OneMoSalah

Hes looking better every game I think. Today was a big game too, when we faded I'd say it was more to do with Kante-Jorginho perhaps not positionally being right without the ball as well as Ross but again its a learning curve, lets not forget we are 2 games into the season and theres plenty to learn yet. The game could have went so much differently if not for some dodgy finishing and good saves from both keepers/strikers.

Yeah perhaps some nerves but again, the ones he spilled he was very quick to react to and made up for it. Yeah the first one was generally poor defending. The cut backs caused a lot of problems in that 20-25 mins before half time where they edged into it, they had 3 other big chances they could have scored, if I was an Arsenal fan I'd be gutted that my team couldn't put any of them away because they were huge chances. I think Kepa will not be an outstanding GK straight away, hes been good, reliable in his 2 games but he still has to grow as a player and also physically I'd imagine he will undergo a programme to put on a bit of weight just for the difference in how much protection GKs maybe don't get as much as in Spain, needs a bit more I think, or even naturally in the long run he'll perhaps fill out a bit more.

I think Kante can score close to 10 goals this season if he keeps doing this third man runs. Really think his runs into the box caused Arsenal huge issues, fair enough eventually it gave us problems as they started to create overloads and caught players out of position but its a trait that can be used in certain moments of games. Really think hes going to be another level under Sarri because hes not having to labour for 2 players like he did most of last season,

Giroud playing for 15 minutes, I don't think he did any more than Morata, he had one chance and it was saved. Our pressing in general needs worked on still in some instances but promising signs don't think Morata not pressing was due to anything other than instructions at times, he spent a lot of time splitting the centre backs. Giroud cant be Morata and Morata cannot be Giroud as they are 2 different types of players, lets be frankly honest. Its like wanting Azpi to be Marcelo.

Great cameo. Few bits where he looked rusty maybe but everything else, you can see his technique, how comfortable he is defending, dribbling past folk etc. Big player for us when he gets upto speed a bit more because he can't be fully 100% in the tank yet.

Might get a bit of stick for the goals but I don't think its as bad as some may make out. More importantly, the defending needs to be looked at more. Jorginho playing as that deepest midfielder without the ball has got to be closer to the penalty spot in those situations. Centre backs just stood about too.

Yeah I'd agree, but for his 75 minutes he did well. Second half he wasn't great but he didn't have any clear cut opportunities and I think we took the foot off the gas a bit but still, like I said, room for improvement, had a decent effort from outside the box saved by Cech (anyone who watched him at Madrid know what he can capable of from 20 yards out so hopefully see a bit more of that too). Newcastle next in the league I believe? So hopefully see something similar if not better, I think it will build his confidence.

I think he means 2 good games out of 2.

Was very impressed with him actually, thought he defended well, set up the first goal too. I thought Bellerin's pace would of caused him a problem all game long and maybe for 20 minutes (think the whole team struggled there) it did but rest of the match he was solid.

Another decent game I thought. Goal too. Don't think hes finished yet, still room to get better, hopefully more to come.

He was decent, wouldn’t say outstanding but when Spurs had the ball he wasn’t very good defensively. Few decent forward passes but also gave it away. I think that you can see why a top club never took a gamble on him.

We are playing some great stuff but I think our defending has been very poor. Keeper could have maybe done a bit more with one of the goals but again the chance and chances they had created before the goals show that we have work to do. Jorginho could have been better positioned for the cutbacks I feel. Plus the Center back stood there like spare pricks. Kovacic and Hazard brilliant link up already.

Wait and see, they don't exercise the right to sign him. Only Chelsea. Just fucking sell some of these 38 loanees who will never make it. Business is business yeah but fucking hell, its getting beyond ridiculous now its only best that for some of these guys (Kalas, Piazon, Omeruo, Baba Rahmann, Miazga, Nathan, Kane, Blackman) to find an actual club who will want them to be part of their long term goal as opposed to "bargaining chips" or whatever the fuck they are being retained here for.

Especially hoping he can make that left side of our MF 3 his own. As much as I think Barkley has got fitter than hes ever been (so he says) and deserves a chance there is no comparison when you talk about genuine ability, its like chalk and cheese, honestly haven't been as excited about a player since the likes of Mata and Hazard.

It means one thing though, hes getting chances which after the countless Torres comparisons on the last 10 or 20 pages, is ironic because Torres didn't get chances. He'll get a few chances today I think, I've actually got a bet on him to score so lets see how that pans out haha.

Wait and see Napoli finish 4th or 5th under Carlo haha he'll be begging for him to come back. I think hes a good coach but again, like when he replaced Pep at Bayern, not the correct sort of replacement in my eyes. Not as intense too much of a ok go do what you want guy, where as Sarri is a really intense coach.

Daily Star... jesus christ... stopped reading after "That’s according to football club ownership expert James Montague." I'm sorry who? Does he work at Chelsea? Does he work for Abramovich? Who the fuck is he. Also "All they want to do is offload the club as quickly as possible and make their money back. They don’t actually think about the quality or the motivations of the people buying it.” what a load of shite, I bet Roman has had offers before, fuck off you dickhead. IF and big if, worse came to worse and he had to sell, yeah fair enough he'd make a profit on it I'm sure just because of how he has changed the club but he wouldn't sell us and not care as the guys making out. what a fucking tube.

Lets be honest. Mentality wise the guy never had it. There is a reason he went from the next big thing/next player to break through here at a top PL club, to a newly promoted PL club, to 3 championship clubs, Vitesse, and then back to another championship club in the space of 5 or 6 years. He never had the mentality for the big time. Look at other young players who have gone out on loan and come back or have been loaned out then sold, we've regretted some, guys like Matic, De Bruyne, Salah, even Chalobah who was 100 times the guy he was in terms of mentality and a much more rounded players. The fact hes saying shit like this, despite the fact hes playing at Brentford, says it all. Its not as if hes punching above his weight and outplaying the league, the guy is so average its unbelievable. He's 25 and his career has mounted to a pile of averageness but he wants to talk about regretting not going to Real Madrid lol, they probably have a worse record with youth than we do and you look at the young guys they discarded over the years. He never fit in at Swansea for whatever reason, fair enough but look at all his other loan spells he only really played at Vitesse and Middlesbrough and he went on loan 5 times.

Makes me wonder see if City signed Jorginho for Pep, would they say hes world class.... probably..

ESPN have some of the stupidest analysts/pundits I've ever seen on TV/social media. Honestly, "8th or 9th player I'd take out there team" the guy clearly has no understanding of football, he builds the play, dictates the tempo, hes like Busquets or Xavi at Barcelona in terms of their importance to the team. Footballers like these are so vital to modern day football.

Have to agree with the whole thing around the event and the talk of sulking etc but declining 60-70M from Barcelona doesn't really give us a leg to stand on. You don't turn that sort of money down because you believe hes important and then not look to bump up his terms to keep him do you?

I agree but don't think there's no hope for Morata, wouldn't say they are completely opposites. Lacazette is a great player though and everyone just thinks all he can do is score goals too, he always seems to know where to move, how to create space for himself, when to drop off and when to go in behind defences. Pity we never looked at him prior to moving to Arsenal he could have been a great alternative.

Brilliant performance against Real, cant remember the last time somebody has actually bullied Ramos and Varane in the manner he did (Messi has destroyed them time and time again but with finesse as opposed to what Costa did last night). Absolutely top drawer. Like previously mentioned above, Atletico have got a superb squad despite it being small and if everyone can remain fit they have every chance of winning something major this year. Everyone will say Griezmann is the main man for Atletico but I generally think that if Costa can play like that every week particularly in the bigger matches, it will undoubtedly be him who is the go to guy. Griezmann had an average world cup and although last night was one game looked pretty average if you ask me, although he is a superb player and its only one game in but I think Costa is more likely Atletico's go to man because he just embodies everything they are. I think Thomas Lemar will turn out to be an excellent signing for them, he reminds me of Malouda so much, takes the ball out wide, centrally, always willing to go beyond players and quite frankly he mucked in and did his fair share in terms of winning the ball back too which was quite surprising. Gelson Martins as well when he gets going will scare the hell out of players with his pace. Think Simeone will coach the two of them into really really efficient players more than anything else. Lemar especially needs it after his below par season last year in comparison to when Monaco won the league the season before that.

Having a director of football is a double ended sword. Plenty pros but also plenty cons. Ultimately I think if you have a good manager you should give him the power to sign players. If you have a manager with a good reputation or has a clear philosophy, good players will want to play for them anyway. Fair enough you see guys like Mochi who has done an amazing job with Sevilla firstly and also doing well at Roma and the guy who I believe was at Monaco? Lucas Campos? But again, known this clubs behaviour and patterns regarding managers, signings and all the other stuff, do these guys get final say over a manager in regards to a player? If things go wrong do they get more control in football related things than a manager? Or for example, what about Avram Grant for instance when he was here before he became manager, there was serious talk that his position as DOF undermined Mourinho's as manager and that among other things ultimately led to his dismissal and Grant being put in place as the manager. If a DOF appointment is made it has to be right guy and they have to be kept in check to do certain things. The thing is as well its not exactly a well refined position as every club that has one, their DOF do different jobs entirely than some of the other ones. It is very much a delicate decision to find the right one.

City will be fine. De Bruyne is a brilliant player but Bernardo Silva has shown he is more than capable of playing in that role and excelling. If the community shield and also the game against Arsenal is anything to go by Silva's performances probably would have kept him in the team anyway. Scary how they can just lose somebody like De Bruyne to injury and pop somebody in as good as him or even play Gundogan in that position. Crazy squad depth.