Premier League ‘24-‘25 (real and fantasy)

So close. Arsenal deserved the win but not a terrible outcome. 48 minutes of a defensive clinic by the Gunners. That officiating.
 
The officiating was the worst I've seen all season in the PL. And I usually really like the way Michael Oliver handles a game. He did not do well today at all. Arsenal was the better team today, though. This might just be Arsenal's year.
 
I did not see the game, so can’t comment on the overall reffing, but that was a boneheaded move to jump into a stationary player and absolutely deserved a yellow. No doubt about it, it’s not even a question.
 
I did not see the game, so can’t comment on the overall reffing, but that was a boneheaded move to jump into a stationary player and absolutely deserved a yellow. No doubt about it, it’s not even a question.
Yet this isn't called.


From the post game Peter Schmeichel: “This is the biggest game in the Premier League so far! Soft yellow cards! Why is Michael Oliver trying to ruin it? It's a big game, emotions are flying high — understand what you are dealing with here, but no — Michael Oliver wants himself in the spotlight!”

Micheal Oliver also refers games in the UAE and is paid directly by the same people that own city. If this was an isolated incident I'd be OK but he also didn't send off Mateo Kovaciclast year on an obvious second yellow. Once is passable. Two is a coincidence. Three is something else.

 
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Yet he wasn't called nor was this delay that he called on Arsenal.


That's three.
No argument from me. Just hovering over the ball gets a verbal warning that doing it again will earn a yellow, but hovering and then kicking it away where there’s not even a pretense of continuing play having not heard the whistle, yeah, that’s a yellow.
Though to note, I’m in favor of the way games are being played there should be at a minimum five yellows a game
 
From the post game Peter Schmeichel: “This is the biggest game in the Premier League so far! Soft yellow cards! Why is Michael Oliver trying to ruin it? It's a big game, emotions are flying high — understand what you are dealing with here, but no — Michael Oliver wants himself in the spotlight!”

Micheal Oliver also refers games in the UAE and is paid directly by the same people that own city. If this was an isolated incident I'd be OK but he also didn't send off Mateo Kovaciclast year on an obvious second yellow. Once is passable. Two is a coincidence. Three is something else.
Sorry, no. I can't just let this go. Michael Oliver is normally a very good official. Better than most, IMO. He almost always keeps control of the game and he's shown himself to be very fair. But he missed a hard foul coming out of the gate, and the game got away from him right from there. He had a really bad day.

But his lousy day wasn't entirely one-sided. In context, I don't agree with the sending off, which had a big impact on the game. But so did calling the captains over for a conference, and then letting a restart happen while Walker was still getting back into position, facing away from the ball, and with no whistle. That led directly to an Arsenal goal. (Which was a spectacular finish, BTW.)

The officiating was just bad. If you want to call it corrupt, I need some proof.
 
Sorry, no. I can't just let this go. Michael Oliver is normally a very good official. Better than most, IMO. He almost always keeps control of the game and he's shown himself to be very fair. But he missed a hard foul coming out of the gate, and the game got away from him right from there. He had a really bad day.

But his lousy day wasn't entirely one-sided. In context, I don't agree with the sending off, which had a big impact on the game. But so did calling the captains over for a conference, and then letting a restart happen while Walker was still getting back into position, facing away from the ball, and with no whistle. That led directly to an Arsenal goal. (Which was a spectacular finish, BTW.)

The officiating was just bad. If you want to call it corrupt, I need some proof.
There's also this:

According to Sky Sports it was 0.84 seconds between Michael Oliver's whistle and Trossard kicking the ball away resulting in Trossard's sending off.​

And because I'm plying on, Erling continuing his heel turn.

 
There's also this:
With respect, none of that has the slightest thing to do with corruption. It's even entirely clear to me what's going on there except some sports guys being general jerks, which seems to be pretty common the world over.
 
When did Haaland go all WWF Super Villain? I mean, ManCity and all but I’ve missed the whole monster jerk thing until yesterday.
Bit by bit. I can’t pinpoint an exact incident or turning point but I’ve noticed the evolution over the last two seasons. As a general class of player, strikers tend to be cocky and a bit arrogant. That comes with the position. This seems to be more. Throwing the ball directly at Gabby’s head after the second goal should have been a red even if they are friendly. Plowing into Partey should have been a yellow. But yeah the official was fair and balanced as a Murdock TV media outlet.
 
But yeah the official was fair and balanced as a Murdock TV media outlet.
I started by agreeing with you that the officiating was bad. I even said that Arsenal was the better team on the day. No, the officiating was not "fair and balanced". But Man City have valid complaints, too. That was the entire problem with it. Nobody had any idea of what would be called and what would not.

That's different from saying the officiating was corrupt. A normally excellent official screwed up and lost control of the game from something like the 5th second on. A bad day - even if it is a really bad day - is not the same thing as corruption. Nobody was objecting to Michael Oliver being the official before the match started. Take off your Gunner glasses for a second and give it a moment of objective thought.
 
I started by agreeing with you that the officiating was bad. I even said that Arsenal was the better team on the day. No, the officiating was not "fair and balanced". But Man City have valid complaints, too. That was the entire problem with it. Nobody had any idea of what would be called and what would not.

That's different from saying the officiating was corrupt. A normally excellent official screwed up and lost control of the game from something like the 5th second on. A bad day - even if it is a really bad day - is not the same thing as corruption. Nobody was objecting to Michael Oliver being the official before the match started. Take off your Gunner glasses for a second and give it a moment of objective thought.
Oh I know he's not corrupt. Just sooooo bad yesterday. Like refs in Duke Indiana bad. Listen when almost every pundit and media outlet is on board it says something. Arsenal isn't like the darling on the EPL but it would be hard to find someone that doesn't believe them were on the wrong end of it yesterday.

I don't really care how a game in any sport is called as long as it's called the same for both teams. I think most of us are like that.

In other news: Wimbledon AFC's pitch has become a golf course.


 
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And in yet other news - which I'm sure @Kdogg does not welcome - Rodri is out for the season with an ACL tear suffered in the Arsenal game. Many folks don't realize how crucial he is in Pep's scheme. That's a big, big loss for City, even if John Stones can somehow stay healthy for a minute or two.
 
When did Haaland go all WWF Super Villain? I mean, ManCity and all but I’ve missed the whole monster jerk thing until yesterday.
One man's monster jerk is another man's hero, writes the guy proudly wearing a Haaland jersey today.

I think most of the world was pleased to see him body check Partey, to be honest. I mean, it's Thomas Partey.

Oliver had a bad day, but it was a bad day both ways. Allowing the restart with Walker out of position after having been called over was careless at best, and Ederson was pretty clearly fouled on Gabriel's goal.

Bigger deal is the loss of Rodri. You don't lose the best player in the world and not take a massive step back. City's margin for error is a lot smaller than it was.
 
And in yet other news - which I'm sure @Kdogg does not welcome - Rodri is out for the season with an ACL tear suffered in the Arsenal game. Many folks don't realize how crucial he is in Pep's scheme. That's a big, big loss for City, even if John Stones can somehow stay healthy for a minute or two.
I suspect Stones (if he can stay healthy) and Rico Lewis are going to end up the cover for Rodri. Those two in front of Dias/Gvardiol/Ake (when he gets back).
 
And in yet other news - which I'm sure @Kdogg does not welcome - Rodri is out for the season with an ACL tear suffered in the Arsenal game. Many folks don't realize how crucial he is in Pep's scheme. That's a big, big loss for City, even if John Stones can somehow stay healthy for a minute or two.
That’s a tough lost for sure but City have navigated injuries better than any program I’ve ever seen. They have options. Although Foden, Grealish and de Bruyne aren’t the defenders that Rodri is they can fill the place for playmaking and scoring. Directly Kovačić is there immediately. I like Stones but yeah his more like paper but if healthy they will be fine.
 
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