EPL starts today.

[meyers7]

Maybe so but they aren't wrong here.

Besides, he's a Gooner.

 

[ZooCougar]

Besides, he's a Gooner.

I feel sorry for him then. I don’t think Waquoit was talking about Lewis Hamilton.

 

[meyers7]

I feel sorry for him then.

We do live a sad life. At least we get that 4th place trophy on occasion.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Mourinho's showing-off his 'strenght' to te Man U team by benching Pogba for a game did not work out as well as he hope as Man U fall to Championship side Derby 2-2 (8-7 on Pk's) in the Carabao Cup. That's got to sting.

Derby shock United on PKs, add to Mourinho's misery

 

[meyers7]

Mourinho's showing-off his 'strenght' to te Man U team by benching Pogba for a game did not work out as well as he hope as Man U fall to Championship side Derby 2-2 (8-7 on Pk's) in the Carabao Cup. That's got to sting.

Derby shock United on PKs, add to Mourinho's misery

 

[ZooCougar]

Somehow I think that they lost that 0ne on purpose.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Its just Fulham; but, Arsenal took them to the woodshed today 5 to 1 and the Gunenrs are on a role and seem to be having fun. My concern right now is possibly losing Ramsey over the winter or in the summer on a free transfer. Ownership needs to open the wallet for him.

Now, I need to find a tape of Lyon's match againts PSG, crazy, hard match. Lyon lost 5-0; but, it was a wild one. Lyon lost two players in the 1st half, including one of their best Fekir, to injuries from bad fouls. Both teams played with 10 in the 2nd half after Kimpembe got a straight red and the Lyon's Tousart picked up his second (foolish) yellow right before half. PSG's Mbappé they bagged 4 goals in 13 minuets in the second half.

Buffon, SIlva, Neymar, Draxler (sub), Cavani, Mbappé, etc. How on earth does PSG avoid UEFA Financial Play laws? It brings me great joy every year when all of that Qatari oil money (some reports claim they have spent $1.7 Billion on players since 2011) goes to watse when the bow-out in the Champions league quarter or semi-finals.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't get a chance to say this very often: "Come On You Spurs!"

 

[LIuconn]

LAMELA! Ugh
That miss + new stadium delays. not fun times in spursland right now

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Time to see if the 2018/9 version of Arsenal is for real, Liverpool today...

 

[Waquoit]

Time to see if the 2018/9 version of Arsenal is for real, Liverpool today...

Jury's still out. They were gifted a draw a home.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Jury's still out. They were gifted a draw a home.

I thought it was a well earned draw with Liverpool having more 1st half opportunities and Arsenal with more in the 2nd half. They are not quite on the level of Liverpool and Man City right now; but, they are on the same field and there is energy and hope. That is all I wanted after the last few seasons under Wenger.

 

[Waquoit]

Nah, Liverpool had a goal taken away because the referee didn't know the rule. That's a gift.

 

[SAMCRO]

Interesting season so far. Even tho they’re all close on points, City, Liverpool, and maybe Chelsea all seem to be a step above. Spurs are just Spursy. They’ve looked terrible at times, but somehow are still top 4 and off to their best start.Arsenal looks very good, much better than I thought.. and United is an enjoyable train wreck to watch... and yet only 4 points out of top 4.

I think it’s City, Liverpool 1-2 (could go either way), and then Chelsea, Spurs and that other team in North London battling it out for 3-4 spots.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Interesting season so far. Even tho they’re all close on points, City, Liverpool, and maybe Chelsea all seem to be a step above. Spurs are just Spursy. They’ve looked terrible at times, but somehow are still top 4 and off to their best start.Arsenal looks very good, much better than I thought.. and United is an enjoyable train wreck to watch... and yet only 4 points out of top 4.

I think it’s City, Liverpool 1-2 (could go either way), and then Chelsea, Spurs and that other team in North London battling it out for 3-4 spots.

That 'other' North London team at least has a home in North London. Where's the Spurs' home pitch again?

December will feature a pair of North London Derbies with a Premiership game on the 2nd and then a Carabao Cup match on 18th. Throw in league games at Man U on the 5th and at Liverpool on the 29th and a Europa match against FK Qarabag on the 13th. The month will clarify if Emery's Gunners are legit Top 4 contenders this season. Injuries are my biggest worry right now.

Overall, I agree, I think its 1A) Man City and 1B) Liverpool for the top pair followed by 3) Chelsea and then 4A) Tottenham and 4B) Arsenal for the rest of the top 5. Watching the soap opera known as Man U has been very enjoyable.

 

[businesslawyer]

Interesting season so far. Even tho they’re all close on points, City, Liverpool, and maybe Chelsea all seem to be a step above. Spurs are just Spursy. They’ve looked terrible at times, but somehow are still top 4 and off to their best start.Arsenal looks very good, much better than I thought.. and United is an enjoyable train wreck to watch... and yet only 4 points out of top 4.

I think it’s City, Liverpool 1-2 (could go either way), and then Chelsea, Spurs and that other team in North London battling it out for 3-4 spots.

So here's the thing about Spurs in a nutshell -- do you want the good news or the bad news?

The bad news is they've played themselves to the verge of elimination in the Champions League very quickly, despite games against City and Liverpool that they easily could have drawn at the end, they were totally outplayed at home in both games, and they just don't look nearly as sharp offensively or defensively as the last few years. They are playing like a team that will need a lot of luck just to keep a Top 4 position.

Having said all that, the good news is that despite everything -- not looking good, not having a home field, having played two thirds of their league games on the road, more than their share of injuries and the negativity of a totally failed offseason where they signed literally no one -- they are sitting in the Top 4, only 3 points out of 2d place and 5 points from the lead, with two thirds of the season left. So if they can get into the new stadium, and get healthier, and add a key piece or two in the winter transfer window (most importantly would be another defensive oriented midfielder), there is no reason anyone other than City isn't catchable. (City, while without a meaningful lead, is clearly the best team in the league in my opinion).

So do you want to be pessimistic, and say Spurs isn't that good, or optimistic, and say we're better than we've played but are due breaks and extra home games in the second half of the season if they just stay close until Christmas. I go back and forth. After the break, back to back games home to Chelsea and at Aresenal will tell us a lot more.

 

[Waquoit]

Spurs still have plenty of good players if lacking in depth. As a fan, do you want Spurs to play Europa or no? As a neutral I like the fact that St. Totteringham's Day is back in play.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Big Derby weekend coming-up.

Oh, and sad (I'm wiping a single tear away) about this news.

Sanchez could out for a 'long time' - Mourinho

 

[Waquoit]

I'm watching Spurs-Gunners and I honestly don't know who to root for. This never happens, I can always find a reason to pick a side.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Now, that was one heck of a North London Derby.

Passion, drama, a few brawls, a lot of goals, even more Yellow Cards, managers trying to play chess with each other (looked like 5 formations combined were used by the two teams), come controversy, and an electric Emirates Stadium that savored the win well after the finals whistle blew. The win puts Arsenal into 4th place ahead of Tottenham on goal differential.

• I was surprised that the Gunners game-up hot. Tottenham gave the Gunners too much space ont he wings. But, Tottenham fought back. Wegner's Arsenal teams would have collapsed after the 2nd Turkey goal as both were as a result of questionable officiating on dives by Son.
• Leno should have stopped Dier's header on Tottenham's first goal; but, he does a much better job in distribution than Cech. Dier, of course, paid things back when the edge of his sock gave Lacazette's adventurous shot just enough of a push to kiss the inside of the post
• Aubameyang continues to prove that if given good service, more time than not he will score. That's his job and as seen with his second goal, he can do with relish.
• Glad to see Torreira get his first EPL goal, at 22, he is quickly becoming a fan favorite and team favorite as the center of Arsenal's engine.
• Vertonghen had a bad night foolishly threw his hand-up on a set piece gifting a PK for Arsenal and then seemed to forget that he was already carrying a Yellow when he slid in late, cleats-up on Lacazette, he earned a well-deserved early shower.
• Props to Kane, cool on the PK and understanding the tension at that time due to questionable call from the Ref, walked away with minimal celebration to avoid another scrum. He was also one of the players in the scrum separating everyone.
• On the other hand, Son's diving antics need to be penalized, not rewarded. He's not Neymar.
• Ozil missed the game to 'back spasams.' He was not missed. No one, including Emery, could give a straight answer on said injury, where Ozil was (even injured, you figure a good teammate would be on the sideline rooting for his club in a North London Derby match), or when he would be back in the line-up. I hope the Gunner off-load Ozil (rumors indicate Inter Milan) and use that money to keep Ramsey or, should that not be attainable (rumor sis that Real Madrid want Ramsey), Ramsey's replacement, who rumors state could be Lyon's Houssem Aouar (Lyon has a heck of a pipeline considering the players they have sold lately and still remain competitive in Champion's play) or Roma's Cengiz Ünder.

I am hopeful that Arsenal can carry this energy into their mid-week match against Man U on Wednesday. Not long after, Arsenal gates another shot at the Turkeys on the 19th for the Carabao Cup semi at Emeriates. I wonder if both teams will bring in their A-team for this or look to rest some key players.

 

[meyers7]

Now, that was one heck of a North London Derby.

Passion, drama, a few brawls, a lot of goals, even more Yellow Cards, managers trying to play chess with each other (looked like 5 formations combined were used by the two teams), come controversy, and an electric Emirates Stadium that savored the win well after the finals whistle blew. The win puts Arsenal into 4th place ahead of Tottenham on goal differential.

• I was surprised that the Gunners game-up hot. Tottenham gave the Gunners too much space ont he wings. But, Tottenham fought back. Wegner's Arsenal teams would have collapsed after the 2nd Turkey goal as both were as a result of questionable officiating on dives by Son.
• Leno should have stopped Dier's header on Tottenham's first goal; but, he does a much better job in distribution than Cech. Dier, of course, paid things back when the edge of his sock gave Lacazette's adventurous shot just enough of a push to kiss the inside of the post
• Aubameyang continues to prove that if given good service, more time than not he will score. That's his job and as seen with his second goal, he can do with relish.
• Glad to see Torreira get his first EPL goal, at 22, he is quickly becoming a fan favorite and team favorite as the center of Arsenal's engine.
• Vertonghen had a bad night foolishly threw his hand-up on a set piece gifting a PK for Arsenal and then seemed to forget that he was already carrying a Yellow when he slid in late, cleats-up on Lacazette, he earned a well-deserved early shower.
• Props to Kane, cool on the PK and understanding the tension at that time due to questionable call from the Ref, walked away with minimal celebration to avoid another scrum. He was also one of the players in the scrum separating everyone.
• On the other hand, Son's diving antics need to be penalized, not rewarded. He's not Neymar.
• Ozil missed the game to 'back spasams.' He was not missed. No one, including Emery, could give a straight answer on said injury, where Ozil was (even injured, you figure a good teammate would be on the sideline rooting for his club in a North London Derby match), or when he would be back in the line-up. I hope the Gunner off-load Ozil (rumors indicate Inter Milan) and use that money to keep Ramsey or, should that not be attainable (rumor sis that Real Madrid want Ramsey), Ramsey's replacement, who rumors state could be Lyon's Houssem Aouar (Lyon has a heck of a pipeline considering the players they have sold lately and still remain competitive in Champion's play) or Roma's Cengiz Ünder.

I am hopeful that Arsenal can carry this energy into their mid-week match against Man U on Wednesday. Not long after, Arsenal gates another shot at the Turkeys on the 19th for the Carabao Cup semi at Emeriates. I wonder if both teams will bring in their A-team for this or look to rest some key players.

That was a lot of fun.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

That was a lot of fun.

Of course, in England, sometimes there's too much fun.

FA charges Arsenal, Spurs for unruly players

Its a bloody Derby for goodness sake and this is noting compared to the hooliganism from the '80's

I am actually more worried that the Gunenrs are going to let Rmsey walk away. It would be shame as he fits well with what Emery is trying to create. I would prefer to see Arsenal off-load Ozil as he's too much of a prima donna for my tastes and use his money to secure Rasmey for the long-term.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

It's not the EPL and I despise PSG; but, what is going on in Paris right now is beyond soccer and just insane. I know a lot of folks in France, any everyone is horrified how a seemingly simple protest against fuel taxes has escalated into a week-long riot.

Security fears sees PSG-Montpellier postponed

 

[meyers7]

Of course, in England, sometimes there's too much fun.

FA charges Arsenal, Spurs for unruly players

Its a bloody Derby for goodness sake and this is noting compared to the hooliganism from the '80's

I am actually more worried that the Gunenrs are going to let Rmsey walk away. It would be shame as he fits well with what Emery is trying to create. I would prefer to see Arsenal off-load Ozil as he's too much of a prima donna for my tastes and use his money to secure Rasmey for the long-term.

Supposedly they had Ramsey secured. But I guess his people went shopping around after they got what they wanted from Arsenal to see if they could do better. I love Ramsey, one of my favorite players, but I'm kinda glad Arsenal is playing "hard ball", instead of all those years of being nice (Diaby, Walcott, etc.).

Do I want to lose Ramsey and Ozil? No, but they obviously cannot play together in Emery's system. If they both go, at least it will give us plenty of money to get someone in here who really wants to be at Arsenal.

Give props to Ramsey though, he seems to be giving 100% while he's here and fighting for Arsenal even though he may be leaving soon. Real professional there.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Well, the Gunners did get a point at Traffford; but, they should have gotten all 3 as they blew a pair of leads (Herrera was clearly offside on United's first goal). The defense still is a work in progress.

The game was also very physical and I was glad that the Gunners did not back down like a Wenger team would have. I am worried about the rash of injuries that the team endured though with Ramsey's bum ankle and potential knee ligament damage to Holding. Arsenal may need to open-up the wallet over the winter to bring in some capable defensive help.

On the same note, there were 6 Yellow Cards issues; but, I though the Ref was lax on Man U. Marcos Rojo as lucky not to have been sent off on two occasions in the match. Only a foul was called on his late, cleats-up tackle on Rasmey got a yellow for a late, cleat-up tackle on Ramsey just 10 minutes in that the announcers said could have easily been a straight Red. After finally picking-up a Yellow for a hard foul on Guendouzi , he then runs over Lacazette from behind in the box on an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Even though the ball did end-up in the back of the net, that should have been his another Yellow or even a straight Red instead of no call at all. Fellaini, who used to sport a well known mop of hair, should have been at least shown Yellow for pulling Geundouzi by his hair. Its not a football play, i.e. going for the ball, Geundouzi was past him and there is a likelihood of injury for doing such. I hope the FA goes after him post-match.

Again, grateful for the point in Manchester, which is historically not an easy task, competing for a Top 5 finish after last seaon's nightmare, and that Man U is 8th, 8 points behind Arsenal and 18 from the leader Man City.