Manchester United may have lost yesterday, but at least they have a really bad tackle from one of their former players 20 years ago on one of Man City’s new players’ dad to cling onto.

Marcus, Jim and Pete look back on the Manchester derby, Antony’s terrible cameo, and some even worse poetry about Man City which Pete tries to rewrite. Plus, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen written on a bridge? Have you ever seen anything more painful than that VAR check at Bournemouth? And have you EVER heard anyone as excited as Marcus about Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham?

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Newcastle United and Premier League legend Alan Shearer have had a change of heart regarding his opinion on Gabriel Jesus. Previously, he had criticised Jesus for his lacklustre goal-scoring record as a striker in England’s top flight.

Jesus is not known for being the most prolific scorer in the Premier League but often compensates for this by creating chances for his teammates. He is also adept at pressing, making him an ideal player for Mikel Arteta’s team.

Arteta added Jesus to his squad in the last campaign, and despite facing challenges such as injuries and struggles in front of the goal, Jesus has remained the club’s main striker.

Despite his previous view that Jesus might not be a top Premier League striker, Shearer has now acknowledged that the Brazilian could fit into the current Newcastle United side and perform well.

“I would agree with you (that he’d take Jesus at Newcastle),” Shearer said, as quoted by Football London.

Rep. Mike Johnson, the newly elected Republican House speaker, used to conduct a seminar in churches premised on the idea that the United States is a “Christian nation.” This ministry, as he has referred to it, is yet more evidence that Johnson is committed to a hardcore Christian fundamentalism that shapes his views of politics and government.

The seminar, titled “Answers for Our Times: Government, Culture, and Christianity,” was organized by Onward Christian Education Services, Inc., a company owned by his wife, Kelly Johnson, a Christian counselor and anti-abortion activist who calls herself a “leader in the pro-family movement.” The website for her counseling service—which was taken down shortly after Johnson became speaker—described the seminar, which featured both her and Johnson, as exploring several questions, such as, “What is happening in America and how do we fix it?” The list includes this query: “Can our heritage as a Christian nation be preserved?” There were different versions of the seminar running from two-hour-long lectures to retreats lasting two days. 

Mike and Kelly Johnson, each a fundamentalist Christian and culture war battler who advocates adhering to what they call a “Biblical worldview,” launched this initiative in 2019. After one such presentation on February 24, 2019, at the First Baptist Church in Bossier City, Louisiana, where they are members—an event that also featured Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council—a local television news show reported that the seminar’s goal was to “keep God in Government.” Johnson posted the article on his congressional website. 

According to a Louisiana Baptist newsletter, the Johnsons intended to first pitch their seminars to Baptist churches in the Pelican State before expanding to other states. The publication reported that the couple’s goal was “to equip churches to take a stand against the cultural attacks now being directed at people of faith, the traditional family and basic freedoms embedded in the U.S. Constitution.” It noted that Johnson said he was compelled to create this new ministry while serving in the US House because he was concerned “that too many believers today feel ill-informed to provide substantive answers to fake arguments.” It quoted Johnson: “Our nation is entering one of the most challenging seasons in its history and there is an urgent need for God’s people to be armed and ready with the Truth.” He was referring to what fundamentalists call “Biblical truth.”

A promotion blurb for the seminar described it this way: “As polls show that Christianity is in rapid decline in America, and the culture is growing more secularized and more coarsened, many believers feel ill-informed and ill-prepared to do anything to reverse these trends. Scripture is clear that we have an obligation to provide substantive answers… But HOW?”

Arsenal players and fans worldwide are celebrating their 5-0 victory over Sheffield United this afternoon, recognising a job well done.

The Blades proved to be no match for the Gunners, but the match didn’t start as an easy one for Arsenal. They had to wait until almost the half-hour mark to score the first goal, despite dominating the proceedings.

Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka were their primary targets on the wings, both posing a significant threat to Sheffield United’s defence.

According to a report from Football London, Martinelli was seen shouting at William Saliba in one incident as they were looking for the opening goal of the game. The report suggests that Martinelli had made a run behind the defender and expected Saliba to deliver a long ball to him, but the defender didn’t spot his run. In response, he shouted at the Frenchman, instructing him to look toward his wing and find his run the next time.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Piers Morgan has singled out Declan Rice for praise following the midfielder’s standout performance for Arsenal in their 5-0 victory against Sheffield United.

While Eddie Nketiah rightfully earned the Man of the Match award for his hat-trick in the game, he was not the only top performer in the match. Several Arsenal players displayed excellent form, and the team delivered one of their best performances of the season.

With questions arising about how Arsenal would cope in the absence of Gabriel Jesus, Nketiah stepped up to the challenge. However, it was Rice who orchestrated proceedings behind the striker. Since joining the club in the summer, Rice has been in superb form and was virtually unstoppable in both the defensive and offensive phases of the game. This exceptional performance led Piers Morgan to commend him.

After the game, the TV show host tweeted:

“Arsenal have been so good today.. and once again, this guy’s run the show: Declan Rice”

Sky Sports journalist Nick Wright has lauded Arsenal’s confident and stylish performance after their commanding 5-0 victory against Sheffield United in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s team appeared to glide through the game, winning convincingly despite seemingly operating in first gear. The standout performer of the match was the in-form Eddie Nketiah, who secured a hat-trick.

In general, it was a positive day for Arsenal’s players, while Sheffield United’s performance reinforced their status as one of the favourites for relegation at the end of the season.

Despite Arteta making several changes to his starting lineup, some of which were enforced, the Gunners did not appear concerned and managed to secure a resounding victory in the fixture.

Wright watched as they came through the game with little problem and said on Sky Sports:

For the briefest of moments, it must have felt like the good old days for the former president’s eldest daughter.

But fresh from her star turn at Kim Kardashian’s celebrity-studded 43rd birthday party in Beverly Hills, Ivanka Trump will be back in the public eye very soon, in far less glamorous climes: The witness stand of a downtown Manhattan courtroom.

Seemingly desperate to distance herself from her dad, the eldest Trump daughter will nonetheless be forced to testify in his $250 million New York civil fraud case on November 3, after Judge Arthur Engoron on Friday rejected Ivanka’s bid to avoid testifying in open court, according to the Associated Press. Ivanka Trump’s lawyers had stated that she hasn’t been part of the Trump Organization since 2017 and currently resides in Florida, arguing that the New York court shouldn’t have jurisdiction over her.

Ivanka, along with Eric and Don Jr., will now be compelled to take the stand ahead of the main defendant himself, Donald Trump. The former president will appear on November 6, in the blockbuster trial that threatens to unravel his sprawling business empire.

Ivanka has wanted to move on from all this drama, explicitly announcing she won’t be joining her father’s 2024 campaign. In the “billionaire bunker,” she now calls home—a 300-acre gated community on an island near Miami called Indian Creek Village—Ivanka’s friends have reportedly been supportive of her bid to write a new chapter. According to the New York Times, “Ms. Trump now generally minds her own business and people close to her think it is time she is allowed to move on with her new life.”

The Maine mass-shooter obtained several weapons legally, including some in the days immediately before the attack, according to the New York Times, citing local officials.

Robert Card, who shot and killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, during a rampage on Wednesday, bought guns in July, just before being hospitalized and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to CNN.

New York State Police told the broadcaster that police were called to Camp Smith in July, where Card was serving in the National Guard, because he was acting “belligerent” and was potentially “intoxicated.” An unnamed federal law enforcement source told CNN that Card informed Army personnel he was “hearing voices” and having thoughts about “hurting other soldiers.” 

Just ten days earlier, Card had purchased a high-powered Ruger SFAR rifle. Maine, where Card purchased the gun, does not require background checks on all gun sales. Twenty states currently enforce universal background checks on firearms purchases. 

Studies suggest that, by themselves, universal background checks may have some effect on reducing gun violence and homicide; many academics believe that they can be very effective when combined with other gun control measures, including gun licensing laws. Maine also does not have permit laws for carrying guns, except in certain places like state and national parks. 

Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal Women team intends to possess the ball, press opponents, and “hurt them”. Teams are aware of this, and so when they believe they cannot match the Gunner women’s talent, they will seek to be defensive and play with a low block: “They park the bus.”

In recent WSL games against Liverpool and Bristol, the two teams used a low block to try to contain and frustrate the Arsenal women. In these games, despite having a lot of possession, Kim Little and Co. struggled to score goals. I can’t help but think that weaker teams will frequently use that strategy against Arsenal.

As the season progresses, we may expect to see this again when they play clubs from the bottom of the league or the championship. So how does Jonas Eidevall deal with teams that simply aim to irritate him while defending in a low block?

The Arsenal manager must instruct his players to strive to always increase the tempo of the match. They must strive to play quick, fluid, and aggressive football. They must move the ball faster than these opponents anticipate, as they did when Katie McCabe scored against Aston Villa.

In training, the Arsenal manager must also ensure that his players’ shooting skills are sharpened. As the opposition camps in their box, shooting from distance could be a strategy to score goals; Alessia Russo’s goal versus Villa came from a shot. These shots may not always be on target, but they may be deflected to the back of the net, or lead to a valuable corner.

Arsenal secured an impressive 5-0 victory against Sheffield United, with Eddie Nketiah netting a hat-trick in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus. The Englishman delivered his best performance in an Arsenal jersey.

Mikel Arteta’s team was determined to win following their 2-2 draw against Chelsea in their previous league game, and Sheffield United, who are currently struggling in the league, provided the opportunity to do so.

The Gunners entered the match in high spirits after their 2-1 win against Sevilla in the midweek Champions League fixture, and they put on a terrific display against the Blades.

Sheffield struggled against Arsenal’s quality, resulting in a clear victory for the Gunners. Former Liverpool player Stephen Warnock admitted that Arsenal had a great time on the pitch.

He said on the BBC:

Scores of protestors gathered in New York on Friday night in support of a ceasefire following Israel’s expansion of its ongoing siege of Gaza. Soon after, tens of thousands joined large-scale marches through the streets of London on Saturday morning, demanding an end to the widening bombardment.

Friday night’s protests in New York took place in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station and was organized by Jewish Voices for Peace, which bills itself as “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.” The group staged a similar protest on Capitol Hill earlier this month. On Friday, protestors took over the main atrium of the train station for a sit in, and chanted “cease fire now” and “let Gaza live,” many wearing black shirts that said “not in our name” and “ceasefire now.” Two protestors stood on a ledge with a sign that read “Never again for anyone.” 

Jews have taken over New York's Grand Central Station to demand #CeasefireNOW and rights for #Palestinians. Thanks @JvpAction @jvplive @jvpliveNY!! pic.twitter.com/vce42tiOvn

According to the New York Times, as many as 1,000 people attended the Grand Central Station protest. The Times reported that police had initially tried to block entrances to keep protestors from streaming in, but were unable to do so. Organizers told the media that roughly 300 protesters were arrested as a part of the protest. 

Online, activists and celebrities like filmmaker Michael Moore voiced support for the protests.

Arsenal went to Sheffield with a much-changed team from the one that started against Sevilla, and despite Sheffield’s lowly position in the table they came out fighting and stopped the Gunners even getting one shot on their goal in the first half hour.

But then we found a way through with Declan Rice earning a great desist with a perfect pass to Nketiah in the centre, and he dealt with it brilliantly and it was smashed into the net. Come on you Gunners!

We seemed to calm ourselves as the goal settled our nerves, and we carried on peppering the Blades defence and managed another couple of shots before half-time but went into the dressing room happily but only with a 1-0 lead.

But we had found our scoring boots, or Eddia did, as he put us 2-0 up within 5 minutes of the restart as the keeper could hold in incoming corner, and luckily there was Eddie on the scenr first and made no mistake putting into the top of the net.

Well, everyone thought that Jesus getting injured would be a problem in our next few games, I even heard someone say the usual “You’ll never win the title with Nketiah as centre-forward”, but what a worthy substitute to have around!

It’s great when our subs come on and score, which has been happening a lot lately, and Tomiyasu is the latest after Fabio Vieira got out fourth.

Neither of them get on the scoresheet often and it is great to see his smiling face.

Arsenal certainly have a happy squad nowadays..

Tomi se joint à la fête ! Premier but avec les Gunners pour le japonais, sous les sourires de tout le monde ! pic.twitter.com/TaoJPOkNUT

— Arsenal FR (@Arsenal_FRA) October 28, 2023

Arsenal are going great guns and have now made it 5-0.

Vieira earned it himself when taken down while bursting into the Sheffield Error. And he made no mistake!

Contrepied parfait de Fabio Vieira pour le 4-0, avec une célébration qui annonce un bel événement pic.twitter.com/MhqXciaaBM

— Arsenal FR (@Arsenal_FRA) October 28, 2023

The post Video – And Vieira makes it four from the spot appeared first on Just Arsenal News.

No lñonger after I had aid that Eddie needs a hat-trick but he only seconds later with a screamer from outside the box…

| GOAL: WHAT A GOAL BY NKETIAH FOR HIS HATTRICK!!

Arsenal 3-0 Sheffield United

pic.twitter.com/6WHHMasJJt

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 28, 2023

Maine Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat who last year voted against a federal assault weapons ban, apologized on Thursday for his previous opposition and pledged to reverse course following the mass shootings in Lewiston that killed 18 people and left 13 injured. 

“The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles, like the one used by this sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown,” Golden said at a press conference. “For the good of my community, I will work with any colleague to get this done in the time that I have left in Congress.” 

Golden—who was elected to office in 2018, won reelection last year and is up for re-election in 2024—was one of five Democrats who voted against a federal assault weapons ban last July. The bill eventually passed the House but has yet to come up for a vote in the Senate. In his apology on Thursday, Golden said he had opposed the ban out of a desire to protect his family and “because of a false confidence that our community was above this.” 

“To the people of Lewiston, my constituents throughout the second district, to the families who lost loved ones, and to those who have been harmed, I ask for forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings,”  Golden said. 

Contrition is rare among gun-supporting lawmakers, who have often stopped short of taking meaningful legislative action after mass shootings and become known instead to offer “thoughts and prayers”—or alternative theories about what actually makes such events so lethal. My colleague Mark Follman noted one example following the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas last year, in which the shooter used an AR-15:  

George Santos has pleaded not guilty for the second time this year. Santos’ plea on Friday morning at the Eastern District of New York’s Long Island courthouse comes after prosecutors unveiled a superseding indictment earlier this month that charges the freshman Republican congressman with helping to orchestrate a fake donor scheme first exposed by Mother Jones in February, fabricating a $500,000 loan to his campaign, and making unauthorized transactions with donors’ credit cards.

Santos is now facing 23 counts of criminal charges.

Federal prosecutors had requested that District Court Judge Joanna Seybert, a Bill Clinton appointee, hold Santos’ trial in May or June of next year. Seybert said that was not possible given the cases already on her docket, and set September 9 as the trial date. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.

It is unclear whether Santos will be a member of Congress in September. Fellow New York Republicans are moving forward with a motion to expel Santos from the House as part of an effort to distance themselves from him as they run for reelection in swing districts.

Santos did not make a statement or take questions from reporters as he exited the courthouse. On his way out, he was heckled by a small group of protesters. One held a sign that read “Devolder, Defrauds, Devoters,” a reference to Santos’ second last name.

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that voting maps created by Georgia Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act by racially discriminating against Black voters. In his 516-page ruling, US District Court Judge Steve Jones ordered lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative districts, as well as create an additional Black-majority congressional district by December 8. The new maps could have major implications for the 2024 elections. 

Since September, voting rights advocates have been engrossed in a legal battle with legislators, arguing that the 2021 passage of new voting maps diluted the power of Black voters. As my colleague Ari Berman wrote when the new maps were drawn:

The congressional lines adopted by Georgia Republicans entrench white power by diluting the votes of fast-growing communities of color—a defining feature of GOP gerrymandering across the South this year. Georgia gained 1 million new residents over the last decade—all from communities of color—and is now a majority-minority state, but the congressional map increases representation for white Republicans and decreases representation for voters of color in spite of these demographic changes.

Now, along with redrawing current maps, Jones ordered lawmakers to create a new Black-majority congressional district, two more state Senate districts, and five additional state House districts, CNN reports. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp responded to Thursday’s order by scheduling a special session for November 29. But he did not rule out the possibility of appealing the court’s decision, according to the Associated Press. The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Georgia case is the most recent in a wave of decisions upholding the Voting Rights Act, including in Alabama and Florida, where judges ordered states to redraw maps found to be racially gerrymandered.

“A great victory for me and a great victory for justice!” No, that’s not one of us after this week’s Jack’s Encyclopaedia - that’s literally the president of FIFA.

Marcus, Vish, Jim and Andy are here as Gianni Infantino strikes again, the Premier League’s scheduling genius’ strike again, and Harry Maguire gets ready to dominate Erling Haaland in the Manchester derby… again? Plus, we wonder if Olympiacos’ tifo from last night is true: can you dine in hell? Is hell catered?

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This week’s release of Police State was especially well-timed. The new pseudo-documentary film by conspiracy theorist and far-right influencer Dinesh D’Souza opened in theaters this week just as Jenna Ellis, one of Donald Trump’s election lawyers, pleaded guilty to a felony charge for her role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the election in Georgia. She is the fourth of his lawyers in the case to do so, a trend that for a certain audience, is evidence that the police state D’Souza’s film warns of is already here.

With a screening planned at Trump’s Florida resort Mar-a-Lago next month, Police State is an extended riff on the mantra Trump has adopted since being indicted for an extensive variety of crimes: If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.

Telling this horror story are right-wing luminaries such as former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, former Trump administration official Kash Patel, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who explain how ordinary people could, at any time, be just like the “nonviolent protesters” who sacked the US Capitol, and have jack-booted FBI thugs kick down their door, ransack their homes, scare their children, and haul them away to jail. Once there, they’ll be forced to plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit simply for being conservatives exercising their free speech rights.

The work of far-right fringe characters who populate Rumble and Truth Social, Police State may nonetheless help shape the GOP narrative that will dominate the 2024 presidential election next year. “If politics is downstream from culture, what is more upstream from politics than going to AMC to see a movie?” says Danielle Tomson, paraphrasing the late conservative journalist Andrew Breitbart. A researcher working on a book about conservative influencers, Tomson sees the film as a preemptive strike on an inevitable Trump conviction ahead of his presidential campaign. “They think like Hollywood screenwriters,” she notes.

Unless you lurk inside a particular right-wing media bubble, you may have forgotten all about D’Souza, a wunderkind of the second Reagan administration whose star has fallen considerably since then. You certainly wouldn’t have heard about his newest movie in the mainstream press. Police State was publicized almost entirely through D’Souza’s extensive social media channels, where he has millions of followers. The film premiered in dozens of traditional AMC movie theaters across the country this week as if it were as mainstream as the Exorcist remake. But D’Souza paid to rent out the theaters, before moving his film to online streaming on October 27. I was curious to see how many conservatives would actually get off the couch to see a film by a B-list influencer with the delivery of a bank teller. So, on Monday night, I plodded across the Beltway to an AMC multiplex in Alexandria, Virginia, to catch the first showing.