Gm football fans. Route One here, the only newsletter that can win with 9-men.

Today’s briefing is a ~5 min read:

• About last night… 🤩

• David Moyes’ half-time team talks need some work 🗣️

• Stats 🤝🏼 Eye Test… Luton at home is tricky 😬

ABOUT LAST NIGHT… 🫢

The best game of the season so far.

If you missed the game, don’t be fooled by the scoreline.

4-1 only tells a fraction of the story.

Let’s run through the key talking points…

1/ Two red cards

Romero was looking for a red card more than he was looking for the win. He recklessly followed through on a clearance on Enzo in their penalty box.

Moments before, he kicked out on Colwill. Arguably could’ve also been a red.

The Argentine now has 4 red cards in 75 games. That’s more than any other Premier League player to date.

Udogie received a second yellow in the 55th minute.

A few signs of immaturity from the Spurs side…

2/ Four disallowed goals

FPL managers, keep scrolling. There were four goals disallowed and a whole buncha points were missed too…

• Son off-side

• Sterling handball

• Caicedo (Jackson off-side)

• Dier off-side

How the night would have differed if Son was onside for the first disallowed goal of the match.

3/ Spurs injuries…

With the red cards to Romero and Udogie, Spurs were left without a defensive line after Van de Ven came off injured.

Maddison also came off injured after rolling his ankle.

Spurs ended the match with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Eric Dier at centre back.

4/ Spurs nearly clawed it back

Have you ever seen a team receive a standing ovation after losing 4-1?

Well, that’s the sort of night it was.

Eric Dier’s unbelievable off-side finish and Bentancur’s equally unbelievable miss meant that Spurs nearly equalised at 2-1.

5/ Where do they go from here?

Tottenham’s squad will be stretched for the foreseeable future. It shows the importance of recruitment for Spurs in the January transfer window.

Without squad depth, it will be impossible for Spurs to keep up their performances.

Chelsea is a different story. Struggling to beat a 9-man side should worry Pochettino. There’s a structural issue at play at Stamford Bridge that needs more than recruitment.

Even after a 4-1 win, somehow Palmer and The Jackson 3 were not the stars of the show.

A thrilling fixture that delivered yet again nonetheless. 📬

🗞️ Morning Brief

MOYES’ HALF-TIME TEAM TALKS NEED WORK 🗣️

West Ham have conceded seven goals during the first 20 minutes of the second half.

That’s 35 per cent of all their goals conceded this season.

Here are the times it cost them dearly this season:

• Vs Everton. Calvert-Lewin scored in the 51st minute to win the game 1-0.

• Vs Newcastle. While West Ham led at half-time, they conceded two goals from Isak in the 57th and 62nd minute to draw 2-2.

• Vs Brentford. They led at half-time and then conceded two goals in the second half to lose 3-2.

It has cost West Ham 13 points this season.

Moyes blames it on a lack of concentration and focus.

But we think it might be his half-time team talks.

Maybe invest in a whiteboard like Arteta and doodle something… it seems to be working pretty well for the Gunners.

Stats 🤝🏼 Eye Test

In our Friday edition, we warned FPL managers about the dangers of Luton at home.

“Back Liverpool with caution” was our title.

So, when Liverpool narrowly secured a draw against the Hatters, we felt just a little smug that we didn’t captain Salah.

Here’s a perfect example of when stats and the ‘eye test’ combine in perfect harmony.

It’s like when you take your first bite of a breakfast bap. Everything is in sync.

The stats told us that Luton are top five best in expected goals conceded at home.

And the eye test showed us that it’s a tricky place to play, with narrow passing lanes and a bobbly pitch akin to those Sunday league days.

So, Router, the moral of the story: beware of Luton at home.

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

Luton Town v Arsenal is the most expensive Premier League ticket in 2023. At £800 a pop, it’s expensive to watch the Hatters at home. It’s cheaper to peer over Kenilworth Road from the neighbouring flats.

Zidane only needed one touch. Enjoy a one-minute masterclass on why less is more.

Arsenal is fifth-bottom for big chances created this season. Luton, Crystal Palace and Manchester United rank higher.

Alan Pardew suggests a 2-minute time limit for VAR. Is this a great idea? Or a recipe for disaster? We are not sure the VAR officials can cope with a Countdown-style timer.

Roy Keane has a 90’s yearbook montage. We are not sure who created this but we can’t stop watching it. A man of many looks.

Bellingham and his Real teammates walk across Abbey Road. Not really, but we think this fan-generated artwork is cool. The R1 team are thinking about getting the same for the office. Any thoughts?

MEME 😂