Analytics & Stats
Iraola Gives Szoboszlai Update as Frimpong Faces Layoff
Iraola eased fears over Szoboszlai, but Frimpong’s recovery will stretch beyond the break.
Andoni Iraola has offered a more measured assessment of Dominik Szoboszlai’s latest setback, while also confirming that Jeremie Frimpong will not be back until after the November international break.
Szoboszlai was forced off after around half an hour after the thigh problem that had already ruled him out of Liverpool’s previous two matches flared up again. Iraola had initially feared the midfielder could be missing “for some time”, but his latest comments were more encouraging. A return for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Villarreal is not possible, yet the manager stressed that the injury has not been made worse.
“It’s not a new injury, it’s in the same place as last week, he has not worsened the injury, but we have to be a bit more patient until he recovers fully,” Iraola warned.
“It is not like we now have to wait a lot of time to come back.”
Frimpong’s situation is less straightforward. The fullback played only six minutes against Brentford, going off shortly after his halftime introduction after previously being rested following the midweek trip to Austria.
“Jeremie has a new muscle injury and we will have to wait until he recovers,” Iraola reflected. “It’s going to be difficult I think before the international break.”
With fixtures coming thick and fast, Iraola said he will need the full squad at his disposal and may continue to rotate heavily. He pointed to the win over LASK as an example of how changes can still produce a strong result, and suggested he is weighing up further alterations for Villarreal.
“I am thinking of putting the best starting XI that I can against Villarreal,” he told assembled media. “But maybe it is not the one that you are thinking, because some players are not fresh enough.
“Probably it is better if someone is more fresh to start but I am analyzing the game, how can I put a good starting XI and think in the second half, how can we affect [the game] with the changes?”
The background to those selection calls is clear in the fatigue data supplied by Simon Brundish. Alisson, Florian Wirtz, Jérémy Jacquet, Ronald Araújo and Alexander Isak all feature among the players monitored, with the Fatigue Index described as a scale from 0-100, and anything above 65 placed in the red zone. Brundish says the model combines nine different statistics linked to previous injuries, together with each player’s own record, to provide a loose guide to those most at risk of breaking down.
Analytics & Stats
Liverpool’s winger decision looks exposed as Barcola struggles and Gordon thrives
Liverpool’s winger debate is already under scrutiny as Barcola struggles and Gordon delivers quickly.
Liverpool’s summer wide-man debate is already looking awkward. The club came close to matching their transfer record for Bradley Barcola, yet the early returns suggest Anthony Gordon may have been the more convincing option.
Barcola is beginning to resemble another expensive attacking question mark. With Mohamed Salah not even drawing the main spotlight, the winger has yet to register a goal or assist this season, and his output has been well below expectations. That stands in sharp contrast to Gordon, who has settled quickly after his move to Barcelona.
The numbers are hard to ignore. Gordon has produced six goal contributions in nine appearances for a new club in a new league, a strong return given the circumstances. He also added four goal contributions in three England appearances during the international window, while Barcola finished with none for France.
Andoni Iraola, though, is refusing to lose faith. “Sometimes we have to focus not just on the numbers,” the Liverpool manager said on Tuesday. He added that he has “100% trust” in both Barcola and Wirtz. “Bradley and Florian have had good games, bad games this season, but we know their level, and we are sure they’ll give us good performances.”
The comparison is strengthened by the broader statistical split. Barcola has made 10 appearances, played 511 minutes, and still has no goals or assists. Gordon, across 13 appearances and 775 minutes, has five goals and five assists, alongside stronger underlying figures in expected goals, expected assists, big chances created, successful dribbles and touches in the opposition box.
There was logic to Liverpool’s interest in Gordon. Born and raised in the city, he came from a Liverpool-supporting family and had spent five years there as a young child before his professional breakthrough at Everton. Liverpool needed help in replacing Salah, while Gordon was looking for a step up from Newcastle United.
Barcelona moved first, announcing his signing on May 29. The British club also tried to intervene, but, as reported, they were “late to the party”. With add-ons, Gordon’s move could rise above $93 million, while Barcola’s could reach $163 million.
For now, the better deal is clear. Barcola may still find the Champions League more forgiving than domestic football, starting with LASK and then Villarreal at Anfield.
Analytics & Stats
Premier League Gameweek 6: the standout performers by FotMob rating
FotMob ratings highlighted the top performers from a strong Premier League Gameweek 6 return.
After a three-week international pause, the Premier League resumed with a sixth round that produced a strong spread of individual displays. Using FotMob’s player ratings, here is a rewritten look at the weekend’s top 10 performers.
Declan Rice earned an 8.3 in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United. The midfielder was central to the result, posting a match-high 89 touches, adding 10 defensive contributions and producing the kind of subtle quality that made Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal possible.
Chelsea also featured heavily. Morgan Rogers, rated 8.3, scored the Blues’ second in their 5-1 win over Bournemouth and continued to settle quickly at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling stood out, while a cross-cum-shot helped take him to four Premier League goals in six games. He also recorded a match-high 13 defensive contributions.
Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest included strong showings from Yéremy Pino and Adam Wharton, both on 8.3. Pino got on the scoresheet and created the most chances in the match with three, while Wharton supplied an assist from a corner and combined control with discipline, winning 75% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial battles without conceding a foul.
Jérémy Doku changed Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool from the bench, yet still led the match in dribbles with five and chances created with three before finishing with a superb strike. Elliot Anderson, rated 8.5, provided relentless energy and creativity, capped by the assist for Doku’s goal.
Rayan Cherki was the top-rated City player against Liverpool at 8.6, ending the scoring with a goal that summed up his flair and confidence. João Pedro led the weekend with an 8.8 after two goals for Chelsea against Bournemouth, doing his job in the physical contest and still making a decisive attacking impact from 25 touches.
Analytics & Stats
Ranking the 20 Biggest Men’s Soccer Competitions in the World
A straight ranking of soccer’s biggest men’s competitions, from domestic giants to global tournaments.
Soccer contains an endless web of competitions, and that can make the hierarchy hard to read for newcomers and long-time supporters alike. Club football, international football, money, prestige and passion all pull in different directions, which is why arguments over what matters most never really end.
So here is a very unofficial ranking of the 20 biggest men’s soccer competitions in the world, with no claim that it will settle the debate for good. It is simply a guide to the tournaments and leagues that carry the most weight, shape the biggest conversations and, in many cases, draw the largest audiences.
At one end of the scale sits newer property such as the expanded Club World Cup, still trying to prove that it can become something more than a created spectacle. At the other, there are competitions with generations of history, from the FA Cup and Copa América to the oldest continental and domestic leagues.
Some of the strongest entries are built on tradition and identity. The Premier League stands as the sport’s most popular domestic competition, backed by unmatched wealth and a global marketing machine. La Liga retains enormous standing through the Clásico and a long history of elite talent. Serie A, despite its decline from the heights of the 1990s, still offers tradition and fierce competition.
Elsewhere, the picture changes sharply by region. AFCON remains one of the most emotionally charged tournaments anywhere, while the Euros set the benchmark for standard and reach among regional international competitions. In South America, the Copa América and the Copa Libertadores continue to carry huge emotional and competitive value, even if their global audience does not match Europe’s biggest club events.
Across Africa, Asia and the Americas, the scale, atmosphere and cultural pull of competitions such as the CAF Champions League, the Asian Cup, Liga MX, the Argentine Primera División and Brazil’s top flight show how broad soccer’s top tier really is. Each holds a different kind of authority, but all belong in the conversation.
There is room for disagreement, of course. That is part of the point. The sport keeps going, and the arguments keep going with it.
