Graham Ruthven

Graham Ruthven is a freelance football writer based in Glasgow, Scotland. He has written for the New York Times, Guardian, ESPN, Eurosport, Grantland, The Scotsman, Bleacher Report, Four Four Two, Vice, Al Arabiya, Sports on Earth and Scottish TV among many other publications and outlets.

Stories By Graham Ruthven

• Sport

  Igor Thiago is the reason Brentford aren’t missing Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa

  Only one player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Igor Thiago and that one player is Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker is unparalleled in his natural ability to find the back of the net, but Igor Thiago is currently closer to that standard than anyone else at the top of English football.

• Sport

  Phil Foden is showing signs of being back to his best

  For only the fourth time this season, Erling Haaland failed to score in a Premier League match on Saturday. The Norwegian was uncharacteristically subdued as Leeds United visited the Etihad Stadium, registering just one shot on target.

• Sport

  Arsenal vs Bayern could be a clash of Europe’s two best teams

  Nobody is truly sure how much the League Phase table at this stage of the Champions League reveals, but Arsenal and Bayern Munich are certainly leading the way. Four games into the campaign, both teams have a perfect record in the competition, making Wednesday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium the season’s most anticipated European fixture to date.

• Sport

  Palmer’s injury has forced Chelsea to win matches in different ways

  We’ve all been there. We’ve all stubbed a toe at home. The difference, however, is that when Cole Palmer did it last week it ruled him out of Chelsea’s away win over Burnley on Saturday. This was just as the attacking midfielder was preparing to return to action from a groin injury.

• Uncategorized

  Tottenham must use Sunday’s Derby as a catalyst for improvement

  Had it not been for Matthijs De Ligt’s late header at the back post, Tottenham Hotspur would have entered the November international break on the back of a morale-boosting win over Manchester United.

• Sport

  Scotland face do-or-die match against Denmark

  For most of Scotland’s defeat to Greece on Saturday, the finale to World Cup qualifying The Tartan Army had been promised looked to have slipped through their fingers. Steve Clarke and his players travelled to Athens believing they would need at least a point to make Tuesday’s home match against Denmark a do-or-die occasion.

• Sport

  Tuchel must find consistency to earn a contract extension

  Many England managers have struggled to handle all that the job entails, but Thomas Tuchel seems not to be one of them. While the German’s results as Three Lions boss have been mixed, Tuchel’s recent remarks suggest he is enjoying the task of moulding the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

• Sport

  It’s now or never for Scotland’s current core

  Scotland has waited the best part of three decades for this moment. 1998 was the last time The Tartan Army travelled to a World Cup and international football looked very different back then. Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane dominated the tournament with the likes of Craig Burley, John Collins and Kevin Gallacher all in Craig Brown’s Scotland squad.

• Sport

  Mohamed Salah is fading, but Liverpool must cherish their greatest player of the modern era

  Mohamed Salah’s goal in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday might have been a gift, but it was nonetheless a reward for a player who looked like his old self. After a sluggish start to the season, the Egyptian was once again a difference-maker for the Premier League champions on the right wing.

• Sport

  Kylian Mbappe can’t stop scoring and could brutally expose Liverpool’s defensive weakness

  In another world, Kylian Mbappe might have joined Liverpool instead of Real Madrid. While the true interest from the Anfield club never matched the level of online chatter, Liverpool reportedly weighed up an offer for Mbappe when he was looking to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

• Sport

  Haaland’s goals won’t be enough for City to challenge for the title

  For the first time in 12 games, Erling Haaland failed to find the back of the net and it showed for Manchester City. Without the Norwegian’s usual potency, Pep Guardiola’s team fell to a 1-0 loss away to Aston Villa.