Premier League — Matchweek 17

BIG game tonight, let's hope the Spuds do us a favour?

Here's this weeks games.

I'll indicate my preferences with a team in bold to Win, or a draw with a (D) at the end of the fixture.

FRIDAY 15TH DECEMBER

Nottingham Forest 20:00 Tottenham Hotspur

SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER

AFC Bournemouth 15:00 Luton Town (D)

Chelsea 15:00 Sheffield United (D)

Manchester City 15:00 Crystal Palace

Newcastle United 15:00 Fulham (D)

Burnley 17:30 Everton

SUNDAY 17TH DECEMBER

Arsenal 14:00 Brighton & Hove Albion

Brentford 14:00 Aston Villa

West Ham United 14:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Liverpool 16:30 Manchester United (D)

I'm hoping for a lot of tactical draws. (Some unlikely) Let's see how tonight goes first.

THIS... IS... EVERTON!!

Well in! Richie with a near post header, against one of the dirtiest teams in the league.

I honestly don't know how Forest get away with so many fouls in so many matches.

Yes, well in, Richie, we still love you.

Can't say that about many ex-players!

Barry, could you remind me again of who the owner of Forest is please? Therein lies the answer to your question...

Forest equalise, that goal has been coming, two dreadful teams but Spurs had decided to defend their 1-0.

Now they will have to attack again, but the passing has been very poor – like the referee's performance.

Offside, the VAR took a long time, but it was pretty clear.

0-2 Kulusevski. Great finish blasted at the goalie's head.

Yes, I pulled the trigger too quick there but take nothing back from what I wrote.

Spurs escaped and went on the attack and scored, something they hadn't been doing.

Bissouma off. One bad challenge that.

Udogie and Bisouma miss our game.

Stu, Spurs will miss them. We will get chances against them too, they don't look properly organised at times defensively. And we're not too shabby away from home!

How on earth do the Forest fans think that was a penalty, after Williams jumped into Udogie?

Form is great, Tony. We're going on a European tour and to Wembley twice

I see Arteta has got away with his comments vs Newcastle.

And so did the incredibly poor officials who took the piss out of Arsenal, during that game Steve.

Agreed Tony, just pointed it out as its one rule for some...

Yes officials were dire..

Spurs did us a big favour there. Hopefully Man City do us another one tomorrow. Then it's up to us. Massive game.

After tomorrow, the rest of this month is really going to stretch us. Fingers crossed…

Liverpool v Everton at Anfield in 2022, Gordon denied a clear penalty, and when Lampard said it would have been given at the other end for Liverpool, especially in front of the kop, he was fined £30.000. Eighteen months later Everton get a player sent off for two book-able offenses, and when the same thing happens to a Liverpool player, the difference which Lampard had been fined for complaining about, was shown to be perfectly true, when the ref never brandished a second yellow, which allowed Klopp the time to take his very, very, very fucking fortunate player off the pitch. Did Lampard get his money back? Did he fuck. I know what you meant Steve!!

Forest in trouble. There's often a team that hits a slump after a bright start. I remember Hull a fair few seasons ago.

Let's just look after ourselves. I like the "One rule for 6, another for the 14" banner.

Loud and proud blues.

Fans beam messages at Premier League HQ

Tony [18], Well said, Sir!

Maybe TW members could do a collective memory whipround, and bring up all the perceived injustices to the club, and the blatant one rule for 6 (7? NUFC) and one rule for the rest!

Then mail the compendium to Everton and their legal team, and demonstrate to the PGMOL and the Premier League just how non-egalitarian their League actually is. Oh, and of course a copy in the DCS&M to try and hurry up the government's Independent Regulator.

As a quick aside re [1] One done, nine to go.

Danny [19],

I liked the Premier League logo showing (what I think is) the Banksy look-a-like rat.

I had a thought about a banner with two footballs on it.

One on the left showing an old 'stripe-panel' football with an old-fashioned boot on top (like the ball had been trapped) on a piece of slightly uneven turf, or different (slightly) lengths of blades of grass, with the heading: "Before the Premier League".

Then on the right, a heading "Since the Premier League". With a new style "Pentagram-panel" football, but where all the 'black panels' are actually holes with rats tails and arses going into one, a rats head sticking out of one, with little hands holding some cheese, and one with a hand sticking out waiting to take a wad of £-notes being passed to the hand. I think you get the point. (Oh and maybe a wad of money going into a 'black hole'?)

With the whole football made to look like a mouldering ball of cheese. with crumbs tumbling off with the ball on a table high on one side, and slanting sharply down the other (showing how uneven the competition is) with a wedge of money stopping the ball from rolling down the table.

Then, for the final 'point' have 13-14 mice at the bottom of the low end of the table trying to catch tumbling crumbs.

I hope that's clear, but it's hard to explain in words, and I'm no graphic designer or creative-artist... I wish I was to be honest. (In this case.)

Luton up 1-0 against Bournmouth there is no conspiracy there is there

Jimenez straight red for Fulham, think that mean he misses the League Cup match?

doesn't VAR ruin a game City score and it takes 3 min for var to say it is ok Takes all the excitement out of goal scoring.

Vomit inducing every week, magpies are the new rs, fact.

Neil, looks like Jimenez will miss the cup game….

“Unlike yellow cards, a ban from a red card will apply to all domestic competitions but it doesn't carry over to UEFA tournaments.”

Could Ross B and Andros T please behave themselves, apparently runnung the game for the hatters

Suffering Catfish!! Why did Chelsea and the barcodes wake up? At least Bournemouth have equalised!

Good news that, Tony

Scary stuff at Bournemouth, Luton defender Lockyer apparently collapsed, match suspended at the moment. Best wishes to him, hope he'll be okay.

Any more news on Lockyer, Neil?

Just that he was attended to by paramedics on the field then stretchered off.

Apparently en route to hospital and conscious

Thanks Neil, match abandoned.

Apparently, Lockyer has passed medical checks at the stadium, the hospital trip is for further investigations and is purely precautionary. - BBC

Flippen 'eck! Last kick of the game at Palace, Foden on Olise. Olise converted the Penalty himself.

Palace equalised, bollox

Officials doing their best to aid Villa again.

Ricky, in truth Villa didn't need any help. Good win for them. Thought Brentford played OK.

It's good to see the three I wanted to win do so today, especially after the tactical draws not coming off y'day.

At least the rs and Utd are still drawing!

However...

For me personally, the best news is that the following presser has been released by Sky Sports News (SSN):

""Luton captain Tom Lockyer remained in hospital undergoing tests and scans on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during Saturday's abandoned match at Bournemouth.

Following Lockyer's collapse at the Vitality Stadium that halted play in the second half of the Premier League contest, the Hatters had confirmed the 29-year-old was "responsive" before being taken to hospital and in a "stable" condition.

An update from the club on Sunday read: "Tom is still undergoing tests and scans, and is awaiting the results before the next steps for his recovery are determined.

"We understand that supporters are concerned for him and that there is widespread media interest in his condition.

"We all want the very best for Tom, his partner Taylor and the whole Lockyer family, and politely ask that his and their privacy is respected at this difficult time.""

From SSN... as above.

Lockyer collapsed in the 58th minute of the match, which was eventually abandoned.

I wish Tom, his family and anyone and everyone affected by this incident, all the very best.

I hope Tom has a complete and speedy recovery.

Maybe and just maybe our curse has gone to Anfield. Here's hoping.

Man Utd played a lot like Everton yesterday except Everton took their chances and United had three good chances in the second half but fluffed them.

United had a player sent off for protesting too hard over a throw-in, it looked to me as though the ball hit Salah going out so the throw-in should have been United's.

First game Liverpool have dropped points at Anfield this season, it's their home form keeping them up where they are. Maybe if they had Everton's away form, they would be in a much better position, although I haven't checked that.

Dave A, you're right – first points dropped at home by Liverpool this season. Away form: 4W 4D 1L.

I've enjoyed reading your thoughts about the game yesterday. I'm definitely in the "Harrison is a positive to the squad" camp.

As for the Chelsea game, he ran his socks off and was knackered before the end and got subbed. Also, the stats bear this out, he is much more comfortable of the left, but he is doing some job on our right.

Though in the Barcodes game, it was noticeable how much he and Dwight kept interchanging between the 11 and 10 position (in old money!). Hehe.

Well done, Everton - the only Premier League team currently, to have won their last 4 games.

My son and I said that, Dave. Man Utd were set up like Dyche's Everton and could have stolen it.

I have often said, there is nothing wrong with possession as long as you do something with it.

At the moment, we don't have much possession, but when we go forward, we do so with intent.

Had to laugh at Klipperty and Peg Leg "only one team came to play" and yet the BBC's own figures had the keeper and centre half as the top rated performers... looks like they were busy enough.

After having 7 put on them last time, Man Utd weren't going to be expansive.

Derek (44),

It always amazes me that opposing teams don't play on Van Dijk when breaking and attacking Liverpool. I watched yesterday and with the left-back caught upfield, the Man Utd players on the right always came inside Van Dijk instead of going past him on the outside.

His pace has gone, it was a lot easier going past him on the outside and in on goal. I don't think many teams have done this. Maybe Saka will next game!

Nice post, Simon @36.

What most be devastating for Tom is the fact that it happened before and seemed mended.

I know most of us like to moan about the modern game but incidents like this show the best of it. The medical treatment and the reaction of players and supporters everywhere.

"Everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup...

Pep Guardiola's side qualified for the tournament having been named Champions of Europe for the first time in our history.

With an expanded format to follow in 2025, our success has also guaranteed our place in that tournament"

Sounds like a rehash of a European Super League to me. Apparently the Premier League has raised objections.

It is supposed to start on 19 December. Has anyone any information? If this is true, Man City can tell the Premier League to get stuffed and Everton will once again be the sole victim of punishment with a made-up rule. The Premier League should put a section in its Handbook titled 'Made Up Rules for Everton and no-one else'. Could shorten it to 'Oumar Naisse Rules' – We would all get that...

Ah it all makes sense now. The whale and Nuno have matching beards.

And Lockyer of Luton is now at home recovering. Yay.

Get fecking in!

This wasn't in the script.

Gabby's in my fantasy-team as well, nice one.

How is that not a penalty to Liverpool?

twats

Shane, they've had more pens already this season than Everton get in 10 seasons.

I'm not sure what that has to do with my question Joe. I'd also guess it's not true.