Halfway

 All but four teams have played 19 games now.  Here's where it stands:

80 points is not going to win the league.  It's quite congested at the top (we'll talk about the bottom later), so the eventual winner will have to go on an almighty tear at some point, as City did last season with their 11 game winning streak to bury Arsenal.  Most pundits think they're the prime suspects to do just that, although Liverpool could attract some betting interest.  Arsenal has to be no better than third choice.  We're finding ways to drop points.  No club is afraid of us, nor should they be.  For all the "control" Arteta craves, his men just can't score enough goals to sustain a title charge.  Every squad has been hit with injury; no one can use that excuse.  At this point, a top four finish looks like the best I can hope for.

The relegation battle may be another free-for-all.  14th is just four points better than 18th.  There are some teams down there (Palace for instance) that on paper are too good to drop out of the EPL, but they play on grass.  Sheffield looks sure to be relegated, and Luton and Burnley may never get out of the drop zone, but lightning might strike and one of those could start winning.  34 points might do it this year.  

ARS 0-2 WHU: If You Don't Score, You Won't Win

 Credit to West Ham, who executed their game plan very well.  They got a couple of breaks and cashed in on them.  The Gunners once again had plenty of the ball but never looked like scoring.  It's hard to see them winning the league if this is how they're going to proceed.

LIV 1-1 ARS: Fair But Disappointing Result

 In a very lively, watchable game, Both sides showed a lot of energy and there was plenty of action at both ends.  Gabriel's early header was matched by Salah's fine strike later in the first half.  The score could have been anything up to 4-4 considering all the chances the teams created.  I thought Havertz and Zinchenko had subpar games.

So, the top three all got one point this round.  City will be relieved, Tottenham hopeful.  Man U lost in limp fashion to West Ham and looked pretty awful doing it.

Roma 2 Napoli 0

 Napoli ended the game with only eight players!   Two red carded out and an injury and no more subs!  

CRY 1-1 BHA: Five Years of 1-1 Draws with the Seagulls at Selhurst

 There were only two goals in this hotly contested and very watchable game, both headers, and both excellent.  Ayew powered one in from a great cross from (I think) Olise as the first half was dying, and Welbeck's late equalizer for the visitors was perfect, looping into the upper right corner from about 12 yards out.  In a pregame online poll, I picked Palace to win, based on what Arsenal did to Brighton's playing out from the back.  Palace had some success with their press, but ultimately they could not maintain the energy.  The draw was a fair result, I thought, though as the game wound down at 1-1 it looked as though Palace was more afraid to lose than trying to win.  The referee allowed play to continue, a wise choice, because this game followed the usual pattern of chippiness and aggression.  While there wer at least five cautions, they finished with 22 on the field and play flowed.  

ARS 2-0 BHA: Back in First

 Due to Liverpool's scoreless draw at Anfield with Man U (a match I saw but which was not memorable), The Gunners are now topping the table by a single point over the Reds and Villa.  City is five points back thanks to Palace's fine work on Saturday.  Today, Brighton was outplayed, as their coach and captain admitted afterward.  But Arsenal did not score in the first half, despite some golden opportunities, and the stage was set for a potential smash-and-grab by the visitors.  But the tension was broken with Jesus's heading the ball into an empty net after a corner.  There was a scare, but Havertz sealed the points by slotting past (through?) the keeper when released by Eddie.

Speaking of smash and grabs, Arsenal Women got taken by Tottenham, for the white's first ever win over Arsenal.  This leaves us behind in the title race; we could have been top.  

Also, Notts County lost.

A bit of luck MC 2 CP 2

 IMO, MC played the better match, but CP showed resilience and spunk to come back from a 2-0 deficit against a match in which they were outplayed most of the way.  I was pleased and encouraged by their performance and comeback from what appeared to be a lost cause.  

More Complaints About Referees

 Crystal Palace was victimized by ridiculous refereeing in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool last weekend.  Jordan Ayew was assessed two very soft yellows, the first for having a ball kicked into him by van Dyck in a successful attempt to con the ref and the second for a normal challenge in midfield that was a foul but not a card.  Ahead by a goal at the time, Ayew's sending off changed the game totally.  Roy Hodgson, in an interview later, said he was sick about the sorry state of refereeing these days.  Managers are yelled at by the fourth official for talking to their coaches or leaving their seats.  Even with VAR, the PGMOL is apologizing for dumb errors nearly every week.  We all get angry about the bad calls that go against our teams, but lots of clubs have been robbed this season.  It does not always even out, either.  Ask Wolves fans.  In a league that hands out a ten point penalty for a financial infraction by Everton but has yet to do anything about 115 financial infractions by Man City, it rankles that important on-field decisions are being made incorrectly and in a manner that invites suspicion of favoritism for clubs owned by petrostates that grease the palms of referees with lucrative gigs in their domestic leagues.  Or maybe it's only incompetence, which is also bad.

AVL 1-0 ARS: Another early goal conceded

 It was a nice take, turn, and shot from McGinn, but it was too easy for Villa to get it to him in front of goal.  The Gunners made lots of good chances but could not convert any of them.  It's a tough loss to a close rival.  It underlines the view that this is a title up for grabs.  

I can't see Spuds winning the league, or Man U, and Newcastle has fallen off.  But the current top four are all in the hunt.  It'll come down to who gets injured when.

LUT 3-4 ARS: Are You F***ing Kidding Me?

 I expected a routine 2-0 or 3-0 win at the home of a team that has scored less than a goal a game this season, but instead I got a roller coaster ride courtesy of David Raya's awful performance and a determined, physical Hatters side helped by the home crowd and wimpy refereeing.  We were dominant for most of the game, controlling possession and creating chances, but sloppy defending on corners allowed two goals and a howler from Raya gave them a third.  It took some lovely work from our men and last second heroics to wrest all three points from Luton.  I was a nervous wreck throughout the second half, though not as nervous as Raya looked.  Ramsdale should start for a while.  

I read that eleven different Arsenal players scored our last eleven league goals before Havertz's.  Wow.  Havertz is finding his rhythm.  Really, all our guys were good except for our keeper.  We're five points up on Liverpool and six on City having played a game more.  It will be tough at Villa Park.  Arteta will be watching from the stands, having received a third yellow, this time for getting out of his seat after Rice's last second winner.  

ARS 2-1 WOL: Buoyant Start, Nervy Finish

 It looked like another blowout was brewing after a totally dominant Arsenal put two into Wolves' net in the first quarter of the game, but despite creating several more golden chances, they had to settle for those two goals.  Wolves made adjustments at the half and again on the hour mark, and came back into the game.  In the 85th minute, Zinchenko lost the ball in our penalty area and it was neatly tucked away by Cunha.  The next 15 minutes were somewhat nervy, but in the end we came away with three points, leaving it to City, Liverpool, Spuds and the others to try to keep pace.