston Villa throttled Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday. Remarkably, it was Villa’s fifth 3-0 victory of the season, which begs the question: Can this club actually compete for a spot in Europe?
A pair of sublime free kicks by midfielder James Ward-Prowse, between a Jannik Vestergaard header and a Danny Ings pile-driver, gave Southampton an entertaining 4-3 Premier League win at Aston Villa on Sunday. It was Villa's second successive home defeat as they were beaten by Leeds United 3-0 in the previous round of matches after winning their opening four league games, including a 7-2 drubbing of champions Liverpool.
I'll admit it: I was wrong.
I picked Aston Villa as a surefire relegation candidate to begin the season.