David Artell felt Grimsby were good value for their 2-1 home victory over Bradford with a ruthless edge being the one thing missing from their performance.
Mariners skipper Danny Rose scored his first goal of the season before half-time and Icelandic import Jason Dadi Svanthorsson scored his first goal in English football after the break to give Grimsby a two-goal advantage.
Half-time substitute Olly Sanderson pulled one back for the Bantams in the 78th minute and Graham Alexander’s side pushed for a leveller, but it was too little, too late for the visitors in the end as they fell to their first league defeat of the campaign.
Artell did not have much choice for midfield changes to stem the late Bradford fightback, but full-backs Lewis Cass and Matthew Carson came on and steadied the ship in the middle late on.
The Grimsby boss said: “I thought we were full value for the three points and were dominating the game until we ran out of legs and had to bring on two full-backs to play in midfield, who I thought were brilliant when they came on.
“If I’d have known they would do that well I would’ve brought them on earlier, but that is where we’re at.
“I thought we played some really good stuff and should’ve been out of sight which would be the one small criticism I would give the performance.
“We’re not consistent enough in the things we do just yet but that is part of the journey. We should’ve been more ruthless, which could be the weight of the final pass or making sure you hit the target.
“We’ve come up against one of the best squads in the league and beaten them, and the only bad thing was that it was nervy towards the end because we hadn’t scored more. We’re on the right track and we keep making these small improvements in what is a real tough start that we’re in the middle of.”
Alexander was honest in his assessment of Bradford’s performance, agreeing with Artell’s perspective with regards to which team was more deserving of the victory at Blundell Park.
The Bradford boss added: “I don’t think we deserved to win the game in the end so we have to analyse where we can be better. We defended terribly – they scored a goal where they’ve gone from one penalty area to the other, which they should never do.
“If I’m speaking honestly [we need to be better] all over. We spoke about the basics before the game, and I think the majority of the duels across the pitch were won by them. We get back in the game and score a goal, but we can’t pretend that we deserved three points because we didn’t.”
[(Manchester City F.C.) Strength]: 1. Manchester City F.C. started with a 4-0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the first game of the new season. New signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both made their debuts and scored, while Erling Haaland scored a brace, showcasing his excellent form. Returning to the Etihad Stadium for this round, they face old rivals Tottenham Hotspur F.C....
[(Mallorca) Strength]: 1. Mallorca made a poor start in the new season. They are motivated to bounce back with a win as they continue to play at home this time.[(Mallorca) Weakness]: 1. Manu Morlanes and Vedat Muriqi were sent off by red cards respectively in the last game, thus being suspended.2. Mallorca lost to the defending champions FC Barcelona 0-3 at home in the last league game.3. Mallorca...
[(Bayer 04 Leverkusen) Strength]: 1. Bayer 04 Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga standings last season with a record of 19 wins, 12 draws and 3 losses. The team scored 72 goals and conceded 43 in 34 games. Unfortunately, they failed to defend their league title. As they make their season debut at home in this game, the team are full of determination to perform well.2. Bayer 04 Leverkusen...
[(Arsenal) Strength]: 1. Arsenal secured a 1-0 away victory over Manchester United in their opening Premier League game, getting their season off to a winning start. As last season's Premier League runners-up, the team's goal for the new season is to remain in the title race, so every win is crucial. Hosting this game, they hope to continue their winning momentum and consolidate their position in ...
[(SC Freiburg) Strength]: 1. SC Freiburg are undoubtedly motivated to start the new season with a win in this home game.2. SC Freiburg's head coach Julian Schuster was elected Germany's Coach of the Year 2025. Kicker revealed the voting details, with Julian Schuster receiving 97 votes to claim the top spot, followed by Horst Steffen and Hansi Flick in second and third place respectively.3. During ...
[(Levante) Strength]: 1. Levante full-back Jeremy Toljan scored a goal in the last league game, once helping the team tie the game.2. Levante conceded 4 goals in the last 5 games and kept 3 clean sheets, revealing commendable defense.3. Levante received 13 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss in 21 home games of the Segunda Division last season, with a high win rate of 62%, indicating reliable home strength....
[(Yunnan Yukun) Strength]: 1. Yunnan Yukun have been strong in offense at home, scoring a total of 14 goals in their last 5 home games. Their scoring ability should not be underestimated.2. Yunnan Yukun have achieved 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in their last 10 home games, with a win rate of 70%. The team have been strong at home.3. Yunnan Yukun won all of their last 7 home games in AH.[(Yunnan Yuk...
[(Club Tijuana) Strength]: 1. Club Tijuana are currently ranked 7th in the Liga MX standings with 8 points. Hosting this match against C.D. Guadalajara, who have been in poor form recently, the team have a clear intention to fight. They hope to take advantage of their home ground to continue their winning momentum and further consolidate and improve their league ranking.2. Club Tijuana defeated C....
[(Brentford) Strength]: 1. Brentford's new manager, Keith Andrews, has officially taken over the team from the former manager. This match will be his first Premier League home game in charge, and the new manager is determined to lead the team to a victorious start at home.2. Brentford have shown a stable performance in attack. The team have scored a total of 5 goals in the last 4 matches, and have...
[(Cerezo Osaka) Strength]: 1. Cerezo Osaka recorded 8 wins and 1 loss in the last 9 home games, showing strong home performances. They won 3-1 over Albirex Niigata in the last home game.[(Cerezo Osaka) Weakness]: 1. Cerezo Osaka are 9th in the league table. Facing 2nd-placed Vissel Kobe, they find it hard to win this game, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Cerezo Osaka forward Rafael Ratao will mi...
- 1 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 7 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives
- 8 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty
- 9 Nantes vs PSG Prediction for 18 August 2025 - Football
- 10 Daily Laugh - Sunderland top of the table