Key events
Newcastle will face Chelsea on Saturday, but with a heavy injury list, Lewis Hall being ineligible. However, they will soon be able to sign players on loan from Saudi Arabia following this week’s Premier League vote. Eddie Howe spoke:
“You say Newcastle were favored but it was a Premier League vote. We are not the only club involved in this vote. I think the majority of the Premier League and other clubs around the world benefit from it, so it’s not all our fault, I don’t think.
“Newcastle, our club, had a view. We voted in a way that we were allowed, and the vote was favorable. I think from what I’ve done with it, we’re very relaxed about it. This is not the ultimate solution for us. We have a team that we really like. Now, if we get the players fit before January, the need to recruit will become much less intense for us.
Mikel Arteta is an early riser for his Arsenal press conferences on Friday and confirmed that Gabriel Jesus will be fit to play against Brentford, with Ben White and Martin Odegaard also in the mix.
He also changed his ref rage after the Newcastle game, making it somewhat of a free speech issue. Yes really.
We tried to put forward our arguments and our reasons. There is a process and when you are asked to give your feedback, you need to do it in the right way. I think it’s good that we communicate. We all want to improve the game. To achieve this, we must have freedom of expression in a respectful and constructive manner. It’s good that they are talking.
From Thursday, Paul MacInnes examines the different forces pulling the Premier League in various directions.
Premier League clubs on Tuesday voted against a proposal to temporarily ban player loans between clubs sharing the same ownership. They also voted against tougher rules for clubs entering into sponsorship deals with companies with ownership ties. Both changes had been proposed by the Premier League and were rejected. This doesn’t happen very often.
Will Unwin counts cards so you don’t have to.
Last season, 30 exclusions were handed out in 380 matches, and after 120 matches, this time that figure is only three fewer. Certainly, 2022-23 was an exception – in the previous four seasons there had been an average of 45.5 dismissals – with the second fewest red cards in Premier League history and was not, apparently he said, the start of a trend. If the pace of reds continues, there will be 85 this season. The league record is 76, dating from 2005-06.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is taking the plunge, and why not?
Note: Is there any club as obsessed with the ‘vice-captain’ role as Liverpool? Who is the vice-captain of your team? Favorite vice-captain? Call us here at 606. Get in touch.
There will be a protest at the Premier League offices today from Everton fans, and their players aren’t buying the deal either.
“I expect the weekend to be no different, if not more electric,” Dominic Calvert-Lewin said ahead of the visit of Manchester United.
“I’m sure the fans will be ready. As players we will prepare as usual and make sure we are ready to put in a performance and collect the three points. I think, given the circumstances, I felt a lot of unity and togetherness. We were on an international break when the news broke, but looking back this week, I don’t feel like it fazed us players.
“We know that as a group we cannot influence this. All we can influence is what’s in front of us, and that’s Sunday’s game, so we’re looking forward to that.
Preamble
Hello and welcome. There’s plenty to look forward to, including the battles between Merseyside and Manchester. There could also be developments in the Premier League’s ongoing policy and Everton’s situation as club football resumes until March. International football is safely back on the cards for now.
Join me and my colleagues.
