Top 2019 EPL Summer Transfers For Each Team: How Are They Performing This Season

Arriving at a new club can take some time to adjust. Some are able to fit right in and continue their impressive form while others still have yet to prove their value. Typically, players that make a move within the league have a better first season than players that move cross-country. Here are the biggest signings for each team and how their season is looking so far.



Arsenal: Nicolas Pepe

Bleacher Report

Transferred From: LOSC Lille
Price: 80 Million Euros (RS)
Positions: RM/RW/ST

Goals Last Season: 22
Goals This Season: 6
Assists Last Season: 11
Assists This Season: 5
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.62
Avg Rating This Season: 7.23

Since his move from Lille, Pepe has been struggling to find the net. In 26 games, the record signing has only recorded 6 goals and 5 assists, which is not what you expect from an 80 million Euro man. However, with Unai Emery's sacking and Mikel Arteta now the new manager, we are starting to see more of Pepe playing up front with Lacazette and Aubameyang, so it will be interesting if Arteta can get the goal-scoring machine working again.



Aston Villa: Wesley

FourFourTwo

Transferred From: Club Brugge
Price: 25 Million Euros (RS)
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 17
Goals This Season: 5
Assists Last Season: 10
Assists This Season: 1
Avg Rating This Season: 6.76

After their recent promotion to the EPL, Aston Villa went out to the town and spent a casual 148.6 million Euros on twelve players. Record signing Wesley came to be a reliable striker for the historic club, but after an impressive first few games, he has struggled up front and has been outshone by superstar Jack Grealish. Wesley is now dealing with an injury which is why Aston Villa used the Winter Transfer Window to sign his former striker partner Mbwana Samatta.



AFC Bournemouth: Arnaut Danjuma Groenveld

WTFoot

Transferred From: Club Brugge
Price: 18 Million Euros
Positions: LM/RM

Goals Last Season: 6
Goals This Season: 0
Assists Last Season: 4
Assists This Season:  0
Avg Rating This Season: 6.44

Bournemouth's 4th most expensive signing has yet to make any impact on the club. The 23-year-old has only played in 9 games this season but this may just be his season to train and learn from his teammates.



Brighton & Hove Albion: Neal Maupay

Medium

Transferred From: Brentford
Price: 21.9 Million Euros (RS)
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 28
Goals This Season: 7
Assists Last Season: 9
Assists This Season: 2
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.15
Avg Rating This Season: 6.67

One of the top-scorers in the Championship for Brentford last season, many Brighton fans were excited for Maupay's arrival. The French international has now become another record signing that played well at the beginning of the season but now seems to be caught in the mid-season funk. With veteran striker Glenn Murray beginning to fall into retirement, all eyes are on Maupay to take the reigns and put goals on the scoreboard for the South England club.



Burnley: Jay Rodriguez

www.lancs.live

Transferred From: West Bromwich Albion
Price: 5.5 Million Euros
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 22
Goals This Season: 4
Assists Last Season: 6
Assists This Season: 0
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.99
Avg Rating This Season: 6.40

Jay Rodriguez returned this past summer to Burnley after multiple years at Southampton and West Brom, respectively. The 30-year-old performed well during his brief time in the Championship, but now as a substitute for Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood, he is once again that mediocre player we have witnessed before in the EPL.



Chelsea: Mateo Kovacic

talkSPORT

Transferred From: Real Madrid
Price: 45 Million Euros
Position: CM

Goals Last Season: 0
Goals This Season: 2
Assists Last Season: 2
Assists This Season: 3
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.89
Avg Rating This Season: 7.06

Due to their transfer ban, Chelsea were unable to make any signings this past summer and had to rely on youngsters and loanees to bring the same excitement that Eden Hazard did. However, since Kovacic was loaned out to Chelsea last season, The Blues were able to make the Croatian's deal permanent. This year, Kovacic is playing a crucial role in the 4-3-3 formation alongside Kante and Jorginho and looks to continue improving.



Crystal Palace: James McCarthy

Football.London

Transferred From: Everton
Price: 3.3 Million Euros
Position: CM

Goals Last Season: 0
Goals This Season: 0
Assists Last Season: 0
Assists This Season: 0
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.36
Avg Rating This Season: 6.37

Many years ago, McCarthy was an up-and-coming player for Everton that looked to be key for the club, but due to injuries and lack of form, he has not seen a consistent time of play until his move to London. The Irishman has started 9 of the 21 games he has played in but has yet to make any strong impact since.



Everton: Alex Iwobi

The Sun

Transferred From: Arsenal
Price: 30.4 Million Euros
Positions: LM/LW

Goals Last Season: 6
Goals This Season: 2
Assists Last Season: 9
Assists This Season: 1
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.77
Avg Rating This Season: 6.54

The Nigerian International has looked like an exciting prospect for both Arsenal and Nigeria, but since his move to Everton, we have yet to see much of him in favor of Brazilian teammates Richarlison and Bernard. With Walcott reaching his final years, maybe Iwobi can take his place and prove his worth.



Leicester City: Youri Tielemans

The Telegraph

Transferred From: AS Monaco
Price: 45 Million Euros (RS)
Position: CM

Goals Last Season: 5
Goals This Season: 8
Assists Last Season: 7
Assists This Season: 6
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.92
Avg Rating This Season: 6.92

On loan at Leicester last season, Tielemans really impressed and has now been crucial to The Foxes' success this year. At 22, the young Belgian only looks to get better and may be one of the best midfielders in the near future.



Liverpool: Sepp van den Berg

Metro

Transferred From: PEC Zwolle
Price: 1.9 Million Euros
Position: CB

Goals Last Season: 0
Goals This Season: 0
Assists Last Season: 0
Assists This Season: 0
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.42
Avg Rating This Season: 0.00

Jurgen Klopp has spent the past few years building the strongest side he could, so this summer, the focus was on renewing contracts and thinning out the squad rather than bringing in more players. However, along with Adrian on a free transfer, Liverpool signed the teenager as a future prospect for the squad. He has since played 15 games for the U23 team.



Manchester City: Rodri

The Sportsman

Transferred From: Atletico Madrid
Price: 70 Million Euros
Position: CM/CDM

Goals Last Season: 3
Goals This Season: 2
Assists Last Season: 1
Assists This Season: 1
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.03
Avg Rating This Season: 7.28

Another high-rising young midfielder that continues to impress, Rodri has been actively involved for last season's champions. Man City has been dealing with Center Back injuries this year, so Rodri's reliability allows Fernandinho to play back and lead the defense.



Manchester United: Harry Maguire

talkSPORT

Transferred From: Leicester City
Price: 87 Million Euros
Position: CB

Goals Last Season: 3
Goals This Season: 2
Assists Last Season: 0
Assists This Season: 1
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.01
Avg Rating This Season: 7.18

In 2019, Harry Maguire and Manchester United made history as the most expensive Center Back. The question that everyone is asking is whether that amount is worth it? Despite still struggling for a top 5 spot, Maguire has been consistent in form and doing what he can from the back. He's no Van Dijk this season but he's been carrying his weight.



Newcastle United: Joelinton

The Boot Room

Transferred From: TSG Hoffenheim
Price: 44 Million Euros (RS)
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 11
Goals This Season: 3
Assists Last Season: 9
Assists This Season: 3
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.27
Avg Rating This Season: 6.78

Joelinton was a wonderkid last season for Hoffenheim and was keen on making a big move. But just like a lot of these players on this list, his form has not transferred over with him as he has only been able to record 3 goals so far this season. With Allan Saint-Maximin, the other big signing for Newcastle this past summer, fans were expecting the two to be goal-scoring leaders. However, that is not the case as the center backs have recorded more goals than the forwards.



Norwich City: Ralf Fahrmann

Norwich City

Transferred From: FC Schalke 04
Price: 3 Million Euros (On Loan)
Position: GK

Saves Last Season: 74
Saves This Season: 1
Goals Conceded Last Season: 41
Goals Conceded This Season: 3
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.46
Avg Rating This Season: 6.08

Fahrmann has been a regular between the posts for Schalke since 2011, but after Nubel's sensational season last year, Norwich took the opportunity to bring the German goalkeeper to England in hopes to strengthen their defense as they return to the Premier League. Fahrmann has only fully played 1 league game for the Canaries: a 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace. With Tim Krul back in action and playing well again, maybe it's time for Fahrmann to sit the bench and be a backup.



Sheffield United: Oliver McBurnie

Daily Mail

Transferred From: Swansea City
Price: 19.1 Million Euros
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 24
Goals This Season: 4
Assists Last Season: 4
Assists This Season: 0
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.19
Avg Rating This Season: 6.80

No one expected Sheffield United to be this good this season and now have the chance to qualify for the Champions League next season. The Scottish striker stuck with Swansea when they were relegated a couple years ago and was given the opportunity to shine in the Championship. Now representing Sheffield, McBurnie has now played in 24 of 26 league games and although isn't playing at the same level as last year, he is adjusting to the high-pace game and settling in his role.



Southampton: Danny Ings

Ninety Minutes Online

Transferred From: Liverpool
Price: 22.2 Million Euros
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 8
Goals This Season: 18
Assists Last Season: 3
Assists This Season: 2
Avg Rating Last Season: 6.83
Avg Rating This Season: 6.98

Typically, it's Southampton players moving to Liverpool, so this is an odd occasion. Ings was bought by Liverpool in 2015 but struggled to find playing time on the first team. He was loaned out to Southampton and impressed the crowds enough to make his move permanent. Ings is one of the few on this list that was transferred within the Premier League, but with 18 goals already next to his name, it's no denial that he is one of the most impactful signings this season.



Tottenham Hotspur: Tanguy Ndombele

Dream Team

Transferred From: Olympique Lyon
Price: 60 Million Euros (RS)
Positions: CM/CDM

Goals Last Season: 3
Goals This Season: 2
Assists Last Season: 8
Assists This Season: 4
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.20
Avg Rating This Season: 7.10

One of the more exciting transfers in Europe in 2019, Ndombele has been able to continue playing well in London. Growing up playing in the French academies, the 23-year-old has rose through the tiers and is now an important part of Mourinho's Champions League campaign. He has been playing consistently well but now has more responsibility in the midfield after Eriksen's departure and Alli's push up front.



Watford: Ismaila Sarr

Evening Standard

Transferred From: Stade Rennais
Price: 30 Million Euros (RS)
Position: RW

Goals Last Season: 13
Goals This Season: 4
Assists Last Season: 11
Assists This Season: 3
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.02
Avg Rating This Season: 6.79

A record signing for Watford, the Senegal international has played a little more than half the games this season but still has managed to net 4 goals and provide 3 assists. Sarr was a leading player for Rennais and was beneficial for their Europa League campaign. At 21, this player still has more yet to come but with Ligue 1 and the Premier League playing at two different tempos, will Sarr be able to prove that he can play with the best?



West Ham United: Sebastien Haller

Transfermarkt

Transferred From: Eintracht Frankfurt
Price: 40 Million Euros (RS)
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 20
Goals This Season: 6
Assists Last Season: 12
Assists This Season: 2
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.64
Avg Rating This Season: 7.16

Last season, Haller was a fantastic player that helped Frankfurt reach the Europa League semi-finals, but the spotlight was on his striker pairing Luka Jovic, who also made a summer move to Real Madrid. Now at West Ham, the 25-year-old Frenchman is expected to be a goal scoring machine. Although he is the team's current topscorer, Haller is still struggling to bring that intensity and build up West Ham's reputation.



Wolverhampton Wanderers: Raul Jimenez

Express & Star

Transferred From: Benfica
Price: 38 Million Euros
Position: ST

Goals Last Season: 17
Goals This Season: 20
Assists Last Season: 8
Assists This Season: 9
Avg Rating Last Season: 7.07
Avg Rating This Season: 7.27

The Wolves have been dominant in the Premier League since their promotion last season, and one of their first signings is the reason why for their success. Jimenez was signed on loan from Benfica in 2018 and easily became a fan favorite as a reliable striker. Now officially a Wanderer, the Mexican National Team star has continued to be a threat in front of the net, now with already more goals and assists than the previous season.



Sources: whoscored.com and transfermarkt

Opinion Post: Determining the Best XI

When football fans are asked who are the best players in the world, typically they will debate whether Messi or Ronaldo take the #1 spot. Neymar and De Bruyne may not be far behind, but fans may also add one or two players that are special to them and are players that they idolize. For example, Barcelona fans will probably say that Messi is the best, but Juventus fans will say that Ronaldo is the best, or maybe Tottenham fans will say that Harry Kane is the best in the world. So fans' best 11's will all be different based on what teams they follow and what players they look up to. The goal is to determine a current best XI squad that is unbias but features as many of the best players as I can. In order to create this list, there are some key qualities that must be in play:

Value
Value is how much a player is worth. This changing number is based on how well a player is performing and how much they are being sold for when they are transferred. Usually, younger players are more valuable because they have many more years of playing and still have much more room for improvement. Attacking players are also more valuable because they are the ones scoring the goals. Here is a top 10 list of the most valuable football players in the world:

1. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 200 million euros
2. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - 180 million euros
3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 160 million euros
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 150 million euros
4. Harry Kane (Tottenham) - 150 million euros
4. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) - 150 million euros
4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 150 million euros
4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - 150 million euros
9. Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) - 120 million euros
9. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - 120 million euros

And if we were to take the most valuable players by position and put them in a starting XI, this would be the result:

GK: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - 80 million euros
LB: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid) - 70 million euros
CB: Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) - 80 million euros
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 75 million euros
RB: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) - 60 million euros
CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 150 million euros
CM: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) - 100 million euros
CM: Dele Alli (Tottenham) - 100 million euros
LW: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - 180 million euros
ST: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 200 million euros
RW: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 160 million euros

Positional Stats

To decide who is the best, I can't judge every player based on how many goals they score or how many passes they completed. I can't say something like "Lionel Messi is better than Jan Oblak because Messi has more goals" because Oblak is a goalie; he's suppose to stop goals. Therefore, each position entails certain attributes that a player must have in order to play that position. In my opinion, these are the most important attributes for each position:

Goalkeeper: Number of Appearances, Saves, Goals Against, Fouls, Cards
Defense (LB, CB, RB): Number of Appearances, Tackles, Successful Tackles, Interceptions, Passes, Completed Passes, Clearances, Fouls, Cards
Midfielders (CDM, LM, CM, RM): Number of Appearances, Passes, Completed Passes, Key Passes, Assists, Dribbles, Successful Dribbles, Shots, Goals, Tackles, Successful Tackles, Clearances, Fouls, Cards
Forwards (CAM, LW, ST, RW): Number of Appearances, Shots, Goals, Dribbles, Successful Dribbles, Passes, Completed Passes, Key Passes, Assists, Fouls, Cards

Some stats can be debated, but for the most part, I believe that these are the important stats that affect the play of game.

Club/Country

A player's club and country can affect how good a player is. While a player can change their club and move up to the biggest teams, they rarely ever change their nationality (and if they do, its more of a personal matter rather than to play for a better team). Most teams and countries are given a ranking based on their form and how they are playing.  As of March 19th after the last club games before the international break, these are the top ten teams in the world:

1. Manchester City
2. Liverpool
3. Barcelona
4. Bayern Munich
5. Paris Saint-Germain
6. Real Madrid
7. Juventus
8. Atletico Madrid
9. Chelsea
10. Ajax

As for country, these are the top ten international teams in the world:

1. Belgium
2. France
3. Brazil
4. Croatia
5. England
6. Portugal
7. Uruguay
8. Switzerland
9. Spain
10. Denmark

Again, a lot of these clubs and countries can be debated, but as of today and this season, these teams are fairing the best against the rest of the competition.

The Equations

With these important factors, I can create equations to test on each player to determine how good they are and who is the best of the best. Of the three factors, positional stats are the most important because this is evidence of how well they are performing. Since I am using a 4-3-3 formation, I will have a goalkeeper, left back, two center-backs, right back, CDM, CM, CAM, left wing, striker, and right wing. Now, I don't want to do the math for every football player, so I am going to do this process using the 10 most valuable players from each detailed position.

Goalkeeper Equation: (Value + Number of Appearances + Saves) - (Goals Against - Fouls - Cards (-3 for Yellow, -5 for Red) - Club Rank - Country Rank)

Top Ten Goalkeepers:
1. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/Germany) - 152 points
2. Alisson (Liverpool/Brazil) - 151 points
3. David de Gea (Manchester United/Spain) - 145 points
4. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid/Belgium) - 119 points
5. Ederson (Manchester City/Brazil) - 115 points
6. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea/Spain) - 110 points
7. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid/Slovenia) - 94 points
8. Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/Italy) - 71 points
9. Andre Onana (Ajax/Cameroon) - 62 points
10. Jordan Pickford (Everton/England) - 51 points

Defender Equation: Value + Number of Appearances + (Successful Tackles/(Unsuccessful Tackles +1)) + Interceptions + (Completed Passes/(Uncompleted Passes + 1)) + (Clearances/10) - Fouls - Cards (-3 for Yellow, -5 for Red) - Club Rank - Country Rank

Top Ten Center Backs:
1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands) - 170 points
2. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/France) - 140 points
3. John Stones (Manchester City/England) - 111 points
4. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax/Netherlands) - 108 points
5. Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil) - 107 points
6. Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid/Uruguay) - 102 points
7. Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid/France) - 89 points
8. Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona/France) - 89 points
9. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli/Senegal) - 66 points
10. Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan/Slovakia) - 34 points

Top Ten Left Backs:
1. Jordi Alba (Barcelona/Spain) - 119 points
2. David Alaba (Bayern Munich/Austria) - 87 points
3. Marcelo (Real Madrid/Brazil) - 61 points
4. Marcos Alonso (Chelsea/Spain) - 60 points
5. Alex Telles (Porto/Brazil) - 58 points
6. Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City/France) - 50 points
7. Alex Sandro (Juventus/Brazil) - 45 points
8. Andrew Robertson (Liverpool/Scotland) - 44 points
9. Ferland Mendy (Lyon/France) - 35 points
10. Jose Gaya (Valencia/Spain) - 25 points

Top Ten Right Backs:
1. Kyle Walker (Manchester City/England) - 98 points
2. Sergi Roberto (Barcelona/Spain) - 97 points
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/England) - 94 points
4. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich/Germany) - 75 points
5. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea/Spain) - 75 points
6. Nelson Semedo (Barcelona/Portugal) - 66 points
7. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain/Belgium) - 59 points
8. Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid/Spain) - 51 points
9. Joao Cancelo (Juventus/Portugal) - 48 points
10. Hector Bellerin (Arsenal/Spain) - 40 points

Midfielder Equation: (Value + Number of Appearances + (Successful Passes / (Unsuccessful Passes + 1)) + (Assists x 2) + (Goals x 3) + (Successful Dribbles / (Unsuccessful Dribbles - 1)) + Shots + (Successful Tackles / (Unsuccessful Tackles + 1) + (Clearances/10)) - (Fouls - Cards (-3 for Yellow, -5 for Red) - Club Rank - Country Rank)

Top Ten Center Defensive Midfielders:
1. Frenkie de Jong (Ajax/Netherlands) - 125 points
2. Casemiro (Real Madrid/Brazil) - 94 points
3. Miralem Pjanic (Juventus/Bosnia & Herzegovina) - 68 points
4. Jorginho (Chelsea/Italy) - 61 points
5. Lucas Torreira (Arsenal/Uruguay) - 60 points
6. Rodrigo (Atletico Madrid/Spain) - 58 points
7. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona/Spain) - 54 points
8. Fabinho (Liverpool/Brazil) - 51 points
9. Granit Xhaka (Arsenal/Switzerland) - 34 points
10. Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid/Ghana) - 26 points

Top Ten Center Midfielders:
1. Paul Pogba (Manchester United/France) - 205 points
2. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France) - 133 points
3. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/Germany) - 122 points
4. Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid/Spain) - 116 points
5. Thiago (Bayern Munich/Spain) - 85 points
6. Arthur (Barcelona/Brazil) - 83 points
7. Koke (Atletico Madrid/Spain) - 75 points
8. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio/Serbia) - 61 points
9. Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain/Italy) - 45 points
10. Naby Keita (Liverpool/Guinea) - 28 points

Top Ten Center Attacking Midfielders:
1. Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona/Brazil) - 219 points
2. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham/Denmark) - 194 points
3. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium) - 183 points
4. Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany) - 166 points
5. Dele Alli (Tottenham/England) - 140 points
6. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund/Germany) - 139 points
7. James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich/Colombia) - 125 points
8. Isco (Real Madrid/Spain) - 93 points
9. Nabil Fekir (Lyon/France) - 91 points
10. Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma/Italy) - 22 points

Attacker Equation: (Value + Number of Appearances + (Successful Dribbles/(Unsuccessful Dribbles + 1)) + (Completed Passes/(Uncompleted Passes + 1)) + Shots + (Assists x 2) + (Goals x 3)) - (Fouls - Cards (-3 for Yellow, -5 for Red) - Club Rank - Country Rank)

Top Ten Left Wingers:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal) - 381 points
2. Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil) - 311 points
3. Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Belgium) - 300 points
4. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli/Italy) - 240 points
5. Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/France) - 225 points
6. Leroy Sane (Manchester City/Germany) - 225 points
7. Sadio Mane (Liverpool/Senegal) - 193 points
8. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid/Spain) - 145 points
9. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid/Brazil) - 126 points
10. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham/Korea Republic) - 106 points

Top Ten Right Wingers:
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina) - 380 points
2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt) - 303 points
3. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City/England) - 259 points
4. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/Wales) - 177 points
5. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund/England) - 172 points
6. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/Portugal) - 161 points
7. Florian Thauvin (Marseille/France) - 125 points
8. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City/Algeria) - 101 points
9. Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina/Italy) - 77 points
10. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/United States) - 72 points

Top Ten Strikers and Center Forwards:
1. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/France) - 430 points
2. Harry Kane (Tottenham/England) - 315 points
3. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/France) - 312 points
4. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/Argentina) - 253 points
5. Paulo Dybala (Juventus/Argentina) - 202 points
6. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool/Brazil) - 200 points
7. Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan/Argentina) - 184 points
8. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United/England) - 174 points
9. Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United/Belgium) - 168 points
10. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal/Gabon) - 166 points

So, with all this information, here is the Best XI I have built based value and statistics:

Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/Germany) - 152 points
Left Back: Jordi Alba (Barcelona/Spain) - 119 points
Center Back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands) - 170 points
Center Back: Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/France) - 140 points
Right Back: Kyle Walker (Manchester City/England) - 98 points
Center Defensive Midfield: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax/Netherlands) - 125 points
Center Midfield: Paul Pogba (Manchester United/France) - 205 points
Center Attacking Midfield: Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona/Brazil) - 219 points
Left Wing: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal) - 381 points
Right Wing: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina) - 380 points
Striker: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/France) - 430 points

Substitute: Alisson (Liverpool/Brazil) - 151 points
Substitute: John Stones (Manchester City/England) - 111 points
Substitute: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona/Spain) - 97 points
Substitute: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France) - 133 points
Substitute: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham/Denmark) - 194 points
Substitute: Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil) - 311 points
Substitute: Harry Kane (Tottenham/England) - 315 points

Sources:
transfermarkt.com
whoscored.com
fivethirtyeight.com
fifa.com

March European Championship Qualifying: Games You Should Watch

Thursday, March 21st: Belgium hosts Russia
After a well-fought run in the 2018 World Cup, Belgium have become a popular team to watch. The attacking trio of Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, and Romelu Lukaku share 88 all time goals in international play, and currently they look like they don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Belgium is also known for their strong center-backs with the likings of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, and Vincent Kompany, as well as many other up and coming defensive stars. Along with Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel typically holding the midfield, The Red Devils can control the center of the field against the other football giants around the world. However, their weakness lies on the wings where their fullback situation is poor. Despite Thomas Meunier's success, Belgium don't have much talent that can play on the left or right side of the pitch. They are forced to use a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation, causing Meunier and other fullbacks to play high and run both ends of the field. Russia, who are rebuilding and exposing young players to professional play, will most likely be using Denis Cheryshev and maybe Anton Miranchuk as wingers in order to take advantage of the free space Belgium is offering. But Belgium's strong presence and armory of world-class skill should be enough to dominate the Russians and send them back home.


Sunday, March 24th: Dutchmen Welcome Back Germany
If you followed the UEFA Nations League that last occurred during the end of last year, you would know that Netherlands were the surprise winners of their challenging group while Germany was relegated to League B. The Dutch, after not qualifying for the World Cup, have spent time rebuilding and now look like favorites to finish on top in their group. Center-backs Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt are currently performing in high-form, while other playmakers like Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay are building confidence and taking on large roles for their country. Meanwhile, Germany have been struggling to keep up and maintain their champion status. Recent reports have announced that long-time manager Joachim Low has decided to leave out Bayern stars Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, and Mats Hummels from his future plans. Some may believe that this will hurt the Germans' international success, but this is more of an opportunity for players like Thilo Kehrer, Niklas Sule, and Kai Havertz to build their careers and bring fresh blood to the side. Netherlands could finish this match victorious, but expect a close-fought game between the two powerhouses.



Monday, March 25th: Ronaldo and co. Face Serbia
Portugal, who were the 2016 UEFA European Champions, are hungry for another international trophy and they have the squad to prove it. Along with the older Portugal legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Moutinho, they also have young-guns Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves that are making a name for themselves and looking to fill the shoes of these greats. Their World Cup run wasn't as successful as expected, but the Portugese can fuel a drive and determination that many other European countries lack. Serbia will be their toughest opponent during this international break with Nemanja Matic and Aleksandar Kolarov holding a strong defensive line, but when you have a Ronaldo on your team, scoring goals shouldn't be a problem.



Tuesday, March 26th: Underrated Teams Switzerland and Denmark Take the Pitch
In the past, both these countries have never really made a name for themselves as a top European squad, but as the times are changing, we have seen some sparks and flames being fueled from these talents. Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri has led this new side with the help of Granit Xhaka and Yann Sommer. Recently, they surprised Belgium in the UEFA Nations League by handing them a humiliating defeat and securing the top spot in their group to move on to the knockout rounds. Denmark have also been on the rise and producing quality football against the other European Giants. Christian Eriksen has been their best player by far with Kasper Schmeichel not too far behind, along with many other young players that are really kickstarting their careers. This will be a fun game to watch these two up and coming countries face off and see who is improving the most. Switzerland looks to have the power to win this match, but without their starting striker Haris Seferovic, a draw between the two seems more likely.

Premier League Update: Going into the March International Break

After a weekend full of a combination of Premier League and FA Cup fixtures, all 20 teams are able to regroup and settle now that the international break is upon us. This is how the league looks after Matchweek 31:

1. Liverpool - 76 pts (+52)
2. Manchester City - 74 pts (+58)*
3. Tottenham Hotspur - 61 pts (+25)*
4. Arsenal - 60 pts (+24)*
5. Manchester United - 58 pts (+18)*
6. Chelsea - 57 pts (+17)*
7. Wolverhampton Wanderers - 44 pts (+2)*
8. Watford - 43 pts (-2)*
9. West Ham United - 42 pts (-5)
10. Leicester City - 41 pts (-3)
11. Everton - 40 pts (-1)
12. Bournemouth - 38 pts (-13)
13. Newcastle United - 35 pts (-9)
14. Crystal Palace - 33 pts (-5)*
15. Brighton & Hove Albion - 33 pts (-10)**
16. Southampton - 30 pts (-16)*
17. Burnley - 30 pts (-24)
18. Cardiff City - 28 pts (-30)*
19. Fulham - 17 pts (-41)
20. Huddersfield Town - 14 pts (-39)

*Team is one game behind
** Team is two games behind

With only 7 more games to go this season, there are many areas on the league table that can still change. Here is a list of players that will be unavailable due to the international break:

Arsenal: 9
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
Sead Kolasinac (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greece)
Aaron Ramsey (Wales)
Lucas Torreira (Uruguay)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)

Bournemouth: 5
Nathan Ake (Netherlands)
David Brooks (Wales)
Ryan Fraser (Scotland)
Chris Mepham (Wales)
Callum Wilson (England)

Brighton & Hove Albion: 4
Leon Balogun (Nigeria)
Shane Duffy (Republic of Ireland)
Beram Kayal (Israel)
Davy Propper (Netherlands)

Burnley: 6
Robbie Brady (Republic of Ireland)
Tom Heaton (England)
Jeff Hendrick (Republic of Ireland)
Kevin Long (Republic of Ireland)
James Tarkowski (England)
Matej Vydra (Czech Republic)

Cardiff City: 4
Harry Arter (Republic of Ireland)
Bruno Ecuele Manga (Gabon)
Callum Paterson (Scotland)
Jazz Richards (Wales)

Chelsea: 11
Ethan Ampadu (Wales)
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Spain)
Ross Barkley (England)
Olivier Giroud (France)
Eden Hazard (Belgium)
Jorginho (Italy)
N'Golo Kante (France)
Mateo Kovacic (Croatia)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (England)
Antonio Rudiger (Germany)
Willian (Brazil)

Crystal Palace: 8
Michy Batshuayi (Belgium)
Christian Benteke (Belgium)
Wayne Hennessey (Wales)
Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)
Mamadou Sakho (France)
Bakary Sako (Mali)
Patrick van Aanholt (Netherlands)
Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)

Everton: 8
Seamus Coleman (Republic of Ireland)
Lucas Digne (France)
Michael Keane (England)
Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Jordan Pickford (England)
Richarlison (Everton)
Cenk Tosun (Turkey)
Kurt Zouma (France)

Fulham: 6
Andre Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon)
Ryan Babel (Netherlands)
Cyrus Christie (Republic of Ireland)
Stefan Johansen (Norway)
Havard Nordtveit (Norway)
Tim Ream (United States)

Huddersfield Town: 4
Philip Billing (Denmark)
Mathias Jorgensen (Denmark)
Jonas Lossl (Denmark)
Jon Gorenc Stankovic (Slovenia)

Leicester City: 9
Ben Chilwell (England)
Jonny Evans (Northern Ireland)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)
Harry Maguire (England)
Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria)
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
Caglar Soyuncu (Turkey)
Youri Tielemans (Belgium)
Danny Ward (Wales)

Liverpool: 15
Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
Alisson (Brazil)
Daniel Amartey (Ghana)
Fabinho (Brazil)
Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Jordan Henderson (England)
Dejan Lovren (Croatia)
Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Simon Mignolet (Belgium)
Divock Origi (Belgium)
Andrew Robertson (Scotland)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands)

Manchester City: 11
Danilo (Brazil)
Fabian Delph (England)
Ederson (Brazil)
Ilkay Gundogan (Germany)
Gabriel Jesus (Brazil)
Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina)
Leroy Sane (Germany)
Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
Raheem Sterling (England)
John Stones (England)
Kyle Walker (England)

Manchester United: 10
David De Gea (Spain)
Victor Lindelof (Sweden)
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Anthony Martial (France)
Nemanja Matic (Serbia)
Scott McTominay (Scotland)
Paul Pogba (France)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Sergio Romero (Argentina)
Luke Shaw (England)

Newcastle United: 7
Christian Atsu (Ghana)
Martin Dubravka (Slovakia)
Paul Dummett (Wales)
Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia)
Yoshinori Muto (Japan)
Fabian Schar (Switzerland)
DeAndre Yedlin (United States)

Southampton: 8
Stuart Armstrong (Scotland)
Jan Bednarek (Poland)
Steven Davis (Northern Ireland)
Mohammed Elyounoussi (Norway)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Denmark)
Michael Obafemi (Republic of Ireland)
James Ward-Prowse (England)
Maya Yoshida (Japan)

Tottenham Hotspur: 17
Toby Alderweireld (Belgium)
Dele Alli (England)
Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)
Ben Davies (Wales)
Eric Dier (England)
Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
Juan Foyth (Argentina)
Paulo Gazzaniga (Argentina)
Son Heung-Min (South Korea)
Harry Kane (England)
Erik Lamela (Argentina)
Hugo Lloris (France)
Danny Rose (England)
Moussa Sissoko (France)
Kieran Trippier (England)
Jan Vertonghen (Belgium)
Victor Wanyama (Kenya)

Watford: 4
Craig Cathcart (Northern Ireland)
Roberto Pereyra (Argentina)
Sebastian Prodl (Austria)
Ken Sema (Sweden)

West Ham United: 4
Marko Arnautovic (Austria)
Lukasz Fabianski (Poland)
Javier Hernandez (Mexico)
Declan Rice (England)

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 5
Leander Dendoncker (Belgium)
Diogo Jota (Portugal)
Ruben Neves (Portugal)
Rui Patricio (Portugal)
Romain Saiss (Morocco)

Pre-Match: Champions League Round of 16 Leg Two Week 1

Fixtures This Champions League Week:

Tuesday March 5th

Borussia Dortmund (0) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (3)

Real Madrid (2) vs. Ajax Amsterdam (1)

Wednesday March 6th

FC Porto (1) vs. AS Roma (2)

Paris Saint-Germain (2) vs. Manchester United (0)



My Predictions

Yellow Wall vs. North London Hens: 2-2
During the first leg, both teams we're missing key players: Tottenham was without their leading scorer Harry Kane and Dortmund had to play without their captain Marco Reus. However, the Spurs proved that they can still dominate at Wembley without their star and managed to notch three goals along with a shutout. Tomorrow, both Kane and Reus are expected to return to Champions League play in Germany. Dortmund are coming off a 2-1 loss to Augsburg this past Saturday, a defeat that gave rivals Bayern Munich the opportunity to tie them with points in the title race. The Men in Yellow are going to have lots of adrenaline and eager for revenge, but Tottenham have been looking strong and are going to continue their scoring habits. I predict that these two teams will draw in a moderately-high scoring game. A three-goal deficit is difficult to bounce back from, but the Champions League is always full of surprises (Remember when Roma came back and kicked Barcelona out of Champions last year?).



Madrid Without Ronaldo vs. Ajax U-23s: 1-0
Real Madrid have not been having their best year. Gareth Bale and Marcelo are both in poor form, and without Sergio Ramos this weekend due to too many yellow cards, Solari has been forced to rely on his younger inexperienced players. Meanwhile, Ajax has been one of those teams that soccer fans have been excited to watch play in the Champions League. Known for creating stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez, Ajax has continued to impress with their youngsters. Currently, Frenkie De Jong and 19-year-old captain Matthijs De Ligt are having a sensational season. And with his commitment to Barcelona next season, De Jong will already become a Barcelona legend if he can eliminate Real Madrid from Champions League. But with the match happening in Madrid, I believe the hosts will just get by and win 1-0. Also going to bet that Karim Benzema will score the lone goal.



FC Porto Gal vs. Hound Nipples: 1-1
If there's one team currently in the Champions League that I don't know much about, it's probably Porto. I know that they have consistently been a dominant team in Liga NOS and have a few exciting prospects such as Right Back Eder Militao. Roma has been struggling a little in the competitive Serie A, but they have made a lot of interesting signings in the past year that have been working out for them. They were able to defeat Porto 2-1 at home, but typically I feel like the home team has that mental advantage. No doubt that I believe that Roma is the stronger team and although it will be a close match, a draw will be the result and Roma will advance to the quarterfinals.



Arab Money vs. Aftermath of Mourinho: 3-1
What an embarrassment it was for Man United after they lost the first leg at home 2-0. Especially that Paris was missing Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Thomas Meunier. Now they have to travel away to the capital of France and I don't believe that they will be able to make a comeback. Mbappe and company are once again going to light it up around the Red Devils and Angel Di Maria are going to make them wish that they had kept the Argentine. I'll give United a consolation goal which probably will be an 85th minute tap-in from "Super Sub" Romelu Lukaku. I'm not bias, this is just a prediction based on observations.

Welcome to Sideline Soccer!

The simple description is just a guy who likes to watch football (and I mean actual football, not that NFL crap).

A few years ago, if you asked me anything about international football, I'd probably have no clue what to say. I played soccer as a kid and was a pretty decent striker. Then I went to play high school soccer and the coach never saw anything special in me. I ended up being that veteran attacker for the JV team: one of those old players that the manager subs on in the 70th minute and then scores the game winner. I played until after my Junior year when I decided that soccer just wasn't for me anymore. I believe it was around that time when I got starting watching the game.

I don't remember how exactly I became addicted to football, but I bet it had something to do with FIFA 15. A lot of my childhood friends played the game and suggested that I get it too. It took some time, but eventually I got pretty good against my peers. My passion for this video game exposed me to the players and their teams. My go to team was always Arsenal because Theo Walcott was one of the fastest players in the game at the time and he would always outrun my opponent's defense and score. Now, I was good at the game, not great. But I was better at understanding player stats and building teams, so I spent a lot more time trying to improve my "Ultimate Team" rather than improving my own skills. The problem I ran into was that I either give it time and eventually have a solid squad, or I pay money to increase my chances of adding better players. I have patience but not enough. I do have a bank account though. My addiction led me to use my own money that I worked hard for on a video game. And when I realized that I didn't have much money left, I happened to get my hands on my parent's credit card. So basically my young teenager self had a gambling problem, and when my parents discovered my spending habits with their money, I was left in their debt. I stepped away from the game and spent the next summer working a job. I didn't earn much because I had to pay for my consequences. It is kind of embarrassing looking back at it, so chances are you probably will never find me at a casino.

So although I stopped playing FIFA, I decided to watch the actual sport instead. One early Saturday morning, I woke up, went downstairs to the living room, and watched an English Premier League match. Arsenal was playing against some team, I don't remember who. But I enjoyed watching them play, and continued watching them every weekend. For my 17th birthday, I got my first soccer jersey: A Theo Walcott Arsenal jersey. That spring, I was part of an exchange program that went to Italy and I experienced my first professional football match where Genoa FC took on some random team from Serie B. My interest in the sport grew from there as I started watching more leagues in Europe. I watched an El Clasico match between powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid. I watched the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic score some impressive goals for Paris Saint-Germain. I followed the Leicester City story when they surprised England and won the league. I loved the sport, and I continue to love it to this day

But why? I ask myself why I am so addicted to this sport and not any other sport, or thing in general. I grew up playing ice hockey and I still consider this sport as my favorite to play. I'll watch it from time to time, but I can't follow it as closely as I do with soccer. But why am I willing to wake up early on weekends when I have the opportunity to sleep in? Why do I have hand crafted documents on my laptop of stats that I constantly update? Why am I even creating this blog in the first place? To be honest, I don't know. I just enjoy watching the sport. Maybe I like the fact that there are so many professional leagues in Europe and that I could watch them all at the same time (if I had access to maybe 30 TVs). Maybe it has something to do with the World Cup, a competition that never fails to showcase 32 countries with 32 talented teams. Almost every country plays the sport and it has become an international language. Most of these club teams are comprised of players from different parts of the world, and although they may not speak the same language, they can communicate through this sport and understand each other. Everyone follows the same rules, so everyone plays the same game.

What I am trying to say is that it is confusing to me why I follow this interest so heavily, but I feel like I have reached a point where I can add my own opinions about the sport because I am well informed. So today, I opened my laptop and decided to create a blog because I want to share my passion with others. I consider myself more of a writer than a talker. I sometimes struggle to communicate verbally with audiences, but if you give me time to organize my thoughts, I can effectively share my knowledge clear and concise. I like to discuss about different matches that occur as well as offer my thoughts on how the teams performed. I have gathered lots of information over the years, and now I feel like it's time to use it for my own good.

Sideline Soccer is my way to communicate with you, and you are welcome to join my discussions and offer your own input. I want to create pre-match and post-match posts about every game in Europe's top five leagues (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1). However, that is a lot of work that would require a lot of time, a construct that can be difficult to find when you are in college trying to earn your degree. Therefore, my posts are going to be limited to the English Premier League, Champions League, and international matches. I may also try to include other important matches that happen (for example, El Clasico). I love talking about football and I invite you to do as well. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the content!