S7M5: The game's gone forwards

The attacking greats tend to take more of the plaudits - Pele, Maradonna, Cruijff et al certainly gain widespread plaudits - Maldini, Beckenbauer etc less so. (Plug here for Daniel Storey's Portrait of an Icon book with beautiful essays about loads of legends...£10 from each book goes to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation - available here )

It's obvious why - goals are the currency of the game. They're emotive in a way that a great tackle or big defensive header aren't. As Maldini said, the best defenders don't even do things that get noticed. Defensive skillsets are a connoisseur's pleasure - whilst brilliant attacking play is a much more visceral thrill.

Recently, we've had MSN, BBC and now we've got NCM a Paris and the joy of whatever you want to call Man City's attacking unit. Jesus - both exclamatory and descriptive - Aguero, Silva, de Bruyne,  Sane, Sterling...it's a multi-talented multipronged approach to unpicking any team's defensive lock.

Liverpool, in fairness, were the perfect houseguests and decided not to even close their bedroom door. I think this metaphor is done. Like Liverpool were when Mane got revenge for Patrick Battiston

If you don't think that was a straight red, no questions asked, then you need you head examined. Was Mane entitled to go for the ball - yep. Was it reckless and dangerous - yep. Not mutually exclusive. 

Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham will be happy with their first wins. Watford's good form continued, whilst Chelsea & Spurs did as expected. Man Utd weren't quite there against Stoke whilst Palace & Bournemouth's struggles continued - Frank de Boer paying with his job already, which is frankly ridiculous. Surely after only 4 games where you've hardly backed the man's methods, you have to go all in and give the guy a chance?

Anyway, that's enough chat for 1 blog...let's get statty:

This week, 24 people played

Most popular predicted result: Arsenal WIN (23/24)

Most disputed result: Brighton vs WBA (5-8-11 respectively)

Highest odds: Doron Salomon (6563/1) 

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (2273/1)

Average odds: 4343/1

 

Best predictor: Fink Tank (8/10)

Worst predictors: Loads of you (3/10)

Average score: 4.63/10

Best predicted result: Arsenal WIN (23/24)

Worst predicted result: Stoke vs Man UTD DRAW (1/24) - well done WSC

Everyone's results:

 

To the leaderboard (>2/3 games played; this week: 3/4)

To this week's predos:

Bournemouth vs Brighton - BRIGHTON

Crystal Palace vs Southampton - CRYSTAL PALACE

Huddersfield vs Leicester - DRAW

Liverpool vs Burnley - LIVERPOOL

Newcastle vs Stoke - NEWCASTLE

Watford vs Man City - MAN CITY

WBA vs West Ham - WEST HAM

Spurs vs Swansea - SPURS

Chelsea vs Arsenal - DRAW*

Man Utd vs Everton - MAN UTD

Good luck guys