Whale.io 🐳 | ⚽ English Premier League Season: 2025/2026

[JollyGood]

Allison has been an important player for Liverpool ever since he signed for them. If he will not be in goal it will affect the mindset of the defenders and that will have an effect in the way they play. They will certainly miss him but it will allow for the stand-in goalkeeper to get valuable experience.

Chelsea have enough talent and determination to capitalise of any indecision if the Liverpool defenders get nervous but for me the key player has to be Palmer, if he is on top form I think Chelsea should win the game.

Allison is out, not a huge news but it a little advantage to us. As for Manchester United they're on a promo and I wouldn't be surprised if they lose again. I will be going against them against Brentford.

[tokeweed]

I can't see the Wolves getting any points against Man City.  Lol.  Not with the Wolves' current form, even if City is playing away.  That's gonna end with something like 1 - 3 or something...  Maybe a thrashing.  Dunno tho, we'll see as it looks like there's another international break.  A lot of the time, squads come back and play unpredictably from what I've seen.  I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea won against Liverpool.    Maybe even Brentford getting all three points at Old Trafford..?  That would be so hilarious.

I completely agree with you on Wolves. There is no way they are collecting points against Manchester City while playing this poorly.    21 goals conceded in 7 matches, just what? They are already at the bottom in the PL and they should be grateful if they manage to hold onto the Premier League somehow. Even that is very questionable...

We had better get ready for any kind of a result in the Chelsea - Liverpool match. Especially for a draw which is what these teams get against each other quite often. For Brentford, it wouldn't be surprising at all while Manchester United are in terrible shape. 

Yup...  Being at the bottom of the table and getting no wins after a couple of months from the start of the season is usually a tell tale sign that they are not going to be in the EPL next season.  I think they should use extreme measures to shake things up and those W's...  Even if it means giving the manager the sack this early.

And looking at where Man United is at the table, I think they should get rid of their manager asap too.  No need to wait for December.  I think the next three matches will decide...  If they get just a couple of points from these matches, it's bye bye Ten Hag.

[igebotz]

Allison has been an important player for Liverpool ever since he signed for them. If he will not be in goal it will affect the mindset of the defenders and that will have an effect in the way they play. They will certainly miss him but it will allow for the stand-in goalkeeper to get valuable experience.

Chelsea have enough talent and determination to capitalise of any indecision if the Liverpool defenders get nervous but for me the key player has to be Palmer, if he is on top form I think Chelsea should win the game.

Kelleher will be in goal, no doubt about that, Liverpool are not the same team without Allison but they won most of their games with Kelleher in goal last season including the one against Chelsea.  Could be different without Klopp on the sidelines but Slot isn't a joke. Time to finally break the Liverpool curse eh?

They're already planning life without Allison for next season with the Mamardashvili deal.

[Distraction]

On current form, I expect Chelsea to win their home game against Liverpool because both will play attacking football leaving space at the back. As for Manchester United, will anybody be surprised if Brentford win?

I have checked it again to make sure of it and yeah. It isn't a home match for Chelsea. The match is going to be played at Anfield. But I still don't think this will be a huge change for any side.  

Chelsea are able to maintain their performance from Pochettino's last times. Enzo Maresca is doing a pretty good job about that. I didn't see it coming truthfully.  

We will find out how strong Chelsea are in bigger matches in the PL also. We have only seen their match against Manchester City home and it ended by a 2-0 loss. By the way I believe Alisson's absence will affect Liverpool really badly. I think he is one of the best GKs in the world now.

[JollyGood]

Kelleher will be in goal, no doubt about that, Liverpool are not the same team without Allison but they won most of their games with Kelleher in goal last season including the one against Chelsea.  Could be different without Klopp on the sidelines but Slot isn't a joke. Time to finally break the Liverpool curse eh?

They're already planning life without Allison for next season with the Mamardashvili deal.

Liverpool have options to cover Allison but are they really truly proven? I know Kelleher had a breakthrough last season (2023/24) with 26 games for Liverpool and 10 of those were in the Premier League therefore he has the credentials to cover Allison for the short term. If he maximises his opportunity now, maybe he will be the future of the club because he has been there since 2019 and this could be his chance.

I have checked it again to make sure of it and yeah. It isn't a home match for Chelsea. The match is going to be played at Anfield. But I still don't think this will be a huge change for any side.  

Chelsea are able to maintain their performance from Pochettino's last times. Enzo Maresca is doing a pretty good job about that. I didn't see it coming truthfully.  

We will find out how strong Chelsea are in bigger matches in the PL also. We have only seen their match against Manchester City home and it ended by a 2-0 loss. By the way I believe Alisson's absence will affect Liverpool really badly. I think he is one of the best GKs in the world now.

Yes, the match will be Liverpool vs Chelsea (not vice-versa) but I still expect Chelsea to win the game   

[igebotz]

Kelleher will be in goal, no doubt about that, Liverpool are not the same team without Allison but they won most of their games with Kelleher in goal last season including the one against Chelsea.  Could be different without Klopp on the sidelines but Slot isn't a joke. Time to finally break the Liverpool curse eh?

They're already planning life without Allison for next season with the Mamardashvili deal.

Liverpool have options to cover Allison but are they really truly proven? I know Kelleher had a breakthrough last season (2023/24) with 26 games for Liverpool and 10 of those were in the Premier League therefore he has the credentials to cover Allison for the short term. If he maximises his opportunity now, maybe he will be the future of the club because he has been there since 2019 and this could be his chance.

They already secured the future with the Mamardashvili deal, remember? The best Kelleher can do is have a solid game and possibly secure a move somewhere; if he stays, he will always be a second choice to whoever comes in to replace Allison. Allison still has three years left on his contract, so whoever comes in next season will replace Kelleher in second place.

So either Mamardashvili or Kelleher are going on a loan next season.

[JollyGood]

Slot is definitely looking at the future when he made his move for Mamardashvili. Valencia are happy to not replace him immediately as he will be there until the end of the season but next season you would not expect either Mamardashvili or Kelleher to be loaned but if one had to go it would probably be Kelleher in order to give Mamardashvili a run of games.

If both stay next season and challenge each other for the right to be number one choice, it might propel Liverpool to a trophy.

They already secured the future with the Mamardashvili deal, remember? The best Kelleher can do is have a solid game and possibly secure a move somewhere; if he stays, he will always be a second choice to whoever comes in to replace Allison. Allison still has three years left on his contract, so whoever comes in next season will replace Kelleher in second place.

So either Mamardashvili or Kelleher are going on a loan next season.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

We will find out how strong Chelsea are in bigger matches in the PL also. We have only seen their match against Manchester City home and it ended by a 2-0 loss. By the way I believe Alisson's absence will affect Liverpool really badly. I think he is one of the best GKs in the world now.

The more I look at it, it wouldn't be fair to use Chelsea game against Man city as a criteria to discredit their current form. Thst game was back when Chelsea was just trying to find the foot but I believe Chelsea are better now and the team + coach understand each other better.

The squad finally are playing as a team again and their games are now worth giving them a watch. I don't see Liverpool winning us  I could have given ourselves the win but I have to give the respect as it's Anfield and we know how hostile Anfield can be.

Liverpool won't want to go down at Anfield, the match has only one outcome from my perspective and that's a draw. This isn't the old Chelsea that teams beat anyhow.

[JollyGood]

The present Chelsea team are not the same Chelsea team that were beaten on the first say of the season at home by Manchester City. That team were facing their first real test under their new manager Maresca and were nowhere near being a cohesive unit. If that game took place today, I am sure Chelsea would not make it easy for them.

As for Liverpool, you are right they will not want to be defeated at Anfield but Chelsea are not making the trip from London with the intention of leavign with zero points. It should be a brilliant game to watch.

The more I look at it, it wouldn't be fair to use Chelsea game against Man city as a criteria to discredit their current form. Thst game was back when Chelsea was just trying to find the foot but I believe Chelsea are better now and the team + coach understand each other better.

The squad finally are playing as a team again and their games are now worth giving them a watch. I don't see Liverpool winning us  I could have given ourselves the win but I have to give the respect as it's Anfield and we know how hostile Anfield can be.

Liverpool won't want to go down at Anfield, the match has only one outcome from my perspective and that's a draw. This isn't the old Chelsea that teams beat anyhow.

[igebotz]

Slot is definitely looking at the future when he made his move for Mamardashvili. Valencia are happy to not replace him immediately as he will be there until the end of the season but next season you would not expect either Mamardashvili or Kelleher to be loaned but if one had to go it would probably be Kelleher in order to give Mamardashvili a run of games.

If both stay next season and challenge each other for the right to be number one choice, it might propel Liverpool to a trophy.

As long as Allison is the first-choice goalkeeper, one of Mamardashvili or Kelleher will go on a permanent or loan deal; both goalkeepers will not be able to continue in the first team. Kelleher has proven himself, and if he is placed on the market, many Premier League clubs will be pleased to have him. He was instrumental in their two consecutive League Cup triumpht

Mamardashvili is 26 and proven so at least for the first time Allison is going to have a real competition for the first spot.

Liverpool won't want to go down at Anfield, the match has only one outcome from my perspective and that's a draw. This isn't the old Chelsea that teams beat anyhow.

A draw won't be a fair result to us, but will for Liverpool. We should be winning this easily. Honestly.

[JollyGood]

I am not as confident as you when you use the word easily  

Without a doubt Chelsea are capable of beating Liverpool at Anfield, as are Liverpool capable of beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Much of the result will simply depends on whether any drastic and/or debatable decisions will be taken by the referee or VAR when it comes to yellow or red cards. If the game plays out with 11 vs 11 then it should be a good game.

One thing that stands out between the teams is if Liverpool are without a key player such as Salah, they can still go on to win games or hold out for a draw but if Palmer is not playing for Chelsea they are probably heading for a defeat. That is how much they rely on him.

A draw won't be a fair result to us, but will for Liverpool. We should be winning this easily. Honestly.

[tokeweed]

Liverpool won't want to go down at Anfield, the match has only one outcome from my perspective and that's a draw. This isn't the old Chelsea that teams beat anyhow.

How's Chelsea's defense tho..?  Out of 7 fixtures, Chelsea conceded 8 goals.  That's not a good look against a club like Liverpool and as you said, they won't go down that easy at Anfield.  I'm thinking it's gonna be something like 3 - 1 for Liverpool or something crazy like 5 - 2?  Dunno...

But as far as bets go, I think taking the 1.70 for BTTS and over 2.5 goals combo is the safer way to go for those guys thinking of betting Liverpool straight up at the same line.

[JollyGood]

Defence aside, you would expect Chelsea to score almost every time they are playing with Palmer on the pitch. If Palmer is out of the team then it seems as though Chelsea could be looking at defeat. I will be surprised if Liverpool managed to get a 3-1 or 5-2 win but in a game where both teams are attacking, it is possible. I still think Chelsea will take one or all three points 

How's Chelsea's defense tho..?  Out of 7 fixtures, Chelsea conceded 8 goals.  That's not a good look against a club like Liverpool and as you said, they won't go down that easy at Anfield.  I'm thinking it's gonna be something like 3 - 1 for Liverpool or something crazy like 5 - 2?  Dunno...

But as far as bets go, I think taking the 1.70 for BTTS and over 2.5 goals combo is the safer way to go for those guys thinking of betting Liverpool straight up at the same line.

[tokeweed]

^  If Chelsea could walk away with a point out of Anfield, it'll prolly end in something like 2 - 2 or something.  And it's not that I'm not overall convinced with Chelsea...  I'm just unconvinced with their defense which has been looking decent as of late but I wanna see it vs Liverpool at Anfield.  

Anyway, have you guys been playing the Majestic 7 over at FJ?  It's potentially a free 10k USD for the guy who could guess 7 goal scorers. 

https://fortunejack.com/promotions/majestic7

[JollyGood]

Now that Tuchel has been appointed as the new England manager, that puts all the rumours about him replacing Ten Hag to rest for good. I think he would have made a good manager at Manchester United but he was never going to allow them to buy and sell players without his consent. As for Tuchel, I am sure we all wish him success as England manager (the first German to hold that role) and as for Ten Hag, he might be more relieved after he heard the news 

[igebotz]

Now that Tuchel has been appointed as the new England manager, that puts all the rumours about him replacing Ten Hag to rest for good. I think he would have made a good manager at Manchester United but he was never going to allow them to buy and sell players without his consent. As for Tuchel, I am sure we all wish him success as England manager (the first German to hold that role) and as for Ten Hag, he might be more relieved after he heard the news 

Another 6 months for ETH  It was a surprise to me; I did not see the deal coming, and neither did some of the English pundits, who are already disappointed. They don't care if the national team wins a trophy as long as the manager is English and not a foreigner; I've never seen such biassed assessment before. Shouldn't team success take precedence over personal interests?

There is no single English manager qualified for the role at the moment; both past and current English managers are terrible.

Finally done with the boring international break for good. Looking forward to games this weekend.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

How's Chelsea's defense tho..?  Out of 7 fixtures, Chelsea conceded 8 goals.  That's not a good look against a club like Liverpool and as you said, they won't go down that easy at Anfield.  I'm thinking it's gonna be something like 3 - 1 for Liverpool or something crazy like 5 - 2?  Dunno...

3 -1, 5 - 2 ? I doubt is going to be this bad, yes our defense is bad but not as bad as conceding that much against you guys. This games is going to be a game or goals, who scores the highest wins and not about the defending.

Liverpool aren't going to seatback and neither will Chelsea. You guys score, we score too. We got the front 3/4 that can deliver. Salah loves scoring against Chelsea so I should be expecting him to get one against us but we got Palmer too and he doesn't shy against the big boys. He's going to be our determining factor of how the games ends. Pray he doesn't get a good game because when Palmer is balling, we winning.

[JollyGood]

Another 6 months for ETH  

Another win or defeat for Manchester United could change the equation again. The drama surrounding Ten Hag getting sacked does not end.

It was a surprise to me; I did not see the deal coming, and neither did some of the English pundits, who are already disappointed. They don't care if the national team wins a trophy as long as the manager is English and not a foreigner; I've never seen such biassed assessment before. Shouldn't team success take precedence over personal interests?

I did not know Tuchel and FA were in negotiations. The first I knew about it was when it was announced.

There is no single English manager qualified for the role at the moment; both past and current English managers are terrible.

It does show the state of the situation when it comes to all the English ex-players that played under great Premier League managers yet none of them went on to be successful managers or be good enough to manage the English team. Wenger had many English players at Arsenal, as did Mourinho at Chelsea. When you add Ferguson to the list, it begins to look bad because his teams dominated the Premier League.

No foreign manager brought success to the England national team. Over the years, two foreign managers came with hype but left with no success. The same could happen to Tuchel but I think his style of play will get fans happy and maybe take England from being losing finalists twice to actual champions.

Finally done with the boring international break for good. Looking forward to games this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Fulham vs Aston Villa
Ipswich Town vs Everton
Manchester United vs Brentford
Newcastle United vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Southampton vs Leicester City
Bournemouth vs Arsenal

[nelson4lov]

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Arsenal is a definite win. But I won't touch Man Utd even with a 10th foot pole. I can definitely see both Tottenham and Aston villa win their games but there's plenty of uncertainty because Tottenham is one team that can really fumble their wins even if they're in a better position to win it. Happened in their last game vs Brighton.

For Sunday, I'm looking forward to going head to head with @CryptopreneurBrainboss and @Igebotz and get their arses handed to them by Liverpool  

[igebotz]

It does show the state of the situation when it comes to all the English ex-players that played under great Premier League managers yet none of them went on to be successful managers or be good enough to manage the English team. Wenger had many English players at Arsenal, as did Mourinho at Chelsea. When you Ferguson to the list, it begins to look bad because his teams dominated the Premier League.

Great players, but they all ended up on the same path: retired, ate a lot of burgers, got out of shape, and became pundits, criticising players and coaches. Those who made it into management were hyped and didn't last a season. They're awful coaches; all they want to do is sit behind the TV or yell on social media.

No foreign manager brought success to the England national team. Over the years, two foreign managers came with hype but left with no success. The same could happen to Tuchel but I think his style of play will get fans happy and maybe take England from being losing finalists twice to actual champions.

They're not far from it; back-to-back finals - Tuchel might be the final piece to the puzzle that leads to the team's triumph; they have some of the best players; all they need is someone to put them to good use, which Tuchel is good at.

For Sunday, I'm looking forward to going head to head with @CryptopreneurBrainboss and @Igebotz and get their arses handed to them by Liverpool 

I will be there....