Latest articles by Alex Hess
FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.15, Eden Hazard
FFT100 At his best, Chelsea's brilliant Belgian is arguably a top-10 player in the world. But something, somewhere is holding him back
Chelsea showing signs of youth change under Conte – but is this the real thing?
Chelsea It's early days, says Alex Hess, but the Blues certainly seem more willing to give youth a chance under the guidance of Antonio Conte
FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.13, Marco van Basten
FFT 100 Greatest From the school of Total Football came the Total Finisher, a forward whose illustrious career was cruelly cut short
West Ham need something drastic to kickstart a revival – they might not get it in the Premier League
West Ham United After a decade of David Gold and David Sullivan's ownership, West Ham need a shot in the arm - and it's not going to come from another season where they narrowly miss relegation
Southampton feed England's bloated big boys, but how long can they dine fine themselves?
Southampton Southampton have seen their top talent snatched away by the Premier League's big guns far more than most clubs. Alex Hess explores the science behind the Saints' balancing act, and considers whether they can sustain their success
Dembele puts modern twist on traditional midfield all-rounder role
Mousa Dembélé The Tottenham man is both a creator and a ball-winner, a combination that's become less common in today's game. Alex Hess analyses the Belgian's brilliant renaissance...
Clyne and Moreno are helping to end Liverpool's long-standing curse
Liverpool Alex Hess argues that the Reds may have found two long-term solutions to their problem position...
Arsenal will continue to start behind – and Arsene Wenger has lost his disciples for it
Arsenal The Arsenal boss is driven by principle rather than stubbornness but, as Alex Hess explains, it's done him no favours with the Gunners' fanbase
What on earth has happened to Cesc Fabregas?
Cesc Fabregas The Spaniard's form has taken a hit since the second half of last season. Alex Hess wants to know why...
Arsenal’s ‘nice guy’ Brits are more Coldplay than Sex Pistols – but are they destined for mediocrity?
Arsenal The stuttering growth of the Gunners’ rising stars suggests that Arsene Wenger has lost his touch with developing youth, writes Alex Hess…
FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.8, Zinedine Zidane
FFT 100 Greatest Some players are brutally effective, others elegant. Few, if any, have carried both traits as comfortably as the mercurial Frenchman
FourFourTwo's 2017 review: the best, worst and most bizarre events of the year
Lists A comeback for the ages, the best teenager since Messi and a Carroll double - Alex Hess picks out the most memorable moments of the last 12 months
FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.9, Sergio Aguero
FFT100 With 132 goals in 193 Premier League games for Manchester City, the Argentine is arguably English football's deadliest scorer – and 2017 was another profitable year
Timid and indecisive Mignolet is playing for his Liverpool future – contract or otherwise
Simon Mignolet Reports suggest the Belgian is set to sign a new deal at Anfield, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's set to stay for the long-term. Alex Hess evaluates his two-and-a-half years on Merseyside...
Why New York City really doesn't love Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard Alex Hess looks at what's going wrong for the ex-Chelsea goal-getter in the Big Apple - and how his saga affects the image of the MLS...
Has Antonio Conte finally ended Roman Abramovich's quest for sexy football?
Chelsea Maybe – just maybe – Chelsea's oligarch overlord has found what he's been looking for all along, writes Alex Hess
FourFourTwo’s World Cup TV review: the good, the bad and the ugly of BBC and ITV’s coverage
FIFA World Cup Smouldering Cesc, loveless Lawro and insightful Eni have all piqued Alex Hess’s interest from his sofa so far at Russia 2018
FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: No.9, Trent Alexander-Arnold
100 Best Teenagers Amid the bleak wasteland that is Liverpool’s defence, a twinkle of light: an academy-grown right-back who's been a Red since he was six
Arsene Wenger became English football’s moral compass – he’ll be sorely missed when he's gone
Arsene Wenger In a Premier League drunk on money, Wenger’s prudence and principles stood out. There’s nobody around to fill his shoes, argues Alex Hess
Why Liverpool against Real Madrid is European football’s ultimate clash of styles
UEFA Champions League Despite superficial similarities, Real and the Reds couldn’t be more different – both on the pitch and off it. With a Champions League up for grabs, Alex Hess explains why one side will have to give way...
Premier Questions: 6 queries that will define the weekend
Premier League Alex Hess picks out some of the key talking points ahead of another round of top-flight fixtures
What Messi and Ronaldo's World Cup exits say about this tournament – and why they could signal the end of an era
FIFA World Cup Football’s cult of the individual will never go away, but the success of teamwork seen at Russia 2018 might yet spark a new trend, writes Alex Hess
Where did it all go wrong for Jack Wilshere?
Jack Wilshere The 24-year-old Arsenal midfielder’s loan move to Bournemouth caught everyone off guard, but perhaps it’s been a while coming. Alex Hess assesses the situation…
