The performance of any future footballer shows his ability to be world-class. Here are the top 10 most promising young stars in the world in 2023 as assessed by CIES Football Observatory.
1. Pablo Gavi - The Spanish central midfielder has improved in form since making his Barcelona debut in 2021. He scored 2 goals and provided 6 assists in the 2022/2023 season.
2. Jude Bellingham - The English central midfielder has proven himself to be the most creative young star of Borussia Dortmund. He has scored 11 goals and provided 7 assists this season.
3. Antonio Silva - 19-year-old centre-back has been successful in Benfica's main team. His good defensive qualities give him more game time, he has scored 5 goals in 43 games played this season.
4. Alejandro Balde - He is the 4th most promising young star in the world. The Spanish left-back has made 39 appearances for Barcelona in the 2022/2023 season, in which he has 6 assists.
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When it comes to the rivalries that have defined a generation, Chelsea and Liverpool are the standard bearers of the 2000s.
During this period, they always seem to end up in cup and European tournaments. In non-Premier League games alone, they played 14 games between 2003 and 2009. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, and that contempt quickly turns into outright hatred. .
During this period, the west London side are enjoying the benefits of having an extremely wealthy new owner, picking the world's greatest talents as if it were Football Manager in easy mode. It infuriated supporters at almost every club, but perhaps none more so than Liverpool, whose longing to return to the glory days of the '70s and '80s.
"You have no history," they scoffed, ignoring the fact that Chelsea had been more successful than Liverpool in the six years before Roman Abramovich took over. Understandably, Chelsea fans don't like it very much, given that no club, regardless of their glorious past, has a divine right to achieve present-day glory. Add to that the natural hostility between south and north and these two were destined to look down on each other.
It's a device that hasn't stopped flowing into the story ever since, with plenty of moments marking it as one of the big contenders; from Jose Mourinho winning his first England title in the League Cup final against Liverpool and Chelsea losing their terrible 86-match unbeaten streak, to Fernando Torres switching sides abruptly for a record transfer fee and a lot' others'. Although the rivalry is not as fierce as in recent years, this is a match neither side wants to lose and both will give their all to win tonight.
Chelsea-Liverpool's seven best moments:
Gronkjaer's goal – 2003
Jesper Gronkjaer is credited with changing the Premier League forever. Perhaps he didn't realize it when he scored the winning goal against Liverpool on the final day of the 2002/03 season, but the situation could have been very different had he not done so.
Both teams come into this encounter with identical records - 18 wins, 10 draws, 9 losses - meaning the winner will qualify for next season's Champions League. The Blues won that day, 2-1, finishing in fourth place ahead of the four-time European champions. What is often forgotten is that Chelsea were struggling financially at the time and faced a vital calculation that summer. The Dane's goal on that fateful day has been credited with saving the club, as the promise of Champions League qualification drew Roman Abramovich's enormous wealth to SW6.
The Russian tycoon may have bought the club anyway, but as we know, they're not the only ones he's interested in, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in his sights. Had Abramovich taken his money elsewhere, Chelsea could have become the next Leeds United.
Spooky Target - 2005
Two years after buying the club, Abramovich is one step closer to his dream of owning a Champions League winning team. In the first year of possession, Chelsea reached the semi-finals under Claudio Ranieri, losing to Monaco.
They would reach the same stage a year later under Jose Mourinho, who had led a little-known Porto to the trophy a year earlier. His side dominated the Premier League from the start and it looks like the Portuguese will give them more ground to go further in Europe.
But knockout competitions are another beast, sometimes thwarting the accepted logic that the best always come out on top.
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