Matt Jones

When Everton manager Roberto Martinez described John Stones as “more than a footballer” in the aftermath of his team’s 3-1 win over Chelsea, the majority of the soccer stratosphere would have thought he was being typically over exuberant. But anyone who trained an eye on defender’s situation throughout the past few weeks, from an Everton […]

Just the three massive derby matches this weekend for us to savor, as domestic soccer returns following an international hiatus. England, Italy and Argentina will all have their biggest rivalries played out. In addition, there’s a massive crunch clash from the Premier League and an encounter between the two previous champions in Spain at what […]

After a preseason of remarkable transfer activity on top of a new manager coming in, it’s tough to fully assess where Watford are headed at this early juncture. But despite going into the international break without a win in any of their four games, there seems to be a solid foundation upon which to go forth. […]

It probably wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that, even with nine points from a possible 12, Crystal Palace haven’t really exceeded expectations so far in the 2015-16 term. But that’s no slant on the team’s tremendous start. After a strong finish to the previous term under the tutelage of the divisive but undeniably effective Alan […]

It wasn’t really supposed to go like this for Leicester City. Having lost a manager with an enormous personality and a key experienced midfield player, Claudio Ranieri didn’t seem like a coach capable of carrying on the good work done by this team as of late. But it's definitely so far so good for the […]

Has there been a more fascinating team in the Premier League this season than West Ham United? A new and completely different style of manager taking the helm for the final season at the Boleyn Ground meant that there was never going to be a shortage of drama for the east London outfit. But even […]

No soccer supporter enjoys seeing player power implemented to the extreme. But we’ve had our fair share of it down the years. It’s probably why, with just minutes to go in the transfer window, West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino put out what is now an infamous Twitter message suggesting he would never play for the […]

It’s been better than last season for Everton, which is a positive. An opening day draw to Watford rekindled unfortunate memories of the previous term, but the Toffees showed what they are capable of with a rousing performing on the road at Southampton, swatting Saints aside with a wonderful 3-0 win. That’s the team’s only […]

In fairness to manager Eddie Howe, Bournemouth have stood stringently by the principles that saw them into the top flight last season. And after four games, the Cherries will probably feel a little aggrieved to only be on four points. Bournemouth learned some harsh lessons in an opening day loss to Aston Villa and were on […]

Sometimes a weekend of soccer works out perfectly. It’ll be varied, including games from different leagues, at different times, with plenty riding on them. Thankfully, this weekend looks set to be one of those. Five quality games all spread nicely over two days from arguably the five most exciting leagues anywhere in world soccer. So […]

After Memphis Depay runs out at Old Trafford for Manchester United in mid-week for the return leg against Brugge, expectations will be lifted. After a dazzling display on the left-wing in a 3-1 win over Club Brugge in midweek and a decent performance in a 0-0 draw against Newcastle, already there’s plenty of chatter about the Dutchman. […]

La Liga and Serie A are the two latest European leagues to get underway this week and we’ve picked one match from each division as part of our quintet of must-see matches. In addition, Sunday sees what looks set to be a tantalizing clash between two of the most high profile sides in Major League […]

After two rounds of Premier League action, there’s no team that’s put in a pair of performances quite as contrasting as Everton. A moribund, stagnant display gave rise to major concerns that had not been learned from the abject showings throughout 2014-15. Coupled with the lack of summer transfer activity, there was a stale atmosphere […]

Domestic soccer in Europe is back in full swing and that means the return of our weekly piece picking out the best five games for you to savor this weekend. The Premier League is into its second round of matches and Sunday will see two tantalizing clashes played, which could have an early say on the […]

The first minutes of a new season should be about renewed hope and unashamedly grandiose expectations. With the table cleared, a bright new strip and some different teams to go against, there’s something refreshing about getting down to the domestic grind again for supporters. At sun-drenched stadiums across England, that was evident in the buzz […]