Happy Monday! Remember not to swear, kids, or your mouths will get washed out with soap — and you’ll get sent off.
On the way:
🔴 Bellingham’s F-bomb red card
🤫 Maddison quietens the “noise”
✨ Magic from Mitoma
❤️ Bentaleb’s emotional return
Bellingham’s dismissal – what happened?
Real Madrid were enjoying a fairly comfortable Saturday afternoon away at Osasuna when controversy reared its head.
Five minutes before half-time, Jude Bellingham gave away a fairly standard foul. It seemed inconsequential.
The resulting free kick amounted to nothing. But Bellingham continued to chew the ear of referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero. He believed the challenge was similar to an earlier one on his team-mate Vinicius Junior, which was waved away. In the eyes of Munuera Montero, this prolonged tirade had crossed the line, and he showed Bellingham a straight red card.
Indeed, a line was drawn — but according to Madrid and Bellingham, it is blurred.
Jude Bellingham is sent off against Osasuna (Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images)
‘F*** off’ or ‘f*** you’?
The referee’s report claimed Bellingham said the words: “F*** you.” Bellingham and Madrid head coach Carlp Ancelotti claim he said: “F*** off.”
The difference here is significant. In Spain, “F*** you” is considered a genuine insult. However, in certain contexts, “F*** off” is another way of saying “You’re joking” or “You’re messing around”. Clearly, the devil’s in the detail.
Bellingham believes his words have been lost in translation. It’s not the first time he has been done for swearing but he believes this one was unfair.
What happens next?
“I’m an English player… when I speak on the pitch, especially to myself, it comes naturally to say in English,” Bellingham said. “Perhaps I should try to do it in Spanish,” he joked.
But the aftermath was no laughing matter. Madrid’s 10 men went on to draw the game 1-1, leaving the door ajar for Barcelona to go top of La Liga if they beat Rayo Vallecano tonight (3pm ET/8pm GMT — ESPN+, Fubo/ITV4, Premier Sports).
Madrid were barely on the team bus when it emerged they would appeal the decision, but if they’re unsuccessful, Bellingham’s in line for a ban.
This is the latest battle between Madrid and referees. They are not happy with the standard of officiating in Spain and incidents such as Bellingham’s red card, added to last weekend’s penalty debacle in the derby against Atletico, only add fuel to their fire.
This, you feel, is going to go on and on and on.
Premier League storylines
- Liverpool remain seven points clear at the top, but they made hard work of it against Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday. Their second-half display was full of jitters.
- No striker, no problem for Arsenal. Makeshift forward Mikel Merino scored twice against Leicester City on Saturday to keep Arsenal in contention.
- Manchester City had wins on and off the pitch. On it, Omar Marmoush introduced himself to the Premier League with a hat-trick against Newcastle. Off it, they have won a significant case against the Premier League. It all relates to associated party transactions (APT). The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon has explained what it all means.
- Chelsea’s struggles continued against Brighton on Friday, but how about this goal (below) from Kaoru Mitoma? Messi-like, indeed.
Spurs silence Manchester United
James Maddison celebrates his winning goal (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester United. Or, as the Athletic FC Podcast team labelled it last week, El C**pico.
For clubs ranking ninth and fourth in the recent Deloitte Football Money League, their bottom-half Premier League positions show how far off the pace they are. Many Spurs fans are disgruntled, and protests aimed at chairman Daniel Levy took place before and after yesterday’s game.
James Maddison scored a scrappy winner and his pointed celebration, he says, was a response to “outside noise” — *ahem Roy Keane*. Maddison said he wanted to do his talking on the pitch but posted on TikTok shortly after the game to do, erm, even more talking. It was all a bit silly.
Spurs weren’t great but United were worse. Yes, they are injury-hit and they named eight teenagers on the bench — not that head coach Ruben Amorim was quick to use them, only making one change and that in the 91st minute — but things are bleak. Casemiro, who struggled against Tottenham, says he wants to see out his contract.
United ended the weekend 15th, three places above the relegation zone. Will it get better?
Around The Athletic FC
🎙️ The Totally Football Show gang give Fulham, who are just four points off a possible Champions League spot and have lost just twice in 15 games in all competitions, their due. Listen on Apple and Spotify.
❓Quiz answer: For Friday’s quiz question, you had to order these seven clubs by when they were last relegated from the English top flight (most recent to least recent). The answer is: Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal. Well done if you got it.
👇 Most clicked in Friday’s TAFC: How a porn star led to Everton receiving a warning from the UK’s Gambling Commission.
And finally…
Nabil Bentaleb savours the moment after Lille’s win over Rennes (Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images)
Remember Nabil Bentaleb? The now-Lille midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest in the summer while playing five-a-side with friends. He was put in a coma and his career was in the balance.
But football has a wonderful way of telling fairy tales.
The ex-Tottenham man made an emotional return to action last night, scoring four minutes after coming off the bench in their win against Rennes. “It’s worthy of a movie,” Lille head coach Bruno Genesio said.
(Top photo: Ander Gillenea/AFP)
