Cronky

That Spurs performance showed the value of staying positive no matter what. They also look quite a big side. They were winning a lot of the 50-50 balls and outmuscled Chelsea. Postecoglou has got them in a good place mentally. They'll be there or thereabouts.

To their credit, Spurs are still a threat. They need to cut out the reckless defending though.

I'm surprised that Arsenal have made a statement backing Arteta. I can understand managers getting het up in the immediate aftermath of a game, but clubs need to set a better example all round. And above all else, they're simply wrong. Allowing the goal wasn't the outrage that they're suggesting.

Who are they talking about?

Yes, the challenge on Gabriel is the most dodgy part of the goal. The problem is that refs do allow players to use their arms in aerial challenges providing it doesn't go too far. If they were stricter, they'd be giving a foul every time. Joe's challenge seems to be half way between pushing Gabriel out of the way, and using his arms to hamper him from jumping. The former is usually penalised, the latter often isn't. On top of that there is no clear and obvious definition of what constitutes a 'clear and obvious' error. Subjectivity comes into it. I've changed my mind about the Havertz challenge. He wasn't in control of it at all, and it should have been red. Joelinton had sneakily clouted him just before, and he lost it, but that's no excuse.

His work rate and stamina is phenomenal, and he's added a bit of nous to his game. Eddie obviously feels he can play him for the full 90 twice a week, so I hope that's not going to lead to problems later on. For that reason, I'm quite happy to see him miss out on England squads. He can do with a break. Besides, there's a lot of competition for those wide spots with England.

I'd have given him MOTM too, and I was quite surprised when he and Gordon were interviewed at the end, and he didn't get it. Yet again, brilliant man management from Eddie. It can't be easy to demote your captain to the bench, but both parties handled it well, and when Eddie needed Jamal, he stepped up to the plate. By way of contrast, Ten Haag made Maguire feel that he was no longer wanted. Now that he needs him, you can see the consequences.

Please note, Mikel - VAR is not there to decide whether it's a goal. It's there to check whether any 'clear and obvious errors' have been made. And how do you expect to control your players if you can't control yourself? Saka wasn't nearly as effective as I thought he would be. Is he carrying an injury? They miss Odegaard - I was pleased to see his absence from the team sheet. What a game. This is the best of times.

His feet were on the ground when he connected. That's what's saved him.

Eddie needs to get hold of the mood within the team and I'm confident he'll calm things down. They look the more likely to score though.

I'm hoping the FA investigation is just a formality. If he continued to bet after joining us, then surely that's part of the same offence, and he shouldn't be punished twice for the same crime.

Anyone that conquered Voldemort has to be a good bet.

Who is the Hog?

Neville is right, on reflection. The chaos behind the scenes is paralysing that club. No-one, either publicly or privately, can give Ten Haag any reassurance about his future or even sack him, because Ratcliffe is supposedly going to be taking over the football side of the business. Even then, it's not going to be clear who is going to be in control, because one of the Glasers will be part of the trio managing the football side, and as the majority shareholders, they will surely still have some sort of veto over decisions. No manager of any repute is going to walk into that situation either. It's even worse than the mess that Shepherd made over Sir Bob's succession. There's more than enough talent in the squad to get into the top four and challenge for trophies. But everyone's on shifting sand. What a mess.

Yeah, he's very, very good on the ball. Maybe his future lies further forward. Hard to say, because he's still learning about his positioning as a full back. Nothing wrong with his attitude or confidence though.

Thank you, I did indeed. Re Man U, I've seen this before with clubs when a very successful dynasty comes to an end. Man U didn't win the league for about 25 years, and similarly Liverpool struggled after their golden era ended. They get to a certain point, and then the pressure of trying to get that one stage further creeps in. The lesson is - don't buy players who aren't any better than the ones you've got, however good they are.

My birthday today. What a present that was. Izzy Christiansen summed up the difference between the teams - focus. We didn't dominate, but the players had faith in one another and the game plan. When the opportunities came to strike, we took them. Eddie, you are numero uno.

Really impressed with Hall. Getting exposed a bit, but he's started a lot of our good moves down the left. Classy player.

This is kind of what I feared. We need to rest players, but Man U really need a win. Or maybe their second team is that much better. Anyway, it'll be a chance to see young Hall and Tino.

Sorry, I had to smile at this. I'm from the generation where usually the only live football was the Cup Final and England's World Cup and Euro matches.

I do like Pickford. He's mad as a box of frogs. Sorry, I can't help it.

Antony looked great on Youtube, but doing it for Ajax in the Dutch League and doing it in the Premiership are different challenges.

Re Man U, the post-match free-for-all with Neville, Keane and Carragher was just as entertaining as the football. I think it's all going to get worse. This plan for Ratcliffe to buy 25% of the club and take over the football side is bonkers. For the privilege of playing Football Manager, he'll be taking responsibility for results whilst the Glazers stay in ultimate control. I've not heard of a structure like that, and it looks doomed to fall apart in no time.

This all sounds a bit like 'Don't just stand there, do something'. I think Eddie always tries to make his decisions in a calculating manner rather than with emotion. Against Wolves, he just figured that he only had Willock on the bench that could make a difference in that situation. I only saw the second half of the Man U game, but the discussion afterwards about Ten Haag's half-time sub was interesting. It sounded like Man U had done okay in the first half, but when they went behind, Ten Haag panicked. They would probably have lost regardless, but the better bet was to stick it out for another twenty minutes and then go all out. 100% I don't think Eddie would have made Ten Haag's error.

Nothing new there though. I think the calculation that Eddie makes is that however vulnerable our defence looks, the value of playing with a positive, aggressive outlook more than compensates. That can only work if the team buys into that 100% and plays with discipline and confidence. Eddie's chief strength as a manager is that he instils that kind of belief in his players. There's an indomitable quality to this side which carries them through. They play without fear. What helps as well of course is that Eddie has a very shrewd tactical brain and it's easy then for players to develop that faith. They see the results.