The depth of City's crisis is partly conveyed by possession. The first 20 minutes of the match - 60% of possession, 0 shots from both sides. 20 minutes after Kovacic came on and before the penalty - 65% of possession and 2-2 in shots. That is, the team's more or less usual style of play lasted for about half a match, and in this style, City were not even better in attack. The rest of the game - periods of equality in possession or even superiority of Manchester United. That is, even if we lea...

The depth of City's crisis is partly conveyed by possession. The first 20 minutes of the match - 60% of possession, 0 shots from both sides. 20 minutes after Kovacic came on and before the penalty - 65% of possession and 2-2 in shots. That is, the team's more or less usual style of play lasted for about half a match, and in this style, City were not even better in attack. The rest of the game - periods of equality in possession or even superiority of Manchester United. That is, even if we lea...

About a year ago, Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen ended in a 2-2 draw-a result apart from being the best match of the 23/24 Bundesliga season, it basically sealed Bayer's championship ambitions. Today's draw is almost perfectly symmetrical. Bayern was as dominant over Bayer as Bayer was over Bayern in the spring meeting that ended 3-0 for Bayer. But this time, Bayern's dominance was expressed in different ways. Not a correct clash of a cohesive team versus a disjoined one like previously; m...

About a year ago, Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen ended in a 2-2 draw-a result apart from being the best match of the 23/24 Bundesliga season, it basically sealed Bayer's championship ambitions. Today's draw is almost perfectly symmetrical. Bayern was as dominant over Bayer as Bayer was over Bayern in the spring meeting that ended 3-0 for Bayer. But this time, Bayern's dominance was expressed in different ways. Not a correct clash of a cohesive team versus a disjoined one like previously; m...

That is what happens if you let Stuttgart play football. You will get torn apart. Yet, Motta's Juventus has this amazing quality of getting results even with mediocre play. Today was their worst match of the new season, a dead team, a complete tiagomottina - and they lost only 0:1, conceding only in added time. Too many problems have been amassed by the team from past seasons. Not all at once can be solved. A motley, strange lineup. Allegri's collective psychological trauma: you cannot set up...

That is what happens if you let Stuttgart play football. You will get torn apart. Yet, Motta's Juventus has this amazing quality of getting results even with mediocre play. Today was their worst match of the new season, a dead team, a complete tiagomottina - and they lost only 0:1, conceding only in added time. Too many problems have been amassed by the team from past seasons. Not all at once can be solved. A motley, strange lineup. Allegri's collective psychological trauma: you cannot set up...

Of all the surprises through the first month and a half of the Premier League season, Fulham has been the biggest. Last year, the team finished 14th-they were also 14th in expected points-and they had a depth crisis. But Marco Silva not only managed to stop the plane from falling into the abyss but even brought it back on course. In the off-season, Fulham sold Joao Palhinha to Bayern for €51 million. He carried the whole Cottagers midfield on his shoulders, just as the Ancient Greek Atlas too...

Of all the surprises through the first month and a half of the Premier League season, Fulham has been the biggest. Last year, the team finished 14th-they were also 14th in expected points-and they had a depth crisis. But Marco Silva not only managed to stop the plane from falling into the abyss but even brought it back on course. In the off-season, Fulham sold Joao Palhinha to Bayern for €51 million. He carried the whole Cottagers midfield on his shoulders, just as the Ancient Greek Atlas too...

Perhaps Pep and his guys know something we don't and that explains the depressing pace of the team's movement around the field? And it certainly isn't Rodri's recovery time.

Perhaps Pep and his guys know something we don't and that explains the depressing pace of the team's movement around the field? And it certainly isn't Rodri's recovery time.

There is an old arthouse short film called "A Horribly Slow Killer with a Very Ineffective Weapon". In the film, the killer hits his victim with a spoon. Not with all his might. Rarely. It takes him years to commit the crime. After Inter's victory over Arsenal, for some reason I remembered this.

There is an old arthouse short film called "A Horribly Slow Killer with a Very Ineffective Weapon". In the film, the killer hits his victim with a spoon. Not with all his might. Rarely. It takes him years to commit the crime. After Inter's victory over Arsenal, for some reason I remembered this.

Early 2000s: Newbie coach Hansi is lifting Hoffenheim (and their backline, of course).

Early 2000s: Newbie coach Hansi is lifting Hoffenheim (and their backline, of course).

Against Villarreal, Carlo Ancelotti experimented with a 4-2-2-2. This is how his players lined up without the ball. The big differences from the default setup are emphasis defending the central zone-a clear 4-2-2-2 rather than 4-4-2-and only a pair in attack; Rodrigo was exchanged for an extra midfielder. This helped contain Villarreal's potent attack-ambiguously speaking, before the match with Real, they scored in every game. But the attack is still in disarray-the usual intention to overloa...

Against Villarreal, Carlo Ancelotti experimented with a 4-2-2-2. This is how his players lined up without the ball. The big differences from the default setup are emphasis defending the central zone-a clear 4-2-2-2 rather than 4-4-2-and only a pair in attack; Rodrigo was exchanged for an extra midfielder. This helped contain Villarreal's potent attack-ambiguously speaking, before the match with Real, they scored in every game. But the attack is still in disarray-the usual intention to overloa...

By November 11, Roma had sacked two head coaches. I wonder who will be the next victim?

By November 11, Roma had sacked two head coaches. I wonder who will be the next victim?

The difference between goals scored and conceded in the Premier League since Ten Hag arrived at Man Utd:City +134Arsenal +114Liverpool +85 ...Manchester United +11Fulham +8 Worst Man Utd managers by goals conceded per match: Rangnick - 1.55 conceded on average per match Ten Hag - 1.5Solskjaer - 1.2 Moyes - 1.1 Van Gaal - 1 Mourinho - 0.9 Worst Man Utd managers by percentage of defeats: Rangnick - 31% of matches lost Moyes - 29% Ten Hag - 28% Van Gaal - 24% Solskjaer - 24% Mourinho - 20%

The difference between goals scored and conceded in the Premier League since Ten Hag arrived at Man Utd:City +134Arsenal +114Liverpool +85 ...Manchester United +11Fulham +8 Worst Man Utd managers by goals conceded per match: Rangnick - 1.55 conceded on average per match Ten Hag - 1.5Solskjaer - 1.2 Moyes - 1.1 Van Gaal - 1 Mourinho - 0.9 Worst Man Utd managers by percentage of defeats: Rangnick - 31% of matches lost Moyes - 29% Ten Hag - 28% Van Gaal - 24% Solskjaer - 24% Mourinho - 20%