⚽ Premier League 2025/2026 Discussion Thread ⚽

[len01]

as I said previously in this thread, Arsenal always find it difficult to maintain the consistent performance of their players and on the one hand we will see Arsenal really have to maintain the performance of their players to remain stable ahead of big matches in the UCL and this is like a new experience that is difficult to done.
this is different from Man City, which is used to a match schedule like this, so the match schedule will also affect the future at the end of the season, except when Arsenal fail in the UCL, of course they can focus on every EPL match to get the title they want.
currently Arsenal is at the top of the standings and many people will praise this team but look later when Arsenal failure against Man City will bring about a big change in the standings.

But then last season, Arsenal did well consistently until the game against Southampton and further more ahead. They should have been Champions of the Premier League Competition if not for the limitations of depth they had within the squad. Like I always say, Arsenal off course reminds me of Napoli from last two seasons and last season. Strikes me that Arsenal is following the same footsteps this season also. In the Premier League game against Manchester City, they'll be with Kevin De Bruyne and these would be such a good game for them the gunners to win if they can take control.

I feel like they're going to be winners of the Competition and would go a long way to win it. The improvement brought in had also been seen working perfectly fine. It seem like Mikel Arteta is also following Pep Guardiola's style of not using a central forward to win the Premier League Competition only attackers.

I understand what you are saying regarding Arsenal current improvement in performance but for me it is not convincing enough.
the reason I say this is because it is clear that last season's competition looked easier than this season, last season when they only competed with Man City without any other competing teams, but in the end Arsenal also failed to reach the top of the standings, whereas this season Arsenal is not only competing with Man City, but there is also Liverpool, which is a strong competitor to win the EPL title, while the difference between these three teams is always close because Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool both have big ambitions to win the title this season so they each maintain their performance.

from this statement it may be clear that this season's competition is very difficult to predict before there is one team that looks stronger than the three teams and you may have an opinion that Arsenal has a big chance of getting the title but for me Man City or Liverpool also have great opportunity to get to the top of the standings this season.

[Distraction]

This Mikel Arteta's gunner's scored thirty plus goals in the month of February and they're top of the Premier League Table right.

This is surprising to me truthfully. Because normally you would expect Liverpool or Manchester City to be the highest scoring teams. Liverpool have Salah who has been taking a big responsibility about this and it is Haaland for Manchester City. Arsenal don't even have a star name in their centre-forward position. Gabriel Jesus is also not like in the past after injuries he suffered. 

Arsenal are still able to score a lot of goals thanks to the great teamwork and distribution of the goals among many players. 

I can't even imagine what can happen if they make a much better striker transfer than their current options.

[QueenVera]

But for now KDB is still worth it. In terms of contracts, he will reach the time to run out but it is still very discussable for new contract issues, especially with the current conditions KDB is still one of the important factors in the midfield of Manchester City because he is indeed one of the good movers and of course he is still a good leader in the field. In terms of age he is also still not too old because the age he currently has for the size of the player is actually a fairly mature age in terms of mind and in terms of performance so that he is still very worthy of being retained because after all we must be aware that in fact there are still many ages older than KDB who are still playing in the EPL or big clubs so that it does not become a threat that really has to be thought of if he is retained.

But it would be different from a business point of view because apart from performances on the field for a club then surely business is another factor to make someone can leave easily and Manchester City is also a businessman so everything is still very possible in this case. It would be great to find a suitable successor first before actually letting KDB go just like Madrid who are seriously looking for a replacement player first for Modric and Kross in midfield. Even then, Manchester City must do it if they really think they want to sell KDB later.

City's talismanic and charismatic midfielder is into the last 18 months of his contract and will turn 33 in June, which could give the club an uncomfortable situation when it comes to discussing his future, particularly if he asks for a new contract to ward off the interest from Saudi Arabia and potentially Major League Soccer. To many, particularly the huge supporters who rose to their feet to welcome De Bruyne back from injury in January, City giving one of their best ever players a bumper new deal is a no-brainer. However, the club have an unwritten policy when it comes to contract negotiations to players into their thirties, which in theory prevents them from offering long-term deals. The policy is intended to prevent them paying high salaries for years-on-end to individuals who are no longer worth it.

 They are not the only club to do it. Bayern Munich only offer 12-month contracts to existing players who are past the age of 30. And notwithstanding their current season, it has served the Bavarians pretty well over the years. The main exception is Kyle Walker, who signed a three-year contract last summer at the age of 33. City were prepared to be flexible in that instance as Walker had a serious offer on the table from Bayern Munich and were wary of losing another senior player at the same time as parting with Gundogan. So far it is working out well, with Walker captaining the team and playing with even more consistency than last season, despite the turmoil in his private life.

 Nonetheless, City would be better off keeping Walker as the exception rather than making him the catalyst to end the policy. Even if it means parting ways with De Bruyne in 2025 or even sooner. KDB is one of the club’s greatest player if not the greatest especially as the numbers speaks for him. As a midfielder the heights he’s attained is worthy of every commendation and appreciation. The club can decide to appreciate him in better ways and cash out from him especially as finance is needed to keep the club moving. KDB is still worth it and I think staying one more season after his contract expires wouldn’t be a big deal as his presence will help in building the younger generation.

[Swordsoffreedom]

This Mikel Arteta's gunner's scored thirty plus goals in the month of February and they're top of the Premier League Table right.

This is surprising to me truthfully. Because normally you would expect Liverpool or Manchester City to be the highest scoring teams. Liverpool have Salah who has been taking a big responsibility about this and it is Haaland for Manchester City. Arsenal don't even have a star name in their centre-forward position. Gabriel Jesus is also not like in the past after injuries he suffered. 

Arsenal are still able to score a lot of goals thanks to the great teamwork and distribution of the goals among many players. 

I can't even imagine what can happen if they make a much better striker transfer than their current options.

What I am more excited to see is their playoff match against Bayern Munich in April. I believe  Bayern Munich will win, however, considering their performance and experience. Arsenal’s squad is very young, lacking experience for these big games. Experience plays a big role in these kinds of matches. Bayern Munich on the other hand has always been playing these knockout games.

The Premier League fight is also getting very interesting as Liverpool and Arsenal both have the same amount of points and Manchester City is only one point behind them. But for some reason, I think Manchester City will end up winning the Premier League anyway. But I think one of the most important matches to decide is the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on March 31. This could have a big impact on the title race.

Arsenal scoring 31 goals in the shortest month of the year is just outrageous. If they can keep this up, I think they will be unbeatable.

[Sakanwa]

This Mikel Arteta's gunner's scored thirty plus goals in the month of February and they're top of the Premier League Table right.

This is surprising to me truthfully. Because normally you would expect Liverpool or Manchester City to be the highest scoring teams. Liverpool have Salah who has been taking a big responsibility about this and it is Haaland for Manchester City. Arsenal don't even have a star name in their centre-forward position. Gabriel Jesus is also not like in the past after injuries he suffered. 

Arsenal are still able to score a lot of goals thanks to the great teamwork and distribution of the goals among many players. 

I can't even imagine what can happen if they make a much better striker transfer than their current options.

Arteta have made the team a mobile team where the players can score an many goals as possible.They have been able to share the goal scoring responsibility among themselves,and are scoring So many goals without a proper striker.Gabriel Jesus is not really like a striker to me,he is good at distributing passes and giving assists,but I don't think he can compete with the likes of Haaland and Salah in scoring goals and that is the reason Arteta have not really used him this season,and even when he came back from Injury,he still prefers using Karl Hervetz to using Jesus in that top nine position.

[legendbtc]

This Mikel Arteta's gunner's scored thirty plus goals in the month of February and they're top of the Premier League Table right.

This is surprising to me truthfully. Because normally you would expect Liverpool or Manchester City to be the highest scoring teams. Liverpool have Salah who has been taking a big responsibility about this and it is Haaland for Manchester City. Arsenal don't even have a star name in their centre-forward position. Gabriel Jesus is also not like in the past after injuries he suffered. 

Arsenal are still able to score a lot of goals thanks to the great teamwork and distribution of the goals among many players. 

I can't even imagine what can happen if they make a much better striker transfer than their current options.

Arteta have made the team a mobile team where the players can score an many goals as possible.They have been able to share the goal scoring responsibility among themselves,and are scoring So many goals without a proper striker.Gabriel Jesus is not really like a striker to me,he is good at distributing passes and giving assists,but I don't think he can compete with the likes of Haaland and Salah in scoring goals and that is the reason Arteta have not really used him this season,and even when he came back from Injury,he still prefers using Karl Hervetz to using Jesus in that top nine position.

Mikel Arteta has always been adamant about focusing on the team rather than any individual, and it seems like his players are playing with that spirit. Arsenal attacks flexibly under Arteta, with a record of more than 100 goals since the beginning of 2023. With this achievement, only 4 other teams in the top 5 European leagues can do the same thing, including Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Leverkusen.

Arsenal is leading the Premier League, 1 point ahead of Manchester City. Actually, Arsenal fans still do not believe that their team will win the title. They are mainly enjoying the great start their team has achieved. The biggest dream of Gunners fans at that time was that none of their key players would be injured so that the good days would last longer.

[Docnaster]

This Mikel Arteta's gunner's scored thirty plus goals in the month of February and they're top of the Premier League Table right.

This is surprising to me truthfully. Because normally you would expect Liverpool or Manchester City to be the highest scoring teams. Liverpool have Salah who has been taking a big responsibility about this and it is Haaland for Manchester City. Arsenal don't even have a star name in their centre-forward position. Gabriel Jesus is also not like in the past after injuries he suffered. 

Arsenal are still able to score a lot of goals thanks to the great teamwork and distribution of the goals among many players. 

I can't even imagine what can happen if they make a much better striker transfer than their current options.

What I am more excited to see is their playoff match against Bayern Munich in April. I believe  Bayern Munich will win, however, considering their performance and experience. Arsenal’s squad is very young, lacking experience for these big games. Experience plays a big role in these kinds of matches. Bayern Munich on the other hand has always been playing these knockout games.

The Premier League fight is also getting very interesting as Liverpool and Arsenal both have the same amount of points and Manchester City is only one point behind them. But for some reason, I think Manchester City will end up winning the Premier League anyway. But I think one of the most important matches to decide is the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on March 31. This could have a big impact on the title race.

Arsenal scoring 31 goals in the shortest month of the year is just outrageous. If they can keep this up, I think they will be unbeatable.

Talking about the UEFA Champions League quarter final tie between Arsenal and Bayern Munich, a of people are of the opinion that the reigning German champions are going to eliminate Arsenal from the competition. I've checked the statistics of the club's whenever they're facing each and the truth of the whole matter is that Bayern Munich have always been on the winning side but I don't think it'll be an easy game for Bayern Munich.
Arsenal have been very consistent this season and have done exceptionally well both the the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League competition and i think they can beat any European team on their day including Bayern Munich. Arsenal I think can pull a surprise and win the tie

[Hanadawa]

We are still around 9-10 matches remaining before the end of season. Arsenal is still possible to repeat the same result achieved by the club last season. In terms of mentality, arsenal is far weak compared to manchester city and Liverpool.
Liverpool and City are being favored to win the competition soon. Arsenal needs to work even harder.

Do you mean Arsenal will get second place again this season? I think Arsenal has a big chance to win the EPL this season. They have played very well in the last few games. I just hope Arsenal can appear consistent for every remaining match. Statistically they are the top scorers in the league this season. So I think Arsenal will play aggressively and secure points against the big teams in their remaining matches. Many people say Arsenal's mentality is below Liverpool and City. But I think they will be very motivated this season because they failed last season. Of course this is a tough challenge for Arsenal but I think Arsenal will indeed have a chance this season.

[Tmoonz]

Aston villa and westham united are two clubs in the premiership league that plays almost the same pattern of football game. However it was an exciting match yesterday between the both clubs and of yes it wasn't an easy game on both teams , westham had their goal 29 of minutes of the first half and all through the end of the first half but couldn't keep up with it to the end of the game where Aston villa equalized at the end the game and it all ended a 1-1 draw game. What exactly where you earlier prediction of this game?

[Google+]

Arsenal is leading the Premier League, 1 point ahead of Manchester City. Actually, Arsenal fans still do not believe that their team will win the title. They are mainly enjoying the great start their team has achieved. The biggest dream of Gunners fans at that time was that none of their key players would be injured so that the good days would last longer.

The current 1 point gap between the three teams certainly indicates that this season we see a fierce competition for the championship, Arsenal are currently at the top and even when they are at the top they still cannot be favourites for the title, as you said, of course last season was a painful experience for Arsenal and the fans,  From the start of the season they continued to run by leaving the rival team but it was Manchester City who were able to reach the finish and disappointed Arsenal fans.

This season may not be different from last season, although Arsenal are now quite superior in the Premier League and even so far they are still consistent in every game they play, but their mentality often falls when facing crucial matches and even the depth of the squad that is not qualified often makes them also slip when they have to face a busy schedule,  If we look at Arsenal's journey so far, we can actually see if Arsenal is able to compete with big teams, but indeed if we pay attention sometimes it is Arsenal's own mistakes that often make them out of the championship competition so far.

[Btcdeybodi]

Arsenal is leading the Premier League, 1 point ahead of Manchester City. Actually, Arsenal fans still do not believe that their team will win the title. They are mainly enjoying the great start their team has achieved. The biggest dream of Gunners fans at that time was that none of their key players would be injured so that the good days would last longer.

Not winning the premier league for a long time now have made Arsenal fans to hope for luck in Arsenal winning the league title and due to the fact that on several occasions that Arsenal had an advantage to win the title but all of a sudden things normally changes for them and they end up not winning the title again.

Arsenal may be leading the table but the tension is high so they need to be very consistent in winning if they must win the title because I see Manchester city and Liverpool not giving up the title to Arsenal easily as they would want to compete for the league title till the season ends.

[klidex]

Aston villa and westham united are two clubs in the premiership league that plays almost the same pattern of football game. However it was an exciting match yesterday between the both clubs and of yes it wasn't an easy game on both teams , westham had their goal 29 of minutes of the first half and all through the end of the first half but couldn't keep up with it to the end of the game where Aston villa equalized at the end the game and it all ended a 1-1 draw game. What exactly where you earlier prediction of this game?

Actually, I favor Aston Villa in this match and Aston Villa is more dominant in possession of the ball, namely 70%, but because I know this is an away match for Aston Villa, it is only natural that they can only achieve a draw because their performance is not much different in the Premier League. , this is a fair result for both clubs because at least they both got 1 point to add to their points collection. Now Aston Villa has 56 points and West Ham has 44 points just below Manchester United so Manchester must prepare for the next match so as not to lose points because if they lose points West Ham has the opportunity to shift their position, I was happy to see Manchester United's match last night when they were able to beat Liverpool even though it was not a premier league competition.

Likewise for Aston Villa, even though a draw is not a good result, at least he didn't lose because that would give Tottenham the opportunity to get closer. But Tottenham still hasn't faced a match in week 29 and the match that Tottenham will face in the next match is quite easy for him because he will face a club in the relegation zone Luton Town, Tottenham should be able to win the match even though the last match was quite disappointing and if they are able to win then they will have the same points as Aston Villa so the competition between the two is as fierce as the top 3 clubs who compete for the title.

[QueenVera]

Actually, I favor Aston Villa in this match and Aston Villa is more dominant in possession of the ball, namely 70%, but because I know this is an away match for Aston Villa, it is only natural that they can only achieve a draw because their performance is not much different in the Premier League. , this is a fair result for both clubs because at least they both got 1 point to add to their points collection. Now Aston Villa has 56 points and West Ham has 44 points just below Manchester United so Manchester must prepare for the next match so as not to lose points because if they lose points West Ham has the opportunity to shift their position, I was happy to see Manchester United's match last night when they were able to beat Liverpool even though it was not a premier league competition.

Likewise for Aston Villa, even though a draw is not a good result, at least he didn't lose because that would give Tottenham the opportunity to get closer. But Tottenham still hasn't faced a match in week 29 and the match that Tottenham will face in the next match is quite easy for him because he will face a club in the relegation zone Luton Town, Tottenham should be able to win the match even though the last match was quite disappointing and if they are able to win then they will have the same points as Aston Villa so the competition between the two is as fierce as the top 3 clubs who compete for the title.

The EPL still went on during the weekend and we saw a battle between the mid clubs who wants to either go to the UEL or have a place in the UCL all getting into a heated fixture. The match between West Ham and Villa was to secire either UEL or UCL football respectively for both teams. We all expected the match to be real tough and I had hopes on West Ham stealing all 3 points in this match but, yhh the strength of Villa were on another level as they were able to level the scoreline after relentless fights and controversial VAR calls too. The both teams were so close on the way they took on each other and you can see how they were able to contain each other in the match yesterday.

 Both teams made some nice changes to the teams that got them victories during midweek in European competitions and the changes were worth it as they were able to play at optimal level too. Watkins was able to get into the team for Villa after recovering from the cut that took him out of the Conference League Cup on Thursday. Ollie Watkins had the first chance in the game though his effort was put to a stop by the West Ham goalie, Areola who was in goal today for the club. Not long after, antonio got the lead close to half an hour mark with a great diving header.

 West Ham looked pretty dangerous and created much more and better opportunities to hit on this Villa side but were lacking conversion of those high chances. Villa got into the game and tried to put some pressure too from their end and yes it paid out. Zaniolo the 2nd half sub was able to get the equalizer that keeps them safe and not under much pressure in their place in the league. West Ham after the equalizer had some great opportunities with VAR canceling out on a superb goal that would have hammered Villa. The share of points between these teams is pretty good as it now keeps the team on their toe to want to achieve more in subsequent matches.

[W Jr.]

We have Arsenal in another title race. After being unsuccessful in the one in the previous season they are trying for it again. I must admit that they are in a really great shape recently as well. They have been winning for 8 weeks in a row. This is really a huge form they have had so far. However how long can they go on like this?

Arteta is very obsessed with seeing his club win the EPL and paid off Arsenal's mistake last season, but his competition is getting even tougher since it's not only Arsenal and Manchester City. Liverpool is now joining the title race. I'm sure Arsenal can bottle this season again like the previous one.

He really needs to be obsessed to see Arsenal lift the EPL trophy this time around because it has been years since they did that. They can't afford to let this season's PL title not be in their custody after showing a magnificent performance we can all be proud of, it got them the EPL trophy after 20 years of waiting without a single PL trophy in their hands. It will be surprising if Manchester City should jump Liverpool and Arsenal to lift the EPL trophy.

You never know. There is a league race between Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. Currently, all 3 teams continue to compete without giving up. It is unlikely that other teams will participate in the league race. Competition will be at the highest level in the Premier League. Arsenal is one of my favorites this year, but I have some doubts when I consider that they did not become champions even with that many points difference last year.

[TastyChillySauce00]

Arsenal is leading the Premier League, 1 point ahead of Manchester City. Actually, Arsenal fans still do not believe that their team will win the title. They are mainly enjoying the great start their team has achieved. The biggest dream of Gunners fans at that time was that none of their key players would be injured so that the good days would last longer.

Not winning the premier league for a long time now have made Arsenal fans to hope for luck in Arsenal winning the league title and due to the fact that on several occasions that Arsenal had an advantage to win the title but all of a sudden things normally changes for them and they end up not winning the title again.

Anything is possible to happen in the football. I think that i shall remind you that if arsenal is not having winning mentality and in result, this club can also bottled many matches at the end of season. I think that if anyone should not expect big from their favorite teams since arsenal is still having a chance to lose as well.
Just because it's sitting at the top place and it doesn't mean arsenal can go down again soon. There will be so many things to happen in the future. Liverpool and Manchester City have the same chances, and I think that it's quite clear for the club to perform as well as before.
Arsenal has very big chance to bottling this trophy too. People are over reacted to the first position achieved by arsenal. Everything is still remain unpredictable. Im not really sure arsenal can get three points with the upcoming fixtures.

Arsenal may be leading the table but the tension is high so they need to be very consistent in winning if they must win the title because I see Manchester city and Liverpool not giving up the title to Arsenal easily as they would want to compete for the league title till the season ends.

It's only leading with the same points against Liverpool. Arsenal has only a more goal advantage compared to Liverpool. I would not even call these clubs leading the competition. Arsenal and Liverpool are still in the same position. Liverpool and city have only 1 points gap to the arsenal. Yet liverpool has same points to the arsenal.
How can you think those clubs should give up for the title while they are not even 1 inch to the arsenal? Arsenal is potentially to be trophyless again this season. Im not believing if liverpool and city will lose against arsenal in the title races.
Arsenal can get perfect result in the last game but the upcoming fixtures are gonna be very hard to predict it.

[Velvet78]

Tottenham are really unbelievable. Before the Fulham game they destroyed Aston Villa away. Maybe the red card also had an impact but their game was still impressive. But only a week later their performance against Fulham was a big disappointment. Defense and offense both were horrible. Losing this game by a score like 3-0 isn't acceptable no matter they played away. 

I really want to see Tottenham being more competitive than this. They started the season pretty good but there isn't much thing left of that performance now. I don't know maybe this inconsistency is related to their squad being not competitive enough for playing bigger.

[asriloni]

Tottenham are really unbelievable. Before the Fulham game they destroyed Aston Villa away. Maybe the red card also had an impact but their game was still impressive. But only a week later their performance against Fulham was a big disappointment. Defense and offense both were horrible. Losing this game by a score like 3-0 isn't acceptable no matter they played away. 

I was not even feeling surprised so of the last match. Totenham played like a mediocre club and it deseves to lost against fulham with so many goals. I salute to the marco silva, fulham is much more calm when it was playing the game now and it's not rushing like what totenham did.
The gameplay from fulham is more structured compared to the totenham. Ange needs to tell his club to play even more calmly rather than always try to rush but it gets countered back again from its opponent.

I really want to see Tottenham being more competitive than this. They started the season pretty good but there isn't much thing left of that performance now. I don't know maybe this inconsistency is related to their squad being not competitive enough for playing bigger.

Totenham is totenham and it will never meet your expectation. You expect totenham to be more competitive but this is what they have got. They were also being so clueless and this is the main problem owned by the club.
Totenham played so badly in this game. Ange shall be blamed caused by he keeps use high line defense which is not suitable to the totenham's gameplay.

[ILuckyGuyI]

Such a heated rivalry among Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City... 

It looks like Arteta wants this title much more this season. Arsenal are the most scorer team in the PL right now as you know. The current winning series (8 wins) is also unbelievable! There are still 10 more weeks to go and honestly the point I'm wondering the most is if they will mess up again in the final moments just like last season. 

If Arsenal don't manage to make it I have hopes for Liverpool to end Manchester City's title series. 

[piebeyb]

Tottenham are really unbelievable. Before the Fulham game they destroyed Aston Villa away. Maybe the red card also had an impact but their game was still impressive. But only a week later their performance against Fulham was a big disappointment. Defense and offense both were horrible. Losing this game by a score like 3-0 isn't acceptable no matter they played away. 

I really want to see Tottenham being more competitive than this. They started the season pretty good but there isn't much thing left of that performance now. I don't know maybe this inconsistency is related to their squad being not competitive enough for playing bigger.

We all know that Tottenham at the start of the season played very well so they were at the top of the standings for some time, sometimes it's like that when a team plays well at the start of the season towards the end of the season they usually play badly and lack consistency which is the case with Tottenham now and also Arsenal last season where they were at the top of the standings for a long time but towards the end of the season they played less well so Manchester City became EPL champions last season.

Look at the teams that play badly at the start of the season, always slowly play well towards the end of the season and finally finish in the top four of the standings or win the title, that's why Tottenham is currently a clear example even though in the previous match they embarrassed Aston Villa and then were embarrassed again by Fullham, that is clearly a crushing defeat and must be immediately corrected so that in the next match Tottenham can get a good result and it is clear that conceding three goals really must immediately improve their back line which is not so good so that they don't concede more goals in the next match .

[bitcampaign]

Tottenham are really unbelievable. Before the Fulham game they destroyed Aston Villa away. Maybe the red card also had an impact but their game was still impressive. But only a week later their performance against Fulham was a big disappointment. Defense and offense both were horrible. Losing this game by a score like 3-0 isn't acceptable no matter they played away. 

I really want to see Tottenham being more competitive than this. They started the season pretty good but there isn't much thing left of that performance now. I don't know maybe this inconsistency is related to their squad being not competitive enough for playing bigger.

Sometimes they often lose concentration in their last few matches, the defeat against Fulham really hurt a lot of supporters and betting holders for Tottenham, instead they thought Tottenham would win the match but instead they were slaughtered as guests with many corrections in several line sectors they need to immediately need a significant overhaul at the end of the season. If there is no overhaul in the Tottenham camp, it seems that they will experience a setback in this phase, it is not impossible, in fact this has already been seen in their last few matches, at least entering the Champions League zone. ..