Premier League 2019/20

[FestiveJack]

Arsenal issued a statement distancing themselves from Ozil's comments about China's Uighur genocide - that chain of restaurants must be really profitable...

[Benjamin]

Sigh. Unfortunately they're just like every other sports entity, China is just way too big a market and sports is ultimately a business, they're all too chickenshit to take a proper stand. 

[Adam]

All aboard the Big Dunc Express, as our 5-1-2-2 formation baffles Man Utd into submission. At least we have...4 strikers and 2 full backs on the bench!

How bad can your luck be to have five out of six central midfielders injured at the same time?

[Kyle]

Going into the break leading a game two weeks in a row, against Chelsea and Man United? Viva La Big Dunc.  

 

Fuck it, if you'd have told me a few weeks ago that we'd get 4 points from Chelsea and United, I'd have bitten your hand off. Moise Kean being subbed on and off again was odd though.

[Colly]

 

[Gazz]

Done Chinese Arsenal fans a favour

[Moses Julep]

It's nice that Mezut Ozil has decided to publicly denounce a genocidal dictatorship, but it would be nice if he hadn't had a genocidal dictator as his best man at his wedding.

[FLiam]

We suck. 

[Lineker]

Quote

Arsenal executives were pictured leaving Mikel Arteta’s house early on Monday morning in a sign that their quest to fill the vacant head coach role is gathering speed.

The club’s chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, and director of football operations, Huss Fahmy, were seen getting into a car outside Arteta’s Manchester home at around 1.20am on Monday, in a strong indication that Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of the former Gunners captain.

Arteta is Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and had, a few hours previously, sat in the Emirates Stadium dugout as City beat Arsenal 3-0. He came close to succeeding Arsène Wenger last May, appearing bound for the role before Unai Emery was chosen late on in the process, but Arsenal appear to be preparing to offer him the top job this time around.

Arsenal had been looking to take their time over replacing Emery, who was sacked two and a half weeks ago, and appointed Freddie Ljungberg on an interim basis with a view to giving the Swede until May. But Ljungberg has won just one of his five games in charge and has urged the club to make a quick decision on the job’s long-term holder.

He is working with a skeleton coaching staff and said after the City defeat that “a decision has to be made so that we can have the same resources as other clubs”. The photos from the early hours of Monday morning suggest a sudden change of approach from Ljungberg’s bosses.

Pep Guardiola, with whom Arteta has worked since 2016, did little to douse speculation that Arsenal were once more pursuing Arteta when – also speaking on Sunday – he said: “What happens will happen.”

Arteta joined Arsenal from Everton in 2011 and retired at the end of the 2015-16 season. He has never made a secret of his ambition to be a top manager. Speaking in 2014, he outlined his commitment to playing “expressive, entertaining” football and said: “I’m 100% convinced of those things, and think I could do it.”

[DavidMarrio]

Ancelotti has agreed to become Everton manager apparently. Which is a big coup for them so fair play! 

I give it 7 months before he becomes Everton'ed 

[Adam]

Lots of conflicting reports at the moment on just how far talks have gone, if they've gone anywhere. But he must be the first choice now, no offence to people like Arteta and Howe, but if Ancelotti is at all interested we need to drive a bus up to his house and dump whatever he wants at his door.

[FestiveJack]

Ancelotti at Everton whilst Arsenal chase Arteta is fucking hilarious.

[FLiam]

I’m all in for Arteta to be honest. I’d rather him than an Ancelotti or Allegri at this point.

It can’t get any worse, give a younger guy a chance, get behind him, give him time and let’s see what happens. I think the majority of the fan base will have more patience with somebody like Arteta than they would with Ancelotti. Appointing Arteta sends more of a signal that this is going to be a long-term “project” whereas an established coach simply screams short-term panic.

We have Everton on Saturday as well. Could see two new managers in each dugout.

[Tigerstyle]

7 hours ago, Liam Mk2 said:

I’m all in for Arteta to be honest. I’d rather him than an Ancelotti or Allegri at this point.

It can’t get any worse, give a younger guy a chance, get behind him, give him time and let’s see what happens. I think the majority of the fan base will have more patience with somebody like Arteta than they would with Ancelotti. Appointing Arteta sends more of a signal that this is going to be a long-term “project” whereas an established coach simply screams short-term panic.

We have Everton on Saturday as well. Could see two new managers in each dugout.

Yeah but Arsenal, much like Man Utd are currently in post legend panic, they hierarchy are probably not willing to give managers much time right now

[Gazz]

9 hours ago, Liam Mk2 said:

I’m all in for Arteta to be honest. I’d rather him than an Ancelotti or Allegri at this point.

It can’t get any worse, give a younger guy a chance, get behind him, give him time and let’s see what happens. I think the majority of the fan base will have more patience with somebody like Arteta than they would with Ancelotti. Appointing Arteta sends more of a signal that this is going to be a long-term “project” whereas an established coach simply screams short-term panic.

We have Everton on Saturday as well. Could see two new managers in each dugout.

Ancelotti does one half for each team and then decides who he wants to manage.

[stokeriño]

Becoming Everton manager does line up in one weird way, considering that Ancelotti's last run in English football ended in one of the corridors at Goodison Park.

[Lineker]

Overall Premier League table of the decade
	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts	PPG
Manchester City	378	249	65	64	500	812	2.148
Manchester United	377	218	87	72	313	741	1.966
Chelsea	377	218	80	79	331	734	1.947
Liverpool	377	204	92	81	309	704	1.867
Tottenham	377	205	84	88	115	699	1.854
Arsenal	378	205	85	88	267	700	1.852
Everton	378	149	113	116	70	560	1.481
Sheffield United	17	6	7	4	5	25	1.471
Leicester City	207	85	49	73	36	304	1.469
Southampton	283	92	80	111	-28	356	1.258
Stoke City	323	99	94	130	-102	391	1.211
Newcastle	321	105	73	143	-100	388	1.209
Crystal Palace	245	80	52	113	-60	292	1.192
West Ham	339	104	91	144	-99	403	1.189
Swansea	266	82	66	118	-77	312	1.173
Bournemouth	169	52	40	77	-69	196	1.160
West Brom	304	85	87	132	-90	342	1.125
Wolves	149	41	42	66	-63	165	1.107
Blackburn Rovers	94	27	22	45	-42	103	1.096
Bolton Wanderers	96	28	19	49	-50	103	1.073
Watford	169	48	37	84	-84	181	1.071
Burnley	187	52	42	93	-96	198	1.059
Fulham	209	57	50	102	-111	221	1.057
Wigan Athletic	133	33	39	61	-85	138	1.038
Brighton	93	23	27	43	-49	96	1.032
Blackpool	38	10	9	19	-23	39	1.026
Sunderland	284	69	84	131	-125	291	1.025
Birmingham City	56	12	21	23	-32	57	1.018
Norwich City	169	42	44	83	-109	170	1.006
Aston Villa	263	63	75	125	-151	264	1.004
Hull City	132	29	31	72	-95	118	0.894
Cardiff City	76	17	13	46	-69	64	0.842
QPR	114	22	26	66	-84	92	0.807
Portsmouth	18	3	5	10	-18	14	0.788
Middlesbrough	38	5	13	20	-26	28	0.737
Reading	38	6	10	22	-30	28	0.737
Huddersfield Town	76	12	17	47	-84	53	0.697

Premier League stats of the decade: Most points, goals and money spent

In other news, Neil Shipperley sentenced for public masturbation

[DavidMarrio]

I like how the bottom article is tagged in with stats about the decade

[Chris2K]

When I went to Selhurst Park many years ago they had a wall of one of the suites covered in images of Shipperley scoring the winning goal in the 2004 Playoff final. I imagine they've been taken down now.

[stokeriño]

Still room for some changes in that table. For example, if Chelsea won their last three games of the year and United lost their's, they would pip them to 2nd.

This will absolutely NOT HAPPEN, but it was at least an easy example to pick out (since the # of games played match).

Edit: oh, actually Arsenal and Spurs are basically neck and neck. Drama!