Happy New Year for some! – 3/01/2020.

Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 11) v Chelsea 2 (Jorginho 83, Abraham 87), played Sunday 29 December 2019, at The Emirates Stadium, attendance 60,309.

Hello and yes “Happy New Year” which we start with an apology for giving you the wrong date of the last PLDs fixture of 2019, being Arsenal v Chelsea which was as you see played on Sunday 29 December 2019 not 28^th, but I am sure you would have checked anyway! We were right about two things though: Arsenal did parade a new Manager in “old boy” Mikel Arteta, and that 2020 will start bleakly for Manuel Pellegrini, dismissed by West Ham but rightly described by their Joint-chairman Mr. David Sullivan as “a gentleman”. If Arsenal’s PLDs victory on 7 December had contributed to that, the reality of PLDs came quickly to Mikel Arteta on his Emirates’ debut. Arsenal had started brightly with an early goal by their new Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and continued with new energy, teamwork and resolve, but were out thought tactically by Frank Lampard. Two crucial substitutions and a change of team formation enabled the Blues to overhaul the Gunners with 2 late goals, albeit one by a player (Jorginho) who in his Manager’s opinion was fortunate to be on the pitch after a foul tackle while on a yellow card. V.A.R. was kept out of any controversy.

There are no PLDs this F.A. Cup weekend so let’s have a look how our teams are doing:

Team.                                  Played.   Won.   Drawn.   Lost.      Points per Game.

Chelsea                                     5            4            0           1                     2.40

Tottenham Hotspur               5             2            2           1                     1.60

Crystal Palace                          6             2           2           2                      1.33

Arsenal                                     5             1           3           1                       1.20

West Ham United                   6             2           0           4                       1.00

Watford                                    5             0           3           2                       0.60

Leaders Chelsea would have had a perfect record except for that unexpected home defeat to the Hammers; Palace are showing strongly despite having played all 5 off their away PLDs already; and Watford look like they have a chance of improving now under their third Manger this season Nigel Pearson. 

The January to May 2020 part of the 2019-2020 PLDs (premierlondonderbies) league starts on 11 January at Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace entertaining Arsenal. Will it be a tale of two Managers again?

Until then, enjoy your football, Andrew at PLDs.