Gamethread 11/2-3

candylandriots

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Not sure how many of you care about the Bundesliga, but at 1:30 eastern today will be the first league Berlin derby in a long, long time. Should be a lot of fun. It was pretty much impossible to get tickets for it, so I’ll be watching on tv.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum midfield for Liverpool today, Fabinho sits as he's a booking away from a 1 match suspension with City coming next weekend.
 

Tuff Ghost

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Ozil starting today for Arsenal vs. Wolves. Interestingly, it is at the expense of Pepe, I was thinking it would be for Ceballos.

Guendouzi and Torreira paired together, which I think every Arsenal fan in the world has been hoping for. Xhaka’s meltdown last weekend may be a blessing in disguise.
 

Section30

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Man U. looks like a mid to low table minnow. Bournemouth took it to them most of the game.

Time to change the manager?
 

lars10

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Arsenal look like a lineup that has never played together.. because I think this is the first time this lineup has played together.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Firmino ruled offside there... ok

If he's not flagged initially, hard to see the goal not standing. Not sure what compelled him to be flagged given the leniency they've been showing on those initial offside 50/50s

Mane rightly given a booking for a dive, but no look at Salah getting pulled back by Engels with two hands
 
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SocrManiac

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I can’t wrap my brain around the EPL implementation of VAR. It’s al most intentionally useless.

Of course, Serie A’s implementation of it, coupled with the new handball rule, might end De Ligt’s career before Christmas.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Best part is if he scores with the part of the arm they designate offside and a goal-scoring part of the body, it'd be overturned for handball
 

SocrManiac

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Just saw a replay of Mane’s yellow. He’s a diver and that’s a reputation yellow, but isn’t the whole point of VAR to correct clear and obvious errors? His foot was stamped.
 

teddykgb

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The Firmino decision is just more VAR nonsense. The technology isn’t there to determine offside in such fine margins and it’s not at all the spirit of the rule. There’s no advantage gained by your shoulder being mm behind defender
 

OCST

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Man U. looks like a mid to low table minnow. Bournemouth took it to them most of the game.

Time to change the manager?
Credit to Bournemouth.

The league is just insane this year. Watford aside, anyone can/has beaten anyone. I have every confidence that City will find one or two goals here, but just that the Saints got an all-time asskicking at home last week and they're within sight of a win at City... bonkers.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Shame Salah got subbed off, if he'd been on when El Mohamady came on it almost certainly would've been the first instance of 3 Egyptians on a PL pitch at once
 

candylandriots

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Crappy week for me to have Lundstram on the bench. In fact, I totally should have used bench boost - my bench is outscoring my starters 26-23.
 

lars10

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The Firmino decision is just more VAR nonsense. The technology isn’t there to determine offside in such fine margins and it’s not at all the spirit of the rule. There’s no advantage gained by your shoulder being mm behind defender
Isn’t the spirit of the rule that if your shoulder is beyond the defender that that’s offside?
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Arsenal look like a lineup that has never played together.. because I think this is the first time this lineup has played together.
I mean, we can't complain that Ozil has not been in the premier league lineup all season and then when he's put in complain that the lineup has never played together before.
 

67YAZ

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Pulisic got the start today at Watford, alongside Willian, Mount, & Abraham. Pulisic has looked very good with his play making and passing today, didn’t really threatened the goal in the first half.
 

67YAZ

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Had the pause the match for a few...but hey hey! That's 4 in his last 2 matches! Remember when everyone was despairing about Pulisic's future 2 weeks ago? Seems a long time now.

His passing has been very creative and accurate today. A great all around showing.
 

candylandriots

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1-0 Union!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GK got a finger on it, but Polter put it away.

lots of stoppage time though.
 

67YAZ

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Someone on the Chelsea bench needs to yell out "back post!" so that they actually cover it.
 

67YAZ

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Oh so, so close for Watford at the death. Wow. Their keeper came up for the free kick, got a head on it, only to see Arriza push it off the line. Ooooofffff.
 

lars10

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I mean, we can't complain that Ozil has not been in the premier league lineup all season and then when he's put in complain that the lineup has never played together before.
I knew that came off wrong.. what I meant to say is this is the lineup we want to see I think.. just hope Emery doesn’t give up on it based off this game.. they looked like they were trying to figure out how to play with one another is all I meant
 

candylandriots

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Woooo it’s over! Huge win and major help for survival.

edit: 11 minutes of stoppage time if anyone else cares.
 
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lars10

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Woooo it’s over! Huge win and major help for survival.

edit: 11 minutes of stoppage time if anyone else cares.
11 minutes? What happened? A ton of injuries? Instead of VAR I think the ref should control a clock that everyone can see that stops every time there is any time wasting or injuries/"injuries". It's one of those things that I think allow for corruption that are just unnecessary at this point given all of the technology available.
 

candylandriots

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11 minutes? What happened? A ton of injuries? Instead of VAR I think the ref should control a clock that everyone can see that stops every time there is any time wasting or injuries/"injuries". It's one of those things that I think allow for corruption that are just unnecessary at this point given all of the technology available.
It was 11 minutes because just after halftime, the flares and fireworks were coming fast and heavy onto the field and they had to remove the players for safety reasons. It came from the Hertha end at first, and then later came from the rest of the stadium.

The Hertha fans did a nice job coordinating their blue and white stripes in their section. Union had some amazing art, including their iron man fighting a blue and white Medusa “Clash of the Titans” style.

I agree with you about the clock.

Thank you everyone for the kind words. It was a lot of fun and I hope that this continues for a long time. Maybe one day I will be able to get tickets for a game again too.
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
Jkempa, congrats. I had to go to Berlin a few times for my old job, but Hertha never really grabbed me as anything exciting. I'll have to catch a Union game next time I go back.