Five of the best players never to win the Champions League

It is the pinnacle of European football, with every player dreaming of getting their hands on the Champions League trophy. However, not even some of the game’s greatest players manage to get their hands on Europe’s biggest prize.

Five of the best players never to win the Champions League, according to iSports football API.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the most prolific goal scorers in European history, finding the net 60 times in Europe over the course of his playing days at Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Joining United in 2001, the Dutchman’s move to Old Trafford two years after the club had famously conquered Europe in 1999, establishing himself as one of the most deadly strikers on the continent, winning the Champions League top goalscorer award in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

His move to Real Madrid meant that he missed out on a winners medal when United won the Champions League in 2008, with Real Madrid not getting their hands on the trophy again until 2013, three years after the Dutchman’s departure.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United. All clubs who have won the European Cup on numerous occasions. They are also all clubs that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for with great distinction at some point in his illustrious career.

With that in mind, it’s pretty incredible to think that the Swedish striker hasn’t managed to get his hands on the most famous trophy in European football, in spite of his 49 European goals.

Ronaldo

One of the greatest strikers to have ever graced the game. Ronaldo, the original, the Brazilian, the Phenomenon.

Like Zlatan, he has also played for plenty of clubs with European pedigree, including Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

However, despite his clinical goalscoring talent, he only managed to find the net 14 times in the Champions League, with his infamous hat-trick against Manchester United one of his best nights on the continental stage, as per iSports API.

Francesco Totti

While the rest of the players on this list so far have played for clubs with plenty of European pedigree and a plethora of titles to their name, Roma icon Totti has not.

Failing to get his hands on the biggest trophy in Europe is perhaps the ultimate price of his loyalty to his hometown club, where he spent all of his 25-year career.

While he doesn’t have a Champions League winners medal to his name, it doesn’t take anything away from the career of one of the greats of European football.

Gianluigi Buffon

While Totti never even got close to being a European champion, the once most expensive goalkeeper in the world has come agonisingly close on a number of occasions, incredibly losing all three of the Champions League finals he has featured in.

The first defeat came at Old Trafford in what was one of the most boring finals in living memory against AC Milan in 2003. More recently, he has suffered defeat at the hands of Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.

His brief move to PSG didn’t see his UCL fortunes improve, and has since returned to Juventus where his search for a winners medal goes on.

Again, his lack of a European winner’s medal though takes nothing away from what has been a stellar career for this absolute legend of the game, who can of course console himself with a World Cup triumph and a boatload of Serie A winners medals.

For more information about sports event API, please visit iSportsapi.com.

More articles, please follow https://www.isportsapi.com/blog-list/-1.html

Carmelo Anthony's contract with Blazers now fully guaranteed

The Portland Trail Blazers will amend Carmelo Anthony's contract so that it becomes fully guaranteed for the remainder of the season, accprding to league sources.

Portland had until early January to fully guarantee the deal for the season. Anthony, 35, had signed a non-guaranteed contract last month.

Anthony was named the Western Conference Player of the Week last week after averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists to help the Blazers go 3-0，as per iSports API. It marked the first time he was named a player of the week since the 2014 season, while he was a member of the Knicks.

Head coach Terry Stotts told ESPN Radio's Spain and Company that Anthony's addition has been "a pleasure" for the team.

"Melo's been terrific for us," Stotts said. "He's enjoying the experience. He's been a breath of fresh air for us that we needed."

Stotts said he has been impressed with Anthony's conditioning after being out of action for a year.

"We put a kind of limit/restriction on the first game or two just because we didn't want to extend his minutes not knowing what shape he was in," Stotts told Spain and Company. "But now he's playing 32-35 minutes, he played 37 minutes the other night. And for him to be out of NBA basketball for a year and be able to come in and play productive minutes for 35 minutes in an NBA game, to me, was remarkable."

Anthony poured in 20 points in 36 minutes in Wednesday night's 127-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. He is averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season, according to iSports basketball API.

For more information about sports event API, please visit iSportsapi.com.

More articles, please follow https://www.isportsapi.com/blog-list/-1.html

Ranking the six most expensive signings in La Liga history

Spanish clubs were once again Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, with La Liga’s top three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid the three highest spending teams on the continent.

Another host of expensive recruits have headed to Spanish football in 2019, but how have the country’s all-time priciest purchases fared since their big-money moves?

We’ve looked back at Spanish football’s most expensive signings, and ranked the costliest six in La Liga history, according to iSports API data.



Eden Hazard – €100m

The Chelsea superstar finally secured his dream move to Real Madrid this summer, the Spanish giants having held a long-standing interest in the Belgian international. In seven seasons in English football Hazard had established himself as one of the Premier League‘s finest talents, winning two league titles and earning a host of individual accolades including the PFA Player’s Player and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

Hazard headed to the Bernabeu last summer for an initial fee of around €100m, and has been tasked with replacing the creative and goalscoring void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2018 departure.

His start has been underwhelming thus far, showing only glimpses of his talent with many questioning his work-rate.

Hazard himself admits he arrived at the club overweight, and having scored just once in his first 11 appearances for the club in all competitions he will need to start performing soon to avoid being labelled a flop.

Few players are under as much pressure as the marquee man in Madrid, and Hazard will hope his dream move does not turn into a nightmare.

Gareth Bale – €94m

Ignoring his recent troubles in the Spanish capital, it is hard to argue that Gareth Bale is not one of Britain’s greatest footballing exports. The Welsh international moved to Real Madrid in a then world-record deal from Tottenham in 2013, helping the club end their long wait for La Decima by scoring the winner as Madrid won their tenth European Cup.

Since then Bale has added one La Liga title and three further Champions League trophies, including an incredible match-winning display off the bench to beat Liverpool in the 2018 final of the latter tournament in Kyiv.

In 234 appearances he has scored 104 goals for the club, winning 13 honours in a trophy-laden period in Madrid. His failure to truly integrate into Spanish life and difficult relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane makes his future uncertain, though his achievements have been matched by few on this list.

Ousmane Dembele – €105m

Neymar’s world-record departure to Paris Saint-Germain saw Barcelona spend big in a bid to bolster their attacking options, making Borussia Dortmund star Ousmane Dembele the then second-most expensive player in football history in 2017.

The France international had spent just one season at the German side after joining from Rennes, though Barcelona were sufficiently impressed to bring the winger to the Nou Camp in a club-record deal.

Dembele would win a La Liga and Copa del Rey double in an injury-hit first season, making just 23 appearances in all competitions. His output improved in 2018/19, scoring 14 times in all competitions as a second successive league title was secured.

In two seasons he is yet to truly justify his significant fee, whilst questions have also been asked over his attitude. The World Cup winner certainly possesses the talent to shine at the highest level and at just 22, Barcelona will hope he can fulfil his undoubted potential.

Antoine Griezmann – €120m

Having scored 94 La Liga goals in just 180 appearances during a five year spell at Atletico Madrid, Spanish champions Barcelona decided to raid their divisional rivals to secure the signing of the World Cup winning star in 2019.

The French forward moved to the Nou Camp in a deal worth €120m, where he joined a potent attacking line-up including the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Regarded as one of the finest forwards in Spanish football, it was hoped Griezmann would perfectly compliment the Catalan side’s existing options but it has been a difficult adaptation so far.

Despite scoring four times in 11 La Liga appearances, it has been questioned whether Griezmann’s style is suited to getting the best out of Messi – the key for any Barcelona boss – whilst his favoured position as a second striker does not exist in the club’s current set-up.

More is expected of Griezmann than what he has currently produced, but undoubtedly an elite talent, he is likely to improve as he continues to settle into life at the club.

Joao Felix – €126m

Despite being regarded as one of European football’s most promising talents, Atletico Madrid’s record-breaking capture of the Portuguese starlet shocked the continent. The talented teenager had spent just one full season in the Benfica first-team, though after watching the forward score 20 goals in all competitions, Atletico smashed their transfer-record to bring Felix to Spain.

The 19-year-old became the fourth most expensive signing in football history, moving to the Spanish capital to replace the outgoing Antoine Griezmann. Felix made his senior international debut for Portugal this past summer and has impressed in his first appearances for Atletico colours, opening his La Liga account with a goal against Eibar in September and scoring three times in 11 appearances so far.

The youngster will have to continue adapting to the incessant demands of Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who often places a huge work-load on his attacking players.

A versatile player capable of playing as a forward or a deeper role, he looks to have the potential to develop into one of Europe’s leading players.

Philippe Coutinho – €160m

The most expensive signing in La Liga history, Brazil international Coutinho described his 2018 move to Barcelona as a ‘dream come true’. The midfielder had established himself as one of the best attacking talents in the Premier League during a five-year stay at Liverpool, before opting to move to Spain after a protracted chase by the Catalan side.

Having initially adapted impressively to life in La Liga, helping the club to a league and cup double following his record-breaking January move, Coutinho’s performance dipped drastically in his first full season.

The former Inter Milan star had been a key figure at Anfield but struggled to find his role in the Barcelona side, his influence minimal and saw him often targeted for criticism after a series of below-par displays.

After just 18 months in Spain he was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to leave the club, joining Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal.

For more information, please click iSportsAPI.com.

Barcelona’s five highest goalscorers in Champions League history

Few teams have enjoyed more success on the European stage in modern times than Barcelona.

Crowned winners in the final edition of the European Cup, the Catalan side have since lifted the Champions League on a further four occasions since its rebranding in 1992, with only Liverpool, AC Milan and rivals Real Madrid having ever enjoyed greater success on club football’s biggest stage.

The club’s Nou Camp home has played host to some of the tournament’s most iconic figures, and we’ve decided to look back at some of the greatest goalscorers to have donned the club’s famous colours.

Here are Barcelona’s five highest goalscorers in Champions League history, according to iSports API.



Neymar – 21 goals

The Brazilian international arrived at the Nou Camp in a highly anticipated deal in 2013, and after a season of adaptation to life in Europe began to demonstrate his undoubted talents on the Champions League stage.

Forming part of a famed attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Neymar would help fire Barcelona to a continental treble in 2014/15, scoring in the club’s Champions League final success over Juventus and finishing as the equal highest scorer in the competition.

He would be instrumental in one of the club’s greatest ever results, the miraculous 6-1 comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, eventually moving to the French side later that year in a world-record deal after scoring 21 goals in 40 European appearances for Barcelona.

Patrick Kluivert – 21 goals

Kluivert would announce himself to world football following his emergence as a teenager as part of Ajax’s Golden Generation, famously scoring the winning goal as an 18-year-old as the Dutch side won the Champions League in 1995.

Like many of that side he would depart for Europe’s giants, firstly to Milan before moving to Barcelona, where he continued to score prolifically.

In six seasons in Spain Kluivert would strike up a prolific partnership with Rivaldo and score 124 goals, 21 of those coming in the Champions League, as per iSports API.

Despite his best efforts, however, the semi-final stage would be as far as the forward would go in Barcelona colours, as his bid to add a second European Cup to his haul ultimately failed to materialise.

Luis Suarez – 22 goals

The second of the famed Neymar-Messi-Suarez trio to make our list, the Uruguayan has been a formidable presence in the Barcelona forward line since moving to Spain from Liverpool in 2014.

His first season saw the club conquer Europe, forming a brilliant partnership with the aforementioned duo which saw Suarez score seven Champions League goals as Barcelona secured a treble under former boss Luis Enrique.

Unpredictable but often brilliant, Suarez’s goalscoring exploits in Europe have dipped somewhat in recent seasons, though he remains key to Barcelona’s hopes of winning a sixth title and will hope to add to his record of 22 goals in 50 appearances during the current campaign.

Rivaldo – 25 goals

One of Brazilian football’s greatest players, Barcelona probably saw the peak years of Rivaldo during a hugely successful spell at the Nou Camp between 1997 and 2002.

That five-year spell saw Rivaldo crowned as World Player of the Year in 1999, as he led the club to back-to-back La Liga titles and twice into the latter stages of the Champions League.

Creative, skilful and with a penchant for the spectacular, Rivaldo would become a huge fan’s favourite to an adoring Nou Camp crowd.

Whilst success would ultimately not come in the form of a Champions League winner’s medal at the Nou Camp, Rivaldo would make his impact on the biggest stage and scored 25 goals for the club, the second-highest amount in Barcelona history, according to iSports API.

Lionel Messi – 112 goals

Who else?

Possessing more goals than the other four players on this list combined is Lionel Messi, who continues to expand the boundaries of what we thought was possible from an elite footballing talent.

A four-times winner of the competition, Messi has hit 112 Champions League goals in just 137 appearances, second only to great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament’s history.

The Argentine superstar has finished as the competition’s top scorer on six occasions, whilst no player has ever scored more than his eight Champions League hat-tricks.

Averaging 0.82 goals per game, Messi has comfortably the best ratio since the rebranding of the old European Cup. He continues to thrive on Europe’s biggest stage, and will be the central figure in the club’s pursuit of a sixth Champions League title this season.

For more information, please click iSportsAPI.com.

Five most expensive signings in Bundesliga history

Germany’s Bundesliga clubs broke their record transfer spend in the 2019 summer transfer window, with the 18 clubs splashing out around £670m on new talent.

Notable arrivals to the division included the likes of Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez and Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho, whilst stars such as Benjamin Pavard, Mats Hummels and Thorgan Hazard transferred between divisional rivals.

Following another summer of spending, where do the new additions rank in terms of the Bundesliga’s biggest ever buys?

Here are the six most expensive signings in Bundesliga history, and it’s a list unsurprisingly dominated by one club, as per iSports API data.



Arturo Vidal

Juventus to Bayern Munich – €37m

The powerhouse midfielder had spent four impressive years in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen before departing for Serie A and Juventus, before Bayern Munich opted to bring the Chilean back to German football in a €37m deal n 2015.

Three seasons in Munich would deliver three successive Bundesliga titles, with Vidal bringing tenacity to his role as a box-to-box midfielder.

He would also win one German Cup and two German Super Cups, scoring 22 goals in 123 appearances for the club before leaving for Barcelona in 2018, as per iSports API.

Mario Götze 

Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich – €37m

Having been a key figure in the Dortmund side which won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, emerging star Götze shocked the club in 2013 by announcing he would be leaving for rivals Bayern Munich.

The timing of the announcement sparked anger and came on the eve of the club’s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, with the news that the Dortmund starlet would defect for the Bavarian giants.

Götze’s decision was in part due to the arrival of Pep Guardiola as manager in Munich, though the attacking midfielder struggled to establish himself as an undisputed first choice. Three seasons at Bayern brought three successive titles, though having found himself on the periphery and returned to Dortmund in 2016.

Gotze looks like he will never quite fulfil that early promise, although he can console himself with having scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup.

Javi Martinez 

Athletic Bilbao to Bayern – €40m

Bayern Munich broke the Bundesliga transfer-record to sign midfielder Javi Martinez in 2012, activating the Spaniard’s €40m release clause in his Athletic Bilbao contract.

Since his arrival from La Liga seven years ago, Martinez has won a host of trophies in Munich, including seven successive league titles, four German Cups and the 2013 Champions League, according to iSports API.

Now 31, he continues to play an important role in the Bayern squad, with his ability to be equally adept in central midfield or at centre-back proving invaluable.

Corentin Tolisso 

Lyon to Bayern Munich – €47.5m

Despite boasting a wealth of midfield talent, serial Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich once again broke the league’s transfer-record in 2017, as Lyon midfielder Tolisso moved to Munich in a deal worth up to €47.5m in 2017.

The 25-year-old scored 10 goals in 40 appearances during his debut season at the club, before a ruptured cruciate ligament injury hindered his progress and saw him miss the majority of the 2018/19 season, as per iSports API.

An athletic box-to-box midfielder who is comfortable in a variety of midfield roles, Tolisso will hope to re-establish himself in the Bayern side this season as the club seek a record-extending 29th league title.

Lucas Hernandez 

Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich – €80m

The most expensive signing of Germany’s 2019 summer transfer window and the most expensive in Bundesliga history, champions Bayern Munich secured the signing of Atletico Madrid’s French international Hernandez for a fee of €80m.

The 23-year-old played a key role as France were crowned world champions in 2018 and had impressed  in La Liga during his time in the Spanish capital, also helping Diego Simeone’s side to the 2018 Europa League.

Comfortable centrally or at left-back, he bolsters a defensive line already including the likes of Niklas Süle and Jerome Boateng and will be looking to establish himself as a leading figure in Niko Kovac’s side.

A knee injury delayed his start to life in Munich but having now returned to full fitness, will be hoping to make a major impact following his arrival in Germany.

For more information, please click iSportsAPI.com.

Rating the 10 managers to have won the Premier League title

Only 10 managers have tasted the ultimate success since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, owing largely to the serial success of a certain Scot at Old Trafford.

Remarkably no English manager is yet to win the country’s top flight since the formation of the Premier League, Howard Wilkinson at Leeds the last Englishman to have seen his side crowned champions in the season prior to the competition’s inaugural campaign.

That said, several coaching greats have plied their trade in English football in the years since, and we’ve decided to rate each of the exclusive eight title-winning managers.

Here is the Football Faithful‘s rating of the eight managers to win the Premier League, according to iSports API.

Sir Alex Ferguson

The Manchester United great would guide the club to the league title in the Premier League’s first-ever season, ending the club’s long title drought before overseeing two decades of domestic dominance.

During his 26-year dynasty at the club he would win 36 trophies, including a record-breaking 13 Premier League titles as he evolved his winning machine at Old Trafford.

Ferguson once famously said his greatest challenge was knocking arch-rivals Liverpool ‘off their f****** perch’, a promise he made good on as he eclipsed their 18 title landmark before retiring following United’s 20th league success in 2013.

From the iconic hairdryer to the manipulative mind games, they simply don’t make them like Fergie anymore, arguably the greatest manager in the history of the game.

Rating: 10/10

Kenny Dalglish

The first side to challenge the dominance of Manchester United were Blackburn Rovers, who backed by Jack Walker’s millions began an ambitious project to conquer English football.

Guided by former Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish and propelled by the goals of Alan Shearer, Blackburn would deliver the ultimate success following a tantalising title race that would go down to the final day.

Dalglish had guided the club to promotion to the top flight and on to a Premier League title triumph, but his switch to a Director of Football position coincided with the club’s decline.

He would later enjoy less successful spells at Newcastle and Liverpool, though remains one of a select few managers to have won titles with two different English clubs, having won the old Division One three times in his first spell with Liverpool pre-Premier League.

Rating: 5/10

Arsene Wenger

An unknown upon his arrival at Highbury from Japanese football, Arsene Wenger would go on to become a revolutionary figure in the history of the Premier League.

The Frenchman would help end Arsenal’s famed drinking culture and introduced innovative sports science methods, whilst his ability to unearth unheralded gems from foreign soils helped him develop a formidable side in North London.

His early years would see him twice win a league and FA Cup double, before embarking on one of the most memorable campaigns in the history of English football by guiding Arsenal to an unbeaten season in 2003/04, becoming the first side in 115 years to complete a season without defeat.

Wenger would spend an incredible 26 years at the club, though his latter years were hindered financially by the club’s move to the Emirates Stadium and saw Arsenal endure a nine-year trophy drought, as per iSports API.

New challenges following billionaire takeovers of Chelsea and Manchester City also made silverware more difficult to obtain, though Wenger undoubtedly produced one of the Premier League’s great teams in the early 2000’s.

Rating: 8.5/10

Jose Mourinho

From the moment Jose Mourinho declared himself as ‘The Special One’ at his unveiling as Chelsea manager, the Premier League sat up and took notice.

The charismatic Portuguese coach arrived at Stamford Bridge after guiding underdogs Porto to Champions League glory, and backed by Roman Abramovich’s millions turned Chelsea into a force in English football.

His first season saw Chelsea end a 50 year wait for a league title, remarkably conceding just 15 goals in the process, before back-to-back titles were secured the following year. However, as has been the way for much of Mourinho’s career, his spell was short, sweet and then a little sour and he departed in surprise circumstances in 2007.

Successful spells in Italy and Spain followed before a return to Chelsea, where he again guided the West London club to the league title. After leaving Stamford Bridge for a second time he would join rivals Manchester United, though despite League Cup and Europa League success a runners-up finish would be as good as it got at Old Trafford, Mourinho famously declaring their second-placed finish as amongst his greatest achievements.

Undoubtedly a brilliant manager who often gains the full respect and admiration of his players, however, Mourinho’s magic often fades a little too fast.

Rating: 8.5/10

Carlo Ancelotti

Few managers in European football possess a CV as impressive as that of Carlo Ancelotti, who has won league titles in four countries and lifted three Champions League trophies during an illustrious career in charge of some of the continent’s leading sides.

It was no surprise then that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich turned to the serial winner to take charge following unsuccessful spells under Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari, and the Italian certainly delivered instant results.

Ancelotti’s debut season began with the club winning the Community Shield, before he guided Chelsea to the club’s first ever domestic double, becoming the first team in the Premier League era to score over 100 goals as his attacking side pipped Manchester United to the title.

The following year, however, saw Chelsea finish without silverware and Abramovich’s trigger-happy nature was once again evident, sacking Ancelotti at the end of the 2010/11 campaign despite him boasting the third best win percentage in Premier League history, according to iSports API.

Rating: 7/10

Roberto Mancini

The second of four Italian’s to have lifted the Premier League title, Roberto Mancini will be an ever-popular figure at Manchester City after guiding the club to their first silverware since their billionaire takeover in 2008.

Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of the club catapulted City into the elite of English football, and Mancini was the winner who oversaw their transition to regular contenders for the game’s biggest prizes.

Having ended the longest trophy drought in the club’s history the previous season, Mancini would lead City to the Premier League title in the most dramatic conclusion to a season in history in 2011/12.

Needing to win to pip rivals Manchester United to the title, City trailed at home to QPR in stoppage-time before scoring twice late on to snatch the title on goal difference, Sergio Aguero immortalising himself in Premier League history with an iconic late winner.

He would, however, fail to build on that success and was sacked at the end of the following season, though his place in the club’s history is assured.

Rating: 6/10 

Manuel Pellegrini 

The first and so far only non-European manager to win the Premier League title, Manuel Pellegrini was the second Manchester City manager to see his side crowned champions of England in 2013/14.

The former Real Madrid boss saw his side pip a Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool to the title, Steven Gerrard’s now infamous slip handing City the title initiative and a flawless end of season run delivered the club’s second Premier League title.

Pellegrini would spend three unassuming years in charge at the Etihad and whilst always a likeable character, was never truly regarded as the man to take the club to the next level as they sought Champions League success.

Ushered out of the door and replaced by Pep Guardiola, he is currently in charge of West Ham where he has overseen an indifferent beginning to his time at the London Stadium.

Rating: 5/10

Claudio Ranieri

Perhaps the hardest of the eight managers to rate, given his relatively mediocre Premier League career was crowned with arguably the biggest anomaly in the history of English football.

The former Chelsea boss was appointed as Leicester City manager in 2015, a decision which was questioned by many given the Italian’s relevant lack of success in recent roles.

With Leicester having performed a miraculous recovery to escape relegation the previous season many anticipated another season of struggle despite the new coach at the helm, though what followed will live long in the memory for football fans worldwide.

A strong start to the season saw Leicester build momentum, momentum which would not slow as Ranieri guided his team of underdogs to an unthinkable title triumph, the Foxes being crowned champions for the first time in their 132-year history despite being odds of 5000-1 at the season began.

Their success would not transfer to the following season, however, and Ranieri was sacked, later being appointed at Fulham but lasting less than four months after winning just three of his 17 games in charge.

Ranieri’s managerial career in the Premier League may be entirely forgettable, but for one unforgettable season, though that’s enough for a solid score from us.

Rating: 7/10

Antonio Conte

Another Chelsea manager who brought instant rewards, only to be swiftly shown the door as things began to take a turn for the worse.

Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2016 having previously guided Juventus to three Serie A titles, and would deliver Chelsea the ultimate success in his maiden campaign in charge.

The Italian’s title-winning season was notable for a defining mid-season change in tactics, switching to his preferred 3-5-2 formation following a humbling defeat at Arsenal which proved the catalyst for a 13-game winning streak, as per iSports API.

Conte would become the first manager in history to win three consecutive Premier League Manager of the Month awards, securing the title with two games to spare and setting a new record for most wins in a season in the process.

Despite FA Cup success the following year the club the wheels had already begun to come off for the fiery Italian, and he was sacked amid unrest in the dressing room in July 2018.

Rating: 6/10

Pep Guardiola

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager arrived in English football with a reputation as one of the greatest coaches of his generation, with the Manchester City hierarchy convinced the Spaniard was the right man to finally deliver Champions League success.

Whilst that is yet to happen in Guardiola’s first three seasons at the Etihad, there can be no denying that the current City boss has left an everlasting mark on the Premier League.

His first season saw the club finish third as he acclimatised to the demands of the English game, though having identified his side’s weaknesses, he would strengthen to form arguably the best team the division has ever seen.

That second campaign would see City romp to the Premier League title, breaking a whole host of records including most wins, most goals, biggest winning margin and becoming the first side in history to reach 100 points.

They would follow that up with another similarly impressive campaign, pushed all the way by Liverpool but delivering back-to-back titles and a huge 98 point haul. That title was joined by FA Cup and League Cup success, making City the first side ever to complete English football’s domestic treble.

Aside from the extensive silverware Guardiola has implemented innovative and attractive football, his City side a relentless winning machine in what is often regarded as the most competitive league in world football.

Rating: 9/10

For more information, please visit iSportsAPI.com.

Each top six clubs youngest ever Premier League goalscorer

The opening months of the new season have been positive for the division’s best young talent, with a series of exciting prospects having been handed their opportunities at the league’s leading sides.

New Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has shown his faith in the club’s best academy graduates, the likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham having taken their chance to shine at Stamford Bridge.

Elsewhere, Unai Emery has phased in some of Arsenal’s brightest talents, whilst European champions Liverpool’s only summer business was a pair of talented teenagers in Harvey Elliot and Sepp van den Berg, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is committed to blooding Man United’s most recent batch of academy starlets.

With youngsters enjoying somewhat of a starring role in English football at present, we’ve decided to look back at some talented teenagers who etched their place into history.

Here are each of the top six clubs youngest ever Premier League goalscorers, accordiong to iSports API.

Arsenal: Cesc Fàbregas – 17 years, 114 days

The most successful player on this list, the Spanish midfielder has enjoyed a glittering career including spells at Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea.

Having emerged at Arsenal following the club’s famed unbeaten season in 2004, Fabregas would eventually step in to the huge void left by the departure of iconic midfield general Patrick Vieira. Having become the club’s youngest ever player following his debut as a 16-year-old in 2003, he would register his first Premier League strike in a comfortable 3-0 win over Blackburn in August 2004.

He would leave in 2011 and enjoy trophy-laden spells at Barcelona and later Chelsea, whilst honours also came on the international stage as he won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain.

The youngest player to feature on this list, he remains the fourth youngest goalscorer in Premier League history behind only James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.

Chelsea: Mikael Forssell – 17 years, 342 days

The Finnish forward failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, struggling amidst competition from the likes of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola, though his name remains in the record books of the West London side courtesy of a strike against Nottingham Forest in 1999.

A seven year spell at Chelsea would wield just 33 league appearances, however, Forssell spending time on loan at the likes of Crystal Palace, Borussia Monchengladbach and Birmingham City before joining the latter on a permanent basis in 2005.

He would form a decent career over spells in England, Germany and his native Finland, whilst he also scored 29 goals in 87 caps for his national side, as per iSports API.

Liverpool: Michael Owen – 17 years, 144 days

Arguably one of the most exciting teenage talents to emerge in Premier League history, former Liverpool forward Owen announced his arrival at the top level with a debut goal against Wimbledon in May 1997.

Possessing blistering pace and ruthless finishing ability, Owen would go on to win back-to-back Golden Boots in each of his first two full seasons, establishing himself in the England team and announcing himself to the world with that goal against Argentina.

A Ballon d’Or would come in 2001 as he became just the fourth Englishman to win the award, after helping Liverpool to a treble of cup successes. A career of two halves, injuries blighted his later years and he became a shadow of his former player.

Perhaps more recognisable now for his often dull and uninspiring punditry work to a younger audience, it should be remembered that Owen was once one of the true Premier League wonderkids.

Manchester City: Micah Richards – 18 years 101 days
Like Owen, another career that promised so much in its infancy but faded into obscurity. Still the youngest ever defender to debut for England, Richards was tipped for a huge future following his emergence at Manchester City.

The powerful defender scored his first goal for the club with a late, late equaliser in an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa, before repeating the trick in the Premier League against Everton with virtually the last kick of the game.

The oldest player to score on this list, Richards goal and subsequent exuberant celebration came in October 2006, just three months after he was legally allowed to purchase his first pint.

Two Premier League titles at the Etihad would prove the highlight of his career, before he retired aged just 31 at Aston Villa, having failed to make an appearance for three years following a series of serious injury problems.

Manchester United: Federico Macheda – 17 years, 226 days

Perhaps the most memorable goal on this list, teenage forward Macheda made his impact at Old Trafford in stunning fashion back in 2009.

Manchester United were in the midst of a tense title race with arch-rivals Liverpool and having come from behind to level with Aston Villa, Ferguson turned to 17-year-old Macheda as one last throw of the dice.

The debutant would win the contest in stoppage time in spectacular fashion, turning in the box before curling home brilliantly to seal a vital win. He would repeat the trick with a goal at Sunderland the following week, wins that would prove crucial as United finished four points clear of their Merseyside rivals.

His United career would fizzle out and he currently plays for Panathanaikos after spells at the likes of Cardiff and Novara, according to iSports API, though his contribution will be forever remembered.

Tottenham: Andy Turner – 17 years, 166 days

Following on from perhaps the most memorable goal, we have most certainly the least.

Former Republic of Ireland U21 international Andy Turner would make just 20 league appearances for Tottenham, though remains their youngest ever Premier League goalscorer after scoring as a 17-year-old in the league’s inaugural campaign.

His goal would see him become newly formed top-flights youngest goalscorer, the winger firing home an injury-time winner against Everton in September 1992.

After falling out with manager Ossie Ardiles he would enjoy a nomadic career, taking in spells at a huge 23 clubs including the likes of Portsmouth, Rotherham and non-league sides Northwich Victoria, Cinderford Town and Banbury United.

For more information, please visit iSportsAPI.com.

Jose Mourinho – 10 of his best Quotes

Jose Mourinho is not a man to mince his words. He’s not too short on self confidence either and ever since he arrived in England to manage Chelsea in 2004 he has been a source of some of the all time great managerial quotes.

Some big himself up, others tear down his opponents and some are just plain weird but more often than not they are pure gold.

So with Mourinho heading back to the Premier League to take over at Tottenham Hotspur, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the best quotes by the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss.

What he said…

“I have a problem, which is I’m getting better at everything related to my job since I started.” – Modest as always.

“Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels. I don’t think we are so ugly that we should be seen as the devil and I don’t think Arsene Wenger and David Dein are so beautiful that they should be viewed as angels.” – A thinly-veiled dig at Arsenal

“Please do not call me arrogant because what I say is true. I’m European champion. I’m not one out of the bottle, I think I’m a special one.” – THE iconic Jose line.

“Fear is not a word in my football dictionary.” – You can’t be afraid when you’re behind a bus.

“If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn’t fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that’s failure! He’s a specialist in failure. If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don’t come back.” – Another classic dig at Wenger.

“The style of how we play is very important. But it is omelettes and eggs. No eggs – no omelettes! It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket, you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.” – We told you some of them were weird.

“If I wanted to have an easy job…I would have stayed at Porto – beautiful blue chair, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me.” – There’s that modesty again.

“[Luke Shaw] had a good performance but it was his body with my brain. He was in front of me and I was making every decision for him.” – Never get on Jose’s bad side.

“I think the lady needs to occupy her time, and if she takes care of her husband’s diet she will have less time to speak about me.” – A double dig at the Benitez’s.

“When you enjoy what you do, you don’t lose your hair, and Guardiola is bald. He doesn’t enjoy football.” – We’re not so sure Jose, he seems to be enjoying things now!

For more information, please visit iSportsAPI.com.

Five of the Premier League’s most notorious divers ever

The most recent debate over diving reminded us of some of its worst proponents in the Premier League era.

There was a bit of a stir created by Pep Guardiola this week when, after both Manchester City and Liverpool had completed dramatic late comebacks against Southampton and Aston Villa respectively, he suggested that Sadio Mane had won vital points for the league leaders through diving.

“Sometimes it is diving, sometimes it is this talent to score incredible goals in the last minute,” the Catalan said of their ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, although he never directly referenced the Senegalese.

A verbal catfight ensued, in which Jurgen Klopp highlighted City’s propensity for cynical fouling to stop opposition attacks, before Guardiola tried to set the record straight by saying that he wasn’t trying to insinuate Mane was a diver.

It would be churlish to argue that Liverpool and Mane are the only ones in the Premier League trying to con referees by going down suspiciously easily under a challenge, because it’s become regrettably common in the modern game.

From a player’s perspective though, sometimes you have to make the decision for the referee and make the most of it, otherwise you won’t get the foul called. Some are worse than others however, to an almost embarrassing degree.

Five of the biggest divers in Premier League history, according to iSports API.

Dele Alli

It happens often enough that it’s fair game to label Dele Alli a serial diver rather than someone who just takes a tumble every now and again, as most players do nowadays.

That was such a spectacular dive by Dele Alli. He got more air on that than most skaters do going up ramps.

The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has made such a habit of it that his own manager has called him out on it in the past – not that it’s stopped him.

“He needs to learn,” Mauricio Pochettino warned the midfielder after a particularly dramatic dive against Huddersfield in 2017. “This type of action doesn’t help him, doesn’t help the team and doesn’t help football. We have talked in the last few years about fair play and being honest.”

Because it seems to have been taken down AGAIN... heres Dele Alli’s shameful dive earlier on! I know it wasn’t given, but surely he’s got to be punished for persistent diving? It’s every game now!

Luis Suarez

You would think that great footballers would have less reason to dive – they have more than enough ability to create goal scoring opportunities for themselves, why bother cheating?

Luis Suarez is the greatest example of this. Few players have been so talented and yet so willing to cheat their way to victory simultaneously (Diego Maradona, maybe?). His finest moment came after scoring a legitimate goal for Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, after which he raced to the sideline and flopped like a fish in front of the Everton bench in response to then Toffees boss David Moyes’ complaints about his fondness for a dive.

The Uruguayan has almost elevated diving to an artform, as illustrated by the one he took during Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Lyon in the Champions League knockout stages last season. He simultaneously fouls the defender and wins the penalty at the same time, thereby taking shithousery to a new plane.

Ashley Young

Another player warned by his own manager about diving, Ashley Young’s reputation certainly precedes him when it comes to the act of leaping. So much so that he’s probably lost the benefit of the doubt from referees when it comes to actual fouls.

We could pick out numerous examples of the Manchester Unitedwinger going down too easily, but this clip is the best instructional guide from a veteran you can possibly find. Young cleverly knocks the ball away so there’s no possibility of the challenger cleanly winning the ball, before initiating contact by sticking his leg out, then finally falls over.

The former Aston Villa man doesn’t dive as much as he used to, but that’s likely has more to do with the fact that he doesn’t have the legs to take on defenders anymore.



Arjen Robben

A world-class player in his day with a world-class ability to hit the deck when the exact moment calls for it. In the same way Arjen Robben became renowned for cutting in off the right before shooting at goal, he gained an extraordinary reputation for diving throughout his career.

The Dutchman did it in the Premier League with Chelsea, in the Champions League with Bayern Munich (much to the chagrin of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger), and for his national team on the biggest stage possible, ensuring the Netherlands’ progress in the 2014 World Cup.

The winger dived with such regularity that there was such a thing as a ‘textbook’ Robben dive. They didn’t always look the most convincing, but more often than not he won fouls in dangerous areas that gave his team an excellent chance of scoring.



Cristiano Ronaldo

Before the Ballon d’Or awards, before all of the broken records, and before establishing himself as the second-best footballer in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo was all sizzle and no steak. A fancy dan baller with no end product. TV pundit and former Millwall player Eamon Dunphy famously dubbed him a “cod” and a “disgrace to the game”, predicting he wouldn’t become a great player.

The Portuguese winger eventually proved them all wrong, but in his early years at Man United he was notorious for diving at every available opportunity. This was in the mid-2000’s when it wasn’t quite as common as it later became, so Ronaldo inevitably became the poster boy for those pesky foreigners who infected the English game with such a despicable deed.

Ronaldo kept it up long after he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid and his national team, more often than not making a fool of himself rather than win fouls or get opposition players sent off.

Dishonourable Mentions: Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Robert Pires, David N’Gog, Robinho, Jurgen Klinsmann, Morten Gamst Pedersen, El Hadji Diouf, David Ginola, Nani.

For more information, please click iSports API.

The eight biggest winning margins in Premier League history

Leicester City’s 9-0 win over Southampton equalled the record for the biggest winning margin ever in the Premier League, as per iSports API football data.

The Foxes shocked the world when they claimed the Premier League title in 2016, but they will forever be in the history books after Friday night’s demolition of the Saints.

It was one of those nights where everything the Leicester players touched went in the net, but it was no fluke and they thoroughly deserved to win by a distance.



Only one other team can claim to have inflicted as big a defeat on an opponent, while six other teams have come incredibly close with eight goal victories over the years.

The eight biggest winning margins in Premier League history, according to iSports API.

Man City 8-0 Watford – 2019

We are literally just a month removed from the last time a club dished an absolutely devastating one-sided thrashing. Unfortunately for Quique Sanchez Flores, it came in just his second match on his return to the Watford dugout, losing by eight goals to a rampant Manchester City.

It was the quickest any team had ever scored five goals in an English top flight match (18 minutes), as the reigning champions were determined to make up for their shock 3-2 defeat to Norwich City the previous week. Remarkably, Raheem Sterling didn’t even get a minute of game time in this fixture, but Pep Guardiola’s side still had more than enough firepower to win extremely comfortably.

Southampton 8-0 Sunderland – 2014

Well, well, well. How does it feel to be on the other end of a complete shanking, Southampton? It was only five years ago that the Saints dished out a club record beating of their own, defeating Sunderland by eight goals to nil.

The South Coast outfit were close to their peak at that stage, playing this game with an impressive line-up: Sadio Mane, Toby Alderweireld and Dusan Tadic, before they made big moves elsewhere; then you had guys like Victor Wanyama, Shane Long, Nathaniel Clyne, Graziano Pelle and Morgan Schneiderlin when they were still very good. What would they give to have a squad like that now?

The Black Cats somehow avoided relegation that season, but they were generally terrible for several years before eventually suffering the drop. The whole affair was summed up by the opening goal of the game, Santiago Vergini’s spectacular 12th minute volley – past his own goalkeeper.

Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa – 2012

The Blues were in an unforgiving mood when they faced Aston Villa in December 2012, putting eight past the visitors at Stamford Bridge.

It was 3-0 by half-time, but the Villains were unable to put any respectability on the scoreline after the interval. Things only spiralled in fact, and Chelsea ended the game with seven different goalscorers.

Chelsea 8-0 Wigan – 2010

For all the flak Chelsea have gotten over the years for being defensive and parking the bus under managers like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, they have always been able to find the net without much bother.

That was particularly the case in the 2009/10 campaign when, under the guiding hand of Carlo Ancelotti, the Blues scored 103 goals on their way to winning the title. That was a Premier League record until Man City scored 106 times in the 2017/18 season.

This fixture fell on the last day of the season, when the South West London outfit picked up the trophy, but it was most notable for a heated disagreement between Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba over who would take their second penalty of the game. Although the Ivorian was chasing the Golden Boot, Lampard took it as he usually does, but they soon made up.

Newcastle 8-0 Sheff Wed – 1999

As first games go, it doesn’t get much better than this. Bobby Robson had just taken the reins at his local club Newcastle United and immediately breathed new life into the organisation, which had become toxic under his predecessor.

Team morale had steadily eroded under Ruud Gullit, culminating in an embarrassing defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear Derby. The Dutchman’s decision to drop Alan Shearer in that game was described by goalkeeper Shay Given as “the single stupidest decision ever made by a Newcastle manager”.

It proved to be his undoing, and Robson came in off the back of successful stints at Porto, Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven. He immediately got the best out of Shearer, who scored five goals in an 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday.

Spurs 9-1 Wigan – 2009

It truly is a miracle that Wigan Athletic managed to survive the drop in the 2009/10 season, considering they were on the received end of two maulings in the one campaign.

On this occasion Jermain Defoe would set a joint-record for the most Premier League goals in one game by scoring five for Tottenham Hotspur. The other goal scorers were Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon, David Bentley and Niko Kranjcar.

Man Utd 9-0 Ipswich – 1995

The long-standing record for biggest winning margin no longer stands by itself. But in the 14 years since Manchester United crumpled Ipswich Town like a paper cup, it seemed like no one would match that elusive 9-0 scoreline.

Andy Cole made history that day, becoming the first player to score five goals in a single Premier League match. Mark Hughes nearly scored a spectacular bicycle kick, only for it to smack off the crossbar and fall to the feet of Cole for an easy tap-in.

The Welshman would go on to score twice anyway, with Roy Keane and Paul Ince rounding out the scoreline. Curiously, Ipswich are the only team on this list to get relegated in the same season as suffering their record Premier League defeat.

Southampton 0-9 Leicester – 2019

It all went downhill for Southampton when they suffered the double whammy of conceding a Ben Chilwell goal and a Ryan Bertrand red card in almost the same breath. But there shouldn’t be any excuses for a performance that was so bereft of effort, energy or belief.

One the goals starting coming, you had no confidence that the home side would be able to stop them flowing. Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be heavily criticised for this result, and more than likely lose his job, but the players should be utterly embarrassed by themselves that they barely even tried a leg.

For more information, please click iSportsAPI.com.

Five of the best teenage talents in Premier League history

There’s nothing quite like the emergence of a talented teenage star to truly excite football fans, and throughout the history of the Premier League we have seen some precocious talents star for some of the division’s biggest sides.

We’ve decided to look back at some of the very best starlets of the EPL era, here are five of the best teenage talents in Premier League history, data from iSports API.



Robbie Fowler

With the club’s all-time record goalscorer in Ian Rush coming towards the end of his illustrious career, Liverpool needed a new goalscoring hero and swiftly found one within their very own academy ranks.

There was much hype around Merseyside surrounding a Toxteth-born teenage talent, who would make an immediate impact at the club when handed his opportunity as an 18-year-old, scoring on his debut in a League Cup tie against Fulham before truly announcing himself with a five-goal haul in the second leg two weeks later.

Fowler would emerge as one of the most natural finishers the Premier League has seen, scoring a hat-trick on just his fifth league appearance for the club and finishing his first season as the club’s leading scorer with 18 goals in all competitions, including a then EPL record quickest ever hat-trick against Arsenal.

His second season and last as a teenager before turning 20 in April would see him plunder 25 Premier League goals, whilst he also scored deciding goals in both legs of the League Cup semi-finals as Liverpool lifted the trophy just a week shy of his 20th birthday.

Named as the PFA Young Player of the Year at the end of that season, he would retain the award the following season in his early twenties and establish himself as a Liverpool legend during two spells with the club.

Rio Ferdinand

West Ham have long had an impressive history of producing young talent, and the club’s academy would once again pay dividends with the emergence of several future England international’s either side of the millennium.

One of the first of that batch to make a breakthrough was Rio Ferdinand, who would quickly establish himself as a favourite at Upton Park before moving on to become one of England’s great defenders.

Ferdinand was handed his debut as 17-year-old, before swiftly becoming a fixture in the first-team and developing a burgeoning reputation. The defender would make almost 100 appearances in all competitions for West Ham before his 20th birthday, being named as the club’s Player of the Year as a 19-year-old at the end of the 1997/98 season.

He would later go on to twice break the record for the world’s most expensive defender with moves to Leeds and latterly Manchester United, winning six league titles at Old Trafford and retiring from international duty with 81 caps for England，according to iSports API.



Michael Owen

Liverpool would not have to wait long for their next boy-wonder to emerge from their academy ranks, with Michael Owen making an instant impact when scoring as a 17-year-old on debut against Wimbledon in the penultimate game of the season in 1997.

The following season he would become a first-team regular, scoring 18 league goals to win a host of accolades including the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Player of the Season award. Still in his teens he would then star in the World Cup with that goal for England against Argentina, before making it back-to-back Golden Boots the following season with another 18 goal haul, as per iSports API.

Owen’s teenage years were arguably his peak years, his electric pace and ruthless finishing making him a difficult proposition for defenders many years his senior.

He would later win a Ballon d’Or in 2001 before joining Real Madrid three years later, though his latter career was decimated by injuries at Newcastle, Manchester United and Stoke City as he looked a shadow of his former self.

Wayne Rooney

Few players have ever caused as much excitement as the emergence of a 16-year-old prodigy wearing Everton blue.

There had long been whispers at Goodison Park of a generational talent amongst the club’s academy system, though few could have anticipated the impact Wayne Rooney would make so early in his career.

The boyhood Blue would announce himself to Premier League fans with a stunning late winner to end champions Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten run, before becoming England’s youngest ever debutant and goalscorer.

After scoring four times at the 2004 European Championships as an 18-year-old he would become the most expensive teenager in history when moving to Manchester United, scoring a hat-trick on his debut and being crowned PFA Young Player of the Year in his first season.

In 13 seasons at Old Trafford he would win every possible major honour including five league titles and the Champions League, becoming both club and country’s all-time record goalscorer in the process and winning a host of individual accolades.

Only a handful of players have enjoyed careers as successful as Rooney’s, though there is a feeling that he never quite fulfilled his early potential.



Cesc Fabregas
Arguably a ray of hope as Arsenal’s famed Invincible side began to dismantle, the Spanish midfielder was plucked from the Barcelona academy as he sought a clearer pathway to first-team football.

Fabregas would not have to wait long for his opportunity in North London, making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2003 before becoming a fixture in the first-team following captain Patrick Vieira’s departure for Juventus two years later.

Fabregas would make over 100 appearances for the club before his 20th birthday, helping the club to FA Cup success in 2005 and a Champions League final the following year, establishing himself as one of the best young talents in the Premier League with his creativity and passing range.

Named as the Golden Boy in 2006, he would become the youngest player ever to play and score for the club, later becoming club captain before enjoying trophy-laden spells with Barcelona, Chelsea and the Spanish national side.

A precocious talent following his emergence, he would go onto become of the division’s great midfielders with only Ryan Giggs have registered more than Fabregas’ 111 Premier League assists, as per iSports API football data.

For more information, please visit iSportsapi.com.

The five most wasteful Premier League sides in front of goal this season

The Premier League season is almost a third of the way through already, as festive football rapidly approaches in the coming weeks.

Liverpool and Manchester City unsurprisingly lead the way in the title race, though few expected both Leicester and Sheffield United to currently be occupying European places.

We’ve decided to look back over the opening months of the campaign and analyse some of the Premier League’s best stats, and this feature is dedicated to the misfiring members of English football’s top flight.

We’ll look at those who have spurned the most big chances – a chance where a player should reasonably be expected to score.

Here are the five most wasteful Premier League sides in front of goal this season, data collects from iSports API.

Manchester United – 16 big chances missed

Manchester United have endured the club’s worst start to a season in 30 years, and their hopes of securing a top four finish seem to be diminishing with each week as the club continue to stutter.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have struggled to score goals, having amassed just 13 in 11 fixtures so far and their wastefulness in front of goal is a key reason for their disappointing results.

Their wretched record from penalties has been well documented, though they have also proved far from efficient with chances in a team that often lacks creativity.

The club have missed 16 big chances already this season, and Solskjaer’s admission that the ‘fine margins’ have cost his side has never looked more apparent.

Everton – 17 big chances missed

Another team performing well below expectations is Everton, who despite a summer of significant investment find themselves languishing near the foot of the division.

Ambitions of pushing towards the top six have all but been extinguished as they sit just one place outside the bottom three, with the club ranking highly for big chances missed.

Marco Silva’s side have averaged just one goal per game in their 11 fixtures so far, spurning 17 big chances in that same period, as per iSports API.

Summer signing Moise Kean is still yet to open his account for the club in nine league appearances whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin, often accused of not being a natural goalscorer, has been their guiltiest culprit with five big chances missed.

Chelsea – 23 big chances missed

Chelsea‘s young side have received plenty of plaudits this season following their refreshing emergence under Frank Lampard, though their attacking displays have often seen chances go begging.

Lampard’s lads have missed 23 big chances so far this season, the third highest total in the division. Logic says that the more chances created, the more that will be missed, though Lampard will hope his side can be more ruthless as they bid to close the gap to the top two, according to iSports API football data.

Tammy Abraham has shone this season and currently sits second in the race for the Golden Boot, though the 22-year-old has missed eight big opportunities so far – the equal highest amount in the Premier League.

Liverpool – 24 big chances missed

Slightly ahead of Chelsea are league leaders Liverpool, who have missed 24 big chances during the opening weeks of the new season.

So far, their wastefulness around goal has failed to hamper their prospects, with the club currently possessing a six-point advantage at the top of the division.

Sadio Mane sits level with Tammy Abraham as the player with the most big opportunities missed this season (8), though teammates Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are not far behind the Senegalese star with six and five big chances missed respectively.

Manchester City – 31 big chances missed

The most wasteful side in the Premier League so far has been the defending champions, with Pep Guardiola’s side having missed 31 big chances in their opening 11 fixtures of the season.

The club’s high ranking is due to their relentless ability to create opportunities, however, with Man City currently the highest scoring side in England’s top flight.

Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, both amongst the early contenders for the Golden Boot, are also amongst the leading players for big chances missed having spurned six opportunities apiece, with Gabriel Jesus just one behind.

For more information, please visit iSportsAPI.com.

Five longest winning runs in Champions League history

A competition that pits European football’s elite together to determine the finest side on the continent, the Champions League has long been the pinnacle of success in club football.

The leading sides from respective nations across Europe do battle, so putting together a winning streak in the competition is far from easy. We’ve looked back at some of the most successful sides in Champions League history, who have managed to maintain impressive runs of momentum. All data collects from iSports API.

Borussia Dortmund：8 matches (04/12/1996 – 01/10/1997)

Borussia Dortmund would embark on a memorable run in the mid-nineties, a run of consecutive wins that would see the club crowned champions of Europe for the first time in their history.

Ottmar Hitzfield’s side actually finished second in their group, level on points with Atletico Madrid, though it would be an entertaining 5-3 victory over Steaua Bucharest in the final fixture of the group stage that would begin their winning run.

Dortmund would beat Auxerre home and away at the quarter-final stage, before also achieving the same feat with a pair of 1-0 wins over Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the last four.

Facing a formidable Juventus side featuring the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and Christian Vieri in the final, the underdogs would secure a sixth successive win to lift the Champions League for the first time with a 3-1 victory in the Olympiastadion in Munich.

Their defence of the crown would begin with consecutive group stage victories over Galatasaray and Sparta Prague the following season, before a Hernan Crespo goal condemned the club to a 1-0 defeat at Parma in October 1997, as per iSports API.

Barcelona：9 matches (18/09/2002 – 18/02/2003)

The only side in this list not to have lifted the famous trophy during their winning streak, Louis van Gaal’s Barcelona side looked like genuine contenders to become European champions for just the second time in their history after winning nine consecutive fixtures in the 2002/03 season.

The Catalonian side would qualify from the first group stage with a perfect record from home and away fixtures against Galatasaray, Lokomotiv Moscow and Club Brugge, before being given a tougher looking test in the then second group stage round.

Drawn against Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle United, Barcelona would beat each of their three opponents before a goalless draw at the San Siro halted their winning run at nine matches, according to iSports API.

The draw would be the only points the club dropped over 12 group stage fixtures, though their early form in the competition counted for little as they were eliminated by Juventus at the quarter-final stage.



Barcelona：9 matches (21/10/2014 – 06/05/2015)

Barcelona would once again put together a nine-match winning streak in the Champions League over a decade later, though this time it would come in a campaign that the club were crowned champions of Europe.

Having lost a thrilling group stage clash 3-2 at Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique’s side would respond with back-to-back victories over Ajax before defeating Apoel Nicosia and PSG in the return fixture to qualify for the knock-out stages as group winners.

Premier League champions Manchester City were defeated home and away in the last-16 to set up a rematch with PSG in the last eight, where the Spanish giants would again win both legs to progress to a semi-final meeting with Bayern Munich.

An inspired Lionel Messi would to the damage as the German side were beaten 3-0 at the Nou Camp in the first leg, before a 3-2 defeat in Munich ended the club’s winning streak, as per iSports API.

It would matter little, however, as Barcelona advanced to a final meeting with Juventus where they would win the Champions League for a fifth time in Berlin, completing a famous continental treble in the process.

Real Madrid：10 matches (23/04/2014 – 18/02/2015)

Real Madrid would finally win their elusive La Decima in 2014, ending a 12-year wait for Europe’s biggest prize which would be the start of their equal-record 10-game winning run.

Their streak would begin in the semi-final stage, as Bayern Munich were beaten both home and away, the second leg a memorable 4-0 victory in Germany as Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo both netted twice.

Those victories set up the first Champions League final meeting between two teams from the same city, as Real headed to Lisbon to face Atletico Madrid. Sergio Ramos’ 93rd minute goal would dramatically send the contest into extra-time, where Real would score a further three goals to beat their shell-shocked city rivals 4-1 and be crowned European champions for the tenth time.

The following season saw the club complete a flawless group stage campaign, including home and away victories over Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side to make it nine consecutive wins, before a tenth was secured with a 2-0 victory at Schalke in the first leg of their last-16 clash.

The Bundesliga side would ultimately end Real’s winning streak by winning a topsy-turvy second leg 4-3 at the Bernabeu, though Madrid would progress before seeing the defence of their crown ended by Juventus in the last four.



Bayern Munich：10 matches (02/04/2013 – 27/11/2013)

In the 2012/13 edition of the tournament, Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich side would start their impressive winning streak by beating Juventus home and away in the Champions League quarter-finals before repeating the trick in the semi-finals against Real Madrid, thrashing the two European giants by a combined aggregate score of 11-0.

Dortmund would await in the final in the first-ever all-German showpiece at Wembley, where a late Arjen Robben goal secured a fifth European title and complete a continental treble.

The club would continue their winning streak under the guidance Heynckes’ successor Pep Guardiola the following season, winning five successive group stage fixtures to take their tally to 10 before a home defeat to Manchester City in November 2013.

For more information, please click iSports.com.

7 worst Arsene Wenger signings of all time in Arsenal

Arsene Wenger signed a lot of players after taking charge in 1996, but who were the worst Arsene Wenger signings of all time?


There have been some bad signings down the years but when it comes to worst Arsene Wenger signings, there are a few to pick from given how long he was at the club.

They can’t all be winners, but we saw some particularly disastrous buys feature for Arsenal quite regularly during Wenger’s time at the club.

Here are seven of his worst signings, all players' data collects from iSports API.

Igors Stepanovs

If you thought Arsenal signing obscure players from out of nowhere was a modern Wenger-thing, then think again.

It 2000, Arsenal signed a young defender from Latvian side Skonto Riga called Igors Stepanovs who opens up our list of worst Arsene Wenger signings.

The centre back didn’t play right away, but injuries gave him a chance.

He didn’t start too badly, either. Arsenal won four out of his first seven games.

Then they went and lost 6-1 at Old Trafford, and he never quite recovered.

He went on to make just 17 Premier League appearances, most of which came in his first season, before being released in 2004, as per isports API data.

Amaury Bischoff

A more modern example of the “random player out of nowhere” fad at the club. In 2008, the club signed French-born Portuguese youth international, Amaury Bischoff, from Werder Bremen for a nominal fee.

The then 20-year-old was signed despite serious injury problems, making his signing a gamble before he even put on an Arsenal shirt.

He managed four first team appearances in his one and only season with the club before being released in 2009.

Andre Santos

This is a bit harsh on the jolly Brazilian, who at least brought plenty of personality to the Arsenal squad. It was just his footballing ability didn’t quite match it.

Part of the infamous trolley dash of 2011, Santos arrived from Fenerbahce to replace Gael Clichy at left back. A full Brazil international, we thought we were signing a decent wing back.

What we got was a player who was rather unfit, a little slow and incapable of completing a tackle.

He did, at least, score a couple of goals for the club. His first was in a 5-3 win over Chelsea, and his last was in a vital 3-2 win over West Brom.

Still, you wonder how desperate we were for left backs when we signed him.

Francis Jeffers

Francis “fox in the box” Jeffers had everything going against him the moment he arrived.

The then-Everton youngster came to the club due to Wenger’s need for a penalty-box poacher to complement his speedy, creative forwards.

The club paid a handsome fee to sign him so he could convert the numerous chances the team was creating.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t handle the weight of expectation, and suffered a few injuries on top of that.

Jeffers left in 2004 and had a journeyman career before retiring in 2013.

Sebastien Squillaci

Arrived with a decent reputation from Sevilla in 2010, but very rarely looked comfortable in the Premier League.

Squillaci always lacked the physical attributes to succeed in the division, and proved to be highly error prone.

He made 39 appearances for the club before he was let go to Bastia in 2013, according to iSports API.

Mikael Silvestre

Fans awoke the day after deadline day in 2008 to discover that club had signed Mikael Silvestre from Manchester United for under £1m.

The sheer confusion over the deal defined his time at the club. He was cover for left back and centre back, yet fans couldn’t work out why the club had signed someone who couldn’t get into United’s first team.

His most telling contribution was a goal against Tottenham and an excellent one-two with Lionel Messi during a 4-1 thrashing against Barcelona.

Park Chu-Young

To this day, the signing of Park Chu-Young remains a mystery.

The forward’s one and only accomplishment at Arsenal was ensuring they’d be on South Korean TV for a third round League Cup tie against Bolton.

He scored a very nice goal that evening, and fans believed he could a be a solid back-up.

Then, he disappeared. He played seven minutes of Premier League football then vanished for a season. He popped up for a League Cup cameo in 2013, and then disappeared again.

There might be an interesting story about this signing.

As it is, he has to be Wenger’s worst ever buy.

For more information, please click isportsapi.com.

Every goalkeeper to have reached 100 clean sheets in the Premier League

Every single goalkeeper to have kept the ball out of the net in 90 minutes of action a hundred times or more in the history of the Premier League.

The 100 club generally refers to those who have broken a century of goals in the Premier League, a list containing such footballing luminaries as Alan Shearer, Sergio Aguero and Thierry Henry. An even harder club to break into, however, is the one featuring goalkeepers and the milestone of reaching 100 clean sheets.

Only 15 feature in that roll call compared to the 22 goalscorers who terrorised their gloved foes over the years, but there was one very recent addition; Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool was David De Gea’s 100th game without conceding a goal in the Premier League. He is one of only three active keepers to carry that achievement.

The 15 goalkeepers to have reached 100 clean sheets in the Premier League, according to :

15. David De Gea – 100

The Manchester United shot-stopper is arguably the best in the world in his position and could very easily shoot right up this list before his career ends, if not at least a couple of places before the season finishes. Only six goalies have 100 or more clean sheets with one Premier League club, and De Gea is now one of them. At just 28 years of age, the Spaniard could play on for another decade and a half judging by the longevity of some of the other players on this list.

14. Thomas Sorensen – 107

The retired Danish goalkeeper kept his sheet spotless in 107 games for Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke City during his Premier League career. His 35 clean sheets for the Black Cats is particularly impressive considering how poor that team was while he was there.

13. Jussi Jaaskelainen – 108

A Bolton Wanderers legend, the Finnish shot stopper played in excess of 500 games for the Trotters in all competitions, before spending three seasons at West Ham United. Another two years at Wigan Athletic preceded a very short stint at Indian Super League outfit ATK, before Jaaskelainen retired at the age of 42 in 2018.

12. Shay Given – 113

The Irish international is to Newcastle United what Jaaskelainen was to Bolton — a tremendous pair of hands that could have arguably played at a higher level but stayed loyal to their clubs for many years. However, Given eventually left St. James’ Park in the 2009 winter transfer window, a few months before suffering relegation. The Donegal native went on to play for Manchester City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Stoke City, before emulating his blond-haired counterpart by also retiring at the age of 42 last year.

11. Joe Hart – 127

There’s an argument to be made that Hart is the worst goalkeeper on this list, given the incredible players it contains compared to the hapless Englishman. The buzz created by his admittedly impressive displays in the early part of his career for the cities Birmingham and Manchester has subsided greatly following error-strewn spells at Torino, West Ham and Burnley.

And, of course, he’ll always be the guy that got absolutely rinsed by Andrea Pirlo in a penalty shootout.

10. Peter Schmeichel – 128

Widely regard as the greatest goalkeeper the Premier League, and indeed English football, has ever seen, Peter Schmeichel was the personification of a brick wall in front of goal, only much louder and more painful when he collided with opposition players.

The Great Dane would have moved several places up in the list if not for his two season sojourn in Portugal with Sporting CP.

9. Brad Friedel – 132

Enjoying a 20 year senior career spanning four different countries, Friedel is best known for his time between the sticks at Blackburn Rovers in the noughties. The American also played for Liverpool, Aston Villa and Spurs in the Premier League, before retiring at the age of 44 in 2015.

8. Tim Howard – 132

Howard, who coincidentally kept the same amount of Premier League clean sheets as his compatriot Friedel, is one of the few active players on this list. Signed from MLS side MetroStars by Man United in 2003, the New Jersey-born goaltender was fixed to be the man to finally replace Schmeichel, but after one season at Old Trafford it was decided he wasn’t the one to fill such illustrious boots.

Nonetheless, Howard would end up having a fine career, pulling off some spectacular performances for both the US national team and Everton, where he cemented his status as a club legend with 116 shutouts, as he might say himself. He’s currently back in MLS playing for Colorado Rapids.

7. Edwin Van Der Sar – 132

After four great years at Fulham in the early noughties, the Dutchman became a phenom at Manchester United, becoming the long-awaited replacement for a certain Dane.

Van Der Sar would help the Red Devils win multiple Premier League titles, as well as Champions League, keeping the ball out of the net on 90 occasions in the top flight. He also set a new record of 14 consecutive clean sheets in the 2008-09 season, smashing the previous record of 10 set by the man topping this list.

6. Pepe Reina – 134

During his nine years at Liverpool, the Spaniard was unstoppable in almost half of the league games he played in, which either shows how ridiculously strong Rafael Benitez’s defences were or how underappreciated Reina is as a goalkeeper; or both could be true. Currently warming the bench at AC Milan after spending three good years at Napoli, he also has the best clean sheets to games ratio in the history of the Premier League.

5. Nigel Martyn – 137

Martyn’s best years were spent at Leeds United in between spells at Crystal Palace and Everton, accumulating a rake of incredible stops along the way. Criminally underrated in the pantheon of great top tier English goalkeepers, watch back his saves and one might conclude he was a prototype David De Gea.

4. David Seaman – 140

Just like Nigel Martyn, Seaman’s early playing career predates the Premier League, meaning his numbers are in fact more impressive than his post-1992 statistics illustrate. The ex-England goalie played for a number of teams before landing in north London, where he became a mainstay between the sticks at Arsenal for 13 years, keeping 137 clean sheets for the Gunners.

3. Mark Schwarzer – 151

The Australian only joined one of the top clubs towards the end of his career, signing for Chelsea in 2013 as a backup, but he was one of the most consistent performers in his position while lining out for Middlesbrough and Fulham. A Europa League finalist with both clubs as well as a League Cup winner with Boro, Schwarzer holds the distinction of being the first non-British or non-Irish player to reach 500 Premier League appearances.

2. David James – 169

Often liable to make a howler, James’ sheer longevity propels him so far up this list. Then again, there’s a reason why so many teams have called on his services over the course of a 26-year career. Making his big break at Liverpool in the nineties, he would go on to appear for Aston Villa, Man City, West Ham, and Portsmouth, before heading to Iceland and India to finish out his playing days, retiring at the age of 44.

1. Peter Cech – 202

Having only announced his impending retirement in January, Cech is the only goalie in Premier League history to have kept 200 or more clean sheets, keeping 162 of those for Chelsea during his highly successful stint before moving to London rivals Arsenal.

Although he could never quite get back to the level he was at before suffering an unfortunate head injury in the first minute of a match against Reading in 2006, the Czech international was at one point during the noughties the undisputed best in his position. His stats tell a story of just how unstoppable he was, especially at Stamford Bridge where he made up part of arguably the stingiest defence in English football ever.

The Czech Republic international is unlikely to add to his tally before retiring, with Bernd Leno seemingly preferred as number one, but it seems highly unlikely that anyone will catch up to his phenomenal record either.

For more information, please click iSportsAPI.

Five famous footballers who were hated by their own fans

Granit Xhaka’s popularity at Arsenal has reached a new low, the much-maligned midfielder’s angry reaction to the crowd’s jeers during Sunday’s draw with Crystal Palace sparking outrage amongst the club’s support.

Xhaka’s ill-advised decision to cup his ears and mouth “f*** off” to his own supporters has made his position at the club uncertain, not least because he was appointed club captain ahead of the new campaign.

The Switzerland international is not the only player to have suffered a difficult relationship with his own supporters, however, and he is likely not to be the last.

Five famous footballers who were hated by their own fans, all data collects from iSports API:

Gareth Bale – Real Madrid

A world-record signing who has helped his side to four Champions League titles in six seasons, including performing match-winning antics in two of those finals, Gareth Bale must be left wondering quite how it turned so sour for the Welshman at Real Madrid.

Having established himself as arguably the finest player in the Premier League, Bale headed for Spain in 2013 in a record-breaking move and success soon followed. The former Tottenham Hotspur star ended his first season by helping Real to La Decima, scoring in the club’s final success over city rivals Atletico Madrid.

A host of major honours, including three consecutive Champions League triumphs have followed, Bale producing a stunning performance off the bench to score twice and beat Liverpool in the 2018 showpiece in Ukraine.

However, the Welsh winger has fallen out-of-favour under manager Zinedine Zidane who has been desperate to offload the player, whilst he has been targeted by fans as a scapegoat during the club’s worst performances in recent times.

Such has been Bale’s unpopularity at the Bernabeu that the club tried to force him to move China, whilst the Spanish side’s supporters have attacked his car and chanted ‘desagradecido’, the Spanish word for ungrateful, as he has arrived for training.

His reluctance to leave – his current contract worth £600,000-a-week running until 2022 – has made him further disliked and his future at the club remains uncertain.

Joleon Lescott – Aston Villa

The former England defender was part of Aston Villa‘s dismal relegation campaign four years ago, producing a series of uninspired performances as the Midlands side dropped into the second tier for the first time in over two decades.

Many of the side which finished rock bottom of the division were targeted for jeers by the club’s supporters, though Lescott made himself especially unpopular following a pair of rather idiotic incidents.

Following a 6-0 defeat to Liverpool in February, Lescott reacted to the club’s biggest home defeat in 81 years by tweeting a picture of his luxury Mercedes just two hours after the full-time whistle, further fracturing his relationship with an incensed fanbase which had seen their team slump to eight points from safety following a chastening defeat.

Lescott would somewhat embarrassingly claim he ‘pocket tweeted’ the image by mistake, though the common consensus was that this was a middle-fingered salute to the Aston Villa boo boys

The defender would later described the confirmation of the club’s early relegation as a “a weight off the shoulders”, a statement which unsurprisingly did little to boost his popularity.

Charles Itandje – Liverpool

Remember him? Probably not.

A famous face in only the sense that he was a professional footballer at one of world football’s biggest clubs, the former Cameroon goalkeeper endured an all together forgettable time during a three-year spell at Liverpool, making just seven first-team appearances all of which were in cup competition.

However, Itandje is remembered for all the wrong reasons on Merseyside for one particular incident. During the club’s memorial service for the twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, Itandje was pictured laughing and behaving inappropriately during the service.

He was subsequently suspended by the club and would never play another game at any level in a Red shirt before leaving for Greek side Atromitos, while he also claimed to have been threatened by the club’s supporters following the backlash.

Mauro Icardi

Immensely talented, though a player who endured somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the Inter Milan support.

The Argentine striker has established himself as one of the deadliest forwards in Italian football and was appointed as Inter’s club captain at the age of just 22, though despite his prolific returns in front of goal his relationship with his own fans soon deteriorated.

During a disappointing 2014/15 season in which Inter finished 14 points adrift of Champions League qualification, Icardi was involved in an angry altercation with the Inter ultras, who threw his shirt back in his face after he had given it to the crowd following a 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo.

It was, however, Icardi’s recollection of the events in his autobiography which sparked controversy. Icardi heavily criticised the club’s ultras, going as far to challenge them to a fight and threatening to fly over 100 Argentine criminals to ‘kill them on the spot’.

Unsurprisingly, his comments did not go down well and he was later stripped of the captaincy. He continued to endure a difficult relationship with the club’s supporters in the years since, his wife and agent Wanda Nara continuing to stir proceedings in the background, before joining Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan deal last summer.

Granit Xhaka

The most recent player to feature in this list is the Arsenal captain, whose position at the club is uncertain following his aforementioned reaction to jeers from the home support.

The Swiss international has rarely been a popular figure at the club during three seasons at the Emirates, producing a series of inept displays and being targeted, often justified, for some of the club’s poorer performances in recent seasons.

Voted in as club captain during the summer, Xhaka was supposed to be the leader behind a new era under Unai Emery, though that looks unlikely given his actions last weekend.

Having waved his arms and cupped his ears to the supporter’s boos, Xhaka would proceed to tell the Arsenal fans to ‘f*** off’ before visibly removing his shirt as he left the field.

Xhaka’s actions were unacceptable, particularly from a club captain, however it was a visible demonstration of his frustration at a difficult relationship with his own support.

Whether he can come back from this remains to be seen, though it will take some effort to win back the affection of the Arsenal faithful.

For more information, please click iSports API.