24/25 Match Week 13 Recap & 14 Preview

Been a rough week for who many see as the best Manager in the world…Pep Guardiola of Man City. Some of Pep’s accomplishments as a manager.

• 3 La Liga (Spain) titles at Barcelona

• 3 Bundesliga (Germany) titles at Bayern Munich

• 6 Premier League (England) titles at Man City

• 3 Champions Leagues

Yet even Pep with that resume is letting the current run get to him. It seems winning 6 titles in the last 7 years isn’t enough. City were big favorites to win the PL this season, but they have fallen on hard times: 7 matches without a win, 6 of those losses, including 4 losses in the PL.

Someone with that resume should NOT be this sensitive to being serenaded by opposing fans, maybe that is what makes Pep great, but it’s a bad look in the opinion of the CS.

• The fans serenade Pep. “…You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

• His response, 👆✋- holding up 6 fingers for his 6 PL titles.

• Then he did this after the match.

• Then he said this in his press conference. “I didn’t’ expect it from the people from Liverpool, but it’s fine!”

Was going to make a comment on what an ass Dan Hurly (UConn Basketball Coach) as part of this but he is nowhere near the quality level of Pep as a coach, so will not bring it up.

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Back By Popular Demand

• Off Island 🏝️ - Europe Leagues are Back This Week

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

Match Week 13 Recap

• CS Match of the Week. Liverpool 2-0 Man City.

  • Anfield. Liverpool’s home stadium and crowd, one of the best in all sport, anywhere.

    • 1-nil to Liverpool, the pass from Trent and the pass from Salah and the Gakpo goal at 12’

    • Anfield Erupt.

    • Salah with the Penalty, 2-nil.

  • Slott. Liverpool and manager Arne Slott has beaten Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen), Erik ten Hag (Man United) and now Pep Guardiola (Man City) without allowing a goal.

• City Counter. Just because City has been so dominant CS will track this losing streak. That’s 7 matches without a win in all comps, 6 losses, and 4 straight losses in the PL.

• United Feel Different. It may not last, and it’s probably in part to the competition, but United look like a different team under Amorim.

• Speaking of United and City. Man United have a higher goal differential (+4) than Man City (+3).

• 7 in 1. Arsenal 5-2 West Ham. 7 goals scored in the 1H. The last time 7 goals were scored in a H, 2012.

• 3 in 1. Wolves 2-4 Bournemouth. Evanilson, for Bournemouth, became the first player to earn 3 Penalties in a PL match. He took NONE of the PKs. Hats off to Wolves GK Sa for the assist.

• 0 in 4. Everton 0-4 Man United. That is 4 games with 0 goals for Everton, and just 6 goals in their last 9 matches.

• Fox Hunt. Former man United assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy was looking for a job for just over 2 weeks and he found one as Leicester City’s new manager. Ruud took over as Interim Manager for Man United for four matches and won 3, 2 of those matches were against LCFC, 1 in the PL and the other in the EFL Cup. The task - Keep the Foxes up. Ruud was a very successful striker/player at United. His managerial career is young. Aside from a year at PSV in the Netherlands he has not been the head coach of a team. One thing he does have is a long-standing friendship with Enzo Maresca, current Chelsea manager and previous LCFC manager the two reportedly talked extensively about the opening.

• 2.6.2 Mid-Week Matches. 2 Tuesday, 6 Wednesday, 2 Thursday.

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 14

Match of the Week 🧨🧨

• Arsenal -220 v Man United +600 WED 215p - First big test for Amorim against a resurgent Arsenal. Together both sides scored 9 goals over the weekend.

Relegation Battles 🪓🪓🪓

• Leicester City +180 v West Ham +140 TUE 215p - Either side could lose by 3.

• Ipswich Town +180 v Palace +145 TUE 130p - Tractor Boys keep it close, can Palace get out of their own way. Both sides 1W 6D 6L on the season.

• Everton +105 v Wolves +250 WED 130p - The team that can’t score against the team that can’t stop anyone.

Table Jumping 🦘🦘🦘 (winner could jump the other in the table)

• Man City -280 v Forest +700 WED 130p - Sneaky tough match for City? Can the Tree’s bring the D? A win for Forest puts them ahead of City in the Table.

• Aston Villa -130 v Brentford +320 WED 215p - The Bee’s have 1 road point and less than a goal per game on the road. Villa are struggling. Who scores first? A win for Villa moves them ahead of the Bee’s in the table.

• Bournemouth +TBD v Tottenham +TBD THUR 215p - What Spurs side shows up to the Vitality Stadium where most of the 11,000 fans will be singing for the Cherries. A win for the Cherries puts them ahead of Spurs.

Tough Road Sledding 🛷🛷🛷

• Southampton +650 v Chelsea -250 WED 130p - Cheslea has scored more goals on the road than at home, and Southampton seem to find ways to give goals to the teams they play.

• Newcastle +300 v Liverpool -125 WED 130p - If the Magpies don’t get a shot on goal the will not beat Liverpool.

• Fulham +130 v BHA +190 THUR 130p - FFC will need Craven Cottage to take points from the Seagulls.

Current Situation 📈📉

• Arsenal and Chelsea have the EXACT same record (7W 4D 2L), points, goals and goals allowed. Per EPL rules, the teams are placed in alphabetical order when all the tiebreakers are used and even.

• With a bunch of games between now and new year’s this table will swing significantly.

• Last season Luton Town were relegated with 26 points, a historically low number for the drop line. Typically, managers shoot for 40 points knowing they will be safe. Recent previous seasons drop lines were 32 points, 35, 28, 34, 34, 33, 34, 37, 35.

CleanSheets Counter & Goal Tracker

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

Back By Popular Demand

Off Island 🏝️

MLS in the USA

The LA Galaxy will play the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup Final Saturday, December 7 at 3p cst in Carson, CA.

The LA Galaxy are the 2 seed out of the West.

NY Red Bulls are the 7 seed out of the East.

The biggest upset occurred when 9 seed Atlanta United beat 1 seed Miami (Messi).

The 7 seed NYRB beat the 2 seed, and defending champions, Columbus Crew in round 1.

Best Bets 💰

Match Week 13 Results

3 of 4 up weeks - clawing our way back - can we get to even by MW20?

Match Week 14 - Winners Only Please

Forest to Win at Man City +750. $20

It seems like Pep wouldn’t let City lose another match. But the collapse in the CL, the beat down at Anfield and Pep holding up six fingers feels like there is more going on with this lost club. +750 is such a big number CS will swing for the fences.

Chelsea to Win by 2+ goals at Southampton -118. $23

Chelsea seem to be flying under the radar even though they are right in the thick of the race, and Enzo has his side really competing both against their opponent and for playing time. I don’t see a letdown at St Mary’s. The Saints have been in most of their matches on the score sheet, including last week against Liverpool, which is why I think Chelsea will be flying from the start not looking past the last place club.

Ipswich Town to Win v Palace +180. $20

It’s been tight matches for the Tractor Boys and Palace just seem to be struggling to get big results. They did everything against Newcastle to win, except score enough. Both sides will be playing for 3 points.

Wolves to Win at Everton +250. $20

Wolves score, Everton has struggled to. Wolves give up goals, Everton does too. Goodison Park is not going to be enough for Everton. They may also be looking ahead to the big matchup against Liverpool.

Aston Villa to Win v Brentford -130. $26

This is more of a bet against the Bee’s on the road then in the form of Villa. Add to it the ability of Unai Emery to get Villa to perform in Birmingham and that means taking the Villains.

Liverpool to Win at Newcastle -125. $25

Liverpool to win with a CS at Newcastle +225. $20

Slott spoke in his press conference after beating Man City, and I’ll paraphrase, challenged his experienced team to demonstrate they are a championship caliber team by following up the wins against City and Real Madrid with a tough road win. That’s good enough to take Liverpool against a team struggling to score, even at St James’.

Leicester City v West Ham O3.5 goals +167. $20

Thought about RvN pulling back the reigns and slowing the game down. Then realized LCFCs defense is poor and West Ham can score. Also realize West Ham. So, thinking this match finishes 2-2.

Chelsea to Win at Aston Villa -135. $27

Feels the like start of a big run for Chelsea and Villa seem to be hanging on to form.