Premier League Saturday, Gameweek 9: Open Thread
For all of you awake to watch the early kick-off today, I applaud you. While the bandwagon fans will be asleep and waiting for Sunday’s Chelsea-Manchester United match, the hardcore fans will up and ready for Aston Villa against Norwich City, which could end up being the most entertaining match of the day due to two words: Paul Lambert.
The former Norwich City manager who walked away from the club after the Canaries refused permission for the Scot to talk to Aston Villa comes up against his old side. The match is at Villa Park, so Lambert has home field advantage. But in a grudge match like this one where both teams desperately need three points, this is going to be a wild game.
At 10am ET/3pm BST, there are four matches in store. Arsenal against Queens Park Rangers could get ugly for Mark Hughes and his QPR side, even though they played more like a team last week against Everton. Reading against Fulham will be a good test for Pavel Pogrebnyak. The Russian walked away from Fulham, and now has a chance to show he made a wise move, or not. Stoke against Sunderland. There’s not much to say about this one other than it has a nil-nil draw written all over it. Meanwhile, West Ham United will be hoping to carry on their good form with an away win against Wigan.
In the last match of the day, it’s Manchester City hopes to wipe away those mid-week Champions League nightmares against a Swansea City side that will probably start with a 4-6-0 if Danny Graham is on the bench. Expect Michu to have a few chances to give Roberto Mancini a fright.
Post your opinions in the comments section below as you follow along with the matches.
Have a wonderful Saturday!
61 Responses to Premier League Saturday, Gameweek 9: Open Thread
i said i would not set the alarm to get up and here i am watching a throw away match at 4:45 am what a sickness i have hope their is no cure.go Norwich
You are a sick puppy. Even the AV fans have better things to do.
it is dark this time of morning and you know sleep is overrated.
Sad to see so many empty seats at Villa Park today.
Good to hear Efan Ekoku back as a co-commentator.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
poor defending and against the run of play Aston Villa takes lead.Nice to see the away fans applauding for Stan at the 19 minute mark.
Norwich is one of those clubs that is always watchable, regardless of the hour. But I’m kind of with jtm here as far as the sickness goes. I’d probably get up to watch no matter who or what was on.
Sunny in Stoke but there’s been a frost overnight. Will be chilly at the Britannia.
Crouch vs Fletcher should be the match up in the fixture listings rather than Stoke vs Sunderland. I’m going for over 5 yellows today. Sunderland are as cynical as Stoke and with Cattermole back it should be a busy day for the ref.
Adrian Durham from Talksport (their resident ginger wankers and perennial Stoke hater) is presenting his show from the Britannia so there should be some good chants directed at him. Rumour has it he dislikes us so much because his missus ran off with a Stoke fan.
I’m going for Crouch 1 Fletcher 1,I can’t see past the draw as usual.
And Marc, I imagine like most people on this site you’d be cured of your sickness if we were the early KO.
Guzan making play for MOTM
no chance for Guzan well deserved for Norwich.
I think Stone was a little funny asking about if anything was announced on the internet yesterday.
I know that this is an EPL blog, but just wanted to pass along the note that in addition to the Merseyside Derby and Chelsea v Man United is the Feyenoord v Ajax match, which is every bit as big as anything in the EPL. If someone could correct me if I am wrong, I believe that this is the match where away fans are not allowed to attend. This is will be on ESPN, but the big one tomorrow is on GolTV. That is Boca Juniors v River Plate. Although both teams are quite poor when considering their pedigree in Argentine football you can throw all that right out of the window.In 2004, The Observer, remarked “Derby day in Buenos Aires makes the Old Firm game look like a primary school kick-about.” In my opinion that says all you need to know. All in all tomorrow should be a great day with four intense matches.
what a sad excuse for football no passion or heart credit QPR for taking the emotion out of the match maybe today can be saved by the Swans.
Let’s hope so. Although it’s going to be a tough task. Swansea just need to shore up their defense. They’ll certainly create chances up front to score.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Who says Arsenal hasn’t won anything in awhile, the women just added to the trophy case.
For the past two seasons, QPR has been the worst team defending aerial crosses into the box.
Arsenal playing the ball on the floor is making it easier for QPR to defend.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Arsenal match was boring in the first half, had no mood to watch. 2nd half shouldn’t be as bad, hopefully…
Another QPR match. Another red card.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
That Cesar save just now with the scramble and the deflection is a great example of what saves can be made. If that was freidal in goal for QPR today they would have lost 3/4-0 and everyone would be saying “no one could make those saves”.
QPR finally come unstuck but not because Caesar wasn’t making superhuman saves.
who will be the first to be shown the door Hughes or Adkins?
It’s got to be Mark Hughes. The expectations are much higher with Queens Park Rangers. Few people would have predicted that Southampton would have stayed up this season.
QPR is playing much better than at the beginning of the season. QPR’s next match, at home against Reading, is another must-win to save Sparky’s job.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
i agree the money QPR put out it has to be Hughes.i don’t think one side has had more lack of self control it seems every match QPR has a red card no discipline.
Arsenal SSSOOO lucky to get a win… Arsenal D is terrible.
If there defense was so terrible they would have conceded a goal.
By terrible, do you mean best in the Premier League?
An offside goal against a 10 man QPR at the emirates with QPR having more shots on target the first 80 mins of the game. Delusional arsenal fans, poor finishing, an offside goal disallowed by QPR kept you in it.
Best defense Ha!
Arsenal may have been lucky in getting the W but their defense is not terrible. 6 goals allowed thru 9 games.
I’m referring to the back four players not including the defensive midfield contributions. Santos, mertisaker were terrible, vermin was meh Sanga the only saving grace.
Arteta was offside to be fair but QPR have only themselves (and Bia) to blame.
Arteta offside,
Reading vs Fulham what a game!
thought Berba had the winner and Reading fights back could be match of the day.
Swansea play the same system Ajax do. The Ahax system has been installed all over Europe, I wonder if city have learned there lesson from Wednesday.
Wigan against West Ham looked very entertaining too. Lots of goalmouth action in an open game for both sides.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
LOL Barton so clueless, saying the zonal marking was at fault for the set price goal against Ajax. Mancini uses it all last year too when city’s defense was mustard. So clueless lmao
Poor play by Arsenal, thank God that there was at least 1 goal.
If they are the champions they were last year they should score 3 or 4 against Swansea at home.– warren Barton Fox Soccer Pundit .
What? Swansea aren’t going to be a push over, and arguably have a better playmaker in Michu than Akax had who they just lost to. Yes it’s at home but man, so wattles to say that.
I don’t know why I have the sound up between games Jeez
*Ajax
friends don’t let friends do pre or post match FSC!
Swans in a upset!
Let’s hope you’re right and Swansea give Manchester City a hard game. Be great if Michu can get on the scoresheet too.
Britton needs to pull it together
Well I got the draw right and wasn’t far off with the yellow card count. A poor poor game, we only came alive after 75 minutes when Etherington came on.
You can see why Adam Johnson didn’t play for Man City. He was more anonymous than the invisible man. Apart from a bit of play acting you wouldn’t have known he was in Stoke-on-Trent never mind on the pitch.
Bit of a spat with O’Neill at one point when the ball had to be wrestled from him to take a throw. He was outside his technical area when he picked it up so by the letter of the law he was being a prick.
Finally Luis Suarez has a rival. Step forward the cheating, diving twat that is Danny Rose. I fully expect him to look like the Elephant Man tonight the amount of times he went down rolling around and holding his face. I guess it’s training with Bale that makes it seem the norm.
and Cattermole was the model citizen.
I know, that shocked me. His inclusion was why I went for the five yellows. He let me down.
We’ve got Norwich away next, £45 to get in! As much as Man Utd last week.
i think i would save my 45 and pass on Norwich away.
You and me both. It’s a hitch of a journey. Look on Google Maps at the roads around there. Thin strips of fenland with no room for passing. Once was enough for me.
I could have sworn Swansea were in 2 banks of 4 and 2 upfront for 5 mins….??
Swansea is playing a 4-1-2-2-1, or a 4-3-3 that can revert to a 4-5-1 at times when the full backs drop back.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
City playing with a CL hangover very sluggish Swans should be up.
Good grief, the Mr. Hyde City out for the first half. Strange how they do that sometimes. With all the quality players it almost seems like they mentally find some excuse for subpar play. For example, should “three at the back” be cause for utter an complete collapse as with Dortmund and Ajax?
Perhaps today the excuse is “Zabaleta not there” or “no Javi Garcia healthy to be in holding midfield role.”
C’mon fellas! Enough with all that! Flip the switch already!
Referee Martin Atkinson needs to keep his whistle in his pocket and let the Manchester City vs Swansea game play on. Very frustrating.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
HUGE blow to Swansea with the injury to Michel Vorm. Really bad timing.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
there is going to be 6 to 10 minutes of injury time in this match
Currently missing the Redbulls game on NBC because the CT Gov just cut in on NBC CT and NBC NY to declare a state of emergency. They don’t even have it on split screen.
LOL.. what would constitute a spilt screen emergency? half a frankenstorm?
Split screen state of emergency LOL excellent football fan logic…where is my football…stupid state of emergency.
I missed both first half goals for the Redbulls.
tough loss for Swans not the match but Vorm huge loss.
Everton 3 Liverpool 1 !! looking forward to Sunday.
2-2
will Suarez get a yellow for diving?
No its at Anfield, Im sure he will do something to deserve one.
match is at Goodison not Anfield so the dive is in play.
Disappointing 1-0 loss against Manchester City today. Swansea, I thought, played very well, created several good chances and didn’t make a wrong move the whole game. Tevez’s goal was top drawer.
I thought Manchester City defended very well today. Much improved since mid-week.
For Swansea, the biggest loss isn’t the defeat today. It’s the injury to Michel Vorm. Gerard Tremmel, backup goalkeeper, is nowhere near as good as Vorm.
Cheers,
The Gaffer