So as we approach the end of November it is LIVERPOOL who are top of the Premier League by some distance and provide the answer to Q40 in the Sned Quiz. Arne Slot has quickly shown why he was chosen to succeed Jurgen Klopp. Without fuss his teams play with a classic simplicity that Messrs Shankly,Paisley,Dalglish would celebrate. The bookmakers now believe that it is their title to lose. Pep Guardiola has already suggested that perhaps it is time for a team other than Manchester City to be champions. The loss of the ever influential Rodri and others to injury have certainly weakened City but they are capable of putting together a charge and in Erling Haaland have the player who tops the Expected Goals table. Arsenal have been disappointing and seem to rely heavily on defenders scoring from corners.
And outside the early season favourites who have caught the eye? Chelsea, with the outstanding Cole Palmer, are on course for a Champions League finish. It would be quite an achievement by Enzo Maresca, in his first season, having inherited a bloated, inexperienced and highly expensive squad. Nottingham Forest with a fast, direct counter attacking style are another surprise side who many thought would be involved in a relegation struggle rather than now competing for a European place. Brighton with their astonishingly young coach, Fabian Hurzeler, and Fulham can beat any side on their day and continue to defy the odds. Fans of Newcastle and Aston Villa may well be frustrated by their inconsistency while Tottenham continue to be just ‘Spursy’. It will be interesting to observe how long it takes Ruben Amorem to change tactics and the mood at Old Trafford. Bournemouth or Brentford maintaining their mid table positions would be significant progress in establishing Premier League status.
Which sides now appear to face a long struggle against relegation? Last season the three promoted clubs Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton all came straight back down. Each year the gap between the Premier League and Championship levels grows ever wider. Currently Southampton are bottom with Ipswich 17th and Leicester 15th. The other clubs from 14th down ie. West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace and Wolves are all in danger and it may be that the support, or lack of it, from owners and directors is decisive as coaches seek an upturn in fortunes.
NIGEL ANDERTON
THE FALL CLASSIC
The Fall Classic, for this year at least, brought the best two teams (#1 seeds from their respective leagues) together, making a truly east & west coast matchup in the New York Yankees versus the LA Dodgers. It also brought together some of the most electric players of the year, Ohtani, Judge & Soto making it a markedly more exciting proposition than the forgettable Diamondbacks – Rangers matchup from last year.
Game 1 in LA started in cagey fashion through the first 4 innings. LA then got on the board first before Stanton crushed another postseason HR to give New York the lead 2-1 in the 6th. An Ohtani triple in 8th helped level it up in the 8th, 2-2. The game then took a weird turn with fan interference taking a potential Yankees HR back to a double at the top of 9th, but ultimately after 9 full innings they couldn’t be separated. The Yankees added a run in 10th however LA blasted to a game 1 win, Freeman launching a grand slam on his first pitch, Dodgers walking it off 6-3.
Behind a strong outing by Yamamoto, the Dodgers took game 2 at home as well. Early traded HRs made it 1-1 but two Dodger HRs in the 3rd put them up 4-1, a lead they wouldn’t give up despite a late rally where the Yankees got into a bases loaded situation but couldn’t add to their score, the game ending 4-2.
The series then moved to NY for game 3, however the Dodgers continued their form from the West coast, namely Freeman’s hot HR bat swatting one over the fence in the 1st inning, 2-0. Further runs added in the 3rd & 6th innings padded their lead to 4-0 before the Yankees got on the board at the bottom of the 9th but it was too little too late putting the Dodgers on the cusp of a whitewash.
Still in NY for game 4, the Yankees offence finally awoke & got them on the series board with a big win off the back of a Volpe grand slam. Freeman’s hot bat continued adding another HR but ultimately it wasn’t enough & the Yankees stormed to an 11-4 win to make it a 3-1 series lead & ensure the avoidance of a whitewash.
With the chance to not only elongate the series but also take it back to LA, NY had Cole on the mound on game 5 & combined with a strong offensive start lead them to an early 5-0 lead which should have been enough. But it wasn’t to be as the Yankees completely imploded in the 5th on defence allowing the Dodgers to tie it up off the back of three errors. LA rode the shift in momentum & saw out the game 7-6 taking the series 4-1 in what ultimately proved to be a sadly (for the neutral) one sided affair, ensuing the winning side came from the WEST of the Mississippi, bringing the curtain down on another enjoyable MLB season. NEIL DEWHURST
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