What with Chelsea shooting themselves in the foot and Benitez never picking his best 11 consistently, it seems to me that Arsenal could provide the main threat to United this season. (they were 4th favourites for the title before the season started).

They're playing fantastic stuff at the moment and are a joy to watch. I bet Red Rom is wishing he bought them and not Chelsea!!!

Anyhow I'll be down there on Tues to see the youngsters against Newcastle. The stadium is fantastic and don't appear to be missing Henry. Fabregas has been immense - he must get player of the month.

2-0 united

vboy, I totally agree. Benitez cannot afford to be dropping his best players when they are away at Pompey on a Sat afternoon and then drawing at home to Birmingham. Chelsea are all over the place. The one thing I will say is ther than Tottenham away (who are 3rd bottom) Arsenal have not played too much yet, but you can only beat whats in front of you.

My Boss has just asked if I want to go with him tonight in the companies box so may as well. Think Newcastle may be value tonight at 7/2!

Hope you enjoyed the game and didn't lose too much money!! ;-))

Was a good night. Not how I am used to watching footie though - 3 course meal and all that, but a fantastic stadium and the future loking god for Arsenal. Thought Diarra was excellent and the big Dane up front looks useful. Had a few bob on Newcastle and then a saver on 1-0 to Arsenal!!! Thought I was in lol

Early days yet to sure on the title outcome but, currently i would agree with your call on the challengers.
I don't see Rafa winning the league here, seems to make some real poor decisions week-by-week in the Prem on which guys play. Interesting to see what happens if the gooners pick up a couple of injuries to their key players....

Just remember it's a marathon not a sprint! (or is it a snickers now....)

Mark, Chelsea's players have not become bad overnight, but you must be worried about what sort of performances you will get from Drogba, Lampard and Carvallho when they all come back. They are all self confessed admirers of Jose and the spine of your team along with Terry and Czech. I am not sure Arsenal can continue at this pace, but their future is looking good at the moment. As for this year I can't help but think its all falling nicely into Uniteds lap after they were on the ropes a few weeks ago.

Arsenal were shit last year and because of that and the turmoil at Chelsea they have kind of slipped in under the radar. They play lovely football and will deffo not be as bad as last year.

Liverpool look set to disapoint again. Why the fuck RB does not play Torres in the league i'll never know. He is up there with the most naturaly gifted goal scorers in the world IMO.

Mike, IMHO...this season's Prem is a write off for Chelsea already, Grant is a dud appointment and warming the seat for someone to take over sooner or probably later, certainly he wont still be manager by season end. I don't have good feelings about CL either but, you're right mate, Chelsea didn't become a bad team over night, we still have a great squad and should be capable to challenge for every competition we enter.
As a long time blues supporter, i am not going to get down about a potentially crap season having lost Jose, low moral and injuries with Drogs, Lamps & JT clearly having some fitness issues which he refused to admit too, it could all have been so much worse... Bates who did so much for the club prior to Matthew Harding arrival on the board and then basically fucked the club in a fight with MH over control could have finished us off if Roman hadn't shown up, so life's not so bad being a chelsea fan and at least i aint a spuds supporter, their season is a joke and the way Levy is treating Jol... makes what chelseas did to Raneri seem quite gentlemanly....

The bonus for Arsenal is that they have nothing like the pressure of expectation on them that the other 'Big 4' teams have especially when you concider that Wenger actually made a profit in the Transfer market accruing more than he spent. The season is far too early to start saying that the Gunners are going to win the premiership. The African Nations and the relatively hard winter (for the non-Europeans)yet to kick in will test the foreign players resolve and will present a few hurdles that may derail their season and of course the unknown factor of injuries, but that applies to all teams and the way the 2nd string played against a not too weakened Newcastle showed some depth to the squad many of whom are worthy of 1st team status. Diaby is looking to fill Vieira's boots and Vieira himself stated that he is a better player than he was at his age. Bendtner is proving to be a deadly target man (just ask the Birmingham fans). Sagna looks to continue the attack at pace defencive approach that makes for such exciting football, Armand Traore has skill in abundance, Theo has been exciting those that watch him in training and believe him to be the next Henry, Eduardo looks mean and hungry with a great eye for goal. The thing is these players I am describing are only the 2nd string and would be an asset to any first team in the premiership and goes to substantiate the fact that Arsenal do have some strength in depth. Add to it that the new stadium will feel more like home after a season of embedding and that 70 million has been made available to Wenger for the next transfer window and things are looking very rosey in the Arsenal nursery.

And there was me thinking you went to watch grass roots football and enjoyed being on the terraces. From your postings I certainly didn't have you down as part of the corporate prawn-sandwich brigade.

Just goes to show I guess don't judge a book by it's cover.

Just practising being a pretend millionairre, like I will be for 15 days in 4 weeks time. Actually nobody else wanted to go Anyway back to reality on Saturday, Stockport at home and not a prawn in sight!