The Professional Footballers Association has released its shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. The award, given to the best player in English Football under the age of 21 (previously 23) at the start of the 2021-22 season is voted on by members of the players’ union and thus considered to be quite prestigious.
Notably, this year the list is made up of only English players.
Despite all the hype, cup finals and semifinals tend to disappoint. Nerves take hold of the players, and the play on the pitch is dictated by a fear of losing rather than a desire to win. These matches become cagey affairs defined by midfield battles and long clearances, both caused by an aversion to conceding.
This week was different. The FA Cup final was an end-to-end affair, the notoriously-prudent EFL Championship playoff semifinals were both entertaining affairs and the Europa League final was an emotive footballing masterclass.
Premier League clubs spent $385 million during the winter transfer window in 2022 — a figure that almost surpassed the combined totals from January 2020 and 2021.
Not all that money was well spent, but let's look at the seven players signed by Premier League clubs in January who have made the biggest impacts during the second half of the season.
BIRMINGHAM — Son Heung-min struck a superbly taken hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur took a grip on fourth place, romping to a 4-0 win at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
With Arsenal losing earlier on Saturday, Spurs have a three point lead over their North London rivals with 57 points from 31 games - the Gunners have played one game less.
South Korean Son fired Spurs ahead in the third minute when a blocked shot from Harry Kane fell to him on the edge of the box and his first time, left-foot, shot flew in off the inside of the post.
Sam Kerr struck in stoppage time to keep alive Chelsea's Women's Super League title hopes as they snatched a 1-0 win on Sunday over a dogged Aston Villa side, but Arsenal remain top after a 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Kerr latched on to a long ball from keeper Zećira Mušović and fired home in the second minute of added time before wheeling away and taking off her shirt in celebration as second-placed Chelsea kept up the pressure on Arsenal.
LONDON - Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals scored a goal each as West Ham defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at home on Sunday, ending Steven Gerrard's side's run of three consecutive wins in the Premier League.
Yarmolenko had been granted compassionate leave after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month and then fell ill, missing West Ham's 1-0 Europa League loss in Seville on Thursday.
Thinking back over the first six months of the Premier League season, it has seemed like an unusually poor year for goalkeepers. This has been evident from the opening weekend, when a plethora of minor goalkeeping errors led to a forgettable start to the season.
David de Gea has been sensational, but aside from the Man United keeper, who has stood out between the posts this year?
LIVERPOOL — Everton's first match of the post-Rafa Benitez era began with a 1-0 Premier League defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday amid a tense and feisty atmosphere at Goodison Park where the visiting team were hit by missiles thrown from the crowd.
A lively first half ended with Emiliano Buendia scoring with a flicked header that arced over Jordan Pickford in goal and the provocative celebrations led to a bottle being launched from the stands and hitting the Villa players.
BIRMINGHAM — Aston Villa debutant Philippe Coutinho came off the bench to inspire a thrilling comeback in a gripping 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
United appeared to be on course for a second win of the week against Steven Gerrard's side as Bruno Fernandes struck in each half - the first goal courtesy of a dreadful error by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Here's the goal that gave Manchester United their 1-0 lead over Aston Villa.
Aston Villa have signed Brazilian international Philippe Coutinho on a loan deal until the end of the season from Barcelona, the Premier League club said on Friday.
He will be reunited with former captain Steven Gerrard, with the pair playing together at Anfield from 2013-15 and Gerrard now managing Villa.
Welcome, Philippe Coutinho!