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We created an EPL table of results since the World Cup — here were the biggest surprises

Having the World Cup in the middle of the English Premier League season has split the campaign into two chapters. Heading into Matchday 26, The18 created an EPL table that only consists of results since the World Cup break.

The updated table shows how in form some teams are and accurately depicts how poor other teams have performed.

Here’s the table and some of the biggest surprises.

Ronaldinho scored his last goal for Barcelona 15 years ago and boy was it a beauty

Ronaldinho’s last Barcelona goal was scored against Atlético Madrid on March 1, 2008. At the time of writing, that moment took place 15 years ago. How time flies.

Ronaldinho’s final goal for la Blaugrana is the legacy of that game, however on the day it was a triumphant 4-2 victory for Atlético Madrid.

Ronnie scored the opening goal in the 29th minute with a spectacular bicycle kick. The assist from Xavi wasn’t too shabby either.

USMNT player rankings from Leeds USA vs. Fulhamerica FA Cup clash

Fulham defeated Leeds United 2-0 in the FA Cup on Tuesday to advance to the last eight of the tournament. The match saw five different United States men’s national team players involved. Here’s how they performed.

USMNT rankings for Fulham vs. Leeds United

Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream started in defense for Fulham while Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie lined up in the Leeds midfield. Brenden Aaronson came on as a substitute in the 74th minute.

Champions League panic rankings: How each team's feeling before second legs

Domestic action returns to the fore with the FA Cup, Copa del Rey and Coupe de France dominating the midweek action, but the Champions League is set to return with the Round of 16 second legs on March 7/8-14/15. 

We've got some dynamite return legs brewing with five of the eight matches separated by one goal or less, and who knows, maybe Liverpool can finally deliver some excitement now that nothing's expected from them. 

5 things we learned from MLS opening day

The 2023 MLS season is finally underway and we've already learned a great deal from the league's opening fixtures. From the on-field play to the coverage and other adjacent news surrounding kick-off, MLS fans will certainly have lots to talk about before the match week has even finished. 

Daryl Dike scores twice in two minutes to embarrass Zack Steffen and secure big win for West Brom

West Brom may have only finished Saturday’s EFL Championship game with 30% possession, but that’s all they needed after two early Daryl Dike goals vs Middlesbrough was enough for a 2-0 victory.

Dike’s pair of goals came just two minutes apart as he bested fellow American goalkeeper Zack Steffen in the 8th and 10th minute.

Daryl Dike goals vs Middlesbrough

The first goal for Dike came at the end of a great sequence of passes from West Brom. His darting run into the middle gave him enough space to slip the ball past Steffen.

Mallory Swanson is in invincible form as she finishes SheBelieves Cup with FOUR goals

The USWNT defeated Brazil 2-1 in the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday to win the tournament going a perfect three wins from three games.

Questions were raised when the news broke that 2022 U.S. Female Player of the Year Sophia Smith would miss the 2023 SheBelieves Cup. Would the USWNT attack still be as lethal? Who will step up?

“Hold my beer,” Mallory Swanson says.

‘Stop trying to be a hard a** and pass the ball’ — Alexi Lalas tears into Adams and McKennie

Polarizing soccer pundit Alexi Lalas ruffled feathers in the USMNT sphere after sharing his opinion about the midfield duo of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie. Lalas doesn’t seem to be a fan of their physical approach in the Premier League.

Adams and McKennie have only played four EPL games together at Leeds United and have already earned a name for themselves. We at The18 refer to them as the ‘Premier League Bad Boys’ due to their hard tackles and how they never back down from a fight.

Chucky Lozano provides perfect assist in Napoli’s big UCL victory vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Hirving Lozano and Napoli secured a massive 2-0 victory in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday on the road against Eintracht Frankfurt. A sublime Chucky Lozano assist vs Frankfurt in the first half opened the scoring.

Chucky Lozano assist vs Frankfurt

In the 40th minute Napoli struck on a counterattack to snatch their first goal. A burst of pace from Lozano, who was a menace to the Frankfurt defense for large portions of the game, got Napoli in scoring position.

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid preview: Klopp says rewatching UCL final was ‘proper torture’

LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp conceded that he had not been able to bring himself to rewatch last season's Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid until this past weekend, insisting reliving the experience was "torture."

The Reds won their first three matches against Real in European competition, between 1981 and 2009. Since then, however, they are winless in six games against them, with five of those ending in defeat.

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