Morning all.
With Arsenal not playing until tomorrow lunchtime, I’m sure we’ll all be keeping an eye on the clubs who are playing today.
Chelsea take on Sunderland.
Newcastle play Fulham.
Manchester United face Brighton. 5.30pm
Brentford are up against Liverpool. 8pm
Chelsea should, on paper at least, coast to victory, but the other three fixtures could go either way. I actually fancy Brentford and Brighton to win. Because of the midweek European fixtures, there’s a busy fixture list tomorrow with the standouts being our match against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa against Man City and Everton v Totts.
Whilst the media etc keep blabbing on about how Arsenal ‘have to win a trophy this season” there are other clubs in the league who will have a say in what happens over the next seven months. To think or even expect Mikel Arteta’s team to race to a title winning finish or a Championship League trophy is simply ludicrous in my opinion. There is a reason the Premier League has a reputation for being the toughest league in the game because it is.
We go to Burnley and Sunderland in November, Everton in the middle of December, Nottingham in the middle of January, Leeds at the end of January. Thankfully, we’ve already been to Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool.
At the beginning of the season, Liverpool were probably favourites to win a League title for a second time in two years but as we’ve seen, they have been struggling. Reliable players have suddenly become not so reliable and they are seeing players suffer injury. They didn’t have that kind of bad luck last season, unlike so many other clubs in this league. I’m not for one minute suggesting they are out of the title race because that would be foolish in October but it just goes to show that at anytime within a ten month season, things can change.
I don’t think there is a so called favourite to win the league this time around. Yes, there are a number of clubs looking like candidates right now but again, it’s October, far too early to even be thinking about May. Ourselves, City, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Liverpool and even Sunderland and Totts are in and around the top four, but as said, things can change from one week to another.
That’s because this league is so strong, it’s full of clubs who on their day can beat any opposition. I think that’s how Mikel Arteta approaches games too, it’s certainly how he comes across in his pre match press conferences. He’s respectful of the opposition, what they’ve done so far and what threat they pose. No game is a turn up and win, mind you, it never should be but in the past perhaps Arsenal have been guilty of thinking that. Not on Arteta’s watch though, that’s not in his DNA in my opinion.
Tomorrow’s game will be really tough but more on that, well, tomorrow.
Catch up in the comments.
Good afternoon Rico, the one to watch, for me today, is England Women vs Brazil Women live on ITV later on. I’ll likely do some channel hopping to keep an eye on the Prem games.
Sheffield Wednesday have gone into administration and been deducted 12 points. They are now bottom of The Championship on minus six points. Sad to see such an old and respected club in serious financial distress.
Not much to say apart from that as the pressure is mounted on to us , Arteta has to make sure that we don’t crack. I do believe that this is the strongest group that we have had for a long time and it’s about mentality as much as pure skill.
In the way that they play , you can see the strength of players mentally and you notice the ones that seem to be able to overcome set backs .
We have a fair few of them now which we did not have in the past few seasons and the young ones have matured in the atmosphere exuded by their elders .
Like most of us it’s too early to predict the outcome but I do believe that we are in a better place to win something than we have been for a long time.
Afternoon Cicero, Potter, all.
Hoping to watch the England game too.
That is sad re SU, shame the FA cannot deal with City as sharply
Totally agree re the squad, I can’t recall when we had such a strong and deep one. We’ve always had decent squads but more often than not, missing players in key areas. This time it’s very different.
Luton Town are at Northampton Town today, so I’ll give that a watch unless it goes tits up. Jack needs to give the penalty job to someone else and probably go down the youth avenue as the senior players don’t look up to it.
Wonder if the senior players don’t like a young coach..
Could be Rico, maybe they’re too long in the tooth to change.
Yep Kev, we had a few when Arteta took over.
Cohen Bramall starts for Luton, Shea on the bench but no Walters!
That’s a name from the past, Bramall I mean.
I see Slot is attributing opponents long ball tactics to his sides struggles..
Watching a bit of Coventry City vs Watford and the Sky Blues remind me of Arsenal pre-Gyokeres, that is no crosses and horseshoe football.
Mind you they’re winning 3-1
Wednesday not United Rico.
So is Slot suggesting that opponents should play a style that suits Liverpool?
I’m sure I heard that Slot and Salah have fallen out….
Aubameyang mark2 perhaps?
Oops Cicero.. lol
Trying to justify the hiccup no doubt but it’s no more than every other has faced over the years.
Good if true re Salah.
Good afternoon all!
Luton miss open goal, the guy who missed the penalty last week.🙄
HT 0-0, if Luton score they win as Northampton are polish, but goals are going to be hard to come by for Jack…
Luton hit the bar and the rebound is headed over the bar by the geezer who looks destined to never score a goal. Wells…
Luton score 🥳
A hairy finish, Luton cleared off of the line but could have got two goals on breakaway. If Luton had someone who could score they’d be in the promotion pack.
Chelsea 1 Sunderland 2
A win for Jack, good.
Hmm this painful to watch, hang on Brazil defender sent off. 0 – 2 and we have a free kick Just outside the box…off the bar and over.
Plenty of time to turn things around against ten..
Hope so Rico but even with ten players Brazil are by far the more dangerous side.
Beth Mead wins a penalty Stanway scores it, 1 – 2
There’s one Cicero.
Blimey, I think I’ve seen one of the worst penalty decisions awarded and it was against Liverpool.
3-2 Brentford. Excellent.
Brentford beat Liverpool 3 – 2. 🔔🔔🔔
Well in general it’s been a decent day for Arsenal, now we need to do a job on Palace and if City drop points???
Good morning Rico and everyone not sitting on a cushion.
Good read Rico.
How was your Spursyween night?? Did you remember to turn the clock back? Spurs fans DO look forward to this night. They can turn the clock back to 1961 and drift off in nostalgic memories.
There is the deluded opinion that Slot won last year’s title. Wrong. It was Klopp who won it. Slot just did what every person, man or woman, in his senses would have done. He stuck to Klopp’s formula in the same way that AW was told to stick with Graham’s defence and tweak midfield and attack. Now that Slot has decided to impose his own philosophy and his own team he is being shown for who he is……a fraud at the top level. He is complaining about long ball tactics?? yawwwnnnnn. We could complain about low block, opposition getting into our faces, opposition hurting us physically and wrecking our players. We have learned to live with that and find a way around it. That is why we keep on passing, passing, passing to the point of playing it safe boringly because we have learned that to hold the ball for more than two touches the chances of getting injured increase.
Fingers crossed that Villa get a result against City and we win. And bdw I am happy to see Xhaka and co in second place. Happy especially for him. I never wanted him to leave. Still one of my favourites. Not as much as Manu’ Petit seeing that my son is named after him, but still up there imo. Imagine telling the missus that I wanted to name our son Granit. She would have whacked me with a saucepan for sure to make me come to my senses. lol