Stottie

In the most incriminating angle, where it looks a red, the defender is clearly holding and pulling a huge handful of Gordon's shirt. Gordon has repelled someone holding him. We won't, but I bet Arsenal or Liverpool would get leniency for this. VVD gets leniency for elbowing people in the face.

Dumb move by him, but still a bit soft compared to Cunha or that Millwall keeper. The ref didn't have to give it so eagerly. Millwall keeper needed VAR to intervene despite the worst keeper challenge since Schumacher in 1982. 43 fucking years! Sounds decent. Some variant of what we did vs. Arsenal. Hope PSG can work them over beforehand and show us some cracks in their armour.

Disappointing. Either of the offside goals, first was Barnes being too slow to play it and second was very close, and we scrape a win. We didn't play well, but Brighton didn't either. Their best chances came from us passing it to them and we kicked their first shot into the goal. If that hinders us for the Carabao final, then that is even more disappointing.

A bit meh in terms of general play from both sides. Penno was a freebie off a rash challenge, but we were also a bit unlucky with their goal and them scoring with their only shot. We've created better chances and would have gone two up had Barnes played in Isak a second earlier.

All the more reason to consult stats rather than watch their matches A goalie who does let anything in will also make the games even more dour.

One of Gordon's main moves is to come inside and play a vertical pass. This is a lower percentage but high reward ball. I honestly didn't know before I looked it up but fbref says he's seventh in the league in key passes. The "progressive distance" per 90 stat also says he advances the ball up the pitch more than other key passing wingers like Salah. Kulu, and Mbeumo. https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/Premier-League-Stats#all_leaders

Anfield curse, them flying, and no Isak mean 2-0 is a decent result that most of us would have taken at kickoff. The nuts and bolts of it weren't pretty. The downpour offerred a chance for some good old-fashioned "don't like it up em" battling, but the lads didn't have it in their legs. Presumably they would have tracked the runners for both goals otherwise. Make it like the SJP game and we'll have a chance in the final. Isak is essential. Maybe Botman and big Joe for chaos too.

I'll be gutted if Salah signs with Liverpool again and they don't lose him on a free. Them winning the league this time is a fair compromise for them not getting a mental Saudi fee for him last summer. No moneyball advantage for their data people now, so his replacement will cost them very big.

fbref do Champo stats. They reckon Trafford has saved 10 goals based on the quality of the shots he's faced. The stat is called "post-shot xG - GA". https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/Championship-Stats#all_leaders While this stat is based on actual shots, actual shots in the Prem will be hit with more venom. Bournemouth's keepers, Kepa and the backup, lead this stat in the Prem. Average distance from goal from shots taken against Burnley is 17.1, which is fairly average.

Another shit goal. It started with Tonali forcing a pass. Crap defending after that.

We've got them rattled, if nothing else.

Soccerstats' form tables also show you the average number of home or away points for the opposition faced in the 4, 6, 8 etc. games covered by that form table. So you get an idea of whether someone has been racking up points in easier fixtures etc.

Hazy memory says Trent came on that side and instantly changed the game. Most important thing is to not concede on a hoof to Salah, like we conceded on a hoof to Marmoush (sp?) or had Pope sent off before the last final. We normally raise our game against the better sides, subject to the cursed fixtures of Man CIty and Liverpool away. Isak has VVD's number every day of the week and they can't handle Gordon on form, going back to when he was at Everton, so there is potential. I just hope we don't give them any presents. I hope the ref doesn't give them any for blatant dives either. If Darwin Nunez magically mutates into Mbappe again, so be it.

They've just won three on the spin to end the relegation talk, but Tottenham are still well down the league on +15.

Fingers crossed with it, but we've been avoiding draws and that means we can lose a few and get dejected by it, but are still accumulating the three points when we play better. Both Villa and Brighton have fewer losses than us, but are below us for winning fewer games. fwiw, we drew more games in the season we finished fourth (P38 W19 D15 L5) than we have since (P64 W31 D11 L22). Even just a continuation of that form for our remaining twelve games, W6 D2 L4 would give us 64 points and a strong shout for top five. We've been conceding a lot of goals recently, so that is the major concern.

The big book of football cliches says its a sign of a good team to win when you're not playing well. I don't think it applies to teams that are 4-1 up at half time.

Football bloody hell. Just as well we turned up for about 20 minutes. The rest, especially the second half, was very bad.

Come on young Sandro. Good to see Barnes back too.

Need someone to get a grip here.

Actually paid to watch this one and am not on a river for the first time in a long while. Now on a three pound fify monthly trial giving me this in 65 inch HD goodness. Money well spent! Just getting the goals again now. That pen is outrageous, given where Sels ends up, and the fourth is the Willock of old. Happy times!

Isak to fifty goals in the Premier League in fewer games than Henry and Aguero.

Fuck me! 4-1!!

What a comeback. Well played lads. Great resolve!

With that midfield, we might need the ref to be strict today. One that lets everything go like the one vs. Bournemouth (most fouls committed in the league) will likely see us bullied out of the game. However the ref plays it, we need to be more sensitive to what you can get away with than we have been in our non-City recent defeats.

Contract extensions under current administration >>>>>> contract extensions during Ashley era. Its been hampered/hamstrung by PSR, but I think the process is working and we should trust it.