Everton will be hoping to get their first Premier League home win of the 2023/24 season when Wolverhampton Wanderers come to town on the third matchday of the new campaign.

In what could potentially be their final season at their current home ground, Everton did not get off to the dream start they envisaged after losing 1-0 to Fulham on the opening weekend of the season. 

Many believe this will be the Blues’ final campaign at Goodison Park before switching to a new ground and Everton will be hoping for a strong showing after fighting relegation until the final day of last season. Everton have lost 11 league games at home since the start of last season and they must do better if it really is a farewell campaign at Goodison.

The Toffees were undefeated in their five pre-season games but came off with a narrow defeat to Fulham on opening day. Although there have been six wins, six draws, and six defeats each for Everton and Wolves in this fixture, the Merseysiders are winless in the last four meetings between the sides.

On the other hand, last season may have ended in timid fashion for Wolves. Still, they quietly rebuilt during pre-season yet failed to yield a positive result from an impressive opening-day performance at Old Trafford. Wolves were fantastic against Manchester United and should have got all three points but were left to rue their poor finishing once again.

Gary O’Neil’s men will be looking to get a massive scalp at the famously tough Goodison Park and they must do so with a poor traveling record as they are winless in nine Premier League away games, including five defeats in a row. Wolves will however be encouraged by their five wins in the last ten games against Everton. 

Match tickets

This important game for both clubs begins at 3 pm UK time on Saturday 26th August and Everton vs Wolves tickets for the match have been on sale via each individual club’s website.

However, the game is almost certainly going to be a sell-out with Goodison Park expected to be packed to the rafters as loyal Evertonains look on for what they hope would be a sweet home victory for Sean Dyche’s men.

The Merseysiders treat every home game like a religious gathering and demand the maximum effort of their players. A rocking Goodison is truly an unmissable spectacle. 

Hence, getting a hold of Wolverhampton Wanderers tickets may be difficult so those who would love to attend the game may have some luck finding them via a ticket reselling site.

Team news

Englishmen Ashley Young and Jack Harrison, and Dutch international Arnaut Danjuma are the new arrivals who are hoping to inspire better fortunes as Dyche takes charge of his first full season. 

Ex-Leeds winger Harrison is a long-term casualty as he is set to be out injured until after the season’s first international break. Dwight McNeil and Seamus Coleman are also ruled out of action against Wolves while Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains a doubt given his ongoing fitness struggles.

Wolves are in the unfamiliar position of having no players on the treatment table, at the time of writing, considering their crippling injury issues last season. The West Midlanders will be pleased to have a fit and fresh squad for their new manager who was appointed only four days before his debut having replaced Julen Lopetegui who had disputes with the board.

O’Neil will have had more days to establish his ideas and preferred team ahead of this trip to Everton. Going by what we saw at Man United, there is a lot to look forward to in this game. 

Line-ups

38-year-old Ashley Young seems to have won the left-back spot ahead of Vitaliy Mykolenko and at least he won’t have to mark the pacey Adama Traore who left Wolves over the summer. James Garner is another who has earned his manager’s trust but winger Lewis Dobbin will be looking to get into the lineup as much as Danjuma who seems to be Neal Maupay’s deputy in the striker role.

Elsewhere, you can expect Dyche to stick to his tried and trusted team for a game they cannot afford to lose in front of their home fans. 

Everton: Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Young; Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, Garner, Doucoure; Maupay

Wolves may feature a number of changes over the coming games as O’Neil gets to grips with his strongest line-up and builds team dynamics. You can expect another high-energy team keen to upset the Goodison crowd just as they did at Old Trafford. 

Notably, Portuguese forward Pedro Neto was the most potent of the Wolves’ players as he had the most shots (three) with two being on target. The aim over the next few games clearly has to be finding a balance that allows them to score goals more often and win games. 

Wolves: Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Lemina, Gomes, Nunes, Neto; Cunha, Sarabia

Prediction

Everton are a shrewd yet efficient unit under Dyche and against evenly-matched opponents, their counter-attacking ability and superiority from dead balls make them a devastating prospect. This has all the markings of a typical Premier League game with much-needed points on offer. 

The hosts may indeed cause Wolves a lot of problems on the break and around their own penalty box but Everton must also be worried about the fact the Midlands side had 23 shots on goal against Man Utd. Although they ended that game without scoring, the Wolves are on an upward trajectory and this is the perfect moment to end a five-game losing streak in away league games. 

Everton 1-1 Wolves

Nothing beats the feeling of being the best in the most sought-after sport in the world, and getting crowned champion with a beautiful trophy! What else does a nation want, this tournament has a way of enabling people to puff out their chest by giving them license to say ‘this is our team’ and having some pride in their nation,

This time around, spectacular moments like these will be witnessed from the ‘Land of Arabs’ for the first time in the history of the world cup. The tournament commences on November 20 and will continue till December 18, 2022.

If you want to watch the FIFA World Cup live online and don’t know how to go about it, we have you covered. In this blog, we will teach you how to watch the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 live stream from anywhere in the world:

Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live stream 

Sling TV

Sling TV is the best option to stream the FIFA world cup inside the US if you don’t have cable. The streaming service offers you the cheapest subscription with a 7 days free trial, so you can’t miss any moment of the exciting tournament live without worrying about the cable. The best part is you could even use Sling TV from outside UK, by using a VPN to connect to a US server and directly stream FIFA World Cup

BBCi iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is the official broadcaster in the UK for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and will broadcast every fixture from the tournament. However, the in-demand streaming service only works inside the UK due to certain geo-restrictions.

Fortunately, to access BBC iPlayer from anywhere, you need to have a UK IP address and this is where a high-speed VPN can help. Just follow these simple steps to stream the FIFA World Cup live on BBC iPlayer:

1. Get a VPN subscription.
2. Download the app for your device and connect to a UK server.
3. Go to BBC iPlayer and log into your account or sign up.
4. Enjoy live streaming the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free from anywhere!

FIFA World Cup 2022 – Groups

• Group A. Qatar. Ecuador. Senegal. Netherlands
• Group B. England, Iran, USA, Wales
• Group C. Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
• Group D. France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
• Group E. Spain, New Zealand OR Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
• Group F. Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
• Group G. Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
• Group H. Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Final Words

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live without any worry, no matter where you are in the world by accessing BBC iPlayer or SlingTV with the help of VPN. By switching your virtual location to the UK or US, you can access BBC iPlayer or SlingTV hassle-free to stream your favorite FIFA World Cup matches live online. Over 140+ broadcasters will cover the FIFA World Cup 2022 in different countries. For instance, BBC and ITV are going to show the tournament in the UK, while MatchTV and Channel One are the official broadcasters in Russia. However, the end goal is to enjoy and cherish the thrilling moments of the world cup by supporting your national team.

There is a group of teams that basically don’t have a nickname, they just have a variation of the term ‘the national team‘ in their respective language (e.g. Germany, Iran, Switzerland). Equally uninspiring, many nicknames are derived from national colors – such as the Blues (France), Blue (Serbia), the Crimsons (Qatar), Orange (Netherlands) and the Tri-Colors (Ecuador, Mexico). At least some add a bit of spice to the color name game, such as the Red Fury (Spain), Red Devils (Belgium), and the Black Stars (Ghana).

Not all the names are so bland. If you could create a nickname, wouldn’t you want one that would strike fear in the opposition, like the Fiery Boys of Croatia, Danish Dynamite (Denmark) and Samurai Blues (Japan).

If animals strike fear in you, look out for the Eagles of Carthage from Tunisia, the Green Hawks of Saudi Arabia, the Asian Tigers of South Korea, and the Dragons of Wales.

There are also lions to contend with the Three Lions of England, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Lions of Teranga from Senegal, and the Atlas Lions of Morocco.

However, a fearsome team nickname does not necessarily equate to success, as one of the most successful teams is commonly known as the Little Canaries (Brazil). Watch out for them!

See our list of All National Football Team Nicknames.

#5: The Community Shield (July 31)

Yes, you read that right. The Community Shield is one of the biggest matches left this year. Yes, it’s a glorified friendly, and yes it doesn’t count as a trophy, but this year’s Wembley curtain-raiser has something very important. Narrative.

FA Cup winners Liverpool took Premier League champions down to the wire on the last day of the 21/22 season. So this game will raise all sorts of questions ahead of the 22/23 contest. Will Mane remain at Liverpool? Will Klopp be able to reinvigorate a team that went from quadruple hopefuls to double losers in the space of a week? Will Erling Haaland prove to be the game-breaker that takes City to an absolutely uncatchable level?

We’ll learn a lot from this game. If Liverpool seems weaker and City stronger, we might learn that the Premier League title is almost a foregone conclusion.

#4: The North London Derby (TBC)

For decades, Arsenal fans celebrated a unique holiday. St. Totteringham’s Day. The day of the season that it was mathematically impossible for the Gunners to be caught by their North London rivals. But for the past six seasons, it’s Spurs who’ve finished above their rivals in the league. It’s Spurs fans who’ve needed Champions League tickets while Arsenal has been making do with the Europa League.

Can Tottenham secure a seven-year streak of finishing above Arsenal? Or is it time for an Arsenal resurgence? The first North London Derby of the season will give us some indication, even though form and history suggest the home side usually triumphs. Arsenal hasn’t won an away derby since 2014, and Spurs need to go back to 2010. Will that change in 2022? 

#3: The Women’s European Final (July 31)

Women’s Euros tickets have been selling in record numbers, and the final at Wembley is expected to host a capacity crowd. Defending European champions the Netherlands have dropped in the world rankings of late, and pundits are tipping Spain and France for the title. But England’s Lionesses aren’t far behind in the odds, and they’re comfortably ranked as one of the ten best teams in the world.

Manager Sarina Wiegman will be looking to her men’s team counterpart for inspiration. Gareth Southgate took a mostly unfancied England’s men’s team to the final of the 2020 Euros, so the women must be hoping to go one better. Football may just be coming home – and from a slightly unexpected direction.

#2: The Manchester Derby (TBC)

If the Community Shield will tell us a lot about the eventual destination of the title, the season’s first Manchester Derby might tell us something about the long-term prospects of a team who expects to be perennial challengers.

City is the finished article. An established manager, a settled team, and one of Europe’s most promising – and effective – young strikers. They expect to win the league. They expect to win the Champions League. They’ll expect to win the season’s first derby.

If ten Hag’s Red Devils can make sure that expectation comes to nothing, we’ll have some idea of how his much-needed rebuild is progressing. City strolled through an uninterested United midfield as they strolled to a 4-1 win last time out. A committed, professional – and perhaps victorious – performance from the red half of Manchester would be a massive statement.

And with Erling Haaland out for revenge against a team whose volatile ex-captain crippled his dad, there’s a hefty dose of personal narrative in play too. Definitely worth getting your hands on Manchester United tickets.

#1: The 2022 World Cup Final (18 December)

It had to be. Everyone wants World Cup tickets, and everyone wants to see their team in the final. This year’s competition is incredibly hard to call. Defending champions France were shambolic at the Euros, while Euro runners-up England can call on even more young talent than two years ago. Brazil will always fancy their chances, while Argentina and Portugal know this is the last chance for Messi or Ronaldo to win the ultimate prize. 

And then of course there are the unknowns, the dark horses. Hosts Qatar will benefit from a home advantage in very difficult conditions, Senegal has a team that’s quietly packed with top-level talent, and Denmark will rally around their returning talisman Christian Eriksen. 

No matter which two teams are fighting for glory, the World Cup Final will be a must-watch, can’t-miss affair. It’s the biggest match left this year.

Prior to the tournament, FIFA released the anthropometric data of the 736 players (squads of 23 from the 32 nations), which gave us the opportunity to compare the body size of players from each team and playing position. We found that out of all the teams, the goalkeepers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup stood out – they tended to be older, taller and heavier than the field players. The youngest players were the forwards, the shortest the midfielders, and the leanest based on BMI were the midfielders. Now that the two teams that are to battle out the final on Sunday are known, we have pulled out their team data and had a look at how they match up.

Squads Compared

We compared the body size data of the French and Croatian 23-man squads. The Croatians are on average older (27.9 v 26.0 years), a couple of centimetres (an inch) taller (185.3 v 183.3), but of similar average weight (79.3 v 80.0kg). If we just compare the expected starting 11 players (based on their semi-final match), the age difference is even greater (29.5 v 26.2 years). For both teams, the average weight of the players in the starting 11 is lower than the full squad average (Croatia 79.3 to 77.6kg, France 80.0 to 78.9kg), indicating the top players are leaner. The lower weight was not just because they are shorter, as the Body Mass Index was lower too (Croatia 23.1 to 22.8, France 23.8 to 23.5).

Players Compared

The two goalkeepers expected to play in the final are Danijel Subasic of Croatia and Hugo Lloris of France. The Croatian has a couple of years more experience (aged 33.7 versus 31.5 years), and also has an advantage in size: he is taller (191 v 188cm) and heavier (84 v 82 kg).

Of the starting four defenders, the noteworthy difference is their age. The Croatians are on average more than five years older (28.9 v 23.6 years). If this age difference translates to greater maturity and experience on the field, then they have a distinct advantage.

Comparing the midfielders, the French players are on average quite a bit heavier (76.7 v 70.7 kg) despite being of very similar height. At this level, we don’t expect players to be carrying much excess body fat, so the difference in weight would be mostly due to them being more solidly built, having more muscle and therefore being stronger. If this World Cup final becomes a physical encounter, the French midfield players are going to have a big advantage.

The Croatian forwards are also a couple of inches taller than their French counterparts (187.0 v 181.7cm), which may be an advantage around the goals, particularly for corners and other set pieces.

Conclusion

When it comes to the physical attributes of the two teams, in most cases it has been the Croatian team that has the advantage. Of course, body size is not the most important factor for successful performance in football, though, if all other things are equal then it may be the difference that could win a World Cup for Croatia. However, it may just come down to luck, particularly if it finishes with a penalty shootout.

Fans at a soccer game

When all the stats are combined, soccer (football) regains it title of the most popular sport in the world! See more analysis of the World’s Most Popular Sports According to Wikipedia.

I want to go out on an (octopus) limb and say that it was all due to chance. I know it may sound far-fetched and very unlikely, but maybe he was just lucky and was able to select the winning teams through chance. No psychic abilities, no hand of God, and no conspiracies – just luck. A lot of luck.

After getting up at 2 am this morning to watch Australia play Serbia, I am much happier and very impressed with their performance. Although they won today, they just missed out on progressing to the knockout round.

The team did us proud, playing great football and giving everything for their country. Missing out of the final 16 is no great disappointment, the Aussies have played above expectations.

I cannot say the same about the French team, and cannot imagine the public outcry at their team’s performance. There is always drama at the World Cup, and that is why we are captivated. A few more sleepless nights to come!

The game was played on April 23, 2005, with 17 cameras tracking just Zidane in real-time. There is no commentary, just the noise of him spitting, shouting to his teammates and muttering the occasional complaint to the referee.

In the end, it is not a football game you are watching, but a voyeuristic view of a public figure. It is not his best game, but maybe his best view. You see a hardworking player, searching for opportunity. The final score was Real Madrid 2, Villareal 1. But who cares?

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Such a crowd at a soccer match is rarely seen in Australia. If they can continue to have games and spectacles like that, then the crowds will continue to come. The crowd seemed pretty tame to me, though I later read that ten flares were let off in the stadium and 41 people evicted. Maybe that is pretty tame relative to what goes on in English football stadiums.

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