Weekend Football

[Sanguine]

And whilst City are probably out of it, it does speak somewhat of the different conditions that Pep operates in, vs. those of Klopp, Arteta, Slot etc, that facing a squad crisis, City are set to sign Marmoush, as well as two centre-backs, Reis and Khusanov, for more than £150m combined.

Liverpool clear at the top, and facing playing Endo or Gravenberch at centre-back if they have an injury crisis, whereas City increasing their stocks once more.

[Winston Biscuit]

Guardio's net spend at city was already over £1B before this. quite mental.

not sure if true, but I read somewhere that with these signings Guardiola will have spent more than half a billion on defenders in 9 years at City

[6ft Kerplunk]

Agreed. I think Liverpool will win, but they are only a couple of losses of potentially seeing the chasing pack right behind them

Its seems that after half a season teams have started to work out how to negate Slot's tactics a bit better. Was always going to happen at some point so I think it'll be closer than people think. That's not to say that Liverpool in top form can't blow pretty much every team away but a slight dip in their key players could be all it takes to tighten up the title race.

[Sanguine]

Liverpool have a very skewed fixture list - and are in the middle of a 'tricky' part of it, so it's hard to judge where they are really. Following Forest last week, still have to go to Brentford, Bournemouth, City, Brighton, Chelsea and Villa, and the first two of those are in their next three league games. If they still have this cushion on the evening of 1st Feb (after Bournemouth), they might rest a little easier.

On the flip side, Liverpool still have to play six of the current bottom eight at Anfield. Slot must surely, surely, rotate for the Lille and PSV Champions League games.

[Sanguine]

https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1879993277463540193

Last week he threw an elbow, this week Joao Pedro has taken out a keeper. This one should have been a red too, imho.

[Vision]

Personally, I'd be more confident of Forest NOT making CL than Liverpool winning the title.

Liverpool have been brilliant for large parts of the 1st half of the season, whereas Arsenal have been rather underwhelming - yet they sit only 4 points behind, are (maybe) about to sign a much-needed striker, plus, to me, Salah looks to be going off the boil like he did for much of last season....

No foregone conclusion by any stretch of the (well, MY) imagination.

Also think chasing will benefit Arsenal more than being the target for everyone else.

Striker or no striker I can't help but think the main stumbling block, as it has in the last two seasons, will be Arteta's negativity particularly in the crucial games. His team doesn't seem to believe they can win the big games when in reality they have best squad in the league.

Not sure I agree, their record in the “crucial” games is fairly strong. On the other hand they lose too many points to teams like Fulham, Brighton etc whereas Liverpool and the City of old were a lot more ruthless against these sides

Last season alone, I think City’s record against the bottom 14 teams stood at 26-1-1

I'm thinking specifically about the Man City game last season (and the previous season probably) > They were in form, blasting everyone leading up to the game, City were not yet Arsenal turned up for that game with the sole intention of not losing. A win that day and they'd have almost certainly given City too much to do.

I wonder if a little of it goes back to Arteta's early covid cup success where they basically just sat back against the top teams and hoped that a peak Aubameyang would hit teams on the break.

Just my opinion watching them of course and I could be wrong but I feel Odegaard is ever quite the same player against the better sides in the bigger games.

[Sutekh]

https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1879993277463540193

Last week he threw an elbow, this week Joao Pedro has taken out a keeper. This one should have been a red too, imho.

A player I’m really starting to dislike, he’s edging towards halfway on the Mingsometer.

[Sutekh]

Mancheater City climbing back to 4th after dumping on Ipswich. Looks like half a new side arriving this month so are they really out of the title race? The new year is also usually when they start their massive successive games winning run.

Presuming the expected “nothing to see here” conclusion is about to be revealed to the football world over their charges too.

[URZZZZ]

Burnley have conceded just 9 goals in their 28 league games (6 in their last 24) - and haven’t conceded more than one in any of their games this season

Haven’t seen such a strong defensive record at this level

[Sanguine]

Burnley have conceded just 9 goals in their 28 league games (6 in their last 24) - and haven’t conceded more than one in any of their games this season

Haven’t seen such a strong defensive record at this level

Crikey. Hadn't spotted that one. Leeds (19) and Sheffield United (18) above them have excellent defensive records and have conceded twice as many. And Sunderland have only let in 22.

I can't find it definitively, but appears that the Championship record low goals conceded in a 46-game season is 30 , held jointly by Preston (2005/06) and Watford (2020/21). Burnley well on the way to obliterating that.

Home and away records go hand in hand with the above, too. In 2015/16, Middlesbrough conceded just 8 home goals - Burnley have so far let in 4 at Turf Moor. Fewest away goals conceded in a season in the Championship is 17, held jointly by three sides. Burnley currently on 5 away goals conceded.

Finally - two years ago Preston equalled the football league record of nine goalless draws in a single campaign (including five of their first six league games). Burnley have had eight so far.

[Sutekh]

Burnley have conceded just 9 goals in their 28 league games (6 in their last 24) - and haven’t conceded more than one in any of their games this season

Haven’t seen such a strong defensive record at this level

Crikey. Hadn't spotted that one. Leeds (19) and Sheffield United (18) above them have excellent defensive records and have conceded twice as many. And Sunderland have only let in 22.

I can't find it definitively, but appears that the Championship record low goals conceded in a 46-game season is 30 , held jointly by Preston (2005/06) and Watford (2020/21). Burnley well on the way to obliterating that.

More interestingly what is the biggest GD in the Championship. How does Reading’s 67 in 2006 stack up?

[Winston Biscuit]

I just learned that Josh Laurent plays for Burnley. well done him.

[Sanguine]

Burnley have conceded just 9 goals in their 28 league games (6 in their last 24) - and haven’t conceded more than one in any of their games this season

Haven’t seen such a strong defensive record at this level

Crikey. Hadn't spotted that one. Leeds (19) and Sheffield United (18) above them have excellent defensive records and have conceded twice as many. And Sunderland have only let in 22.

I can't find it definitively, but appears that the Championship record low goals conceded in a 46-game season is 30 , held jointly by Preston (2005/06) and Watford (2020/21). Burnley well on the way to obliterating that.

More interestingly what is the biggest GD in the Championship. How does Reading’s 67 in 2006 stack up?

That remains the record.

[Sutekh]

Crikey. Hadn't spotted that one. Leeds (19) and Sheffield United (18) above them have excellent defensive records and have conceded twice as many. And Sunderland have only let in 22.

I can't find it definitively, but appears that the Championship record low goals conceded in a 46-game season is 30 , held jointly by Preston (2005/06) and Watford (2020/21). Burnley well on the way to obliterating that.

More interestingly what is the biggest GD in the Championship. How does Reading’s 67 in 2006 stack up?

That remains the record.

[Snowflake Royal]

I just learned that Josh Laurent plays for Burnley. well done him.

came on as a sub against us in the cup

[Pepe the Horseman]

Ridiculous red for Lewis-Skelly https://streamff.com/v/490557e7

[LUX]

Blimey Bournemouth ……four last week at Newcastle, now five v Forest.

Great for football tbh.

[LUX]

Ridiculous red for Lewis-Skelly https://streamff.com/v/490557e7

Hmmm. Not the worst decision ever imo.

[BRO_BOT]

Reading beaten again

[Sutekh]

Ridiculous red for Lewis-Skelly https://streamff.com/v/490557e7

Ref evened it up though to allow the Arsenal to get their 3 points.