Where were we?
After a two-week international break, we ask : Where were we?
That might be the wrong question because it implies that players and fans can all pick up where we left off two weeks ago.
That’s rarely the case. Club teams lose their rhythm and continuity, players often get injured playing for their countries, and the eleven that plays this weekend will never be the team that played two weeks ago.
Gallas, Sagna and Bendtner are out of the Everton game after being injured playing for France and Denmark.Those three are likely to miss the Fenerbahce game as well.
This week Fabregas did an interview in Spain. The Sun edited the interview to make it more sensational, more dramatic, more like he wanted to leave Arsenal.
The Express ran a longer version which was more truthful, I was told by a Gooner friend last night.
In The Express, Fabregas said: I’m not going anywhere but I need help, I can’t do it on my own
This is what thousands of us have been saying all summer and all season.
This is exactly what I was talking about when I wrote Arsenal missed Flamini at Sunderland.
Fabregas came on as a sub for Torres against Belgium, broke his nose, and played on. He is hoping to avoid surgery but the precise status of his injured hooter in unknown at this point (Friday 10.30 a.m.)
Are Everton a threat to Arsenal right now ?
Well, on October 4th, Everton would not have been a threat at the Emirates because Arsenal would have prepared properly and Gallas, Bendtner and Sagna would have been fit.
The slow dance over David Moyes’s new contract has been an interesting one.
The directors want to sell the club, so Bill Kenwright was looking for a buyer at the same time as he was re-negotiating a contract to keep his manager, who has been there for six years.
Moyes was probably wondering whether bigger club would come in for him.So both sides preferred to stall and the vibrations from that may be one reason why the Everton team has been rubbish this year compared to last year. They miss Carsley their midfield enforcer and mostly acquired unproven players in the last week of the transfer window.
So Everton have been losing 2-0 leads and have only taken one point at home this season.
In the Uefa Cup they met Standard Liege, who were unlucky when they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League qualifying round. The first leg was 2-2 after Everton were behind twice. They lost the second leg 2-1 when the ref gave a penalty for a close-range shot that hit an arm
As always, it’s about money. Everton cannot compete with the rich clubs. But last week David Moyes signed a new five-year contract. Is the club worth more with Moyes under contract till 2013? Or would new owners want to bring in their own manager?
Some of the other Premier League encounters could be interesting.
Middlesbrough have won two of their last three games against Chelsea at the Riverside.
League leaders Chelsea were on fire when they thrashed Aston Villa two weeks ago but Cech and Cudicini are out, as well as a bunch of other injured players.
Aston Villa must bounce back by beating Portsmouth, after freezing at Stamford Bridge.Ashley Young has had a letter from Capello telling him he is close to an England recall.
Liverpool v Wigan will be a close physical battle and Rafa doesn’t have Torres or Babel.
The big news story of Friday is that Emile Heskey, now 30, could go back to his old club in January, as he is out of contract next summer. That would never happen at Arsenal. When did they last sign an experienced, proven striker from another Premier League club?
In defence, I still can’t get used to seeing Jamie Carragher playing left centreback. That switch makes Liverpool weaker.
Stoke could beat Spurs on Saturday. ENIC have bungled it every season and 2008-2009 is no different. Daniel Levy, the famous accountant, knew Berbatov was leaving last May but he wanted to squeeze every last million out of Man United. By doing that, he wrecked the team’s pre-season and sent them down a slippery slope.
I really, truly, honestly, don’t want to see Spurs go down. I wish they were still good enough to be Arsenal’s rivals, as they were for many decades.
My recent England coverage is here.
My new Arsenal paperback is here.