Ogunniyi Abayomi

Lagos, Nigeria

Columnist, Writer and Journalist at Freelance

Sport Writer at Breaking The Lines

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Articles

Ian Maatsen: Aston Villa’s Versatile Fullback Destined for the Top

4 weeks ago | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

The 2024/25 season has been a mixed bag for Aston Villa. Having finished seventh and fourth in their first two seasons under Unai Emery, Villa find themselves in danger of missing out on European football. With nine matches remaining, Villans sit ninth in the Premier League table, two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle (who have a game in hand), three behind Manchester City, and four points behind Chelsea.
How Omar Marmoush Can Guide Manchester City To Premier League's Top Four

2 months ago | attackingfootball.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

Despite winning the Premier League title for the 2023-2024 season, Manchester City’s unexpected decline this season has raised eyebrows among football fans. As the 2024-2025 season unfolded, it became clear that the defending champions were struggling, facing a notable drop in form and a series of poor performances. Discussions swiftly shifted from how many points were needed to achieve a top-four finish before January to urgent questions about what went wrong in December.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s Transformation Into Arne Slot’s Key Midfield Conductor At Liverpool

Jan 12, 2025 | attackingfootball.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

When Dominik Szoboszlai arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 2023, he was seen as a promising but not guaranteed success. The £60 million signing from RB Leipzig had talent in abundance, yet some questioned how he would fit into Jürgen Klopp’s high-octane style. Despite displaying flashes of what he showed in the Bundesliga in his first season, Dominik Szoboszlai’s role became uncertain with the departure of Klopp in 2024 and the arrival of Arne Slot.
Luis Diaz: Taking His Game to New Heights under Arne Slot

Nov 16, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

It has been a nearly flawless start to the season for Liverpool FC. Apart from a 2-2 draw at Arsenal and a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, Liverpool have won each of the 15 matches that they have participated in under new manager Arne Slot, and they are the sole UEFA Champions League team who still have a perfect record. One player who has proven influential in their stellar form is Luis Díaz.
Serhou Guirassy: Analyzing BVB’s New Striker

Aug 7, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

Stuttgart managed to narrowly avoid dropping down to the German second tier in 2023 after beating HSV in the promotion / relegation playoff, and they would follow that up by losing key figures like Kostas Mavropanos (West Ham), Borna Sosa (Ajax) and Wataru Endo (Liverpool).
Euro 2024: The Game, The Bait and the Honor

Jul 16, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

It was a beautiful night for the Spanish national team as they emerged as the European champions against England who had endured certain struggles and moments of oddity to get to the final of the competition.
Exequiel Palacios: Leverkusen’s Unsung Argentine Dynamo in Midfield

May 28, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

Exequiel Palacios was 20 years old when he starred for River Plate as they defeated crosstown rivals Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores Final. He was 21 when he departed his boyhood club and joined Bayer Leverkusen for €22 million. He was 22 when he came off the bench and led Argentina to victory against Brazil in the Copa América Final and 24 when he featured in Argentina’s World Cup win. Now 25, he has played a pivotal role in Bayer Leverkusen’s domestic double.
Marcus Thuram: Inter’s Sharpshooter in Attack

Apr 9, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

After a season that saw them beat Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia Final, lose to Manchester City in the Champions League Final, and finish in the top four for a sixth straight season, Inter Milan underwent a sizable summer rebuild. André Onana and Marcelo Brozović departed for big-money fees, Edin Džeko and Milan Škriniar left on free transfers, whilst Romelu Lukaku returned from his loan spell.
Martin Zubimendi: The Metronome at the Heart of Real Sociedad’s Midfield

Feb 12, 2024 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

From Xabi Alonso to Xabi Prieto, from Sergio Canales to David Silva, Real Sociedad have been blessed with countless technically gifted, creative central midfielders who can set the tempo of the game, switch the play and pick out teammates with inch-perfect through balls. The latest midfielder to make a name for himself at Anoeta is 25-year-old Martin Zubimendi.
Can Ivan Rakitic Steer Sevilla Out of Its Ongoing Crisis?

Dec 23, 2023 | breakingthelines.com | Ogunniyi Abayomi

Sevilla’s 2023/23 league campaign was a sobering crash down to reality. Europa League-winning coach, Julen Lopetegui moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a poor start to the season, the enigmatic Isco endured public acrimony with Monchi, the club’s legendary former sporting director, and his contract was terminated. The chaos continued to rumble on under Jorge Sampaoli, who returned to the club after his stint at Marseille.