Issue 25 - Sliding Doors Moment

25 issues in and the Filter hits its quarter-century — thanks to 50+ of you already in the squad! The next target: 100. This weekend is stacked — Potter under pressure, City vs Spurs, Arsenal swooping for Eze… let’s tackle it. Issue 25. Go

Ten Quick Tackles

A look at the main talking points as we head into the upcoming Premier League weekend.

West Ham vs Chelsea

A London derby gets week two of the season underway in just a few hours and with Graham Potter being labelled as the Premier League manager under the most pressure in the previous issue, that pressure could quite easily increase further.

Looking to make life more difficult for one of their former managers are a Chelsea side that looked blunt against Crystal Palace last Sunday. Whether that is due to post-Club World Cup fatigue still showing or wider issues in attack, we will have a better idea of the cause tonight.

Manchester City vs Tottenham

Saturday lunchtime takes us to the Etihad where Manchester City play host to Tottenham. Both sides coming into this game of comprehensive opening weekend wins, only one teams feeling the pain of a sucker punch in the transfer market since.

More on Daniel Levy losing a one-horse race later on in this issue but after Thomas Frank had to pick up his players after a collapse against PSG just over a week ago, he now needs to pick his team up after missing out on Eberechi Eze and make sure City don’t make things worse.

Bournemouth vs Wolves

A highly spirited showing for Bournemouth at the defending champions last weekend and although they left Anfield empty handed, the Cherries will be keen to take that level of performance into Saturday’s visit of Wolves - a game where both are looking to get off the mark.

Wolves thumped at home to Manchester City is not something that is going to fill Molineux with much confidence, especially as they are light on attacking talent at present. They could end up even lighter if they end up selling Jorgen Stran Larsen to Newcastle.

Brentford vs Aston Villa

Can Brentford play any worse than last week’s showing at Nottingham Forest? Probably not but that is no comfort to those who watched their first half capitulation at the City Ground on Sunday. Keith Andrews’ baptism of managerial fire continues at home to Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s men visit the capital after drawing a blank at home to Newcastle last Saturday. A point that certainly felt better for the West Midlands outfit once Ezri Konsa was sent off but now they must go for the jugular in a bid to earn their first win.

Burnley vs Sunderland

This fixture could be a real glimpse into the hopes of both sides when it comes to survival. Within the mini-league of teams that you expect to finish at the bottom, this already has a hint of six-pointer attached to it. Crazy to even suggest that in week two of the season.

If Burnley succumb to a second successive defeat, that is six points that they have already given up to Sunderland at the start of the campaign. If they can come out on top at Turf Moor, it may suggest that their chance of survival is just as even as that of the Black Cats.

Arsenal vs Leeds

There will undoubtedly be a feel good factor in the red half of North London. Not only because of Arsenal’s success over Manchester United last weekend but also the ‘Snatch of the Day’ when it comes to all but securing the services of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.

That optimism probably does not spell good news for visitors’ Leeds this weekend and although they are off the mark with their Monday 1-0 home win over Everton, you get the feeling this one resembles something of a free hit for Daniel Farke and his players.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest

The first of two weekend fixtures which writes itself. The ‘good guys’ Crystal Palace versus ‘bad guys’ Nottingham Forest. We all know the fall out of the summer saga regarding multi-club ownership, now it is time for the Eagles to try and settle the score on the pitch.

Palace come into this game having won their first ever European game (not including Intertoto Cup action). Forest come into this game with the almost bizarre rumour that Nuno Espirito Santo could be for the chop. Will the axe swing on his head on Sunday?

Everton vs Brighton

Everton welcome Brighton into their new home on Sunday. Are the Seagulls going to be the perfect guest or are they going to act as party poopers instead? The Toffees found themselves in a sticky situation on Monday, can Jack Grealish firm them up on Sunday?

As for Brighton, seconds away from getting the better of Fulham last weekend and now losing of their better players as Julio Enciso moves within the BlueCo network of Chelsea and Strasbourg. Even typing that sentence makes me feel a bit ill of modern football.

Fulham vs Manchester United

The Cottagers are in action on Sunday as they play host to Manchester United who although did not win the battle at home to Arsenal, may feel like they are a step closer to finally winning the war under Ruben Amorim. With that said a trip to Fulham may test.

Marco Silva’s side have almost been anonymous across the summer and therefore, will look to do their talking on the pitch. You never quite know what variant of Fulham you are going to get but then again, you could say exactly the same about Sunday’s opponents.

Newcastle vs Liverpool

The second game that writes itself this weekend and with this one being pushed out to Bank Holiday Monday, there is absolutely no doubt that the best has been saved for last. Newcastle versus Liverpool - yeah, but which side is Alexsander Isak actually on?

Unfortunately there will not be any WWE-style switches of allegiance at St James Park, the Swedish international would be very wise to steer clear. This game is going to be played in a ferocious atmosphere, think of it like Wrestlemania but in the Premier League instead.

Now that we’ve looked at the weekend’s storylines, let’s see if AI can do any better than me at predicting the outcomes…

Predictive Power

Not only am I offering up the main plotlines before the opening weekend, I am also offering up my predictions - actually some AI predictions that I have asked it to generate.

Only three outcomes correct last week - a hit rate of 30%, no retirement fund being opened just yet.

How will the might of AI fare? How will you fare? Feel free to get in touch with your predictions as well.

One Horse Race

For those who did not read the previous issue of the Real Football Filter, I made this reference in the Filter Five regarding a likely Eberechi Eze move to Tottenham:

Well would you believe it, this is precisely what has happened. In an alternate word, Tottenham would have signed two number 10s this summer and backed Thomas Frank to the absolute hilt.

Somehow we (me being a Spurs fan) have signed none.

Imagine this conversation:

You signed Gibbs-White didn't you?

Nah, the Forest owner pretty much took him hostage.

Never mind.

You signed Eze didn't you?

Nah, Levy took too long to wrap things up.....again.

Madison fit though? No, out for ages.

Ah.

Being a Tottenham supporter in a nutshell. Waiting too long to secure a deal and then your most hated local rivals snatch him for themselves after you have put in all the leg work.

At no time in all of this did anyone anticipate that a Kai Havertz injury would end up being the sliding doors moment in all of this. A new spell on the sidelines for the German seemingly prompting Arsenal into action.

Some say that it was solely the injury of the former Chelsea forward that sprung Arsenal’s recruitment team into action. Some will say that the Gunners were always confident in their ability to land Eze and would land him at their own pace.

Another component could have been Steve Parish not wanting to sell to Daniel Levy on two fronts:

a) Palace needed to source their own replacement or at least be very close to

b) Parish simply doesn’t like Daniel Levy

Truth be told, I think it is the latter that probably has most truth. You only need to look at Levy’s relationships with other Premier League powerbrokers to know that people are not keen on dealing with him.

All those years of driving a hard bargain will garner you a reputation whether you like it or not and with that reputation it then becomes harder to get further business done. Case in point this latest blunder in transfer negotiations.

Tottenham now left scrambling around for a new number 10. Arsenal may just have found their true missing piece to the title-winning hopes. Thanks Kai Havertz, get well soon and all that.

Goldbridge Goes Bundesliga

Mark Goldbridge is showing the Bundesliga. Yes, that comment is as crazy as it sounds. Not all of the German top tier, just some of it you see on Friday nights. A whole new player when it comes to media rights, a true glimpse into the future.

Bundesliga content through his That’s Football channel, La Liga content courtesy of Gary Lineker’s The Rest Is Football podcast. A further fragmentation of European content but this may be the only way to digest it.

With Sky Sports showing 215 live Premier League games, there is even less space on their channels for any football that is not within that division or the three tiers of the EFL below. If you like live football, you best like it English.

However, the ability to watch and podcasts and keep up to date with the German and Spanish top tiers for free will be considered as something of a win for fans in a time where they seem to be losing. How much value these two sets of rights are losing is another thing.

The Filter Five

Five slabs of meat on football’s mixed grill.

Transfer World Record

After Olivia Smith’s move from Liverpool to Arsenal broke the women’s transfer record only recently, that £1m switch has now been usurped by Lizbeth Ovalle’s move from Tigres to Orlando Pride.

A £1.1m switch in 2025, 50 years ago the men’s record was being broken after moving from Bologna to Napoli for £1.2m- a figure that is now worth just under £14m in today’s money.

Tottenham PR Machine

Apologies that I keep going on about Tottenham, but I just need to get it out of my system. Missing out on Eberechi Eze has put their PR department into overdrive with Morgan Rogers now being the next man on their list of transfer targets.

The only problem is that the Aston Villa man has literally only just lifted the PFA Young Player of the Year award and with Unai Emery already waving goodbye to Jacob Ramsey in August, a switch for the former Middlesbrough forward looks unlikely as Eze changing his mind again.

Martin At Ibrox

A quick look north of the border and if I was Russell Martin I don’t think I would be worrying about permanent accomodation in Glasgow just yet. A 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge gives his Rangers side a huge Champions League mountain to climb.

A dreadful start in the Scottish Premiership, making very difficult work of part-time outfit Alloa in the League Cup last weekend and now this. It seems a feisty fanbase at the best of times is already falling out with the former Southampton boss.

Never Go Back

They say in football that you should never go back. Crawley Town boss Scott Lindsay is probably thinking he should have listened to that advice. Almost completing a League One great escape last season, serious danger of escaping League Two during this.

The Red Devils finally got off the mark with a draw at home to MK Dons- ironically the club that Lindsay left Crawley for after Wembley delight at the end of the 2023/24 season but one point from the first 12, suggests there is plenty of work to be done in West Sussex.

Fantasy Stuff

FPL deadline is 6:30pm UK time - do not forget to send in your final drafts!

Admin

Right, that’s the end of issue 25 as a quarter century of content is completed.

If you liked issue 25, tell a friend and forward it on. If you didn’t like issue 25 don’t.

We’ve crossed 50. Now it’s time to push for 100. If you enjoyed this, forward it to a football friend. Grow the squad.

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Issue 26 will be out on Tuesday August 26th

Thanks for reading

Dan