It was on the 15th game of Chelsea’s title-winning 2014/15 season that their unbeaten streak expired against Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.
Can City go one better? That’s up for debate. But what’s not up for debate is these six certainties…
Arsenal and United players shaking hands in the tunnel much to the disgust of pundits
For a good chunk of millennials, the animosity between Arsenal and Manchester United circa 2004 was their first taste of Premier League rivalry. It had everything; Keane v Vieira, Fergie v Wenger, van Nistelrooy v Keown, Pizza v Fergie’s face, and, very famously, chilling tunnel encounters. As the game has been rid of such fierce rivalry, compatriots and former teammates greet each other in the tunnel with a smile and secret handshake before games, much to the disgust of Souness, Redknapp, and anyone who cares about football.
Roy Hodgson and Alan Pardew walking to the wrong dugouts at The Hawthorns
This is a bottom four clash for two managers well-acquainted with those positions in the league. Funnily enough, they’re also very well-acquainted with the opposite dugouts to the ones which they’ll be sitting in on Saturday afternoon. Hodgson spent 14 months at West Brom until he made them such an average Premier League side that the FA couldn’t contain their excitement anymore. It’d be vintage Pardew to swap dugouts as a laugh – he’s not shy of raillery on the touchline, as Brian McDermott knows too well.
Experts to begin lip-reading players talking with hands covering their mouths
Pep Guardiola’s very stern advice to Nathan Redmond at the final whistle on Wednesday night baffled many fans, but not an ‘expert lipreader’, who, as per The Sun, claimed that Pep called the winger “a w****r”. Redmond refuted the claims, triggering the national to report another article for his right of reply. Maybe a third one could be wrung out by getting the expert to decipher what Redmond said through his gloves, which is obligatory for any on-field player discussions after full time.
English players being warned of replicating mistakes against World Cup group stage opponents
As the World Cup draw dawns this afternoon, England will discover which countries they’ll face at Russia 2018. If we get a big fish, be prepared for commentators nationwide to be instructing Englishmen who scupper sights on goal this weekend that “[Insert player name] better make sure he doesn’t miss chances like that against [insert Pot 1 team] in Russia next June”.
Allardyce, Shakespeare and Sammy Lee pioneering the concept of management super-teams
Now Mr. 33% win ratio has begun his post at Everton, he has drafted in Sammy Lee – whose name must always be said in full – and Craig Shakespeare to the coaching team. The latter was managing in a Champions League quarter-final in April, and the former has previously coached at Merseyside rivals Liverpool. When the three were together for Big Sam’s fleeting England tenure, Shakespeare hadn’t swept up Ranieri’s broken glass, but now they seem a management super-team. What a great spectacle that’d be.
Fantasy football managers rueing their chance at bypassing the Salah bandwagon
The Catch-22 with fantasy football management is picking the highest-scoring players, only to keep up with the teams ahead of you. So when Mo Salah started his freakish scoring run with a brace against West Ham, many virtual coaches – including yours truly – decided to let the bandwagon pass by their hometown, in the hope it was a one-off. Three games and five goals later, it’s a large humble pie to palate, transferring in the Egyptian.
