We've already seen some plot twists and increased drama with the return of the premier league. The title race is shaping up to be a tight, two-team race, a usurper is barging its way into Champions League talk, and a lot of the league is worried about staying up. We have almost five months left.
You can watch the LaLiga, Bundesliga, and more on the U.S. based on your location.
If you've only just begun to ease yourself back into club soccer life, Bill and James are here to lay out some of the races and stakes in England that we'll be talking about a lot over the next few months.
Allow me to start this in a simple way. No, it's not going to happen, that's for sure.
Man City and Erling Haaland are both named Michael and Freddy. They are a nightmare to fulfill their missions. Looking at us, we're five points clear of the pack. City won't stop grinding out results and Haaland doesn't seem to care about obstacles in his path to goal.
Man City have been here many times in recent years and never once flinched in the face of having to chase down a league leader. After the Reds built up a large lead, they were able to come back and take the game back from them twice. They haven't been here in a long time and will be aware of the historical forces against them. They're a young team that may be peaking too early under Mikel Arteta who has been consistent in his vision and has flourished as manager thanks to support from above.
They can stay in the mix if they can't win it this year.
The best thing I can say is that they've already lasted far longer than I thought they would, so my opinions might not be very accurate here. With no knowledge of the history of these two teams, there's no reason to doubt the current team. After the restart, they thumped West Ham United, and I think they said more about the other team than they did about them. Is it true thatNewcastle are good?
The team doesn't seem to be shy from the moment. City drew withEverton last week. That is not good.
I'm still choosing City. Yes, I am. We're at the halfway point of the season and they're five points behind us. City have won four of the past five titles and added the best pure scorer in the world in August, but they still have two games against each other remaining. I think they'll win the title until they're eliminated.
I will be kind and ignore the movie references. It led to me searching for "Michael Krueger same movie" earlier, so I'm happy about that. They have not been in the same full-length movie. There was a missed chance.
"Everyone on the bubble for getting into the NCAA tournament would get in" is a famous statement made by a former college basketball analyst. He would have had about 80 teams in the field at any one time.
I feel like I'm in a European league. It's obvious that the two teams are in. Is there a football team or a basketball team that you would like to see? They'll recover. The people are in. They seem to be getting along nicely. The people are in. We don't have to doubt them this year. The people are in.
Are you talking about Spurs? They have shown resilience this year, and they still have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. The people are in. On the right day, I might think thatBrighton are in as well. They've been stable.
Eight teams claim four spots. I don't know if I will be right about that one. The odds are almost as non-committal as FiveThirtyEight's, but there are three more teams that have a chance of being in. This is not a good place to live. There is a glorious mess.
I don't know what will happen in the transfer window, but at the moment I feel like I trust Manchester United more than any other club. It feels weird to say that.
Tyler is wondering ifLiverpool are cooked. I shouldn't say this out loud, but their vulnerabilities are always present in games, every opponent attack looks like it's going to end in a high-quality chance on goal and they continue to make things more difficult. They've given up the first goal in 13 of 26 games this season, and there's only so much you can do to avoid dropping points.
The latest highlights and debates are brought to you by Dan Thomas. You can stream on the US version of the network.
Control is everything in soccer, from how organized you are without the ball to how much you have. Brazil 1982 were fun to watch because they always conceded goals, but with the confidence of a team that could always score more than you. You have to find a way to get back in the game with 30 minutes left in the match. They needed a goal from their goalkeeper in the 94th minute to beat West Brom a couple of years ago and that's how they secured fourth place and a place in the playoffs.
They haven't been as bad with injuries as they were in the past, and a few weeks without van Dijk might help, but the problem will not go away. The Reds can be beaten and teams know that.
I think Man United are definitely in because they have an absence of drama, there is a lot of incompetence and the players who remain after the storm are happy. Too many draws, a squad reliant on its first string staying fit, and how many amazing games can you get from Dan Burn before the magic runs dry? The Magpies are firmly in the mix from here on out.
Who is my choice for fourth? I will regret it but I will go with Spurs. The results are there, Kane is back in form, and there are signs that Son is moving in the same direction. They get results despite being imperfect.
If Son is full-on Son again, Spurs may stop falling behind in matches. I was wrong a year ago to predict that the Magpies would go down.
I give away my answer above. I think United will score. They've got two of the league's most creative string-pullers working well together, and they're sixth in the league, even if MarcusRashford cools off.
Man United won their third game in a row with a trio of victories over Bournemouth.
The team is 13th. It's hard to say how long it will take for things to click because no one has more than four goals or two assists. At the moment, United have a seven-point lead over them, and I think it will hold up.
This might be the easiest question, but also the most enjoyable.
It's a pity that poorChelsea. They aren't good. The vibes are not good. They're not able to score. They don't get a point. Graham Potter is still doing his homework on this squad, they have a lot of players that aren't in form, there's no sense of fluency, and all the dropped points in the league. There are gaps that are not closing.
Tyler asked how the hell are they in the top seven? How are the Hammers doing? The table has pleasant incongruities approaching the midway point of the season, but I think the most interesting team to me is Elland Road. I should mention that both of them have perfect vibes and are not afraid.
Every game is 4-3 or 3-2, and that's why I find them so intriguing, because they are often on the wrong side of those score lines. They have only had three games this season that have been decided by a single goal. They've beaten two of the best teams in the world, beating them at home and on the road. They've conceded five goals, they've lost 4-3 to Bournemouth, and they've lost 4-3 at Spurs.
You don't know what to expect when you watch the game. That's something I want. I feel bad for their fans.
If the ownership story wasn't such a downer, I'd be all over them. Their net spend is the same as that of England's Big Six, or even West Ham, but they have gone from being on the verge of being demoted to the top flight in a year's time. They have made a number of successful transfers, and Eddie Howe's got them playing a ball that made me want to vomit.
We don't know a lot about their strength or staying power, but what they've done to this point is legit. They've been one of the four best teams in England, and their presence there would mean one less member of the Big Six making it to the playoffs.
.jpg)
There's a beautiful game here. You can watch tournaments and teams.
Sign up for ESPN+
All Rights Reserved © 2024
