⚽ Premier League 2025/2026 Discussion Thread ⚽

[Princess Leah]

Liverpool played with a weak team that doesn't have any clue about their game pattern which contributed to their victory in their UCL match with a high goal margin. Brentford is different and understand Liverpool game pattern which might make it difficult for Liverpool to win easily. I agree with you that this victory will motivate them to do better in their upcoming EPL matches.

@Frankolala are you been serious that, Liverpool played a week team that doesn't have a clue about their game pattern. Come on we should try and appreciate good things when we see one Liverpool was on another level last night and we all saw it in their game. Coming back to win with such a wide margin is not a flock but is a statement to me. Any team that is playing in the champions League is not a small club that, is what we all needs to know Frankfurt is a top team not only in the bundesliga which is one of the top five leagues in Europe but also in the champions League. So Liverpool should be given credit for this win.

If they're weak how would they had qualified for the Champions League, that's what he would've thought of, if he noticed in the first half they didn't struggle against Liverpool even missed several chances at some point I even thought they'll win the game and make Liverpool to suffer more lose consecutively.

 Anyways you're right Liverpool deserves some credit, because I didn't expect them to win infact players like Wirtz game me a shock, his performance was outstanding and I hope he channel that to the Premier League so he'll leave up to the amount he's being bought for and get praises instead of criticised.

[Stablexcoin]

The dilemma that Liverpool are facing right now isn't new in football, every big club in history has once passed through this stage, Liverpool dominated and won the title last season but are finding it difficult to navigate through this season and this could be an issue of lack of motivation on the side of the team which I think they would sail through as time goes by, they are a great team with exceptional players and lots of individual talents and I believe they bounce back soon.

Manchester City also faced the same problem after being the most competitive team in the Premier League, after 2023/2024 season began the fall of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. A heavy fall that most of us thought will be the last for the manager, until now they haven't recovered and still battling to rise back. Everything is working in favor of Arsenal, now is their time to make sure they succeed in winning the Premier League, the big clubs are shaking under pressure, even the Club World Cup winner is struggling to keep up, Arsenal needs to exert more pressure in every of their games, every 3 points is essential.

[Issa56]

I don't only blame coaches when a club is not performing well i blame both the players and the coach, the coach is to make his fixture select players that will start the match and the right position for each players, the players job is just to deliver what the coach has taught them players missing goal scoring chances should be blame for that and not the coach, while the coach can only be blame when he makes a wrong and bad changing that lead to the club poor performance then the coach will be blamed.

Most people are always blaming coach when a team is performing poorly because the coach is the one managing the players, after making arrangement in a match, and you notice that a player isn’t performing well in a match, then the coach is the one which will be making substitution in a match, if you notice that a player isn’t performing well in a match, then the coach should replace the player. The coach is the one that’s always choosing formation which he will be using in a match, the coach selects players which he will be using, so if the team isn’t performing well, the first person which everyone will blame is the coach before blaming the players.

[khiholangkang]

I don't only blame coaches when a club is not performing well i blame both the players and the coach, the coach is to make his fixture select players that will start the match and the right position for each players, the players job is just to deliver what the coach has taught them players missing goal scoring chances should be blame for that and not the coach, while the coach can only be blame when he makes a wrong and bad changing that lead to the club poor performance then the coach will be blamed.

Most people are always blaming coach when a team is performing poorly because the coach is the one managing the players, after making arrangement in a match, and you notice that a player isn’t performing well in a match, then the coach is the one which will be making substitution in a match, if you notice that a player isn’t performing well in a match, then the coach should replace the player. The coach is the one that’s always choosing formation which he will be using in a match, the coach selects players which he will be using, so if the team isn’t performing well, the first person which everyone will blame is the coach before blaming the players.

Since the coach is responsible for the team he leads, he has the authority over the team. From strategy development, player engagement, and game schedules, to coaching and training, these are all mandatory for a coach. Therefore, the coach is definitely to blame if a player experiences poor performance due to a lack of leadership skills.

In other words, a sword's effectiveness depends on how its owner sharpens it, maintains it, and wields it when facing the enemy.

[liuka]

Manchester City also faced the same problem after being the most competitive team in the Premier League, after 2023/2024 season began the fall of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. A heavy fall that most of us thought will be the last for the manager, until now they haven't recovered and still battling to rise back. Everything is working in favor of Arsenal, now is their time to make sure they succeed in winning the Premier League, the big clubs are shaking under pressure, even the Club World Cup winner is struggling to keep up, Arsenal needs to exert more pressure in every of their games, every 3 points is essential.

Manchester City is slowly finding its best form. Although some obstacles have hampered their performance, their game has returned to its best. Haaland is back in top form, and the new signings have adapted well to Pep Guardiola strategy. We're just waiting to see Manchester City prowess in the league.

The team that must be wary of Manchester City resurgence is, of course, Arsenal, as they will feel pressured to see Manchester City rise. However, in football, when a team is performing well, it's not difficult for them to get three points, and that's what Arsenal is feeling. So, Arsenal shouldn't waste this opportunity to win the title this season, their fans have been waiting for a long time to see  title.

[TelolettOm]

In the UCL match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Liverpool scored five goals, but none came from Isak. In fact, Isak suffered a groin injury and was withdrawn around the 46th minute.

The part of Isak we're all used to is coming and this is just a stratch on the surface. He's an injury prone player who is only available for fewer games throughout every season, the only difference this time is his going into another potential injury with low confidence. He hasn't done much and just when the manager was beginning to give him enough playing time to build back his scoring confidence he got injured.

Ekitike has proven a lot of doubters including myself wrongly with his immediate impact, more than I expected. Wirtz is still building back his confidence.

Fortunately, his injury isn't serious, so he'll only need to recover for a few matches. In the meantime, there might be further changes to the starting lineup. Speaking of Liverpool's starting lineup, we've seen Salah on the bench for a while, so player rotation is necessary to maintain his optimal performance.

However, according to one Liverpool legend this season, Salah does need rotation to keep the game running smoothly, as his performance hasn't been as optimal as when he started. Well, if we look at the last few matches, before this win, hasn't the performance of almost all Liverpool players been dropping? This includes their attacking play.

Do you agree with him?

Source: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Salah

[topbitcoin]

The dilemma that Liverpool are facing right now isn't new in football, every big club in history has once passed through this stage, Liverpool dominated and won the title last season but are finding it difficult to navigate through this season and this could be an issue of lack of motivation on the side of the team which I think they would sail through as time goes by, they are a great team with exceptional players and lots of individual talents and I believe they bounce back soon.

Manchester City also faced the same problem after being the most competitive team in the Premier League, after 2023/2024 season began the fall of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. A heavy fall that most of us thought will be the last for the manager, until now they haven't recovered and still battling to rise back. Everything is working in favor of Arsenal, now is their time to make sure they succeed in winning the Premier League, the big clubs are shaking under pressure, even the Club World Cup winner is struggling to keep up, Arsenal needs to exert more pressure in every of their games, every 3 points is essential.

The injury problems affecting several key players as well as the slight issues associated with Pep's rapid rejuvenation of some players with younger players were indeed quite disruptive. Even at the beginning of the season they were still feeling the effects. However as time goes by Pep's efforts are starting to be felt.

In the end, nothing is instant as there are bound to be some issues that can eventually spiral out of control as was the case at Manchester City last season and at the start of this season.
But over time the progress is becoming more noticeable. Manchester City are now starting to find their feet again and their playing style has improved compared to last season especially now that Haaland is starting to feel comfortable again and is getting the supplies he's been hoping for.

Manchester City may have struggled last season but it seems this season they don't want to lose their trophy chasing potential after being overtaken by Liverpool.

[blue Snow]

The dilemma that Liverpool are facing right now isn't new in football, every big club in history has once passed through this stage, Liverpool dominated and won the title last season but are finding it difficult to navigate through this season and this could be an issue of lack of motivation on the side of the team which I think they would sail through as time goes by, they are a great team with exceptional players and lots of individual talents and I believe they bounce back soon.

Manchester City also faced the same problem after being the most competitive team in the Premier League, after 2023/2024 season began the fall of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. A heavy fall that most of us thought will be the last for the manager, until now they haven't recovered and still battling to rise back. Everything is working in favor of Arsenal, now is their time to make sure they succeed in winning the Premier League, the big clubs are shaking under pressure, even the Club World Cup winner is struggling to keep up, Arsenal needs to exert more pressure in every of their games, every 3 points is essential.

The injury problems affecting several key players as well as the slight issues associated with Pep's rapid rejuvenation of some players with younger players were indeed quite disruptive. Even at the beginning of the season they were still feeling the effects. However as time goes by Pep's efforts are starting to be felt.

In the end, nothing is instant as there are bound to be some issues that can eventually spiral out of control as was the case at Manchester City last season and at the start of this season.
But over time the progress is becoming more noticeable. Manchester City are now starting to find their feet again and their playing style has improved compared to last season especially now that Haaland is starting to feel comfortable again and is getting the supplies he's been hoping for.

Manchester City may have struggled last season but it seems this season they don't want to lose their trophy chasing potential after being overtaken by Liverpool.

The problem is, Pep really relies on young players, because several senior players were injured that make Pep racking his mind to maximize them, but due to lack of playing time that make the young player vulnerable to friction with other players. I think Pep should be the thing to recruit another seasoned player, or make the rotation for crucial position like center midfielder. Rodri is still his main focus, but he got injured again, and could be dejavu like previous session.

There's nothing more to expect for this season. The city will be the same club as last season.

[ancafe]

Liverpool played with a weak team that doesn't have any clue about their game pattern which contributed to their victory in their UCL match with a high goal margin. Brentford is different and understand Liverpool game pattern which might make it difficult for Liverpool to win easily. I agree with you that this victory will motivate them to do better in their upcoming EPL matches.

Frankfurt has suffered four consecutive defeats in all competitions, similar to Liverpool's, which have previously experienced a decline in form. However, the strengths of the two teams are different, with Liverpool being much stronger than Frankfurt, so it's natural for Liverpool to win this match. Brentford might be a bit different, although this team is also struggling to recover from a poor run of results in the Premier League. Liverpool need to be wary of any surprises that might occur in the match, as being too euphoric with their previous victory could lead to an unexpected result.

[Velvet78]

Aston Villa got a bad result against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. A 2-1 loss... When I compared the starting lineups between this and their previous game, I saw there were many rotations.

But man even with these changes technically their squad is much better. And considering the rotation level, can we say Emery wants to focus on the Premier League more? Or is it just because they have a tough game ahead against Manchester City?

[Akbarkoe]

Aston Villa got a bad result against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. A 2-1 loss... When I compared the starting lineups between this and their previous game, I saw there were many rotations.

But man even with these changes technically their squad is much better. And considering the rotation level, can we say Emery wants to focus on the Premier League more? Or is it just because they have a tough game ahead against Manchester City?

No way, the Europa League is a great opportunity for them to win, big support for Aston Villa to get the Europa League this season, they are one of the strong candidates, I see the optimism of the forum people about it, it is more likely that they are careless in this round, both goals were scored by Go Ahead Eagles due to a failed offside trap, so it was very difficult for Aston Villa players to anticipate, here lies their mistake, Moreover, the English league is much more difficult to compete, for the current situation it is very difficult to get a much better position than the previous season for Aston Villa.

[abaeze]

Aston Villa got a bad result against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. A 2-1 loss... When I compared the starting lineups between this and their previous game, I saw there were many rotations.

But man even with these changes technically their squad is much better. And considering the rotation level, can we say Emery wants to focus on the Premier League more? Or is it just because they have a tough game ahead against Manchester City?

Since he is in charge of the team and has previously won the Europa League three times with Sevilla, Emery's decision is probably influenced by two factors. Emery is a very realistic coach. He knows that maintaining the top position in the league is more important for the club's prestige as well as its finances. So this rotation seems to me to be planned so that the team is 100% fit for the City match.

[Abbatty]

Aston Villa got a bad result against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. A 2-1 loss... When I compared the starting lineups between this and their previous game, I saw there were many rotations.

But man even with these changes technically their squad is much better. And considering the rotation level, can we say Emery wants to focus on the Premier League more? Or is it just because they have a tough game ahead against Manchester City?

Focus on the premier league and get what, I don’t see them getting a champions league spot for next season, if they should have a good season after this poor start then maybe they have a conference league spot. A win yesterday would have been very good for them, it would have build a huge momentum going into the weekend game against Manchester city.

Unai emery needs to do better especially at conceding goals, the rate at which they concede goals this too much and you can’t win games like that. This weekend I don’t see them beating Manchester city, Haaland have been in terrific foam and it is guaranteed that he will be scoring against that defense. Though as a chelsea fan I really hope Manchester city drops points.

[Zackz5000]

In the UCL match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Liverpool scored five goals, but none came from Isak. In fact, Isak suffered a groin injury and was withdrawn around the 46th minute.

The part of Isak we're all used to is coming and this is just a stratch on the surface. He's an injury prone player who is only available for fewer games throughout every season, the only difference this time is his going into another potential injury with low confidence. He hasn't done much and just when the manager was beginning to give him enough playing time to build back his scoring confidence he got injured.

Ekitike has proven a lot of doubters including myself wrongly with his immediate impact, more than I expected. Wirtz is still building back his confidence.

Fortunately, his injury isn't serious, so he'll only need to recover for a few matches. In the meantime, there might be further changes to the starting lineup. Speaking of Liverpool's starting lineup, we've seen Salah on the bench for a while, so player rotation is necessary to maintain his optimal performance.

However, according to one Liverpool legend this season, Salah does need rotation to keep the game running smoothly, as his performance hasn't been as optimal as when he started. Well, if we look at the last few matches, before this win, hasn't the performance of almost all Liverpool players been dropping? This includes their attacking play.

Do you agree with him?

Source: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Salah

Any player can be bench, if a player form drop and there is another alternative at the time such player can be replaced until he gets back to form, Liverpool game against Manchester United Salah didn't play well i saw Salah missing goals that he could easily score when he is a good form, so what Carragher said what was true, sometimes too Salah can come from bench and can start playing regularly when he gain back form.

[DeathAngel]

We see Leeds host West Ham today in the Premier League. Neither team has had a particularly good start to the season but West Ham are struggling. On paper West Ham possibly have better players butI think Leeds will win this one, they are not easy to beat at home.

[Nightwatchmare]

I don't know why coaches always receive the blame whenever the team underperforms, I don't really believe the coach is the problem here, maybe he hasn't been able to challenge the players to step up their game and that is another aspect altogether and it has nothing to do with the technical aspect of the game. Liverpool are yet to record a win since they conceded their first defeat of the season against Crystal palace, ever since they haven't being able to record any win yet.

That's one mistake people will keep making. Whenever a club is facing any challenges especially when the club isn't performing well the blame will be on the coach. The overall team performance isn't tied only to a coach performance, there others that also contribute to a team performance. Manchester United made this mistake and I think they have learnt from it by deciding not to sack there current coach. They have been changing coaches for quite some season now yet there hasn't been any improvement in the team performance instead the team seem to be getting worst sessions by season. Liverpool shouldn't learn from Manchester United that coach is solely to be blame for a team poor performance.

The dilemma that Liverpool are facing right now isn't new in football, every big club in history has once passed through this stage, Liverpool dominated and won the title last season but are finding it difficult to navigate through this season and this could be an issue of lack of motivation on the side of the team which I think they would sail through as time goes by, they are a great team with exceptional players and lots of individual talents and I believe they bounce back soon.

There is always a time when every big team undergoes what is happening to Liverpool this season. It is just bad that Liverpool performance are dropping at the beginning of the season because it can be a setback for Liverpool in competing for the league title. Because by the time Liverpool start winning their matches, either Arsenal, Manchester City, or Chelsea might lead Liverpool with big points that could make it difficult for Liverpool to win the Premier League title. If Liverpool doesn't win their match on matchweek9, then Liverpool manager should be questioned because it seems he can't handle Liverpool this season.

[DeathAngel]

Will be interesting to see what happens with Arsenal vs Crystal Palace. In the past Crystal Palace does well against the biggest teams in the PL but I have to wonder will playing in Europe hamper them this season. Can their squad cope with the extra games? I mean they lost at home to AEK Larnaca last night which isn’t great. I think these teams like Crystal Palace can only perform well with one game a week. We have seen many times that the extra games kills teams like this. Arsenal to win comfortably I predict.

[abhiseshakana]

Fortunately, his injury isn't serious, so he'll only need to recover for a few matches. In the meantime, there might be further changes to the starting lineup. Speaking of Liverpool's starting lineup, we've seen Salah on the bench for a while, so player rotation is necessary to maintain his optimal performance.

However, according to one Liverpool legend this season, Salah does need rotation to keep the game running smoothly, as his performance hasn't been as optimal as when he started. Well, if we look at the last few matches, before this win, hasn't the performance of almost all Liverpool players been dropping? This includes their attacking play.

Do you agree with him?

Source: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Salah

Any player can be bench, if a player form drop and there is another alternative at the time such player can be replaced until he gets back to form, Liverpool game against Manchester United Salah didn't play well i saw Salah missing goals that he could easily score when he is a good form, so what Carragher said what was true, sometimes too Salah can come from bench and can start playing regularly when he gain back form.

I think Arne Slot is facing a dilemma. He knows very well that Mo Salah was one of the key players last season and also a symbol of the club, but on the other hand, he should not be able to deny the fact that Mo Salah's performance is currently declining. If he is wise, then he should treat everyone fairly, which means the best will get a place in the starting lineup. So if there is a player who is better than Mo Salah, then that player should be on the pitch and Mo Salah should be put on the bench.

It might be painful for Mo Salah, but from there, he can do some introspection, and if he can improve (or even return to his form last season), then there is no reason for Arne Slot not to pick him again.

[Nightwatchmare]

In the UCL match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Liverpool scored five goals, but none came from Isak. In fact, Isak suffered a groin injury and was withdrawn around the 46th minute.

The part of Isak we're all used to is coming and this is just a stratch on the surface. He's an injury prone player who is only available for fewer games throughout every season, the only difference this time is his going into another potential injury with low confidence. He hasn't done much and just when the manager was beginning to give him enough playing time to build back his scoring confidence he got injured.

Ekitike has proven a lot of doubters including myself wrongly with his immediate impact, more than I expected. Wirtz is still building back his confidence.

Fortunately, his injury isn't serious, so he'll only need to recover for a few matches. In the meantime, there might be further changes to the starting lineup. Speaking of Liverpool's starting lineup, we've seen Salah on the bench for a while, so player rotation is necessary to maintain his optimal performance.

However, according to one Liverpool legend this season, Salah does need rotation to keep the game running smoothly, as his performance hasn't been as optimal as when he started. Well, if we look at the last few matches, before this win, hasn't the performance of almost all Liverpool players been dropping? This includes their attacking play.

Do you agree with him?

Source: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Salah

Any player can be bench, if a player form drop and there is another alternative at the time such player can be replaced until he gets back to form, Liverpool game against Manchester United Salah didn't play well i saw Salah missing goals that he could easily score when he is a good form, so what Carragher said what was true, sometimes too Salah can come from bench and can start playing regularly when he gain back form.

Jamie Carragher is not Liverpool manage; he is only calling on Arne Slot to bench Mohamed Salah because he believes Mohamed Salah's performance this season is not optimal. I have been watching Liverpool games this season, and Mohamed Salah's performance for Liverpool is good, but he is just struggling to score goals for Liverpool at the main time, and Mohamed Salah is not the only player in Liverpool who is struggling to score goals. If Liverpool starts defeating their opponents and Mohamed Salah fails to score goals for Liverpool, that is when i will agree with Jamie Carragher for Mahamed Salah to be benched in Liverpool.

[Lida93]

Some tough games from this week:

Aston Villa - Manchester City

Everton - Tottenham

Aston Villa have been on the rise recently you know. They won their last 5 official games and beat Tottenham away the last time. Manchester City are given 1.89 odds which doesn't surprise me. BTTS @1.65 seems nice for this one.  

The other game is even more difficult to predict... Tottenham can't beat them away for 7 years. Double chance on Everton @1.40 seems like a nice option. Their last 4 head-to-heads ended up with many goals too (3 of them over 3.5 goals and 1 with over 2.5 goals). That can also be considered for betting.

Just some close to what I thought. The Aston Vs Manchester city game is surely a BTTS game but I have plans on expanding it for a BTTS and over 2.5 goals. Just to increase the odds more which to me it might play.

For the second game on the list, it's looking like a draw game from my end. True that their encounters has usually produced much goals but this season is looking different from me. Perhaps double chancing one of the sides but not expecting goals would be safer.