Dribble Diaries

The summer of 2024 saw one of the more protracted transfer sagas finally reach its conclusion, with João Palhinha, the tenacious Portuguese defensive midfielder, completing his much-anticipated move from Fulham to Bayern Munich. After a year of intense speculation, a failed deadline-day move, and a protracted negotiation, it seemed Palhinha had finally landed his dream switch to one of Europe's elite. Fast forward to July 2025, and the story has taken a drastic turn: speculations are rife that Palhinha, only a year into his four-year deal, is already open to a move away from the Allianz Arena, with Tottenham Hotspur emerging as the front-runners in an unexpected pursuit. This isn't just a fleeting rumors; it's a consequence of a perplexing debut season for Palhinha in Bavaria, a shifting midfield hierarchy under new Bayern manager Vincent Kompany, and a desperate need for a specific profile of player at Tottenham under Thomas Frank. Let's dissect the intricate layers of...

In the capricious world of football transfers, few sagas embody the ebb and flow of fortune quite like the curious case of Joao Palhinha. Just a year ago, Fulham fans watched with a mix of pride and trepidation as their defensive midfield lynchpin, the relentless tackling machine, He packed his bags for the bright lights and perpetual success of Bayern Munich, in a transfer allegedly for over £48 million. It was a deserved move for a player who had exceeded all expectations since his arrival at Craven Cottage. Yet, fast forward to late June 2025, and the whispers from West London are turning into a clamor: Fulham wants him back. This isn't just a quirky anecdote; it's a profound illustration of the unpredictable nature of football, the sometimes-flawed logic of mega-club recruitment, and the enduring value of a player who perfectly fits a system. To understand why Fulham is seemingly ready to perform a U-turn of epic proportions, we need to dissect the layers of this fascinatin...

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals with their backs against the wall. And they'll have to do so without Gabriel, arguably their finest defender. After picking up an injury in their 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham last time out, Gunners fans have received the news they feared. According to the club's official report, the Brazilian international has sustained a hamstring injury that will necessitate surgery. "Gabi will undergo a surgical repair procedure to his hamstring in the coming days, and immediately begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season," the news release stated. "Everyone at the club will be fully focused on supporting Gabi to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible." The club has already experienced numerous injuries this season, including Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Ødegaard, Ricardo Calaf...

This week, it was recommended that Brighton provide fans with unique flags to give Saturday a real feeling of occasion, but manager Fabian Hurzeler and the rest of the team rejected the idea. They want the players to treat the FA Cup quarter-final against Nottingham Forest like any other home game. That is a more favorable mindset to winning, especially when you can feel the enthusiasm growing on the training ground. Brighton are far from the only club dealing with such conflicting emotions this weekend, as the bulk of those remaining in the FA Cup are well aware that this isn't just any game. It's a historic, and perhaps unique, chance. There will be no arguments over the competition's meaning this weekend. The majority of the most frequent winners, including the five most successful clubs over the last 34 years and nine of the last ten champions, are no longer in the competition. It couldn't have meant more to those who remained. Half of the eight have never...

Manchester United's FA Cup defence continues with a tricky fifth-round match against Fulham at Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim's side advanced to this stage in controversial fashion, defeating Leicester City 2-1 thanks to a late offside goal from Harry Maguire. With no VAR in place, the Red Devils took advantage of a lucky break. Maguire was decisive again in midweek, scoring late in a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town. However, that result masks a concerning run of form, with United picking up just one point in their previous three league games. Their FA Cup campaign could be their best chance of securing European football next season. History is on their side. Since losing to Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 2006, United has won 14 of their last 15 matches, giving them a psychological advantage. Fulham is no stranger to overcoming challenges. Marco Silva's side has already defeated Watford and Wigan Athletic and comes into Manchester with four wins in their last five ga...

Marco Silva believes Ryan Sessegnon's "future is going to be bright" after he helped Fulham defeat Wolves 2-1 in his first Premier League start of the season. Fulham took the lead with 58 seconds on the clock after Andreas Pereira picked out Sessegnon's run and slotted past Jose Sa. Wolves responded in the 18th minute with Joao Gomes' second goal against Fulham this season, but Rodrigo Muniz gave the Cottagers the lead again a little over a minute into the second half. Silva made five changes from Saturday's 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, including Sessegnon, who made his first league start in over two years after a series of injuries. The Portuguese, whose team is vying for a European spot, stated: "He's a lovely boy, and the last two or three years have been extremely difficult for him." "A player who began playing at a high level at the age of 16 and everyone here and in this country knows he's going to have an amazing career because...

Fulham twice recovered from behind to grab a point against Ipswich in a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, which included three second-half penalties. The visitors provided the first serious opening in the first ten minutes. Leif Davis sent a wonderful pass in from the left that Sammy Szmodics was inches away from connecting with. Fulham dominated the early stages, as Ipswich sat deep and looked to hit on the counter. Raúl Jiménez had the opening chance for the Cottagers, but Christian Walton saved his header. Antonee Robinson, who had recently been voted US Men's Player of the Year, nearly added to his defender-high seven assists just after halftime, but Ipswich's defensive numbers proved too much. In the 38th minute, Szmodics gave Ipswich an unexpected lead. Ben Johnson's header from Nathan Broadhead's cross hit the crossbar, and Calvin Bassey's clearing failed, allowing the Irish international to finish. Fulham looked for an equaliser in the second half, but replac...

Without a question, some of the top football managers in the world work in the Premier League. Every weekend, there are some exciting tactical fights since England draws some of the best coaching talent from around the world. These managers compete against one another for honor, fame, and, preferably, trophies. However, during the course of the year, who were the top head coaches in the top division? Liverpool's Arne Slot There is no better place to begin than the top of the Premier League. Several major names, including Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, and Ruben Amorim, were considered to replace Jurgen Klopp earlier this year. Few people would have heard of Arne Slot before he was chosen as the German's replacement, but he's definitely establishing a name for himself today. The Dutchman could not have expected his first few months on the job to go any better. Liverpool leads the standings by six points, is through to the Champions League knockout stages with two games r...

Tonight, the Blues might trail Liverpool by seven points. After losing to Fulham at home in the west London derby, Chelsea lost the opportunity to get closer to the top of the Premier League standings. Cole Palmer's incredible strike in the first fifteen minutes of Boxing Day appeared to be the difference for a long time, but Enzo Maresca's team lost by giving up two goals in the last ten minutes, leaving them four points behind Liverpool. The Italian strategist made only one change to the team that began the goalless draw away at Everton before Christmas, instantly recalling Marc Cucurella after his suspension to take Axel Disasi's spot in the Blues' defense. Palmer delivered the only truly outstanding moment of the first half when he calmly stroked the ball into the back of the net after receiving it from Levi Colwill and squirming past a few defenders. Cucurella should have extended the lead before halftime, but Bernd Leno saved his header. Palmer was then denie...

Arsenal's Premier League title dreams were dashed after they were beaten to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage. Mikel Arteta's team had the opportunity to close the distance on Liverpool at the top to four points, but they put in a sluggish first half performance in which Fulham neutralized their forward threat with remarkable ease and took a merited lead via Raul Jiménez. The second half saw an appropriate response from a squad who realized their chances of chasing down the leads were dwindling, and after William Saliba's equalizer in the 51st minute survived a lengthy VAR review, the stage appeared set for the visitors to sweep to victory. However, Fulham exhibited amazing endurance in the face of repeated Arsenal pressure, demonstrating their own credentials as potential European competitors this season. Bukayo Saka believed he had won it with an 87th-minute header when VAR intervened with an offside call against Gabriel Martinelli, as Marco Silva's gameplan ev...

VAR denies Gunners late winner, dropping points in championship chase. Arsenal failed to capitalize on Liverpool's absence this weekend, as a VAR check denied them a late winner against Fulham. The Reds' Merseyside derby against Everton was postponed due to Storm Darragh, giving the north London club the opportunity to narrow the gap on the Premier League leaders to four points. Despite going above Chelsea in the table - albeit only for a few hours - and gaining ground on Arne Slot's team, Arsenal's reaction at full-time suggested they thought two points were dropped. Despite dominating the opening exchanges, Arsenal went behind after 10 minutes when Raul Jimenez sprang the offside trap, took one touch before smashing a shot past David Raya and into the bottom corner. Mikel Arteta's team equalized early in the second half thanks to a set-piece from Declan Rice, who found Kai Havertz, who diverted the ball into William Saliba's path to score. The Frenchman sc...

Arsenal face Fulham on Sunday, and their set-piece danger has received a lot of attention, but Marco Silva isn't concerned. Speaking about Arsenal's match against Fulham last season, Silva said: "We scored twice against them in set pieces last season, and they didn't score against us (set pieces), and let's hope we can repeat the same." When asked how his team will prepare for Arsenal's set piece threat, Silva replied: "I'm not going to tell you how we will prepare for their set pieces." You can examine last season to see what we did." Last season, Fulham snatched four points from Arsenal in two Premier League games and became something of a bogey team for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta will have made sure his players are prepared for the challenge at Craven Cottage on Sunday, given how close the margins of points at the top of the table have been in recent years, and how Arsenal have suffered as a result. Arsenal has scored 22 goals from ...

Manchester United rallied late to defeat Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League opener. This is what we made of it. Newcomer Zirkzee provides much-needed firepower. For the most part, Manchester United appeared to be repeating themselves. Plenty of innovation in the center of the park, but a letdown in the latter third. Erik ten Hag's team appeared to be heading for a draw until the Dutchman introduced new acquisition Joshua Zirkzee in the 61st minute. Last season, the 23-year-old made headlines at Bologna, scoring 11 goals in 34 Serie A outings, and United signed him in the hopes that he would alleviate their striker difficulties. Tonight was a case of so far, so good, as he scored the winning goal in the 87th minute. Zirkzee became the 15th Dutchman to score on Premier League debut, and the fourth at Old Trafford, joining assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy on the list. He scored after just seven touches. Mainoo starts from where he left off. It feels like Kobbie ...

It appears that how you start is not as important as how you finish. Joshua Zirkzee began his Manchester United career with a memorable ending that bodes well for the rest of it. He began his debut on the bench and finished as the match winner. Old Trafford may have a new goalscoring hero, and if Erik ten Hag's team needed one on their opening night, a newcomer delivered. The United boss has been accused of signing too many fellow Dutchmen. For a £42 million purchase, it was an outstanding start, a real fantasy debut. Even though he helped Bologna qualify for the Champions League previous season, Zirkzee was not prolific. However, it only took 26 minutes for him to open his United account with a goal that demonstrated his ability to be both a finisher and much more than a penalty-box poacher. Zirkzee had dropped deep to receive the ball, then sent it wide to Casemiro before accelerating into the box. He extended his left leg to tap in Alejandro Garnacho's cross. Two replacemen...