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A

Arsenal badge Arsenal Premier League
  • 1
    Arsenal are top of the table with 27 points from 10 games – nine wins and one defeat, which equals the best start to a league season in the club's history. They're five points clear of second-placed Brighton going into the international break, and they're the reigning champions, so the old 'nearly men' jokes have officially expired.
  • 2
    Their last game was a 1-0 home win over Hull, settled by a Martin Ødegaard goal with about 18 minutes left. It wasn't pretty – the defence did most of the heavy lifting – but grinding out wins on an off day is exactly what title-winning sides do. Say 'they won ugly' and you'll sound like you watched it.
  • 3
    The week before, Arsenal won at Anfield to go top. This week the Premier League's independent incidents panel ruled 4-1 that Jurrien Timber should have given away a penalty for pulling Alexander Isak's shirt in that game. Arsenal fans will tell you it all evens out over a season; Liverpool fans will not.
  • 4
    Martin Zubimendi, the £60m midfielder who was a key part of last season's title win, hasn't started a single Premier League game this season, and Real Madrid, Atlético and Chelsea are reportedly sniffing around. He told Marca this week he's not been in contact with anyone and isn't close to leaving. Bring it up gently – it's a sore spot.
  • 5
    Viktor Gyökeres is having a lovely international break: he's now scored in seven consecutive Nations League games for Sweden, a competition record. Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, has signed a new deal to 2030. Arsenal go to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November when the league returns – historically a ground where they find life awkward.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubNine wins from ten is lovely, but the real test is St James' Park after the break – that's where Arsenal title seasons go to get nervous.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Arsenal always bottle it" – they're the defending champions and top by five points. Wheel that one out and everyone will assume you've been asleep since 2023.
More on Arsenal →
Aston Villa badge Aston Villa Premier League
  • 1
    Villa's last game was one of the maddest of the season: they led Manchester United 4-2 at Old Trafford with the clock deep into stoppage time and still only drew 4-4, after United scored twice in added time. It's the kind of result that feels like a defeat even though it technically isn't.
  • 2
    Unai Emery walked down the touchline towards the tunnel before the final whistle after a quick handshake with Michael Carrick, and then had to defend it afterwards. He admitted he thought the game was over when United equalised. Mentioning the early exit is a safe bet for a knowing grimace.
  • 3
    Villa go into the international break 10th with 13 points from 10 games – three wins, four draws, three defeats. Since beating Manchester City they've failed to beat Bournemouth, Fulham, Barcelona or United and leaked 11 goals in that run. Emery's message is 'keep working on the defending', which is putting it mildly.
  • 4
    Emery himself is still focusing on the positives – he points to three wins and three draws in recent matches – but the question being asked around Villa Park is whether the team has stalled after several years of steady progress under him. Ask a Villa fan whether this is a blip or a ceiling and stand well back.
  • 5
    The good news: the table is tight. Villa are only five points off fifth-placed Chelsea, so a decent run after the break would change the mood completely. The bad news is that defending a two-goal lead for six minutes is apparently the hard part.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pub4-2 up at Old Trafford in stoppage time and Emery's already heading for the tunnel – and it still ends 4-4. That one's going to sting all international break.
🚫 Avoid Saying"At least it's a point away at United" – technically true, emotionally inaccurate. Villa fans see it as two points chucked away, and you'll be the only person in the room calling it a good result.
More on Aston Villa →

B

Bournemouth badge Bournemouth Premier League
  • 1
    Bournemouth are the form team nobody's talking about: last weekend's 2-1 win at Ipswich made it eight wins in a row in all competitions. Even better, it's four straight league wins – something they hadn't managed in a single season since December 2023.
  • 2
    It's a proper turnaround story. Marco Rose's side didn't win any of their first six Premier League games (three draws, three defeats), and now they're up to seventh on 15 points, just three behind the top four. Drop 'they were winless after six games, you know' and watch people do the maths.
  • 3
    Striker Evanilson is red hot. He scored inside five minutes at Ipswich after nicking the ball off the goalkeeper and rolling it into an empty net, and that's now five Premier League games in a row with a goal – the first Bournemouth player ever to do that.
  • 4
    The bigger clubs are circling. Arsenal are reportedly keen on young forward Eli Junior Kroupi, although the word is Bournemouth have no intention of letting him go before the summer. It's the price of being good at spotting talent – everyone else eventually notices.
  • 5
    There's an England angle too: defender James Hill was called up to the senior squad this week as cover after Ezri Konsa dropped out of training. Not bad for a club whose matchday squad still costs a fraction of the Premier League's big spenders.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubEight wins on the bounce and Evanilson can't stop scoring – Bournemouth have gone from 'winless after six' to sniffing round the top four in about six weeks.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Bournemouth are just a nice little seaside club" – they've won eight straight and are three points off the Champions League places. Patronise them now and you'll look daft by Christmas.
More on Bournemouth →
Brentford badge Brentford Premier League
  • 1
    Brentford's last game was a 2-0 defeat at high-flying Brighton, and it turned on a red card. Striker Igor Thiago was initially booked after a tussle with Brighton's Chema Andrés, but referee Michael Oliver upgraded it to red after a look at the pitchside monitor.
  • 2
    Manager Keith Andrews wasn't thrilled. He suggested Thiago had been provoked and questioned how the decision was reached, while also accepting his players need to take responsibility for their conduct. 'We need to learn and grow as a group' was the line – which is manager-speak for 'we'll be having words'.
  • 3
    Despite that, Brentford's season is genuinely decent: they're eighth with 14 points from 10 games, and that was only their second league defeat of the season. Five draws means they're hard to beat, if not always easy to watch win.
  • 4
    They've already had a statement result, beating Chelsea 3-0 back in October. For a club with a fraction of Chelsea's budget, that's the kind of afternoon fans will be bringing up for years, so feel free to mention it.
  • 5
    Next up after the break is Everton at home on 21 November – and with Thiago likely facing a suspension after the red, Andrews may need to find goals from elsewhere. Brentford are only two points off the European places, so it's a big one.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubOnly two league defeats all season and they battered Chelsea 3-0 – Brentford are a lot better than the 'plucky little Bees' label they still get.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Brentford? Aren't they the ones that just got promoted?" – they've been in the Premier League since 2021. Say that and a Bees fan will politely explain the last five years to you, in full.
More on Brentford →
Brighton and Hove Albion badge Brighton and Hove Albion Premier League
  • 1
    Brighton are second in the Premier League going into the international break, with 22 points from 10 games. They've also got the best goal difference in the division at +19 – better even than leaders Arsenal's +10. Drop that stat and you'll sound like you've been reading the small print.
  • 2
    Last weekend they beat Brentford 2-0 at the Amex. Diego Gómez opened the scoring with a long-range screamer on his weaker foot, and Pascal Gross – back at the club and still pinging them in – added a penalty just before half-time.
  • 3
    The defence is the quiet story. That was their seventh clean sheet of the season and their fourth in five home league games. For a team usually praised for pretty football, they've become surprisingly hard to score against.
  • 4
    Fabian Hurzeler, still one of the youngest managers in the league, is having the best spell of his time at the club. Earlier in the season Brighton also thrashed newly promoted Coventry 5-0 – a result that set the tone for the whole autumn.
  • 5
    Next up is a trip to Hull on Sunday 22 November, then the fixtures get tougher. Brighton fans are cautiously excited – being five points behind Arsenal in second is uncharted territory, so let them enjoy it without saying the words 'title race' too loudly.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubBest goal difference in the league and seven clean sheets already – Brighton aren't just the pretty-football side any more, they're properly hard to beat.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Brighton always sell their best players, they'll fall away" – yes, they sell well, and yet here they are second in the table. It's the business model working, not a weakness, and Brighton fans are very tired of explaining that.
More on Brighton and Hove Albion →

C

Chelsea badge Chelsea Premier League
  • 1
    Chelsea limped into the international break after a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, settled by an Enzo Le Fée penalty in the first half. It dropped them to fifth, out of the Champions League places, and it was their fourth league defeat in ten games.
  • 2
    Xabi Alonso – appointed in the summer on a four-year deal to revive things – didn't sugar-coat it, saying Chelsea 'didn't deserve more than probably one point' and lacked patience and quality in the final third. The honesty is refreshing; the stats are less so.
  • 3
    Here's the worrying number: across games against Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland, Chelsea scored just one goal from open play. For a squad that cost what this one did, that's a lot of very expensive passing sideways.
  • 4
    They've also been beaten 3-0 by Brentford this season, back in October. Chelsea fans would rather you didn't bring that one up, so maybe save it for when you want to change the subject quickly.
  • 5
    There's still plenty of time – they're only two points off the top four, six behind second-placed Brighton. And they're not shy about January: reports this week say Chelsea are among the clubs monitoring Arsenal's unhappy midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubOne open-play goal in four games isn't what anyone had in mind when Xabi Alonso walked through the door – the break's come at a decent time for him.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Just sack the manager" – it's Chelsea, so it's the reflex joke, but Alonso's only been in the job since the summer – ten games is not a fair trial. Say it and you'll sound like you think it's still 2012.
More on Chelsea →
Coventry City badge Coventry City Premier League
  • 1
    Coventry are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2001, having won the Championship last season under Frank Lampard, who signed a new deal to 2029 in the summer. Treat them warmly – a generation of Sky Blues fans has waited a very long time for this.
  • 2
    It's been a bumpy ride. They're 17th with 9 points from 10 games, and they're the only side in the league yet to draw a match: three wins, seven defeats. Coventry don't really do 'boring nil-nil', which is either thrilling or exhausting depending on your blood pressure.
  • 3
    The wins have been good ones, mind – a 4-1 over Newcastle, a 1-0 at Nottingham Forest and a 3-1 over Sunderland. Last time out they lost 3-1 at Everton, where Yann Gboho scored his first goal for the club in a game they'd started the better side.
  • 4
    The low point was a 5-0 home hammering by Brighton back in September, with Taiwo Awoniyi sent off. Probably best not to bring that one up unless you've got a very forgiving Coventry fan in front of you.
  • 5
    Next up is enormous: Crystal Palace at home on Saturday 21 November. Palace are bottom of the table, so a win would give Coventry real breathing space above the relegation zone. Call it a 'six-pointer' and you'll fit right in.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubNo draws all season – Coventry either win or lose, and honestly I respect it. Palace at home after the break feels massive, though.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Lampard couldn't hack it at Chelsea, he'll get them relegated" – he's the man who brought them back to the top flight after 25 years. Coventry fans adore him, and you will not win that argument.
More on Coventry City →
Crystal Palace badge Crystal Palace Premier League
  • 1
    Palace go into the international break bottom of the Premier League after a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday. Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time penalty was a consolation, not a comeback. Being bottom in November isn't fatal, but it is the sort of thing fans prefer you don't mention first.
  • 2
    Manager Pierre Sage is under serious pressure, and the reports this week say his time could be up. Former Brentford and Spurs boss Thomas Frank is the bookies' favourite to replace him, with The Telegraph naming him as the frontrunner. Nothing's official yet, so 'I hear Frank's in the frame' sounds well-informed, while 'Sage has gone' might be a bit premature.
  • 3
    This slump has been building. A 5-0 hammering by Brighton a few weeks ago is the result Palace fans really don't want to relive, mostly because it was Brighton, their fiercest rivals. If you bring it up, expect a long stare.
  • 4
    There were glimmers against Liverpool. Jørgen Strand Larsen had a goal chalked off for offside by VAR and Yeremy Pino hit the crossbar, so it wasn't a total surrender. Palace fans will tell you the margins have gone against them, and on Sunday they had a point.
  • 5
    Don't forget this is the club that won the FA Cup in 2025, their first major trophy ever. Going from Wembley glory to the bottom of the table in about 18 months is a very Premier League kind of whiplash. Mention the Cup win and you'll cheer up any Palace fan instantly.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubWhoever ends up in the Palace dugout, the first job is just stopping the leaks. They're not as bad as the table says, but they're getting close.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Just bring Roy Hodgson back again" — it's been said as a joke so many times that Palace fans have stopped laughing, and the man has done his bit for the club twice over already.
More on Crystal Palace →

E

Everton badge Everton Premier League
  • 1
    Everton are fifth in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat promoted Coventry 3-1 last Friday. It was their third league win in a row. If you'd told an Everton fan a couple of years ago they'd be looking down on most of the league in November, they'd have asked what you were drinking.
  • 2
    Thierno Barry was the hero, scoring twice in about four minutes and setting up another, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall adding the third. Barry is the name to drop right now. He's turned into exactly the kind of big, awkward centre-forward Goodison fans always loved, now playing at the new stadium.
  • 3
    David Moyes was refreshingly honest afterwards. He admitted Coventry made it 'really difficult' and Everton were lucky not to concede a penalty for a James Tarkowski challenge before half-time. Managers who admit they got away with one are rare, so enjoy it.
  • 4
    That win was Moyes's 592nd game in charge of Everton, level with Harry Catterick for the most in the club's history. Catterick won two league titles, so it's a proper bit of company. Assuming he's in the dugout at Brentford on 23 November, Moyes takes the record outright.
  • 5
    The fixture list after the break is spicy, with a Merseyside derby against Liverpool coming up in the next few weeks. For the first time in a long while, Everton might go into it higher up the table than their neighbours care to admit.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubMoyes is about to become the longest-serving manager in Everton's history, and the team's actually playing like it. Fifth in November isn't a fluke anymore.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Everton are always in a relegation scrap" — that line was depressingly accurate for a while, which is exactly why fans in the top five will take great pleasure in correcting you.
More on Everton →

F

Fulham badge Fulham Premier League
  • 1
    Fulham drew 1-1 with Newcastle at Craven Cottage on Saturday, and it took a late scramble. Jacob Murphy put Newcastle ahead with a stunner in the 80th minute, before substitute Rodrigo Muniz flicked in an equaliser three minutes later. It was his first Premier League goal in seven months, so the celebration had some feeling behind it.
  • 2
    Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, the former Real Madrid and Liverpool defender, has Fulham on 10 points from 10 games. That's not thrilling, but they took eight of those points from the last four matches. They go into the break feeling a lot better than they did a month ago.
  • 3
    Odd but true: that was Fulham's first ever Premier League draw at home to Newcastle. It's the kind of trivia that makes you sound like you've got the stats app open under the table.
  • 4
    The reward for that improvement is a trip to Manchester City on 21 November when the league comes back. Expectations will be realistic. Mind you, City just lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, so a Fulham fan might be quietly hopeful.
  • 5
    Fulham are one of those clubs that never seem to be in the headlines, which suits them fine. The ground sits right on the Thames and has a 'neutral' section, a genuinely unusual thing in English football. Ask a Fulham fan about it and they'll be delighted someone noticed.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubEight points from the last four is decent going. Arbeloa's got Fulham ticking again, and Muniz scoring off the bench never hurts.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Fulham? They're just a nice day out by the river" — it's meant kindly, but saying it out loud tells every Fulham fan you think their club's a tourist attraction rather than a football team.
More on Fulham →

H

Hull City badge Hull City Premier League
  • 1
    Hull lost 1-0 at league leaders Arsenal on Saturday. Martin Ødegaard pounced on a rebound in the 72nd minute after Hull's keeper parried a Noni Madueke shot. Losing narrowly at the Emirates is no disgrace for a promoted side, and Hull fans know it.
  • 2
    Manager Sergej Jakirovic was bullish afterwards. He reckoned Hull were the better team on performance and had enough chances to win, adding that the side is 'still growing'. Arsenal fans would disagree, but it's a nice sign that he's not playing for damage limitation.
  • 3
    The season started like a dream. Hull had seven points from their first three games and briefly sat second, behind only Manchester City. They haven't won a league game since August, though. It's a winless run of the sort that slowly turns a fairytale into a relegation conversation.
  • 4
    Jakirovic only arrived in the summer of 2025 and took Hull up through the Championship play-offs at the first attempt. That's a genuinely impressive bit of work, and Hull fans are still very much on his side. Credit him and you'll be on safe ground.
  • 5
    The last outing before Arsenal was a 2-2 draw with fellow promoted side Ipswich, where Hull let a lead slip. Jakirovic publicly demanded better 'control' when they're ahead. Throwing away winning positions is the recurring theme of their autumn.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubHull went to the Emirates and made Arsenal sweat. They just need to remember how to actually win one before the winless run starts to matter.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Hull will be straight back down" — said with total confidence in August, it looked silly when they were second in the table, and fans have not forgotten who was saying it.
More on Hull City →

I

Ipswich Town badge Ipswich Town Premier League
  • 1
    Ipswich lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, so they go into the break 14th and without a league win in five games. Bournemouth are flying, with eight straight wins, so it's not exactly a shameful defeat. Still, a five-game winless run is the kind of stat Ipswich fans are counting.
  • 2
    The opener came after just five minutes, when Evanilson dispossessed keeper Christian Walton and finished with a no-look effort. It made him the first Bournemouth player ever to score in five Premier League games in a row. Unfortunately for Ipswich, they became a footnote in someone else's record.
  • 3
    The second goal was cruel. Ryan Christie's shot deflected in off Leif Davis for an own goal. Jack Clarke pulled one back from the penalty spot, but Ipswich couldn't find an equaliser.
  • 4
    Gary O'Neil is the man in charge now, after spells at Bournemouth and Wolves. Under him Ipswich have a stubborn streak: they have the best record in the league for winning back points from losing positions. Mention that and you'll sound like you've done your homework.
  • 5
    Before Bournemouth came a 2-2 draw at fellow promoted side Hull, a properly chaotic end-to-end game. Ipswich are safely clear of the bottom three for now. The aim this time is to avoid going straight back down, which is what happened after their last Premier League visit in 2024-25.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubIpswich never know when they're beaten, which is great, but they could do with not going behind quite so often.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Ipswich are just here for one season again" — they've heard it every week since promotion, they're sitting comfortably mid-table, and they'd quite like you to look at the actual league table.
More on Ipswich Town →

L

Leeds United badge Leeds United Premier League
  • 1
    Leeds beat Tottenham 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday thanks to Noah Okafor. He came off the bench and scored with his first touch in the 79th minute. Few things make a manager look cleverer than a substitute scoring within two minutes of coming on.
  • 2
    The win ended a five-match winless run in the league and stopped a resurgent Spurs side in their tracks. Leeds also had much the better of the chances. Leeds fans will point out it was no smash-and-grab.
  • 3
    It wasn't without controversy. Spurs were furious Leeds weren't reduced to ten men, and VAR got plenty of airtime afterwards. Leeds fans will tell you it all evens out over a season. Spurs fans will not.
  • 4
    Daniel Farke has Leeds eighth, just two points off a European place. For a club that has spent much of the last few years bouncing between divisions, that's very welcome stability. Mention Europe casually and watch a Leeds fan try very hard not to get excited.
  • 5
    Small worry over the break: Leeds midfielder Gudmundsson picked up some hamstring tightness on Sweden duty. Sweden boss Graham Potter says it isn't serious and he should be back on the pitch within days. That's the sort of detail that makes you sound properly plugged in.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubEighth and two points off Europe, and Okafor only needed one touch to beat Spurs. Farke's got Leeds looking like a proper Premier League side again.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Leeds are a yo-yo club" — technically defensible over the last decade, but saying it while they're eighth and eyeing Europe is the quickest way to get a lecture about Don Revie.
More on Leeds United →
Liverpool badge Liverpool Premier League
  • 1
    Liverpool won 3-1 at bottom side Crystal Palace on Sunday and climbed back into the top four. Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak scored. Coming after a sticky run, it was the result Andoni Iraola needed going into the break.
  • 2
    Wirtz's goal was his first in the league this season. For a player who cost a small fortune, that's been a running joke among rival fans. Liverpool supporters will insist his all-round play was always more important than goals, and they're partly right.
  • 3
    The international break hasn't been kind. Virgil van Dijk played the full 90 at Selhurst Park, then pulled out of the Netherlands squad, reportedly after playing through a minor problem for weeks. Dominik Szoboszlai picked up a knee sprain in the same game and is a doubt for Hungary. Neither is a disaster yet, but both are worth watching.
  • 4
    Alisson was named man of the match at Palace with several big saves, and he was unlucky to concede a stoppage-time penalty. That's a reminder that Liverpool's win was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
  • 5
    The fixtures coming up are huge. Manchester United visit Anfield on 22 November, and over the next few weeks a Merseyside derby against a high-flying Everton and a game against Chelsea follow. A month from now we'll know whether Iraola's Liverpool are genuine contenders or just good at beating teams at the bottom.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubWirtz finally scored in the league, so now everyone can stop asking. The real test is United, the derby and Chelsea in the next few weeks.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Liverpool are nothing without Klopp" — he's been gone since 2024, they've won the league since, and it suggests your football knowledge stopped updating several seasons ago.
More on Liverpool →

M

Manchester City badge Manchester City Premier League
  • 1
    City have pulled off a genuinely weird piece of history: they won their first seven league games, then lost the next three. According to Sky Sports, no top-flight team had done that in 122 years. Mention it and a City fan will tell you it's a blip. Their face will tell you they're not entirely sure.
  • 2
    The latest defeat was a 3-1 loss at Nottingham Forest last Saturday. Former City academy striker Liam Delap scored twice against his old club, which is football's favourite way of being cruel. City now spend the international break six points behind leaders Arsenal.
  • 3
    Enzo Maresca is the man in charge now. He was blunt after Forest, saying the first half 'was not good enough' and calling the second and third goals 'copy and paste'. When a manager starts describing goals like a computer error, the defending was probably bad.
  • 4
    There's an injury worry too. Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol, two first-choice centre-backs, both went off at half-time at Forest with knocks. Ask a City fan whether the pair will be fit after the break and you'll sound like you've been reading the medical updates.
  • 5
    Then there's the elephant in the room. At the end of September an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of the famous 115 Premier League charges over their finances. The club is appealing and nobody knows the punishment yet. Raise it carefully, or better still, let them raise it.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubSeven straight wins, then three straight defeats. City have basically done a whole season's mood swings before Bonfire Night.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Just give it to Haaland and they'll be fine." They did give it to Haaland at Forest, and his shot got cleared off the line. City's problem right now is the defending, and any fan will tell you so at length.
More on Manchester City →
Manchester United badge Manchester United Premier League
  • 1
    The big news is that Michael Carrick looks to be on his way out. On Thursday morning Sky Sports reported that United have a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino to take over. Carrick took training on Wednesday and is officially still in charge, but he's expected to go before the weekend.
  • 2
    There's a catch. Pochettino is currently managing the USA national team and has a reported £7m release clause, so United still have to agree a deal with US Soccer. He's expected to take charge of the USA's two games against Haiti this break first. It's a slightly awkward way to hand in your notice.
  • 3
    If it happens, Pochettino would be United's eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago. United have also talked to him on three earlier occasions. Mention that and a fan will either laugh or stare into the middle distance.
  • 4
    The reason is the league table. United go into the international break in the bottom three. Their last game was a mad 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford, where they came back from 2-0 and 4-2 down with two stoppage-time goals. Brilliant entertainment, still in the relegation zone.
  • 5
    Whoever is in the dugout, the return fixture is a nasty one: Liverpool away on Sunday 22 November. After that come Sporting in the Champions League and Brentford at home. A new manager will barely have time to learn the names of the training ground staff.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubEighth permanent manager since Fergie, if Pochettino signs. At this point Old Trafford needs a revolving door, not a dugout.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Carrick just needs more time." Fans who were saying that a month ago have mostly moved on to arguing about Pochettino's release clause. You'll sound like you're reading last month's paper.
More on Manchester United →

N

Newcastle United badge Newcastle United Premier League
  • 1
    Newcastle's last game was a 1-1 draw at Fulham. Jacob Murphy scored a 25-yard screamer, and it lasted all of three minutes before Rodrigo Muniz equalised. Muniz hadn't scored in 15 months, which made it extra annoying.
  • 2
    They also had a Dan Burn goal ruled out after VAR spotted a foul by Yoane Wissa in the build-up. Manager Matthias Jaissle called it 'soft' and said his side did enough to win. Agree that it was soft and you'll make a friend for life.
  • 3
    Jaissle also called the draw 'a step in the right direction after the last performance'. That tells you the last performance wasn't great. Newcastle sit roughly mid-table on 12 points from 10 games, about four points clear of the drop zone and four off the top six.
  • 4
    That puts them in a very Premier League kind of limbo: not in trouble, not in contention. A couple of wins and the talk is Europe. A couple of defeats and people start looking nervously over their shoulders.
  • 5
    The first game back after the break is a big one. Leaders Arsenal visit St James' Park on Saturday 21 November. A win there would change the mood around the club overnight, and fans know it.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubIf VAR hadn't chalked off Dan Burn's goal at Fulham, we'd be talking about the top six, not 'a step in the right direction'.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Newcastle are the richest club in the world, they should be winning everything." Fans have heard it a thousand times. Spending rules mean the money hasn't turned into the trophy-a-season machine people imagine, so you'll get a long lecture on profit and sustainability.
More on Newcastle United →
Nottingham Forest badge Nottingham Forest Premier League
  • 1
    Forest go into the international break on a high after beating Manchester City 3-1 at the City Ground last Saturday. It was their first home league win of the season, and it lifted them out of the relegation zone to around 16th.
  • 2
    Liam Delap scored twice, and he came through City's academy, so beating his old club was extra sweet. Jair Cunha opened the scoring after six minutes. Cunha also cleared an Erling Haaland shot off the line, which is the sort of thing defenders tell their grandchildren about.
  • 3
    Before Saturday, Forest had gone almost six months without scoring a goal at home. Six months. Mention that to a Forest fan now and they'll laugh, because it no longer hurts.
  • 4
    Manager Oliver Glasner said changes were needed after the previous defeat to Brentford, and he made them. Ryan Yates got his first start of the season and was reportedly behind a rousing team talk before kick-off. An academy lad firing up the dressing room is exactly the kind of story Forest fans love.
  • 5
    The job now is to stay up. One big win doesn't fix a season, and the bottom of the table is very crowded. Still, beating the team that had won seven in a row at the start of the season does wonders for belief.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubSix months without a home goal, then three against Man City. Forest really don't do things the easy way.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Forest are a big club, they'll be fine." Two European Cups is a great history, but it scores no goals, as six goalless months at home proved. Fans know a relegation scrap when they see one, and they don't want it waved away.
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S

Sunderland badge Sunderland Premier League
  • 1
    Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and it was a big one. It ended a winless run, lifted them off the bottom of the table, and pushed Chelsea out of the top four. Not a bad afternoon's work.
  • 2
    The goal was an Enzo Le Fée penalty in the 36th minute, after striker Brian Brobbey was brought down by Levi Colwill. Chelsea moaned that Brobbey had pulled Colwill first. Sunderland fans will tell you, cheerfully, that the decision stood.
  • 3
    Chelsea had about 69% of the ball, but Sunderland created the better chances. One stats site had Sunderland's expected goals at 2.55 against Chelsea's 0.53. Translation for the non-fan: the scoreline flattered Chelsea, not Sunderland.
  • 4
    Manager Régis Le Bris had been under real pressure going in, so this one mattered. He called it 'crucial', but admitted that the target is still 40 points and there's 'a long way to go'. Sunderland are 19th on eight points, so he's right.
  • 5
    First up after the break is Aston Villa away on Saturday 21 November. Then there's the small matter of the Tyne–Wear derby at Newcastle on 5 December. Feel free to ask a Sunderland fan whether they've started thinking about it. They have.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubChelsea had seventy per cent of the ball and Sunderland had all three points. Funny how that works.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Sunderland? I thought they were still in League One." They did spend years down there, and Netflix made a whole documentary about how painful it was. Bringing it up now, with Chelsea freshly beaten, is a quick way to get a stony stare.
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T

Tottenham Hotspur badge Tottenham Hotspur Premier League
  • 1
    Spurs lost 1-0 at Leeds last Saturday. Noah Okafor came off the bench and scored 11 minutes from the end. It ended a decent run for Tottenham, and it ended Leeds' five-game winless streak, which made it even more annoying.
  • 2
    Manager Roberto De Zerbi lost his temper over a second-half booking for Pedro Porro and got booked himself. That earns him a one-game touchline ban, so he'll be stuck in the stands for the first game back, at home to Ipswich on Saturday 21 November.
  • 3
    De Zerbi is the permanent boss after a busy spell in the dugout. Thomas Frank was sacked and Igor Tudor had a short interim stint before De Zerbi arrived. Spurs fans have had a lot of new names to learn.
  • 4
    Fan reaction to Leeds has been grumpy. Some supporters' sites have criticised De Zerbi's tactics, and there's been chat about Porro's form and Mohammed Kudus being left isolated out on the right wing. Mention Kudus looking lonely and you'll sound like you watched the whole 90 minutes.
  • 5
    To be fair, it was only their second league defeat in eight games, so this isn't a crisis. Just don't tell that to a Spurs fan the week after losing at Elland Road.
🍺 Top thing to say down the pubDe Zerbi's going to be watching the Ipswich game from the stands, which is probably the calmest he'll be all season.
🚫 Avoid Saying"Typical Spurs." Fans have heard it from every rival since about 1961, and it hits harder after a late defeat at Leeds. You'll get an eye-roll and a lecture about the Europa League trophy.
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