The 6th Place Trophy - The 2017/18 Premier League Thread

[Dolphin Ziggler]

The fixtures have been released, players have been signed and summer is already a bit boring, so here's the Premier League 2017/18 season thread.

Opening fixtures:

Arsenal v Leicester City
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City
Chelsea v Burnley
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Everton v Stoke City
Manchester United v West Ham United
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Swansea City
Watford v Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Bournemouth

[compelling and rich]

carrick named new united captain, changing room captain i can see but strange one on the field as he will rarely play

[Hero]

Personally think it's a short term stop gap measure as can see Mourinho wanting Pogba long term but it's just too soon to give it him.

[compelling and rich]

dont really see pogba as captain material, but sadly we have been lacking that for many a year. maybe its just the modern day footballer. gone are the days of robson, bruce or keane

[Ent]

don't think the captaincy is that important in modern times, maybe for marketing.

I think longest serving player behind Carrick is Valencia then De Gea.

[compelling and rich]

think Valencia will be on field captain more often than not, cant agree with captains not mattering in modern day. only have to see what likes of terry, gerrard etc can do for a team

[Hero]

think Valencia will be on field captain more often than not, cant agree with captains not mattering in modern day. only have to see what likes of terry, gerrard etc can do for a team

Let it slip up?

[BamBam]

Herrera named vice captain, he's the on field captain

[compelling and rich]

Herrera named vice captain, he's the on field captain

good choice, like his attitude and if the rest of the team match his work rate then we'll improve no end

[Ent]

was doing a lot of media last year, makes sense now.

[Guest]

Big Herrera fan so happy with this news. I expected that to be outcome, would've been happy with Valencia also only for his English being limited

Anybody any predictions for the usual?

Top four? First Manager to leave their post? Relegation?

[Hero]

Bookie odds have City favorites currently at 2/1, Utd 2nd at 7/2, Chelsea just behind in 3rd at 15/4, Spurs next with a drop down at 10/1, Arsenal & Liverpool joint 5th at 12/1 and Everton despite their investment 7th at 100/1.

[Ent]

Too early to say, most squads not complete yet i would venture.

Don't think anyone has put together a side that will overhaul Chelsea yet.

I do expect Spurs to drop out of top 4 whilst playing in Wembley.

[BamBam]

Chelsea are the favourites for me with Utd, City and Arsenal completing the top 4 in some order

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Chelsea have Europe again so that will take a toll, plus I'm not sure they're gonna get a striker at all similar to the style of Cost

[BamBam]

Still expecting them to go for Morata

[NickisBHAFC]

Knockheart has left our pre season trip to Austria early, on crutches.

William Hill already paying out for us being relegated apparently.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Manchester United to have Tinder as their shirt sleeve sponsor.

Left...

[BamBam]

Was amused by a tweet saying they should announce their next signing by swiping right after a whole load of swiping left through players they had been linked to

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Finally get a good match at Old Trafford

[Guest]

Lallana out for 3 months

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Burnley seriously need to do some business in the final 3 weeks of the window now they're selling Gray

[Crimey]

It wouldn't be too bad of an idea for them to look at Troy Deeney who will probably leave now.

[Guest]

Anybody heard about this Danny Rose interview where apparently he's been less than complimentary about Spurs transfer business, or should I say lack of

[Duty281]

Let's see how wide of the mark I can be:

Arsenal 1-3 Leicester
Watford 1-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 2-0 Burnley
Palace 1-1 Huddersfield
Everton 2-1 Stoke
Southampton 1-2 Swansea
WBA 2-2 Bournemouth
Brighton 1-3 City
Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham
United 1-0 West Ham

[Crimey]

Arsenal 1-0 Leicester
Watford 1-3 Liverpool
Chelsea 0-0 Burnley
Palace 1-1 Huddersfield
Everton 2-0 Stoke
Southampton 1-1 Swansea
WBA 1-2 Bournemouth
Brighton 0-4 City
Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham
United 2-0 West Ham

[GSC]

Arsenal **** themselves everytime Leicester have pressed high.

2-2 probably fair at HT

[Duty281]

Entertaining game. Leicester should have probably backed themselves a little more against a brittle Arsenal defence; funny how the Steve Bould effect has disappeared entirely into oblivion!

Officiated well by Mike Dean, so I'm sure the viewers in 189 countries would have been entertained by the free flowing nature. Not a handball at the end by Ozil, for me.

[GSC]

Great game, Arsenal as good at attacking as they are bad at defending

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Thoughts on that:

Welbeck is a fine player but he isn't good enough to be a starter for a team looking to make the top four.

Lacazette's goal was fantastic.

If Arsene are gonna play this system without Sanchez then Giroud has to play with Lacazette.

Surprise, surprise, their central midfield looked weak.

Kolasinac looks a boss but he's not a central defender.

Bellerin never was Barca standard and definitely isn't.

The Ox is lost but he isn't gonna go to a better club and be a central midfielder. Outside chance at Liverpool.

[GSC]

Mahrez and Ozil were terrible yesterday.

Leicester certainly may be better off getting rid if hes desperate to leave

[GSC]

Midfield has to be a major concern, the game largely passed Xhaka by and Elneny was a passenger.

Defense should be better when Koscielny, Mertesacker and Mustafi return and Kolasinic replaces the Ox at LB.

[NickisBHAFC]

Don't care what happens today, I am watching a premiership football match live for the first time and I can't bloody wait.

Great day for the club, and emotional one to the supporters that did extremely well in the late 90's when the club was desperately on there knees. The club survived and we are now hosting premiership football.

Bring it on.

[Guest]

And the disaster of a season gets going...

[GSC]

To be fair, it's not as if set piece defending is an issue they knew to address

[Guest]

Comical.

[Guest]

It'd gonna be a season of ice hockey score's isn't it?

[GSC]

Add another 10m to VVD's price tag...

[GSC]

Also after deciding Moreno was useless last summer how is he now starting 12 months later.

[Duty281]

3-3 FT.

13 goals in two games.

[Guest]

Watford 3-3 Liverpool  
Chelsea 0-3 Burnley
Palace 0-2 Huddersfield
Everton 1-0 Stoke - Rooney
WBA 1-0 B'mouth

[GSC]

Rooney scoring for Everton, Burnley battering Chelsea, its all going off.

[Duty281]

Good start for underrated Huddersfield. Chelsea all over the shop.

[Guest]

Acca busters bring me so much joy.

[GSC]

Aguero with a routine finish.

Been coming, Brighton haven't offered anything

[GSC]

2-0, Lewis Dunk OG

[GSC]

I'm really not sure what Dunk is trying to do there

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Remember guys, liverpools defence doesn't need upgrading...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

How could anyone dispute that Cahill red card, horrible tackle

[Duty281]

"He's endangering his opponent." "I don't like to see that given as a red card."

Classic Shearer.

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