English Premier League

[isalicat]

Arsenal are back on top of the league so normal service has been resumed. And this also happened:

"Aston Villa and Arsenal staff came to blows in the stands at Villa Park after Emiliano Martínez’s dramatic own goal secured three precious points for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Witnesses in the press box reported a war of words, which Telegraph Sport understands to have briefly turned physical, between analysts of Villa and Arsenal." (This from Telegraph Sport)

So no players involved, just handbags amongst the *video analysts* because the Villa people thought the Arsenal crew were celebrating their goals too vociferously! 😸

[isalicat]

And...Arsenal are 5 points clear at the top of the league...😸

come on you Gunners!

[DoctorAtomic]

Why is Potter still at Chelsea? They scored like 1 goal this year. 

[proserpina65]

"Some of the poor decisions resulted in PGMOL chief Howard Webb officially apologising to the likes of Arsenal as criticism continues to be aimed at match officials each weekend."

Fat lot of good that does.  Give us the other two points we deserved, damn it.

21 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Why is Potter still at Chelsea? They scored like 1 goal this year. 

According to reports, he has 2 games to save his job.  I kind of miss the Abramovich manager merry-go-round of yore.

[DoctorAtomic]

Two games? They've been in 10th place all year. 

[proserpina65]

On 2/27/2023 at 1:08 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

Two games? They've been in 10th place all year. 

When does hiring/firing managers ever make sense?  Roman would've fire him months ago.  And probably hired back Mourinho.

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't think top 5 is in the cards now at this point. 

[proserpina65]

23 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't think top 5 is in the cards now at this point. 

For Chelsea?  I think you're right.

[isalicat]

Today was the day to be a gooner!!! Please do enjoy this Twitter thread (just keep scrolling down for more fun...):

 

[AimingforYoko]

It's not Troy Deeney for Watford or Sergio Agüero for Man City, but it's in that next level of last-minute winners.

[Wee S]

Absolutely disgusted with that capitulation today. To make it worse, I was at the pub with my Liverpool supporting cousin. To make it even worser, at the end of the match the pub put on YNWA on the speakers and turned it up loud. Never wanted to die and have the ground swallow me whole, more.

The minute *one* united player comes out with 'on to the next one, we go again', I will end them...

[DoctorAtomic]

I was out shoveling, and I was shocked when I came back in to check the score. How did that happen?

[proserpina65]

On 3/4/2023 at 5:19 PM, isalicat said:

Today was the day to be a gooner!!! Please do enjoy this Twitter thread (just keep scrolling down for more fun...):

 

I'll confess to screaming in a way I've never heard before.  My neighbors probably thought someone was being murdered.

[Wee S]

Football coverage in the UK has become insane this week, with football presenters and commentators boycotting highlights show Match of the Day, in solidarity with Gary Lineker being told to "step aside" for upsetting the right-wing govt. Kudos to Lineker for standing his ground against this shower of t*ats, but imagine that one of England's best known and loved footballers (never recieved a yellow or red card in his career) is the guy that brings down the BBC board or nay, govt policy.

(Im so glad I left England in 2020!)

[isalicat]

9 hours ago, Wee S said:

Football coverage in the UK has become insane this week, with football presenters and commentators boycotting highlights show Match of the Day, in solidarity with Gary Lineker being told to "step aside" for upsetting the right-wing govt. Kudos to Lineker for standing his ground against this shower of t*ats, but imagine that one of England's best known and loved footballers (never recieved a yellow or red card in his career) is the guy that brings down the BBC board or nay, govt policy.

(Im so glad I left England in 2020!)

Welluh...apparently Match of the Day had an extra half million viewers last night without all the commentators so maybe the general public like watching match highlights without all the jawing?

And in other news, Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0. Go you Gunners!

[Wee S]

14 hours ago, isalicat said:

Welluh...apparently Match of the Day had an extra half million viewers last night without all the commentators so maybe the general public like watching match highlights without all the jawing?

Nah, just curtain-twitching Brits at it wanting to see the damage. No sustainable in the long-run and they know it because Lineker is back!

[DoctorAtomic]

I have no idea what this issue is about. I get EPL on NBC Sports. 

[wanderingstar]

I wasn't really following the Lineker story until this weekend, so I didn't realize that other BBC on-air talent had boycotted in solidarity with him. I'm assuming the BBC director general didn't expect that. They created an unnecessary mess for themselves.

[AimingforYoko]

Spurs fire Conte.

Not a shock, but at some point you're going to want try a different approach. Changing managers every season doesn't seem to be getting it done.

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Spurs fire Conte.

Not a shock, but at some point you're going to want try a different approach. Changing managers every season doesn't seem to be getting it done.

At least he lasted longer than Liz Truss.

[AimingforYoko]

Sunday, Bloody Sunday:

Graham Potter sacked at Chelsea.

Brendan Rodgers out at Leicester.

What the hell is Chelsea doing?

[DoctorAtomic]

Potter should have gone by the end of 2022. You can't keep mixing and matching the back 3 and 4 and expect any consistency. He can't settle on a #9 either. 

[proserpina65]

I'm still not allowing myself to contemplate Arsenal winning the title, but damned if I'm not starting to think we're going to get a St. Totteringham's day this year.

[isalicat]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:29 AM, proserpina65 said:

I'm still not allowing myself to contemplate Arsenal winning the title, but damned if I'm not starting to think we're going to get a St. Totteringham's day this year.

We have got one of those most every year...I want a title, dammit! 😺 ⚽

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, isalicat said:

We have got one of those most every year...I want a title, dammit! 😺 ⚽

We actually haven't had a St. Totteringham's Day since 2016.  😪  I mean, yeah, I want a title, but I'm trying not to hope because those hopes have been so often crushed.

[isalicat]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

We actually haven't had a St. Totteringham's Day since 2016.  😪  I mean, yeah, I want a title, but I'm trying not to hope because those hopes have been so often crushed.

Has it really been that long??? Wow...anyways keep the faith and go you Gunners!

[proserpina65]

Ouch, that Liverpool match hurt!

[isalicat]

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Ouch, that Liverpool match hurt!

Not too bad - we (Arsenal) got a point out of it, and Liverpool historically play so much better at Anfield (I think they did in ManU 7-0 there this season). The Gunners are most definitely still in the hunt for the League Cup. Keep the faith!

[proserpina65]

16 hours ago, isalicat said:

Not too bad - we (Arsenal) got a point out of it, and Liverpool historically play so much better at Anfield (I think they did in ManU 7-0 there this season). The Gunners are most definitely still in the hunt for the League Cup. Keep the faith!

It was better than losing, but it means Arsenal no longer has an extra 3 points to spare when they play City at the Etihad.  If both teams will all their other games, Arsenal will need a draw against City to win the title since City still has a sizeable goal difference in the event of a tie at the end of the season.  I really wish they'd won at Anfield - it would've helped my late season anxiety.

[proserpina65]

Well, fuck. Fuck fuck fucking fuck. 

[AimingforYoko]

To paraphrase former Minnesota Twins 3b Gary Gaetti, it's hard to grasp that trophy with both hands around your neck.

[isalicat]

Arsenal are still very much in the running for the title, so come on you Gunners! A couple of days late, but Happy St. Totteringham Day! 😸

[proserpina65]

16 hours ago, isalicat said:

Arsenal are still very much in the running for the title, so come on you Gunners! A couple of days late, but Happy St. Totteringham Day! 😸

They have to win all their remaining matches and draw with City at the Etihad or hope that another team helps them out by beating City.  It's giving me hives.  I'm not giving up, but I've watched Arsenal snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so many times before that I can't relax when it's really only a point difference.

But yes, at least there's St. Totteringham's Day.

[AimingforYoko]

Well, Arsenal pulled that point out of their ass, but they're in trouble.

[isalicat]

8 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Well, Arsenal pulled that point out of their ass, but they're in trouble.

Less in control of their destiny than they were, but everything hinges on the Man City game - nothing more, nothing less really. Go you Gunners!

[proserpina65]

On 4/22/2023 at 1:43 AM, isalicat said:

Less in control of their destiny than they were, but everything hinges on the Man City game - nothing more, nothing less really. Go you Gunners!

Worse than it was before 3 straight draws.  Before Arsenal had enough of a cushion that they could afford to lose to City,  then they only had to draw.   But now they really need to win at the Etihad AND all the other games for the rest of the season or pray that someone else beats City at least once. They were the masters of their own fate but now they aren't so much.

I'm trying to stay hopeful but I'm also realistic. They've screwed up over the last 3 games. 

[AimingforYoko]

I'm not sayin' it's over....but it's over.

[Wee S]

And how they laughed at Gary Neville when he said Arsenal would bottle it....

On another note- why does Frank Lampard keep getting so mamy chances at management?? Chelsea would've been better off with Solskjaer as a stop-gap.

[AimingforYoko]

1 minute ago, Wee S said:

Chelsea would've been better off with Solskjaer as a stop-gap.

Chelsea would've been better off with Ted Lasso.

[DoctorAtomic]

I think he was only meant to be interim on this go around. 

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I think he was only meant to be interim on this go around. 

That's true, but he still has to manage these last few games. Horribly.

[DoctorAtomic]

I think the team just gave up months ago. 

[Salacious Kitty]

45 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I think the team just gave up months ago. 

The entire EPL season was a washout. To their credit, they did pretty well in the UEFA Championship, but it was a mercy killing by Real Madrid in the end. 

[proserpina65]

20 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I'm not sayin' it's over....but it's over.

Hey now, two other teams could miraculously beat City before the end of the season!  Who are they playing?  Let's see: Fulham, West Ham, Leeds, Everton, Chelsea and Brentford.  Sure, two of those teams will beat City. 😵 😭

I had no expectations of yesterday's match, although I did think Arsenal would play a bit better than that.  But it wasn't the City match where they fucked it all up.  It was the three draws which preceded it.

But at least we got St. Totteringham's Day on Friday and we're back in the Champion's League next season.  Plus, this season's finish will definitely be better than the two consecutive 8th place finishes in 2020 & 2021.

And we're not Chelsea.  Thank goodness we're not Chelsea.

Edited April 27, 2023 by proserpina65
Because it could be worse. We could be Chelsea.

[DoctorAtomic]

It would be funny if Chelsea takes out to them and knocks them out. 

[AimingforYoko]

Keep your head up, Chelsea. You're only seven goals short...of Erling Haaland.

ETA: Eight, now.

Edited May 3, 2023 by AimingforYoko

[AimingforYoko]

Where the hell did Everton pull that performance from?!?

[Fukui San]

Sigh. Leeds, aka USMNT, jr. are going to get relegated, aren't they?

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Where the hell did Everton pull that performance from?!?

I really hope THAT Everton shows up against City on Sunday.

[proserpina65]

On 5/8/2023 at 4:39 PM, Fukui San said:

Sigh. Leeds, aka USMNT, jr. are going to get relegated, aren't they?

They're 3 points from safety with 3 matches to play, so there's still a slim chance, but yeah, probably.