The Five Best Brazilians In Premier League History

Brazil has produced many of the world’s greatest footballers, and has most successful national side of all-time. The country’s impact on football culture worldwide is seismic.

Yet, Brazilians have not always enjoyed their time at the centre of Premier League betting. Many have flopped. Others have proven to be no more than a one-season wonder.

For much of the Premier League era, the pace of play and physicality hasn’t been a conducive environment for the stereotypical Brazilian flair. Whether players like Kaka and Ronaldinho would have thrived has long been debated. 

While the biggest Brazilian names haven’t always ventured to these shores, plenty of Seleção stars have shone in England’s topflight. 

Here are our five greatest Brazilians in Premier League history...

David Luiz

David Luiz brought Brazilian flair to the centre of defence. Entertaining in the extreme due to his superb technical ability and knack for risk-taking, Luiz scored some screamers and had moments of insanity. 

Across two stints with Chelsea and a brief time with Arsenal, Luiz was a Premier League winner, lifted the FA Cup on three occasions and won three European trophies (all with Chelsea). 

A player divisive from his Premier League debut onwards, this could be a contentious pick, but Luiz has the golden combination of team success and individual ability.

Fernandinho

A five-time Premier League winner, there was no way Fernandinho could miss out here.

He was the thread linking separate eras at the Etihad Stadium, a stalwart connecting the Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero spell with the relentless winning under Pep Guardiola. 

Industrious and renowned for his ability to break up play, Fernandinho is a far cry from the playmaking, trick-filled attacking players often associated with Brazil.

Neutrals weren’t switching on the TV to watch Fernandinho like they did for Juninho Paulista or even Philippe Coutinho, but he was an integral figure in multiple title-winning teams.

Roberto Firmino

Roberto Firmino has moments of flair – his viral no-look finishes being one example.

But his game goes far beyond the much-retweeted showboating, with the vision and technique to be an excellent playmaker and quick feet to leave defenders baffled. 

Most of all, though, Firmino arrived at Liverpool as the perfect central forward for the Jurgen Klopp era.

An intelligent and tireless presser, Firmino possesses the engine and technical ability to play that selfless central role, which allowed Sadio Mane and Mo Salah to thrive alongside him.

Fabinho

The Virgil van Dijk and Alisson signings are often associated with Liverpool’s betting chances improving. Fabinho, at times, can go under the radar. His presence is as important to Liverpool as anyone. 

Disciplined, assured in possession and certainly capable of coping with the Premier League’s trademark physicality, Fabinho has been among the elite at his position for several seasons.

Still only 28, he’s only just beginning his peak.

Ederson

This final place was a toss up between Ederson and Alisson. Arguments can be made for either, and Alisson has the edge with 55 Brazil caps to Ederson’s tally of 18.

The latter, however, has also played an additional season in the Premier League, reaching 188 appearances to Alisson’s 142.

Of course, Ederson also has the edge with four league titles to Alisson’s one and two PFA Team of the Year nods to Alisson’s lone selection. 

Ederson, much like Fabinho and Alisson answered long-term problems for Liverpool, immediately transformed Manchester City defensively.

His combination of ball-playing and mobility made him the ideal sweeper-keeper for Guardiola’s team, and brought consistency to a position which was split between Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero in the season prior to his arrival.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022

September 20, 2022
Premier League
Body

Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox

Rory Delap, Stoke City & The Beauty Of The Long Throw In

At a talent and financial disadvantage upon their return to the topflight under Tony Pulis, Stoke City were searching for a means to tip the scales in their favour.

Stoke’s answer to their Premier League challenge was built around a workman-like, veteran midfielder in Rory Delap. 

Delap’s throw-ins became an integral part of Stoke’s gameplan, and a new challenge for Premier League defences to wrestle (often literally) with.

Some teams opted to put the ball behind for corner kicks instead of throw ins. Others moved the advertising hoardings to impede Delap’s run up. Dean Windass even received a booking for trying to disrupt Delap while warming up on the sidelines.

Stoke arrived in the Premier League as one of the favourites for the drop in Premier League relegation odds.

Their prolonged topflight stint was not only down to Delap’s throws, of course, but the goals created were obviously significant, and the direct nature was symbolic of how Pulis’ team fought with opponents in the trenches. 

With a better angle, Delap’s throws were considered better than a corner. Most long-throw experts would get the ball into the area, often in a loopy manner.

Delap would propel the ball at over 35 miles per hour, getting well into the box and towards the goalmouth.

Five assists directly from Delap’s missiles is a small part of the tale. Stoke scored 24 goals from his throw-ins, per Stats Perform.

How teams could cope with throw-ins went from a non-factor to a significant component when weighing up any bet on football involving the Potters.

The mystique around a trip to Stoke on a wet and windy night built quickly. Delap’s throw ins were the centrepiece of the greatest acid test in Premier League predictions.

Defences were baffled by the charging run up and bullet throw of Delap, the trajectory catching out defenders and leading to some almost comical goals.

Teams had to be ready for a unique goal threat at Stoke, and the Potters were prepared with towels stationed around the touchline, which has become its own part of Premier League lore.

Previous exponents of the long throw were in awe of Delap, his use of backspin enabling the ball to travel almost parallel to the ground at high speeds. 

Others were less impressed. Following a throw-in-led 2-1 win for Stoke over Arsenal, Arsene Wenger talked down Delap’s arm-powered impact.

"It is a little bit of an unfair advantage. He is using a strength that is usually not a strength in football."

Wenger, famously, also called for throw-ins to be replaced with kick-ins.

Stoke City thrived on rattling opponents during the Pulis era. Chests were pushed out, tackles were brutal and aerial challenges were fearless and plentiful. The weather was as unwelcoming as the crowd.

No football audience has ever been as pumped for throw-ins as the Britannia Stadium was in Stoke’s first few seasons in the Premier League. Delap’s throws will always be the symbol of those Stoke teams. 

The effectiveness waned as the novelty faded, though. Stoke evolved from bruisers to a club with supposedly loftier ambitions, playing some entertaining football under Mark Hughes before their demise under Hughes and Paul Lambert. 

The Potters are now a feature in Championship predictions, a long way from the intimidation and intensity of Delap’s rocket throws and a bellowing Brit.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022

September 20, 2022
Premier League
Body

Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox