Let’s all gather round and see whose armpits are too close to the goal. Inter Milan and AC Milan kick off at 9 AM PST, and then Arsenal and City start things 30 minutes later. I assume most of you will be watching the latter match, but feel free to come chat about both games. I’ll be here right at kick for Milan–Milan.
I'm genuinely sorry that we all had to experience that match together. Next time we're just gonna watch the Milan Derby, and the two of you with ESPN+ can discuss it with me. Full-match stats from City–Arsenal:
Goals: City 1, Arsenal 0
xG: City 1.3, Arsenal 0.85
Shots (on target): City 13 (5), Arsenal 11 (3)
Final-third passes: City 153, Arsenal 51
Penalty-area passes: City 15, Arsenal 3
Not quite the dominance we've come to expect from City in this particular fixture, but this was a very Liverpool Last Year performance from them: totally dominate en route to taking the league, and then suck the life out of the game. Arsenal, meanwhile, still struggle to convince. They're so boring, and they've now lost their eligibility to be featured in a chat. We'll do it again next weekend with some different sides. Thanks, as always, for hopping in here. Have great weekends, all.
I think it already does. Every time you think it's gonna be a straight drop, the ride veers off in a completely different direction. You also might die
those aubermang and willian contracts...yikes. it's the kind of foolishness a club would need to resolve by selling...saka to city in a couple of years
Gonna be honest with you guys: I never watch two games at once. I'm trying to watch two games at once right now, and I feel like I have no idea what's going on in either game.
Would redzone ever work as a concept for soccer matches? it feels like no bc no distinguished stops between plays, no real ad timeouts, and no switching between offensive and defensive personnel.
I don't really see it working, but they've tried something like it on NBC Sports and it wasn't hated, IIRC. The whole point of soccer is that most of it has nothing to do with scoring, and that makes the goals so much more rewarding to watch. An RZ for soccer kinda changes that, but maybe I'm just being a purist.
simon kuper has an article on great 80s born athletes seemingly lasting forever in various sports. not sure what this means better diet training etc or just spike of great athletes at a particular time like Belgium produces footballers
That offside call in the Merseyside Derby... How much of human life is made more difficult than it needs to be? If we polled 100 fans whether a goal scored from a player 1 yard offside should stand, 100 say "of course not." What about 1 foot offside? I think we could reach consensus pretty damn quickly. And yet, we have this wonderful replay technology and zero common sense. Was Mane offsides by more than a few inches? Does that constitute an advantage for him?
Let's all use some common sense. Good grief. #PGMOLOUT
VAR sucks. It just does. We allowed refs to subjectively and relatively successfully juggle a set of vague rules as to produce a compelling aesthetic product for a century, and now we're stopping games constantly and killing goals in an already low-scoring game.
There's truth to that, though I believe the best implementation marries the judgement of a trained human brain to the accuracy and precision of modern optics and processing technology. VAR in the Premier League seems to vacillate between those extremes with refs not using pitchside monitors and the VAR never over ruling the on-pitch ref last year and now adjudging everything this year by an overly exact rulebook. This isn't hard and humans are making it hard. See: coronavirus, financial regulations, ad infinitum.
whatever happened with that Ozil and gunnersaurus story? arsenal must have been super pissed that he tweeted that just after receiving his 8 million loyalty bonus lol
Is there any way that for karmic purposes after creating Project Big Picture, and having the voting clause apply for the 9 most tenured teams, Manchester United then gets relegated this year?
Performances in the Arteta Era would agree with you. They're not good (yet). For example, Everton are clearly just a much better team than Arsenal right now. Markets still like Arsenal, though, which is probably a bit of people betting on big clubs, but also a bit of "talent will win them a bunch of points they shouldn't win".
they're 5th with man city, wolves, chelsea, and spurs below em. If Aston Villa and grealish choose to keep being god's gift to the earth and Brighton keep balling, why not right?
Outside of Barcelona is there any top team in Europe as dependent on one player as Man City is on De Bruyne? They feel so one-dimensional and aimless in attack without him
They're on their way. Outside of Zlatan, they're one of the younger teams in Europe. They have some really smart people working for the club. My guess is they'll be in the Champions League within the next couple years.
Awesome, great to see a legendary club back on its feet. Is Serie A the most competitive now in the league, and is it actually the most entertaining because of it?
Ryan, a couple of weeks ago you put a tool in the chat that would let me easily create player radars. I've been looking for it a ton, but can't find it. Any chance you could drop the link again?
Is it me or is offsides the only outcome of that Donnarumma/Lukaku play that doesn't make sense? The last touch before Lukaku was off the defender, so wouldn't it either be a penalty or just a goal kick?
Scary thought, but I wouldn't trust these idiots. A week ago they were saying Pep should hire Sam Allardyce and still arguing that Messi wouldn't be good in the Premier League. https://twitter.com/AnfieldWatch/status/1317516427004420099
Yeah, imagine the fee they'd be willing to pay for him. He'd instantly become the world's most expensive defender. No one would be crazy enough to do that, right?
I think it's just the new rule. He doesn't look off because, based on any prior conception of the offside rule, he's not. His upper-arm is slightly off, and that counts now. Wheeeeeeeee https://twitter.com/DaleJohnsonESPN/status/1317459425620353024
My Blues are playing this morning and my Louisville City FC will close out St Louis FC forever this evening, on our way to a third star in six years. It’s a *good day* to be a supporter of quality sides.
Milan Derby is 2-1, 30 minutes in. I love how Italy is completely insane now. It's not the defensive league it used to be.
I'm genuinely sorry that we all had to experience that match together. Next time we're just gonna watch the Milan Derby, and the two of you with ESPN+ can discuss it with me. Full-match stats from City–Arsenal:
Goals: City 1, Arsenal 0
xG: City 1.3, Arsenal 0.85
Shots (on target): City 13 (5), Arsenal 11 (3)
Final-third passes: City 153, Arsenal 51
Penalty-area passes: City 15, Arsenal 3
Not quite the dominance we've come to expect from City in this particular fixture, but this was a very Liverpool Last Year performance from them: totally dominate en route to taking the league, and then suck the life out of the game. Arsenal, meanwhile, still struggle to convince. They're so boring, and they've now lost their eligibility to be featured in a chat. We'll do it again next weekend with some different sides. Thanks, as always, for hopping in here. Have great weekends, all.
Is next week the week Manchester United lose their eligibility or is it already gone?
Let this be the last chat we do for an Arsenal match? Relative to the talent on the team, they might be the most boring team in Europe.
I would agree, but David Luiz's Wild Ride elevates them for me over United.
That needs to exist at Six Flags
I think it already does. Every time you think it's gonna be a straight drop, the ride veers off in a completely different direction. You also might die
Based on this description, Nicolas Pepe is the perfect Arsenal player. Loads of entertaining skill leading to zero entertaining outcomes
Is it possible the talent isn't as great as the wage bill would suggest?
Sure, but I'm talking less about them "being good" and more about them "not being a complete bore to watch".
did arteta play under moyes at everton?
those aubermang and willian contracts...yikes. it's the kind of foolishness a club would need to resolve by selling...saka to city in a couple of years
Aubameyang has zero shots today and only five total for the season. Yikes.
Is that more than Vardy?
Gonna be honest with you guys: I never watch two games at once. I'm trying to watch two games at once right now, and I feel like I have no idea what's going on in either game.
watching football is overrated. chris kamara became famous from what he missed not what he saw
and this is years before liverpool's number crunchers viewwed actually watching the game as gauche
Would redzone ever work as a concept for soccer matches? it feels like no bc no distinguished stops between plays, no real ad timeouts, and no switching between offensive and defensive personnel.
I don't really see it working, but they've tried something like it on NBC Sports and it wasn't hated, IIRC. The whole point of soccer is that most of it has nothing to do with scoring, and that makes the goals so much more rewarding to watch. An RZ for soccer kinda changes that, but maybe I'm just being a purist.
britain already has a red zone, it's called soccer staurday but being british it doesn't show goals or any live content from the matches
City (goals) 1, Arsenal (total shots) 0
Who finishes with more shots this season: Salah + Mane combined or Arsenal?
2010s Arsenal is suing. This team stole their flow.
Zlatan just missed a penalty and then scored on the rebound. Is LAFC better than Inter Milan?
Or is Zlatan the best striker in Italy?
*the world
simon kuper has an article on great 80s born athletes seemingly lasting forever in various sports. not sure what this means better diet training etc or just spike of great athletes at a particular time like Belgium produces footballers
Wtf get your hand of her sergio
Might just be my imagination, but it seems like City are spreading the tactical-fouling responsibilities around pretty effectively today.
Fernandinho is underpaid
Wait, what is City doing? Walker at center back and Ake at left back?
That offside call in the Merseyside Derby... How much of human life is made more difficult than it needs to be? If we polled 100 fans whether a goal scored from a player 1 yard offside should stand, 100 say "of course not." What about 1 foot offside? I think we could reach consensus pretty damn quickly. And yet, we have this wonderful replay technology and zero common sense. Was Mane offsides by more than a few inches? Does that constitute an advantage for him?
Let's all use some common sense. Good grief. #PGMOLOUT
VAR sucks. It just does. We allowed refs to subjectively and relatively successfully juggle a set of vague rules as to produce a compelling aesthetic product for a century, and now we're stopping games constantly and killing goals in an already low-scoring game.
There's truth to that, though I believe the best implementation marries the judgement of a trained human brain to the accuracy and precision of modern optics and processing technology. VAR in the Premier League seems to vacillate between those extremes with refs not using pitchside monitors and the VAR never over ruling the on-pitch ref last year and now adjudging everything this year by an overly exact rulebook. This isn't hard and humans are making it hard. See: coronavirus, financial regulations, ad infinitum.
I may be extra salty today...
Looks like I was right to expect an extreme EPL bias from my subscribers, huh? Anyone here and watching the Milan derby?
Yeah watched the first half and now switched to the epl in time for the goal
I’ll watch it later today hopefully ... Gotta focus on Arsenal.
i would, but i'd need to pay extra to watch it since it left BT. it's behind another paywall with la liga (which left sky sports)
Glad to know we're all get fucked by the broadcasters.
whatever happened with that Ozil and gunnersaurus story? arsenal must have been super pissed that he tweeted that just after receiving his 8 million loyalty bonus lol
Would just like to mention we live in a world where Aston Villa has played 2 less games but only has 1 point less than Liverpool
Sounds like someone is trying to get banned ...
Also with Kepa gone, is Pickford now going to fill his role as keeper on a big club and national team who might not be that good?
He was already making a run for that role while Kepa was still first-choice.
he deserves it for that emoji neck tattoo
pickford's boots and i quote say 'Get a Rave On'. Apt
SHHHH here i'll give you an Emirates sponsorship too
and their super star striker was born in Torquay. that's just weird. i don't know what the US equivalent of Torquay is
Is there any way that for karmic purposes after creating Project Big Picture, and having the voting clause apply for the 9 most tenured teams, Manchester United then gets relegated this year?
Real question is: who has the better fit today?
Lukaku vs Zlatan feels like a Man U spite game, all we need is Alexis to sub in and score
Alexis is the true #WashedKing
Am I wrong in thinking that Arsenal have a higher chance of finishing lower than 8 than top 4? Or is that just my dumb spurs fan brain?
Performances in the Arteta Era would agree with you. They're not good (yet). For example, Everton are clearly just a much better team than Arsenal right now. Markets still like Arsenal, though, which is probably a bit of people betting on big clubs, but also a bit of "talent will win them a bunch of points they shouldn't win".
My dumb Spurs fan brain is desperate for this to be true.
they're 5th with man city, wolves, chelsea, and spurs below em. If Aston Villa and grealish choose to keep being god's gift to the earth and Brighton keep balling, why not right?
I'm excited for the title chase between Gareth Bale & James Rodriguez
Zlatan is such an enigma. Whenever I convince myself he’s trash & totally done, he goes out & scores like a madman.
Outside of Barcelona is there any top team in Europe as dependent on one player as Man City is on De Bruyne? They feel so one-dimensional and aimless in attack without him
How do we think Liverpool would look without Salah?
I won't stand for this Xherdan Shaqiri slander
The United team v Newcastle, anyone? Mata starts!
McTominay!
I feel like we're one more good performance from Wenger sayig that Arsenal could have signed Allan Saint-Maximin. I hope it's today.
The Newcastle lineup today seems so much more fun than Man U
Is anyone on Arsenal actually both good and not out of their prime?
Saka is actually good but not in his prime. Thomas Partey better be.
Should we be concerned that Partey might not translate from Atletico to Arsenal or is that just punditry?
Don't think it's punditry. How many players have left Atletico and flourished with their new team?
I think no matter how well he plays a lot of people are going to be mad that he's not 2017 N'Golo Kante
I think i'd be more concerned that he's going to fall off the age cliff really soon
they paid him all that money so he couldnt complain about his coming workload
Bellerin?
Uh...Leno?
Is there any chance Milan ever comes back? Is this a good sign or just early season result we look back at and chuckle?
They're on their way. Outside of Zlatan, they're one of the younger teams in Europe. They have some really smart people working for the club. My guess is they'll be in the Champions League within the next couple years.
*if not next year.
Awesome, great to see a legendary club back on its feet. Is Serie A the most competitive now in the league, and is it actually the most entertaining because of it?
They haven't lost a game since March. They're legit.
Ryan, a couple of weeks ago you put a tool in the chat that would let me easily create player radars. I've been looking for it a ton, but can't find it. Any chance you could drop the link again?
https://www.footballslices.com/
🙏🙏🙏
Lukaku...so close
Alexis is in. It's time
Is it me or is offsides the only outcome of that Donnarumma/Lukaku play that doesn't make sense? The last touch before Lukaku was off the defender, so wouldn't it either be a penalty or just a goal kick?
Was thinking the same thing. That seems to be a theme so far this weekend ...
Referees making decisions in the box based on the Whose Line Is It Anyways? system of rules is #good
Information on Virgil van Dijk‘s injury is that he’s done his ACL, and will be out for the best part of 7/8 months. #awlfc [bein sports]
Scary thought, but I wouldn't trust these idiots. A week ago they were saying Pep should hire Sam Allardyce and still arguing that Messi wouldn't be good in the Premier League. https://twitter.com/AnfieldWatch/status/1317516427004420099
Can you ever go wrong with Big Sam, other than all the times it's gone wrong or mediocre?
100% winning record with England doesn't lie
If Stephen A Smith was a fan of any soccer team in the Big 5 leagues and Championship, who'd it be?
He 100% would devote time each week to ripping on Arsenal
How about them Manchester United would be good content of late
Harry Maguire would have grounds for a defamation suit at this point
I see him having a lot of respect for the way Bayern Munich do things.
he's knicks fan so Newcastle could work
If you gave Sean Dyche $500 million to spend on defenders, who's he gonna buy? I bet he drops the bag on Steve Cook.
I think he'd buy Michael Keane back from Everton.
It's also a great time to buy low on Phil Jones.
Can't have Phil without Smalling
all of it to CRISPR to recreate tony adams
Might try to recreate prime Rory Delap while he at it
Delap did it himself, the result is at City. Something went wrong though he's a striker
Maguire no questions asked right?
Yeah, imagine the fee they'd be willing to pay for him. He'd instantly become the world's most expensive defender. No one would be crazy enough to do that, right?
Is there any soccer comp to Le'veon Bell going from the Jets to the Chiefs? I was thinking Gnabry but he has Bremen in between
Shaqiri from Stoke to Liverpool?
Choupo-Mouting from Stoke to PSG? I'm noticing a common theme here...
Choupo-Moting's agent is the true MVP. Or is he just the Jared Dudley of football. Vibes first play second
Arsenal going with their blue kits vs City is a weird look
any pepe true believers here ?
... are you one?
i'd say no but the fact he was born in france is skewing my thinking. their production line's been on a run lately.
Is there any view where Mane was offside or am I just seeing all the pro-Liverpool stuff?
I think it's just the new rule. He doesn't look off because, based on any prior conception of the offside rule, he's not. His upper-arm is slightly off, and that counts now. Wheeeeeeeee https://twitter.com/DaleJohnsonESPN/status/1317459425620353024
knee capping good, arm hair offside bad is a development football doesn't need right now.
My Blues are playing this morning and my Louisville City FC will close out St Louis FC forever this evening, on our way to a third star in six years. It’s a *good day* to be a supporter of quality sides.
Jan ...
I know, I know 😜 I’m just feeling extra sassy because I get to go to a game today! Only my second thing in public since April.