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It would be fair to say that Chelsea have not had the best of starts to the season.

Enzo Maresca’s side picked up seven of nine points in the Premier League prior to the international break, but dropped two against Brentford on Saturday.

Now, it was a heavily rotated side, but there was enough talent in the starting lineup to collect three.

One of the worst performers was summer signing Jamie Gittens, and while it might sound harsh, he should be dropped ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Gittens' disappointing display

Now, to be clear, there were several Chelsea players who really let themselves down on Saturday, but when it comes to the most disappointing display, it’s hard to look past Gittens.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The club paid Borussia Dortmund around £48m for him in the summer in the hope he’d be able to come into the team and make the left-hand side more direct and more dangerous.

Unfortunately, he flattered to deceive in his appearances before the international break and, against Brentford, he looked somewhat out of his depth.

It might sound overly harsh, but we aren’t the only ones who were left unimpressed, as the Express’ Charlie Malam awarded him just 4/10 on the day, writing that he ‘faded out’ after the first 20 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, while it may sound harsh, such an appraisal of the 20-year-old is more than justified by his statistics.

In 56 minutes of underwhelming action, the Reading-born ace amassed a combined expected goals plus assists figure of just 0.04, took just 17 touches, played a single key pass, had one shot, didn’t attempt a single dribble and was offside twice.

In all, it was a terrible showing from Gittens, and considering how much of a step-up in quality Bayern will be, Maresca has to drop him for another of Chelsea’s young wingers tomorrow night.

The Chelsea ace who should start in place of Gittens

While some might view it as being too soon, Maresca should look to start £40m man Alejandro Garnacho against Bayern.

Now it’s undoubtedly the case that the young Argentine should have tracked Fabio Carvalho for the equaliser on Saturday, but when it came to the offensive side of the game, he offered so much more than Gittens in such a short amount of time.

For example, while he didn’t get the assist, it was his driving run and ball into the penalty area that directly led to Moises Caicedo’s thunderous strike in the second half.

Moreover, while there are certainly questions over this temperament that may well be answered this season, the 21-year-old’s footballing ability is undeniable.

For example, despite being just 20 years old at the start of last season and playing for a historically terrible Manchester United side, the Madrid-born gem was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

Appearances

58

Minutes

3568′

Goals

11

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

That means the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes.

Moreover, with a goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, against Manchester City, the dynamic attacker has proven he can handle the biggest of stages.

Ultimately, Gittens may well come good for Chelsea, but he has flattered to deceive thus far, and with Garnacho making an impact in just 11 minutes of action, he should get the start against Bayern tomorrow night.

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ByDominic Lund Sep 15, 2025

It was a heist for the ages in Mount Maunganui as New Zealand secured an eight-run win in the first T20I, and with it took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. But more importantly it was a lesson in fight from the hosts, one the visitors would do well to take note of.For much of the game it had looked Sri Lanka’s to lose. The first instance was when New Zealand were reeling on 65 for 5 midway through their innings, and the second when Sri Lanka were cruising after a 121-run opening stand needing just 52 off 40 deliveries.On both occasions New Zealand fought back, and hard – initially through a 105-run stand between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell to post a competitive 172 for 8, and then finally through a late strangle that saw Sri Lanka lose eight wickets for 38 runs after being in total control of proceedings.Jacob Duffy was at the heart of the collapse with a three-wicket 14th over, as he set the wheels in motion for a sterling New Zealand comeback – which also earned him the player of the match award. Sri Lanka though will be at a loss for words in attempting to explain how they let this game slip.A collapse for the agesSri Lanka thought they had done enough – and by all accounts they had. A 121-run opening stand in chase of 173 would in most cases have been more than enough. After all, when Kusal Mendis fell for a brisk 46, Sri Lanka needed only another 52 runs off 40 deliveries with nine wickets in hand.Sure, three balls later that equation changed to 52 needed with seven wickets in hand, after Duffy had made sure Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis followed Kusal to the dressing room. But, surely not?Nerves were eased a bit as Charith Asalanka joined Pathum Nissanka in the middle to chip away. But when he fell with 28 still required off 16, more doubts crept in. And then when Matt Henry removed Nissanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the span of a few deliveries, all doubt was removed. Sri Lanka needed 19 off 8, but only Wanindu Hasaranga could be counted on to strike the boundaries needed.Hasaranga being run out without facing a ball in the final over summed up Sri Lanka’s disastrous end to the game.Binura leads Sri Lanka’s early chargeMitchell Santner had been concerned about about a “green tinge” on the surface having been put in to bat, and after the first ten overs his concerns seemed warranted as New Zealand had stumbled to 65 for 5.Pathum Nissanka’s 90 from 60 balls seemed to have put Sri Lanka firmly in control•Getty Images

Binura Fernando, playing his first T20I in nine months, proved the most effective of Sri Lanka’s three seamers despite never clocking more than 130kph. He showed admirable control and found consistent movement in the air despite bowling mostly on a good length or slightly further back; the wickets of Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra were just rewards, and he might have had another had Charith Asalanka not spilled Mark Chapman at mid-off.Binura’s opening burst of three overs went for just 12 runs, before a Hasaranga double-strike in the 10th over really rammed home Sri Lanka’s early dominance.Mitchell and Bracewell counter brutallyIf the first half of the innings belonged to Sri Lanka, the second was well and truly New Zealand’s. After a couple of overs treading water, Bracewell signalled his intent to shift gears with a pair of boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana in the 14th, before unloading on an off-colour Matheesha Pathirana an over later – a flicked six into the grass banks and a monster loft over wide long-off the highlights in a 22-run over.Bracewell’s power was on total display from then on as Hasaranga and Binura were also both taken for maximums over the next few overs. And there would be no respite for Sri Lanka at the other end either, as Mitchell struck in lockstep with his partner, the pair even bringing up their respective fifties off consecutive deliveries.In total, 107 runs were struck between overs 10-20, with 85 of those coming off the six-over period from 13-19. Only an excellent final over from Theekshana, where three wickets fell for just three runs ensured New Zealand were kept below 180.Pathirana’s off dayFour overs for 60 runs and a solitary wicket marked a bad day at the office for Pathirana, but it’s the three no-balls (and subsequent free hits) that will no doubt have Sri Lanka’s coaching staff pulling their hair out. That one of those accounted for the wicket of Mitchell, when he was on eight, will be particularly grating.Pathirana also struggled with identifying an effective length, constantly bowling fuller than ideal – surprising considering the success Binura had had by hitting the deck harder, not to mention the success Pathirana himself has had with similar lengths in the past.

Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “outstanding” defender, and owner Evangelos Marinakis knows the director of his current club very well, according to a report.

Forest set sights on new defender after bolstering attacking options

Securing Morgan Gibbs-White’s future was arguably as important as making any new signing, with Forest no longer facing the difficult prospect of finding a replacement for the attacking midfielder, and they are also set to bolster their wide options.

The Tricky Trees are now set to sign Bologna’s Dan Ndoye, who is set to replace Anthony Elanga following the Sweden international’s move to Newcastle United, but the 24-year-old is not the only winger in Nuno’s sights.

That is according to reporter John Percy, who has revealed the Portuguese manager is now looking to seal a reunion with one of his former players alongside Ndoye.

As such, Nuno’s attacking options are now shaping up nicely, which means the 51-year-old’s next task at hand may be to improve his backline, and a new target has now entered the frame.

That is according to a report from Espreso, which reveals Nottitngham Forest have now entered the race for Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljević, who has also attracted interest from the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Everton and Celtic.

Marinakis is said to be good friends with Red Star Belgrade director Zvezdan Terzić, which indicates the Forest owner could play a key role in the negotiations, and there is a feeling he could loan Milosavljević out to Olympiacos initially.

There is a huge chance the Red Star Belgrade defender leaves the Serbian club before September 1st, and his price tag is set to be around €10m – €15m (£9m – £13m).

"Outstanding" Milosavljević could go on to be top defender

The 18-year-old is yet to prove himself outside of Serbia, but the teenager’s exploits in his home country indicate he could go on to be a top defender, with scout Gianni Bellasi being left particularly impressed by his performances.

Bellasi has also praised the youngster for his “outstanding” positioning, and he has already managed to force himself into the Red Star Belgrade first team, racking up a total of 22 appearances.

That said, while Milosavljević is clearly a very talented young player, it would make sense to send him out on a loan deal initially, and a move to Olympiacos could be ideal, given that it would, of course, be very easy for Marinakis to arrange.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers recently revealed that the Scottish Premiership champions need to add more goals to their team during the summer transfer window.

When asked about what the Hoops need to do before the start of September, the manager said: “I think it’s bringing goals to the squad. Especially when you score four goals, it seems like you’re okay. But we lost an important player in Kyogo [Furuhashi] in January. He brought us a lot of goals. We lost Nicolas Kuhn. He brought us a lot of goals. Matt O’Riley even last summer.

Ligue 1 side Rennes swooped in to sign Kyogo Furuhashi from the Scottish giants for a reported fee of £10m in January, ending a goal-laden time for the striker at Parkhead.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Kyogo Furuhashi

Ange Postecoglou signed the centre-forward from Vissel Kobe in the summer of 2021, and it is safe to say that it was an incredibly successful move for all parties involved.

Kyogo ended his Celtic career with a return of 85 goals and 15 assists in 165 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which shows that he was prolific throughout his time at the club.

His best season at Parkhead, by far, was when he plundered 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign for Postecoglou, though, as the Japan international was a goal machine that year.

Whilst it is unrealistic to expect Celtic to find a new forward who can score 34 goals in one season, Rodgers could finally replace Kyogo by signing Federico Chiesa on loan from Liverpool, as the club are reportedly one of the teams chasing a loan deal for the attacker.

Why Celtic should sign Federico Chiesa

If the Hoops can convince the Italy international to make the move to Parkhead on loan, the £150k-per-week star could be a high-quality addition to the squad.

Chiesa primarily plays as a winger but he has also started 87 career club games as a second striker or as a centre-forward, which suggests that he could play through the middle for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

The Italian forward has scored 66 goals for Juventus and Fiorentina, whilst he has also scored seven goals for his country. This speaks to his pedigree and shows the kind of quality that the Hoops would be bringing in.

Chiesa only played 14 times, scoring twice, in all competitions for Liverpool last season, but his form in the 2023/24 campaign for Juventus shows that he has the quality to be a fantastic signing for Celtic.

Starts

25

xG

6.43

Goals

9

Big chances created

12

xA

5.58

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the Italian forward, who can play wide or centrally, provided a big threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in one of Europe’s major leagues.

The 27-year-old star, who was once dubbed “unplayable” by reporter Carlo Garganese, was also incredibly efficient in front of goal, overperforming his xG by almost three goals.

Whereas, Kyogo only scored 10 goals from 14.14 xG in the first half of last season’s Premiership campaign. Chiesa, based on his form for Juventus, could be far more efficient with the chances that come his way if Rodgers provided him with an opportunity to play regularly.

The Italian dynamo is a clinical finisher and creative force who can offer quality out wide or through the middle as a dynamic forward option, who is already proven at a higher level of football than the Premiership.

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Therefore, Celtic should be pushing to win the race for Chiesa’s services as he is a clinical forward who could provide a cutting edge to the team’s attack as a Kyogo replacement this summer.

“We know what we’re doing with him, and where we’re going. He’s comfortable,” says interim coach Trescothick

Matt Roller15-Sep-2024England will continue to take a cautious approach to Jofra Archer’s workloads during their five upcoming ODIs against Australia, after he bowled just 3.3 overs across the drawn, rain-affected T20I series.Archer has been steadily eased back into international cricket this year, playing two T20Is against Pakistan in May before featuring in all eight of England’s matches at June’s T20 World Cup. He did not play at all for Sussex in the second half of the Blast group stages and was managed carefully through the Hundred, twice being rested to the frustration of Southern Brave captain James Vince.Since the end of the Hundred, he has played two matches: one for Sussex in the quarter-final of the T20 Blast, and the other for England in their defeat at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday night. He was rested for Friday night’s game in Cardiff and would have played in Sunday’s series decider had it not been washed out by the Manchester rain.He has proved why England have invested so heavily in him, since his comeback from the back and elbow issues that have kept him on the sidelines for so long. He was their joint-highest wicket-taker at June’s World Cup, and on Wednesday night provided a reminder of his skills at the death, clean-bowling Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett in successive balls.Related

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Archer is in England’s 15-man squad for the five-match ODI series which starts in Nottingham on Thursday, though may be rested for one or two of them. He has not played a 50-over game in the last 18 months and while he retains long-term ambitions to play red-ball cricket, he has not played a first-class match since May 2021.”Jofra will have to be managed throughout the series,” Jos Buttler told Sky Sports on Sunday. “He’s played a really good stint now of T20 cricket, but obviously you can only bowl four overs in there. There’s a jump in intensity getting loads up to taking full part in an ODI – and of course, as an England fan, to push those loads up hopefully to get back into the Test arena as well.”Marcus Trescothick, England’s interim coach, said that Archer was “comfortable” with the ECB’s long-term plan to manage his workload. “He knows the plan,” Trescothick said. “It’s discussed long in advance of picking the team on each day. We know what we’re doing with him, and where we’re going. He’s comfortable: he knows what he’s doing.”That’s a bigger structure, in terms of what we’re trying to do with Jofra. You come into the series knowing what we’ve got and what we can do with him. That’s an agreed plan between the coaches, directors, physios and all the different people. We’ll still be managing him [in the ODIs] – exactly the same thing.”Trescothick will be part of all three of England’s tours pre-Christmas, as an assistant coach for the Test series in Pakistan and New Zealand, and continuing to deputise for Brendon McCullum during the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in November. “It’s going to be slightly abbreviated, but I’ll be popping into all of them,” he said.He said that his manner as a coach has been informed by his experience working with McCullum, which he hopes will allow for a smooth transition when McCullum takes charge across formats from January. “I’m directing it in a way that I know will be very similar to when he comes in,” Trescothick said. “He’ll talk the same way, manage in the same fashion, and debrief in the same way.”We’ve spent two-and-a-half years together coaching… It’s not copying it, because I’m putting my own stamp on it, but it’s done in a very similar sort of fashion involving the very similar people in terms of the coaches we have around it. It’s the start of what’s going to go on, and it’ll carry on pretty seamlessly when he takes over in January.”

West Indies CEO believes time is nigh for touring teams to receive fees for fulfilling their overseas obligations

Andrew Miller07-Jul-2024

Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave wants a rethink about the division of Test cricket’s finances•Peter Della Penna

Johnny Grave, the chief executive of Cricket West Indies, hopes that memories of the team’s bio-secure tour of England in 2020 will help to advance the narrative about Test cricket’s revenue-share model, in the wake of his remarks earlier this year that the current system is “completely broken”.Speaking at Lord’s during MCC’s inaugural World Cricket Connects symposium – a gathering of many of the sport’s most influential players, administrators and media representatives – Grave expressed his hope that West Indies would once again prove a competitive force, just as they were in winning the first Test of the 2020 tour in Southampton, as well as each of their last two home series against England, in 2019 and 2022.But, he said, in the wake of CWI’s reported outlay of US$2 million to fulfil their tour of Australia in January and February, the onus was on cricket’s Big Three – India, England and Australia – to find a better means of propping up the economies of the sport’s less financially secure nations, rather than just sending their own teams on endless overseas tours, from which the host boards are able to replenish their coffers.”We don’t get any money at all from the Australian market, or from that tour, so it’s a double-whammy,” Grave said, in the wake of a Test tour on which West Indies again exceeded expectations with their thrilling series-levelling win at the Gabba in January.”There are a number of measures to ensure this competitive balance, and ensure that the three formats thrive. I think the easiest thing to do is say, well, this format doesn’t make money or isn’t sustainable in this market or that country, but if the game works together and has a collective mindset, there is plenty of money to go around to ensure the game can thrive.”Grave cited India’s ongoing T20I series in Zimbabwe, featuring a new-look team led by Shubman Gill, only days after their victory in the T20 World Cup in Barbados, as proof that the BCCI “cannot do more for the world game” in a pure playing capacity. Instead, he welcomed the suggestion voiced last year by Richard Gould, his counterpart at the ECB, that the time may be coming for touring teams to be paid a fee for fulfilling their overseas engagements.”Do we need to play more contextual, meaningful cricket? Absolutely,” Grave said. “But I think Richard’s point around being open to sharing revenue is a massive positive, because when we are talking about sharing revenue we are talking about three countries.Ben Stokes and Jason Holder hold microphones as they talk into a broadcast camera during the Covid series in 2020•Getty Images

“One country cannot play any more cricket, cannot do more for the world game than they are doing, and that’s the BCCI. England have been fantastic, they have toured us pretty much every year, bar a few, since 2017. Is there more they could do for us? Not really. So at that point you have to look at the model and the finances, and for leaders of the ECB, Australia and India to be even talking about it, I take it as a positive indication of a shift in mindset that needs to happen.”England’s vulnerability to the fragmenting international game was made abundantly clear in the Covid-blighted summer of 2020, when West Indies were instrumental in “keeping the lights on”, in the words of the then-ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.By agreeing to play their three scheduled Tests behind closed doors and in bio-secure environments at Old Trafford and Southampton, West Indies helped fulfil the ECB’s contractual obligation to Sky Sports, with each Test valued in the region of £20 million. This in turn helped mitigate the ECB’s losses that still ended up being in the region of £100 million.”I think what Covid proved was that you can’t play against yourselves, and that you need to have opposition,” Grave said. “The better that opposition is, and the more balanced the game is, the better the product is, because then there’s genuine jeopardy.”In Covid everyone had to come together. The fact that we were coming here and generating no revenue was irrelevant. We were trying to save the game, because none of us knew whether the game as we knew it would ever happen again.”West Indies’ Test tour comes just weeks after the completion of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Despite the hosts falling short of the semi-finals after a tight loss to South Africa in St Lucia, the sense of togetherness and expectation was palpable from a set of big-name players whose greatest financial opportunities still come on the T20 franchise circuit, but whose restored faith in CWI has been a notable aspect of Grave’s era as chief executive.Related

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“We’ve had to find balance, which was initially struck by speaking to the players in a respectful way and creating two windows, in the IPL and the CPL,” Grave said. “We then tried to have balance and flexibility with our players in how we schedule bilateral cricket – we rarely play over that Christmas and New Year period because it’s important for our players to be at home with their families – while we’ve also tried to create windows for them to go to other leagues where the calendar has allowed it.”So it’s all about balance. And at the moment Darren Sammy and Rovman Powell, the leaders of our T20 team, have really got those players focused.”Now the attention turns to the Test series against England, starting with a first Test at Lord’s – a venue that West Indies haven’t frequented since 2017.”It’s probably the pinnacle Test series that we play, it’s the barometer of how the team are developing,” Grave said. “We’re coming off a high, obviously it’s a long gap since that amazing day at the Gabba, and for a number of the players this will be the first time they’ve ever played at Lord’s.”They’re playing for the Richards-Botham Trophy, the ultimate example of friendship and camaraderie between England and West Indies. So being here it’s always special, but I think for our players to hopefully announce themselves to the English audience with a Test series at Lord’s is fantastic.”

Both teams have won two games each, and USA having every chance of making the last eight is every bit the stuff of dreams

Alagappan Muthu11-Jun-20246:13

Manjrekar: Should India look at replacing Shivam Dube?

Match detailsIndia vs USA
New York, 10.30am local, 8.00pm IST, 2.30pm GMTBig picture: Party in the USA is writing articles about it. Drake has been making money off it. Baseball fans have been triggered by it. Look out, America, our beautiful game is starting to take you over.India themselves are somewhere near the front of this charm offensive, eager to tap into a market that may add to their already considerable resources. Their IPL teams already have a stake in the cricket that goes on in the USA, considering they own three of the six franchises in the country’s premier T20 competition.The LA Olympics organising committee, when announcing that they would let cricket in for the 2028 Games, name-checked Virat Kohli and his social media following as part of the reason for their decision. And more recently, the BCCI secretary had a lovely stroll through the NFL offices.At this point, it feels like the locals getting bitten by the bug seems a bit of a bonus than a necessity. The USA is a fertile enough outpost thanks to its rich and varied diaspora, many of whom have been flocking to the pop-up stadium in Long Island, and creating the kind of atmosphere that could rival even the better established centres.Over in Dallas, the Nepal team even felt compelled to take a lap of honour around the ground having been overwhelmed with support. India-Pakistan was packed – in two places – with Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, hosting a watch party. On Monday morning, there were almost 23,000 on site to enjoy the Bangladesh-South Africa game.Tight finishes and rapturous upsets have left the public with a general feeling of wanting more, and the USA team themselves have played a part in that, kicking the tournament off in grand fashion when Aaron Jones epitomised two things that make anything worth watching – skill and flair – as he struck sixes at will and celebrated each of them. Then these upstarts went and took down Pakistan, and now here USA are, eyeing up India.It is unlikely that this game will have that kind of fairytale ending, but the simple fact that USA go into it undefeated – with two wins from two – and with every chance of progressing into the Super Eights is every bit the stuff of dreams. And as Saurabh Netravalkar’s Slack profile very clearly says, it isn’t ending any time soon.2:45

‘Rohit is from my school’ – USA team on their connections with India players

Form guideIndia: WWWWW
USA: WWLWWIn the spotlight: Shivam Dube and Corey AndersonIndia tend not to fuss with their plans unless they absolutely have to. So within that dressing room, there will be plenty of support on offer for Shivam Dube, even though he has made no more than 21 in his last seven dismissed innings, which includes four single-digit scores – including back-to-back ducks. New York is hardly the right place for his skills as a spin-hitter, if only for the fact that teams aren’t bowling a lot of spin there. But when India shift base to the West Indies, they’ll have a need for his services and they would like for him to be in good form, or at the very least, in a happy mindset.There was a time when it seemed like Corey Anderson was the next big thing in all of cricket. Even as parts of the world was ushering in the New Year in 2014, he was going to work for New Zealand and hitting a 36-ball century. Is he still that same destructive force? He wasn’t seen in the international arena for five years since November 2018, but was still courted by the franchises in the CPL, BBL, PSL and ILT20. That’s testament to the talent he possesses, and may yet unleash at this World Cup.Team news: Super Eights on the mindIndia are well placed to make the Super Eights. USA have some work to do, but they won’t mind that. Barring any injury concerns, both teams are likely to field unchanged XIs.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep SinghUSA (probable): 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Monank Patel (capt & wk), 3 Andries Gous, 4 Aaron Jones, 5 Nitish Kumar, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Jasdeep Singh, 9 Nosthush Kenjige, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Ali KhanThe scary up-and-down bounce on the New York pitch seems to be a thing of the past•ICC via Getty Images

Pitch and conditionsThe New York surface has settled enough that the scary up-and-down bounce that was seen earlier in the competition seems to be a thing of the past. The game is unlikely to be upset by the weather, but it may once again be low-scoring.Stats and trivia This will be the first cricket match between India and USA across any format. Aaron Jones is currently this T20 World Cup’s second-highest scorer, with 130 runs from two innings at a strike rate of nearly 197. Andries Gous is in fourth place, with 100 from two innings at a strike rate of almost 139. Jasprit Bumrah has an average of four and an economy rate of 2.85 after picking up five wickets for 20 runs in seven overs this tournament.

The Premier League has had some of the best passers in recent history, such as Paul Scholes, Xabi Alonso and David Beckham.

Pass completion percentage is now a big part of the modern day’s data-driven analysis, with possession-based styles being adopted by more and more managers.

But who was statistically the best passer in England’s top flight during the 2024/25 season? Using data from football analytics site FBref, we’ve listed the top 10 Premier League players by pass completion rate. (Note: players have to have played at least 30 minutes per match to be counted.)

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ByStephan Georgiou Oct 18, 2024

Data correct as of 25th May 2025

1

William Saliba

Arsenal

94.3%

2

Manuel Akanji

Man City

93.6%

3

Ruben Dias

Man City

93.5%

4

Curtis Jones

Liverpool

93.1%

=5

Andre

Wolves

92.9%

=5

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa

92.9%

7

Jan Bednarek

Southampton

92.7%

8

Mateo Kovacic

Man City

92.6%

9

Leny Yoro

Man Utd

92.4%

10

Jack Stephens

Southampton

92%

Here's a detailed look at the top 10 Premier League passers in 2024/25… 10 Jack Stephens (Southampton) 92% pass completion

Southampton defender Jack Stephens, though the centre-back had an injury-impacted campaign as he only started 17 times.

He still scraped into the top 10 come the end of the season, squeezing ahead of Premier League-winning captain Virgil van Dijk in the process.

9 Leny Yoro (Man Utd) 92.4% pass completion

Manchester United may have endured a dreadful season, but one of the brighter elements of the campaign perhaps came in the form of Leny Yoro’s emergence in the first team.

The Frenchman took time to make his mark at Old Trafford after getting injured soon after signing, but ended the season as one of their most reliable players – made all the more remarkable given his age of 19.

Interestingly, another new signing was United’s next-best passer – Matthijs de Ligt clocked an average of 89.9% successful passes throughout 2024/25.

8 Mateo Kovacic (Man City) 92.6% pass completion

With numerous injuries at the Etihad Stadium, Mateo Kovacic was able to get more game time with Man City than he was perhaps expecting last season. He took his opportunity, whether that be in the form of scoring goals or his general all-round play.

As to be expected in a Guardiola side, Kovacic is tidy on the ball played a big role in the absence of Rodri.

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ByBarney Lane Oct 28, 2024 7 Jan Bednarek (Southampton) 92.7% pass completion

Southampton’s possession-based style saw Saints centre-back Jan Bednarek end up in the top 10.

The Saints may not have got anywhere near enough points on the board, but Bednarek’s pass completion rate was a rare positive sign at St Mary’s.

6 Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) 92.9% pass completion

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been a regular under Unai Emery and offers the versatility of being able to play at right-back and centre-back.

The Englishman has now made over 200 appearances for Villa and is clearly comfortable on the ball.

5 Andre (Wolves) 92.9% pass completion

Arguably a surprise name on the list is Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Andre.

The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Fluminense ahead of the 2024/25 season but wasn’t a nailed-on starter under Gary O’Neil. He had been in and out of the starting lineup, but started more regularly under Vitor Pereira, showing his true worth to the Old Gold during this time.

4 Curtis Jones (Liverpool) 93.1% pass completion

One of the players who starred under Arne Slot during his first season as Liverpool manager was midfielder Curtis Jones.

Jones had the best pass completion rate of any Reds star and started 19 games last term as his rise in the first team continues.

3 Ruben Dias (Man City) 93.5% pass completion

Another Man City star on the list is Ruben Dias, with the Portugal international a mainstay in the Man City side.

Dias has found himself in the opposition half for plenty of City’s Premier League games due to their dominance, and he’s kept possession most of the time when on the ball. In fact, both of City’s centre-backs were exceptional last term…

2 Manuel Akanji (Man City) 93.6% pass completion

The top Man City passer last season was Manuel Akanji, who also occasionally chipped in at right-back as injuries bit hard at the Etihad Stadium.

The Switzerland international has seemingly nailed down a centre-back role under Pep Guardiola, becoming a trustworthy player in the absence of John Stones and Nathan Ake – particularly on the ball, if these stats are anything to go by.

1 William Saliba (Arsenal) 94.3% pass completion

Topping the charts this season is Arsenal star William Saliba, reaching over 94%.

A guaranteed starter for the Gunners under Mikel Arteta, Saliba’s place at the top of the game for some time is all but assured. Part of the reason for that is his calmness in possession, as evidenced by his high pass success rate.

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ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Newcastle United have now won their last six matches in all competitions, with last night’s home success over a shaken Crystal Palace side very much the pick of the bunch.

The rampant Magpies would show no mercy in the 5-0 demolition job that was handed out to the hapless Eagles, with four different goalscorers all getting in on the act during a glorious night on Tyneside, alongside Marc Guehi also awkwardly scoring an own goal.

Alexander Isak would, of course, add to his ever-growing Premier League tally during the comprehensive victory, with the Swede now up to a bountiful 25 league strikes and counting.

Isak's performance in numbers

However, despite Isak being on such a healthy amount, Newcastle very rarely rely on just their 25-year-old striker to get them out of sticky situations, with the big win versus Palace very much won on a team basis.

Still, it doesn’t exactly hurt stand-in manager Jason Tindall to have such an explosive marksman leading the line, with the potent number 14 gifting the Magpies their final strike of the memorable night.

Isak would have been arguably frustrated that he didn’t find the back of the net more times than this late effort, with the former Real Sociedad attacker squandering three big chances in the game away from actually managing to get the better of a ropey Dean Henderson.

But, even when the 6 foot 4 forward is having somewhat of an off-day like he did in patches versus Palace, he still manages to contribute to Newcastle’s ongoing successes in some capacity, with his position as the Magpies’ main threat up top as concrete as it can possibly be, consequently.

Away from the frightening attacking arsenal Newcastle can boast, the Tyneside high-flyers also have defenders that they can put all their faith into when it matters, with this top defensive performer managing to cement his first team spot as even more undroppable up against Oliver Glasner’s visitors.

The 9/10 ace now as undroppable as Isak

Despite the final scoreline emphatically reading 5-0 in Newcastle’s favour, Palace did have their chances in the game to try and claw back some dignity, having ended the chaotic 90 minutes with 2.00 xG accumulated.

Unfortunately for the visitors from London, no goals would find the back of Nick Pope’s net, with Newcastle having the likes of Fabian Schar to thank at both ends of the pitch for the shut-out, but also the seriously impressive attacking display.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches

103

Accurate passes

75/86 (87%)

Key passes

2

Shots

3

Clearances

6

Interceptions

2

Tackles

1

Total duels won

5/10

Indeed, looking at the table above, it’s clear how well-rounded Schar’s performance was against Palace, with his goal an expertly headed home effort deep into first half-stoppage time after a perfect Jacob Murphy delivery, among other standout statistics.

The 33-year-old would further amass a staggering 103 touches of the ball and record an 87% pass accuracy as a calm and composed performer at the back, but the veteran centre-back would also roll his sleeves up and battle competently when faced with the brute force of Eagles attacker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with his five duels won on the night leading to Mateta registering just 15 total touches from a forgettable 56-minute spell.

Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder would hand out a high 9/10 rating to Schar post-match off the back of his excellent evening, with Ryder even heralding the Swiss star as ‘unflappable’ and a ‘vintage wine getting better and better’

With his centre-back partner in Dan Burn also on the ageing side at 32 years old, it appears Tindall and Co have the perfect mix throughout the squad at this point in time, with the more exuberant characters of Isak coupling up well with the more seasoned heads of the group.

If the Toon can keep up this blistering run of wins, another Champions League finish is surely on the cards, with faces such as Schar and Isak notably sticking out.

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Everton are enjoying a relatively stress-free Premier League run-in, but they do now have an injury issue to contend with heading into their final matches of the season.

Everton set for big changes as new era dawns

Goodison Park will soon be given an emotional farewell as David Moyes prepares to lead the club into a new era at Bramley Moore Dock, which he will hope coincides with some exciting incomings once the window opens.

Internally, the Scot has several decisions to make on loanees and out-of-contract stars. Loanees Jesper Lindstrom, Jack Harrison, Armando Broja and Orel Mangala don’t know where they will play their football next season, while Carlos Alcaraz is set to sign permanently from Flamengo.

Casting an eye towards the market, Everton have joined the pursuit of Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis alongside several other clubs such as Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

Furthermore, the Blues are also in pursuit of Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap. However, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion will provide stiff competition for the England Under-21 international.

Strengthening across the front four appears to be a priority for Moyes, given he has had numerous injury problems in the forward areas alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract status.

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Coping with absences while managing a squad you have had little time to alter is a difficult task, so it is only fair that Moyes takes major credit for Everton’s stable footing in the Premier League standings.

Nevertheless, he has another fire to fight heading into upcoming fixtures following confirmation that one of his stars will now be sidelined.

Everton star set for spell on the sidelines after surgery

Speaking ahead of Everton’s trip to take on Nottingham Forest, Moyes confirmed that loanee Lindstrom has undergone a hernia operation and he will now be out for ‘most of the season’ as a result.

He stated: “Jesper has had a hernia operation yesterday so that will rule Jesper out for most of the season now. That’s disappointing for him and for us because he started to show some decent form in the last month or so and he was an important player for us.”

Jesper Lindstrom’s loan spell at Everton – has he done enough to earn a permanent stay?

Goals

0

Assists

1

Chances created – (Premier League)

19

Successful dribbles – (Premier League)

17

Duels won – (Premier League)

69

Despite his lack of goal contributions, Lindstrom, a £50,000 per week earner, has emerged as a valuable asset. It is perhaps a little unfortunate that he has not seen better numbers for his work at both ends of the field.

However, it remains to be seen if Everton opt to go in a different direction as they seek quality reinforcements on the flank. His impact has been curtailed due to injury, which may represent a natural opportunity for a clean break between all parties.