I know we’re not reliant on Max Dowman, so it’s not the biggest blow, but having *another* player out for 2 months is just astonishing bad luck.

Some excellent ideas in here. Thank you Sandrew Claus.

Pompey (a). Proper Cup Tie ™️

Might put a bid in for Warner

Hoovered up some podcasts and it’s improved my mood. Podcast therapy is real.

While we’re at it, let’s ban draws and make the goals bigger.

That’s not a massive surprise. Been way too sloppy today.

This is peak this season. And let me tell you, good souls of Bluesky, I do not approve of this injury pestilence one bit. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

1-1 FT. Given how we played, that’s ok. But judging by the sky-high standards we’ve set so far, that was strangely wobbly and a bit off-pace.

Arteta will be fuming at how we’ve been second to pretty much everything.

Spanish bantz

We can’t let them get to us in the second half like they have in the first. Our defence is walking a tightrope.

Horrible, horrible tackle.

Hit and hope from Arsenal. We’re totally rattled.

Absolutely basking in this. What a day.

Moor the ark. The sun has come out for derby day.

Pre Ashes: Breezy confidence. Actual Ashes: 5-0

Waking up to England starting badly at the Ashes in Australia. It’s how the world works.

Football, bloody hell

KT!!!!

That’s not great defending at the end. But maybe it’ll stop people saying “it’s yours to lose” after just a quarter of the season.

Oh my Christ TROSSARD

We roll on. Top performance.

Yellow card for being stamped on. It’s only fair.

Gyokeres has been absolutely superb this half.

@paulhepker.bsky.social More Tintin

That’ll do nicely!

He got the man first. Surely?

Much kneeded

Lacking some lustre, this performance.

2-0. Decent enough. That was a classic ‘foothills of the Champions League group stage’ fixture, where every game matters, but just not yet.

Arteta in his grey slacks again. Just call him Smarteta.

5 more years of Saliba celebrations. Everyone needs that in their lives.

That feels *so* good. What an ending. Wow.

YESSSSSSSSSS

I knew they’d read this

Huffing and puffing and nothing this half. I am prepared for how this ends. Whilst also hoping to be proven wrong.

Eze is on fire today

“Plays the ball” my arse. It’s a penalty, surely?

Yesterday was Port Vale’s biggest attendance since 1999. Just me or is this incredibly satisfying? I love that kind of stat. The power of a good cup tie.

Magnifique!

Nwaneri back as right wing understudy it is then! How deep is depth? We are going to find out.

So so frustrating. Wasted a half.

Can’t lay a glove on them. Or a finger. It’s been so easy for City.

Desperate stuff so far

Such is the bubbling and constant change of football (and footballers’ lack of respect for narratives) that you can’t honestly say with any certainty what our first XI will be at Christmas, Easter or at the end of the season. It’s fascinating.

Great goal, but wish we’d twisted much sooner. Felt too cautious. Frustrating.

I think the Real Madrid free kicks were better

So far MOTD has been mostly chatting about VAR. The whole thing is just bullshit.

VAR is just for clicks. It’s for soundbites.