Unai Emery – Aston Villa – Tactical Analysis

Unai Emery has been one of the most esteemed managers of the modern era, to little fanfare given that much of his managerial success has come in competitions like the Europa League and Ligue 1. But Emery is yet to truly fail in a managerial role, and looks prepared to only continue his incredible reputation at Aston Villa. When he took over from Steven Gerrard, Villa were hovering around the relegation zone, desperately trying to stay afloat. Now they've attained four wins from their last six matches, in a robust 4-4-2 system that has dragged them all the way toward the top ten. Here is our analysis of how Emery has achieved so much success in his early days at Villa Park.

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Futbol Masterminds – Champions League and Europa League Finals + Managerial Merry Go Round

This week the supposed underdogs pulled through in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League final fixtures, with Chelsea and Villarreal coming out victorious over Manchester City and Manchester United. The Futbol Masterminds break down all of their thoughts from the two finals, including Chelsea's stellar defense, Guardiola's strange tactics, and that crazy … Continue reading Futbol Masterminds – Champions League and Europa League Finals + Managerial Merry Go Round

Arsenal – the ‘Mentality Kittens’ bound for more failure

Last season’s FA Cup triumph over Chelsea was supposed to herald the start of something special for Arsenal Football Club and Mikel Arteta. Instead, it's the Blues who have taken a huge step forward under the influence of Thomas Tuchel, with a return to the FA Cup final one year on and a UEFA Champions League final in their wake. Arsenal meanwhile have spectacularly regressed toward mediocrity, hovering in and around the likes of Leeds, Everton and Aston Villa.

Guendouzi returning to Arsenal: is he the right fit for Arteta?

After a solid season in the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC, Matteo Guendouzi looks set to return to Arsenal, after fracturing his metatarsal on Friday. Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich confirmed Guendouzi's departure following their 3-0 win over SC Freiburg, and the club will certainly miss his influence in central midfield for the remainder of the season. But despite a solid season in Berlin, as the 22-year-old now returns to Arsenal, a question remains - is Guendouzi the right fit for Arteta?

UCL / UEL second legs – what we learned this week

In a week that saw Manchester City humble PSG, Chelsea teach Real Madrid a lesson, Manchester United and Roma involved in a 5-goal thriller and Villareal tame Arsenal, we look back at some of the talking points from the second leg semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Futbol Masterminds – UEFA Champions League / Europa League Semi-Finals

In a week that saw Neymar battered and bruised at the hands of Manchester City, Christian Pulisic dazzle against Real Madrid, and Edinson Cavani terrorize Roma to bits, the UCL and UEL semi-finals did not disappoint. Kausty and Rhys break down all the action from the semis in both competitions, discussing the individual performances of the likes of Neymar, Cavani and Bruno Fernandes, before making their predictions for the second legs. Submit questions and follow the show @futbolmasterminds on Instagram, or on themastermindsite.com. 

UCL / UEL Semi-Finals – what we learned this week

In a week that saw Neymar battered and bruised at the hands of Manchester City, Christian Pulisic dazzle against Real Madrid, and Edinson Cavani terrorize Roma to bits, the UCL and UEL semi-finals threw up a ton of action and intriguing sub-plots. Here is what we learned this week in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League semi-finals.

Unai Emery – Villarreal – Tactical Analysis

After a brief, relatively unsuccessful spell at Arsenal, Unai Emery is back in Spain and back in the big time, leading Villarreal's charge toward the top of La Liga. The Spanish giants currently sit second in the table, while playing some fantastic football along the way. Under Unai Emery, The Yellow Submarine also have a coach who won the Europa League three times with Sevilla, and made it to the final once with Arsenal. Given what he's achieved in the game and the very decent record his team actually had at Arsenal, the Spaniard has become something of an underrated manager since his Sevilla days and is now building his reputation back up as one of the best managers in world football. Here is a Tactical Analysis of Unai Emery's Villarreal.

Matteo Guendouzi – Tactical Analysis

One of the more impressive Premier League players this season and just about the only Arsenal player who's made an impression, Matteo Guendouzi is enjoying some of his best football at the moment with Arsenal. The 20-year old French midfielder certainly has his best days still ahead of him, but already looks to be a … Continue reading Matteo Guendouzi – Tactical Analysis