Keep 'Em Coming

Decent, if not perfect weeks for the home sides.  The matches just keep piling up.

Wolves in Wolves Clothing

Hwang with the boot in the box

Newcastle headed to Molineux to face Wolves with a massive hangover (Newcastle not Wolves).  They had dropped a Champions League match 0-1 to Dortmund, added several to the injured list and saw their most expensive off-season acquisition suspended for 10 months.  So I am not overly exercised by Saturday's 2-2 final.  The Magpies did huff and puff and fashioned a couple of one-goal leads that they could not hold.  Right afterwards, I thought the draw seemed about right.  Seeing the xG of 2.02-1.04 almost got me to change my mind until I remembered that one of the Newcastle goals was a PK worth about .8.  Oh yeah, the PK.  In first half stoppage time, Hwang kicked Shar Schar in the schin shin (actually the heel).  Anthony Taylor called it a foul on the field.  A lengthy VAR review ensued but the call stood.  Wolves manager Gary O'Neil was outraged.  Wolves Sporting Director Matt Hooper has been charged with abusive behavior towards Taylor in the tunnel.  Maybe on the soft side but I've seen many softer so live with it.

We Could Have Been Watching the End of Aston Villa - Luton Town

More meh derbies this weekend.  Tottenham managed to win their London derby against Crystal Palace 2-1 despite getting just one shot on target.  Spurs are grateful to Joel Ward for the OG.  They dominated possession 76/24 and certainly looked in control despite being outshot 13/10.  Palace didn't score until the 94th on a nice volley by Ayew just after the ball may or may not have hit his arm (lengthy review was inconclusive so goal stood).  Yet another win for Spurs in which they didn't seem to play that well but also didn't really seem to be in danger of losing.

The other London derby was exciting in that it was another upset as Brentford beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, no less.  We can only conclude that Chelsea's rehabilitation is still a work in progress.  The xG for the Blues was 1.72, suggesting that finishing is still an issue for this team.

We concluded the derbies with a snoozer of a Manchester derby Sunday morning.  We were pleased that Aston Villa had done a good enough job with Luton Town that we could leave that telecast and get to the derby.  What a waste.  This was so bad that both Dennis and I could only mutter "we missed the end of the Aston Villa - Luton Town match for this?"  Yes, that's how lopsided the 3-0 City win was.  Right now, these two teams aren't even in the same league.  Turned out this match was the highlight of ten Hag's week (see below).

Results Elsewhere

Arsenal stayed undefeated with an easy 5-0 over relegation certainty candidate Sheffield United.  Aston Villa kept pace up top with a 3-1 win over Luton Town.  I thought the score flattered Luton Town but xG says it's about right.  Liverpool also matched the other top sides with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.  Down at the other end of the table, Bournemouth snatched a big three points from relegation rival Burnley with a come-from-behind 2-1 win.  Everton made a big step to break away from the relegation zone's gravity with a 1-0 upset of West Ham.  Rounding out the fixtures, Brighton and Fulham played to a 1-1 draw that likely pleased or offended no one.

You Think You Had A Bad Week

The teenager Hall doubles the Newcastle lead
Photo: AP Photo/Dave Thompson

Not only did Man United go down badly in the derby, they lost their Carabao Cup tie at Old Trafford to a Newcastle side that featured a back line of Tino Livramento, Paul Dummett, Emil Krafth and Lewis Hall.  The final was 3-0.  Lewis Hall (19 year-old transfer from Chelsea) was one of the goalscorers.  I am not making this up.  It is fair to note that Man United also held a few first teamers out as well but take a hard look at the Newcastle line up.  Gordon at center forward, Targett at defensive mid (though he got hurt early), Joe L. Linton at left forward?  The Magpies thoroughly dominated in the first half and deserved the 2-0 lead.  Man United had the run of play for much of the second half but Willock's 60th minute goal put this thing to rest. 

Before the match I would have said I had no regrets playing a heavily rotated side for a Carabao Cup match with Arsenal and Dortmund coming in the next week.  Not fair to ask afterwards.  Sure, I have no regrets we sent out the B team and won.  As for Man United, I'm not sure what's up.  By the end of the week, ten Hag had moved into second behind Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom in the EPL sack race.

"Ugly But Good"

That is Chris Gibbons of the Philly Soccer Page describing the Union's performance Saturday night against New England.  The full article is here.  They dodged a bullet early with a shot off the cross bar then a block off the line by Lowe.  Things improved rapidly as Carranza was fouled in the box (well eventually the ref got to the decision with the help of VAR - real time I thought it was a foul) and automatic Gazdag buried the PK.  Uhre followed shortly thereafter with an ugly goal.  The third was actually pretty nice with Harriel converting a Wagner cross for a 3-0 lead.  I had the second half on my phone so I can't say I was following closely; didn't look like they were that pressed to bring home a 3-1 win.  

There are uglier parts though.  Glesnes didn't dress for the match and is done for the year with a sports hernia.  He hasn't been 100% for a while so it must have gotten really bad for him to shut down.  Uglier still is the allegation that Kai Wagner directed an anti-Asian slur at Bobby Wood.  As of press time all we know is that the incident is being investigated.  I don't mean to make too much light of this but  I find it ironic that Wagner is alleged to have delivered the slur in German while Bobby Wood, having played in Germany, speaks the language. 

No Trainwreck Yet

Through the first set of playoff matches, MLS has so far avoided the spate of upsets that made hash of the MLB playoffs.  Seven of eight favorites won, with only St. Louis losing.  Of course, that was just game one so MLS is not safe from this folly just yet.  

More Hardware

I see a banner but no silverware

Or at least a banner.  Dennis's co-ed indoor version of Sportif Allentown won their league title.  I could not find a write- up of the match but reliable sources tell me that Dennis scored the winning goal seconds before the final whistle.  Would have been this week's YouTubeableMoment if we had the video.  

About That Second Yellow

More than once this weekend I heard commentators express the opinion that not all cautionable offenses are worthy of a second yellow and sending off.  As in, it's got to be a manly foul.  I pored over Law XII and have found no such qualifying language.  The law does not say the referee must show a yellow card to a player who: 

• commits in a reckless manner a direct free kick offence unless the player is already on a yellow card, in which case the foul must be really reckless

Same thing for other cautionable offenses.  After getting the first yellow, it's still a yellow for persistent infringement, simulation, waving an imaginary yellow in the referee's face, kicking the ball away to delay the game, etc.  I checked all of them and it says nothing about leniency if you're already on a yellow.  Yes, I'm being facetious.  

Yellow Balls Are Back

In case you missed it, last week saw the introduction of the 23/24 high visibility ball.  

Ich Bin Ein Magpie

All my friends who support other teams have been wishing my Magpies good luck on Saturday.  Then I realized it's because we're playing Arsenal and everybody else in the top five will be rooting for the Gunners to drop some points.  I suggest you keep your hopes in check.  In the last 20 years of Premier League action, Newcastle are 4-7-25 vs Arsenal.  Looking just at the matches at St. James' Park, we take comfort that the record is 3-5-10.  (Advanced mathmeticians will figure out that we are 1-2-15 away.)  The folks at Opta offer a glimmer of hope for Newcastle, with the percentages at 32/28/40; a 60% of grabbing a result is something to cling to.  The match is the NBC feature contest but note the start time of 1:30 as they moved the clocks back last week.  I've lost track already but Newcastle is definitely getting love from the TV schedulers.

Hey, with the clocks moved back, the early Saturday match is at a more civilized 8:30.  Probably worth watching too as we get to see how/if Man United rebound from their bad awful week as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.  MUN are still favored but not overwhelmingly so.  You would think anything less than a win leaves ten Hag hanging by a thread.

The 10 11 am slot has five fixtures.  USA gets Man City vs Bournemouth but there are much better choices.  Mid-table London derby anyone?  Brentford - West Ham should be close.  The tightest match of the week according to Opta is Burnley - Crystal Palace at 33/31/36; that seems a bit surprising, although Palace haven't exactly sparkled so far this year.  Everton - Brighton could be good too.  Sheffield United - Wolves doesn't exactly get the juices flowing.

Sunday's matches don't stand out either, though you can count on us to be live for Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa (9 am USA - don't forget to turn the clocks back).  Luton Town hosting Liverpool sounds routish.  Fortunately the matchweek concludes Monday with another London Derby as Spurs host Chelsea.  Tottenham haven't really put it together but haven't lost; Chelsea haven't put it together and have struggled.  Important test for both.

There's a full week of European action with Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday and the less competitions on Thursday.  We can probably fit two in on Tuesday since Newcastle play at Dortmund at 12:45.  Surveying the menu at 3 pm, we'll probably go with PSG-Milan, the other two sides in Newcastle's group.  Last time out Arsenal - Sevilla was a good watch so we might do that on Wednesday; Copenhagen-Man United might slip ahead depending on the situation at MUN.  Thursday will be Aston Villa hosting AZ Alkmaar.

All of the MLS first round second matches will be held between Friday and Wednesday.  In classic Apple fashion, whereas many of the first set were on "free" Apple, these all look to be on MLS Season Pass.  A noteable exception is that the Union match at New England will be on FS1 at 7pm.  We'll see how the favorites do on the road.

In short, another busy week.