According to reports, Paulo Xavier has left his role as Real Madrid’s Latin America scout to join Arsenal. Timely bit of news considering the debate on here about edu not using his Brazil connections to bring us many talented SA youngsters

No I didn’t. But agree with him that you must be about 10 years old. When Rice has performed for 5+ seasons, maybe we’ll talk again!

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-paul-merson-transfers-szoboszlai-30951172.amp

Football pundit Paul Merson has lauded Liverpool new boy Dominik Szoboszlai and claims that the midfielder is the best signing any Premier League side made this summer

So Liverpool got a big one in their favour due to the rank inconsistency of officials. Its a shame we don't ever seem to benefit from these margin 50/50 calls, or at least the balance is heavily skewed. If the mistakes are just random why do we rarely benefit, or if we do where are the examples?
What decisions this season have had our opponents seething that Arsenal got away with one (penalty, red card or goal) where the decision could have gone one way or the other - 'seen them given' type ones?

Often its small things, even at the weekend, plenty of opportunity to book Milner for multiple fouls on Saka, Ben White then takes the first yellow card of the game and the ref was absolutely not going to book Mitoma for the same type of foul on Saka until the crowd and Arteta started making such a big deal over it. The crowd did the refs job for him.

Of course I don't believe refs are going out there thinking I am purposely going to try to make Arsenal lose this game, but there is something there with certain teams and players. Are we to believe that any of England's leading internationals and the prem's highest profile players would have taken 2 yellow cards in the way Dalot did? That's not mistakes, it is treating players differently. if Kane were still in the league I doubt he'd get 1 yellow for that, or if he had got the first it would have been a talking to at worst after that.

By the way Ash is right and certainly not deserving of divvy comments in that we have never had a player like Declan Rice before, certainly not in my Arsenal supporting life. Not saying he’s better than Vieira by any means but in terms of what he brings to the team it’s kind of unique.

His skill set seems to sit somewhere between Vieira and Roy Keane (fractionally closer to Keanes I’d say) but Patrick had Gilberto or Petit to cover him where as Rice seems to run our midfield practically single handed flanked by 2 number 10s in Ødegaard and Havertz. Yet despite this he still seems to add value in attacking areas. He just doesn’t waste the ball at all and also doesn’t seem to make errors and his temperament and timing considering he makes so many tackles is remarkable. Only 1 yellow all season.

We’ve had solid defensive midfield types like Davis, Williams and Richardson and cultured midfield players like Thomas and cazorla but never a player with such a specific quality.

I think our midfield 3 are starting to click but Rice is absolutely paramount to the success we are having controlling games.

I would not be surprised to see Man Utd drop points at West Ham. Everton have 4 wins on the trot. That point deduction has put a fire under them. So, I am hoping they can take points at Tottenham.

I like Villa. I'd love it it if they finished 2nd to us in the league.

Some other bits of news.

Apparently Brentford and Palace are keen on Nketiah, Arsenal want £40m. I'd definitely take that as long as we replace him.

Xhaka will be coming back to watch an Arsenal game v West Ham (Germany have their winter break) - a chance to say goodbye to the players and staff. Hopefully enough of the crowd know he's there too so they can thank him too

There is always some luck in how the fixtures play out depending on who you meet and what form they are in. We played Everton pre points deduction and got a 1-0 win at their place, a result with their form right now that any team in the league would bite your hand off for, they are flying now.

As it stands Arsenal, City, Liverpool are the 3 favourites to go right to the end, but after that Spurs and Villa are clear from the rest because both have shown that even with players missing they have the system set up to win games and other players can slot in. Big injuries and fatigue will be vital for all of those teams

I definitely agree on the assessment of who the favorites are. The surprise is who is not in there and Newcastle comes to mind. I saw a podcast they are having trouble trying to navigate CL football and the EPL because the level of play is much higher in the CL than the Europa, for example that they can't rotate players as much and they have play harder. I don't know if there is any veracity in that but it sounds logical.

I love Nketiah. I'd like to see him stay in London as I assume his family would prefer that. 40 million is a nice amount and I can't see Arteta not buying for that position. I think Nketiah has got a good future in the league at this level. He won't be Henry but no one is expecting that. I was hoping Willock would be better for Newcastle as well. Liked him.

On the Nketiah thing the reason why there may be some truth behind it is the same reason Chelsea are looking to sell Connor Gallagher in that FFP has some strange rule that selling academy players is considered pure profit and frees up space to sign other new players on amortised contracts.

For me Eddie to Brentford makes sense. Would get the minutes he wants and we can upgrade our forward line.

He’s had too many CBD gummies then.

Some other bits of news.

Apparently Brentford and Palace are keen on Nketiah, Arsenal want £40m. I'd definitely take that as long as we replace him.

Xhaka will be coming back to watch an Arsenal game v West Ham (Germany have their winter break) - a chance to say goodbye to the players and staff. Hopefully enough of the crowd know he's there too so they can thank him too

Exactly. If we sold Nketiah for £40m that is £40m pure profit in the plus column of balancing the books. In theory you could then sign a player for £200m on a 5 year deal in the minus side of the column because the £200m is amortised over the length of the contract to only count as £40m this season - so books are balanced for FFP.
Obviously you keep having 4 x more £40m in the minus column for the next 4 years which you have to balance, but it shows a simplified way clubs are being creative with their spending. The same would be true (or similar) for a player who's initial transfer fee has essentially already been paid off over the length of their initial contract.

Alright. Two more games for Liverpool and they lose Salah and Endo for January. Hopefully that sinks them whatever happens Saturday.

https://x.com/afc_glen/status/1737520316270756289?s=46&t=fkwaCrtFB5yR-j6VVZXEoA

On his 4 year anniversary a look back at Arteta’s first interview as head coach - as it was then, before a change of title to manager. Looking back he was clear and he’s followed every word, there is no cliche, he had a plan he was going to do it his way.

We need those trophies but Arteta has completely changed the direction of this club, we were nowhere, rudderless, he’s flipped it completely. We are a serious destination for every top player in the world. The list of changes he’s made are crazy. Maybe in some downtime I’ll write down all my thoughts on it