“There’s only one happy Head Coach…!”

Crystal Palace ()) 0 v 2 (1) Fulham

                                                                                      45+2 Smith Rowe, assist Jimenez

                                                                                       83 Wilson, assist Iwobi

Yellows: Lacroix, Diachi Kamada, Red     Iwobi

Played Saturday 9 November 2024 at Selhurst Park, attendance 25,142.

Fulham Head Coach Marco Silva must be a happy man after this confident Fulham display pushed them up to 7th place in the Premier League (PL) with 18 points. Both goals were scored by left-footed shots and both goal-scorers could have had a second but for VAR intervention, one for a very tight off-side and one for handball. Defeat put Crystal Palace in the mirror image position in the PL that is 18th with only 7 points. They had a man sent off in the 76th minute but the match was already slipping away. There may be some comfort for Head Coach Oliver Glasner in that they were without star players Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton among others.

                                                     Chelsea (0) 1 v 1 (0) Arsenal.

 70 Neto, assist Fernandez                              60 Martinelli, assist Odegaard

Yellows: Colwill, Madueke, Cucurella        White, Havertz    Ref. Michael Oliver

Played Sunday 10 November 2024 at Stamford Bridge, attendance 40,341.

The draw between Chelsea and Arsenal kept them one point above Fulham in the tight top half of the PL but moved them both up one place to 3rd and 4th respectively on goal-difference. There was not much incident or disagreement in this high-speed Premier London Derbies (PLDs) match, but the return of Martin Odegaard with his cool class will cheer Mikel Arteta. The Gunners’ Head Coach has realized that the intensity, number and unpredictability of PLDs matches makes winning the PL Title even more difficult. The Blues’ Head Coach Enzo Maresca will see his team as “work-in-progress”.

There are no PL or PLDs matches this weekend because of the November International break, so until next time, “Keep Safe”, Andrew at PLDs.