To say Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has had a rough go of things in the past few months would be a grand understatement. His errors in the Champions final that expedited Madrid’s trip to the trophy made him an international laughing stock. Things got so bad that Liverpool police were forced to investigate death threats made against the shot-stopper in the days after the performance.
Manchester United face Leicester City Friday, Aug. 10, at Old Trafford as the English Premier League commences with a Red Devils-Foxes showdown. The matchup will mark the 89th EPL meeting between the two and the 45th contest in United’s territory.
Manchester United finished second in the EPL table with 81 points last season. Leicester, on the other hand, finished ninth with 47. With the table flushed clean, both the Red Devils and Foxes have a shot at vengeance — their last EPL match in Dec. 2017 ended in a 2-2 draw.
The 2018-19 Premier League season promises to be one for the ages. Liverpool looks set to really give Manchester City a run for its money, while the mid-table battle is going to be too close to call.
For some players, this season is their time to shine. Whether it be composure at the back, working hard in the midfield or plundering in the goals, there are going to be players that take the division by storm. Here are our top five picks for the biggest breakout stars of the 2018-19 Premier League season.
The Premier League returns this weekend with the marquee matchup of the opening round of fixtures being Arsenal vs Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London. Without waxing too lyrical, it’s an encounter between the most aesthetically pleasing side in the division and a club desperate to return to that echelon.
How fast is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? The FIFA video game ratings aren’t infallible, but when the fine folks at EA Sports say that Aubameyang is the fastest footballer on the planet with a pace rating of 96, well, they’re trying to tell us something — namely that he’s an excellent option to send a through ball towards and pray.
Manchester United will not win the Premier League title this season. The Red Devils have grown to be the antithesis of their former "Pride of England" moniker under Jose Mourinho. Not only has the Portuguese "Chosen One" flooded Old Trafford with boredom, the 2017-18 season was also an indicator of false glory despite a second place finish behind Manchester City.
Thibaut Courtois hard-balled Chelsea on Monday with a preseason training absence. The 26-year-old Belgian goalkeeper has long been speculated to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid, and this stern message to new boss Maurizio Sarri might be the final trick.
Courtois just entered the final 12 months of his Chelsea contract, and with this no-show antic, his transfer might be imminent — to which club though?
Twitter didn’t take long to turn the whole ordeal into a circus of memes.
Managers are being scrutinised more than ever, and with good reason. The fans and owners expect results from their teams, no matter who their players are. Whether it’s Huddersfield Town or Manchester City, every manager knows that their owners can pull the plug at any time.
How fast is Mohamed Salah? The breakthrough player of the 2017-18 European club season combined his speed and dribbling skills with a newfound confidence in front of goal to devastating effect last year, scoring 44 goals and adding 14 assists in 52 matches. Deployed on the right-hand side of Liverpool’s feared front three, Salah and teammate Sadio Mane are two of the quickest footballers on the planet.