English football 2025-26

[andy]

That could be a huge result last night! So unlike Guehi to make a mistake as well!

[Durhamfootman]

everyone is putting the pressure onto West Ham

I wonder if Newcastle can nick Bowen in the summer?

(sorry andy)

[andy]

If we go down then Bowen will leave for sure if somehow we can stay up I think he stays however that being said we did announce losses of around £100 million so sales will have to happen so unfortunately there will probably be a fire sale either way

[sussexpob]

Bowen will be 30 soon, I can't see many top clubs lining up for a small, mobile type winger at that age unless he comes cheap, and West Ham aren't going to want to sell cheap. Also married into a family of Hammers die hards, so that might factor in also on a personal level.

[Durhamfootman]

Seemingly, a younger Bowen sat at the Wetherby services on deadline day during the Fatboy era, waiting for the call to say a deal had been done at Newcastle and to drive up the road for a medical

The call never came and he had to drive home. My guess is that he wanted a bit more than a fiver a week and all the out of date pies he could eat

[andy]

Yeah to be fair I wonder if he missed that chance for a big move when Liverpool sniffed around 2 years ago ...I wouldn't be unhappy if that's the case...hope he stays and goes on to be an all time club legend

[andy]

Palace and Villa both 1-0 down

[mikesiva]

Manchester City 3-0 Brentford
West ham 0-1 Arsenal

The race continues.

[Gingerfinch]

Manchester City 3-0 Brentford
West ham 0-1 Arsenal

The race continues.

Done and dusted

[sussexpob]

You have to love the PL, don't you. Its so wonderfully corrupt.

At the final corner yesterday, Odegaard bear hugs a West Ham player and physically drags him 5 yards away from the line. Rice grabs another with arms around his shoulder, then when he spots another player making a run, grabs him the same way instead and drags him over the goal line. Miles Lewis-Skelly at the back of the box blocks a West Ham player, when said player then sidesteps him to go past, he just lowers his shoulder into the attacker and shoves his arm out, clear obstruction and foul. Trossard grabs another West Ham player by the shirt, when he doesn't have the strength and gets turned, he then grabs his shirt by the back and pushes him out the way. I can't see with Arsenal defender it is, but Soucek as the ball comes in has a defender pulling his shirt by the shoulder and he is dragged out the path of the ball physically.....

Before the keeper was fouled, that's 5 clear Arsenal penalties to choose from. I guess no one is remotely surprised the referee somehow managed to construct a way to give the bigger team the decision. It never happens, does it?

Nah.... nothing to see here.

[Durhamfootman]

I haven't seen any of the other incidents, because it's Arsenal so I don't really care, but the disallowed goal was definitely a foul on the keeper. I guess the only controversy is why it took 5 mins to rule the goal out, but there surely can't be any complaints about the foul.

I take your point entirely about inconsistency in the game and perceived big team bias, but whilst the VAR intervention was far too slow, it was ultimately correct. Only Farage, Trump, Putin and Xi would even try to argue against it

I'm busy getting my cheque book out in case I can sign Bowen in a couple of weeks time

[andy]

You have to love the PL, don't you. Its so wonderfully corrupt.

At the final corner yesterday, Odegaard bear hugs a West Ham player and physically drags him 5 yards away from the line. Rice grabs another with arms around his shoulder, then when he spots another player making a run, grabs him the same way instead and drags him over the goal line. Miles Lewis-Skelly at the back of the box blocks a West Ham player, when said player then sidesteps him to go past, he just lowers his shoulder into the attacker and shoves his arm out, clear obstruction and foul. Trossard grabs another West Ham player by the shirt, when he doesn't have the strength and gets turned, he then grabs his shirt by the back and pushes him out the way. I can't see with Arsenal defender it is, but Soucek as the ball comes in has a defender pulling his shirt by the shoulder and he is dragged out the path of the ball physically.....

Before the keeper was fouled, that's 5 clear Arsenal penalties to choose from. I guess no one is remotely surprised the referee somehow managed to construct a way to give the bigger team the decision. It never happens, does it?

Nah.... nothing to see here.

Dont even....I'm not even angry I'm devastated absolutely crushing moment that was not helped by the fact fernandes should have buried the ball in the back of the net 5 mins beforehand! Huge game tonight now! Might force myself to watch it!

[sussexpob]

I take your point entirely about inconsistency in the game and perceived big team bias, but whilst the VAR intervention was far too slow, it was ultimately correct.

The correct decision was a penalty to West Ham.... not a foul on the goalie.

VAR Reviewed Declan Rice's wo fouls and decided that its now allowed to rugby tackle people from behind. This is inexplicable.

[sussexpob]

Next week, someone will tap the small toe of an Arsenal player, and will hear "well its contact, its a penalty". This week, we hear how rugby tackles aren't really contact.

I am just so bored of the rules changing depending on where you are in the league. Its just so blatant... there is no, no , no way that if thats the other end, its not a foul. Or if its LiVARpool, United or City.

[Durhamfootman]

Carnage in the box for corner kicks seems to have been this season's defining feature

It gets mentioned pretty much every week

I don't know what the PL's answer should be, tbh.

way before Southgate, Newcastle players used do a 'love train' protecting the target man. There was also a time, when Shearer was a player, when Newcastle players all used to turn and walk away from the goal en masse, just before the corner delivery and then turn and charge in. Attacking players don't have to get involved in all sorts of pushing, shoving and grabbing nonsense. Coaches/managers far cleverer than me can devise ways to circumvent all this chaos if they want to. It hasn't always been as bad as this, and the play constantly evolves to get around things that become a problem. Solve it on the training pitch and make sure that Rice can't rugby tackle you...... put everyone outside the box before the kick is taken and see how far out the defenders want to come. Not very far, I reckon

There'll be an answer out there somewhere