Thursday Cannon Fodder: news dump

There is a lot happening in the football world, so I’m going to do a news dump with brief commentary for Cannon Fodder today. If it seems similar to TSF Twitter, that’s because it is.

Sidenote: I’m still absolutely buzzing from Arsenal’s win yesterday. Easily the best performance of the season (and a complete, 90-minute one) and perhaps the best performance of Mikel Arteta’s time in charge.

• Leicester-Spurs postponed: the Premier League initially said the match would take place as scheduled despite requests from both clubs for a postponement. Leicester had a number of additional positive tests today, so they called off the match. The PL got it right in the end.
• West Ham are investigating reports that two of their supporters racially abused Arsenal players yesterday. This, right here, is why the players are still kneeling. Sadly, racism still manifests on a near daily basis.
• Leeds have just 11 senior players available for Saturday’s match against Arsenal. Injuries and suspensions have hit Marcelo Bielsa’s side hard. None of the absences seem to be COVID-related, however, so barring a Premier League-wide pause the match should take place. Bad luck for Leeds. Hopefully Arsenal take advantage.
• David Moyes said some good things and a bad thing yesterday. After the match, he refused to blame the officiating and said his team’s poor performance was to blame for the loss. Even when talking about Coufal’s second yellow and the penalty kick, he acknowledged that Coufal went over the ball and into Lacazette with his slide, that his player should not have given the referee the opportunity to make the call, and that his side should have cleared the ball before things even got there.

Sometime before the match, Moyes made a not so great comment. Uh David, this isn’t “diversity” and it isn’t what people have been talking about for the last year.

• Chelsea have several COVID-positives in their first team squad. Mateo Kovacic is the latest player to be in isolation. But per the Premier League rules (recently announced guidelines?), it isn’t an “outbreak” because they haven’t had two consecutive days of new positive tests.
• Brentford have 13 positive cases among players and staff. Manager Thomas Frank has called for a pause in the Premier League schedule. I don’t think that will happen. I think matches between clubs without COVID outbreaks will continue, and the league will figure out how to fit in the rescheduled matches. I wouldn’t be surprised for the league to go behind closed doors again, however.
• Jurgen Klopp announced that the entirety of Liverpool’s first team have been vaccinated. He has been outsspoken about the importance of getting the jab and trusting the scientists and doctors who are the experts when it comes to COVID. Good for Jurgen!
• The NHL, NFL, and NBA all have COVID outbreaks around the league. The Calgary Flames, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Football Team are among the franchises with the most players out of action.

It’s not going so well, y’all.