Aston Villa once again top four contenders
Aston Villa have made their best start to a season after eight games, following their win at Fulham which moved them up to 4th in the table and 17 points.
Some people were and have been questioning whether they can challenge for the top four again this season, as they have been questioning their strength in depth. But with the start they've made and the way that Unai Emery is using his squad, they're surely going to be up there challenging for a top four finish again this season.
I had them in my top four four at the start of the season because I thought that their summer signings would strengthen their squad depth. They've done exactly that as the players who have come in have stepped up when called upon.
Every team in Europe needs a strong squad so they can compete on both fronts. And Villa look well on course to do that as they have the squad and quality to do so.
Could Arsenal's lack of discipline hold them back in title race?
Eight games have been played this season and Arsenal already have three red cards. Those red cards all came in games where Arsenal dropped points against Brighton, Man City and most recently Bournemouth.
This got me asking if Arsenal's lack of discipline could hold them back in the title race?
Arsenal have made huge progress under Mikel Arteta ever since he took over, and especially in the last couple of years. But since his appointment in December 2019, no side has picked up five or more red cards than Arsenal.
The majority of teams who go on to win the title have pretty good disciplinary records, like Man City in each of the last two seasons and Liverpool in the season they won the title. If Arsenal are to make that final step and win the title this season, they'll need to address their disciplinary issues.
They have been without players this season, but those absentees have mainly been through injury and they've dealt with them well.
But if Arsenal continue to pick up more red cards throughout the season, they'll continue to drop points in games they can't afford to and potentially miss out on the title again.
City's winning goal being given was the correct decision
Man City's winning goal against Wolves in the dying moments on Sunday certainly drew some controversy from viewers watching the game as Bernardo Silva was in an offside position when the goal was scored.
But when John Stones scored the winning goal, Silva wasn't interfering with play or in the keeper's line of vision. Because of this, I think giving the goal was the correct decision.
The offside law states that: The attacking player is penalised for preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the goalkeeper's line of vision."
Silva did appear to nudge Wolves keeper Jose Sa when the corner into the box was delivered. But when Stones' head made contact with the ball from the corner, Silva moved out of the keeper's way.
The goal was originally disallowed for offside because of Silva being in an offside position. But as you can't be offside from a corner kick, and Silva wasn't interfering with play, giving the goal was therefore the correct decision.
Glasner under pressure at Palace
Crystal Palace's wait for a win went on following their defeat at Nottingham Forest on Monday, which leaves them in the bottom three with just three points to their name.
I have been confident in Glasner turning things around, but now I think he's under pressure.
He did a great job towards the end of last season as Palace ended the season strongly, winning six of their final seven league games. But they haven't been able to carry that momentum into this campaign as they're yet to win a game.
They did lose two of their best players over the summer in Joachim Andersen at the back and Michael Olise in attack, both of whom have been sorely missed. They did bring in a lot of players over the summer, but it's taking a while for them to adjust.
It can take new players time to adjust to a new league and a new club, some quicker than others. But if Palace are to start winning football matches, they'll need their new players to start delivering soon.
There have been some encouraging signs from Palace's performances this season, but they haven't been able to turn those moments into winning performances.
If results don't pick up over the next month, the Eagles could be in for a long season.
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