Alan Hutton is now the Scottish Cafu
- Published
Forget the Copa Libertadores, the moment of the week was in Birmingham
There’s no such thing as a normal week in football. The return of the Premier League after the international break meant there was the regularly scheduled drama, while all your mates suddenly became experts on South American club football as the Copa Libertadores final was due to take place.
But before we get to the events in Buenos Aires, it was closer to home where the most incredible incident of the week occurred.
1) Hutton for Ballon d’Or
Just when you think you have a grip on the madness that is football, 33-year-old Alan Hutton takes the ball from his own half before running through the entire Birmingham team to score one of the greatest goals Villa Park has ever seen.
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For some, it was a timely reminder that it’s never too late to make an impact.
2) Meanwhile, in Argentina
In case you somehow haven’t heard, the final of this year’s Copa Libertadores (effectively the South American Champions League) is between arch-rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors.
They take their football seriously in Buenos Aires. Very seriously. That’s why their training sessions have a better atmosphere than pretty much any Premier League game.
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Unfortunately for fans of South American football, the second leg of the final was called off twice over the weekend after Boca’s bus was attacked by River supporters.
This left some hopeful viewers with a bit of explaining to do.
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3) Not a classic
Nothing says 'big match' like two teams who have managed four wins between them from their 24 league games so far this season.
If you combined their points tally for the season so far, they’d still be in the bottom half of the table.
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4) So you’re saying there’s a chance
Can former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri pull off another miracle now that he’s taken over at Fulham? A win in his first game in charge means the Cottagers are just 27 points off top spot with 25 games to go...
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5) He’s made a balls of this
Top tip for anyone involved in any future cup draws: if you can still see the number on the ball you’re trying to show us, the rest of us probably can’t.
6) The more things change...
After dominating the Premier League for the first two decades of its existence, it’s been difficult for Manchester United fans to adjust to having only most things go their way instead of absolutely everything.
And United aren’t the only big European club finding things a bit difficult this season.
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7)...the more they stay the same
But if you are in need of a throwback, look no further than the Republic of Ireland, where Mick McCarthy has been reappointed to the role he left in 2002.
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But it's not going to be a long second stint for McCarthy because an agreement has been reached for the new manager to be replaced in two years by incoming under-21 boss Stephen Kenny.
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8) The disadvantage of big-name signings
Remember when you were a kid and getting a player's name on the back of your jersey was the biggest decision you could possibly make?
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9) The OG
He may have left for Chelsea nearly a year ago, but Olivier Giroud is still the original gangster at Arsenal.
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10) Playing for the right side?
While an uncharacteristically high four offsides in the defeat by Arsenal pushes Bournemouth’s season total over Alvaro Morata’s, it’s worth noting that the Spaniard has only played the full 90 minutes three times from his nine league starts for Chelsea this season.
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11) Nightmare fuel
Want to see Harry Redknapp with a bunch of grubs in his mouth? Of course you don’t!
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Mondays, eh?
