In the Premier League the one story that has taken over all headlines is referee David Coote who was caught on video making derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. It was shocking footage and would have been even from a former referee but from a present referee this was quite something. One wonders how could Coote put himself in this position? Because of the advent and advances of AI of course it had to be confirmed that Coote was the actual person in the video and that this was his voice, such is technology now. However it was reported that Coote had admitted to the FA it was him and he has been suspended. There has always been worry within the game that some referees may be biased and even as fans would put it "bent". The good news and this is something that should be underlined is that this is not the case. Referees especially in a league such as the Premier League are neither, it is clear to see that they are out to do the very best job they can. Mistakes can happen and that can be frustrating and you will not meet a genuine football fan that hasn't had suspicions about the officials, but then the same official will give your team a good showing a few weeks later and all is quickly forgotten. This is because officials really do want to do their absolute best. It is annoying when they get it wrong of course especially with the advent of VAR, which still isn't up to the very best standards but all in all we should believe that the officials are doing their best job. As for Coote one wonders how he will be able to continue in his job? Nobody likes to see people lose their job and we all make mistakes, we've all been there when the blunder has looked irreversible. The problem with Coote is that he CANNOT ever ref a game involving Liverpool again, even though his history doing so has ended up with the Reds winning the majority of those games, although failing to beat Everton on two occasions Coote has been on the pitch. The other problem is Coote being on the pitch in ANY Premier League match. There is that ripple effect where he could be officiating Brighton vs Southampton that somehow has implications on how Liverpool will do. Also fans will go viral on Coote, it doesn't matter that he has upset Liverpool and Klopp. You could take clubs like Everton and Manchester United who of course have no love lost when it comes to Liverpool but if a game is going a certain way and Coote is not making great calls all of what he said which was utterly unprofessional will come to the surface once again. The short end of the stick is that Coote really should not be officiating in the Premier League again and he has done this to himself. The options are to be sacked or be demoted to the Championship. But even then you sense that fans will get on his back. Perhaps the most honourable thing to do would be to tell the FA that he will quit and find a new career. Football fans are not forgiving in this way, because his words were not just an attack on Liverpool and Klopp they were an attack on the game itself and its integrity.
Sticking with Liverpool you have to give a lot of credit to new manager Arne Slot who after 11 games has his club in 1st place. Not just that but they have a 5 point gap to Manchester City and then a 9 point gap to 3rd place. It has been a dream start for Slot's side who do not look like losing games anytime soon. Although the chasing pack will be hoping for the inevitable dip and while that may let in City one has to wonder if some title chasing clubs have already seen their dreams for this season end? One in particular is Arsenal who really needed to beat Chelsea last weekend. A loss was a no no but a draw wasn't much better and manager Mikel Arteta would have been frustrated with a point even away from home given that his side had taken the lead. Arsenal are 9 points behind Liverpool, can they really make up the points? It would take a bad run for Liverpool but Arsenal would have to find consistency that has been lacking this season and also fend off Manchester City and the improving Chelsea, it seems like a stretch. One can even wonder if Liverpool will have any challengers at present given how Manchester City have lost 4 games in a row in all competitions. Pep Guardiola says that he has to find a way, we often praise him for being such an incredible tactician so now the pressure is on him because Rodri is the main talisman whose absence has exposed the side, and is probably out for the season.
Premier League football will take a break this weekend for internationals but with a gap emerging at the top of the standings let's see how this has affected the odds for the title chase.
To Win the Premier League: Liverpool 2.25, Manchester City 3.25, Arsenal 4.33, Chelsea 16.00, Tottenham 81.00
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