Another week of brilliant football is behind us, and as is customary, the gang behind EA Sports FC 25 have picked out their favorite performances for the team of the week. While it’s always fun to plug one of these players into your Ultimate Team squad, it’s a nice perk to know about the actual great play that earned them the honor in the first place. These five stars turned in award-worthy showings, as did our sixth entry who can feel a bit unlucky to not have their own special edition hitting the EA servers this week.
Alba Redondo Braces For Victory
Sevilla can’t say that Redondo didn’t warn them. After her first shot from a dangerous position drifted just left of target, Redondo saw her second early opportunity on target but saved. Unfortunately for Sevilla, nobody else saw where that save would leave it more quickly than she did, allowing Redondo to tuck home her own rebound. By the time she had secured her brace in the second half, Real Madrid were clean and free and on their way to a comfortable three points.
With the league likely a lost cause — this sounds extreme to say of a five-point deficit with nine to play until you realize the three points leaders Barca have dropped in 21 matches this year has meant an increase in their average points dropped per season over the last six years — Madrid will be looking to next week’s Champions League quarterfinals as their best chance at a special season, with anything possible in cup play. If they’re to make a run and knock off the more accomplished sides remaining in the field, some more strong play from Redondo would go a long way towards making it possible.
Captain America Saves Milan Again
While Christian Pulisic’s time at Chelsea was less disastrous than some fans would have you believe, it’s fair to say his time in Italy has been far better. While Pulisic dazzled at times in England while struggling with injury, for the red-and-black side of Milan he has been a delightful breath of fresh air since the day he arrived.
Pulisic nearly got things going early for Milan, springing Theo Hernandez behind the Lecce defense to square for an early goal only for it to come back for offside. With Milan behind soon after and the deficit ballooning to 2-0 in the second half, it looked like another dark day in a dour season for Milan until Pulisic took over. With Milan clawing one back through an own goal, the American completed the comeback by winning and converting a penalty in the 73rd minute. Eight minutes later the reversal was complete with a Pulisic run to the back post picked out by Rafael Leão to give Milan a much-needed win during a run which saw them drop three straight in the league while also exiting Europe to a Feyenoord side that then itself bowed out meekly to Milan rivals Inter.
Callum Hudson-Odoi Continues Humbling City
The turnaround at Nottingham Forest this season has been one of the more entertaining stories in world football for neutrals, with a side that faced relegation risk last season suddenly flying and in third place in the table. While it’s been fun to watch, there has also been an approach to the surprising position among pundits and neutrals that eventually the long slog of the season will catch up with them and regression to the mean will see them fall into one of the lesser European competitions, or out of European places altogether.
With only one win and one draw in five games coming into their match with fourth place Manchester City, it would have been easy to imagine how this could have gone bad for Forest. Instead, it was City who finished the weekend outside of the top four thanks to Hudson-Odoi’s late winner. The win puts Forest four points clear of City and Newcastle in fifth and sixth at a time the four nearest chasers have all lost half of their last six, leaving Forest fans to keep dreaming as the season enters its final 10 matches.
Declan Rice Does It All
Arsenal’s title chase is well and truly dead in the water, though it’s only pundits and commentators with minutes to fill who seem to feel the need to declare this every week anew as if Liverpool’s crown wasn’t clear as day for at least the last three match weeks. Instead, their season is now about fortifying a place in the top four, ideally securing a third straight runner-up finish, and trying their hand at the Champions League, where they’ll take on the men’s side of the previously mentioned Real Madrid in a situation not dissimilar to the Madrid women.
With a squad decimated by injuries across the frontline, nobody has done more to keep those two goals possible than Rice. After falling behind to a Bruno free kick at the end of a first half, Arsenal dominated at Old Trafford — many fans will likely have preferred to see Rice over the ball when Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard spurned a similar opportunity in the second half.
Fortunately for Gooners, Rice got a crack of his own from the edge of the box in open play and showed once again that he is the best striker of the ball Arsenal have in Bukayo Saka’s absence. It’s not just his offense that proved crucial, however, as it was a brilliant tackle in the box with Rasmus Højlund free on goal late on that made the difference between a tie game and, if we’re being honest, a tie game where Højlund added another embarrassing missed opportunity to his ledger.
Mathew Ryan Abets A Robbery
A promising season for Will Still’s Lens side hit the skids in February with four straight losses seeing them fall from the fringe of the Champions League places into a team needing points desperately to maintain even a hope of a spot in the Conference League next season. With league #2 Marseille hosting them, it looked like a fifth straight loss was in the offing.
Unfortunately for Marseille, Lens had Ryan in goal and he proved to be simply unbeatable on the day. Despite the home side creating plenty of dangerous chances, Ryan had the answer for every question Marseille managed to pose. While Lens struggled to produce much on the offensive end, when you’ve got a keeper on a blinder you’re always just one good moment away from victory.
With Ryan keeping the door well and truly shut for the duration, a Lens counter in the 94th minute was all the visitors needed to steal the win and lock-up a crucial three points that have resurrected their European dreams as the league enters its last 10 match weeks.
Who Was Overlooked? – Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Long established as one of the best footballers on the planet, when not established as the best footballer on the planet, Alexia Putellas was not on the teamsheet when this week’s EA FC 25 Team of the Week dropped, despite turning in a characteristically stellar performance in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Valencia. I guess she will just have to take solace by staring at her multiple Ballon d’Ors sitting on the shelf.
Rarely are top vs. bottom clashes overly bothersome for the top sides, particularly in a league where, as noted, Barcelona have hung up a perfect season more recently than they lost twice in one. Still, there was a surprising early lead for Valencia on their visit to Barcelona. Unfortunately, that’s where the surprises ended. Putellas started an attack with a ball in behind and, following a scramble from the resulting cross, powered home the leveler.
She completed the turnaround with an assist on Barca’s second, before nearly extending the lead soon after. It’s hard to say Barca have needed her in the lineup in the time she’s been out with injury since their lone shock loss at the start of February, but with the business end of the season coming fast Barcelona can now add another elite world beater back into the fold in the form of their returning captain.
Things are getting serious on the real pitches and that means exciting but tense action to pick out virtual stars from. Who was your favorite player this week and who do you feel should have had a look in?
Published: Mar 17, 2025 1:12 PM UTC