English football 2024-25

[sussexpob]

That penalty Brighton got yesterday was laughable. PGMOL really hate Arsenal, dont they? No other team seems to get bum decisions as much as them. Common sense lads... thats never a penalty.

[Gingerfinch]

That penalty Brighton got yesterday was laughable. PGMOL really hate Arsenal, dont they? No other team seems to get bum decisions as much as them. Common sense lads... thats never a penalty.

Yeah not a pen for me although I did think it was until I saw the replay.

[Durhamfootman]

the three top 4 teams who played over the weekend all slipped up and Newcastle made up a bit of ground on all of them. Stage is set for Forest tonight

[andy]

Wonder what Amorim's beef with Garnacho is? I must be missing something but i rate him and defintiely think he can do a job for United, but Amorim clearly thinks otherwise

[Durhamfootman]

well....... as Brucie would say.... "good game, good game"

Pretty even first quarter, but in the second quarter Arsenal were taking charge, Newcastle were defending furiously and attacking hopefully, then.... Bang! Isak.... of course, put the cat amongst the pigeons. Arsenal get a massive free kick from a delayed "oh sh1t I might have been fouled a moment ago, perhaps I'd better go down, before the gaffer shouts at me", in the middle of the D. They spent ages teeing it up and then tamely chipped it into the wall. Then Trossard goes down rolling around after barely being touched and got nowt... and nor should he have, so I'm getting the feeling that Arsenal are rattled.

Newcastle are missing Bruno's presence in midfield and Botman is still not match sharp yet after months out, so the 2 suspensions are hurting atm

Arsenal have a lot more on the bench, so I'm expecting them to turn the screws in the second half. Could be very interesting

[Durhamfootman]

Is it just me, or does the dyed grey hair and his naturally sallow complexion make Trossard look a lot like Ron Manager from the Fast Show?

[Durhamfootman]

hehehe

very happy. Gordon with the tap in for the second. Eddie Howe took off Isak, Murphy and Willock with 25 to go and shifted Gordon to the centre in order to get 5 at the back, then replaced Gordon (who looked exhausted) with Almiron and went 5-5-0.

The defending was magnificent..... magnificent

well done boys. 3 consecutive away games against big teams and 3 wins... 1-6 on aggregate

Confidence must be sky high.

[Durhamfootman]

I thought Tonali was tremendous tonight. He must have covered every blade of grass. A masterclass in breaking up play, intelligent distribution and last gasp defending. My POTM

Gordon worked his socks off
Isak did what he does
Liveramento had Martinelli in his pocket, to the point where he stopped trying to get in behind him and cut inside across the front of the box instead
Hall was brilliant. Great engine and there were 2 or 3 moments where he was given the ball with Arsenal players all over him and he kept dribbling the ball out of trouble
Big Dan Burn.... terrific

Good work from Dubravka too. Not too many saves to make but he claimed everything. Odd to think that that was probably his last game for the club. He is, apparently, heading to the Saudi League and only played tonight because Newcastle negotiated a 3 day delay. (Bromley on Sat and Pope expected to be fit for the Wolves game next week)

[sussexpob]

I had Newcastle at 6-1 as the last selection on my weekly 5-way accumulator, so I would like to thank the Toon Army for paying for my new computer .... even better, it was 2up and settled, so I didn't have heart failure in the second half when Arsenal bombarded Newcastle for 30 minutes.

[sussexpob]

The defending was magnificent..... magnificent

I can understand your excitement at the result, but I think your judging on your appraisal of the game we must have watched different matches.

The first half, Arsenal were the better side, and I think Isak gets off with a clear push on Odegaard just before the ball comes for his goal. Just shoves him in the back enough to knock him out of challenging for the ball, then Isak has the space to control and whack it in. VAR really should be overturning that imo.

And then second half, Arsenal played you off the park but just could not score. I have no idea how Havertz missed that open header, Jesus missed a big chance from a corner, Martinelli blazed over from deep in the box, and these werent the only chances. The XG on Arsenal was nearly 5!!! 5!!! If Arsenal took their chances, Newcastle would have been thrashed.

But that's football. In the end the difference between Isak and Arsenal's forward settled it. Got one chance, boom.... and his play in the second goal to get into a position to get a good shot off that the keeper just saves but cant do much else...

Hes turned into a terrific player, that lad. Got to be in play for player of the season at this point. And I was wrong about Gordon, he's become a total menace.

Those two players in a side, you are always in trouble.

[sussexpob]

I thought Tonali was tremendous tonight. He must have covered every blade of grass. A masterclass in breaking up play, intelligent distribution and last gasp defending. My POTM

Liveramento had Martinelli in his pocket, to the point where he stopped trying to get in behind him and cut inside across the front of the box instead
Hall was brilliant. Great engine and there were 2 or 3 moments where he was given the ball with Arsenal players all over him and he kept dribbling the ball out of trouble
Big Dan Burn.... terrific

Good work from Dubravka too. Not too many saves to make but he claimed everything

I have no idea what has happened to Martinelli, but hes gone from looking like a world beating prospect, to in the last year looking very average. But I think the reason why they were cutting the ball across was because Newcastle's back line had retreated a long way back, I was screaming at the TV second half for them to move forward because they had a huge gap between defence and the men further out, a gap that Arsenal really should have punished.

Hall is looking a steal. Chelsea rated him, but I guess Todd didn't spend 140 million on him and gave him a 11 year contract, so wasn't interested in developing him. And as I have said previously, I think Livarmento is the business. Tonali too completes the midfield, but he ran himself to standstill by the end.

I think Burn was very lucky not to give away a penalty on Gabriel at a corner in the second half. Basically ripped Gabriel's shirt of his back as he was going past him to win the ball, got to be giving those. But then again, the referees are a lottery - they will ignore it 20 times, then randomly give them.

In fairness, Newcastle also had 3 breaks in the second half where Arsenal clearly took the yellow card option to just collapse the man before the chance developed, and the referee didn't give the foul. I guess you can say for all of these examples the referee is officiating in that "semi final of a cup, two big teams, let them get on with it".... but I dont buy that. Think he had a very poor game and missed a lot of obvious, clear fouls on both sides of the ball.

[Durhamfootman]

yes, a bit of a shove from Isak to create the space to score, but on the flip side a few minutes before that an Arsenal player grabbed him by the arm and pulled him backwards to stop him getting into the box and through on goal and got nothing for it, so swings and roundabouts.

There will be a few players being rested on Saturday, I think. Will Howe risk playing Isak against Bromley after a little bit of tightness in his hamstring saw him taken off quite early last night? My guess is probably not, although he'll surely be on the bench if needed. Trouble is... who else is there? The only other striker available is Osula who was brought in to be developed and only comes on as sub when Howe is trying to run the clock down late on. Might be a false number 9 on Saturday

[sussexpob]

Crossing my fingers for Rodrigo Bentancur... Down 11 minutes on the field receiving emergency care, seems he hit the ground head first hard after a header....

Didn't look good. Hopefully he's ok

[Durhamfootman]

conscious and talking, seemingly, and on his way to hospital to be checked out

[Durhamfootman]

1-0 Spurs in the other semi

sounds as though the Spurs keeper has had a really good debut. To be fair to Spurs the other young keeper that played us had a good game too, so they've got some talent there

will 1-0 be enough to take to Anfield?