Trollheart's Match of the Day Thread

[Trollheart]

Oh come on, now! You knew this was coming, didn't you? I mean, I'm hardly going to witter on endlessly about the Euros, World Cup, Champions League, Nations League and now the FA Cup, and ignore the greatest and most exciting league in the world, now am I? But enough about the League of Ireland -

let's look at the Premiership.

From next Monday I'll be bringing you reports on all the action from the Prem, letting you know who's winning, who's losing, who's climbing the table and who, to quote Father Dougal Maguire, is goin' to Snaketown. With my newly discovered talent for match reporting,

this is something that interests me now, and I watch it every week so why not? I'm aware I'll have few readers (so no change there) but hell,


Anyone who wishes to comment or join in, just sign up! See ya soon with the first report!

[Trollheart]

I don't intend this to be just match reports. I want to make it a kind of mini-magazine/microcosm of MOTD (now that is a lot of words beginning with M, isn't it, kids?) so I'll have some fun features like:

Meh of the Day: My pick for the most boring, uninspired match of the entire weekend (and Monday too if it goes into that)

Goal of the Day: Self-explanatory

Pass of the Day: Also self-explanatory, and not to be confused with a Day Pass if you happen to be reading in prison, nor indeed with whether or not you pulled last night down the night club.

Player of the Day (yeah look I know it should be of the weekend, but it just don't have the same ring to it, now do it?)

Climb of the Day: Team that advances most up the table

Drop of the Day: Well, take a wild guess!

Mirth of the Day: The funniest thing that happened in a match

Quote of the Day: Sorry, that's too technical to explain

VARiable: How did VAR do? Get it right most times, wrong most times?

And any other stupid shit I can come up with. You know me by now: I can some up with a lot of stupid shit. And I will.

[Trollheart]

Bit late doing this as I had to wait for the Monday night match before I could compile the entries. Here we go then:


And it's a Da-da-da-DA-dadadadada-daDAdadadada!

Saturday:
Bournemouth v Arsenal
Southampton v Leicester
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham
Fulham v Aston Villa
Manchester United v Brentford
Ipswich v Everton
Newcastle v Brighton


Teams: Bournemouth v Arsenal
Regions: Dorset/London
Managers: Andoni Iraola /Mikel Arteta
Form: WLLWL/DWDWW
Targets:  Top half of table/Title
Expectation: Arsenal win
Ground: Vitality Stadium
Respective current positions (Before match): 13 & 3
Respective current positions (After match): 10 & 3
Respective final positions*: 11 & 3
Result: Bournemouth 2 - 0 Arsenal
Scorer(s): Christie, Kluivert (p) (BOU)
VAR decision(s), if any: Yellow card converted to red and a man sent off for Arsenal
Effects: Bournemouth climb to 10th and into the top half, (but slip to 11th after Sunday/Monday games); Arsenal stay 3rd but record their first away defeat.

* This is the position each team is in when all matches are played for that weekend, including, if necessary, Monday, as later matches and results may have an impact on their standing on Saturday.

Title-chasing Arsenal faced the possibility of having a man sent off when Saliba fouled Nielsen but the ref did not see it as a red card offence, to the anger of the Bournemouth fans. Then VAR had a word in his ear, and off he went to the screen. That usually only results in one thing, and the yellow was cancelled and replaced with a red, the Gunners down to ten men before the first half hour. They nevertheless were the first to come closest to scoring, the ball just brushing the outside of the net, then Bournemouth had a chance to take the lead but Raya caught the ball, let it out of his hands but managed to stop Bournemouth scoring.

Into the second half and this time it was the home team who almost scored first, but the ball went over the top. In the 65th minute the Bournemouth keeper almost put his team in trouble, passing to Martinelli but the Arsenal man was unable to capitalise on the error. A corner on 70 allowed Ryan Christie to slam the ball in and Bournemouth were ahead. Things got worse for the Gunners as a penalty was awarded on 80 and Kluivert converted it, giving Bournemouth a two-goal lead and taking three points from a dispirited Arsenal side. Of course, the result was heavily due to Arsenal losing a man, but you still have to give credit to Bournemouth, who have not beaten Arsenal since 2019, coincidentally Mikel Arteta's first match in charge.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Southampton v Leicester
Regions: Hampshire v Leicester
Managers: Russell Martin/Steve Cooper
Form: LLDLL/LDDLW
Targets: Southampton need to get out of the relegation zone, Leicester hope to climb a little higher
Expectation: Should be a win for Leicester
Ground: St. Mary's
Respective current positions (Before match): 19 & 15
Respective current positions (After match): 20 & 14
Respective final positions: 19 & 14
Result: Southampton 2 - 3 Leicester
Scorer(s): Archer, Aribo (SOU); Buonanotte, Vardy, Ayew (LEI)
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalty awarded to Leicester and Southampton given a red card after the ref was told to go to the monitor.
Effects: Southampton slip to the bottom of the table, until Sunday when the descent of Wolves allowed them to move up one place, however remaining firmly in the relegation zone. They have yet to win a single match. Leicester move up one place. They now have two wins in their last two matches.

A match between two recently-promoted teams, Leicester's fairytale winning of the Premiership in 2016 will never be forgotten, but they've never come close to that sort of form since. Southampton had the first real chance of the half, the ball coming back off the crossbar, not even ten minutes gone. Taking a free kick quickly served the Saints well and they stormed ahead to take the lead on the eighth minute, Archer hitting the target (sorry). They kept the pressure up on Leicester and were two up before the half hour when Aribo scored. Should that be arriba? Sorry again. Plain sailing for Southampton now? Sorry a third time. Not really.

Leicester came close near the end of the half but 2-0 it remained at the break, the Foxes coming close to scoring a pretty spectacular own goal, calling their own keeper into action. As time began to tick down, Leicester managed to halve the deficit on 64 when Buonanotte scored to give Steve Cooper's side a chance.

Fatawu went inches short with a fine individual effort but just clipped the bar, while the followup looked to have crossed the line, but was ruled not to have done so. However there was a penalty check, and having been sent to the monitor the ref agreed with VAR, and also sent Fraser off, Southampton now a man down, and moments later their lead was gone as Vardy converted the spot kick to equalise for the Foxes. Buonanotte almost gave them the win, but again missed by inches, but a last-gasp corner won by the team in blue won the game for them as Ayew scored in the eighth minute of extra time, the game completely turned around.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham
Regions: London v London
Managers: Ange Postecoglou/ Julen Lopetegui
Form: LLWWL/LDLDW
Targets: Spurs hoping to advance up the table and take 7th place, West Ham trying to pull away from the relegation zone, 5 points clear at start of play.
Ground: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Expectation: If Spurs turn up, they should win, but you never know what form they're going to be in.
Respective current positions (Before match): 9 & 12
Respective current positions (After match): 7 & 15
Respective final positions: 7 & 15
Result: Tottenham 4 - 1 West Ham
Scorer(s): Kudus (WHM); Kulusevski, Bissuma, Areola (og), Son (TOT)
VAR decision(s), if any: Sending off of Kudus for violent conduct, after the ref had apparently thought a yellow was sufficient punishment.
Effects: Spurs move up to 7th, West Ham drop three places.

Fantastic shot by West Ham on 11 minutes, matched by a fantastic save, a curler by Son almost giving Spurs the lead before a determined West Ham side refused to give up and they took the lead through Kudus on 18 minutes. Spurs almost came straight back but the shot was straight at the keeper, however they would not be denied and were ahead on 36 when Kulesevski's shot squeezed past the West Ham keeper to level the game. In fairness, it wasn't quite an own goal, but Areola got fingers to it, not strongly enough, the ball bounced off one post and then hit the other and went in, and on another day could have kissed both and bounced out, leaving Spurs wondering why they hadn't scored. Not this time though, and 1-1 it was as we went into the break.

Soon after the restart Spurs were ahead, Bissumua netting their second, the momentum all now with the home team as they raced to make the game safe, which they did, with a little assistance from the man between West Ham's goalposts. A goal for Son? No, it was awarded as an own goal, but still secured the points for Spurs. Just to make sure, a long ball upfield put Son through, and that man don't miss. 4-1 to Spurs, Son with a chance minutes later to add a fifth but just popped off the post, West Ham nearly scoring but was it blocked by an arm? VAR said no, and then it was time to fisticuffs as Kudus got involved with Van der Ven. Really it was just a slap, and the Spurs player rolling on the ground and holding his face as if he had been punched was hilarious, but you expect that kind of acting in these situations. Nevertheless, you can't raise your hand to another player in football, and Kudus was lucky to avoid a red, yellow being the onfield decision, VAR not seeing a reason to overturn that.

Oh wait, no: the ref was sent to the screen after all, and Kudus was gone. Well, it seems he didn't just hit one Spurs player but two. That's really pushing your luck.  4-1 A bad-tempered ending to a game in which another team came back from a losing position today.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Fulham v Aston Villa
Regions: London v Birmingham
Managers: Marco Silva /Unai Emery
Form: DDWWL/WWWDD
Targets: Villa hoping to go 4th, Fulham want to take their place at 5th. Both teams in a relatively comfortable position. Villa challenging for the title? Stranger things have happened.
Expectation: Both teams are in good form, but as a Villa fan I'd have to go for my team to win.
Ground: Craven Cottage
Respective current positions (Before match): 8 & 5
Respective current positions (After match): 9 & 4
Respective final positions: 10 & 4
Result: Fulham 1 - 3 Aston Villa
Scorer(s): Jimenez (FUL); Rogers, Watkins, Diop (og) (AVL)
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalties awarded to Fulham and Villa
Effects: Villa move up to 5th in the table, but end the weekend 4th. Fulham drop to 9th place, pushed down to 10th after the weekend.

A team unbeaten at home met a team unbeaten away, so something had to give, and Fulham were first to strike, a long shot punted up field by the keeper latched onto by Raul Jiminez, who blasted it into the Villa net on 5 minutes. A real old school goal, the kind they frown on these days. Four minutes later Villa hit back through Morgan Rogers and we were 1-1 with only 9 minutes played. Some beautiful smooth passing, showing the other side of English football, and both resulting in a goal. No wonder they call it the Beautiful Game.

End to end stuff as Fulham got a corner on 10, almost retaking the lead through that Mexican again, then Watkins denied in the 18th as Villa broke away. No pause for breath; on 23 the home side had a claim for a penalty, and it was awarded for handball. Perrera took one of those staggered runs up to the spot, tried to showboat and missed. Awful penalty. Villa almost went ahead but this time Rogers shot wide.

Into the second half with still nothing between the teams, Villa again going close early then from a corner on the hour Watkins broke the deadlock with a fine header. All the pressure coming from the visitors now, and one minute later Watkins was taken down outside the box and Andersen was sent off for a straight red, Fulham down to ten men and a goal behind. Villa made it safe when Diop, only on as a sub a few minutes, scored an own goal. Villa had a man sent off themselves when Philogene did something similar to Fulham's player, the teams now even manwise, if not scorewise. 9 minutes of extra time but even had Fulham pulled one back (which they didn't) the day was still going to go to Aston Villa, now the third team today to come from behind and win. Their unbeaten away record remains.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Manchester United v Brentford
Regions: Manchester v London
Managers: Erik ten Hag/Thomas Frank
Form: LWDLD/WLLDW
Targets: Man United need to start climbing out of the lower half of the table, Brentford are looking to get into the upper half.
Expectation: With Man United's current form, you'd imagine Brentford would have enough to take this.
Ground: Old Trafford
Respective current positions (Before match): 14 & 11
Respective current positions (After match): 11 & 13
Respective final positions: 12 & 13
Result: Manchester United 2 - 1 Brentford
Scorer(s): Pinnock (BRE); Garnacho, Haijund (MNU)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Effects: Man U and Brentford almost switch places, United moving closer to the top half of the table while Brentford slide a little further down towards the midway point of the bottom half.

Once the darlings/most hated (take your pick, depending on your allegiance) of the Premier League, how the mighty have fallen as Man United walked out into the Theatre of Dreams with their fewest points since the Premiership was created, back in 1992! Teams used to fear coming to Old Trafford, now it's just another match, and has lost its legendary dread. Three minutes into the match Brentford powered through a sloppy Man United defence and should have scored, a warning to the Red Devils surely. They had a corner which the Brentford keeper dropped, but luckily for the visiting team the ball did not go over the line.

On the half hour Brentford were again almost ahead, Onano saving then Garnacho had a shot but the man between Brentford's sticks repeated the action of the United keeper and the game remained scoreless. Until the dying moments of the half, when a corner for the visitors was met by Pinnock, who headed Brentford into the lead. There was some controversy about the goal, as De Licht, who had been injured earlier in a collision, had had to go off the field for attention as his head was still bleeding, but the match progressed. Nothing in the rules that says you can't defend with ten men, and I'm sure if it had been the other way around Man United would have wanted to claim the goal, but ten Hag was not happy. The goal stood though, as it should.

Back came United though as the second half began, Garnacho firing a wonderful shot into the Brentford net, and the home team were level. Garanacho was nearly in for his second a few minutes later, but the keeper kept it out, then Haglund capitalised on a bad pass by Brentford to turn the match around and put Man United in the lead on 62.  A third United goal was kept out, but the advantage was with the home side now, and they were pressing for another. Brentford almost levelled in the dying seconds but United held on for the win.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Ipswich Town v Everton
Regions: Suffolk v Merseyside
Managers: Kieran McKenna/Sean Dyche
Form: DDDDL/LLDWD
Targets: Both need to climb out of the relegation zone
Expectation: Hard to say. Everton have struggled to find goals whereas Ipswich are only newly promoted and aren't having an easy time of it either. Could go either way really.
Ground: Portman Road
Respective current positions (Before match): 17 & 16
Respective current positions (After match): 16 & 17
Respective final positions: 17 & 16
Result: Ipswich 0 - 2 Everton
Scorer(s): Ndaye, Keane (EVE)
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalty awarded to Ipswich but then overturned.
Effects: Again, both teams almost swap places, though to be fair there's not much movement in it. Everton move to 16th in the table, 5 points clear of the dreaded relegation zone; Ipswich remain precariously poised above the zone, a mere point behind 18th-placed Crystal Palace.

Two teams struggling to leave the bottom half of the table, Ipswich have only been promoted from the Championship whereas Everton are desperate not to be sent back down there. Ipswich had a chance to go ahead but Clark literally skyed it, hitting it well over the bar and completely missing. Calvert-Lewin could have made them pay but also missed, however on 17 minutes Ndaye proved Ipswich would rue that miss as he scored, putting the visitors ahead after some horrible defending by Kieran McKenna's team.

You'd think half the game had been played by now, but in fact we were only 19 minutes in, and Clark, desperate to atone for that howler, jinked and danced his way through the Everton defence until he was taken down. Penalty for Ipswich, and the chance to level the game, except it wasn't, as on further reflection, VAR decided he had actually kicked one of the Everton players and gone down.

A pretty feisty game to be sure, Everton further ahead as Keane slammed the ball into the top corner. Into the second half and Ipswich had a chance to drag themselves into the game on 75 but Delap fired high, another shot on 80 saved. Everton's first away win of the season.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Newcastle v Brighton
Regions: Tyne & Wear v East Sussex
Managers: Eddie Howe/Fabian Hurzeler
Form: WWLDD/DDDLW
Targets: Only a place between them, and level on points, whichever team wins goes into the top half of the table.
Expectation: Again it's hard to say. The Magpies have hardly been firing on all cylinders, while Brighton have only managed one win in five of their last games. Anyone's game really.
Ground: St. James Park
Respective current positions (Before match): 7 & 6
Respective current positions (After match): 8 & 5
Respective final positions: 9 & 5
Result: Newcastle 0 - 1 Brighton
Scorer(s): Welbeck (BHA)
VAR decision(s), if any: No penalty awarded, both ref and VAR agreed.
Effects: Brighton move into the top half of the table, taking the 5th place vacated by Villa. Newcastle slip to 8th, and over the weekend lose further ground, now at 9th.

Controversial decision near the start of this match, when it looked like a foul in the box should have led to a penalty, but for once ref and VAR agreed. Newcastle should have been ahead on 12 minutes but for another Newcastle player, when Murphy accidentally blocked Isak's shot which was definitely goal bound. Isak had another chance a few minutes later but couldn't blame his teammate this time, as he shot straight at the keeper, and eight minutes from the end of the first half Danny Welbeck popped up again to score at the other end, putting Brighton ahead.

Gordon tried to equalise before the end of the first period but the Brighton keeper was equal to the task. A third attempt by Isak in the second half again into the keeper's arms, surely Newcastle would break through soon? Gordon again, and again straight at the goalkeeper who then punted long up the field but back it went. Welback was taken off on a stretcher, Brighton coming close to scoring a second soon after, but 1-0 is never a sure thing. On this occasion it was though, and Brighton took the game.

[Trollheart]

Sunday

Liverpool v Chelsea
Wolves v Manchester City


Teams: Liverpool v Chelsea
Regions: Merseyside v London
Managers: Arne Slot/Enzo Maresca
Form: WLWWW/DWWWD
Targets: Liverpool are top of the table and aim to remain there, hoping to win the title. Chelsea are chasing them, just outside the top five. A win for them today would lift them into fourth place.
Expectation: Chelsea are no pushover, but Liverpool in top spot surely should be favourites, especially at home?
Ground: Anfield
Respective current positions (Before match): 1 & 6
Respective current positions (After match): 1 & 6
Respective final positions: 1 & 6
Result: Liverpool 2 - 1 Chelsea
Scorer(s): Salah, Jones (LIV); Jackson (CHE)
VAR decision(s), if any: Two penalties, one awarded, one reversed, and one goal given as offside ruled to be in fact onside.
Effects: Liverpool remain top, Chelsea stay where they are.

A heavy tackle on a Liverpool player early could have led to a red, but yellow was the decision, then a tackle by the Anfield side saved Chelsea from what could have been a dangerous Liverpool attack as Jota went clear, but he was pulled back by the ref. Palmer had a shot but the keeper saved it and Liverpool were on the attack, this game seeming not to pause, at least in the highlights as I watched them. Halfway through the first half and Jones was upended in the box and a penalty was the result, Mo Salah doing what Mo Salah does, and it was first blood to Liverpool.

Five minutes later Gakpo put them two ahead, but the flag went up and the goal was chalked off for offside. Chelsea tried down the other end but clipped the post, while Liverpool headed down the Chelsea half and... got another penalty! Jones again, would you believe? VAR might be overturning that one. And they did. Palmer almost equalised in the last seconds of the half, but over it went.

They didn't have to wait long though, scoring almost as the second half began, but again called offside. VAR checked though, and the goal was given, Chelsea level. The team in blue shot themselves in the foot a few moments later as Jones stole in past the defence and netted Liverpool's second. A corner in extra time might have allowed Chelsea to level again, but it was headed over the bar, and Liverpool win again at home.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Wolves v Manchester City
Regions: West Midlands v Manchester
Managers: Gary O'Neill/ Pep Guardiola
Form: DLLLL/WWDDW
Targets: Man City are chasing Liverpool for yet another title, just a point in it, so if they won here they'd overtake them at the top. Wolves are heading for relegation in second-bottom, so need to try to start to climb out of the relegation zone. 3 points today would do that, but who would bet against Pep's boys? Mind you, they've done it before...
Expectation: No disrespect to Wolves, but this has to go to City.
Ground: Molyneaux
Respective current positions (Before match): 19 & 2
Respective current positions (After match): 20 & 2
Respective final positions: 20 & 2
Result: Wolves 1 - Manchester City 2
Scorer(s): Strand Larsen (WOL), Gvardiol, Stones (MNC)
VAR decision(s), if any: Controversial review of the final goal but it was allowed.
Effects: Manchester City go top, but are quickly displaced as Liverpool retake first spot; Wolves remain in the relegation zone. In fact, with an inferior goal difference to Southampton they slump to last in the table.

Who woulda thunk it? Seven minutes in and it was Wolves who were ahead, a beautiful breakaway goal, worthy of City themselves. You would of course expect Pep's team to hit back, and they did, but only after Wolves had missed the chance to go two up, and only as the half-hour passed. They almost went ahead in the last minutes of extra time but Sa was equal to it.

The second half saw City in command, shooting at Sa again almost as soon as the half began, but then another breakaway run from Wolves almost gave them the lead. A corner for City in the last minutes came close but that man was in the way again as the seconds ticked down. Wolves really needed to win; a point would be little use to them and leave them in the relegation zone. A succession of corners (a record? Four?) in literally the final seconds saw City grab it at the death though, Stones heading the ball into the Wolves net to break hearts in the Black Country. But hold on here: was the goal going to stand? Offside? A trip to the monitor for the ref usually means only one thing, but not this time. City's goal confirmed, and all three points to the title-chasers. Tough on Wolves, but that's Man City for you.

[Trollheart]

Monday

Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace



Teams: Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace
Regions: Nottinghamshire/London
Managers: Uno Espirito Santo/ Oliver Glassner
Form: DWDLD/DDDLL
Targets: A win for Forest would lift them into the top half of the table, while Crystal Palace are looking to climb out of the relegation zone and three points today would do that for them. Personally, I hope they go down but then I hate them so I'm biased.
Expectation: I would have to say, with Palace fighting for survival and only three points so far, this looks like a Forest win.
Ground: The City Ground
Respective current positions (Before match): 12 & 18
Respective current positions (After match): 8 & 18
Respective final positions: 8 & 18
Result: Nottingham Forest 1 - 0 Crystal Palace
Scorer(s): Wood (FOR)
VAR decision(s), if any: Unknown
Effects: Forest move into the top half of the table, actually climbing four spots to the number 8 position. Palace remain in the relegation zone, just three points to their name.

Ah, two of my most hated teams play each other, and honestly I don't care who wins, though I suppose a perfect outcome for me would be a draw. This match is shown on Monday, so there's no coverage of it I can watch, therefore I'll just have to go by the reports on the BBC website. And now it's Monday, and I see Forest won. I suppose that's marginally better for me, as it keeps Palace in the relegation zone, where hopefully they'll spend the rest of the season.

Seems to have been a very even match though - 20 shots for both teams, 442 passes, possession 51% and 49%, 2 yellow cards for Forest, 3 for Palace, with a 9/12 ratio of fouls, so I guess the ref must have known this was going to be a stormy affair and let some go. But the critical statistic is of course the goals, or in this case goal, and the only one scored was by the home team, coming in the 65th minute courtesy of their top striker, Chris Wood.

[Trollheart]

Shan't, so there! Musing is what I do, and here is what I thought of the weekend matches and what happened.


Meh of the Day: None; all matches were great.

Scratch of the Day:

This is where I, possibly with others, shrug and scratch my head and say "how did they not win?" or maybe "How did they lose?". A match that seems a cert for one team and ends up going the other way. Not really any of these so far.

Player of the Day: Maybe Son? Hard to say; there have been good performances but I couldn't really pick someone out as being super-special.

Goal of the Day: Michael Keane for Everton's second

Miss of the Day: Clark (Ipswich) v Everton, ballooning the ball over the top when clear through

Save of the Day: Jose Sa's diving save against Man City in the 9th minute, keeping his team's lead

VARiations: Good or bad decision?

Here I'll note when VAR gets involved, or when they don't when they should, and whether their intervention is correct or not. At the end, I'll total up good versus bad decisions (as I, and the MOTD panel, see them) and work out whether, overall, for this weekend, VAR is a good or bad thing.

VAR responding to the howls of the home supporters, or a genuine goal-scoring opportunity impeded by the Arsenal player? You decide, but it was a long way out. Nevertheless, a decision that sent the ref to the monitor and resulted in the Gunners having a man sent off when Saliba's yellow card was replaced by a red. Both Shearer and Given agreed with the decision.


The penalty awarded to Leicester during their match against Southampton was pretty stonewall: you can't pull a player's shirt in the box and expect to get away with that, and if you're already a man down, doubly foolish. Not quite sure why it took VAR to point that out: I mean, I know the ref can't have eyes everywhere, but he has two linesmen to help him out, and surely one of those should have seen the foul? Anyway, right decision in the end.

Mind you, Southampton should also have had a penalty for an almost identical offence, and VAR didn't award it, so shrug I guess.

Penalties awarded to both teams in the match between Fulham and Villa, can't argue with either, but again it took the man in the control room to tell the ref to go have a butcher's.

I guess you'd have to say they were used well when the penalty against Everton was overturned; hard for the ref to have seen that one.

Three important decisions in the Liverpool/Chelsea match, two penalties - one awarded, one rescinded - and one goal originally ruled offside overturned.

Those who hate Man City (you know who you are!) will say VAR gave the win to them, ruling that Stones was not offside at the end, but the decision ultimately is the ref's, and having seen the replay he awarded the goal.


So overall then it's  and a for VAR this weekend.


Climb of the Day: Much as I hate them, I guess I have to give this to Forest, who have climbed four places into the top half of the table.

Drop of the Day: That would have to be Wolves, who fail to climb out of relegation and in fact fall further down, now last in the table.

Pass of the Day: I don't remember seeing any that were worth singling out.

Mirth of the Day: I suppose I shouldn't laugh, and it wasn't his fault, but when Man United's De Licht kicked the ball angrily after Brentford had scored from a corner he should have been there to defend, I wouldn't want to have been on the medical staff! "How dare you try to save my later medical health? I could have been in there, heading the ball away and endangering my future mental state!"

Quote of the Day: Nothing comes to mind this week.

Pen of the Day: This can be a good one or a bad one, and I think I'd have to rate Perrera's stumbling effort against Villa as the worst of the day, with maybe Salah demonstrating how ice-cool he can be, even when a player from the opposition strays into the box (surely an offence?) to try to put him off, as one of the best.

Score of the Day: Reserved for really high scores, of which, none this weekend. Highest goal tally 4-1, but I don't think that really qualifies.

We Wuz Robbed! I suppose that might be Wolves against Man City at the death, though really the goal was perfectly legit. Do have to wonder though, had it been the other way around, if VAR would have got involved?

Trollheart's Hates:

Nothing to do with Trollheart's Hats, a journal looking at the history of headgear, coming soon to an imaginary forum near you!   No, this is where I record how my four least-favourite and most hated teams did. For your edification, these are, in no particular order (but these are first obviously): Man United, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

Man United: Annoyed to see that they won their first match in yonks, but at least they're still in the bottom half of the table. The red fucking wave indeed! Long gone, lads, long gone!

Arsenal: Glad to see them lose, though it was of course mostly due to their having a man sent off. Still, any defeat for Arsenal puts a smile on my face.

Crystal Palace: Delighted to see them lose and remain in the relegation zone. May they go down this season, if God, who does not exist, is good.

Nottingham Forest: Unfortunately for me they won, and at the expense of Palace climb into the top half of the table, but hey, you can't have everything.

Overall then, it's 50/50 here, so it's a


That's it then for the first of my weekend match reports. See you next week!

[Trollheart]

[Trollheart]

Saturday Oct 26 2024

Brentford v Ipswich
Manchester City v Southampton
Wolves v Brighton
Aston Villa v Bournemouth
Everton v Fulham
Leicester v Nottingham Forest



Teams: Brentford v Ipswich
Regions: London v Suffolk
Managers: Thomas Frank/Kieran McKenna
Form: LDWLW/DDLLL
Targets: Brentford looking to move into the top half of the table, Ipswich just looking to pull away from that dotted line, above which they are hovering at the moment.
Expectation: Should imagine "The Bees" will take this one
Ground: G-Tech Community Stadium
Respective current positions (Before match): 13 & 17
Respective current positions (After match): 9 & 17
Respective final positions: 9 & 18
Result: Brentford 4 - 3 Ipswich
Scorer(s): Smodiks, Hirst, Delap (IPS), Wissa (2), Mbuomo (2) (BRE)
VAR decision(s), if any: Second goal for Brentford checked for offside, ruling was it stood; free kick for Ipswich at the end of the half ruled as a penalty
Effects: Though credit has to be given to Ipswich, their efforts avail them naught as they remain where they are, a single point above the relegation zone. Brentford move into the top half of the table.

After falling to what has to be deemed an unexpected win for Man United last week, Thomas Frank's side would be looking to bounce back, while Ipswich were still desperate to prove themselves in their first return to the Premiership in years. Brentford had the best of the early chances, with a corner providing a shot that fell into the Ipswich keeper's arms, but on 28 a pretty smooth breakaway and a fine pass led to the recently-promoted team opening the scoring on 28 minutes. On the half-hour they had doubled their lead, Ipswich looking nothing like the team that capitulated to Everton last Saturday, and determined to prove a point. Kind of a similar goal: long shot out from the back, two passes and in to the striker, who put it away with the confidence of a player who has been in the Premier League many seasons, not one who is playing here for the first time.

Could have been three soon after, when the Brentford defence gave the ball away, but Ipswich were caught out and unable to capitalise and make the Bees pay. They pulled one back though just before half-time, a good team effort as Brentford broke from their own half to slot the ball in the Ipswich net for the first time this afternoon. Perhaps though the naivete of the former Championship side was showing: you need to be able to protect your lead at least till the half-time whistle, and they only had a minute to go. The momentum would surely be with the home side now.

And so they were. In extra time Wissa scored again, the ball looking to have been saved but then clearly crossing the line, and Ipswich's hopes that the Brentford striker had been offside were dashed when VAR gave the green light. Kieran McKenna must have been fuming!

Brentford had the chance then to take the lead when Lewis Potter was taken down, at first what looked like outside the box, but VAR ruled no, inside, and a penalty was the result. Mbuomo stuck it away, and five minutes later they could have pulled further away with a fourth, when the Ipswich keeper came out and missed the ball, but Ipswich cleared it, the visitors living on their nerves now.

Brentford kept up the pressure relentlessly, Ipswich on the defence while Wissa went in search of his hat-trick. Clark was sent off for two yellows making a red, and things had gone from bad to worse for the East Anglian team. A siege on the Ipswich goal as chance after chance went, the keeper playing a blinder, then Delap restored parity, rather against the run of play it must be said. Brentford had a chance to take it right at the death, and in the sixth minute of extra time that was exactly what they did, Mbuomo scoring his second and sealing what had turned out to be rather more of a hard-won victory for the Bees than they might have expected. Never mind them: what about Ipswich, who were two clear almost at the break? That's football for ya lads, especially up here in the rarefied heights of the Premiership.