Winnings fouls can be an art form. There are those players, usually attackers, who know how to get their body in front of an opponent to draw contact in dangerous areas. There are certain challenges – innocuous trips for instance – that can irk referees, while other thunderous and potentially reckless tackles can be let go. Which of these fouls receive yellow cards appears to be random, the luck o...

On the surface, the Premier League has gone pretty much as expected this season. Manchester City are top – barely – with Liverpool the main challengers to Pep Guardiola’s side’s crown. The relegation zone features three sides – Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield – who were promoted in either 2017 or 2018. However, there have been a number of surprise statistical stars throughout the camp...

There are certain footballers who make the game look effortless. They glide across the pitch, weaving together artistry and efficiency without so much as breaking a sweat. Ryan Fraser is not one of these players. The Scot, who stands 5ft 4ins, scuttles with the ball, his legs moving twice as fast as the majority of his opponents. Yet his energetic, almost terrier-like style, has seen the Bournemou...

The 2018/19 Premier League season may still be in its infancy, with just seven rounds of fixtures completed, but already several interesting stories are developing. On a wider scale, Manchester City, last term’s runaway champions, appear to have genuine challengers for their crown in the shape of Liverpool and Chelsea. José Mourinho is having typical third-season struggles at Manchester Unit...

Club football returned this week and the action both at home and on the continent did not disappoint. Eden Hazard was the undoubted star of the weekend as the brilliant Belgian produced an inspired display against Cardiff City to help Chelsea continue their 100 per cent start to the campaign. Yet he wasn’t the only fleet-footed winger impressing in the Premier League with Bournemouth’s...

Bournemouth will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Stoke City on Saturday. The Cherries currently sit in 19th position in the top flight and have taken four points from eight games this season. Their opponents, meanwhile, are in 17th place after claiming eight points from their eight matches. Eddie Howe will be hoping Ryan Fraser recovers for the clas...

Scotland revived their hopes of qualification for the 2018 World Cup with a last-gasp 1-0 home win over Slovenia at Hampden Park on Sunday. In what was one of the strongest team performances of Gordon Strachan’s managerial reign, a late winner from substitute Chris Martin secured all three points. But, more than the epic finish, it was the individual displays of two exciting young talents that s...