The 2025-2026 Football Thread

[TumbleDryer]

Remember Barcelona were 30 seconds away from the final last year and they have a relatively easy run to the final here. They can beat anyone on their day but the defence is not as solid as last season.

 

[daneoni]

So much for Villa winning the league...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Ekitike off to an early start against the Hammers. With Wirtz still out the forwards will need to show more creativity as a unit.

So much for Villa winning the league...

Even the 'bad' teams in the league have some real quality, and while Wolves have been terrible in terms of points accumulated, a lot of their losses have been one-goal affairs. So they have the odd win in them against even a top 6 side. Villa fans have spent much of the season feeling ignored despite their high league position. But actually finishing in that position is very difficult. It ain't over till it's over. And history suggests they will not finish in the top 3.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So much for Villa winning the league...

Ekitike off to an early start against the Hammers. With Wirtz still out the forwards will need to show more creativity as a unit.


Even the 'bad' teams in the league have some real quality, and while Wolves have been terrible in terms of points accumulated, a lot of their losses have been one-goal affairs. So they have the odd win in them against even a top 6 side. Villa fans have spent much of the season feeling ignored despite their high league position. But actually finishing in that position is very difficult. It ain't over till it's over. And history suggests they will not finish in the top 3.

Well, we would do well to remember just how much we struggled against Wolves all too recently.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The bad: Liverpool leaking two goals again. That’s too many. Wirtz is still out. The goals came in the second half, so the foot came off the gas.

The good: MacAllister is improving. Frimpong is back and is making a difference. The performance was a step up over the match against Forest.

The improvement is slow, but the trajectory is positive. Quansah is looking really good for Leverkusen at the moment…I questioned the timing of that sale and still do now.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The bad: Liverpool leaking two goals again. That’s too many. Wirtz is still out. The goals came in the second half, so the foot came off the gas.

The good: MacAllister is improving. Frimpong is back and is making a difference. The performance was a step up over the match against Forest.

The improvement is slow, but the trajectory is positive. Quansah is looking really good for Leverkusen at the moment…I questioned the timing of that sale and still do now.

All bad from where I sit. 3 corners all leading to goals. Not good enough.

 

[Bodhitree]

5 goals for Liverpool, including ones for Van Dijk and Gakpo. That’s not too shabby.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

All bad from where I sit. 3 corners all leading to goals. Not good enough.

It was a genuinely improved performance from ‘Pool and they earned the win, but the scoreline was flattering. West Ham had some good chances beyond their goals. Set piece defense was the biggest issue for the Hammers.

It’s looking like a real dogfight for 3rd and 4th. If any of the contenders lose two matches in a a row, even Brentford could be sniffing around the top four.

 

[Bodhitree]

Yes, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool are all contending. It seems likely that one of those four will be playing in the Europa League, though I’m not sure how the Conference League places are sorted out in England.

I’ve been trying out Apple’s Sports app, and I have to say I quite like it. No adds, and not many bells and whistles, but good coverage of the UEFA leagues and the larger European competitions, even including Portugal but not the Netherlands, Belgium or Turkey. I ended up turning off the live notifications, found it too annoying, I’m happy just to see the summary of the scores and then you can dig in deeper per match to see the scorers, who played and some statistics about the match.

I’ve set it up to follow the top teams of the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, which most hold my interest. The Bundesliga and the French Ligue 1 I am not so familiar with. So for me it’s good to be able to see at a glance the matches of the top teams in the leagues I like, and then be able to examine the table and today’s scores for the leagues I follow.

It’d be perfect if it also followed the Dutch Eredivisie, but you can’t have everything I guess.

 

[Bodhitree]

Arsenal v Chelsea should be a good game today, Arsenal trying to keep their two point lead over Manchester City and Chelsea wanting to stay close to the Champions League places. Both teams highly motivated!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Apparently post-Amorim Man Utd have become invincible, and Carrick is the new Ferguson…though I remember having this exact reaction to OGS….

 

[Apple fanboy]

At least Forest lost (from a West Ham perspective). So no worse of than we were, but running out of games.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Apparently post-Amorim Man Utd have become invincible, and Carrick is the new Ferguson…though I remember having this exact reaction to OGS….

I wish him well. It’s a difficult team to manage. The expectations are 3 trophies a season and that wasn’t even what they achieved on average under AF.

 

[Silencio]

Carrick keeps rolling, though it wasn't exactly a vintage United performance today. 3rd place feels pretty good.

That midweek match at Newcastle is going to be tricky, especially if Shaw is out injured.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Apparently 2-1 to the home team is the way to go today. 4 results all the same.

Spurs lose again. But so did Forest and West Ham this weekend, so no worse off.

Arsenal can breathe a sigh of relief and go another week loosing no ground to City

 

[daneoni]

All EPL games today finished 2-1 to the home side.
Chelsea's disciplanry issues continue.
Spurs suffer some dodgy referring decisions and are truly in a relegation battle
Utd ride their luck and get some serious good fortune
Welbeck is still a good EPL striker at 35yrs of age.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A content Gunner, this evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If Gianni Infantino has been remotely capable of feeling any degree of embarrassment (which he hasn't), he would be - or should be - burning under a hot rush, a veritable deluge of, a tsunami of, pure shame (which he isn't).

 

[Bodhitree]

Well. Over a season Chelsea prove to be a lesser team than Arsenal, so what is the World Club Championship trophy in their cabinet worth, exactly?

 

[daneoni]

Goes to show how important Palmer was for them last season. If he is not scoring they're significantly nerfed which points a question mark to their recruitment. Despite £2.5bn in spending.

Tbf to them they were missing key players (Fofana, Cucurella, Estevao)

Re - Infantino. I've just defaulted to ignoring anything he says after his clown show with the Qatar WC "I feel..." speech

Blatter was more palatable to listen to and that says something since Blatter was just as corrupt.

 

[Alphazoid]

That was nervy but job done. At this point I don’t care how we do it. But just get the 3 points.

I do have some sympathy for the players and manager. I don’t think any team in the Premier League era has had this much pressure win a title. Not even LFC in 2020.
Arteta and the boys are getting it from all sides. Pundits, rival players and managers, rival fans and even our own fans. And on top of that, everything we do is damned if you do or don’t. Some were waiting to pounce when Chelsea had a disallowed goal.
It’s crazy. I don’t envy them. But they’re getting paid handsomely so…

I’m worried about the Brighton game because it’s away, and it’s a quick turnaround on Wed.

I just hope we get to the Etihad game still ahead. If we do, I think we win the title. If not, then we need divine intervention. If City get ahead at any point I think it’s over.

I don’t think the Carabao matters either way. If we lose it’ll set a fire of motivation. If we win it’ll set a fire of motivation. Only difference will be anger vs elation.

The Etihad game is the crucial one as much as I didn’t want it to be so. I hope West Ham and/or Chelsea do something against City…but they likely won’t.

 

[Apple fanboy]

That was nervy but job done. At this point I don’t care how we do it. But just get the 3 points.

I do have some sympathy for the players and manager. I don’t think any team in the Premier League era has had this much pressure win a title. Not even LFC in 2020.
Arteta and the boys are getting it from all sides. Pundits, rival players and managers, rival fans and even our own fans. And on top of that, everything we do is damned if you do or don’t. Some were waiting to pounce when Chelsea had a disallowed goal.
It’s crazy. I don’t envy them. But they’re getting paid handsomely so…

I’m worried about the Brighton game because it’s away, and it’s a quick turnaround on Wed.

I just hope we get to the Etihad game still 5 pts clear. If we do, I think we win the title. If not, then we need divine intervention. If City get ahead at any point I think it’s over.

I don’t think the Carabao matters either way. If we lose it’ll set a fire of motivation. If we win it’ll set a fire of motivation. Only difference will be anger vs elation.

The Etihad game is the crucial one as much as I didn’t want it to be so. I hope West Ham and/or Chelsea do something against City…but they likely won’t.

Trust me. I hope West Ham do something against City more!

 

[daneoni]

That was not a good result for Liverpool...

At this rate may have to win the UCL to be in it next season.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Could Wolves finish above Burnley? Academic I know but there is pride at stake.

Good for West Ham that Burnley and Leeds lost, but it’s Forest we need to slip up. Just hoping we can beat Fulham tomorrow.

 

[daneoni]

They've hit form so its possible.