The Weekly Take, Issue 238: Hail to the King

Any plans I may have previously had for this post have now been thrown out the window by the news that brought the world of football to a standstill.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known to the planet as Pelé, died of colon cancer yesterday at the age of 82. Arguably the greatest footballer in history, tributes naturally came pouring in from all corners of the world and from fields well beyond that of sports alone.

In addition to hundreds of footballers and other sports luminaries, the likes of incoming Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, US President Joe Biden, and former US President Bill Clinton took to social media to pay tribute to "O Rei". Current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of national mourning just hours after the news of Pelé's death came to light. Additionally, the world-famous Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro was lit up in the colours of the Brazilian flag to honour Pelé.

It is almost impossible to pick somewhere to begin, but this statement should just about suffice: for at least two decades, there was absolutely no debate whatsoever about who the greatest footballer ever was. It was Pelé and it wasn't even close.

Pelé's emergence on the world stage will almost certainly never again be matched. At the age of 17, Pelé burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion during the knockout stages of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. When he scored the only goal of the match in Brazil's quarterfinal victory over Wales, it proved to be merely a teaser of what was to come.

A stunning second-half hattrick against France in the semifinal sent Brazil into the final for the second time in three World Cups. Pelé then capped off the tournament with two goals as the Seleção beat Sweden 5-2 in the final. Pelé's success in that World Cup, however, was but a glimpse into the player he would someday become.

Pelé's three World Cup victories will almost certainly never be equalled, while his tally of 767 goals in official matches stood for more than half a century. His Brazil team's utter domination of the 1970 World Cup remains the gold standard for a single-tournament performance by a team in international football.

So far ahead was Pelé of any other player of the era that in 2016, France Football published a retrospective re-evaluation of Ballon d'Or winners before 1995. Prior to that year, only players from European countries had been eligible to win the most prestigious individual honour in football. Pelé would have received the award on seven occasions; four consecutively from 1958 to 1961 as well as in 1963, 1964, and 1970. That tally would have put him equal with current record-holder Lionel Messi. In addition, the timespan of 12 years between Pelé's first would-be triumph and his last would also have equalled Messi's.

One criticism often levelled against Pelé lies in the fact that he never made the move to Europe, where he could play for a top European club and showcase his brilliance by leading a team to the European Cup. However, those who make such a claim have ignored the fact that in World Cup after World Cup, Pelé routinely took apart players from the other side of the Atlantic - players who had won Europe's most prestigious club title on one or more occasions. It should thus be obvious that had he made the move to Europe, Pelé would have been just as incredible as he was during his 18-year stint at Santos.

Pelé almost single-handedly changed the course of Brazil's iconic international football team. Prior to the 1958 World Cup, Brazil were still feeling the shock of the "Maracanazo" - the upset loss to Uruguay in 1950 which cost Brazil a first-ever World Cup title. Needless to say, Pelé banished the effects of that loss once and for all.

The debate about who is the greatest of all time will rage on for as long as this incomparable sport is played. However, no one who even claims to know even the slightest bit about football would omit Pelé from that debate.

RIP to "O Rei" - one who truly lived up to the nickname bestowed upon him.

The Weekly Take, Issue 237: An Obvious World Cup Hangover

Anyone who had been paying close attention during the World Cup will have noticed that many Tottenham players did not exactly have tournaments to remember. Coming off an injury, Son Heung-min was outplayed by his South Korean teammate Cho Gue-sung. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's Denmark team were utterly dismal as they slumped to a shocking group-stage exit. After a hot start, Richarlison failed to deliver in the quarterfinal match against Croatia, while despite being part of a title-winning Argentina team, Cristian Romero made many errors and had to be bailed out time and again. Of course, the standout failure was that of Harry Kane, who missed the penalty that ended up causing England's elimination in the quarterfinals.

Thus, it should have come as little surprise when the North London club returned from the World Cup break rather out of sorts. What should have been a routine victory against Brentford ended up being a 2-2 draw. Even more alarmingly for Tottenham, they had to claw their way back from 2-0 behind. Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney gave Brentford the lead before Kane and Højbjerg made sure that Tottenham would leave the Gtech Community Stadium with a share of the points.

With this result, Tottenham's grip on fourth place becomes ever more tenuous. They have now played more matches than have both Manchester United and Liverpool, the two clubs right behind them. Adding to this, many United players had excellent World Cup runs, thus showing that they are in good form at the moment.

At the resumption of domestic league play, concerns over the lingering after-effects of a gruelling World Cup campaign were certainly present. Most of these concerns regarded players who had performed well during the tournament and whether their efforts for their countries would adversely affect their play upon their return to their respective clubs. However, most people failed to consider the other side of the coin: the fact that teams with players who struggled in Qatar would return to domestic actions in the lowest of spirits.

This was clearly evidenced in Tottenham's match against Brentford. For the majority of the match, Tottenham were outplayed in just about every facet. They could easily have been three goals behind had they not been spared by an offside call. Their second goal even came by way of a defensive error; Eric Dier's errant clearance went out of bounds for a corner kick from which Toney put Brentford 2-0 ahead. Though Tottenham did end up pulling themselves together towards the end, it was obvious that they were mentally burdened by their collective World Cup struggles - and this was reflected in their play.

Considering how tight the race for a top-four Premier League spot and a corresponding spot in next season's Champions League is right now, Tottenham cannot afford to enter a World Cup-driven slump. However, from the evidence on display in this match, that scenario is looking like a distinct possibility.

There was, however, one important bright spot for Tottenham. Harry Kane scored on his return to Premier League play and thus overcame much heckling related to his World Cup penalty miss. Somewhat surprisingly, he seemed to be one of the few Tottenham players who was largely unfazed by how his World Cup went. It should go without saying that Tottenham will need this from him in just about every single match if they are to make the top four.

With the mid-season transfer window approaching, Tottenham will almost certainly have to make some moves if they are to clinch back-to-back Champions League qualifications for the first time in four years. Among the notable players who have been linked to a move to Tottenham include Adrien Rabiot, Alexis Mac Allister, Harry Maguire, and Sofyan Amrabat. Notably, all four had very successful World Cup campaigns; once the post-tournament fatigue if any wears off, signing one or more might be what Tottenham need to "cure" their World Cup hangover.

Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign is at a crossroads. In one month's time, it might have completely fallen apart if things do not change soon. Of course, the next few weeks will be critical to their season. In any case, time is certainly running out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 8: The Dust Finally Settles

For this concluding issue, the usual format will be a little different. The match analyses will come first and discussions of my predictions will come later.

Now, without further ado:

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

The third-place playoff was full of action right from the opening kick-off. Within the first 10 minutes, Joško Gvardiol had opened the scoring for Croatia and Achraf Dari equalized almost immediately after. As the first half drew to a close, Mislav Oršić scored a spectacular goal which ensured that Croatia would finish in the top three for a second consecutive World Cup and the third time overall.

Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties)

Where do we even begin?

For the third time in this same tournament, Argentina either blew or almost blew a 2-0 lead late in regulation time. A Lionel Messi penalty and another goal scored by Ángel Di María before halftime seemed to all but seal it for the Albiceleste. Then, starting from the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappé entered a 40-minute stretch of near-superhuman play. Mbappé pulled one back from the penalty spot, then immediately after scored a spectacular volley to send it to extra time.

In the additional 30 minutes, Messi once again appeared to have clinched it for Argentina with his seventh goal of the tournament but for another penalty in favour of Les Bleus in the 118th minute. Having earned the penalty, Mbappé converted it to send it to a shootout. In the shootout, misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni set up an opportunity for Gonzalo Montiel to win the title for Argentina. The Sevilla full-back duly dispatched it to bring the World Cup title to Argentina for the first time since 1986.

Let's now take one last look at my bracket.

The most important point, of course, is the fact that I was dead on the money with my title pick. Interestingly enough, my primary reason for picking Argentina did not match the actual cause of their success. I had expected Lautaro Martínez to seize the reins of this Albiceleste team from Messi and thoroughly dominate as Argentina won the title over England, one of their fiercest rivals. Though Lautaro had an extremely disappointing tournament, everything worked out in the end.

Looking at the rest of my bracket, the usual pitfalls which befell many a bracket-maker hamstrung mine as well. I had neither Croatia nor Morocco even advancing from their respective groups. I also picked Belgium to reach the semifinals; that being said, very few people would've picked them to slump to a group-stage exit prior to the tournament.

As for my individual award predictions, my Golden Ball (Kevin De Bruyne/Lautaro/Kieran Trippier) and Golden Boot (Romelu Lukaku/Aleksandar Mitrović/Lautaro) predictions were way off. However, I nailed my Golden Glove prediction of Emiliano Martínez, while I do consider myself somewhat unlucky with my Best Young Player pick of Bukayo Saka. Had England beaten France in the quarterfinals (not an unrealistic outcome by any means), Saka would've stood an excellent chance to bag the honour.

Now, what are the main takeaways from this World Cup?

The importance of high-level goalkeeping

More so in this World Cup than any other before it, many matches came down to the performances of the men between the posts. Croatia's Dominik Livaković, Morocco's Yassine "Bono" Bounou, and especially Argentina's Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martínez truly stood out during this tournament, taking their teams to victories which would otherwise have seemed unlikely.

Playing the long game with substitutions

Twice during this tournament (Brazil vs Croatia, Argentina vs France), a match which went to a penalty shootout was arguably decided before it; in both instances, many of the losing team's best penalty takers had already been substituted prior to the shootout. This has proven to be a grievous error. In a knockout tournament, assuming that a match will not go to a penalty shootout is extremely dangerous. Brazil and France found this out the hard way.

Mid-season World Cups - here to stay?

The 2022 World Cup saw a markedly higher level of play than those of many prior editions. This is likely due to the fact that the players were in mid-season form with no rust to shake off. This allowed them to get right into the swing of the tournament without any major adjustment period. FIFA might just take this into account when scheduling dates for future World Cups.

A successful World Cup defense will probably never happen again

Despite having to overcome many difficulties before and during the tournament, France pushed through and made it to the final - only to fall short at the final hurdle. Having not been accomplished since 1962, successfully defending the World Cup remains the most difficult achievement in sports. With the tournament's upcoming expansion to 48 teams, back-to-back World Cup victories by any team are unlikely to ever occur again.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 7: Ultimate Glory Awaits

First things first - let's look at where my bracket stood prior to the semifinals.

                                   

Team and position right: 1/4

Team right, position wrong: 0/4

Wrong: 3/4

Of my four semifinalist picks, I only managed to get Argentina right after England lost a quarterfinal Channel derby against France. Rather disappointingly, I did not even have either Croatia or Morocco advancing out of their group. Nevertheless, my bracket remains alive as I had chosen Argentina as my title pick.

The World Cup is now heading down the home straight. These are how the four semifinalists fared:

Argentina 3-0 Croatia

Despite having just 39% of the possession, Argentina put together what was obviously their best performance of the tournament to date. Julián Álvarez's two goals led Argentina into their second World Cup final in the last three editions. In addition, Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María now have the opportunity to avenge Argentina's 2014 final loss as both were on the squad eight years ago.

France 2-0 Morocco

Despite the two-goal margin of victory, this was a very competitive match which on another day could've swung in Morocco's favour. However, France's superior level of overall skill ultimately made the difference. Goals scored by Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani put Les Bleus into a second consecutive World Cup final.

Now, before I present my third-place playoff and final predictions, I'd like to take a moment to highlight five players who currently do not play for major clubs but have likely earned a transfer to such a club by way of their impressive World Cup performances.

Ritsu Dōan (Japan/SC Freiburg)

Despite only having been selected as a substitute in two of Japan's four matches, Dōan was clearly Japan's standout performer in the tournament. The Freiburg winger added to what has already been a breakout season with crucial goals against Germany and Spain. Should Freiburg qualify for the Champions League, expect some of European football's leading lights to make bids for Dōan soon.

Yassine "Bono" Bounou (Morocco/Sevilla)

Bono's outstanding play in goal has served as the foundation of Morocco's unexpectedly deep World Cup run. With Sevilla languishing near the foot of La Liga, the opportunity for Bono to land a major move may soon arrive. Should the Andalusian club be relegated, a flurry of high-profile transfer offers will almost certainly come.

Dominik Livaković (Croatia/Dinamo Zagreb)

After two penalty shootout victories, Livaković's profile has now reached new heights. He has proven to not only be obviously too good for his current club, but for his league as well. Thus, it should not come as any surprise that several top clubs have already become interested in signing the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper.

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina/Brighton & Hove Albion)

Having recently returned to Argentina's national team after being overlooked for more than two years, Mac Allister has more than made up for lost time. The Brighton midfielder has almost certainly established himself as an Albiceleste mainstay for the foreseeable future. He is almost certainly also ready for a step up to a big-name club.

Harry Souttar (Australia/Stoke City)

The fact that Souttar, perhaps Australia's best player during this World Cup, does not even play for a top-flight club is a travesty. Any player able to play at the level he was at during the tournament should not be wasting away at a club which could possibly slip into the third tier. For the sake of his career, it is imperative that Souttar leave Stoke for a bigger club at the first opportunity.

Well, this is it - my final two predictions: those for the third-place playoff and final.

Croatia vs Morocco

Although most people normally think of third-place playoff matches as low-stakes encounters, there are two separate storylines underpinning this one. Croatia will be seeking to give legendary midfielder Luka Modrić the victorious send-off he deserves. Morocco, meanwhile, will attempt to cap off their historic tournament run with a victory. This could go either way, but I will have to lean towards Morocco simply because of the lower level of pressure on them. At this point, the Atlas Lions are playing with house money - and from a mental standpoint, that could make all the difference.

Argentina vs France

A place in history beckons for both teams. Should Argentina win, the victory would almost certainly seal Lionel Messi's place as the greatest footballer of all time. France, meanwhile, would become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. On paper, there isn't much that separates these two titans of world football. However, I will stick with my pre-tournament prediction and go with Argentina for one key reason: the vast majority of football luminaries, analysts, and even neutral supporters will be fully behind Argentina just so that they can "win it for Messi". I believe that this will be the "X-factor" that tips it in the Albiceleste's favour.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 6: Just Two Wins Remaining

Prior to the playing of the quarterfinals, here's how my bracket was doing:

                                   

Team and position right: 4/8

Team right, position wrong: 0/8

Wrong: 4/8

The Netherlands and Argentina made it to a rematch of the 1978 final, just as I'd predicted in my bracket. England and Brazil also did make it to the final eight with relative ease. However, the rest of my pre-tournament picks did not fare as well; Denmark, Belgium, and Serbia did not even make it out of their respective groups.

These were the outcomes of the quarterfinal matches:

Croatia 1-1 Brazil (Croatia win 4-2 on penalties)

Despite managing just one shot on target, Croatia made it count; this shot was Bruno Petković's equalizing goal in the 117th minute. The Vatreni then came out on top in yet another penalty shootout. The contrast in the two teams' mentality could not have been more obvious: Croatia exuded grit, heart, and composure under pressure while Brazil displayed the exact opposite.

Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Argentina win 4-3 on penalties)

Despite blowing a two-goal lead after 82 minutes, Argentina barely hung on after Lautaro Martínez scored the decisive penalty to put the Albiceleste in the semifinals. The word "feisty" does not do this match justice; 17 bookings and a red card were handed out. Argentina now have a chance to avenge their group-stage loss to Croatia from four years ago.

Morocco 1-0 Portugal

Morocco continued their remarkable underdog run with perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament to date. Youssef En-Nesyri's header made Morocco the first African team in World Cup history to qualify for the semifinals. Portugal could have equalized deep into stoppage time, but Pepe's header was just off the mark.

England 1-2 France

The latest instalment of this storied rivalry saw Les Bleus come out on top thanks to Olivier Giroud's header. Harry Kane could have equalized for England in the 83rd minute, but his penalty attempt ended up not even being close. A victory against Morocco in the semifinals would make France just the seventh team in World Cup history to make back-to-back World Cup finals.

Before I discuss my semifinal predictions, I'd like to take a moment to highlight some points of note from this World Cup which many people might have overlooked.

Most Underrated Team: Australia

The Socceroos finished second in a difficult Group C containing France, Denmark, and Tunisia. In addition, they only finished behind France on goal difference. Australia then followed this up by running Argentina close in the round of 16 and almost causing a monumental upset. Yet, in spite of all of this, Australia do not seem to have received their due credit from the media as well as the majority of fans.

Biggest Metagame Shift: Three at the back

In this World Cup, more teams than ever before have chosen to run three at the back. This represents the natural progression of the metagame of the past five to 10 years. During recent years, full-backs have been playing farther forward than ever before, resembling classic wingers. Actual wingers, meanwhile, have begun to play more centrally, while defensive midfielders dropped farther back. This caused the then-dominant 4-2-3-1 formation to functionally resemble a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 - two formations which now have seen this much use for the first time.

Worst Missed Opportunity: Belgium

Multiple teams including Germany, Uruguay, and Spain were knocked out earlier than expected. However, the team who will rue a missed opportunity more than any other has to be Belgium. Belgium were knocked out in the group stage after finishing behind Morocco and Croatia. Both of those teams have since gone on to make the semifinals. Considering this fact as well as Belgium having been favourites to advance at the beginning of the tournament, it isn't a stretch to say that had they made it out of Group F, Belgium could very well have gone on to win it all.

And now for my semifinal predictions:

Argentina vs Croatia

Having made it through two penalty shootouts, Croatia will certainly have a puncher's chance when they face Argentina. For their part, the Albiceleste haven't exactly been firing on all cylinders. In both their round of 16 match against Australia and their quarterfinal match against the Netherlands, Argentina "switched off" after taking a 2-0 lead and could easily have lost either. That being said, Argentina should just about take it thanks to their abundance of match-winning talent.

France vs Morocco

France have well and truly banished the "reigning champions' curse" with an extremely impressive run to the semifinals. For Morocco, as remarkable a story as they have been, this is almost certainly where their Cinderella run comes to an end. Not only are the Atlas Lions overmatched in every way; injuries have also started to take a toll on the team. France should not face much difficulty in claiming the victory and entering a second consecutive World Cup final.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 5: And Then There Were Eight

Before anything else, let's take a look at the state of my bracket heading into the round of 16.

Team and position right: 6/16
Team right, position wrong: 2/16
Wrong: 8/16

A slew of early upsets did some serious damage to my bracket. Nevertheless, half my picks advanced to the round of 16 with England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, and South Korea qualifying in the positions I had predicted.

As for the round of 16 itself, here's how the teams got on.

Netherlands 3-1 United States

The Netherlands were not really tested until late on in a fairly one-sided win. Memphis Depay and Daley Blind gave the Oranje a 2-0 half-time lead. Haji Wright pulled one back for the US, but Denzel Dumfries scored five minutes later to put the Netherlands into the quarterfinals as they continue to make an under-the-radar run through the tournament.

Argentina 2-1 Australia

This was a much tougher match than what Argentina might have expected. After going 2-0 ahead, Argentina took their foot off the gas, allowing Australia to pull one back through an Enzo Fernández own goal. Australia continued to press forward late on, but Argentina held on to the victory thanks to a crucial block from Lisandro Martínez and Emiliano Martínez's stoppage-time save.

France 3-1 Poland

France dominated this match right from the opening kick-off. Olivier Giroud became France's all-time leading goalscorer with his first-half goal before two Kylian Mbappé goals after the break made the victory secure. With this convincing win, France might just have positioned themselves as the tournament's leading title contender.

England 3-0 Senegal

England set up a hype-filled Channel derby in the quarterfinals after taking Senegal apart. Senegal never really stood a chance; the final scoreline of 3-0 could easily have been even more one-sided in England's favour. Harry Kane got off the mark for the tournament; his goal leaves him one behind Wayne Rooney as he closes in on becoming England's top goalscorer ever.

Japan 1-1 Croatia (Croatia win 3-1 on penalties)

Croatia maintained their flawless World Cup penalty shootout record by beating Japan to advance to the quarterfinals. Dominik Livaković saved three penalties to equal the tournament record and deny Japan a first-ever quarterfinal berth. It doesn't get any easier for Croatia - they will be clear underdogs when they face Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Brazil 4-1 South Korea

In a lop-sided victory, Brazil outclassed South Korea in every way imaginable with all four goals coming in the first half. Four different Seleção players made it onto the scoresheet as Brazil showcased just why they are serious title contenders. Brazil also made history when Weverton came in off the bench, making Brazil 2022 the first team in the 26-per-squad era to use their entire roster.

Morocco 0-0 Spain (Morocco win 3-0 on penalties)

The Atlas Lions caused the first major upset of the knockout stage, sending Spain to a second consecutive last-16 exit. Achraf Hakimi sealed the victory with a Panenka. Spain's woeful World Cup penalty shootout record reached a new low - they lost a record-breaking fourth shootout, breaking a tie with Italy and England.

Portugal 6-1 Switzerland

Gonçalo Ramos scored a hattrick as Fernando Santos' decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo paid major dividends. This was unquestionably the best single-match team performance of the tournament thus far. It appears that Portugal might have inadvertently come across the "secret formula" that makes it work and propels them into title contention.

Now, let's take a look ahead and consider what the quarterfinals might have in store.

Croatia vs Brazil

For the second consecutive tournament, Croatia have made an unexpectedly deep run. However, in the Vatreni's run to the 2018 final, their only true upset victory came against England in the semifinals. Brazil 2022, however, are clearly a tier above England 2018 as was displayed in their round of 16 match vs South Korea. This is where Croatia's tournament comes to an end.

Netherlands vs Argentina

The Netherlands have been understated, yet quietly impressive throughout this tournament. That being said, Argentina will be the first elite team which they face. In this rematch of the 1978 final, Argentina's higher level of star power as well as their desire to "win it for Lionel Messi" should be enough to see them past the Oranje who seem to lack that extra edge to put them over the top.

Morocco vs Portugal

Having become just the fourth African team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, Morocco are playing with house money at this point. I can even see Morocco giving a somewhat overrated Portugal side all that they can handle. That being said, Portugal should easily beat Morocco and make it to the semifinals.

England vs France

Though France might enter this Channel derby as slight favourites, it must be kept in mind that arguably the most difficult accomplishment in sports is retaining a World Cup title. With that fact in mind as well as the rivalry aspect of this match, England will never have a better opportunity to get one over their arch-rivals on the biggest stage of all - something I see them doing.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 4: The Final Cuts

The World Cup's group stage is now in the books. Many of the favourites made it to the last 16; there were also several shocking eliminations. Here is how the final group stage matches played out.

Ecuador 1-2 Senegal

Senegal completed an impressive turnaround after losing their first group-stage match, qualifying for the last 16 by beating Ecuador. Senegal made it out of the group stage for the first time in 20 years. Kalidou Koulibaly scored the goal which put the Lions of Teranga into the next round.

Qatar 0-2 Netherlands

Host country Qatar's dismal campaign came to a merciful end at the hands of the Oranje. Cody Gakpo scored for the third consecutive match before Frenkie de Jong finished Qatar off. The Netherlands will now be highly favoured when they face the United States at the Khalifa International Stadium in the last 16.

Wales 0-3 England

Wales were utterly disappointing as they collapsed to a one-sided loss against their rivals. After dominating the first half, England were rather unfortunate to enter the break without a goal. However, two Marcus Rashford strikes before and after a Phil Foden goal, all within an 18-minute span, secured the victory which put England atop Group B.

Iran 0-1 United States

The US emerged victorious in this winner-take-all showdown thanks to a first-half Christian Pulisic goal. Despite the narrow margin of victory, a US triumph never appeared in doubt right from the first kick-off. However, the US may now be without Pulisic for their last-16 match against the Netherlands after the Chelsea midfielder injured himself in the process of scoring the winning goal.

Tunisia 1-0 France

Having all but clinched first place in Group D, Didier Deschamps fielded mostly backup players against Tunisia. Tunisia took full advantage and won 1-0, though the victory ended up being for nothing as they nevertheless failed to qualify for the last 16. Substitute and usual starter Antoine Griezmann's late goal was waived off by way of a VAR call.

Australia 1-0 Denmark

Mathew Leckie's goal put Australia in the round of 16 for the first time since 2006. Despite having just 31% of the possession, Australia made it count against a thoroughly underperforming Denmark team. Australia now face a Herculean task when they play against Argentina in the round of 16.

Poland 0-2 Argentina

Argentina completed their turnaround from their opening-match loss to Saudi Arabia by beating Poland to top Group C. However, the key moment of the match was not either of Argentina's two goals, but Wojciech Szczęsny's penalty save against Lionel Messi. That save put Poland into the next round on goal difference.

Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico

Despite their victory, Mexico failed to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1978. They needed a larger margin of victory to surpass Poland's goal difference. As for Saudi Arabia, a campaign which started with so much promise following their opening victory over Argentina ultimately came to nothing.

Croatia 0-0 Belgium

The first "shocking elimination" of this World Cup saw Belgium crash out after a goalless draw against Croatia. In this match, the primary culprit for their failure was Romelu Lukaku who missed a bevy of goalscoring chances. Croatia hung on against waves of attacks to seal a spot in the round of 16, qualifying in second place.

Canada 1-2 Morocco

In a result that almost no one would've expected before the tournament, Morocco beat Canada to finish in first place in Group F. First-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri gave the Atlas Lions all three points against the already-eliminated Canada. Morocco are now in the World Cup's round of 16 for the first time in 36 years.

Japan 2-1 Spain

With their second upset victory of the tournament, Japan clinched first place in Group E. Spain took an early lead through Álvaro Morata's goal, but two early second-half goals from Ritsu Dōan and Ao Tanaka reversed the final outcome. Despite the loss, Spain's vastly superior goal difference put them in the round of 16.

Costa Rica 2-4 Germany

Despite a late flurry of goals to give them the win, Germany were eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup. Their loss to Japan proved to be a fatal blow to their chances of advancing to the last 16. Germany thus join Mexico as teams which have been eliminated from this World Cup on goal difference.

South Korea 2-1 Portugal

South Korea's victory against a Portugal team which mostly fielded reserves saw them barely squeeze into the round of 16. Hwang Hee-chan's stoppage-time winning goal put South Korea into the knockout stage at Uruguay's expense. Despite the loss, Portugal remained in first place in Group H.

Ghana 0-2 Uruguay

A rematch of the iconic 2010 quarterfinal saw Uruguay once again come out on top. Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored both of La Celeste's goals in the first half. However, Uruguay's victory wasn't enough to send them through to the knockout stage; they ended up being just one goal short of qualifying for the next round.

Serbia 2-3 Switzerland

Serbia's highly disappointing tournament ended with a loss to Switzerland. Remo Freuler's winning goal confirmed Switzerland's spot in the round of 16. For this Serbia squad, a final tournament result of one draw and two losses has to be regarded as a severe underperformance.

Cameroon 1-0 Brazil

Despite dominating the match with their second-stringers, Brazil were beaten by a stoppage-time Vincent Aboubakar goal. Brazil came dangerously close to losing first place in the group; another conceded goal or another goal scored by Switzerland in the other Group G match would've made that happen. However, Brazil just barely hung on to top spot and will thus face South Korea next.

And now, my predictions for the round of 16:

Netherlands vs United States (Netherlands on penalties)

Argentina vs Australia
England vs Senegal
France vs Poland
Japan vs Croatia
Brazil vs South Korea
Morocco vs Spain
Portugal vs Switzerland

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 3: Making Their Move or Falling by the Wayside?

The second matchday of the 2022 World Cup provided a clearer picture of where each team stands. There were surprising results as well as standout individual performances throughout.

Wales 0-2 Iran

A match that seemed destined to end in a drab goalless draw sprang to life in the closing stages. Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey received a needless red card after a head-height tackle on Mehdi Taremi. Iran took full advantage and scored two goals late into stoppage time to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

Qatar 1-3 Senegal

The host country became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losing to the Lions of Teranga. It was another one-sided loss by a Qatar team clearly out of their depth. Senegal were never really challenged as goals scored by Boulaye Dia, Famara Diedhiou, and Bamba Dieng ensured that they still had a chance to make the World Cup knockout stage.

Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador

Louis van Gaal made several changes to his Netherlands team after their opening victory over Senegal. These changes ended up backfiring as the Oranje were completely unconvincing and showed little to no cohesion throughout. Ecuador took advantage and claimed a share of the points.

England 0-0 United States

Following their dominant victory over Iran, England were sent back down to earth by a resolute United States team. The Three Lions were a shadow of the team that took Iran apart; Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were especially disappointing. The US almost clinched the upset later, but Christian Pulisic's shot came back off the crossbar.

Tunisia 0-1 Australia

This match between Group D's two underdog teams was decided by a first-half Mitchell Duke goal. Australia's victory was their first at a World Cup in 12 years. As for Tunisia, it doesn't get any easier for them - their last group match with their World Cup fate on the line will be against France.

Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia

Poland claimed a crucial victory which was largely against the run of play. The match was highlighted by two crucial moments; the first of these was Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny's spectacular double-save to deny Salem Al-Dawsari's penalty and Mohammed Al-Breik's follow-up attempt. Robert Lewandowski later scored his first career World Cup goal.

France 2-1 Denmark

Kylian Mbappé further burnished his glowing reputation on international football's biggest stage by scoring the two goals that sent France into the round of 16. Despite the narrow margin of victory, France were in control for almost the entire match. It's safe to say that Les Bleus have defied the reigning champions' curse.

Argentina 2-0 Mexico

A clash in which goalscoring chances were few and far between was eventually settled by Lionel Messi's eighth career World Cup goal and a stunning strike from Enzo Fernández. Argentina continued to be Mexico's World Cup bane with a fourth straight World Cup victory against El Tri. Mexico must now beat Saudi Arabia to stand any chance of reaching the last 16.

Japan 0-1 Costa Rica

Despite only having one shot on target in the entire match, Costa Rica made it count. Thanks to Keysher Fuller's 81st-minute goal, Costa Rica put themselves back in the running for a last-16 spot. This was a result that not many would have seen coming, given the two teams' contrasting fortunes in their respective first group matches.

Belgium 0-2 Morocco

Belgium came out completely flat following pre-match comments from their own players which dismissed their chances of winning the tournament. Romain Saïss opened the scoring before Zakaria Aboukhlal finished Belgium off in stoppage time. Belgium now stand on the brink of a shocking group-stage exit - something they haven't experienced since 1998.

Croatia 4-1 Canada

After conceding the first goal with only a little more than a minute on the clock, Croatia never looked back. Andrej Kramarić scored two goals as Croatia completely outclassed their North American opponents. Canada's loss saw them eliminated from the tournament.

Spain 1-1 Germany

Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the tournament, Germany barely managed to finish with a draw. Niclas Fullkrug's late equalizer matched fellow substitute Álvaro Morata's 62nd-minute goal. Germany must now beat Costa Rica to advance to the last 16, while Spain require a draw against Japan to do likewise.

Cameroon 3-3 Serbia

Serbia squandered a 3-1 lead to drop two costly points. Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's goals ensured that the Indomitable Lions claimed a share of the points. Both teams will now have to win their respective final group matches in order to stand any chance of advancing to the last 16.

South Korea 2-3 Ghana

Ghana fended off South Korea's comeback from two goals behind to claim a crucial victory. Ajax striker Mohamed Kudus lived up to the hype around him by scoring two goals to lead Ghana to the win. He as well as his opposite number Cho Gue-sung became the first players in their countries' respective histories to score two goals in the same World Cup match.

Brazil 1-0 Switzerland

Brazil's second straight victory saw them advance from the group stage for a record-extending 14th consecutive World Cup. Casemiro's late goal was enough to give the Seleção all three points. Switzerland, on the other hand, struggled throughout - they were not able to muster even one shot on target.

Portugal 2-0 Uruguay

A Bruno Fernandes double sealed Portugal's spot in the round of 16. This was a much-improved performance by Portugal after struggling to beat Ghana during the first matchday. Uruguay, who have been dismal in both their matches thus far, will now have to beat Ghana to qualify for the next round.

Now for my predictions for the last World Cup group stage matchday:

Ecuador vs Senegal
Netherlands vs Qatar
Iran vs United States
Wales vs England
Tunisia vs France
Australia vs Denmark
Poland vs Argentina
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico
Croatia vs Belgium
Canada vs Morocco
Japan vs Spain
Costa Rica vs Germany
South Korea vs Portugal
Ghana vs Uruguay
Serbia vs Switzerland
Cameroon vs Brazil

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 2: Opening Shots Fired

The first matchday of the 2022 World Cup in the books. Let's take a look at how each of the teams fared.

Qatar 0-2 Ecuador

This was a match in which the margin of victory did not adequately reflect how one-sided it was. Ecuador essentially sleepwalked their way to a 2-0 victory over the hosts; Enner Valencia scored both goals. It could easily have been four or five had Ecuador actually bothered to play at full tilt; this was unnecessary because of how utterly abject Qatar were.

England 6-2 Iran

The Three Lions highlighted their status as bona fide title contenders after taking Iran apart. With a 3-0 lead at halftime and 79% of the possession, England's victory was never in doubt. Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were England's standout performers at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Senegal 0-2 Netherlands

Despite being without superstar striker Sadio Mané due to injury, Senegal were able to keep their favoured opponents goalless until the match's closing stages. Cody Gakpo broke the deadlock for the Netherlands in the 84th minute before Davy Klaassen put the match away in stoppage time.

United States 1-1 Wales

A cagey match saw the United States and Wales play out the tournament's first draw. In an encounter largely devoid of moments of true skill, Timothy Weah opened the scoring for the US not long before half-time; a late Gareth Bale penalty would eventually give Wales a share of the points.

Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia

In one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia stunned presumptive title contenders Argentina. After fending off a flurry of Argentine attacks in the first half, two second-half goals set up a victory which will forever have a place in World Cup lore.

Denmark 0-0 Tunisia

Although both teams spent a fairly large amount of time on the attack, the quality of chances created was rather low, leading to a goalless draw. One of the rare high-quality chances resulted in one of the most shocking misses ever seen in a World Cup. Denmark striker Andreas Cornelius' header from less than one yard from goal hit the post.

Mexico 0-0 Poland

This match was marked by struggles in the final third from both teams. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa further burnished his reputation as a World Cup specialist by saving a Robert Lewandowski penalty. Despite being one of the greatest strikers of all time, Lewandowski is still goalless in the World Cup over his career.

France 4-1 Australia

France defied their sketchy pre-tournament form as well as the "reigning champions' curse" with an impressive victory over Australia. Olivier Giroud's two goals saw him tie Thierry Henry as Les Bleus' all-time leading goalscorer. Despite missing numerous key players due to injury, France evidently remain one of the favourites to win it all.

Morocco 0-0 Croatia

There wasn't a great deal of action in this one. The match was full of sub-par play in the final third, most notably from Croatia's Nikola Vlašić and Morocco's Abde Ezzalzouli. Both teams will really have to step it up if they're to make the last 16.

Germany 1-2 Japan

Despite being in control of the match almost all the way through, Germany somehow managed to lose this one. Serge Gnabry was the main culprit, missing multiple clear chances. Substitutes Ritsu Dōan and Takuma Asano made Die Mannschaft pay for their profligacy in front of goal.

Spain 7-0 Costa Rica

La Furia Roja were utterly dominant from start to finish against their Central American opponents. Costa Rica were not even allowed a single shot as Spain ran riot. Dani Olmo, Jordi Alba, and Gavi were Spain's standout performers in a match which proved that Spain are indeed legitimate title threats.

Belgium 1-0 Canada

A rather strange match at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium saw Belgium thoroughly outplayed by their less fancied opponents, yet somehow emerging with a 1-0 victory. Michy Batshuayi scored the only goal of the match shortly before half-time. By doing so, Batshuayi also made Canada rue Alphonso Davies' missed penalty earlier in the first half.

Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon

This fairly even match was decided early in the second half when Breel Embolo scored against the country of his birth. Despite a slow start, Switzerland gradually came into their own as the match wore on, culminating in Embolo's goal. Cameroon struggled with making the crucial pass which would set up an easy chance; this was particularly noticeable during the later stages of the match.

Uruguay 0-0 South Korea

Apart from two of Uruguay's shots striking the post, this was an extremely uneventful match. Uruguay clearly have some way to go if they are to be taken seriously as title contenders. On the other hand, South Korea's draw capped off an impressive first matchday for the Asian teams.

Portugal 3-2 Ghana

This match was highlighted by a controversial penalty call on (who else?) Cristiano Ronaldo. Upon replay, Mohammed Salisu appeared to have touched the ball before bringing Ronaldo to the turf. The incident seemed to spark the match to life as including the penalty goal, four further goals would be scored over the next 24 minutes.

Brazil 2-0 Serbia

The consensus pre-tournament favourites began the tournament on the right track with an easy victory over Serbia. A dominant second-half performance saw Richarlison score both goals for the Seleção, one of which was a spectacular scissor-kick. Their Balkan opponents, on the other hand, had absolutely no answer for the onslaught they faced over the last 45 minutes.

And now, here are my predictions for Matchday 2 of the World Cup group stage. Bold denotes a win; italics denote a draw.

Wales vs Iran

Qatar vs Senegal
Netherlands vs Ecuador
England vs United States
Tunisia vs Australia
Poland vs Saudi Arabia
France vs Denmark
Argentina vs Mexico
Japan vs Costa Rica
Belgium vs Morocco
Croatia vs Canada
Spain vs Germany
Cameroon vs Serbia
South Korea vs Ghana
Brazil vs Switzerland
Portugal vs Uruguay

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 1: The Combatants Enter the Fray

The World Cup now heads to Qatar, where this year's tournament could see the some of the highest quality of play to ever take place at the showpiece event of international football. FIFA's decision to hold the tournament in Qatar made it necessary for the tournament to take place in the middle of the European club season. As a result, the world's best players will be entering the tournament fully in the swing of things and without a hint of rust.

Let's now take a look ahead and go through my pre-tournament predictions.

Surprise Packages

Serbia

This is a team which is being tremendously overlooked; however, Serbia are far more talented than most people realize. Featuring multiple criminally underrated players, Serbia will make a massive splash and put themselves on everyone's radar with a deep run - with ace striker Aleksandar Mitrović perhaps even earning a well-deserved transfer to a top European club as a result. Quarterfinals.

Denmark

It's easy to write Denmark off as nothing more than "another feel-good story" after the way they rallied around midfielder Christian Eriksen following his cardiac arrest at the 2020 European Championships. Denmark are much more than that, though. Having been handed a favourable draw, Denmark are good enough to capitalize on it and make it further than most might initially expect. Quarterfinals.

Underachievers

Uruguay

In spite of their immense talent on paper, this is a Uruguay team with no synergy or cohesion whatsoever - evidenced by the fact that they won just eight of 18 World Cup qualifying matches and barely scraped into Qatar. Throw them into a tough group and you will see why I consider them to be the likely first major casualties of the tournament. Group stage.

Germany

Ever since their World Cup triumph in 2014, Germany have struggled on the international stage. They were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup in the group stage and 2020 European Championships in the round of 16. Even a coaching change which saw Hansi Flick take over in the dugout seems to have done little to improve Die Mannschaft. Round of 16.

Portugal

As of right now, the biggest story surrounding this Portugal team is the controversy around Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning tell-all interview about Manchester United. That, however, is not what will sink Portugal. Like Uruguay, this is a team filled with awkward fits from top to bottom - most notably that of United duo Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Couple this lack of synergy with a difficult draw and you have a recipe for an early exit. Round of 16.

France

The "World Cup hangover" is a real thing - but not for any reason you might expect. Today's tactical metagame changes so rapidly that within month's of a team's World Cup triumph, the rest of the world will have begun working on strategies to counter it. Like all reigning champions, France are not immune to this either as proven by their struggles over the past two years. They are also nowhere near as deep as the squad which won it all in Russia four years ago. Round of 16.

Contenders

Brazil

Entering as the pre-tournament favourites, many expect Brazil to leave Qatar with the World Cup for a record-extending sixth time. However, as loaded as they may be, they are somewhat fraudulent. Despite being stacked from top to bottom, this is a team still singularly built around Neymar. The problem is that I do not believe that Brazil can win a World Cup with a team built around Neymar. Quarterfinals.

Netherlands

The Netherlands have bounced back well following their shocking failure to qualify for the previous World Cup and early exit at the following European Championships. They've also been placed in a relatively easy group. However, despite their overall depth, they will be undone by their lack of a true goalscoring threat in international play apart from Memphis Depay. Quarterfinals.

Spain

Spain enter the World Cup without quite the level of hype that they had in previous editions - understandable, given the large number of younger players in a squad almost totally rebuilt from their 2018 team. This is a solid unit that deserves more recognition and will make a deep run. That being said, their lack of a true superstar who can single-handedly carry the team when the chips are down is likely to be their downfall. Fourth.

Belgium

Belgium seem to have all the elements needed to win a World Cup. Quality and depth at every position, a wealth of experience, and an all-time great at the peak of his powers in Kevin De Bruyne. Unfortunately, recent history has shown us that Belgium inevitably falter when the stakes are at their highest and the lights at their brightest. For that reason, they will fall just short once again. Third.

England

The Three Lions bring perhaps their most talented squad ever to Qatar. Building on runs to the World Cup semifinal and European Championship final, this team is absolutely loaded. Despite their pedestrian performance in the Nations League, it should bear mention that not every team was taking it all that seriously. Aided by a generous draw, England could very well make the final for the first time since winning it all back in 1966. Runner-up.

Argentina

I foresee the World Cup trophy heading to Argentina for the first time since 1986. They have tangible and intangible factors in spades: a truly world-class 26-man squad, immense skill and depth at every position, well-crafted strategies and tactics, and the desire to "win one for Lionel Messi" as well as to honour the late, great Diego Maradona who passed away in November 2020. It's almost impossible to build any sort of case against them. Champion.

Here's my complete bracket:

Individual Awards

Golden Ball: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
Silver Ball: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
Bronze Ball: Kieran Trippier (England)

Golden Boot: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Silver Boot: Aleksandar Mitrović (Serbia)
Bronze Boot: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)

Golden Glove: Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)

Best Young Player: Bukayo Saka (England)

The Weekly Take, Issue 236: The Underdog Story Everyone Has Overlooked

The undivided attention of the football world is about to turn to Qatar, where the quadrennial football extravaganza known as the World Cup is about to take place. But before that, one more matchday had to be played across Europe's leading leagues. In the Bundesliga's final matchday before the World Cup break, one notable fixture saw this season's two surprise packages squaring off: SC Freiburg and Union Berlin.

The match turned out to be more one-sided than most had expected. Spearheaded by a Vincenzo Grifo hat-trick, Freiburg steamrolled the 10-man Union 4-1. The victory put the Black Forest club in second place in the league, only behind perennial champions Bayern Munich. Although only a little less than half of the season has been played, Freiburg are currently on pace for a historic campaign. The best league finish in the club's history came in the 1994-95 season when they finished third.

Freiburg's success this season has come on the strength of an outstanding transfer window. Their acquisitions of Ritsu Dōan, Michael Gregoritsch, and Matthias Ginter have proven to be inspired moves. Gregoritsch and Ginter were signed on free transfers from Augsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach respectively, while Dōan's signing from PSV Eindhoven cost Freiburg just €8.5 million. These figures become even more impressive when considering the fact that Freiburg sold Nico Schlotterbeck to Borussia Dortmund for €20 million.

Speaking of Schlotterbeck, his departure did not leave the gaping hole in Freiburg's defense that some thought it would. Indeed, Freiburg's defense deserves a great deal of credit for their climb up the Bundesliga table this season as well as their success in the Europa League. Among all Bundesliga clubs this season, only Bayern have conceded fewer goals than have Freiburg. Their success in defensive positions in aerial duels as well as their outstanding defensive play against opposing set pieces have been their key advantages all season long. Freiburg's back four of Kiliann Sildillia, Ginter, Philipp Lienhart, and Christian Günter has become one of the most underrated backlines in world football. Ginter and Günter have been rewarded accordingly - both have been selected for Germany's 2022 World Cup squad; they are two of five Freiburg players who will be present in Qatar.

Freiburg aren't just adept at defending against set pieces; they are more than comfortable when taking them as well. A significant portion of their 25 league goals thus far have come by way of the dead ball. Grifo in particular has enjoyed much success from set pieces this season. Two of his three goals against Union were scored from the penalty spot. Grifo embodies Freiburg's emphasis on set pieces; over the past two seasons in particular, the Italian winger has either scored or created scoring opportunities from an impressively large number of set pieces - especially for a player who is not a natural goalscorer.

Not many expected Freiburg to build on their highly successful 2021-22 season in quite this way. Last season, their sixth-place league finish and run to the DFB-Pokal final meant that they had their best season since 2012-13 when they were fifth in the league and reached the domestic cup's semifinals. This season, however, based on what they have already done, their ceiling lies well above even that. A historic first-ever qualification for the Champions League and perhaps even an unprecedented second-place league finish might lie ahead for Freiburg. They might even have an outside chance at capturing the first title in the club's history by winning the DFB-Pokal. Though a tall order that may be, it's not out of the question at all.

Until their recent slump, all the talk about the underdog success story of the Bundesliga this season had been about Union. No one had really been talking about Freiburg. However, at this point it would clearly be foolish to overlook Freiburg. This team has defied their modest finances and unglamorous location to really bring the fight to the Bundesliga's leading lights. Clearly, something special is happening at Europa-Park Stadion.

Of course, there's still a lot of football yet to be played this season. We have seen late-season collapses happen before. Having said that, there's absolutely nothing about Freiburg's play thus far which suggests that their success is unsustainable.

The Weekly Take, Issue 235: Finally Elite Again

It has been just about an eternity since the last time Arsenal were a genuinely elite team. The last time Arsenal were at this level was during the 2009-10 season. Featuring a well-rounded roster built around Cesc Fàbregas, the Gunners finished third in the Premier League while also making the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

The more than one decade since then has yielded little success for the London club. Apart from a distant second-place finish in the league in 2015-16 as well as four FA Cup victories, Arsenal have clearly lagged behind England's leading clubs. Their absolute nadir came in 2020-21 when they finished eighth in the league and failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 26 years.

However, Arsenal have completely flipped the script this season. They notched yet another impressive victory in a campaign full of them; a 1-0 win over Chelsea in a London derby. Gabriel Magalhães scored the only goal of the match; the result ensured that Arsenal would retain their two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

If Arsenal were to, as expected, beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next league match, they will enter the World Cup break in first place in the league. Not even the most ardent Arsenal fans could have fathomed such a scenario at the beginning of the season.

During the most recent off-season, Arsenal saw Alexandre Lacazette, Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, and Héctor Bellerín leave the Emirates Stadium. In most of these cases, it was "addition by subtraction" as it had become clear that none of those four players really fit the plan that head coach Mikel Arteta had installed. As far as arrivals were concerned, Arsenal only made one major signing - but it has proven to have been an excellent pick. Manchester City's signing of Erling Haaland caused Gabriel Jesus to become surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal seized their opportunity and signed the Brazilian centre-forward for £45 million; it soon became apparent that they'd stolen a march on other top clubs by signing him when no other club had even been making inquiries.

Several Arsenal players have also shown significant year-to-year improvement when comparing their performances of this season to those of last. Notably, Martin Ødegaard, Magalhães, and Gabriel Martinelli are all in the midst of breakout seasons. Arsenal's decision to bring William Saliba back to the club following loan stints during each of the last three seasons has also been a masterstroke; those three years on loan have obviously turned him into a solid player who is clearly good enough to start for just about any top-tier club.

From a tactical standpoint, Arsenal have shown much progression. A great deal of credit here has to go to Arteta; in just one year, the Spaniard has gone from being likely to face the axe to one of the best coaches in the league. Arteta's new emphases on progressive passing and increased pressing intensity on defense have clearly done a great deal to benefit this team. Both of these elements were largely missing from their repertoire last season, however, this is clearly not the case anymore.

What makes things even more exciting for Arsenal is the relatively young age of their squad. The vast majority of Arsenal's key players are aged 25 or younger. If they are able to keep most of this core group together for the next two to three years, they might not only contend for Premier League titles; if everything goes just right, they may even end up having an outside shot at a Champions League title as well.

As if that weren't enough, this is an incredibly balanced squad. Despite being top of the league, no Arsenal players has been named man of the match more than twice this season. After just 13 matches, a total of nine Arsenal players have already claimed the accolade at least once. This statistic clearly testifies to the fact that Arsenal embody "next man up" mentality - it really could be anyone who steps forward and delivers a top performance.

There really is a lot to like about this Arsenal team. Could they really win the Premier League for the first time in 19 years? It's starting to look like a distinct possibility.

The Weekly Take, Issue 234: The End Is Surely Approaching

The standout fixture of the penultimate matchday of this season's Champions League group stage saw Barcelona's tournament fate hang in the balance when they hosted Bayern Munich. Barça were ultimately unable to exact revenge for their 2-0 loss to the Bavarian club on the first matchday; they were defeated by a 3-0 scoreline this time around. Sadio Mané, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Benjamin Pavard scored the goals which knocked the Catalan side out of the tournament and into the Europa League for the second consecutive season.

For Barça, their failure to qualify for the Champions League's round of 16 once again constitutes a failure of truly gargantuan proportions. This past off-season, the Blaugrana spent an enormous amount of money in their effort to revamp their squad. Players including Raphinha, Franck Kessié, Jules Koundé, and most notably of all, Bayern legend Robert Lewandowski arrived at Camp Nou in hopes that their play would propel Barça towards a sixth Champions League title in the club's storied history.

Instead, the exact opposite outcome took place. With just four points from five matches played, Barça were not even close to Group C runners-up Inter Milan, let alone the imperious juggernaut that is Bayern. Even if Barça were to finish the season with a La Liga and Copa del Rey double, it is more than likely that the club would regard the season as a failure because, like all of the other leading clubs in Europe, it's the Champions League which they desire most of all.

Barça's early Champions League exit will almost certainly lead to a premature end to Xavi's stint as the club's head coach. Following a legendary playing career which saw him spend 17 years at Barça, Xavi took over in the dugout in November 2021, replacing Ronald Koeman. At first, things went well - Xavi steered them to a second-place league finish; they were in ninth place on his first day in the position. However, it must be kept in mind that Barça, as stated in their club slogan, regard themselves as "more than a club". Even such a result would not necessarily been deemed to have been good enough.

Perhaps Xavi was never really ready for such a prestigious coaching job. Prior to his acceptance of the Barça job, Xavi's only prior coaching experience had been a stint of two-and-a-half years at Qatari club Al-Sadd. Obviously, the standard of play to which he would have been exposed was not even close to that which he would go on to face at Barça. Though he did find some degree of success early on, in hindsight the word "success" was relative. Despite registering a memorable 4-0 El Clásico victory over Real Madrid, Xavi's first season in charge did end up without a title. Additionally, they were knocked out of the Europa League in the quarterfinals and the Copa del Rey in the round of 16 - both results well below expectations.

One particularly damning statistic is this: of everyone to have coached Barça since Pep Guardiola's departure in 2012, Xavi has the lowest average points accrued per game with just 1.9. Even Koeman, the man he replaced, sported an average of 1.96 prior to his dismissal. In retrospect, the success of mid-season acquisitions of Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last season ended up buying Xavi some additional time which he might not have necessarily earned via his own abilities.

While not every coach finds immediate success, especially at a club as iconic and storied as Barcelona, Xavi has already been granted enough time and chances for a general consensus to have formed around him. Do not be surprised if the man once so beloved by the club's fanbase loses his job within the next week or two.

Many legendary players who have made the transition to coaching have found much difficulty on the other side of the touchlines. Diego Maradona, Andrea Pirlo, Alan Shearer, and Marco van Basten are some of the most well-known examples of this. Unless something changes for the better and soon, it is almost certain that Xavi will end up being the next big name on this list.

They say that "it's never over until it's over", but it probably will be soon.