Philippe Coutinho was in the stands, but the only two players Barcelona needed against Celta Vigo Thursday were Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba. Meet me once Barcelona go up 3-0.
Messi’s first of the day: A wicked left-footed volley (via @beINSPORTSUSA) pic.twitter.com/cbzse7Y8bV
We made it through the blitz of games over the past month folks. Now you have a fresh wildcard to use if you'd like or you can keep rolling with your squad. Oh the decisions. Here are some Lads you can pick up this week:
Ayoze Perez (Newcastle):
Newcastle host Swansea, the Premier League’s worst team, on Saturday. Ayoze Perez is Newcastle’s in-form attacker with three goals in his last two games. At only £5.2, he’s easily the biggest sleeper among FPL Gameweek 23 attackers.
Jesse Lingard (Manchester United):
Philippe Coutinho is finally a Barcelona player after months of speculation, two dubious injuries during transfer windows and several rejected bids from Barcelona. No secret was made of the Brazilian international's desire to move from Liverpool to Barcelona, but few could have foreseen Coutinho's desire being so desirous that he reportedly paid out of his own pocket to help finance the deal, one of the most lucrative in history.
Philippe Coutinho’s official presentation as a Barcelona player took place at the Camp Nou today with the world’s second-most expensive footballer of all-time going through the usual rigamarole, only with the price tag of $192.7 million attached to him.
After months of speculation, Philippe Coutinho is moving to Barcelona. According to reports, the midfield maestro and pocket cannon will leave Liverpool for a reported $192.7 million. The Coutinho transfer fee ranks second all-time on the list of most expensive transfers in world football.
Will Philippe Coutinho transfer to FC Barcelona? According to Google, that’s all anyone wants to know in 2018. We’re not here to give you a definitive answer, but to break it on down like the 2 Live Crew utilizing a system developed by The Walking Dead’s Eugene Porter. Here’s Philippe Coutinho’s rumored transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona broken into the categories of “What We Know,” “What We Know We Don’t Know” and “Things We Are Unaware Of. Wholly.”
“I used to try to look at the ball and when I’m looking at that ball, I’m trying to see who is moving where and how to make sure I can plan my goal. Sometimes it’s instinct. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to lie — sometimes it’s an instinctive finish. But most of the times, you see a lot of strikers in one-on-one situations or when the ball is traveling, losing their way in what they’re trying to do because they’re thinking about it while they are doing it.
Time is a flat circle (shout out Rust Cohle).
These 18 photos will show you footballers 10 years ago in 2007 and today in 2017. Some of growth might shock you. Some might not. All we know is:
Enjoy!