With Leicester having won the title in the most climatic anti-climatic way possible, this weekend's EPL games might seem like we are already moving on to the ides of meh. Sure, it'll be cool to see what kind of reception the Foxes get at home, but really catching a 2-min highlight clip will probably tell you all you need to know.
And yes, there is an implications-heavy game between Arsenal and City that could go a long way toward determining which club will underwhelm in next year's Champions League, but considering how both played their last games, it's tough to get into much of a frenzy over it. On the relegation side Newcastle have a must-win at Aston Villa, who could very well play spoiler as so many relegated sides have done in seasons past. Meanwhile Norwich face a big test by hosting United who are still hoping they can catch up to City.

With all the major leagues around Europe having decided on their champions, La Liga is our last chance to witness a title race. Atletico having lost both games against Barca this season means their only hope of a title is if the Catalans falter in the last two games. It's a little tough seeing Espanyol making that happen on Sunday, although the Perequitos did manage a goalless draw earlier this season. Atleti will want to avoid any hangover from their inspiring qualification to the CL final, but against relegated Levante they should be OK.

EPL
Sat 07 May 2016
07:45 Norwich City - Manchester United
10:00 Aston Villa - Newcastle Utd
10:00 Bournemouth - West Bromwich
10:00 Crystal Palace - Stoke City
10:00 Sunderland AFC - Chelsea FC
10:00 West Ham - Swansea
12:30pm Leicester City - Everton FC

Sun 08 May 2016
08:30 Tottenham - Southampton
11:00 Liverpool FC - Watford FC
11:00 Manchester City - Arsenal FC

Liga
Sun 08 May 2016
11:00 Celta Vigo - Malaga CF
11:00 Eibar - Betis
11:00 FC Barcelona - Real CD Espanyol
11:00 Getafe - Sporting Gijon
11:00 Las Palmas - Athletic Bilbao
11:00 Levante - Atletico Madrid
11:00 Real Madrid - Valencia
11:00 Real Sociedad - Rayo Vallecano
11:00 Sevilla - Granada CF
11:00 Villarreal - Dep. La Coruna

this is quite a fucking scene.

I damn near lost it. Beautiful scenes at King Power.

I remember our 03-04 celebrations so vividly...to get back to that winners circle someday...man.

Man, I was genuinely happy for them...the team, manager, owners, fans, the town...everyone.

And I hope Chelsea gives ranieri a heroes welcome next week too.

I coulda swore there was a song about Arsene wenger in there, but I couldn't make out the words.

Anyway, there's a slim to none chance that we pass the Spurs, that's all I'm watching for tomorrow and next week

https://streamable.com/buqc

so many options on offense, it's insane

I know it's the biggest matchup in name-recognition, but that's easily the least relevant of the big 3 today.

2-1 Levante!!

also, real won on some debatable calls...

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Simeone can now just focus on the CL Final.

Good response to equalize within 2 minutes after Aguero's goal and agai responded after going down in the 2nd half w Alexis equalizing. Bony left unmarked in the box in the 88th and had the chance to win the match...the post to the rescue.

Settling for a top 4 spot and 4 more injuries this week (Mertesacker and Ox setbacks, Ozil injured during warm-up, Welbeck with a non-contact in the 25th minute)...sounds about right for current Arsenal football.

I don't feel like doing it right now, so I'll just leave these tidbits here

- Bayern just put their big german ballz on the table, securing Renato Sanches (who everybody wanted, specifically MU) and Matt Hummels on the same day.
- The Ousmane Dembele to Dortmund rumor is swelling (the player himself is down, apparently), but there are so many richer clubs interested that I'm not convinced it's a done deal just yet...
- Part of why Ousmane may be so interested in Dortmund is that PEA is apparently on the move, to Spain. Real, I guess.
- Ben Arfa is going to Barca, it seems. Not sure it's that great a move for him, unless Neymar is out (which I don't think is happening). If MSN stays put, he's not going to get nearly enough playing time.
- Atletico, Liverpool and Citay are all interested in Thomas Lemar (Monaco). He's going to be a star, imo, so that'd be a smart move on their part.

Leicester would be looking at Sofiane Boufal to replace him. He's pretty spectacular too.

is Mahrez will move for big money, then the Foxes will sign Charles N'Zogbia on a free and he'll perform amazingly.

>Leicester would be looking at Sofiane Boufal to replace him.
>He's pretty spectacular too.

Yes they need some depth up to but the real needs are in central defense (same as it's been for FOUR YEARS) and in midfield...

by using barca's name.

he's skillful, but doesn't fit a need, esp. w/ rafinha back.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

he could fit in well as an impactful sub (he was great for Sevilla last season when he started much more infrequently), which is something FCB seem to want with their FFP restrictions.
I'm not sure it would be a great move for him rather than staying at Sevilla, but I could see how tempting it would be to head to Camp Nou

fits better as a super-sub. but i'm ok with either/both. neymar/messi have more natural cover. munir isn't (or just isn't ready) to play in suarez's position.

They're definitely getting somebody for their back line, most likely Marquinhos who's (righteously) mad as shit at Blanc and wants out of Paris. I feel this is inevitable, even though Nasser doesn't wanna hear it yet.

But that doesn't mean they weren't gonna go for offensive talent as well. They got cash.

b. you guys' "we don't need nobody upfront" routine is a bit disingenuous, considering the fact neither Neymar nor Messi did jack shit in the 2 biggest games of the season vs Atletico because they were cooked, and Lucho didn't trust nobody on that bench to sub for them. It's not like y'all lost that round because of defense.

c. Ben Arfa is clearly one of the most attractive deals on the market. Given the minutes, he'd help on a team like Barca.

And yeah Barca do in fact have a serious cash problem right now, esp they haven't sold naming rights for the new stadium. It's why they are playing with fire by failing to give Neymar a new deal yet. It's why they didn't buy Nolito in January even though Luis Enrique asked for him -- and, as you note, not doing so doomed the front line to exhaustion by the crucial part of the season since they've played so many games (many many more than the front lines for Real and Atletico, for example).

I wish they bought Marquinhos 2-3 yrs ago when that move was rumored before PSG swooped in for him. He'd be a great signing this summer IMO. Don't know who else is an option - maybe Aymeric Laporte? Sounds like he'll go to City though.

I don't watch many full games of Ben Arfa's, just the (obviously very impressive) highlights -- does he move the ball quickly enough to fit in well with Barca's system?

Neymar renewal is likely next thing on the agenda for barca, but yeah, there's some money issues--no naming for the new camp nou yet, but also no shirt sponsor (there's a set of kits without sponsors getting made right now, supposedly. I MUST COP).

though a lot of the neymar bullshit seems to be his dad and trying to get money cuz neymars been #teambarca for a long time. his dad been #teammoney longer tho.

marquinhos might actually not cost more than he cost PSG considering how much he wants to leave. which would be dope. Laporte ain't happening, it seems.

real talk, a back-up LB, either a full throated endorsement of Bartra or pay significant money for a CB and a backup forward. now to see how barto and the board fuck the obvious up AGAIN.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

messi/neymar both looked gassed, but there are a lot more potential options to cover for them--aleix vidal probably better as a winger (though Lucho's pissed at him), munir's better as a winger than in the middle, rafinha's probably able to hack it (though better in iniesta's role), and Denis Suarez is 99.99999% definitely returning to barca after his loan (Delofeu is far more murky).

there are options to cover the wings (plus iniesta's played there before). there's *nothing* behind suarez, except moving messi or neymar to the middle.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

>- Atletico, Liverpool and Citay are all interested in Thomas
>Lemar (Monaco). He's going to be a star, imo, so that'd be a
>smart move on their part.
>

he should not go to Bayern, imo. Gonna be too crowded there.

that seems to be the story theyre feeding the media but really it's just us once again dragging our feet and being indecisive in the market.

because they are about to find themselves in a bidding war

they did it again. I think he's capable of filling PEA's shoes, may be even better.

what a run they're on in Europa.

United kept played with fire and they were deservedly burned.

he might have fended off the special one (with sir Alex's support) if they qualified for the CL, but now I think he's out

They've made it crystal clear that they don't like his crude, mercenary personality and his results-over-style brand of football. If they hire him it'll be a total admission of failure in their post-Ferguson planning, and a capitulation to a win-now mentality when they were supposedly trying to build something sustainable.

Even if they fire LVG they should hire someone younger.

also because of the old rivalry
the younger MU execs seem to think differently

they've tarnished the brand with their idealism and refusal to accept that we need to operate in a method more according of our club stature.

now get jose and lets start winning again.

He's the closest to the swashbuckling Busby Way (other than Bielsa, but that guy's a fucking time bomb).

Quality coach who's young enough to build for the future and to grow into a Man Utd managerial legend -- not just a legendary manager who's a mercenary and will always be more closely associated with Chelsea and Inter than with Utd.

nooooooo

in the past.

thus, there's a SHOT we still make CL, albeit very slim.

https://twitter.com/futbolalandalus/status/730849924112322560

Just...yeah.

still has a job after that disgrace of a match vs Sunderland?

he should have been gone a while ago...

now that the CR7 and Neymar attempts have come to a complete stall, Paris has decided to go all on in on Antoine Griezmann. GOOD.

also, Hatem didn't make the cut. Not so good.

Valbuena is out, too, but that was known for months because he's been having a shitty season (in addition to being the 'victim' in the sextape gate)

Lacazette was borderline, but like Ben Arfa, he's paying the price of shining in ligue 1 only (he didn't do shit in the CL)

Schneiderlin was competing with Cabaye for the last spot in the midfield...neither of them really deserved it, tbh

Sakho is out due to the doping suspension, we knew it. this one hurts.

Zlatan Ibrahimović
‏@Ibra_official
My last game tomorrow at Parc des Princes. I came like a king, left like a legend

He can play another 2-3 seasons at top level in Europe before making that move IMO

he'd be more of a legend if he managed to be productive in the tougher CL games...he didn't, so he's gonna leave with the same stain on his reputation he arrived with (not enough of an impact player in big games)

...but who's won 13 league titles in 15 years, in 4 different countries??

you're not a legend if you haven't ever done shit in big time direct elimination competitions (world cups/CLs/euros/copas)

I like Zlatan but he needed to prove the haters wrong
this euro is pretty much is last chance to do something about it

But dude basically compares himself to Messi, Ronaldo and other past legends, and he is nowhere near that conversation

He'll be missed but tbh if we get Lewandowsky this summer I won't be sad

and don't have one defining run to show for it

I still think based on combination of peak and longevity he's the best striker since R9

And his NT is absolute garbage so he was never going to accomplish much.

The only real blemish on his resume for me is racking up all those numbers and titles in a 1 team league. Im not impressed by his Ligue 1 era.

Hes one of the best great goal scorers inthis era tho.

I wonder how much that has to do with the rumors sending him to MU now
I was also ignoring the warning signs 4 years ago

https://twitter.com/loreabakero/statuses/731210219116711936

like this y'all THIS Y'ALL
this y'all THIS Y'ALL

THI-THI-THI-THI
THI-THI-THI-THI

THIS Y'ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't take much pleasure in their collapse bc our same issues still exist...but it is nice to keep that streak of finishing above them alive

and b) not beat Villa at all.

Kinda sums up their season.

can't believe how down to the wire this is going

I'm The Gramercy Riffs...
I was on ya'll fuckers. Caught a couple bad breaks at very inopportune times. I'm disappointed that we've got a 3 month break.

I forgot to do all out attack or triple pts like an idiot and somehow I still have a shot

>I'm disappointed that we've got a 3 month
>break.

no idea if there is such a thing but we could do a Euro 16 league, heck Copa America if we're desperate enough

i cheered for dortmund against bayern in the champion's league final, and as an eyewitness to gary anderson shanking a field goal in the NFC title game after being perfect during the regular season, i am too familiar with the best laid plans gang oft agley.

but goddamnit. the comeback against against dortmund this year was fantastic, villareal was clinically taken apart, and liverpool need some damn silverware and their ticket punched for the champion's league. it is their...density (c) george mcfly

I'm ready.

but he's been solid as has the defense.

I wouldn't be mad at this line up

Mignolet
Clyne Lovren Toure Moreno
Milner Can
Lallana Firmino Coutinho
Sturridge

https://ohyoubeauty.blogspot.com/

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/671606/Aston-Villa-Chinese-businessman-Dr-Tony-Xia-60million

Looks like Roberto Di Matteo in to manage as well.

Welcome, Tony, and I certainly hope you're not like the last Chinese businessman to buy a club in Birmingham.

Klopp seems like a really good dude.

took all the oxygen away from Liverpool

start watching the best league in the game, stop wasting your time on the EPL.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Maybe learn to roll my Rs.