The Matildas have been given a reality check just over 12-months out from the Asian Cup on home soil with their defending in a 4-0 defeat to Japan at the SheBelieves Cup labelled “un-Australian” by interim coach Tom Sermanni.
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The gulf in class between the two sides in Houston could not have been more evident as Australia succumbed to its largest ever losing margin to its biggest regional rival.
If they’re to lift the Asian Cup next year then improvement in every facet of the game will be needed. This performance will either prove to be just a bad day at the office or an almighty warning sign.
The only positive from a dire outing is that the flaws have been ruthlessly exposed now when there’s still more than enough time to turn things around.
It was tough watching for interim coach Tom Sermanni.
This was the seventh match of his third stint in charge of the national side and it ended with the biggest defeat of that period.
The 70-year-old has a unique way of delivering bad news in a polite way, but even his assessment of the performance against Japan landed like a sledgehammer.
There are few things that hit home more than being labelled “un-Australian,” but there could be no other assessment of the Matildas effort without the ball in his 145th match at the helm of the Matildas.
“We want to be a team that is hard to beat and to be honest today, we really gave up some soft goals,” Sermanni said.
“I just felt some of the goals that we gave up were very poor, and that’s kind of un-Australian.”
The Matildas were dealt a reality check.Source: AFP
A CLASH OF STYLES
The opening five minutes of the match told the story of the entire game.
Japan retained possession with poise, patience and a huge dose of technical skill. The Matildas, in contrast, routinely turned the ball over on the back of a relentless and organised Japan press.
It was 2-0 at half-time but could’ve easily have been more and Japan’s third goal in the 52nd minute came off the back of a free-flowing 14-pass move that culminated with Maika Hamano being able to almost walk the ball into the back of the net.
“Sometimes you just have to sit back say ‘you know what, we were just played off the field today’ and that’s what we were,” Sermanni said.
“They were quicker to every ball, they kept possession fantastically; when we tried to press, they broke out of the press, when we sat back they managed to play through us so sometimes you have one of those games.
“I’d like to give you X, Y and Z as to why it happened, but in reality, they were just very, very good today and we were a bit off.”
Strangely, the Matildas were second best when it came to aerial challenges as well.
Japan’s fourth goal, which came via a Moeka Minami header, was one of many duels Australia lost in the air. It was uncharacteristic to say the least. They’re moments that even on a bad day the Matildas are usually in control of.
“I just felt some of the goals that we gave up were very poor,” was Sermanni’s assessment.
Physicality and intensity are the fallbacks when tactically things aren’t going to plan for Australia, but those attributes are only able to be applied when you can get near your opponent. That was something that proved out of reach.
The Matildas gameplan seemed to revolve around trying to win possession off long balls and playing off the back of that higher up the pitch and out of danger.
Japan produced a masterclass that was in complete contrast.
Their technical ability allowed them to keep the ball for long periods of time, shifting the Matildas defensive formation around until an opening appeared which they exposed with efficiency.
Sermanni, when asked where it all went wrong, didn’t try to deflect or make excuses.
“We were outplayed football wise, we were outplayed physically, we were outplayed, I think, mentally and outplayed in our decision making.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 20: Holly McNamara controls the ball against Yui Hasegawa.Source: AFP
ONE SHOT FOR THE MATCH
The statistical summation of the game doesn’t make for pretty reading for Australia.
The lone shot at goal came in the 87th minute and off the boot of left back Charli Grant, who was a second-half substitute for captain Steph Catley.
The attempt cannoned into the crossbar, but as spectacular as it would’ve been had it nestled into the back of the net, it still would’ve been little more than a consolation goal.
Grant’s effort came on the end of a nine pass move that followed a near miss-kick from Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold that offered Japan the chance to make it 5-0.
It was a rare moment of cohesion from a side that looked largely disjointed.
Japan finished with 18 shots and 8 on target.
MARY FOWLER
Fowler is one of the most technically gifted players in the Australian set-up but finding ways to get her into the game in green and gold has been problematic.
She came into this tournament with three goals and five assists from her last four games for club side Manchester City. It gave her the honour of being the first player in the history of the Women’s Super League to record at least two goal involvements in four straight matches.
This loss doesn’t fall on Fowler’s shoulders by any stretch, but the question of how to ensure she can have the most impact on matches remains unsolved.
The 22-year-old was able to get on the ball more in the second half, but a lack of possession from Australia more generally, hindered her ability to hurt Japan.
A fully firing Fowler isn’t the answer to all of Australia’s problems, but it certainly is part of the jigsaw.
THE SELECTION TABLE
Sermanni named a full-strength side to face Japan.
If this was the Asian Cup final then the team the Matildas would put out would be almost the same.
There’d be a lineball call on whether Sharn Freier, Kaitlyn Torpey or Tameka Yallop started on the left, but apart from that the starting eleven would be identical if everyone was fit and available for selection.
A performance that led to a defeat like this with an experimental side would be understandable.
This result against Australia’s best possible side is problematic.
“It was a pretty huge wake-up call I think,” Sermanni said.
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THE NEW KIT
On a day when Football Australia launched its new kit there was a frustrating sense of familiarity to the Matildas’ struggles in possession against a highly technical opponent.
That had nothing to do with the strip of course.
The jersey has been met with mixed reviews online, but Australian football fans might just find it grows on them.
Some kits look better on the field with shorts and socks included than hanging on the rack at your local retail outlet.
This one has the feel of being a collector’s item in 20-years-time, similar to the jersey worn by the Socceroos between 1990 and 1993 which is sought after right now.
Give it time.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Matildas have just three days to learn and move on from this result before running into tournament hosts America in Glendale, Arizona on Monday morning (AEDT).
Sermanni, who is holding the fort while Football Australia continues its search for Tony Gustavsson’s full-time replacement, has his work cut out for him.
“As a professional you need to bounce back after bad results and this will be a good test and probably a benchmark for the team to see if we’re able to do that in the next two games,” he said.
As affable as the interim is, he has left his players in no doubt as to what is now required.
Well, that was surprising. Tony Popovic’s 26-player squad to face Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in two crucial World Cup qualifiers over the next fortnight has dismantled the status quo.
The family, as the squad and environment were so often described under former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, has been broken up and, in its place, sits an eclectic mix of new faces and ones that seemed to be surplus to requirements.
Others, meanwhile, are completely missing through their own choosing; as is the case with Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, or have been excluded, where they were previously part of the furniture.
Popovic, after taking on the role just weeks before the last international window in October, said he wanted to ensure that nobody felt they had a right to a Socceroos jersey. With this squad he has done just that and perhaps the biggest story surrounds three players who won’t feature in Melbourne and Bahrain this month.
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THE MISSING PLAYERS
Alex Robertson
When Alex Robertson made his debut for Australia in a friendly against Ecuador in March last year, it seemed like the next 100-cap Socceroo had been discovered.
The midfielder, who is now on the books of Championship side Cardiff City, is one of those players blessed with both tactical and technical skill in abundance and it appeared as though the battle for his allegiance was won.
After all, with his father Mark and grandfather, also named Alexander, in the stands in Sydney that night, he became a third-generation Socceroo.
Mark represented Australia in 2001 and Alexander in the mid 1980s.
But Robertson is also eligible to represent Scotland, England and Peru through birth, residence and family.
After playing his junior football in Sydney, Robertson made the move to the UK as a teenager and represented England at youth level.
The 21-year-old hasn’t featured for Australia since a 2-nil friendly defeat to Argentina in Beijing in June last year and whether he adds to his two caps is now up in the air.
Last month, Robertson’s absence from the squad for games against China and Japan was explained as a paperwork issue with FIFA that hadn’t been resolved yet.
Now, it seems, Football Australia has done everything it can to resolve the matter.
“That sits in his hands now,” Popovic said after unveiling his squad in Melbourne.
“If he wants to play for the Socceroos, he needs to make himself available.
“It’s an Alex decision on what he wants to do.
“If he wants to make himself available for the Socceroos then we can look at whether we select him, but at the moment we don’t have that option.
“You have to respect the shirt, the badge; you have to respect the honour of playing for the Socceroos and we also have to respect the fact that everyone can make their own choice.
“Right now, his decision is not to make himself available.”
It’s a measure of Robertson’s immense talent that Popovic went on to say that the door hasn’t been closed because of this latest development, but fans who have long called for his inclusion in green and gold, at least now have some clarity on the matter.
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Nestory Irankunda
The other big name missing from the squad list was that of Nestory Irankunda.
The 18-year-old, who swapped Adelaide United for Bayern Munich in the off-season, has made a positive start to his time at the German powerhouse.
The winger has been scoring for both Bayern II in the Regionalliga and also in the UEFA Youth League, but his output at international level has been mixed.
He looked lively and dangerous in the last fixtures of the Graham Arnold era, but struggled in his first match under Popovic, when handed a starting role against China in Adelaide last month and then didn’t feature against Japan.
Nestory Irankunda of Australia controls the ball during the round three 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Bahrain at Robina Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Popovic’s system, where the wingers play a more inverted role, doesn’t seem to suit the teenager. He’s more comfortable wider on the right, and so far, that is at odds with Popovic’s preferred tactical set-up.
“It’s just a selection decision,” Popovic said.
“We know he’s a young man with a lot of potential, who is signed at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“We just feel it is an opportunity for him to settle in at Bayern and get the development that he needs there and the growth.
“We still hope that we really see this potential moving forward from him in the national team in years to come.”
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Keanu Baccus
It won’t be a major headline, but the decision not to call-up Keanu Baccus is still notable.
The combative, deeper lying midfielder, was a mainstay under Arnold, who shot to prominence at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 while locked in a fierce battle with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in a heart stopping round of 16 defeat in Doha.
Under Popovic, Baccus has only seen 10-minutes of action, and that was in a largely unfamiliar right-back role against Japan, in the 1-1 draw in Saitama.
The new coach has plenty of options in central midfield too in the form of Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Max Balard, Anthony Caceres and Patrick Yazbek.
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THE NEW PLAYERS
Anthony Caceres
Anthony Caceres has often been referred to as the best player never to represent Australia at any level.
Now 32, it appeared the chance of the Sydney FC midfielder shedding that tag was slim, but the door has finally opened.
Caceres seems perfectly suited to Popovic’s system where those further forward are required to be comfortable and make good decisions in extremely tight spaces.
In fact, he’s done just that his whole career.
There was a school of thought over the years that while Caceres was technically gifted, he lacked a killer edge in the final third.
But with three goals, 10 assists and 13 goal involvements to his name last season, those concerns have been allayed, if Popovic ever had them at all.
“He’s been a player that I’ve admired for a very long time,” said Popovic.
“He deserves his chance.
“Every coach has their ideas and this is his chance now.
Max Balard
It’s perhaps the ultimate compliment, that after moving from the Central Coast Mariners to Dutch Eredivisie side NAC Breda this season, the local media in the Netherlands quickly dubbed the 23-year-old the ‘Australian Kante.’
It’s a nod to former Leicester City and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, who is one of the finest ball-winning midfielders of his generation.
Balard missed selection for last month’s window, but should now get the chance to shine, after proving to Australia’s new coaching staff that he can be just as damaging with his range of passing as well.
“He’s had some very good performances this year,” Popovic said.
“We’ve been monitoring him prior to the last camp, but I think in the last month, his game has become more consistent; more balanced in his play, with and without the ball.”
Hayden Matthews
The 20-year-old Sydney FC central defender only signed his first professional contract in January this year and has now earned his maiden international call-up.
At 195 centimetres, he is a towering figure, and although on the surface, it looks like Matthews has been included to get some experience in an extended 26-player squad, it’s interesting that he’s on the radar of the national team boss so early in his career.
Keanu Baccus did not find himself in Popovic’s squad. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE RETURNING PLAYERS
Rhyan Grant
The last time Rhyan Grant featured for the Socceroos was in a third round World Cup qualifying defeat to Japan in Sydney in 2022.
The tireless right-back has seen a long list of players cycle through that position in an Australian shirt since then, but never in his wildest dreams did the Sydney FC captain think he’d be considered again.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming, but I’m absolutely delighted,” Grant said.
The 33-year-old, who has 21-caps to his name, thought his time had passed, and stressed that point whenever the topic of a recall to international football surfaced, but could well be the answer to the problematic position again.
Brandon Borrello
The search for a striker who can score on a consistent basis is just as puzzling as the absence of an established right back.
Brandon Borrello will fight for minutes alongside Mitch Duke and Kusini Yengi.
The Western Sydney Wanderers quarter-final exit at the hands of Adelaide United in the Australia Cup left the forward short of minutes for the October window, but with 266-minutes and two goals from three games under his belt in the A-League this season, he’s moved back up the pecking order.
Milos Degenek
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek.
In an extraordinary interview at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 he offered an insight into the mentality he takes into games.
“The lion mentality is, you either eat or you get eaten, and that’s the simplest way to put it,” Degenek said at the time.
“I used this term before the Peru game with the boys, I said ‘there’s bread on the table’.
“Either we eat tonight; my kids, my wife and my family eats tonight, or they eat and my kids go home to sleep hungry and my wife as well – and I don’t want that to happen.”
Degenek has missed most of 2024 due to injury but is back on the park and played in FK Crvena zvezda’s first round Serbian Cup game just over a week ago.
The 30-year-old, who can play as a central defender or right-back, adds versatility to the squad and even if he doesn’t feature on the field, he’ll be a force for good around the squad.
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Martin Boyle
Martin Boyle looked out of sorts in the September window as the Socceroos stumbled against Bahrain and Indonesia in, what turned out to be, the final days of the Arnold era.
He didn’t feature in Popovic’s first squad, but his form for Hibernian, in Scotland, has been hard to ignore.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists to his name this season and could potentially be deployed as an inverted winger or striker.
His experience will also help the side deal with the scale of the challenge in-front of them.
A victory over Saudi Arabia next week will go some way towards rectifying the Socceroos dire start to the third round of qualifying.
Australia is currently second in group C but locked on five points with their next opponents, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
A top two finish in the group earns automatic qualification for the next World Cup in 2026, so the stakes around every fixture from here are high.
Squad: Max Balard, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Jordy Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Milos Degenek, Mitch Duke, Joe Gauci (GK), Jason Geria, Craig Goodwin, Rhyan Grant, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Paul Izzo (GK), Hayden Matthews, Riley McGree, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan (GK), Harry Souttar, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi.
Throughout Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager, he has got a lot right.
Statistically speaking, Southgate is one of England’s greatest managers thanks to semi final and quarterfinal appearances at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively along with a run to the final at Euro 2020.
He’s also overseen the transformation of a squad dripping with superstars but lacking chemistry in the early 2010s to one that plays as a cohesive unit and isn’t divided by allegiances at club level.
Most importantly, he fostered an environment to remove the fear factor typically associated with wearing an England shirt, a jersey so often shackled by the weight of expectation from the nation.
However, there’s a sense that for all Southgate has achieved in the England hot seat, he should have turned those deep tournament runs into something more.
The Three Lions’ trophy drought is well documented. Not since the 1966 World Cup has the men’s team won anything.
Although Southgate has come the closest to ending it, the window for this crop of England stars is rapidly closing.
Before we know it, the 2026 World Cup will arrive and it will be time for a new generation to take the nation forward.
Southgate knows just as much, with his Euro 2024 squad a nod to the here and now but also with an eye towards the future.
This tournament may well prove to be Southgate’s final bow as England boss given his contract expires in December and even if the FA want to keep him on, there’s no guarantee he’s keen to stay in the post.
But with some brutal omissions from his final 26-man squad, the 53-year-old has shown he won’t be left wanting if this truly is his last dance as Three Lions boss.
Euro 2024 looms as Southgate’s last tournament outing as England manager. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE ‘SAD’ CALLS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN … AND HOW ‘TALISMAN’ CAN BE A LASTING LIGHT
For the majority of his time in charge, Southgate has been dogged by accusations he has picked on reputation rather on form.
But several brave selection calls for England’s Euro 2024 squad proved those doubters wrong.
Jordan Henderson, a longtime stalwart of Southgate’s squads and a former captain, didn’t even make the preliminary Euros squad.
Nor did Marcus Rashford, who was woeful for Manchester United this season but one of England’s most damaging attacking options when on song.
But the biggest selection shocks were to come: Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Jack Grealish all failed to make Southgate’s final 26-man squad.
Maguire, one of Southgate’s most trusted lieutenants and a physical presence on set pieces, missed United’s final five games of the season with a calf injury.
Although there was a chance Maguire would return to fitness later in the tournament, Southgate could not afford to bring a body who wouldn’t be ready to go for the group stages.
Maddison registered just five goal involvements from Tottenham’s final 17 league games but “still thought there would be a space” in the squad given he’d “been a mainstay” through England’s Euro qualifying campaign.
Such was the shock over Grealish’s snub, The Telegraph reported a senior player spoke to Southgate to understand the decision as his England teammates visited his room to offer support.
Grealish’s form had dropped off compared to his displays in 22/23 for Manchester City but many expected the winger to make the cut given his remarkable dribbling ability and protection of the ball.
Grealish’s omission left several players stunned. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“In the attacking positions we’re blessed with a lot of options and Madders and Jack gives us something different,” Southgate said on his final squad.
“They were tough calls, but we back our decisions but recognise we could’ve gone a different route. It was sad to have to deliver that news to them.”
Southgate decided to reward the likes of Crystal Palace duo Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton for their impressive late season form while Manchester United’s teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo also earned a call-up.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon was the man picked ahead of Grealish thanks to an impressive season in which he scored 11 league goals and chalked up 10 assists.
So yes, there’s an element Southgate has finally picked a team — or at least some players — on form.
But he’s also taken a major gamble on some of his bigger names, making certain exclusions all the more puzzling.
John Stones started just two of City’s last ten league games while fellow centre back Marc Guehi only returned from three months out with a knee injury for Crystal Palace. on May 6.
Luke Shaw, the only natural left back in the team, has not played since February.
Kieran Trippier, who has had to deputise at left back in Shaw’s absence, missed eight of Newcastle’s last 11 games with a calf injury and two of his three appearances in that spell were substitute appearances.
Shaw has been out of action for several months. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Source: AFP
The inclusions of Stones and Guehi must have left Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite wondering what more he could’ve done having played 35 games for a Toffees team that conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the Premier League.
Outside from the controversial squad calls, Southgate has shown he has one eye on the 2026 World Cup.
All up, only 12 of the 25 in England’s 2022 World Cup squad remain, heralding the slow transition of a new generation into the team.
The age factor is also another intriguing subplot in England’s Euro 2024 squad as 46 per cent of players are aged 25 or under.
One of which is 20-year-old Jude Bellingham, who moved to Real Madrid for an eye-watering $AUD168 million last June.
“Southgate has fretted about a number of problems but after Iceland they seemed to be flushed into the public domain, the narrative taking in the search for someone to ride to the rescue,” The Guardian’s David Hynter wrote.
“Which is where Bellingham – who was given additional leave after his involvement for Real Madrid in their Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund on last Saturday – comes in.
“It is not difficult to present him as a talisman, given the spectacular season he has had for Madrid.”
With the next crop of stars slowly drip-fed into England’s senior team, it places extra emphasis on Euro 2024 for those senior figures to finally taste tournament success.
Six players in this England team are aged 30 or over and if this same squad is picked for the 2026 World Cup, that number would increase to nine.
Yet there’s just one small matter that takes precedence over any future squad selections: Southgate’s future.
Bellingham will be England’s go-to guy for many years to come. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HOW ‘HUMBLING’ DEFEAT COULD BE BEST THING TO HAPPEN IN SOUTHGATE’S ‘LAST CHANCE’
There’s two ways people tend to view Southgate’s time as England manager.
Prior to his appointment, England had not made it to the semi final of a major tournament since Euro 1996 under Terry Venables.
But under Southgate, England made the semi finals twice across two World Cups and Euro 2020.
By providing relaxed atmospheres and giving his players freedom to do what they do best, the 53-year-old uncovered the blueprint to finally make England consistently successful.
On the contrary, Southgate’s England have made for, at times, dour viewing.
Some will also feel they could and should have done better in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with Southgate’s tactics called into question.
Southgate even admitted just as much: “Could we have done better at different moments during a semi final or a final? Well, yeah, I expect so.”
A worrying run of just one win in their last five leading into Euro 2024, including a 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley, did little to inspire the nation as the team was booed off.
England also managed just one shot on target the entire game, their lowest figure since the Euro 2020 fixture against Scotland.
The need to physically manage the players was used by Southgate as a key mitigating circumstance for the loss to Iceland, but it was an alarming defeat nonetheless.
“The idea was that the Wembley send-off against Iceland would represent a reset; but it went hard in the other direction,” Hynter wrote.
England slipped to a shock loss to Iceland in their final friendly ahead of Euro 2024. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“The result was bad, a surprise 1-0 defeat; the performance was worse. Southgate was unhappy in the dressing room, making it clear that everything had to be better — particularly the mentality.”
Defeat to Iceland also provided a grim reminder of what happened when the two sides met at Euro 2016 as the underdogs produced the performance of a lifetime to knock England out in the Round of 16.
Given England’s status as heavy favourites to win Euro 2024, losing to Iceland in a game that was billed as a celebratory occasion was immensely deflating.
“Losing against Iceland was unexpected and certainly a setback ahead of the Serbia game, but it doesn’t have to be a huge body blow,” Tanner wrote.
“If it eases the pressure and stems the flood of folk singing, ‘It’s coming home,’ then that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“As long as several of Southgate’s men recover physically and mentally, it could actually be the humbling experience that could prove to be a blessing in disguise.”
Regardless of how long or short England’s tournament lasts, attention will quickly shift towards Southgate’s future.
It is no secret he is out of contract in December, leaving the FA with a big decision to make.
Southgate came awfully close to leaving the role in the wake of England’s quarterfinal defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup, but elected to stay.
The 53-year-old has swatted away all questions regarding his future in the lead-up to the tournament and insisted it is not a distraction.
Southgate has largely refused to entertain his future beyond the tournament. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
“Well, for me, it’s not an issue and never has been,” Southgate said.
“I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there’s enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that’s where my focus should be.”
However, Southgate gave his strongest indication yet that even if the FA want him to stay on, it will take a historic tournament to remain in the post.
“I think about half of the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.
“I’ve been here for almost eight years now and we’ve come close so I know that you can’t keep standing in front of the public and saying ‘please do a little more’, because at some point, people will lose faith in your message.”
Southgate must hope people have faith in his message for one more month.
Another season has come and gone as Manchester City made history by becoming the first team to win four-straight Premier League titles.
In a campaign in which the most goals were scored in a season since the mid-1960s, Guardiola’s side pipped Arsenal to the post yet again to make it six league titles from the last seven.
It was significantly less successful for Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United as the promoted trio were sent straight back to the Championship in what was a 26-year first.
Sandwiched between City and Sheffield United were a host of teams who all defied, met or fell way below pre-season expectations.
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If ever there was a fitting song to describe Arsenal’s season, look no further than Linkin Park’s classic, In The End.
Mikel Arteta’s side really did try oh-so-hard and they got oh-so-far.
But in the end, it didn’t even matter because ultimately no-one remembers who came second.
However, to summarise Arsenal’s season by just a few lyrics is an immense disservice to the way they improved significantly on last year’s efforts.
Granted, the Gunners shelled out a whopping $AUD199 million to sign Declan Rice, but there was a reason Mikel Arteta was desperate to snap up the former West Ham skipper.
Same goes for Kai Havertz, who defied his famous chant and proved to his detractors the $113m Arsenal spent on him did not go down the drain with 13 league goals.
There’s a sense of what might’ve been had summer recruit Jurrien Timber not been injured and the impact he’d have had on Arsenal’s backline too.
It has been a tremendous season for Arsenal as they accrued more points, scored more goals and conceded fewer than they did in 2022/23.
However, a grim run in December in which the Gunners won three of seven league games coupled with a costly 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in April is what ultimately derailed their title bid.
The loss to Villa will sting given Arsenal could and should have been out of sight in the first half, if not for some dreadful finishing.
Regardless, Arteta’s side will be better off for the experience from another title charge and one senses a first Premier League trophy since 2003/04 is not far off.
Grade: A
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Aston Villa (4th, 68 pts, +15)
The sleeping giant is finally awake.
After 41 years, Aston Villa is back among Europe’s elite thanks to a top four finish, a predicament very few outside of those at Bodymoor Heath would have thought was achievable.
But under Unai Emery, Villa have transformed into a team that makes the impossible become possible.
What makes the Spaniard’s revolution even more impressive is he has not had to make significant surgery on the squad, with Youri Tielemans (free), Moussa Diaby ($98m) and Pau Torres ($59m) arriving in the summer.
Emery has instead drastically improved the players already at his disposal, including the likes of midfield duo Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz as well as fleet-footed winger Leon Bailey.
But the most notable example of Emery waving his magic wand on a player is with Ollie Watkins, who scored 19 goals and led the Premier League with 13 assists.
Emery has also had to overcome significant challenges in his first full season with Villa.
Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia, two starting players last season, suffered season-ending injuries before the season began while Kamara tore his ACL in February, exposing Villa’s lack of depth.
Throw in a run to the European Conference League semi-finals and it’s staggering how this squad held on for as long as they did in the race for a Champions League spot.
Yet this is a team who played Manchester City off the park in a 1-0 victory in December and did the double over Arsenal, showcasing just how freakishly good this team is when on song.
Next season will be an even bigger challenge but, as Emery and his merry band of Villa troops have proven, nothing can be out of the question.
Unai Emery has been arguably the manager of the season.Source: Getty Images
Bournemouth (12th, 48 pts, -13)
Stories of Andoni Iraola’s sacking were being written after Bournemouth’s 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in November, the club’s seventh loss in the first 11 games.
But the Cherries, who sat in the relegation zone and were among several pundits’ tips to go down despite a summer spend of $212 million, decided to stick with the Spaniard.
Boy, did it pay off.
The loss to City sparked a staggering run of six wins in Bournemouth’s next seven, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United, as pressure eased off Iraola.
Key to this run was star striker Dominic Solanke, who went on to record his best goalscoring season in the Premier League with a final tally of 19.
Iraola’s intense high press was pivotal for Solanke and the Cherries’ goalscoring fortunes as a whole, failing to score in just three games from January onwards and even then, those games were against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Defensive improvement will be required from Bournemouth if they are to rise higher on the ladder and go beyond the 48-point mark, the club’s highest total in the top flight.
But under Iraola, who recently signed a new deal to stay with Bournemouth until at least the end of the 2025/26 season and is a nominee for manager of the season, it feels like the Cherries are on the verge of something special.
Grade: B+
Dominic Solanke had a brilliant season in front of goal.Source: Getty Images
Brentford (16th, 39 pts, -9)
The big pre-season question on everyone’s minds when it came to Brentford was how they would fare without superstar striker Ivan Toney and his 20 league goals, at least until January.
The answer? Not very well.
Thomas Frank’s side sat as high as 9th in early November, but after a 3-2 win over West Ham, results took a nosedive.
The Bees won just three games and lost an alarming 14 across an 21-game stretch from November to mid-April.
It was hoped Toney’s return from a gambling ban would ease the burden on Brentford’s forwards and at first he did, scoring four goals in his first five games back.
But that was as good as it got for the star striker, with the Bees largely relying on Congolese winger Yoanne Wissa for goals.
Three wins in Brentford’s last six games ensured Frank’s troops would avoid being sucked into a relegation battle but the Dane knows a similar slump in form could be more costly next season.
Grade: D
Ivan Toney’s gambling ban had a huge impact on Brentford’s season.Source: Getty Images
Brighton (11th, 48 pts, -7)
A season that began with such so promise for the Seagulls ended with little more than a whimper.
With a Europa League campaign to contend with as well as the departures of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, enigmatic Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi had his work cut out for him.
But concerns about how De Zerbi would cope without the star trio were initially alleviated as the club won five of its first six games, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United.
However, that winning feeling largely deserted Brighton for the remainder of the season as De Zerbi struggled to keep the side humming on multiple fronts, finishing with seven defeats from the final 12 league games.
There was also a lack of consistency between the sticks as summer recruit Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele battled to be the starting goalkeeper, the last position that needs constant chopping and changing.
In fairness, Brighton were dealt a horrible hand with injuries with the likes of Solly March, Julio Enciso, Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Webster among others missing large chunks of the season.
De Zerbi also cut a frustrated figure in the media and struggled to deal with constant speculation linking him to bigger clubs as Brighton ultimately elected to mutually split with the Italian.
Time will tell if a fully fresh Brighton can get back to the heights they initially scaled under De Zerbi.
Grade: C-
Fans were grateful for Roberto De Zerbi, but his Brighton time came to a poor end.Source: Getty Images
Burnley (19th, 24 pts, -37)
Fresh off a Championship season in which they finished first with 101 points and lost only three games, some predicted Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side to be one of the surprise packages of the season.
And in some ways, maybe they were a bit of a surprise. But only in how bad they were.
Kompany quickly learned his possession-heavy approach simply would not work in the Premier League as Burnley were time-and-time-again sliced open by their rivals.
Burnley won just a solitary game before December as points deductions to Everton and Nottingham Forest was all that kept them in with a shout of a miraculous survival effort.
The Clarets’ transfer dealings were also questionable as they failed to properly replace Nathan Tella and Ian Maatsen, who accounted for 32 goal involvements in the Championship.
Instead, Kompany elected to bring in several young faces into the team who had little to no Premier League experience and it backfired spectacularly.
Burnley will be one of the favourites for promotion next season and if they achieve that, Kompany — if he is still in the job — knows he cannot afford to make similar mistakes again.
Then again, there’s shock rumours that he might be heading off to Germany to take over Bayern Munich. Stranger things have happened.
Grade: F
Burnley’s season was a disaster, but their coach might be rewarded for the flop with a cushy new gig.Source: AFP
Chelsea (6th, 63 pts, +14)
Now, there’s two ways one can look at Chelsea’s season.
They finished with 19 more points than they did in 22/23 — the biggest improvement of any team — as Cole Palmer emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League with 22 goals and 11 assists.
New boss Mauricio Pochettino also guided the team home to a sixth-place finish, bringing European football back to Stamford Bridge after a season without it.
Chelsea also made it to the League Cup final and the semi finals of the FA Cup.
Sounds decent, right?
Then you remember this is the same Chelsea who forked out $828 million on recruits in the summer — a Premier League record for a single window — and were well on track for a mid-table finish, if not for a five-game win streak to round out the season.
Sections of Blues fans called for Pochettino’s head, Nicolas Jackson had more yellow cards than goals for a brief period and the club suffered embarrassing defeats to Nottingham Forest, Wolves as well as a 5-0 thumping against Arsenal.
We’ve opted for the more optimistic approach because this is an awfully young Chelsea squad and although it took quite some time for them to hit their straps, they showed what they’re capable of in the final third of the season.
But how will they cope under yet another new manager next season?
Chelsea’s Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been punted.Source: AFP
Crystal Palace (10th, 49 pts, -1)
Whisper it quietly, but Crystal Palace might actually be fun.
As the Eagles sleepwalked towards relegation under Roy Hodgson, the club wielded the axe on the 76-year-old and brought in former Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner on February 19.
What a masterstroke it proved to be.
Glasner, who took over at Selhurst Park with Palace sitting 15th but perilously close to the bottom three, immediately brought a sense of excitement back to the club.
He found a way to re-energise Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise who, when on song, are two of the most electrifying talents in the Premier League.
But most impressive was Glasner’s ability to unlock a whole new level in Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Prior to Glasner’s arrival, Mateta had scored just 10 goals from 79 league appearances for the Eagles.
But the Frenchman transformed into a completely different player once Glasner took over, scoring 14 goals in 14 games.
Glasner won seven and lost just three games from his 14 in charge, with a memorable run of six victories from the final seven fixtures of the season sparking the most immaculate of vibes among the Palace fanbase.
If Palace can keep a hold of Eze, Mateta and Olise in the summer, there’s no reason why this team can’t kick on next season.
Grade: B-
Palace turned into a thrilling attacking side, and there’s plenty of optimism for next season.Source: Getty Images
Everton (15th, 40 pts, -11)
If there was a Premier League equivalent to Rocky Balboa, it’s Everton.
You can knock them down as many times as you like and throw haymakers until kingdom come, but the Toffees just won’t go quietly into the night.
Everton were slapped with an initial ten-point deduction in November for breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), dropping them into the relegation zone.
Those ten points were reduced to six in February upon appeal, but a second PSR breach resulted in a further two-point deduction in April.
Oh, and don’t forget the messy takeover saga with 777 Partners which still looks no closer to being ratified amid concerns over the group’s finances.
Having flirted with relegation the previous two seasons, it was feared the initial deduction might have been a mountain too high to climb for Sean Dyche’s side.
A 13-game winless streak from late December to April exacerbated those fears even more, but Dyche is no stranger to a relegation fight and knows exactly what was needed to steer the team to safety.
Roared on by a rabid fanbase desperate to survive and stick the proverbial finger at the Premier League, Everton went on to win five of their last eight — including a 2-0 victory over arch rivals Liverpool — to secure safety.
One of the most impressive aspects about Everton this season is how strong their defending had been, with their tally of 51 goals conceded bettered only by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
If Dyche can find a way to get the Toffees firing up front and maintain that defensive steel, Everton should enjoy a relatively drama-free 24/25 season.
Grade: C
Five wins from their last eight games ensured Everton’s survival, but it was another messy season.Source: Getty Images
Fulham (13th, 47 pts, -6)
Some feared the worst for Fulham when talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and his 14 league goals departed for the vast riches on offer in Saudi Arabia.
Why? Well, Fulham’s next highest goalscorers behind Mitrovic were Willian and Carlos Vinicius with just five goals each.
Raul Jimenez joined in the summer but struggled to fill Mitrovic’s boots and had his campaign derailed by injury.
Even though Jimenez was billed as Mitrovic’s replacement, it turned out to be Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz who stepped up when the Cottagers needed a hero.
The Brazilian enjoyed a stunning run of form in February and March, scoring eight goals in as many matches to show he belongs at Premier League level.
Alex Iwobi also proved to be a shrewd summer recruit, driving Fulham up the field with slaloming runs and picking out intelligent passes.
Considering Mitrovic’s importance and the goals he brought, Marco Silva has done well to keep Fulham up with relative ease.
But will Cottagers fans accept another season of mid table mediocrity?
Grade: C-
The Klopp era has ended at Anfield.Source: Getty Images
Liverpool (3rd, 82 pts, +45)
It was going so, so well for Liverpool.
Even as late as April 4, Jurgen Klopp’s side sat on top of the Premier League.
But the Reds just simply ran out of steam, winning just three of their final eight games to slip away in the title race.
If anything, Liverpool’s late collapse mirrored Klopp’s reasoning for why he would depart the club at the end of the season, citing he was “running out of energy”.
Granted, Liverpool were dealt a brutal hand when it came to injuries, forcing a number of young stars to step up.
Liverpool’s defensive struggles were also on full display in the second half of the season, keeping just four clean sheets from December 26 onwards.
Unsurprisingly Mohamed Salah was the Reds’ main goalscoring threat but in somewhat alarming scenes, it was his lowest goalscoring return since joining Liverpool with a final tally of 18.
It was still a marked improvement on Liverpool’s 22/23 season in which they finished outside the Champions League places, but some may be wondering what could’ve been in Klopp’s last dance.
As the German rides off into the sunset, or the more fitting weather depiction in Liverpool of grey skies and rain, one must wonder if similar memories are on the horizon or if that’s as good as it may get for some time.
Grade: B+
Klopp’s PERFECT goodbye to Anfield crowd | 01:11
Luton Town (18th, 26 pts, -33)
Just about every fan of the other 19 Premier League teams had Luton Town circled as the one away day they wanted most this season.
Famed for its rather unique entrance for travelling fans in which they enter between townhouses, Luton’s Kenilworth Road is an old, tiny ground, but that’s where its charm lies.
However, it’s an away day that lasted just one season in the Premier League as Luton, unsurprisingly, were relegated.
The Hatters elected not to spend heavy in the summer, opting for sustainability should they end up being relegated rather than recklessly burning cash and needing to deal with an inflated wage bill in the Championship.
Although Luton showed they rarely had issues scoring — shut out in only five games this season — they conceded a whopping 82 goals, the second-most in the Premier League.
It was a valiant effort from Rob Edwards’ troops this season and a run of three wins and two draws from six games across the festive period gave Luton fans hope that maybe, just maybe they’d survive their debut Premier League campaign.
However, 12 losses in Luton’s 16 games sucked the life out of their survival efforts as the gulf in quality ultimately proved too large.
Grade: D-
EPL Wrap: City CHAMPIONS again! | 03:10
Manchester City (1st, 91 pts, +62)
Once again we’ve reached the end of the Premier League season and once again Manchester City are champions.
This year’s triumph made it a record fourth-straight league title for Pep Guardiola’s side, highlighting the vice-like grip they have on the Premier League trophy.
Although City had a few wobbles in the first half of the campaign, they did not lose a single match after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on December 6.
City also had to cope without superstar playmaker Kevin de Bruyne for half of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in the opening match against Burnley while goalscoring freak Erling Haaland also spent time on the sidelines.
But Guardiola’s side found a way to overcome every challenge as English midfielder Phil Foden enjoyed his best season yet, scoring 19 goals and delivering eight assists in the Premier League.
Yes, City have 115 charges of breaching the PSR rules hanging over their head, leaving many to view their accomplishments with a big asterisk.
Yet until any punishment comes from that, we can only marvel at this unprecedented dominance from the best manager and one of the best teams in world football at the moment.
Grade: A
City players URGE fans to hold off | 01:21
Manchester United (8th, 60 pts, -1)
It was a season of unwanted records for Manchester United.
A lowest-ever Premier League finish. Their most losses in a league season. The most goals they’d conceded in a single Premier League season.
In fact, the Red Devils conceded more shots (668) than the infamous Derby County side of 2007/08 did (630). Yes, that Derby side that won just one game all season.
They’re not entirely exiled from European football just yet, as a win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final would secure a berth in the Europa League.
But that is not a reward Erik ten Hag’s side deserve one bit.
Marcus Rashford and Casemiro looked a complete shadow of the forces they were last season while a disjointed backline caused chaos, with Leicester City discard Jonny Evans drafted in to save the day.
The emergence of teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was undoubtedly the brightest spot of Manchester United’s season while Alejandro Garnacho continues to impress.
But the less said about this United season, the better.
Grade: C-
Rashford LEFT OUT of Euro squad | 01:17
Newcastle (7th, 60 pts, +23)
If you tuned in to a Newcastle game this season, you were, quite literally, guaranteed goals.
A team that scored four or more goals in a single match on ten occasions, the Magpies ended the season with a whopping tally of 85 goals scored.
Alexander Isak enjoyed a stunning season in which he scored 20 goals from 28 league appearances, while Anthony Gordon made himself undroppable with his impressive displays.
But at the other end of the field, the club took a major step backwards.
Having conceded just 33 goals last season, Eddie Howe’s side shipped 62 goals.
However, the team was decimated by injuries this season, with an alarming 258 games missed by players due to injury.
There’s also the small sideshow of Sandro Tonali, who was the club’s marquee summer signing but copped a 10-month ban for breaching Italian betting regulations.
Newcastle also had to contend with a Champions League campaign, which tested the club’s depth levels.
Although Newcastle suffered some patchy runs of form throughout the season, Howe deserves plenty of plaudits for guiding the Magpies to Europe once again, even if it is the Europa Conference League and dependent on Manchester City winning the FA Cup.
Grade: B
Alexander Isak had one hell of a season.Source: Getty Images
Nottingham Forest (17th, 32 pts, -18)
Nottingham Forest must be incredibly grateful for how badly the three promoted teams struggled this season, otherwise they would have been in serious strife.
After yet another big summer window, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had high expectations of Steve Cooper and his squad but they simply weren’t met in the first half of the season.
A 2-0 loss to Tottenham brought an end to the well-liked Cooper’s time at the City Ground as Marinakis brought in former Wolves boss Nuno Esperito Santo.
The Portuguese manager didn’t exactly transform the clubs fortunes but he did enough to ensure Forest stayed up, even though the club copped a four-point deduction for PSR breaches.
The brightest spot of Nottingham’s was the emergence of Brazilian defender Murillo, who joined in the summer from Corinthians, as the club faces a fight to keep him next season.
Although Forest’s on-field performance may have been lacking, they were box office entertainment off it.
An eagle-eyed fan spotted Marinakis’ accreditation nestled in the bushes of someone’s front garden in Fulham, presumably hurled in frustration having seen Forest lose 5-0.
Then there were the accusations Stuart Atwell, the VAR operator for Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton, was a Luton Town fan after the team had a number of penalty shouts turned down.
A less chaotic campaign both on and off the field surely isn’t too much for Forest fans to ask for, right?
Grade: D
Murillo deservedly won the club’s Player of the Year for a brilliant season, but he could be out the door with bigger clubs circling.Source: Getty Images
Sheffield United (20th, 16 pts, -69)
If there’s one small comfort Sheffield United fans can take from this season, it’s that they weren’t worse than the 2007/07 Derby County side.
However, the Blades’ tally of 104 goals conceded is 15 more than Derby shipped, so it’s still rather grim.
In fact, Sheffield United lost a game by five or more goals a staggering seven times.
Regardless, Sheffield United will want to forget this season ever happened.
Practically doomed from the start with a squad weaker than what it was in the Championship, the sales of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye made the Blades an easy choice to come last.
The club’s summer recruits also didn’t exactly inspire much confidence either given they were largely young players who had never played in the Premier League.
Paul Heckingbottom got sacked after a 5-0 loss to Burnley, leading to Chris Wilder making a surprise return to Bramall Lane.
But not even Wilder, who worked miracles when he got the Blades promoted in 2019, could muster any magic as Sheffield United trudged towards their inevitable fate.
Grade: Expelled
The Blades were truly atrocious this campaign.Source: Getty Images
Tottenham (5th, 66 pts, +13)
Not many would have given Ange Postecoglou a chance of overseeing an improved season from Tottenham Hotspur.
Throw in the exit of superstar striker Harry Kane and many feared the worst for the Aussie boss.
Instead, Postecoglou rolled up his sleeves, spent wisely in the transfer market and had his players quickly adapting to his all-action, high intensity style of play.
The Aussie brought an excitement factor to a team that had been devoid of any joy on the field for some time, even overseeing a ten-match unbeaten run which had Tottenham on top of the ladder.
However, injuries soon exposed Tottenham’s alarming lack of depth and it sparked a mid-season wobble as Postecoglou attempted to right the ship.
Although ambitions of a top four spot fell away with a horror run of five defeats in the final seven games, this season shouldn’t be viewed as anything but a success.
After all, it’s typically during the second season when Postecoglou really shines with his team.
Grade: A-
Ange Postecoglou entertained Spurs fans with a thrilling season … but there should be more to come.Source: Getty Images
West Ham United (9th, 52 pts, -14)
Grade: B-
After a difficult 2022-23 league campaign saw them manage just 40 points and a 14th-placed finish (partly down to focusing on the Europa Conference League, which they won), this year was another slog – even if they bounced back up the Premier League ladder.
It was always going to be hard this season after losing superstar skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal for £100 million plus bonuses.
In truth, they never really managed to mitigate that loss. Defensively, they were very poor: the third-most xG against, the third-most shots on target against, and a whopping 74 goals conceded. They clearly missed Rice’s defensive protection.
On the other hand, there were strong signs up front. For a team without a genuine striker, Jarrod Bowen banged in 20 goals in all competitions, their most by any player since 2004-05.
Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus were excellent, the latter becoming one of the breakout stars of the season and almost guaranteed to move to a bigger club in the off-season.
Manager David Moyes has turned West Ham into a solid, reliable unit in his last four-and-a-half years. A ninth-placed finish that sees a manager leave, and yet the fans are happy to see him go? It’s proof of how far he’s taken the Hammers.
Yet after a handful of gruelling seasons with European commitments placing an additional drain on players, his preference for a small squad proved his downfall.
Moyes started just 20 different players in the league, and made the fewest substitutions of any manager.
In the end, his team just ran out of legs – and their small squad means incoming manager Julen Lopetegui has a big transfer window ahead of him.
There were great moments for the Hammers, but another hectic schedule took its toll.Source: Getty Images
Wolves (14th, 46 pts, -15)
Grade: C+
Speaking of Lopetegui, remember when he left Wolves less than a week before the start of the season?
The Spanish manager had guided Wolves from a relegation scrap to a 13th-place finish in the space of seven months before walking out the door over a lack of spending on the squad.
Wolves were forced to sell a host of players to meet financial fair play rules and were widely predicted to be relegated.
In short, they were an absolute shambles. No wonder Lopetegui wanted out.
Wolves were left with a ridiculously thin squad, which injuries exposed – especially when they won just one of their last 10 games.
But they nevertheless achieved the most important things: they avoided a financial fair play punishment and balanced the books, ensured safety from relegation two months before the end of the season, and Gary O’Neil got the most out of just about every player at his disposal.
Just ignore their dire collapse in the last two months, and things seem a little bit more rosy.
He’s the all-time record goalscorer for England and Tottenham and the second-highest Premier League scorer in history.
Yet for all his goals and individual accolades, and his undeniable status as one of the greatest No.9s of the 21st century, Harry Kane just can’t win a major trophy.
The infamous ‘curse’ – once called the Tottenham curse, for the club he grew up just 15 minutes down the road from and would become a talismanic captain – now appears to have followed him to Germany.
Madrid had been the better team for most of the match, yet Kane teed up Canadian star Alphonso Davies to score the opener in the 68th minute with a screamer off his weaker foot.
But Munich coach Thomas Tuchel then substituted a host of stars – including Kane – to try and defend the lead.
Instead, it slipped through their fingers, with Kane watching from the bench as Madrid struck twice in the closing stages to book their place in the final at Wembley Stadium against another German team in Borussia Dortmund.
It was Kane’s 634th game for club and country. But in all that time, he is yet to win a major trophy.
Football fans often talk about a god of football. Perhaps Kane made a deal with football’s devil – to become one of the most celebrated scorers of his era, yet never to win.
Though he now resides in Munich, having made a club-record 100m euro move in the off-season, the endless taunts of opposition fans that have dogged the illustrious striker throughout his career must hit even closer to home.
In 435 appearances for Tottenham, Kane scored 280 times – putting him beyond even the great Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time top scorer. His record included 213 strikes in the Premier League, second only to Alan Shearer’s 260.
He claimed the Premier League golden boot in three separate seasons, yet the side that Ange Postecoglou now oversees is still chasing a first major trophy since the 2008 league cup.
Only once in the Kane era did they finish in the top-two in the Premier League – back in 2016/17, when Kane scored 29 times including a stunning four hat-tricks. Spurs finished with 86 goals, their most in a league campaign since 1962-63.
Even that wasn’t enough: Chelsea still won by seven points.
Face shove denies Real Madrid goal | 00:44
There have been other near-misses for Kane in his time at Tottenham.
The most painful, perhaps, is the 2018/19 Champions League final, when Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
There was also a 2015 League Cup final (lost 2-0 to Chelsea), another loss in the same competition in 2021 (1-0 to Manchester City).
Only a couple of months after that defeat, Kane suffered the greatest near-miss of his career: when England lost a penalty shootout to Italy in the final of the (delayed) 2020 Euros – once again on the famed turf of Wembley.
Harry Kane played every single minute for Spurs and England in each of the above finals. He captained the Three Lions in the latter tournament and scored in the shootout, just as he captained them in the 2018 World Cup and won the golden boot as they reached the semi-finals.
Kane was dejected after the loss.Source: Getty Images
After all these heartbreaks, after his long years of service to his hometown team, things were supposed to be different this season.
Bayern had won the German Bundesliga 11 seasons in a row – and won five of the last 11 DFB Pokal (German Cup) tournaments in that time too. They also won the Champions League, the Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup in both 2013 and 2020 – and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League semi-finals four other times in the period between those two titles.
The German team, put simply, were serial winners: juggernauts in the way that Tottenham can only aspire to be these days.
Kane has scored 36 goals (and four hat-tricks) with eight assists already in 32 league games this season, a record season for a newcomer to the Bundesliga that will all-but-assure him of winning another golden boot.
He added eight goals and four assists in 12 Champions League games – a record for an English player in terms of goal involvements in a CL campaign.
And yet Bayern have lost the Bundesliga title, currently sitting 15 points behind Bayern Leverkusen with two games to play. Even second place isn’t assured, with VfB Stuttgart looming just two points behind them.
Bayern were also dumped out of the German Cup – the DFB Pokal – in just the second round by third-tier Saarbrücken. They also lost the German Super Cup (played between the reigning league and cup winners) 3-0 to RB Leipzig, with Kane playing less than half an hour off the bench.
It was another sad defeat for Harry Kane.Source: Getty Images
The Champions League was their last hope.
And when Kane played a delightful pass for Alphonso Davies to score a sublime goal in the 68th minute, it seemed that a finals date with their German rivals Borussia Dortmund – and a return to Wembley for Kane – was within reach.
But it all fell apart as the nigh-inevitable Madrid juggernaut fought back, scoring twice through an unlikely source in Joselu, a 34-year-old loanee from second-division Espanyol.
Kane, meanwhile, was substituted in a move that left commentators floored, given he is Munich’s penalty taker and a shootout was possible. Kane is also an asset in closing out games given his ability to hold up the ball and waste time, and to defend corners and crosses. His replacement was a straight swap for Eric-Maxim Chuopo-Moting – a striker who had scored just three times in 920 minutes across all competitions this season.
It wasn’t the only controversial substitution. Star attackers Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane had both been taken off already by Thomas Tuchel, with Bayern going into a defensive shell that soon backfired.
But Tuchel after the game revealed that Kane’s substitution was forced, saying “He couldn’t keep going. He played with back pain and he couldn’t keep going, his back froze up.”
Perhaps the curse had found a new way to strike down Kane’s hopes, as the England superstar was left to watch from the sidelines as his Champions League dream faded away again.
It means that this season, for the first time in 12 years, Bayern will not win a trophy.
Harry Kane left England to win trophies, joining a club that has racked up silverware with ease – and somehow came up empty despite a maiden individual campaign for the ages.
Kane has never scored or assisted in a final, outside of his penalty shootout goal in the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.
And he has struggled to make an impact in many other crucial games, while key errors have also played a part in his failure to secure a single major trophy.
In the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, and with England leading 1-0, Kane opted to shoot instead of passing to a wide-open Raheem Sterling. His shot was saved and Kane’s follow-up hit the woodwork from just a metre or so out. England would collapse late in the match before losing in extra-time.
Kane after the Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final match against Croatia.Source: AFP
Four years later, he had the chance to make amends in the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar. This time it was against France. Kane scored a penalty, before having another attempt from the 12-yard dot late in the game with England a goal down. But Kane blazed it off the top of the bar, and the Three Lions were dumped out by the reigning champions.
That’s not to say that Kane is to blame for his failure to win a trophy for club and country – tactics and teammates have let him down time and again. But in just over a month, Kane will captain England at the Euros in Germany – and it could be the perfect opportunity to finally end his trophy curse.
The world’s fourth-ranked side enter the tournament as favourites, with Kane second-favourite to take the golden boot behind France’s Kylian Mbappe. His scoring form is set to prove crucial to the Three Lions’ hopes, and if he performs in big games, he could just prove the doubters wrong.
Having moved to Germany to win trophies and seen that turn into a disastrous 12-year low for Bayern Munich, it would be fitting for Kane to guide England to glory on the soil of his new home.
If he does so, he would not only end his own personal curse, but the one that has doomed his national team to repeated failures in their long wait for a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
Arsenal took the Premier League’s thrilling title fight to another level with a crushing victory, while Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have a massive clash with top-four rival Aston Villa ahead this weekend.
Here are the biggest Premier League talking points from another wild weekend!
If Arsenal are feeling the pressure of a Premier League title race, they sure aren’t showing it.
In the last two rounds, they have played their matches after rivals Liverpool and Manchester City had both played – and won – their matches.
Last week it was a 4-1 win over Newcastle, this time a 6-0 rout of dismal Sheffield United. Indeed, since beating Liverpool 3-1 in early February, they have won 6-0, 5-0, 4-1, and 6-0. It’s a terrifying run of form and has rocketed them into having the best attacking and defensive record in the league.
In Brentford this weekend they face a team severely undermanned and looking ill-equipped to handle the threat posed by the Gunners.
A slip-up from Arsenal appears unlikely. But they certainly can’t afford one.
Midfielder Declan Rice said: “I think if you look at the two other teams at the top, they don’t look like they are going to slip up anytime soon.
“It is the Premier League, you need to be on it every single game. You can’t have any slip-ups.
“Obviously we were the last to play this time, so it is always on our mind that we have to win if we want to stay in it. There is such a long way to go, anything can happen.
“Eleven games of football is a really long way. Hopefully we can keep winning matches, but it is one game at a time.
“We have been in this position before and I think it is just stay humble. Wait for the games to come and attack them when the day arrives.”
They have been in this position before. Last year they led by as many as eight points over City before three straight draws, a loss to City, and a couple of losses ended the title race with three games to spare.
Arsenal have the hunger, but their rivals have the experience of closing out the season and bringing home the silverware.
So far, they’ve held their nerve. Will they be able to keep it up until the end of the season? Against their relentless rivals, they might just need to win all 11 games.
“They were in a different league to us,” Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder said after his team’s brutal 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal.
That is figuratively already the case, but by next season it appears certain to be reality. The Blades are going down to the Championship – and they’ll do it as one of the worst teams ever to feature in the Premier League.
Sure, they’ve surpassed Derby County’s 2007-08 record of one win and 11 points in total – the Premier League record-worst season – but they’re truly fighting in the wrong weight class this campaign.
That Derby team conceded 89 goals, the record for a 38-game PL season. Swindon Town in 1993/94 conceded a whopping 100 goals, which is the all-time record (but in 42 games).
Sheffield have shipped 72 goals so far this season at a rate of 2.67 per game. That puts them on track to concede over 100 this season, and you wouldn’t bet against it.
Three times in the last five games they’ve conceded five goals or more. It happened three times earlier in the season, including that horror 8-0 to Newcastle.
It’s been a disastrous season from Sheffield.Source: Getty Images
“That first half from Sheffield United was a disgrace,” Liverpool great Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. “It’s one of the most one-sided games of football I’ve ever seen.
“To consider you come into this game on the back of losing two Premier League home games 5-0, that’s shocking – it really is. It’s probably one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen.
“I can’t think of anything worse I’ve ever seen in a half of football than that.”
Fans started leaving after just a quarter of an hour – of course, the team were already down three goals by that point.
In a staggering statistic, Sheffield had 19 per cent possession – less than the number of shots (22) that Arsenal took.
In the second half, Wilder turned to the kids. 20-year-old trio Oliver Luke Arblaster, William Osula, and Andre Brooks all came off the bench. Wilder is already preparing for the team’s future in the second tier. Now it’s just a matter of time, and how bad things will get before then.
EPL Wrap: Reds clinch last-gasp winner! | 02:53
‘SEASON OF HIS LIFE’ FROM VILLA STAR DRIVING CHARGE
The race for top spot is still firmly a three-way tussle. But sitting pretty in fourth spot, for now at least, is Aston Villa. They are five points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, though Ange Postecoglou’s men have a game in hand.
Driving the success of the Villans is Ollie Watkins, who has 21 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season (16 and 10 in the PL). He’s the only player to hit double-digits in both categories. It puts him top of the charts for goal involvements, and equal-first for assists (alongside Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and Brighton’s Pascal Gross).
Iconic England striker Alan Shearer said: “He’s having the season of his life. With the form he is in, he is not hoping to score, but expecting to score.”
Darren Bent told TalkSport that he believes Watkins is the player of the season so far.
“He’d certainly be mine, I think he’s been outstanding,” he said.
“I think the goals that he’s got, the assists as well. I think he’s been dangerous. He’s getting better and better … He’d be my player of the year.”
Is Ollie Watkins the player of the season?Source: Getty Images
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery deserves plenty of praise for getting his striker to already deliver his best-ever league goal tally for a season.
But Emery lavished praise on his star man for his commitment and mentality.
“He’s fantastic. But he needs his teammates as well to help him. We are a team. We have to try to get our performances through the team. With the commitment he’s showing, for everyone he is an example.
“For mentality, it’s difficult to find a player better than him. But his skill is also a high level.”
Villa, meanwhile, announced a £119.6 million loss for the period covering last season. While they’re still within the league’s strict Profit and Sustainability (PSR) regulations, it means qualifying for next season’s Champions League will be vital to funding any big splash in the off-season transfer window.
If Watkins keeps his current rich vein of form, you’d back them in.
Spurs score 3 late to pump Palace! | 00:53
‘NO CEILING’ FOR SPURS STAR AHEAD OF MASSIVE CLASH
Ange Postecoglou bet 40 million pounds on Micky van de Ven being a superstar. So far, the 22-year-old is quickly repaying the faith shown in him. And when we say quickly, we mean at 37.38 km/h – the top speed he reached against Brentford a month ago, which is the fastest recorded since the data started being collected in the Premier League 2020/21.
The young centre-back has been a standout for Spurs this season – not just their best signing but arguably their best player overall.
He was outstanding in Spurs’ 3-1 comeback win Crystal Palace on the weekend, completing 95 out of a whopping 101 attempted passes and stifling Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Afterwards, Postecoglou said (per Spurs’ website): “Micky has been outstanding all year, and he’s growing all the time, we see it in training. The growth in him, his maturity, his physical capacity, there is just no ceiling for that guy.
“He was important today. We didn’t have to defend deep, they were going to try to play on the counter attack and there was going to be a lot of space, and that suits him because of his speed and ability to track people down. I thought he was really important today.”
Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur holds off Jean-Philippe Mateta.Source: Getty Images
Van de Ven has started and played 16 full matches – the only time he didn’t was when he suffered a hamstring injury and was taken off at halftime against Chelsea in early November.
Including that match, Spurs have lost just twice in van de Ven’s 17 league appearances. When he was sidelined with the injury, they lost four out of nine matches. Sure, other injuries were a key factor in that poor run, but there’s no doubting his impressive performances all season long.
They face fourth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday night, and van de Ven will face one of the toughest tests of the season against in-form Ollie Watkins. The outcome of that battle could go a long way to deciding the match – and fourth place in the league.
When Unai Emery was unveiled as Aston Villa’s manager, he declared two dreams: one was to win a trophy and the other was to bring European back to Villa Park.
After all, he inherited a team sitting 16th devoid of confidence and direction.
A toxic atmosphere had engulfed the club as supporters turned on then-manager Steven Gerrard, who sank deeper and deeper into his seat in the dugout with each passing defeat.
Co-owner Nassef Sawiris soon had enough of Gerrard’s ineptitude and brutally wielded the axe on the Liverpool legend before the team had even left Craven Cottage after a 3-0 defeat to Fulham on October 20.
It was also Sawiris who led the charm offensive for Emery and eventually convinced the Spaniard to make the jump to Birmingham.
Emery’s impact was immediate.
A 3-1 win over Manchester United at home in his first game in charge set the tone for what was to come, as Emery went on to guide Villa all the way from 16th to 7th and subsequently secure a spot in the Europa Conference League last season.
This season, Emery has Villa in 4th and just two points off top spot yet it somehow feels as if the club is flying under the radar.
But Emery’s transformation can no longer go ignored and is slowly but surely receiving the recognition it deserves.
This is how the meticulous 52-year-old dragged a giant on its knees all the way to dreaming about Champions League nights, something Villa have not experienced since winning the European Cup in 1982.
Aston Villa are flying under Unai Emery. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HOW BRUTAL AXING LIT FIRE TO PROVE PL DOUBTERS WRONG
In the wake of Gerrard’s sacking, Villa were immediately linked with ambitious managerial targets.
A report from The Telegraph named Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s top target, with Thomas Tuchel and Emery also on the reported shortlist.
Pochettino, who had been let go by Paris Saint-Germain before the 22/23 season began, turned down the approach while Tuchel was never more than a tenuous link.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim soon emerged in the media as the favourite, but it all proved to be a smokescreen as Emery was confirmed as Villa’s new boss on October 24.
Villa had to pay a reported $AUD9.9 million in compensation to free Emery from his contract at La Liga side Villarreal, a club where he earned hero status having guided the club to the Europa League title in 2021.
Further, Emery and Villarreal were one game away from the Champions League final in 2022, only to lose to Liverpool in the semi finals.
At the time, Emery and Villa did not appear a perfect match for one another.
Emery is a four-time Europa League winner and boasts a coaching CV that includes stops at Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia, Sevilla and Arsenal.
Villa, meanwhile, were in its fourth season back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship and hadn’t finished higher than 11th since returning.
Gerrard’s tenure at Villa was an unmitigated disaster. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Put simply, it seemed a total mismatch given Villa’s struggles ever since Martin O’Neill’s acrimonious departure on the eve of the 2010/11 season.
However, the Birmingham-based club have two highly ambitious billionaire owners in Sawiris and Wes Edens — who also owns the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA — that are hellbent on restoring it to its former glories.
And for Emery, he knew he had unfinished business in England and was desperate to prove to the doubters he could cut it in the Premier League after his tumultuous 18-month spell at Arsenal.
The Spaniard was given the impossible task of succeeding Arsene Wenger, a man who had become synonymous with Arsenal.
Although he guided the Gunners to a Europa League final as well as a spot in the Champions League in his first season, his battles with the English language made him a figure for ridicule and instability at the boardroom level did not help Emery’s case.
Since joining Villa, Emery has been given the support network he needed to thrive.
Emery has the support of two close allies at Villa. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Damian Vidagany, a close confidant of Emery’s, joined the Spaniard as his personal aide and has been a constant presence of his in press conferences to help with translations and clarifying questions from the press.
Vidagany has since been promoted to the role of Director of Football Operations while Monchi, another close friend of Emery’s, joined prior to the 2023/24 season from Sevilla and took up the role of President of Football Operations.
Per The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the trio have formed a triangle of power and eat breakfast together, with their offices at Bodymoor Heath also in “close proximity.”
In terms of their specific roles, Monchi and Vidagany focus on dealing with a player’s contract, transfer negotiations as well as telling players they’ve been let go, allowing Emery to purely focus on sporting matters.
Although it took time for Emery to create his desired support network, it proved to the Spaniard the owners would give him everything he wanted in order to succeed as Villa manager for as long as he is at the club.
Liverpool thrash Lask to secure top spot | 00:42
THE $33M EVIDENCE EXPOSING PL’S BIG BOYS
When Emery arrived, he took over a squad that looked a shell of itself.
Granted, it was not exactly one that screamed Champions League or even Europa League quality, but it was not one that reeked of relegation fodder.
It was also an expensive one: Villa owners Sawiris and Edens had invested around $AUD953 million on it since promotion.
Despite the significant investment, Gerrard struggled to get a tune out of his players during his time at the club as the likes of John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins regressed.
Gerrard’s 4-3-2-1 formation, which congested central areas and relied too heavily on wing-backs to provide width, almost always left Villa one-dimensional in attack.
But under Emery, the shackles have come off.
A simplified and fluid 4-4-2, which often morphs into 4-2-2-2, has proved to be the blueprint for success.
So too has Emery’s remarkable ability to extract the maximum from the tools already at his disposal.
Mings, who was stripped of the captaincy and individually singled out by Gerrard as one player who needed to improve, became a colossus at the back once more.
Watkins jostled for starting striker duties with Danny Ings but once the latter was sold to West Ham in January, he felt the full trust of Emery and repaid it in dividends.
The England international enjoyed a staggering run of form from January to April, scoring 11 goals in 12 Premier League games.
Not only that, but Watkins has been involved in 30 goals — whether that’s scoring them himself or providing an assist — in the 37 league games Emery has been in charge of.
The only players with more goal involvements in that time are Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, emphasising Emery’s transformation of Watkins.
But the most remarkable part of Emery’s improvement of the squad was how he rejigged a midfield cobbled together for just $33 million into one of the Premier League’s best.
Ollie Watkins has become one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP
McGinn, the captain, arrived from Hibernian in the summer of 2018 for a measly $4.8 million while Douglas Luiz joined in a $28.7 million deal from Manchester City in the following summer.
Boubacar Kamara, Villa’s marquee signing of the 2022 summer window, arrived on a free deal from Marseille while Jacob Ramsey is an academy product.
Despite all four being central midfielders, Emery found a way to incorporate all of them into the middle bank of four with Luiz and Kamara used in the central areas while Ramsey and McGinn are deployed out wide.
Luiz, who is often on set piece duties, has become what The Telegraph’s John Percy described as “indispensable” and the “heartbeat of Villa’s midfield” with his all-action displays.
To put Luiz’s improvement into perspective, he had six goals from 118 Premier League appearances for Villa prior to Emery’s first game in charge.
With Emery at the helm, it took the 25-year-old just 27 games to match that goal figure.
Luiz also enjoyed a remarkable streak of goals at Villa Park, scoring in six consecutive home games across the tail-end of the 22/23 season and the start of the 23/24 season to break Dwight Yorke’s record from the 1995/96 season.
Belgian international Youri Tielemans joined the club prior to the 23/24 campaign on a free deal after his contract with Leicester City expired, adding further quality to an already-stacked midfield department.
Although Tielemans struggled early, he has shown promise in recent performances as he continues to get acclimated with Emery’s tactical demands.
Douglas Luiz is Villa’s key midfielder. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Compare Villa’s outlay on its entire midfield to the likes of Chelsea, who spent an eye-watering $420 million on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo yet continue to flounder in mid-table mediocrity, with Fernandez yet to even score a Premier League goal.
Emery hasn’t even needed to perform significant surgery in the transfer market, either.
Alex Moreno arrived from Real Betis in January and immediately slotted in at left back, while Colombian striker Jhon Duran was snapped up from Chicago Fire but did not feature prominently.
However, Emery was granted more room to bring in new signings ahead of the 23/24 season and wasted little time in improving the squad.
Spanish international Pau Torres arrived from Villarreal for $60 million while electric winger Moussa Diaby joined from Bayer Leverkusen for $99 million.
Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet also moved on loan deals from Galatasaray and Barcelona respectively, adding some much-needed European experience to the squad.
Torres’ remarkable passing ability for a centre back has been crucial to Emery’s game plans while Diaby has developed a telepathic partnership alongside Watkins up top.
The fact Emery was able to do so much last season with essentially the exact same squad Gerrard had at his disposal, aside from Moreno and Duran, emphasises once again the difference in levels at managerial level.
Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby have formed a formidable pairing up top for Villa. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
16-HOUR DAYS, A HOME FORTRESS AND THE UNMATHCED TACTICAL TWEAK
A major tactical tweak from Emery that helped spark Villa’s surge is the high defensive line that plays the offside trap better than any team in Europe.
Prior to Villa’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham, they had caught opposition players offside a staggering 163 times.
The next closest team is Liverpool with 93.
What makes Villa’s feat even more impressive is that they hold the highest average number of offsides per game across Europe’s top five leagues at 4.8, per The Athletic.
And no, they aren’t finding themselves offside too often at the other end of the field.
In fact, they have been caught offside only 12 times this season which is the second-lowest figure in the Premier League behind only Manchester City, who have been flagged just seven times.
Another key element of Emery’s Villa revival is the team’s absurd run of form at home.
Villa have won 13 consecutive Premier League games at home, a feat not achieved since 1983, with the first of the streak coming in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace back in March.
Emery’s troops have been even more relentless at home this season, scoring 23 goals in six games for an average of 3.8 goals a match.
The fortress that is Villa Park will welcome the team’s toughest test in some time, with Manchester City the next opponents to make the trip to the famous ground.
But with Villa growing stronger with each passing game, a win over City might not be out of the question.
Villa have won 13 consecutive games at home. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)Source: AFP
The collective improvement of Villa’s players should also not come as a surprise given how meticulous Emery is in his preparation.
The Guardian’s Ben Fisher claimed Emery, a “workaholic” and an “obsessive coach”, will regularly clock 16-hour days at Bodymoor Heath.
Fisher also reported “Emery often cuts his own clips of games to review with players individually and sometimes watches back Villa’s matches up to five times to prepare feedback for his staff and squad.”
The Athletic’s Tanswell also reported Emery holds team meetings for over an hour as he goes over tactics and game plans in “excruciating detail” for Villa’s next opponent.
Emery also wastes little time in analysing games straight away.
On two separate occasions the Villa boss has uploaded photos to his Instagram of him fixated on his laptop while on the team bus after a match, with the message in one caption: “But no time to relax, really focused on Tuesday’s match. We don’t want to stop. We want more.”
Coincidentally both pictures took place after victories away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but Emery is no doubt never far from his laptop after a game no matter who the opponent.
Emery wastes no time when it comes to analysis matches. Picture: @unaiemery_ on InstagramSource: Instagram
It is this meticulous approach to preparation and analysis that separates Emery from so many of his peers and has Villa level on points with Arsenal in 2023.
What makes Emery’s feats this season even more impressive is the fact he has been without four of his key players for the majority of the campaign.
Mings tore his ACL in the first half of the season opener against Newcastle and will miss the season, while midfielder Emi Buendia suffered a significant knee injury and could also be sidelined for the entire season.
Moreno came off with a hamstring injury in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool late last season and has not played a Premier League minute since, leaving Lucas Digne the only recognised left back in the squad.
Thankfully Moreno made his return to action when he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League
Academy star Ramsey suffered a foot injury while on international duty for England’s U21 side in the off-season and was ruled out for 10 weeks.
Although he scored on his return in Villa’s 6-1 rout of Brighton, Ramsey suffered a reoccurrence of the foot injury and only made his return in the dying minutes of the 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Ramsey has struggled with injuries this season but is finally back in the team. (Photo by James Gill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I cannot believe what Unai Emery is doing at Aston Villa,” Richards, a former Villa player himself, said.
“It’s sensational. They have some good players but to sustain this for as long as he has with the football they have played.
“They have a really good system and have players who have been around the club for a long time.
“They just manage to keep going and going.”
Jamie Carragher used Villa to showcase the stark difference between a well-coached team and an English giant that often appears quite the opposite.
“If you look back over the last 12 months since Unai Emery came in, if you are talking about Manchester United, Aston Villa are a better coached team than United,” Carragher said.
“There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
Emery has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best coaches. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The victory over Tottenham allowed Villa to leapfrog the club into fourth place, a position in the table it had not enjoyed since December 2009.
Of course, fourth place this season guarantees a direct passage to the group stages of the Champions League next season.
Yet Emery continues to play down Villa’s hopes of a top four finish, stating the club is “not a contender” just yet and that “there are seven teams more contenders than us” to finish ahead.
But with a spot in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League locked in and a league position that was unfathomable this time last year, it’s only a matter of time before Emery must concede his team are no longer pretenders and truly are contenders.
It’s been an incredibly memorable World Cup for the Matildas.
Tony Gustavsson’s side went on to secure a fourth-place finish, the nation’s best performance at a men’s or women’s World Cup.
There were several standout performers across the seven games played in the month-long festival of football as the nation was introduced to a number of new sporting heroes.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at how every player performed across the tournament in the final World Cup Player Ratings!
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SPAIN CROWNED 2023 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS | 00:52
Mackenzie Arnold – 8.5, 5, 7, 7, 10, 6, 7 (ratings from each game; average rating 7.2)
Arnold has come so far in the space of 12 months that it’s almost hard to fathom.
A year ago she was the Matildas’ third-choice keeper, behind Lydia Williams and Teagan Micah.
But she was given another chance and this time grabbed it with both hands – like she grabbed shot after shot out of the air!
The highlight was her penalty heroics against France, which capped off one of the finest Australian goalkeeping performances of all time.
Consistent from the first minute to the last, Arnold rescued the Matildas more times than we’d like to recount and played a crucial role in racking up the clean sheets.
OUR RATING: 8
Mackenzie Arnold had a brilliant tournament.Source: Getty Images
The vice-captain has always been well-regarded for her leadership qualities.
But with Sam Kerr missing, she donned the armband for the first three group games and led the Aussies with fire and ice in equal measure.
Kerr labelled her a ‘born leader’ and said the pair ‘share’ the captaincy – and while Kerr might take most of the attention, Catley was an unsung hero of the tournament.
She scored Australia’s first goal of the Cup from the penalty spot to get past Ireland and added another from the 12-yard dot against Canada.
Catley’s almost telepathic connection with Gunners teammate Caitlin Foord was a joy to watch down the left flank.
OUR RATING: 7
Clare Hunt was a rock in the heart of defence.Source: AFP
Hunt only debuted in February – yep, seriously – but has cemented herself at the heart of the Australian defence with a string of calm, composed performances.
At just 24, she’s the captain of the Western Sydney Wanderers and has twice won their player of the year medal.
Now she’s destined for a move overseas after a World Cup where she was one of the standout defenders of the tournament.
Only a sensational fingertip save denied Hunt from striking the winning penalty against France (not that it mattered in the end), but she didn’t need that moment to shine in a brilliant maiden World Cup campaign.
There were plenty of highlights as she stifled attack after attack, but her standout performance came against France when she completely shut down striker Kadidiatou Diani, who boasts four goals and three assists – the most goal involvements this tournament.
She capped it off against England by making the tackle that sparked the attack for Sam Kerr’s stunner – a little-noticed involvement in an iconic moment in Australian history.
The only lowlight on a very consistent run of performances was when she gave away penalty in the third-place playoff.
Kennedy has had her fair share of central defensive partners in her century of Matildas appearances, but her stellar combination with Hunt laid the foundation for an impenetrable Australian defence that was key to the team’s record-breaking performance.
Kennedy’s passing range, vision in defence, and aerial prowess was exceptional.
There was one lowlight – a sloppy back-pass against Nigeria that handed them a goal – but she scored one of her own in that game, and her other performances more than made up for it.
Missed the England and Sweden games with delayed concussion symptoms, and her absence was sorely felt.
After an injury-riddled couple of years she’s described with expletives, it was wonderful to see Kennedy back to her best.
One stat sums it up: no player made more clearances this tournament.
OUR RATING: 7
Ellie Carpenter gives away her shoes after the FIFA Women’s World Cup 3rd place playoff between Australia and Sweden at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Pics Adam HeadSource: News Corp Australia
Simply making the World Cup squad was a big moment in itself for Carpenter given she tore her ACL in the 2022 Champions League final playing for club side Lyon.
It is a valid reason as to why Carpenter wasn’t exactly at her brilliant best at the World Cup.
Part of it was tactical, given she and Hayley Raso both like to hug the touchline on the right flank, meaning Carpenter’s barnstorming runs didn’t quite have the same impact.
Carpenter’s performance against Canada was by far her best of the tournament and reminded the nation why she has been a mainstay in the Matildas set up since she was a teenager.
But her costly error against England in the semi final sadly took some shine off her overall display.
One of only two Australian-based players in the squad (Hunt being the other), Vine had flashes of brilliance but was unable to show her dazzling best consistently enough.
That was due in large part to playing on the left flank instead of her preferred right side.
She started the first two games – both very tough affairs, particularly Nigeria where their low defensive block meant she didn’t get much room to run behind the defence.
When she came off the bench in the later games, she had a bigger impact and caused plenty of headaches.
Fast and skilful on the counter-attack, if Australia continues to play with that approach then Vine looms as a valuable contributor and a natural long-term successor to Raso and Foord.
OUR RATING: 5.5
Kyra Cooney-Cross had her coming of age with a mature and composed tournament.Source: Getty Images
Any time you’re singled out for praise from a Premier League legend like Ian Wright, you’re clearly doing something correctly.
Cooney-Cross enjoyed a tremendous World Cup debut alongside Gorry in the midfield and although she took a bit of time to find her feet, she was one of the unsung heroes in the Matildas campaign.
She defied her 21 years of age with mature and composed performances that have no doubt sparked a frenzy of overseas clubs clamouring to sign her.
Whether it was her quick bursts to evade a marker, twisting out of danger before delivering a delightful switch of play or making a key tackle, Cooney-Cross did it all.
She also finished with a pass completion rate of 76.5 per cent from 302 attempted which places her as one of the highest in the team, an impressive accomplishment given how much she played.
Much like a number of her teammates, the lengthy minutes eventually caught up to her in the end.
Her nickname might be ‘Mini’, but Gorry was a giant of this World Cup run.
In the Australian team, no one made more tackles, interceptions, or ball recoveries, while she ranked second in chances created (behind van Egmond) and successful passes (Hunt).
She seemed to be everywhere in the midfield, constantly harrying the opposition into making mistakes.
Gorry assisted Sam Kerr’s wonder-goal against England, and her exceptional passing and control in tight spaces was a highlight throughout the tournament.
None stood taller.
OUR RATING: 8
One lucky fan was given Hayley Raso’s ribbons after the final game.Source: News Corp Australia
It’s no surprise that replicas of her iconic ribbon sold out during the tournament (and if you didn’t know, her grandmother first bought them for her as a way to keep track of her in junior games!)
From the first game, Raso proved she would never back away from a battle and would run tirelessly up and down the right flank.
Her double in the 4-0 win against Canada was by far her best display and she was crucial in the Matildas’ wins over Denmark and France.
Perhaps the only negative spot in Raso’s tournament was her lack of an effective link-up with right back Ellie Carpenter and at times her final ball could have been a little better.
But the winger can take pride in the fact she was one of the Matildas’ best and scored the most goals for the team at the tournament with three.
Expect to see thousands of young girls running around with ribbons in their hair for years to come!
With Kerr ruled out of the first two games, Foord had to play as a lone striker in what was a departure from her usual role for club and country.
Although she battled hard to win the ball and score, it just never quite clicked.
But a tactical masterstroke from Gustavsson to put Foord on the left against Canada sparked a dazzling run of form for the Arsenal forward as she reprised her link-up with club teammate Catley.
She bagged two assists but scored one of the best goals of the Matildas’ campaign against Denmark, latching onto a perfect pass from Fowler before she did the rest.
Once Kerr returned, Foord’s impact seemingly diminished despite being reunited with her regular national team strike partner.
OUR RATING: 7
Mary Fowler put her name up in lights.Source: News Corp Australia
The future of the Matildas are in very, very safe hands with Mary Fowler.
She was thrown into the starting line-up against Ireland after Kerr was ruled out but never quite found her feet before being ruled out of the Nigeria game due to concussion.
But once Fowler returned, she was one of the Matildas’ best.
The silky midfielder was deployed as a false nine against Canada and Denmark but it was a role she seemed to thrive in.
Fowler’s effortless ability to glide past defenders had fans up on their feet and will be a star of this team for years to come. She picked up pockets of space between the midfield and defensive lines and exposed defences with her exceptional skill on the ball.
Her performance against France was incredible, delivering everything but a deserved goal – though she was only denied by one of the best goal-saving blocks of the tournament.
She did find it harder to get into games when Kerr returned, but it was a highly impressive World Cup debut from the 20-year-old nonetheless.
As she grows and becomes more experienced and battle-hardened at the elite level – she is currently playing for Manchester City – expect her to reach even greater heights.
When van Egmond is on the ball, the game looks like it takes place in slow motion. She even runs like that, gliding her towering frame across the park so smoothly. On the ball, her composure and calm head is remarkable. Normally a midfielder, she was thrown into a false-nine role in Sam Kerr absence and following Mary Fowler’s concussion, playing as a target for long balls. She held the ball up brilliantly to get her teammates involved in counterattacking play, while the way she led the defensive press from the top of the field was also commendable.
She may have gone under the radar due to playing out of position and doing a lot of her best work off the ball, but it was the kind of selfless and hardworking performance we’ve come to expect from a veteran cog of the team.
Sam Kerr at the celebration in Brisbane on the weekend.Source: News Corp Australia
Sam Kerr – 6, 8, 6.5, 5 (Average rating 6.4)
OUR RATING: 7
This tournament might feel like a great what if for Kerr, the Aussie captain and talisman of the team. After years without a major injury, this tournament must have been heartbreaking for her to be stuck on the sidelines in the opening stages. How big a tournament Kerr would’ve had, and if it would’ve taken the Matildas even further into this World Cup, is sadly a mystery that will never be solved. Nonetheless, Kerr was a fantastic leader and supporter of her teammates while stricken down by the troublesome calf – doing anything and everything for her team, even carrying water bottles during games.
When she returned to the field, she was clearly far from full fitness but still delivered moments of magic, especially her iconic long-range strike against England.
She pushed herself to the limit physically and mentally, and it showed when she missed a couple of chances late in the game against England that you would expect her to take.
But on and off the field, from her interviews to the way she lifted her teammates when she got on the field, Kerr was the true leader that we know and love.
Clare Polkinghorne was a fearsome warrior.Source: AFP
A veteran of five World Cups, Polkinghorne brought plenty of experience and physicality to the Matildas at their home World Cup.
She was used predominantly from the bench for her first three appearances, helping to see out games and ensure the result wouldn’t change.
But Polkinghorne was catapulted into the starting line-up for the final two games due to Kennedy dropping out with concussion – and given her injury history over the last year or so, it was a stern test.
She wasn’t quite at her best and struggled at times with the speed of fleet-footed opponents, but the 34-year-old was a steady presence at the back and did everything she could.
But if this is to be her last World Cup, which is likely to be the case, ‘Polks’ can feel proud to have played a key role for the team both on and off the field.
OUR RATING: 5.5
Alex Chidiac didn’t get enough of an opportunity to show her full talent.Source: Getty Images
Alex Chidiac – 6.5, 5 (Average rating 5.75)
Fan favourite Chidiac didn’t log as many minutes as she would have hoped in this tournament, but she gave a timely reminder of her qualities in a cameo against Nigeria.
Chidiac’s brief spell left many fans wondering why Gustavsson didn’t bring her on earlier against Nigeria, although the Swedish coach described her as the “game-changer” he wanted.
She also had a spell of the bench against Sweden but never seemed to have a proper role in the third place playoff.
At 24, she’ll be hoping for a greater role in the future after her opportunities were severely limited.
OUR RATING: 5
Tameka Yallop – N/A, 6 (Average rating 6)
Yallop was on the field twice during the World Cup, coming on as a late sub against Denmark and against France.
Although she had little impact against the Danes, Yallop played a crucial role in the lengthy penalty shootout against France when she slotted home from the spot in the sudden death stage.
OUR RATING: 5.5
Charlotte Grant – N/A (Average rating N/A)
Grant’s only appearance came towards the end of the Matildas’ 4-0 win over Canada when she came on at right midfield deep in stoppage time. The youngster is an exceptional talent at fullback and played a key role in the last two years when first Ellie Carpenter then Steph Catley were injured, and she was unlucky to not have a bigger role in this tournament.
At 21, year future is bright.
OUR RATING: 5
Courtney Nevin – 5 (Average rating 5)
Nevin logged just 17 minutes of action after coming on as a sub in Australia’s final game against Sweden.
Ultimately didn’t make much of an impact in the contest, but is another 21-year-old who looks set to be a major part of the team in the future.
It’s been four long years since one of the most heartbreaking moments in Matildas history.
It was 2019, in France, the previous edition of the Women’s World Cup.
On that day, the Matildas were locked at 1-1 with Norway after extra time. Sam Kerr stepped up for Australia’s first penalty after Caroline Graham Hansen nailed hers – and missed.
Guro Reiten made it 2-0 to Norway – and Emily Gielnik missed. Norway scored twice more, making Steph Catley’s goal just a consolation.
4-1. What had been viewed as Australia’s best chance of World Cup glory – until this year, that is – had ended in a dismal Round of 16 defeat.
This time around, Sam Kerr wasn’t going to make the same mistakes.
She said after the game: “The only penalty I was thinking about was the one I missed at the last World Cup. It went away from my routine and what I normally did, so this time it was all about self-belief and just putting it where I normally do.
“It was all about routine, about focus, and sticking to my plan.”
Sam Kerr after her penalty miss at the 2019 World Cup.Source: Getty Images
Speaking on Optus Sport tonight, Matildas star Chloe Logarzo (involved in that Norway game but missing this tournament) said: “Every single player has been training for this for the last four years since that.”
She added through tears: “What people don’t understand is that we’ve been in this situation twice before and we’ve lost major tournaments because of penalties.
“And I’m so proud of the people who missed those penalties who stood up and took that because it takes a lot of courage to be able to do it. And I couldn’t be more prouder than us making history. And I can just feel how amazing it feels and just, I’m so proud.”
Sam Kerr was in disbelief after the Matildas’ win over France.Source: News Corp Australia
14 members of Australia’s squad for this tournament were part of that 2019 campaign and experienced the heartbreak.
On that day, Australia’s final act in extra time was to take Ellie Carpenter off ahead of the shootout. This time, she had her chance – and she duly buried her attempt.
Mackenzie Arnold was another member of the 2019 squad, though she was on the bench for that game. Though she missed her own penalty attempt this time around, she made two crucial saves – including one when she was forced to face a penalty re-take after coming off her line too early the first time around.
Kerr said: “Mackenzie was amazing. She saves all our penalties at training and robs our confidence. We all just stuck to our routines and we knew she’d come through for us, but she was amazing in the game as well. I’m really happy for her.”
Before 2019, Australia had been dumped out of the World Cup in the quarterfinals at three consecutive tournaments (2015, 2011, 2007).
Now, they finally have their first quarter-final win and their first final-four appearance.
Kerr added: “I hate penalties. I wish there was golden goal or something because it’s such a bad way to lose. It was an absolute rollercoaster, up and down.”
It was a bad way to lose back in 2019. But that heartbreak has inspired the Aussies to even greater heights – and to end their quarter-final curse.
FRANCE’S ‘GRAHAM ARNOLD MOMENT’ BACKFIRES
When the fourth official raised the substitute board in the 123rd minute, the minds of Australian football fans raced back to the early hours of June 14 last year.
Back then, Socceroos boss Graham Arnold rolled the dice when he substituted on Andrew Redmayne for Matthew Ryan.
It was a shock move, especially since Ryan is adept at saving penalties himself and there was a spot in the men’s World Cup at stake.
But one crucial save later and as they say, the rest is history as Redmayne became the ‘Grey Wiggle’ and the Socceroos would go on to make it to the Round of 16.
Now, back to the Matildas’ clash against France.
Les Bleus coach Herve Renard decided he would make a late change between the sticks, taking out Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and replacing her with substitute goalkeeper Solene Durand.
Seven commentator David Basheer couldn’t ignore the scary parallel.
“It may be a Graham Arnold-type move for France,” Basheer said.
The shock switch no doubt sparked fear among Aussie fans given they knew just how well Arnold’s move played out and how painful it was for Peru at the time.
With Renard placing his and thus an entire nation’s faith in Durand, there was a mountain of expectation on the 28-year-old’s shoulders – someone who had only made TWO prior appearances for France.
Part of the switch was to play some mind games with the Matildas, but Renard and his coaching staff had no doubt prepared Durand for such a scenario in training and she’d have been studying every inch of the Australian penalty takers.
But for a goalkeeper subbed on with the sole intention of saving penalties, Durand didn’t quite have the desired impact.
Australia’s goalkeeper #18 Mackenzie Arnold is congratulated for her heroics.Source: AFP
Instead, it was Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold who stole the limelight.
Arnold saved the first penalty of the shootout from France’s Selma Bacha and produced a stunning stop to tip Eve Perisset’s shot onto the post.
The Queenslander did have a chance to seal the win when she took the fifth penalty, but her effort smacked against the post.
But Arnold would once again come up big when she denied Kenza Dali not once but twice after VAR ordered a retake as the Aussie came off her line for the first save.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson was full of praise for Arnold, hailing her as one of his now-famous “game changers.”
“She was unbelievable for the whole game plus penalty shootout,” Gustavsson told Optus Sport.
“The composure, the bravery, but then also to come back from that miss when she (could have) been the hero of the century.
“To stay in the game and then come back and be the game changer, I’m so happy for her.”
Arnold saves the fifth penalty from Eve Perisset of France.Source: Getty Images
Teammate Steph Catley said about Arnold’s performance: “I just got goosebumps.
“I’m so happy for her. She’s worked so hard, she’s come into her own, she’s been brave, she backed herself. She’s done what we’ve been waiting for her to do. We’ve all known she’s capable and she’s just gone ahead and taken ownership and done it herself.
“You can see it in the games and the game play and big saves she makes – but we all know how good she is at penalties. That’s always been her thing. When we went into this, I was like, ‘We’re good. Mac’s going to save probably the lot of them.’
“I’m just so proud of how far she’s come. She’s incredible. She did something so special tonight.”
Arnold has certainly cemented herself as a national hero for her penalty heroics, but what makes it even more remarkable is that she has fought her way to become the Matildas’ first choice between the sticks.
A year ago, Arnold looked like the third choice between the sticks, between veteran Lydia Williams and young superstar Teagan Micah. Micah appears to be the Matildas’ long-term future goalkeeper, but a serious concussion suffered late last year sidelined her for months and gave Arnold a chance to compete for the starting position.
She secured the gig with a sublime series of performances in the Cup of Nations in February, earning her player-of-the-tournament honours – and she’s never looked back.
Golden chances missed in TENSE 1st half | 00:29
GOALS WIN GAMES, DEFENCE WINS TROPHIES
Four clean sheets in five World Cup games is one hell of a record – especially when it includes wins over two of the world’s top-ten teams.
First it was the Olympic silver medallists Canada in the group stages, and now world number five France.
The Matildas have turned into a remarkably resilient team at this tournament, but don’t think that it’s come out of nowhere. It’s been the result of years of progression and hard-won lessons.
When Tony Gustavsson started his tenure in charge of the Matildas, the team conceded ten goals in their first two matches.
At the last World Cup (2019), Australia’s defence struggled. The Matildas conceded six times in their three group games, and another at the hands of Denmark in a 1-1 draw that led to a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat.
France opened this World Cup campaign with a goalless draw with Jamaica, before scoring eight goals in their next two group-stage games, and adding another four in a crushing win of Morocco in the Round of 16. Their entire forward line was firing, none more so than Kadidiatou Diane, who had scored or assisted seven of France’s 12 goals (the most goal involvements of any players this tournament).
But Clare Hunt and Alanna Kennedy did exceptionally in centre-back to keep her under wraps, while the fullbacks (Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley) both had strong games against France’s wide players.
Clare Hunt had a sensational game against France superstar Kadidiatou Diani.Source: Getty Images
And of course there was Mackenzie Arnold, the goalkeeper earning player of the match honours for her standout performance.
But Australia’s defensive efforts are not just down to the back line – it is the product of a tactical evolution over the years.
The team now presses as one, but only in specific moments and scenarios so well-drilled in the team that it becomes instinctive. Coach Gustavsson says his team looks for ‘triggers’ to press. No wonder Australia’s players race at their opponents like bullets from a gun.
It all starts in the hardworking forward line. That’s part of why having central midfielder Emily van Egmond play as a centre-forward in Sam Kerr’s absence has proven so effective – not just to hold up the ball and pass to teammates going forward, but for her ability to close down opponents using her intelligent reading of space.
In the midfield, Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross have turned their defensive efforts into an efficient one-two punch – one of them closes down and forces the error, and the other is there to pounce on every loose ball.
Australia’s players raced to celebrate Vine’s winning kick.Source: News Corp Australia
It is a mark of the Matildas’ development throughout the years, but equally of their mentality and team spirit, that the defence has been able to weather wave after wave of opposition attacks without crumbling.
France dominated the first half and had stretches of dominance for the rest of the match, times when they poured forwards and the Matildas’ backs were against the walls – but never beaten. The French took 21 shots in the match without finding the back of the net.
Sure, the Aussies rode their luck at times against France – they could easily have conceded in the 12th minute when the French missed a sitter, or in extra time when a corner kick bounced off Kennedy’s head into her own net (which was rightly called back for a foul on Foord).
But the Matildas’ clean sheets aren’t a fluke, they’re a trend. Against France in a friendly the week before the World Cup began, the Matildas won 1-0 – another clean sheet. And their match before that? 2-0 over England. Another clean sheet, another win.
When they face England on Wednesday, let’s hope the defence stands tall once more.
Two stars wrote their names into Australian footballing folklore as the Matildas booked a spot in the semi finals of the Women’s World Cup with a thrilling penalty shootout victory over France.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock in regular time, although both nations certainly had their chances.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down how EVERY player performed in Matildas Player Ratings!
That was a fingernail away from being a perfect performance. Player of the match Arnold was imperious all match, making a host of world-class saves as well as defending corners with excellent composure and punching. Normally an excellent penalty taker, she rattled the post with her shot but more than made up for it with a couple of clutch saves – including when she was forced to repeat one save after leaving her line early at the first attempt. It showed remarkable toughness to rebound from missing her own shot to make a couple more saves and win the shootout.
Arnold even revealed she only found out she was in the first five penalty takers after extra time.
“That’s the first time I knew I was going to take one. I was a little bit in shock,” she told Channel 7.
Ellie Carpenter – 7
Had an incredibly difficult assignment in facing Lyon teammate Selma Bacha, but she just about came out on top. In the Melbourne friendly with France three weeks ago, Bacha ran riot as France directed most of their attack down Carpenter’s right flank. This time out, Carpenter managed to keep her relatively quiet, while doing reasonably well in attack. Her final product was sometimes lacking, but when she got things right it tore France’s defence apart – like when she fed Raso in the build-up for Mary Fowler’s golden chance late in the first half. Carpenter was caught out of position once or twice through the game, which is almost a necessary downside to her attack-minded approach, but a clinical strike from the 12-yard dot in the shootout capped a solid performance.
Clare Hunt – 9
Hunt just goes from strength to strength – and every match it feels like she is growing into one of the world’s most calm and capable defenders! Having only debuted for the Matildas this year, facing Kadidiatou Diani – the player with the most goal involvements at this World Cup – is about as tough as it gets. But Hunt was like a wet blanket thrown on top of the on-fire Frenchwoman. Every time the ball came in Diani’s direction, Hunt was there to stifle her threat. Interceptions, aerial duels, clearances, tackles – Hunt did the lot.
A simply incredible performance, though she missed the potential matchwinning penalty.
She’s been linked to a number of clubs, and it seems a certainty that she’ll make a high-profile transfer after the World Cup.
Clare Hunt kept France’s attack quiet all night long. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Alanna Kennedy – 6
Looked a little nervous in the opening exchanges, and nearly had a catastrophic moment in the first ten minutes when she miscued a clearance and allowed Diani to run through on goal in the first half. Kennedy dragged her back by the shirt and was lucky not to give away a free-kick in a dangerous position (and probably should have had a yellow card too!) Kennedy was solid for the rest of the night, and got into good positions on set pieces going forward but couldn’t convert her chances. Was spared an own goal in extra time after a French foul in a rough-and-tumble corner, and simply refused to go off at the death despite copping a massive whack.
Steph Catley – 7
It was another dependable performance from the captain (at least, until Sam Kerr came on in the second half and took the armband). She took more than her fair share of big collisions in a physical contest but never backed down despite wearing a wince for the last half-hour. Made a number of excellent clearances and was rarely caught out – except in the very last seconds of the match when Eugenie Le Sommer raced past the tired Aussie and fired off a shot.
MIDFIELD
Katrina Gorry – 8
Entering this game, no player at the tournament had made more ball recoveries than Australia’s diminutive midfield warrior. After tonight’s game, her dominance of the statistic is probably untouchable.
From her hard tackling to throwing her body through the air to get a touch on the ball, Gorry was a force of nature. France hassled and harried her all match, making shutting her influence down a clear part of their game-plan from the first minute. But Gorry had a clearly anticipated the pressure she would face, and reacted by regularly turning backwards out of trouble to recycle possession. Once she settled into the game and began to secure some control of the midfield, momentum shifted in Australia’s favour. Her weight of passing and control in tight spaces was excellent, and she unleashed many of Australia’s best counter-attacks. Finished it off with a well-taken penalty and a rocking-the-baby celebration to boot, while her daughter Harper – one of Australia’s most beloved children right now – sent the crowd into raptures when she made her way onto the field after the final whistle.
Katrina Gorry continues to shine in the Matildas midfield. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Kyra Cooney-Cross – 8
With every match that passes and Cooney-Cross shines, the 21-year-old builds her case for a big-money transfer to one of the world’s top teams. Already she has been linked to the likes of Chelsea alongside Sam Kerr, Arsenal (with Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley), Manchester United, or Juventus and its Australian coach Joe Montemurro. It’s incredible to witness her rapid development on the international stage, and tonight seemed like another step forward. Against one of the world’s best midfield units, she held her own – and then some. After a tough opening period, she began to make her mark with excellent control of the ball under pressure, dribbling this way and that to evade the defence. Was substituted late in the piece for Tameka Yallop to come on and take a penalty.
Emily van Egmond – 7
Retained her spot as a false nine alongside Mary Fowler.
Showed tremendous hustle to carve out a chance from nothing when she chased the ball down and cut it back to Fowler, only for the youngster’s strike to be cleared off the line.
As always, did her best in a relatively unfamiliar role but never quite looked at home
Sacrificed in the 55th minute to bring Sam Kerr on.
Emily van Egmond almost created the first goal out of nothing. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)Source: AFP
ATTACK
Hayley Raso – 8
Was probably quite fortunate to escape a yellow card in the early stages after flying into several tackles.
Had to drift inside the field to get on the ball but sadly couldn’t fashion many chances around the box in the first half.
She had a curling effort from outside of the box tipped over the bar in what was probably her best chance to score.
But her relentless tracking back to help out Carpenter was pivotal in snuffing out several French attacks.
Subbed off to a standing ovation in the 104th minute.
Mary Fowler – 9
Fowler continues to be the shining light of the Matildas attack.
The silky midfielder was dropping in between the lines and spraying out deadly passes across the park.
Was unlucky not to break the deadlock early on when her effort off a Van Egmond cutback was saved on the line by Elisa De Almeida.
Fowler also had a golden chance in the second half when she drove at the French backline but will regret not getting her head up to see Foord unmarked in space to her left.
Smashed home a penalty in the shootout.
Caitlin Foord – 8
Began the game out on the left wing again and immediately took the game to the French.
Foord was aggressive with and without the ball but struggled to find herself in similar positions to the ones she had against Denmark.
Looked more dangerous once Kerr came on in the second half even though she remained on the left side.
Converted Australia’s first penalty of the shootout which is no easy task.
Foord scored Australia’s first penalty in the shootout. (Photo by Patrick Hamilton / AFP)Source: AFP
SUBSTITUTES
Sam Kerr – 8
Came on in the 55th minute for Emily van Egmond to a rousing reception.
Kerr made an immediate impact when she embarked on a beautiful run with the ball before dishing it off to Raso, who had her effort tipped over the bar.
She was a livewire and had French defenders frightened about the runs she could make in behind, but was outstanding at linking up play with her teammates.
The skipper still is not fully fit and wasn’t sprinting around as much as we’ve grown accustomed to, but her substitution undoubtedly made the Matildas more dangerous.
Stepped up and converted after Steph Catley missed her penalty.
Cortnee Vine – 7
Came on in the 104th minute for Hayley Raso.
Vine almost broke the deadlock not long after coming on but she poked her effort just wide of the near post, although it was an incredibly difficult angle to score from.
Her rapid pace kept the French defence alert, especially in the dying stages of the game as the legs wore out.
But her most valuable contribution — and potentially the most valuable contribution of her career — was stepping up to convert the winning penalty.
‘Rarefied air!’ – Vine becomes a HERO | 00:31
Tameka Yallop – 6
Came on in the 116th minute for Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Ensured the Matildas didn’t concede, but didn’t make much of an impact during the game.
Scored her penalty once the shootout had reached the sudden death stages.
