Match Week 8 Recap

EPL Match Week 8 - CleanSheet Recap

Reminder: The CleanSheet is typically published Tuesday’s and Friday’s. For additional content, previous newsletters and background on all 20 PL clubs check out CleanSheetEPL (beehiiv.com). And, please share the link with others!

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- 20% In

• Off Island 🏝️ - International Break & the USMNT

• Best Bets 💰 - @BarstoolBigCat Intervention?

Headlines 📌

• Best Result of Match Week 8. 1-0 Arsenal over Man City. This was a slug fest that went the Gunners way in the 86^th min and ended with a “tunnel dust up” when current Arsenal assistant coach Nicolas Jover (former assistant coach at Man City) and Kyle Walker got into it.

  • Great ending call by “Poetic Peter Drury” - (2 min on X)

  • 1 min - the winning goal (X)

  • A 2 min read on the dust up.

  • Great 20 (x) sec reaction from Pep.

  • 15 sec trolling of City.

• In Case You Missed It, The Title Race Is Wide Open.  

  • Arsenal fans after the win. (20 sec on X) “North London Forever, Whatever the Weather”

  • Arsenal’s defending was the difference in the match. Saliba checked Haaland the entire match and Rice played a great defensive midfield. City did not have the space they’re used to creating. Good summary from @TrollFootball…. (X) Is Saliba the best Center Back in the world? Probably.

  • City is really missing Kevin De Bruyne (out injured) and Rodri (out with red card the last 3).

  • That was the “flattest” a City team has looked in a long time and you could see the frustration in Pep.

  • While Arsenal won, they were at home and caught City at a good time in the schedule.

  • City has now lost 3 of 4 matches across all competitions and back-to-back PL matches for the first time since October 2018.

• Substitute of the weekend. Scott McTominay, Man United. It looked like MU were headed to a fourth straight home defeat, something unheard of in Manchester. McTominay comes on in the 87^th minute with united down 0-1. He scores in the 90+3 (first 20s on X) AND 90+7 (20s on X) for the WIN! And had a great statement that David Beckham reacted to (X).

• Kings Of The North! Tottenham and Arsenal are tied at the top of the table with 20 points each, and both sides have yet to lose a match. A reminder that these two clubs have one of the best rivalries in all of sport - the North London Derby. For a reminder - see the CS Match Week 6 Preview.

  

• Biggest Disappointment. Brentford. After starting the season with 6 points in the first 4 matches the Bees have taken 1 point in the next 4. All tight matches but if the winless streak continues Brentford will enter the relegation discussion.

• What A View! The camera angle on TV coverage at Luton Town is (X)…..Chef’s Kiss 🤌🤌

  

• "Hear That?”. Silence. Pretty quiet weekend regarding replay.

• “Horrific”. Chris Basham, the Sheffield United Captain, went down with a brutal injury. WARNING - Do not click on this if you get squeamish (X).

• Still Winless. 2 teams have yet to win. Bournemouth, Sheffield United.

Current Situation 📈📉

Clean Sheets Counter

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

20% IN.

Just over 20% into the season as all teams have played 8 of 38 matches, what have we learned?

City will have to earn their 4^th in a row.

• When Arsenal drew with Fulham at home and Liverpool drew with Chelsea week 1, it seemed like City was going to run away with the League. Fast forward and it seems to be a 3.5 team race. The Gunners, Reds, City will challenge for the title. If Spurs can add some depth, they have a shot. It also benefits Spurs to not be playing in European competitions.

SIX sides will be fighting to crack the top 4.

• Expect Villa, BHA, West Ham, Newcastle, Man United and Chelsea to make a run at some point. Villa, BHA, W Ham, Newcastle and United all have to deal with additional competitions.

The Bottom of the League is not very good (bad).

• As expected, Sheffield United and Luton Town are really struggling.

• What was not expected, that Burnley would start this poorly. Not just losing, but completely out matched conceding 20 goals in 8 matches. Their schedule does lighten up a little.

• Will Bournemouth give one of those three a lifeline? It sure looks like it of late. The key matches will be when these 4 clubs play each other. The Cherries has been top heavy to date.

Benefiting from the bottom four.

• Everton, Brentford and Wolves are better than The Blades, Hatters, Clarets and Cherries. Can they show it on the pitch? In other years they may be relegation candidates, but this year it seems like a 4-horse race.

Enjoy The Season.

• Palace, Forest and Fulham could jump a little or slip a little but are pretty much destined for 10-12 place. Anything less than that would be a disappointment.

Off Island 🏝️

International Break

The USMNT host Germany in Hartford, CN 10/14 and Ghana in Nashville, TN 10/17.

Here is a list of the USMNT roster for this break. (2min read from @JPW_NBCSports)

• Since MLS’s schedule does not coincide with Europe, or much of the world, 22 of 23 USMNT players are from international leagues.

  • 5 players play in Italy’s Serie A

  • 5 play in Germany’s Bundesliga

  • 4 in the English Premier League

  • 3 in the Netherlands, all on Eindhoven

  • 1 each in Spain, France, Scotland and Brazil.

• Speaking of USMNT players - here is Christian Pulisic scoring a game winner at Genoa on an assist from Yunus Mussah. (2 min on X)

• Great summary of USMNT players impact for their clubs this last weekend. (1 min read from @USMNTTAKES on X)

Best Bets 💰

🤔 City had not lost back-to-back in 5 years - time to change CS mojo

Here is a question for you - reply to the email - what will happen first - CS will hit $0 or $1000?