In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• What 2 Look 4 👀 

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Sex Panther

• Off Island 🏝️ - Next Level Trolling

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

• Pencil This One In. Chelsea v City Sunday 1030am cst on USA. The Blues drew with Arsenal and beat Tottenham in the last three matches with a surprising beat down at the hands of Brentford in between. City jumped back to the top of the table last week after 4 of the 6 top teams failed to get 3 points. City are clear favorites, but Chelsea has started to figure out Pochettino’s style of play. Will they take another step? Pep has so many options with City, will they have they bring their “A” game to Stamford Bridge?

• 5. 5. Weekend. 5 Saturday, 5 Sunday. Great viewing options and times both days.

• Top. Bottom. 👆👇 9 of 10 matches this weekend pit two teams not anywhere near the other in the table. At best 5 places separate the two teams. The largest gap is 15 places. Just 2 of those 9 matches have the lower positioned team hosting the higher. That’s 7 home favorites of 10 matches.

• Must Win. Man United host Luton Town at Old Trafford. This is the first must win match of the season. United has lost 9 of their first 17, the first time that has happened since 1974. A loss to an overmatched relegation candidate, at home, and it may be more than the fans can take without some significant changes.

•  Libertad Para Papa (Freedom for Dad). Luis Diaz’s (winger for Liverpool) parents were kidnapped while pumping gas in Colombia 2 weeks ago by the National Liberation Army. His mom was rescued within hours at a checkpoint, but his dad was still missing. Luis Diaz flew home, and then went back to be with his team. He scored at Luton Town over the weekend and played in Liverpool’s Europa League match Thursday, and also on Thursday his dad was handed back over to his family.

  • The kidnapping - 1 min read on bbc

  • The release - 2 min read on sky sport.

  • Video of the return. (30s X)

  • Picture after release. (X)

CleanSheeters soaking up the sun and catching PL poolside…..

If you’re in the Fort Lauderdale, FLA area head to the Margaritaville Resort and catch the games on pool deck 11 - make sure Ram is working - never an empty bucket of Landshark!

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 12

NINE Mismatches - On Paper.

• GAP - (Position in Table) Team

• 15 - (4) Arsenal v (19) Burnley (Sat) - Burnley have looked overmatched all year, expect that to continue at the Emirates.

• 13 - (7) BHA v (20) Sheffield United (Sun) - The Seagulls have been struggling. The Blades got their first win against Wolves last weekend, can they keep that momentum and take advantage of a BHA team that looks tired.

• 12 - (14) Wolves v (2) Tottenham (Sat) - Tricky spot for Spurs going to Wolverhampton with several injuries. Both teams coming off though losses, who recovers?

• 12 - (18) Bournemouth v (6) Newcastle (Sat) - Tough sledding for the Cherries. Will the Magpies have the depth and energy after a long run of mid week European games?

• 10 - (5) Villa v (15) Fulham (Sun) - Forest snapped a nice run by Villa last week with a rare shut out but Villa seemed to right the ship mid-week in Europe. Fulham is struggling to score but has kept games close. Will Villa get back to the goal scoring machine they have been?

• 9 - (8) Man United v (17) Luton Town (Sat) - A chance for the Red Devils to take a breadth and dominate at home? Better not let off the gas. PL matches are battles and United needs a win.

• 9 - (10) Chelsea v (1) Man City (Sun) - See above.

• 6 - (3) Liverpool v (9) Brentford (Sat) - Liverpool has struggled in their last two and Brentford has jumped up the table with 3 straight wins, scoring 8 in that stretch.

• 5 - (11) Palace v (16) Everton (Sat) - Palace seems to sit in the middle, not go on too many winning or losing streaks. Everton has more points on the road than at home this season.

ONE Matchup that may determine table positioning.

• (12) West Ham v (13) Forest (Sun) - The Hammers have been disappointing after their hot start losing their last 4 in all competitions before a 1-0 win Thursday in Europe. Forest have only 2 losses in their last 8, to City and Liverpool.

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

Officiating - Is it Better or Worse than Ever.

There’s been A LOT of controversy with VAR this year in the PL, the CL, and across the board. This is pretty much on par with REVIEW technology across all sports and officiating in general.

The basic argument for REVIEW is - To fix clear and obvious errors (just get the call right). And to do so leveraging video technology to help the ref/official administer the game.

The problem is, across multiple sports, there are as many or more issues resulting from replay and technology as without. So, the CS will highlight just one fundamental issue that seems to sit at the center of the problem: Authority.

• Assistant referees wait to make offside calls and “let the play play out”.

• Officials rule a play in the flow of the match, then replay buzzes in and rules differently “by the book”.

• Taking 10 minutes to review an offsides call where a shoulder and toe may or may not have intersected - If it takes more than 10 seconds, it's not clear and obvious.

• Replay ignores “intent”, which on field ref’s have a feel for. In the NFL, try reviewing Intentional Grounding. In soccer, a red versus a yellow card.

• Just this year a VAR official admitted to sticking with a call of an on field official to help them look good.

• The NFL is fining players after games for whatever they deem finable.

• The NBA is leveraging what can be reviewable to take plays out of game, for example, did a defender step too close to three-point shooters landing zone.

Some recent examples of the frustration…..

Look at this great explanation from the NBA…..Clear and Obvious? Doesn’t seem like it. From a game this week…. Point is, clear and conclusive should not require that long of an explanation.

Off Island 🏝️

Champions League. Europa League. Europa Conference. Check out the Off Island section of the match week 4 preview clean sheet for more on The Champions League.

4 of 6 Matches Complete in the Group Stage. For more detail, here is a link to EUFA Champions League coverage, Europa League, and Europa Conference.

Champions League Matches Mid-Week

Results…..and GREAT trolling from home team fans

• Man United lose in epic fashion in Copenhagen 3-4. A controversial Red Card to Marcus Rashford late in the first half, with United winning 2-0, was the turning point.

  • #1 - Next level trolling from Copenhagen fans - “Your Theatre of Nightmares” (X).

  • Red Card to Rashford (10s on X).

  • Roony (not the former MU star Rooney, the 17-year-old) goal gives Copenhagen the lead (15s X)

  • The pressure is turning up on Manager Erik ten Hag. The pressure is always high at Man United.

• Newcastle lose at Dortmund 2-0 in Germany.

  • #2 - Dortmund fans made it clear - It’s all about the $ (X)

• Arsenal beat Sevilla 2-0, in a thorough beatdown. Just 1 shot for Sevilla.

  • #3 - Gunner fans with your basic chant - “You’re F#&%ing Shit” (15s X)

• Man City beat Young Boys 3-0 at the Etihad.

  • There was no trolling from City - hard to troll fans you feel sorry for.

• Also in Group F, PSG lost to AC Milan 2-1 in Italy.

  • Next level crowd signage (15s X).

Europa League

• West Ham beat Olympiacos two weeks after losing to them 1-2 and lead Group A.

• Liverpool lose at Toulouse 2-3 after dominating them 2 weeks ago 5-1 at Anfield. Liverpool lead Group E.

• BHA beat Ajax at in the Netherlands 2-0. Big Win and sit second in Group B.

Europa Conference

• Aston Villa beat AZ Alkmaar 2-1 and sit top of the Group.

Best Bets 💰

Guest Picker

CleanSheet Picker Standings

CleanSheet Season Gains/Losses: Starting Balance $1000. Current Standing $840.

Man City Chelsea O2.5 -130. $26.

Villa to Win & Fulham O2.5 +115. $30.

Wolves Tottenham Over 2.5 -150. $30.

Arsenal Burnley O3.5 +120. $20.

Bournemouth Newcastle -150 O2.5 goals. $30

BHA Sheffield United +100 O3.5. $20.