All posts by n8rngtd.top

Whilst long throws, set pieces and teams centred around physicality are back in fashion, a lot has changed in the Premier League since 1992. It’s now the richest league in the world, featuring some of the best players and managers in world football. It is the ultimate destination. But, how much has the table changed in that time?

FootballBlog has released a full ranking of the Premier League table from its very first season in 1992 up until the beginning of the recent November international break. The table includes deductions issued by the Premier League and has tallied the wins, draws and losses by teams over the last 33 years. A total of 51 teams have featured in the top flight over the last three decades, but only 20 can make the all-time standings.

Premier League table by transfer spend per point 2025/26

The top flight would look very different.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 14, 2025

20

West Bromwich Albion: 490 points

They may be languishing outside the top six in the Championship these days, but there was a time when an away trip to face West Bromwich Albion was a day of frustration for any top side. They sit 20th thanks to the fact that they haven’t returned to the top tier since 2021, but it’s hard to forget just how impressive they were at their best – finishing as high as eighth in the 2012/13 season. And who could forget the form of Romelu Lukaku during his time at the Hawthorns?

19

Bolton Wanderers: 575 points

Ever seen a player so good they named him twice? That was Jay-Jay Okocha. The former Bolton Wanderers star formed the most unlikely partnership with Sam Allardyce during the club’s impressive 11-year stay in the Premier League. Their best finish saw them reach as high as sixth in the 2004/05 season and there still exists the famous video of Allardyce attempting his best dance moves with his star midfielder in 2003.

18

Sunderland: 637 points

Sunderland have been back to where they belong this season and are even on course for their highest-ever Premier League finish. The Black Cats have fought their way back from the depths of League One and may yet get the chance to move up the all-time Premier League table by the time that May arrives. A club built on the memories of stunning Jermain Defoe volleys and Kevin Phillips’ goalscoring heroics could now be about to form their most historic campaign yet.

17

Middlesbrough: 661 points

This time next year, we could be welcoming Middlesbrough back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. It was then that they welcomed the likes of Alvaro Negredo, only to struggle in front of goal when it wasn’t the forward finding the back of the net. It was the third time that they suffered relegation from the Premier League in their history and everyone around Riverside will be desperate to earn redemption almost a decade later.

16

Crystal Palace: 728 points

Whilst there is a running joke that Crystal Palace always end the season sat in 13th, the all-time table has them 16th and their form over the last year suggests that they could be destined for better things. From mid-table mediocrity, the Eagles have soared to become FA Cup winners, Community Shield winners and a side competing in European football. This is without doubt one of, if not the best Crystal Palace side in the club’s history.

15

Fulham: 804 points

Like Palace, Fulham have often been accused of ending their seasons sat in mid-table, but they won’t mind that. The Cottagers have become an established Premier League side once again under Marco Silva and have caused plenty of upsets on their way. Alas, it’s their time under Roy Hodgson that stands out the most, with the veteran manager taking the West London side all the way to the Europa League final in 2010. 15 years later, no one’s forgotten the stunning comeback victory against Juventus at Craven Cottage.

14

Leeds United: 831 points

Like Sunderland, Leeds United are back where they belong in the Premier League. The Whites are full of top flight history and still have their place on the all-time table after the success that they had in the early Premier League years. Their most successful campaign remains a third-place finish under David O’Leary in 2000 to bring Champions League football to Elland Road, as Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith all starred.

13

Leicester City: 846 points

It’s still absurd, isn’t it? Leicester City: Premier League champions. It remains the most impressive achievement in English football history, as the Foxes took the fight to the big six and somehow came out on top in the 2015/16 campaign. We’re unlikely to see a repeat anytime soon, if ever. Even after they suffered relegation last season, it’s tough to think about the Premier League without picturing Claudio Ranieri’s title winners.

12

Blackburn Rovers: 970 points

It’s been over a decade since Blackburn Rovers were relegated from the Premier League and they remain one of the biggest sides yet to earn promotion back to the top flight. From winning the title in the 1994/95 campaign, Blackburn were relegated in the 1998/99 season and then once more in 2012. History, however, will tell the story of how Sir Kenny Dalglish, with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, took his side to glory in 95.

11

Southampton: 1,100 points

For a while, Southampton couldn’t get much wrong in the Premier League. They thrived under Mauricio Pochettino then hired Ronald Koeman to pick up where he left off. The Saints also quickly became Liverpool’s favourite club, with Sadio Mane, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Virgil van Dijk all heading to Anfield for impressive fees. Although some will be quick to remember last season’s disaster, Southampton were once one of the best ball-playing teams outside the top six.

From Lara’s 400* to Mulder’s 367*, here’s a list of the top five scores in Test cricket

Ashish Pant07-Jul-2025Brian Lara on his way to 400 against England in 2004•Getty Images

Brian Lara – 400* against England (2004)

He had done it once and held the record for more than nine years before Matthew Hayden broke it. So, he decided to do it again, both times against England, both times in Antigua. West Indies trailing 3-0 in the four-match series batted first in the final Test and lost opener Daren Ganga early. In came Lara in the 14th over of the innings and could not be dislodged as the hosts declared their innings on 751 for 5 after 202 overs. In between, he plundered a hapless England bowling attack.Lara reached his century off 131 balls, his double ton off 260 and then his triple century in 404 balls. And then on the third morning, six months after losing his record for the highest Test score, Lara reclaimed it with a fine sweep off spinner Gareth Batty, going past Hayden’s 380. It didn’t take him long to become the first and so far, the only batter in Test history to reach 400 getting there with a sweep to deep square leg. He finished unbeaten on 400 off 582 balls, his innings laced with 43 fours and four sixes as West Indies declared.Matthew Hayden celebrates his world-record score of 380•Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Matthew Hayden – 380 against Zimbabwe (2003)

For the first time in more than 45 years, a non-West Indian batter held the record for the highest score in Test cricket. It was Hayden who decided to unleash his fury on Zimbabwe and their bowlers had no answers.Zimbabwe had a bowl in the first Test against Australia at the WACA, in Perth, a decision they would later regret. Hayden opened the innings and for the next 146-odd overs, he sent the Zimbabwe bowlers to all corners of the WACA.Hayden became only the fourth Australia batter to reach a triple century in Test cricket when he pushed Heath Streak to mid-off, reaching the mark in 362 balls on the second day. It didn’t take him long to overhaul Lara’s record for the highest Test score by pushing Ray Price to long-on as the whole of WACA was on its feet. Hayden failed to reach the 400 mark though falling on 380, his innings consisting of 38 fours and 11 sixes.Brian Lara drives during his 375•PA Photos

Brian Lara – 375 against England (1994)

In 1994, it was 25-year-old Lara who etched his name in the record books by breaking Sir Garfield Sobers’ long-standing record. Having already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, West Indies went into the fifth Test against England brimming with confidence.The hosts slipped to 12 for 2 inside but then Lara owned the stage. He reached his century on day one before tripling it by the end of day two. On day three, he overhauled Sobers’ 365* with a pull off fast bowler Chris Lewis as Antigua erupted in joy. Lara finally fell for 375 off 538 balls, smashing 45 fours during his knock.Mahela Jayawardene smashed a Sri Lanka record•Getty Images

Mahela Jayawardene – 374 against South Africa (2006)

In 2006, the then-Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene came mighty close to overhauling the record for the highest Test score. South Africa batted first in the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo and were skittled for 169. Sri Lanka slipped to 14 for 2 inside four overs, but then Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene joined forces. And they batted, and batted… and batted.The duo added a world-record 624 runs for the third wicket as South Africa wilted. Sangakkara’s innings ended on 287 on the third day but Jayawardene became just the second Sri Lanka batter to record a triple century. He reached there with a drive through covers off 491 balls. He fell on 374 to Andre Nel. Jayawardene faced 572 balls and hit 43 fours and a six during his innings.Wiaan Mulder became the second fastest triple centurion in Test cricket•Zimbabwe Cricket

Wiaan Mulder – 367* against Zimbabwe (2025)

The newest entrant into the 300 club, Mulder, had every chance to overhaul Lara’s record of 400 but chose not to go for it. But he did break a number of records on his way to an unbeaten 367.Standing in as captain in the second Test against Zimbabwe, Mulder ended the first day on 264. On the second day, he quickly became the first South African captain and second player after Hashim Amla to record a Test triple ton, reaching there with a flick to deep square leg.Mulder raced to 367* at lunch on day two but declared soon after. He faced 334 balls and smashed 49 fours and four sixes in his innings.

Longtime first baseman and designated hitter Eric Karros had the Rockies' number over the course of his 14-year career—slashing .320/.380/.619 with 37 home runs and 108 RBIs in just 129 games.

On Tuesday, Colorado began to return the favor for all the damage the Karros family has done to it over the years.

With two out in the bottom of the sixth inning of the Rockies' game against the Dodgers, Colorado third baseman Kyle Karros—Eric's son—launched his first big-league home run over Coors Field's left-field wall. Eric was in the stands to witness the blast.

Kyle, a rookie out of UCLA, entered Tuesday having played in 11 games with the Rockies. He's slashed .273/.400/.364 with three runs batted in.

Eric, on the other hand, slashed .268/.325/.454 in 1,755 games played with Los Angeles, the Cubs and the Athletics. His 284 home runs rank 189th in history.

Though more of a doubles hitter than a home run hitter, Kyle has swatted six dingers in the minor leagues this year—so it was only a matter of time before he began his pursit of his dad.

Dietmar Hamann has said Liverpool boss Arne Slot has "lost control of his team", and that the Dutchman's "end" is near. The Champions League winning midfielder suggested Reds fans will be longing for the sensational return of Jurgen Klopp, after Slot's side fell to their ninth defeat in 12 games with a chastening 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

• Hamann lambasts Slot over poor Liverpool run

  Hamann, who played 280 games for Liverpool in a seven year stay on Merseyside, did not hold back in his assessment of Slot's performance in his column for

  The ex-Bayern, Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder suggested the Reds will have major problems breaking into the Premier League's top four, and that the problems within Anfield cannot be resolved quickly. While he did caveat his criticism by acknowledging the difficulty in integrating the many marquee signings made by the club in the summer, and the ongoing psychological burden of grieving for their teammate Diogo Jota, Hamann said the remaining credit Slot enjoyed for winning the title in his debut season has now run out. That prompted the 2002 World Cup finalist to float the sensational return of his compatriot Klopp to the top job at Anfield. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Hamann: "Slot's end is near"

  Hamann wrote: "Liverpool's 1-4 defeat against Eindhoven was their ninth loss in the last twelve games  I believe Arne Slot has lost control of the team. It's falling apart, everyone is doing what they want, like Salah before PSV's second goal.

  "Liverpool will have major problems finishing in the Premier League top four. I don't believe these problems can be solved quickly or easily. The situation is so complex that the club will certainly be discussing the manager's position.

  "Slots' end is near. I never thought it would come to this after the brilliant season he had lasted, but I believe his credit has now run out.

  "They've spent a fortune on players, but none of them have made an impact. After Diogo Jota's death, it wasn't easy to break into a team that had just lost a teammate. The question is, how long can you keep using that as an argument?

  "Many are already longing for Jürgen Klopp's return. If you ask the fans, many will surely say: 'That would be something!'

  "How likely is it that he'll return to Liverpool? I have no idea. But it would be the story of the decade. The club will already have considered alternative managers. I assume they've spoken with Klopp."

• Pressure on Slot ramps up after PSV debacle

  While criticism of Slot was rife before the calamitous defeat to PSV on Tuesday, shipping four goals at home to the Dutch outfit has intensified the scrutiny even further. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Slot "has a week to save his job" after his latest loss. 

  One German reporter has warned Slot to "watch out" as Klopp is eyeing a return to Merseyside, with speculation mounting the club has approached their former coach about a spectacular return.  

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Crucial week ahead for Slot

  If Hamann is correct, and the remaining credit for last season's title win has run out, then his ex-teammate Carragher could well be spot on too. This really is a crucial week for Slot's tenure as Liverpool coach. 

  First, the Reds travel to east London to take on West Ham on Sunday. The Irons are unbeaten in their last three league games, scoring eight goals in that run. Given Liverpool's defensive woes, that again could present a major problem to Slot's side. 

  Following that, Liverpool host this season's surprise package Sunderland on December 3. Regis Le Bris' side are tough to break down, conceding less than a goal per game upon their return to the top flight. 

  It's testament to the lose of confidence by Liverpool's players that these look to be tricky assignments for the Reds. These are two sides that Liverpool would have expected to blow off the park just a few months ago. Can Slot regain control of his team in time to save the Reds' season, and possibly, his job? 

However you want to slice it, he is a three-format monster and Sri Lanka’s first serious entry into the space-age batting genre

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jun-2025Roughly 70 overs into a scorching third day against Bangladesh in Galle, Pathum Nissanka smokes Bangladesh’s fastest bowler through the covers, flicks him past the keeper next ball, and soon speeds from the 150s into the 160s.He had faced a little over 200 deliveries by this stage, but even this far into a long day, Bangladesh’s bowlers are finding there is still so little room for error with this guy. While they labour in their run ups, feet picked off the ground as if out of wet sand, Nissanka is taut, poised and clinical. If your length is off, he has laid into a crisp drive, a rasping cut, and a dismissive pull, almost before you’ve looked.Bangladesh’s seamers are tall and imposing. Nissanka is compact and lean. But in this moment, on a flat Galle surface, Nissanka strikes you as the bully. In some passages, he is so intent on working every possible scoring opportunity that on his own he feels like a SWAT team storming every room of a building in search of suspects (runs).Related

• Pathum Nissanka is raising his bar one notch at a time

• Nissanka 187 leads SL's solid reply after Bangladesh post 495

His first 50 took 88 balls, as he let Lahiru Udara make the early charge while he settled in, but his next 50 took 48 balls, the next one 74, and he was roughly on track to make another 75-ish ball 50 when he was dismissed late in the day. His 187 off 256 balls (a strike rate of 73), is largely why Sri Lanka traveled at close to four runs an over, giving them a greater chance of moving into a winning position. But this 187, his third Test hundred in as many continents, is not Nissanka’s highest international score. That would be his 210 not out in ODIs.Any way you slice it, Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s first serious entry into the space-age batting genre. You know the type by now, right? The Harry Brooks, Glenn Phillips, Yashasvi Jaiswals of the world – the kind possessed of an ultramodern batting brain that takes the lessons from the shorter formats and sprinkles them effortlessly into the longest. Already, batters such as Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, and even Babar Azam, feel like prototypes of these. With the newest generation, the batting IQ is more elastic, the skills are more transferable, and the transitions are observably smoother. Getting stuck? Hitting a wall? Retreating into your shell? Ew. What is that?Sri Lanka have had three-format monsters before, but for the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, they had had to go through the effort of embracing aggression and innovation. For Nissanka, rapid and emphatic evolution is a natural component of his cricketing journey. Nissanka’s first Test hundred had been a hugely stodgy 252-ball 103 in the Caribbean, after he had broken into the red-ball team on the back of a first-class average in the mid 60s.Following that, he had a lean spell in Tests, and became a white-ball specialist while he overcame a bad back injury. Having picked up new skills, he returned to Tests, and hit a 127 not out at better than a run-a-ball at The Oval last year, in what was Sri Lanka’s funnest Test win of 2024.

“Until this match, I’d never hit a Test hundred in Sri Lanka. I’d wanted to break my own mental barrier. Thankfully, today I was able to do that.”Pathum Nissanka after his 187

He may be 27, but it is clear that already, we are looking at Nissanka 2.0. Cricket may still be lugging an almost 150-year old multi-day format, but as more nations are drawn into the sport’s gravity, and the populations in cricketing centres continue to explode, even the oldest format is probably changing as quickly as it ever has.If we are to be critical of the batter that has top-scored in this match so far, it is that he didn’t score enough runs down the ground. Yes, Nissanka has strong wrists and prefers the funkier anglings of the bat, even against the juiciest half volleys. But modern batting is also about accessing all 360 degrees of the ground. So sorry, we will be filing the wagon wheel of Nissanka’s biggest Test innings under “Areas for improvement”. When you are a three-format batter in the third decade of the three-format age, these are the breaks.Nissanka, helpfully, also thinks of his batting as having format-specific holes that need to be filled. “Until this match, I’d never hit a Test hundred in Sri Lanka,” Nissanka said after his 187. “I’d wanted to break my own mental barrier. Thankfully, today I was able to do that.”Another of Nissanka’s answers reveals a generational change. Asked how he and Dinesh Chandimal had planned to bat in what turned out to be the biggest partnership of the innings so far – a 157-run stand – Nissanka said they had planned to “just bat normally”. Chandimal was once one of the most aggressive Sri Lanka batters of his youth. But to him, batting normally meant hitting 54 off 119 balls. Nissanka also faced 119 balls in that partnership. But he crashed 103 runs.Pathum Nissanka brought up his fifty in 88 balls•Ishara S Kodikara/AFP via Getty ImagesScoring faster is actually a team directive, Nissanka revealed. “When we came into this series, we had a target that in this [World Test Championship] cycle, we’d raise our run rate. We tried that, and we have been successful so far. Hopefully, we can take that forward into other matches.” This, actually, is pretty standard stuff for a Test team in the mid 2020s.It took an exceptional second-new-ball delivery from Hasan Mahmud to dismiss Nissanka. It snaked in viciously, flicked the edge of his front pad, and crashed into the stumps. Nissanka missed out on a Test double century by 13 runs, and did express regret about it. But he didn’t seem that cut up. Don Bradman has 12 double-hundreds on his own, and Kumar Sangakkara has 11. Only ten batters ever have made ODI double tons. Nissanka is already part of the more elite club.If Nissanka’s goal is three-format domination, this innings, his biggest in Tests, is a good staging post. Sri Lanka’s hope is that for him, as for some hypermodern others, success in one format carries seamlessly into match-winning batting in another, and another. Sri Lanka don’t have any Tests to play in the next ten months after this series ends. But with huge T20 assignments coming up, they still desperately need Nissanka in roaring form.

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers doesn't hold back against her WNBA opponents on the court—and she doesn't seem to hold back against her own girlfriend either.

UConn guard Azzi Fudd shared a rare detail about her mostly private relationship with Bueckers during Thursday's debut episode of her podcast, . Fudd was discussing her first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in July, which at the time elicited a decent review from Bueckers: "8/10," Bueckers wrote, rating the pitch on social media.

But, the Wings star revealed her true feelings about Fudd's pitch afterward.

"Actually I'm happy about [the 8/10 rating]," Fudd said. "Because I think someone showed her the real video, and she was really disappointed that it hit the ground and she was like, 'You know what? At least you're pretty.'"

Bueckers confirmed her relationship to Fudd during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis last month, though it's not clear exactly how long the two have been dating.

Fudd, who's entering her final season with the Huskies, has since become a regular mainstay at Wings games cheering on the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. Bueckers has put up 20 or more points in her last four games for the Wings, but Dallas has gone 1-3 in that span and currently sit second to last in the league with a 8-22 record.

Returning quicks close out soggy win after Markram, Brevis and Ferreira cameos

Firdose Moonda10-Sep-2025Don’t read too much into it, but South Africa took the lead in the three-match T20I series against England after winning a game initially reduced to nine overs a side by batting for 7.5 and then defending an adjusted five-over target.Wet conditions in Cardiff stalked the match throughout as play began two hours and 20 minutes after the scheduled 6.30pm start, and was then interrupted with seven balls remaining in South Africa’s innings.South Africa were on track for a total over 100 thanks to a top-score of 28 from captain Aiden Markram, who sold for R14 million (US$800,000 approx.) at Tuesday’s SA20 auction and hit two fours and two sixes in the 14 balls he faced. Markam shared in a 32-run second-wicket stand with Lhuan-dre Pretorius before Dewald Brevis and Donovan Ferreira put on 36 off 15 balls to form the spine of a competitive total.A heavy burst of rain ended South Africa’s innings prematurely and England were set a reduced target of 69 of 30 balls. With a required run rate of 13.8 an over, their task was always going to be tough but losing Phil Salt and Harry Brook for ducks made it even more difficult. Jos Buttler returned to the top of the order and scored 25 off 11 but needed support against South Africa’s top seamers to challenge for the result to go England’s way.

Wood proves his worth

England made a late change to include left-arm seamer Luke Wood in their XI in place of Jofra Archer, who was wrapped in cotton wool in wet conditions. Wood seized his opportunity: his second ball, and first to the left-handed Ryan Rickelton, swung away, Rickelton drove with no footwork and edged to Buttler for a golden duck.Luke Wood claimed Ryan Rickelton for a first-ball duck•AFP/Getty Images

Markram hit Wood over mid-off for the innings’ first boundary later in that over, then back over his head for six and over mid-on for four at the start of his second over but Wood came back well. Pretorius tried to hit over the leg side but miscued towards mid-off where Brook dived forward to take a stunning catch and Wood ended with 2 for 22.

Brevis justifies the big bucks

After breaking the SA20 pay record and selling for R16.5 million (approx US$944,000) a little over 24 hours ago, Brevis is expected to produce big things and he delivered. When Liam Dawson was brought on in the fifth over, Brevis played the no-look six first up and then smashed a low full toss into the sightscreen for six more. He is a strong player of spin and dispatched Adil Rashid too, over midwicket for his third six.But when Sam Curran was brought on, to bowl his first international spell of the year, he foxed Brevis with an ultra-slow slower ball that Brevis played too early and edged to third. Still, his cameo in partnership with Ferreira showed off his quality – and the reason Pretoria Capitals were willing to splash the cash.Dewald Brevis drills a six down the ground•AFP/Getty Images

Welcome back, South Africa’s strike bowlers

The wisdom of picking Kagiso Rabada, who sat out the ODIs in both England and Australia with ankle inflammation and will have a big role to play in upcoming tours to Pakistan and India, and Marco Jansen, who has not played for almost three months, could have been questioned but both seemed keen to be back.Rabada’s first ball back was full to Phil Salt, who picked out Kwena Maphaka at deep backward square with precision. Rabada barely had time to celebrate his early strike before Buttler hit his fourth and fifth balls, both pace-off, for four and then six to close out the over strongly.Jansen beat Jacob Bethell to start but was then dispatched over midwicket for six before he had him caught at cover. After Brook missed a coupe, Jansen then found extra bounce to beat his uppercut and ended with a slower ball. He bowled a second over, mixed up his pace well and ended with the wicket of Buttler, caught off the inside edge, to end the game as a contest.South Africa were without Lungi Ngidi, ruled out of the series with a hamstring strain sustained at training on Tuesday, and Keshav Maharaj, who tweaked his groin during the warm-ups. Nandre Burger will replace Ngidi – who is due to fly home on Thursday – and will join up with the squad ahead of Friday’s second T20I in Manchester.

Eberechi Eze opened up to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the 'Beast Mode on Podcast', telling his former teammate that he deserved to be released as an academy player. Eze was first let go from Arsenal's youth setup as a 13-year-old, and failed to secure a professional contract with Millwall at the end of his scholarship with the south London club.

• Eze's long route back to Arsenal

  Eze reflected on his youth career with Akinfenwa on the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast. 

  Originally joining the Gunners as an eight-year-old, Eze was on the books with the north London club for the next five years. Following his release, he spent three seasons with Fulham, and a brief spell at Reading, before eventually signing a two-year apprenticeship with Millwall.

  When the young playmaker failed to make the grade at The Den, he got another chance with Championship side Queens Park Rangers, impressing technical director Chris Ramsey and winning a contract. After a loan spell alongside Akinfenwa at Wycombe Wanderers, Eze would go on to make 104 league appearances for the Hoops, eventually joining Crystal Palace in 2020 in a deal worth a reported £17 million.

  Five successful years at Selhurst Park, including scoring the winning goal in last year's FA Cup final, brought on a £60m switch back to his boyhood club earlier this year. 

  That transfer inevitably brought Eze's circuitous route back to the club into the spotlight. Despite many people telling him he never should have left the club in the first place, the playmaker was clear that he probably did deserve to be released, and that he did not feel an urgency over his career until he failed to make the grade at Millwall. 

Advertisement

• GOAL
  

  Eze opens up to Akinfenwa on Millwall release

  Asked when he first realised he might not make it as a professional, Eze said: "Getting released from Millwall at 17. That's the one when I was like, ‘OK, this is real’ because everyone's got their pros [professional contracts] and my boys are working or coming out of college or whatever. It felt like real life at that point.

  "At the time it's like, ‘Oh, this is serious’. I need to find something now, not wait six months or wait a year, I’ve got to get something. It was probably the first time that I felt a bit… this is crunch time now, but again, as I said, the faith, the belief. Maybe I was a bit delusional. Maybe? I don't know.

  "That's always how I felt, man, regardless of the situation. As intense as it may have felt, kept going."

• Eze: 'I deserved to be released'

  Asked about getting released as a youngster, Eze said: "I feel like maybe I'm too understanding, in a sense. I'll speak to people now about getting released and they’ll be like: ‘you should’ve never got released’. But I'm thinking in my head, ‘Nah, I probably deserved to get released’.

  "I had talent, but were there other talented boys? Yes. Were people doing more than me? Maybe. So I didn't see it as like I'm like this chosen kid that should be here, but somehow got released.

  "I saw it as it's part of football, and as I grew up and as I've grown up, I've started to understand that a bit more. I'm not really trying to prove them wrong, because at the time they were right. They made the decisions that were correct and the year after, they weren't saying, ‘oh, you're so wrong’. It's only now that they started to talk about it."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Eze enjoys high expectations at Arsenal

  Eze spoke with real passion about his time back at the north London club, telling Akinfenwa about the "special environment" at the club while name checking his team-mate Jurrien Timber as an example of someone who exceeds the club's already high expectations. Those comments and Eze's reflections on his younger days, show a player that is relishing his second chance at his boyhood club and is a testament to the work ethic Eze  he clearly honed in the face of so much disappointment as a young player. 

They came close – very close – but Pakistan’s destiny in South Africa has not changed just yet

Danyal Rasool29-Dec-2024Centurion is a great place to watch Test cricket, but even if you’re not particularly interested, there’s enough to keep you entertained. The queues for cheesy chips snaked out on most days, and more than 2 million rands of alcohol were sold. Couples lounged around the embankments shading themselves under giant umbrellas. Over by the scoreboard, a few people were jogging on the spot, raising money for a charitable cause. Unsupervised children of varying ages – invariably wearing the wildly popular fluorescent pink ODI shirt – set up their own games of cricket, scurrying back into the ground whenever a cheer went up to investigate if news was good or bad.But once lunch was over on day 4, that area which encircles SuperSport Park was no more a hive of activity. Nearly everyone had returned from the concession stands, those dozing under the umbrellas sat up. Even the children had packed away their little plastic bats and balls, aware this was a tense finish, but unsure why a multi-decade history of trauma was writ large on their parents’ faces.***Mohammad Abbas is bowling; he was bowling before lunch, and he was bowling yesterday. At this point, it seems like he’s been bowling for longer than he was out of the Test side. He might have been bowling since 2007, the last time Pakistan won a Test match in South Africa, because Pakistan have effectively been playing the same Test match here since.Related

• Secrets of Newlands pitch keep Pakistan guessing on team combination

• Mohammad Abbas ready for his redemption arc

• WTC final scenarios

• Stats – Jansen, Rabada and SA's ninth-wicket partnership for the ages

• Masood calls for more ruthlessness from Pakistan to kill off Tests

There are reasons South Africa cannot win this Test, primarily because it matters in a wider context. They are a handful of runs away from making a World Test Championship final, and a crack at yet another piece of silverware. They are – or were – in a winning position, and having begun to squander it, the path of heartbreaking failure looks like it has locked beneath their feet.But expecting Pakistan to win Tests in South Africa is a bit like being believing a steady diet of cheese will cure gout. That it failed to do so doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the cheese. It’s just not what cheese does.Mohammad Abbas had single-handedly threatened to put South Africa’s qualification to the WTC final on hold•Gallo ImagesThis makes it a contest of a movable force against a stoppable object, because any world where Pakistan win this sort of Test in South Africa turns the narrative upside down. The plot armour that has scripted a Pakistan defeat this Test appears nigh-on impenetrable. When South Africa have bowled poorly, Pakistan just offered their wickets up. When South African wickets were falling in a bunch, Pakistan spread out their fields, threw in an hour of indifferent bowling, and ensured there was enough “cushion”, as Shan Masood called it, for a South African win to still be believably scripted. Masood pointed out this had been an issue with Pakistan in every innings. He just meant this match, but he might as well have extended that characterisation to about half the Tests Pakistan had ever played in this country.But boy, is Abbas trying to change all that. After a first innings where his exclusion from the Pakistan side appeared vindicated, he’s working on reversing more than just one narrative. Every other over, he takes off his floppy hat, almost on autopilot, and walks over to the bowler’s end. It appears human function doesn’t resume after the over begins either, so metronomic is Abbas’s end-product. Eighty-six of the 117 balls he sent down across the innings hit a hard length outside off stump, giving South Africa no breathing room from his end and picking up half his wickets. For a player who has got more than half of his Test dismissals hitting the stumps, a further 17 threatened off stump, and produced the other three.For much of the morning, though, he probes in vain, as South Africa fend off the inevitable stutter Pakistan, as well as a taut South African crowd – more than 5000 of whom have turned up on a glorious summer day – are convinced will come. Pakistan review one that whooshes past Bavuma’s bat without success, and South Africa successfully have an lbw overturned when Bavuma is convinced he got an inside edge. Abbas’ Hampshire coach Graeme Welch has encouraged him to add the bouncer to his game, and when he sends one down from time to time, it’s a mean one, rearing up high and drawing as much bounce as the faster bowlers have extracted.South Africa are cheered on by their fans as they seal their spot in the WTC final•AFP/Getty ImagesMysteriously, though, Bavuma’s ability to tell when he’s got inside edges is selective, and when, for some reason, he strides out of his crease and tries to whack Abbas over midwicket, he misses. Mohammad Rizwan appeals, but the spot where he stands may as well be a coiled spring for how often he goes up. The umpire thinks he’s got an edge, and even though it’s only clipped the flap of his right pocket, the South African captain walks off.The joy in Abbas’ expressions when he picks up a wicket is always mixed with an air of surprise, as if wondering why the batter did whatever they did, because Abbas is always doing the same thing. Length, top of off, target the pads, look for the outside edge. Having deprived him for much of the morning, it does feel like the batters are doing something different, bats jutting out away from their bodies, outside edges as if by magnetic force flying towards the ball. David Bedingham, and Corbin Bosch, who weary Pakistan supporters were convinced would hit the winning runs to round off the torment, fall off successive balls, and South Africa’s curse looks set to prove stronger than Pakistan’s history.For Pakistan, the specific details of what happen next barely matter. For the record, Naseem Shah bowls a loose over, and Rabada rides his luck. Like a long-forgotten plot point, Aamer Jamal, who had been sending a few down during the lunch break, emerges, beginning with a no-ball and ending with two boundaries. The field is spread far out as Marco Jansen – who has until now averaged 6.33 with bat this year – and Rabada pick up singles at will, casually interspersing them between the boundaries.Abbas produces a Rabada outside edge that Rizwan was standing too far back to take, but Pakistan recognise it is merely the script’s attempt at a final jump scare as it inexorably takes its course through to its denouement. It was Rabada and Jansen here, just like it was Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla in the past, or Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince further back. The cast may have changed, but destiny has not. Pakistan still must keep their appointment in Samarra.

It’s shaping up to be a sensational season for Arsenal this year.

With nine games played in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side sit atop the Premier League table, six points clear of Manchester City and seven points clear of Liverpool.

Moreover, while the Gunners look impossible to score against at the moment, there is a real sense that the team could still move up a gear or two.

Even then, several Arsenal players are performing at levels fans have not seen before, including one big-money signing who is emulating Jurrien Timber’s rise.

Timber's rise at Arsenal

Arsenal made a number of impressive signings in the summer of 2023, including David Raya, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz.

Chalkboard

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

Yet the player fans probably knew the least amount, due to him not playing in England, was Timber, who moved to the Emirates from Ajax for a fee of around £38m.

Unfortunately, the supporters wouldn’t learn much about their new defender during his first season at the club either, as he suffered an ACL injury in the opening game against Nottingham Forest, which kept him out until the final match of the campaign.

Fortunately, the Dutchman didn’t miss anywhere near as many games last season and, as a result, made an incredible impact on the team, primarily by being solid as a rock on the right-hand side.

However, this year has seen the Utrecht-born monster take yet another step forward in red and white, as, in addition to being an elite lockdown defender, he has also become a genuine attacking threat.

For example, in just nine Premier League games, the 24-year-old has scored two goals and provided two assists.

Moreover, according to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of full-backs in the league this season for non-penalty expected and actual goals, shots on target and through balls, the top 6% for passes into the penalty area, and more, all per 90.

In all, Timber has become an all-action full-back who excels in all facets of the game, and as a result, it’s almost impossible to disagree with analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he is “one of the best Emirates-era signings.”

Therefore, it’s massively encouraging to see another one of Arteta’s big-money signings start to emulate him in certain ways this season.

The Arsenal star emulating Timber

There are plenty of Arsenal players having stellar campaigns so far this season, but someone who’s been a big surprise in the best way possible has been Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian international joined the club in the summer of 2024, and while he did so with plenty of fanfare, he did not have the best of debut seasons in red and white.

In fact, across the whole campaign, the former Bologna star made just 29 appearances, totalling 1497 minutes, which was almost entirely down to his truly dreadful injury record, which saw him miss 30 games for club and country and spend 175 days on the sidelines.

It was so bad, and Myles Lewis-Skelly did such a good job in his place that there were doubts over whether he’d actually be able to hold down a place in the team, or if he would suffer injury after injury before being shipped off, akin to what happened with Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Fortunately, this year has been completely different, and as things stand, he’s already made ten appearances for the first team, totalling 791 minutes, and is yet to miss a single game through injury.

This comeback is one of the similarities he shares with Timber, and the second is that, on top of simply being available, he’s also been absolutely incredible for the team this year, both defensively and especially going forward.

For example, he’s already scored a goal and provided two assists, and his underlying numbers, like the Dutchman’s, are sensational.

According to FBref, the £120k-per-week monster ranks in the top 1% of full-backs in the league for total shots, the top 4% for expected goals, the top 7% for goals plus assists, the top 10% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and more, all per 90.

On top of the incredible numbers, the Rome-born wildcard is also one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league.

For example, the freedom given to him by Arteta and his subsequent roaming approach to the game have led him to being described as a “wild horse on the loose” by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean and “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” by journalist James Benge.

Ultimately, while he had a poor start to life at Arsenal, Calafiori has exploded into life this season, and, like Timber, has become one of the most indispensable players in Arteta’s squad.

Not Eze & Gyokeres: Arsenal pair look like the best since Bergkamp & Henry

Aretat has helped to create Arsenal’s best duo since Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 27, 2025