London. From bus parades through hundreds of thousands of jubilant Argentines to the sacred football on Boxing Day in the cloudy British Isles.
Yes, the Premier League is finally back.
A month after the Winter World Cup, the memory is understandably gone.
Vem sate Ralph Hasenhüttl in Southampton? (Nathan Jones).
Who else are on the table? (Wolves with new coach Julen Lopetegui).
Did Antonio Conte extend with Tottenham? (obviously not).
Admittedly, it’s a much needed hux flux, scraping the hangovers and fragments of memory of Emi Martínez’ sinister grin, and celebrating the unpleasant Kylian Mbappé doll in his arms. Or half-baked old Burnley striker Wout Weghorst of massive free kicks.
On the other hand, football’s “Boxing Day” is a tradition that not even billionaire Qatari riyals can shake. Still. Somewhere in the mid-1950s, the English realized that Christmas Day matches were getting in the way of turkey dinners with the family. Since then, Boxing Day has been dedicated to league football and is as sacred as stuffing real bread crumbs.
Now is the time to pick up all the loose ends left in mid-November. If someone forgets, against the odds, for example, the dent search is still very much alive.
Jesus big break
There is speculation about how the World Cup will affect players physically in the long term, but the question is whether Arsenal’s blow isn’t already the worst. Not only was Brazil knocked out in the quarter-finals, Gabriel Jesus left Qatar early and recently underwent knee surgery. Although the striker did not pump goals during the fall, he is invaluable in the club’s offensive game. Eddie Nketiah’s instinctive movement patterns are not involved in the spinal cord in the same way.
Mikel Arteta’s team currently leads the standings, five points behind Manchester City. This looks like a solid lead against a star-studded team that can clearly prove to be human at times. Of the last 18 leaders on Christmas Day, 13 were last leaders with the title before the spring break, including Manchester City last season.
Arsenal’s personal result doesn’t look good. The last four times the club have finished top at Christmas (2007, 2002, 1989 and 1986) have ended in the league missing out on a win. In 2007/08, for example, Manchester United slumped and won.
Historical results can, of course, be completely irrelevant. Comfortable Erling Haaland and revenge-seeking Kevin De Bruyne are likely to be able to claim the lead with the help of their qualities and several capable team-mates on the bench.
No wonder Arsenal pop up in every transfer rumor these days. They’re two players who are far from making a break like Jesus seem affordable.
Beads of sweat on Levi’s
This text began with a reference to Antonio Conte and his reluctance to compromise. Not necessarily that Daniel Levy is running wildly behind the Italian with his pen in full swing, but some isolated beads of sweat must be trickling down the owner’s temples. The experienced Conte knows that an extension should not happen before a week before the transfer window opens. This is when the club’s true ambitions are exposed.
It is absolutely impossible to guess which four clubs will eventually choose the Champions League places. Dejan Kulusevski believes Spurs haven’t shown their highest level yet, which can be agreed upon. But who will the giants lose? Chelsea and Liverpool are probably the best (or yes, the worst) given that Newcastle run an easy pace up there in the north.
It’s undeniable that Erik ten Hag suffered terrible valleys with Manchester United, but welding-together conditions for his front trio are fine. The in-form Marcus Rashford, whose World Cup finals should have resulted in more playing time, is one of those looking happier than in a long while. It is possible to suspect that the fate of Cristiano Ronaldo also contributes to the peace of Christmas.
Regardless, we’re all back to reality now. First, only a few clubs need to identify and motivate Argentine winners that there is more purpose in life than bus marches in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
Southampton and Wolves don’t have that problem. But whether Lopetegui and Nathan Jones inspire their teams enough to deliver a memorable season remains to be seen.