It’s been said before, but Paul Pogba, at his best, is akin to a Medieval English siege tower. He’s unassailable in possession, and he’s here to decimate your last line of defense while preying on that most primitive of human emotions — fear.
He’s a contortionist with the ball at his feet, a skill set made all the more bewildering by his imposing 6-3 frame.
A lot has been made of the fact that without Eden Hazard, Chelsea would resemble nothing more than a strange, amorphous tribute to Yokohama Tires out on the pitch. That criticism is mainly aimed at Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud leading the line, where the two have combined for only six Premier League goals.
Replacing Cristiano Ronaldo’s average of 50 goals per season throughout his nine-year stay in Madrid has (surprise!) proven impossible for Los Blancos. Things probably reached rock bottom following that 5-1 defeat to Barcelona back in October — the climax of a five-match winless streak in LaLiga that included defeats to Alavés and Levante — but yesterday’s 3-0 loss to CSKA Moscow at the Bernabéu is right up there with that torrid stretch.
From a boot perspective, the 2018 Ballon d’Or was won by Nike. Three of the top four finishers in voting sport the Swoosh, and Luka Modric (Mercurial Vapor XII) scooped the ultimate prize while Kylian Mbappe (Mercurial Superfly VI) nabbed the inaugural Kopa Trophy. To honor the achievements of its footballers, Nike has released a limited edition “Golden Touch” version of both boots.
After 10 years of nothing but Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has become the first player since Kaká back in 2007 to wrest football’s biggest individual accolade from the two behemoths of the modern game: The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner is Luka.
When it comes to transfer rumors and Paris Saint-Germain, you never get further than the superstar front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani.
First things first, I did not watch Manchester United vs. Everton today — I was watching El Clásico. So I’m not in a position to say anything about Paul Pogba’s performance in the 2-1 win, and I don’t want to come off sounding like Pogba-hater-extraordinaire Graeme Souness.
Arsenal’s 11-game winning run came to an end Sunday following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Luka Milivojevic scored twice from the spot for the home side, while Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were in on the goals for the Gunners.
After Crystal Palace had taken the lead just before halftime, Arsenal answered through Xhaka in the 51st. Yes, the 26-year-old Swiss has a left foot like a hammer.
Arsenal’s second was pretty special, too. Alex Lacazette provided a Hand of God moment in the buildup.