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- 25/26 Match Week 9 Recap
25/26 Match Week 9 Recap
Defense 👏👏 Defense, Hair Watch & Wanna Bet
nick lochner
October 28, 2025
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In Today’s CleanSheet:
Results 🏟️
Current Situation📈📉
Quick Kicks ⚽
Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- The Championship
Off Island 🏝️ - Wanna Bet
Best Bets 💰
Results 🏟️
Huge Wins
 📽️ See CS Video Links Below | Best win of the season for the Black Cats while Chelsea continues to yo-yo on quality/shite play. The Blues went up at 4’, controlled possession, but couldn’t hold it into HT where Sunderland tied it up at 22’. As often happens, when the favored side presses trying to find the winner, they are susceptible to the counter, and that’s what the Black Cat’s did at 90+3’ to complete the “smash and grab”. |
 | What. A. WIN. for the Bee’s. A quick start put Bee’s up at 5’ and they held a 2-1 HT lead. Brentford took their second 2 goal llead at 60’ and a late goal by Salah at 89’ make the extra 10’ interesting. That is 4 losses in a row for Liverpool. |
 | HUGE WIN for Villa. After a really slow start for AVFC this game gives confidence they have put those woes behind them. City had 2x the shots on goal, but they were not great chances, and Erling Haaland ended his 12-game scoring streak. Matty Cash scored at 19’ and Villa were very disciplined in their shape. |
 📽️ See CS Video Links Below | HUGE WIN FOR BURNLEY and BIG TROUBLE for Wolves. The Clarets got two goals from Zian Flemming in the 1H and it looked like they were going to take a 2 goal lead into HT, yet Wolves scored at 42’ and 45+4’ to even the match up. That’s the way it stood until 90+5’ when Lyle Foster took a great pass from Hanibal Mejbri and slotted a shot s l o w l y past the keeper and just over the goal line for the W. |
Top Of Table Winners
 | It’s another goal-less outing for the Tree’s, this time under manager Sean Dyche. Bournemouth scored at 25’ off a corner, an Olimpico, and again at 40’ to take a 2-0 HT lead and carry for the full 90+. The Cherries are now unbeaten in 8 matches while the Tree’s are sitting in relegation. |
 | Really nice win for Man United, and that is 3 in a row. Something we have not seen in a while. United started quick and took a 2-0 HT lead that they extended to 3-0 early in the 2H. BHA got withing one when they scored at 90+2’ but it was Untied adding a fourth at 90"+7’ to secure all three points AND a European spot in the table - can’t remember the last time they were in the top 6. |
 | Momentum slowed for Everton at Hill Dickinson. Mickey van de Ven scored 2 1H goals for Spurs to give Tottenham a 2-0 HT lead. It was all Spurs scored again late and kept a clean sheet. Everton’s solid play has slowed with just 1 win in their last 6 matches. Spurs have lost just 1 time in their last 6 and sit 3rd in the table. |
Solid, Expected Wins
 📽️ See CS Video Links Below | Job Done. Arsenal have allowed just 3 goals on the season and secured their 6th clean sheet as they again did just enough to take all three points. It was Eze for the Gunners who scored a great goal at 39’ against his former team and that was all Arsenal would need to extend their lead at the top of the table. |
 | Hammers are really struggling and new manager Nuno is being questioned about the line ups he has put out there in his first 2 matches. Leeds jumped out quick taking a 2-0 lead by 15’ while West Ham scored too little too late at 90’ |
 📽️ See CS Video Links Below | Newcastle scored first at St James’ Park and held a 1-0 HT lead. FFC tied it up early in the 2H. Newcastle hit the woodwork multiple times but it took until 90+1’ to retake the lead and take all three points, lifting up to 12th in the table and sending FFC one spot above relegation. |
CS TOP 3 VIDEO LINKS on X - 📽️📽️📽️
Burnley with the game winner at 90+5’ over Wolves, and a huge save at the end. WATCH (25s X)
Sunderland take down Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at 90+3’. WATCH (30s X)
Newcastle score at 90+1’ to take down FFC. WATCH (30s X)
+1. Arsenal scores against his old club, Palace, with an athletic and skillful strike. WATCH (55s X)
Current Situation 📈📉
Standings
Current Table 
| Season Clean Sheets by Team  |
Goals & Clean Sheets
How does the current 25/26 season compare to EPL averages for goals and clean sheets.
Goals 32 Match Week 9 26.8 25/26 Season Average (G/MW)
| Clean Sheets 4 Match Week 9 5.2 25/26 Season Average (G/MW)
|
Goal Scorers
Haaland (City) leads with 11 on the season. 4 players with multi goal games this weekend.
1 Goal Scorers (players season goals if more than 1)
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2 Goals
| 3+ Goals
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Quick Kicks ⚽
MW9 30,000 Foot View ✈️✈️✈️
First Time Since 2020. 🏆🏆🏆
All 3 newly promoted clubs (Burnley, Leeds, Sunderland) won on the same match day since MD10 in 2020.
Wolves for Sale. 🐺🐺
Well, maybe not but sitting last in the PL means dealing with rumors and rumor is John Texter has bid $500M to buy Wolves from Fosun International. Wolves are said to have turned down the offer and said the club IS NOT for sale. Texter founded Eagle Football Holdings and owns a clubs in Brazil, France and Belgium. Texter previously held a minority stake in Crystal Palace which he sold in July for $250M. Texter is known as an AI guru in Hollywood and is former owner of FUBOtv.
Explosive Arsenal Stats. 💣💣
The Gunners sit top of the table 4 points clear of second and the top contenders, City and Liverpool are 6 and 7 points back, respectively. So, lets look at how they are doing it - and the stats are crazy.
Let’s summarize it - It’s all the DEFENSE 👏👏 DEFENSE
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Yet, here is why they are top of the table - just THREE goals allowed on the season. |  |
Carabao Cup Sweet 16. 🫎🫎
11 of the 16 teams left in the EFL Cup are PL teams
Tuesday
Grimsby Town (League 2 -level 4) host Brentford
Wycombe Wanderers (League 1 -level 3) host Fulham
Wrexham (Championship) host Cardiff City (League 1)
Wednesday
Arsenal host BHA
Liverpool host Crystal Palace
Swansea City (Championship) host Man City
Wolves host Chelsea
Newcastle host Tottenham Hotspur
Hair Watch. 💈💈
Frank Ilett, Man United fan, began growing his hair out last year and said he wouldn’t cut it until his team won FIVE straight games. Well, it’s been 3 in a row for Untied, the next 2 on the calendar - at Forest and home to Spurs. GOOD LUCK Frank!
2 to go
Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥
The Championship Look-In
The League below the Premier League, The Championship, is 1/3 of the way through the season - 12 of 36 matches played. Here’s what stands out…..
Coventry City has been the best side so far, 8W 4D 0L, 34 goals scored and just 9 allowed. The Sky Blues were close to promotion last season losing in the play-ins and manager Frank Lampard has them at the top of the table this season. He is not expecting the season to be smooth sailing, telling the fans “6 wins, 12 unbeaten but don’t get used to it like it is nothing. We can improve for sure but we need to continue. As easy as you go on these types of runs it can go on the reverse. We have to control it and keep working.”
Coventry have the top 3 scorers in the league. Thomas-Asante has 9, Wright 8 and Vipotnik (tied) with 6.
Reminder, the top 2 in the table are automatically promoted to the PL next season. The next for have a playoff for the final spot.
Birmingham City, Tom Brady’s club, sit in 15th on 15 points, 4 points out of a playoff spot.
Wrexham sit 16th on 14 points, 5 points out of a playoff spot.
Last season’s PL teams:
Leicester City - 10th, 2 points out of a playoff spot.
Southampton - 20th, 3 points above relegation zone.
Sheffield United - 22nd, in the relegation zone.
Off Island 🏝️
Wanna Bet
You have probably heard, there was a SIGNIFICANT betting scandal in the NBA, Operation Nothing But Net that overlaps with the illegal poker games through the Italian Mafia, Operation Royal Flush. This included Chauncey Billups, the current coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and hall of famer AND Miami Heat player Terry Rozier. The rigged poker game information is right out of the movies - x-ray glasses, cameras on poker chip trays, and marked cards.
This isn’t the first time the NBA has been involved in controversy around gambling and will most likely not be the last we hear on this subject.
This scandal is 100X worse than Pete Rose’s betting scandal in MLB 30-40 years ago.
Yet, it’s not the only betting scandal in the news……
Just a couple weeks ago CS talked about the loudest sports stadiums in the world and soccer. Three of the top stadiums for crowd noise are in Istanbul, Turkey. And now, here is the overlap -
A 5-year investigation found that 371 of 571 soccer referee’s have betting accounts, with 152 of them actively used. While some ref’s had only bet once, 42 had bet on more than 1,000 soccer matches with one ref betting 18,227 times. 7 of those referees, and 15 assistant ref’s, are from Turkey’s top two divisions.
Like players and coaches, referees are not allowed to participate in betting activities. They are breaking Turkish Soccer regulations as well as UEFA and FIFA. The ref’s face bans and fines.
The league considered postponing matches but have decided to continue the season on schedule.
REMINDER
11 PL clubs have gambling companies as their Front of Shirt, primary sponsor.
Best Bets 💰
Season - UP $16
MW1 ($14)
MW2 $183
MW3 ($10)
MW4 $43
MW5 ($127)
MW6 ($75)
MW7 $32
MW8 ($15)
MW9 ($1)
Match Week 9 Results
DOWN $1
W $20 - Leeds to Win v West Ham -120. $24
L ($20) - Chelsea to Win v Sunderland by -1.5 goals +112. $20
L ($20) - Newcastle to Win via CS v Fulham +157. $20
W $24 - Arsenal to Win via CS v Palace +120. $20
L ($20) - BHA to Win at United +236. $20
W $27 - United v BHA Over 3.5 +133. $20
W $26 - Brentford v Liverpool Over 3.5 +130. $20
L ($24) - Man City to Win v Aston Villa -119. $24
L ($20) - Bournemouth v Forest 2H > goals than 1H +104. $20
W $12 - Wellbeck (BHA) to score +238. $5
L ($5) - Woltemende (Newcastle) to score +128. $5
NB $0 - Evanilson (Bournemouth) to score +480. $0 - not rostered - no bet
W $7 - Salah (Liverpool) to score +138. $5
L ($5) - Joao Pedro (Chelsea) +113. $5
L ($1) - All 5 above to score +22,368. $1
L ($1) - Welbeck, Woltemende, Salah, Pedro to score +3925. $1
L ($1) - Woltemende, Salah, Pedro +1067. $1
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