Szumi

The funniest part about their moaning about Atwell being a Luton Town fan is all they had to do was file the request with PGMOL about their concern, and it's very likely Atwell would have been reassigned! But Forest did nothing, so nothing was changed! I know a lot of people on social media hate Dale Johnson for always trying to explain the VAR decisions, but I thought he was spot on with the explanations for the calls. The first and second incidents are the subjective shades of grey we've seen all season, and the classic "VAR was always going to back the on field call" because it's hard to determine a clear and obvious failure. If the ref called either/both a penalty, VAR would have backed the referee and agreed it was a penalty. The third call, I agree that VAR should be over turning the call on the field. The ref is saying no penalty because Young won/played the ball, but he very clearly didn't. That's a clear and obvious error to me. But Forest are so terribly ran & Marinakis seems to think rules should apply differently to Forest so I have no sympathy for them

I'm not saying any of them should have been a penalty, but Ashley Young alone has committed 3 potential penalties in the opening hour. I don't think the hand ball is a penalty with how close his arm is to the ball, but I have no idea how Everton have escaped from the other two challenges. Both times it looks pretty clear Young goes right through both players.

I fully expect Maye and McCarthy to go the way of Darnold or Rosen than a Josh Allen. McCarthy especially I think is ridiculously being overrated.

Wolves 1-2 Arsenal (Sat 7.30pm, Sky) Everton 2-1 Nottm Forest (Sun 1.30pm, Sky) Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham (Sun 3pm)

Oh absolutely! What you and David both said are spot on. I've said before that he's just never been right since coming back from that injury. He's just played so poorly, and he's not alone in that. Jones especially has been really bad since coming back, and Trent and Jota as well. Which I can't really blame them for. It's really tough to come back and hit maximum levels of performance when you have no rhythm or fitness built up, but you're in the run in where every match has huge consequences to them. The crazy thing is that Liverpool I think I saw from the United draw, Atalanta loss, and Palace loss, Liverpool scored the 2 goals from over 9.0xG! They created loads in all 3 matches, but man they're just a really bad finishing side! The guys who helped us get through the injury crisis are definitely exhausted and it shows. Virg, Endo, and MacAllister all look spent, and I can't blame them. It sucks that what had so much promise 5 weeks ago, is going to end so meekly. I don't think a single Liverpool fan is expecting us to win the title at this point, sadly.

This has been a frustrating one to watch. Liverpool pretty much have just resorted to kick it long and hope for the best. They haven't really made Atalanta work for it at all. It doesn't help that Trent was asked to play when he's clearly not fit or has any rhythm, and that Mo Salah is pretty much a net negative for Liverpool right now. I don't think I've ever seen him play this poorly in his entire Liverpool career.

I can only imagine Tuchel is purposely taking the piss continuing to start him over both Upemanco and Kim Min-Jae. Also, for as much talk as there was on social media on Monday for the Osasuna player taking the worse penalty of the year, Bernardo Silva's penalty was freaking hilarious to see.

Origi scored in the 7th minute vs Barca in 2019. Salah's penalty was also in the 7th minute...

MLS has a significant issue with VAR in terms of having nowhere near enough cameras to determine offsides. They're using cameras from midfield, don't draw lines, and repeatedly make terrible calls because of it. The Union were eliminated in the playoffs last year because of it, and today had a goal ruled out for offsides that has universally been said to be onside by fans from both teams, and MLS pundits. Our manager Jim Curtin just had an all timer in the post match in response to how VAR uses clear and obvious to determine offsides or not.

That's kind of my point though. Liverpool will ultimately score goals eventually because they're an elite chance creation side. Either through shot volume, poor goalkeeping, or a Liverpool player eventually having a good shot, they will eventually score goals. But, when it matters most/in the big matches/against the other big sides/etc, Liverpool have been pretty poor at being clinical. Both Manchester United draws, home to Arsenal, and home to City all stand out as matches where Liverpool should have easily won the matches, but their profligacy cost them. The only teams to have a worse negative Goals-xG is Everton, Brentford, and Chelsea.

Leverkusen did it. Won 5-0 just now, with Wirtz bagging the last goal to complete a hat trick in the 90th minute. Match ended there because the fans invaded the pitch early. Neverkusen, Never Again.

We never fixed the issue from last season of where we start out terrible, and concede early. Plus our biggest issue: we are an elite chance creation side full of players who are below average at chance conversion. We do not have a single forward who is above average at being clinical, and all but one are below average. In the moments that have mattered most, we have not taken our chances. Today being an obvious prime example, but especially the home draws to Arsenal and City. Would have won the league easily if we could just be good at being clinical.

I have no idea how Liverpool have made 4 substitutions so far, and Curtis Jones is still on the pitch. I love him, but he's been awful since coming back. No idea how he started after how bad he was on Thursday, and how in a match we need to win, down a goal, Klopp thinks he should stay on the pitch instead of Diaz. Just an embarrassing set of performances from the whole side pretty much since the international break. No energy, no passion. Just so frustrating to see the Klopp era end so pathetically.

Wrexham are officially promoted again as well, going to League One. I would imagine they're not going to be able to get promoted again next season, as I don't think financially they'll be able to spend like they'd need to in order to get promoted. But who knows!

Newcastle 1-3 Tottenham (Sat 12.30pm, TNT) Brentford 1-0 Sheff Utd (Sat 3pm) Nottm Forest 1-2 Wolves (Sat 3pm) Bournemouth 2-1 Man Utd (Sat 5.30pm, Sky) Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa (Sun 4.30pm, Sky) @Baddarmade a last minute change to Spurs/Newcastle that will probably mean my original score ends up the actual result, but wanted to make sure I let you know of the change.