While I don't have the skills of our soccer expert Leon, I thought I'd try my hand at predicting the results of this weekend's Premier League fixtures.
Prediction: 3-0 Liverpool
In time, the coaching tree that expands out from Pep Guardiola is going to be massive. Some will fail (like if Mikel Arteta had taken the job at Newcastle), but the Spanish tactician’s otherworldly training methods will almost certainly be absorbed and even expanded upon by some future coaching Übermensch that worked under Guardiola for a long period.
There’s so much about Paul Scholes that we are yet to understand. We’ve been studying the specimen for over 25 years, but as soon as we think we’re close to a breakthrough with regards to how this terrestrial animal has eyes going every which way, we are mystified by some new behavior.
The midfield instigator was roaming around the confines of the Etihad Stadium today with 50,000 spectators training their inquiring eyes upon him, and he delivered this . . . this thing.
Steven Gerrard may still be managing Scottish Premiership club Rangers, but it looks as if he has his next job all but booked up. After a 2-0 defeat to Celtic before the break began, the former Liverpool midfielder managed to forget all about it and enjoy himself while kicking back on the golf course.
With men’s club soccer on hiatus due to the international break, the women’s game took center stage in England this weekend with the opening of the new Women’s Super League season. The marquee matchup was a first-ever WSL Manchester derby between City and United at the Etihad Stadium.
The previous attendance record for a WSL match was set by Arsenal last year with a crowd of 5,265; the crowd on hand yesterday in Manchester smashed that with a total of 31,213 spectators.
And they left happy thanks to an incredible strike from Scotland international Caroline Weir.
Yesterday, Dag & Red visited York Road, the home of Maidenhead United in the fifth tier of English football, and recorded a 1-0 victory over the home side. If Maidenhead is now looking for answers to shore up its defense, they could do worse than sign this guy from the crowd.
Harnessing his inner Virgil van Diijk, this siege tower of a lad outmuscled his marker (presumably his girlfriend), timed his jump to perfection and planted a remarkable headed clearance back towards the pitch — all while wearing a beanie.
The English FA, apparently desperate to relate to young people, has partnered with Pokémon in an effort to promote futsal in the country.
The three-year deal will see the Pokémon Company International support the National Futsal Programme, for reasons we still can’t quite ascertain.
Anyone fancy a kickabout?
After finishing fourth at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the England women’s national team has reconvened under Phil Neville with a squad that includes established stars like Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze and Toni Duggan, but the Lionesses are clearly building for the future with their sights set on capturing UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 on home soil.
Arsenal’s business in front, party in the back squad met Tottenham’s unsettled ensemble on Sunday, and a 2-2 finish to the North London derby only cemented those thoughts of self-hatred rather than illuminating a way forward for either club.
While Liverpool and Manchester City again look a cut above the rest in England, there’s every indication that a club outside the “Big Six” may yet disrupt the hegemony and finish in the Champions League places. This morning saw a clash between two such sides — Everton and Wolves — at Goodison Park.