Subscribe to The Athletic using our special holiday gift offer here.
December 28, 2023 at 9:45 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
The winter transfer window opens on January 1 and clubs are finalising their targets for the moment the market opens.
Though there is always excitement around the January window, it’s not the same as the summer. Clubs do make moves to help their squads for the second half of the season, but there are generally not the same blockbuster moves that we get in the summer months.
Last week, we ran my weekly question-and-answer session with our subscribers. Usually, we follow this up with a mailbag collating the best questions.
Instead, here we’re going to take a look at the situation of the most sensible groups in the Premier League up to January.
GO FURTHER
David Ornstein’s January transfer window: The plans of the most sensible teams in the Premier League
Advertising
December 28, 2023 at 9:30 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
December 2016. The Chinese Super League, after a few upstart years, is entering its golden age.
Oscar is halfway through his fifth season at Chelsea. He has made more than two hundred appearances for the club, winning the Premier League and Europa League. He has 48 caps for Brésil. He is 25 years old and has just reached his peak. It arrives from Shanghai SIPG and heads east.
December 2023. La Chinese Super League (CSL) is the empty wrapper of a competition. They all jumped ship in search of better football, more money, or both. All of them, one man.
Óscar is now 32 years old. He has just won the fourth championship of his career, but without much fanfare. He has not won 48 caps for Brazil. He still plays in China. It’s one of the most confusing career paths in modern football.
GO FURTHER
Oscar, the Chelsea boy, spends seven years in nature in China
December 28, 2023 at 9:15 AM EST
It was hard, huh? I’m only 21/35 and I paint here.
I probably got between 25 and 26, but I got impatient towards the end. Always excuses.
Anyway! Let us know how you got on, in our discussion tab, or via our email at [email protected].
I’d love to know how many answers you were given, what questions you found easy/difficult, and if you now need to yell at the quiz taker because it’s too hard.
December 28, 2023 at 9:00 a. m. m. ITS T
It’s been quite a year in football/soccer circles in 2023 — Spain beat England to win the World Cup, Manchester City completed a historic treble as Arsenal fell away in the Premier League title race and a certain Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami.
But what do you remember?
Try our quiz to check their wisdom and let us know how it goes in the comments. . .
(If the quiz doesn’t appear, see how to convert your ad blocker settings)
GO FURTHER
The Athletic’s Football Quiz of 2023: Spot the scorer, final facts, manager movements
December 28, 2023 at 8:50 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
Peter Storrie can remember visiting the London studio of Herzog & de Meuron, the renowned Swiss architects, and being shown a striking vision of Portsmouth’s future. “It was something else,” he tells The Athletic. “They put it up on the screen for us and it certainly had the wow factor.”
But Portsmouth turned its attention to the nearby coastal site, on Horsea Island, designed by Herzog.
Actions don’t go hand in hand with words. Whether it’s investment issues or fan opposition, rarely both, English football has a long list of projects that have been put on the drawing board in the sky.
GO FURTHER
Football Stadiums That Existed
December 28, 2023 at 8:40 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
“Women have been involved in men’s football for a long time, but we’ve just been fans. Now men can’t laugh at us because we don’t know the offside rule, we already know it, and we can show that we can also referee the most productive games.
Burnley fan and podcast host Natalie Bromley summed up Rebecca Welch’s Premier League debut best.
In an ideal world, no one would want to comment on the fact that a woman is refereeing a high-profile men’s match. It would be a widespread phenomenon. But Saturday was a turning point.
For all that it must be normalised, it was a moment that demanded recognition. Here’s why.
GO FURTHER
Rebecca Welch, the Premier League’s first female referee: “If you can’t see it, you can’t be”
Advertisement
December 28, 2023 at 8:30 a. m. m. ITS T
. . . some of The Athletic’s recent articles on the Premier League.
We have: a female referee who broke records, the history of the Oscars and football stadiums that never existed.
Plus: David Ornstein’s January move guide, the players who could move next month, and our devilishly challenging 2023 football quiz.
Seat belt!
December 28, 2023 at 8:20am EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
I know what you did on Wednesday, Crystal Palace, that destroyed my hopes and dreams for the 487th time in a row.
Despite being 1-1 and on course to get a well-deserved point at Chelsea last night, substitute Noni Madueke did something unheard of with Todd Boehly and bought something reasonable (an 89th-minute penalty) and the west London side stole 3 undeserved goals to scrape away. On the more sensible side, he points to the problems with Bournemouth and Wolves.
Manchester City beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park, while Brentford lost their fourth game in a row, 4-1 at home to Wolves, while Nathan Collins had a clash with his former club.
There’s still a lot of VAR drama left, which we can also anticipate tonight. . .
December 28, 2023 at 8:10 AM EST
Do you know our content and need to know more?
Sign up for The Athletic, our new New Year’s gift, offering here.
He decides to become a bigger sports fan. Decide to give weight to everyone so that you like them. He decides to be a genius.
Do it all here and don’t miss a thing!
December 28, 2023 at 8:00 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
West Ham have been provoking Arsenal something on the pitch recently.
In November, David Moyes’ side knocked them out of the Carabao Cup in the round of 16, with an own goal from Ben White and plays from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen to make it 3-0 before a sort of late consolation from Martin Odegaard. .
And in their last Premier League meeting in April, Gabriel Jesus and Odegaard put the Gunners ahead after 10 minutes, but goals from Said Benrahma and Bowen saw east London come back strong to draw 2-2.
December 28, 2023 at 7:50 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
Gary O’Neil’s brilliant job at Wolves sees them 11th, level on points with Chelsea, while Bournemouth’s recent resurgence also sees them behind Chelsea and Wolves on goal difference only.
West London clubs Fulham and Brentford are enjoying lackluster seasons, with Nottingham Forest and Everton grimly above the relegation zone, with Luton just one point from safety.
Sheffield United, after the upset of this overdue turnaround in a 3-2 home defeat to Luton, are at their all-time low.
Advertising
December 28, 2023 at 7:45am EST
The time has come for The Athletic’s publisher to live up to theirs. Best of 2023 highlights our efforts in breaking news, research, business/articles, article writing, projects, event coverage, global football, audio and design, what’s new this year.
We’ve published more than 47,000 articles and recorded more than 5,000 hours of podcasts in 2023, which means this annual compilation is a small sample of the outstanding work produced this year.
So if an article you liked or a podcast you listened to and don’t watch below, shout it out in the comments while mentioning the notable paintings on this list.
Stories are unlocked for your reading pleasure through the end of the year.
GO FURTHER
Best of The Athletic 2023: Top sports news for MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA and more
December 28, 2023 at 7:40 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
Well, there are two more matches in this, the 19th gameweek of the season: Brighton vs Tottenham at 7.30pm GMT, and Arsenal vs West Ham at 8.15pm GMT. After those two games, (almost) every team will have played every other team in the league once and will be exactly halfway through the Premier League season.
The exceptions are Manchester City, Bournemouth, Brentford and Luton. Manchester City and Brentford missed a game recently because of City’s Club World Cup commitments, while Luton vs Bournemouth was postponed due to Tom Lockyer’s cardiac arrest.
Looking ahead to tonight’s matches, Liverpool are the best in the table, two steps behind Arsenal, who can regain the lead if they win tonight. Aston Villa and Man City complete the top four.
An out-of-form, injury-struck Newcastle in eighth, Brighton in ninth and cash-strapped underdogs Chelsea round off the top 10.
December 28, 2023 at 7:30 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
It was a moment that stunned the football world, infuriated Manchester United and almost led to the goal of the English national team.
It’s been 20 years since Rio Ferdinand, then the world’s greatest defender, was banned from football for 8 months for failing a doping check on the club’s educational floor 87 days earlier, which kept him away from Euro 2004 in Portugal and severely damaged his country’s reputation. . opportunities in the process.
English football has not noticed such an incident since, and even now emotions are running high. “I will never forgive them for the way I treated them,” Ferdinand said. “People had done worse and very similar to what I had done and they weren’t treated. “like that. “
Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager, was equally furious. My outrage continues to this day,” he wrote in his autobiography in 2013. It’s the story of that failed doping test, a national riot, Janice, Ferdinand’s mother, being consoled through an unlikely source and a darling to buy bedding in Manchester. .
GO FURTHER
Rio Ferdinand, a missed drugs test and bitterness that still lingers 20 years on
December 28, 2023 at 7:20 AM EST
Athletic’s nifty chat tab, at the top of the page or clickable here, gives you plenty of ways to get involved.
You could:
We will show some of the comments and questions in this blog. Mark M, for example, says “COYG. ” Not exactly War and Peace, but still very welcome. Start writing!
December 28, 2023 at 7:15 AM EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
FIFA and UEFA regulations blocking a potential European Super League have been deemed “illegal,” according to a landmark ruling.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its long-awaited verdict in Luxembourg a week ago after the European Super League Company (ESLC) first took legal action against the two governing bodies in April 2021.
The dispute began in the wake of 12 English, Spanish and Italian clubs launching a new competition to rival the Champions League, one that collapsed after an angry backlash from supporters and threats of heavy sanctions from UEFA.
Despite a first non-binding verdict, issued last December, that UEFA had acted in accordance with EU law, the CJEU’s final ruling said UEFA and FIFA are “abusing a dominant position” and breaching festival law.
GO FURTHER
FIFA and UEFA regulations blocking the Super League are illegal through the courts
Advertising
December 28, 2023 at 7:05 AM EST
I was about to say hello when I realized it was already past noon (at least here, in the sun and heat of England).
So good afternoon, welcome along readers old and new, subscribers or non-subscribers… we care about you all equally.
I’m happy with us and hope you enjoy today’s coverage!
December 28, 2023 at 7:00 a. m. m. ITS T
Fascinating piece of Liam there.
He pointed out that all six of Arsenal’s Premier League goals this season have come from left-footed players: Saka, Fabio Vieira, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.
If West Ham were to receive a penalty, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus (both also left-footed) would be among the first to take it.
Now, to a landmark ruling and what it means for the sport…
December 28, 2023 at 6:45am EST
(Photo: Getty Images)
If you’ve ever wondered why a penalty kick has an expected goal rate of 0. 78, it’s because on average 78% of the consequences are scored.
But in the Premier League this season, the conversion rate is almost 92 per cent — 44 goals from 48 penalties. Earlier this month, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez saved Bruno Fernandes’ penalty to end a run of 32 successful penalties in a row. So what is going on?
The trend is that of the 48 goals conceded in the Premier League this season, 23 have been scored with a left-footed shot, up from 26 of the last 31 seasons.
Proportionally, because there are an equivalent number of consequences taken each season, 47. 9 percent of this season’s consequences have been taken by lefties, which is expected to be the highest ever recorded and well above the competition average of 19. 4 percent. . For what?
GO FURTHER
Why Left-Footers Are Lagging Record Penalty Conversion Rate in the Premier League