True, but does anybody really think losing twice to City in the league would not have a major impact on our progress? To get the poor league record against them off our back we need a draw at least in one of those games.

Danjuma was ready to sign on loan for Everton, Medical done, photo in the shirt, fees and wages agreed, ready to join them for training and his agent didn’t send the relevant papers to the FA because spurs came in with a very late offer….and now the player is a spurs player. Papers loving the chance to use the hijacking term again.

I love to put spurs down so won’t miss this opportunity. If you’ve left it that late that the player you want is all but putting on his training bib for another club it seems like a bit of an ill planned transfer at best, or a panic move at worst.
Not sure Danjuma plays ahead of any of Kane, Son, Kulesevski or Richarlison. What spurs really need is to ditch the 5 at the back that has them outnumbered in midfield every game and bring in some midfielders who are in some way vaguely technically proficient. They need lots of other things as that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A right winger isn’t solving much for them

They also want this Porro right wing back guy, €37m bid rejected so far.
It’s funny that spurs are buying players to suit the 5-2-3 formation Conte plays which is hugely outdated and could leave them left with a load of players unsuited to the new manager. A collection of wing backs not good enough to be full backs or wingers is a classic example

Wow, Everton has been in the top flight for 69 years.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hdl3x8yEVRk

Two draws would be absolutely fine. But, I think we are getting well ahead of ourselves with talk of winning the rest of our games. We are only half way through the season. Points will be dropped by both sides. Our lead could disappear very quickly. Remember the season when Man Utd were 8 points clear with 5 games left and they lost it. And that's not to mention the impact of injuries. We are in a great position but there's a very long way to go.

Lets see where we are when we've played 30 games.

People are getting carried away but it’s only natural because of the spectacular way we swept aside united and spurs. 2 absolutely amazing games. Honestly those games will live in the memory. Just superb.

Sunday topped any game I’ve attended at the emirates. Sheer joy

Indeed. And up to then, enjoy our brilliant team.

Now being linked with Onana at Everton. That move would make total sense and we are supposed to be in for a midfielder but I can’t see us spending 80 or 90 million in a January window.

Kind of the point I’m making. Of course I and no-one thinks we’ll win all our other games apart from the two City ones. My point was that a lot of talk is about Arsenal needing to beat City but the pressure is on City to beat us. 2 draws as you said would be fine.

Just seen the tackle from Son in the Fulham game. I say tackle but it’s more like a stamp over the ball to the Fulham players shin.

People say he’s not that type of player but that’s purely based on him getting away with it all the time. It becomes a cycle that gets worse each time. Gets away with a red card so the next one he’s given the benefit of the doubt because he’s not that type of player.

Son had 3 red cards a few years back, he avoided one last night and avoided one for elbowing Holding in the head before holding himself got sent off for two yellows v Son in the same game.

Compare the reds Son has avoided and the very harsh reds that Xhaka has got and the reputations that f each player should really be swapped.

Romero is another who somehow avoids reds, there was the farcical hair pull not given a red by var, and against us he could easily have gone for two yellows.

In the head to heads, it depends on the points gap. If we have the 8 point lead going into the first one, then City will be under more pressure. As the weeks go by, the pressure will probably be greater on us. It's been so long since we won the title, whereas City's players are doing it nearly every season.

It will be interesting how Arteta plans to deal specifically with Haaland. Anyone in the midfield and forward line are more than capable of scoring but he's special.

Everton now the third English club up for sale. Moshiri is selling for £500M. Fan protests must've gotten to him.

Maybe we should put in a bid so Chelsea ends up with them ?

Anyone buying this? Has some reasoning to it but......? Maybe its the cynic in me but I think they got him so we couldn't.

On the other hand, the longer the significant point gap lasts, the more pressure it will put on City. Pep is showing some signs of strain, and their priority will be the champs league.

Of course, the odds are good that they will get on one of their long winning runs and reel us in. But it doesn't feel as inevitable as it did when we first heard that Jesus was injured. Somehow, this time round it feels more convincing than it did the last couple of times we were on top of the league. I'd say its about 50/50 at the moment.

Ten Hag said he was happy with his sides defensive performance (despite conceding 3) and said Man U limited Arsenal to shots from distance……
Arsenal had 25 shots, 20 of them in the box, had an average shot distance from goal of 14.5m and scored two goals from the 6 yard box.

Nice one Eric

Imagine when Jesus got injured that we’d dipped in to the market and bought a striker who had just scored 6 goals in his first 6 games for us. That’s what Nketiah has done since the restart.
Goal v West Ham
Goal v Brighton
Very nearly got the winner v Newcastle
2 goals v Oxford in the cup
Could have scored a couple v spurs
2 goals v Man U including the 90th minute winner

If this was a new player he’d be an absolute hero to the fans. I think Nketiah is getting the credit he deserves now from the fans but it’s worth putting in to contest what he’s done.

Saliba walked the yellow card suspension tightrope for 9 premier league games. Fair play

Current rumor is Onana from Everton

Hi Dec,

Totally agree. As great as it feels to be top and as well as we are playing there is still half the season to go and the wheels could easily come off if we are hit with injuries to say Partey, Saka, Ødegaard or Xhaka. I'd put Zinchenko in that category as well as no one else in the squad can play the inverted LB role like he does. He might even be the most crucial player of all.

The PL is really tough, every game is a battle and every side possesses players who can hurt you even when you are dominating a game.

If the gap is still big with 10 games to go then start believing, but at the moment just enjoy the ride and be cautiously optimistic.

Put it this way, at this stage if I had to put my life savings on who I thought would win the PL I'd still go for City. They have the squad and the experience.

Clubs that have played both us and City say we are playing the best football, but I don't want us to get carried away. The first half told us we are not just a top 4 club in the league but at the high end of that top 4. We are at least, right now, one of the two best clubs.

City will tell us if we are title challengers. I wish the first game would have been a league game. I'd gladly give up the FA cup if we won and drew one in the league against City.

It could even be argued that on form at game time Man Utd were the best team in the league besides us. That on current form, it was harder to beat them after they had beaten City. Tough reasoning with them playing at home against City and playing us away. Reverse that and its a different result most likely.

Complicated situation with them being part way through building a new stadium.

Did anyone see that comment from moshiri that it wasn’t his decision to sack Lampard. Basically more fuel to the fire that the club is owned by usmanov indirectly

Chelsea have bid 55m for Moses caicedo and it’s been rejected and are now going back with a Bigger offer. Potter seemed to be making comments that they should offer 100 million for him I mean ffs

I mean is any of this not mental. Are the football authorities going to look at it.

There was a suggestion they are going back for Fernandez too.

I always thought Neville would have preferred us over City

Who cares?

Cédric to Fulham on loan is close. Would save us nearly £2m from his £100k a week wages

Agree. Nicely put by both.

That would be fitting.

Well supposedly it wasn't his choice. Hence Moshiri's sudden announcement club is up for sale, if Usmanov still connected in any remote way.

Like to see who takes over to complete this buildout.

There are fears Elneny’s knee injury is serious and could keep him out for the season - which may force us in to the market for a central midfielder.

I think we need one.
Trossard gives good attacking cover and Kiwior gives us options to rotate at the back. But in central midfield we’re now massively reliant on Partey/Xhaka/Ødegaard. Only really Ødegaard has cover in Emile Smith Rowe and Vieira. Lokonga hasn’t worked so far and looks like he needs a loan. Partey back up is non existent, if he was out I think we’d have to move Xhaka back there and use Emile Smith Rowe/Trossard in Xhaka’s role

I did read yesterday that Kiwior could possibly play defensive midfield. No idea how much experience he has of that though.

Can Ben White fill in ?

That sounds more promising than throwing in an untested player out of position.

Perhaps Zinchenko can cover Xhaka's position if necessary?

I always think it’s dangerous if you lose a first 11 player to then pluck other first 11 players out of their positions to fill the gaps.

In theory if Partey got injured (with Elneny out as well) you could move Xhaka to deep midfield, Zinchenko to Xhaka’s position and being in Tierney. But it feels like shuffling too many parts.

I don’t know about Ben White there, I prefer Xhaka for the ball progression ability.

Arsenal are likely to try hard for another central mid, remember when we thought Elneny would miss a fair chunk of the start of the season we went with 3 bids for Douglas Luiz at the end of the summer window. Well we’re in the same position now.

Tielemans is still there and easily obtainable, but you’d question why the club haven’t done it yet if they really wanted him. He’s also more Xhaka’s position than Partey.
Reading lots about making a big play for Declan Rice in the summer. He’d be excellent but West Ham won’t sell him mid season when they’re in a dog fight at the bottom.
Onana from Everton is another mentioned, huge guy, more of a screen that Partey’s all round game but could do a job

They will sign somebody there’s no way they will play the polish centre back in that position. Whilst he’s played there it was last season and all his recent games are at centre half. They aren’t moving Ben white either.

Got a feeling this guy might turn up despite our fans pissing his dad off

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-29043271


Would feel a bit meh though