The Barclays Premier League Thread 2013/14

[Jimmy]

Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be available forArsenal's game against Swansea on Tuesday, the Football Association has announced.

An independent regulatory commission ruled that Gibbs' dismissal against Chelsea on Saturday for handball was a case of mistaken identity and transferred this to Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The claim for wrongful dismissal in relation to Oxlade-Chamberlain was then upheld, meaning he will not serve any suspension.

The referee Andre Marriner came in for severe criticism for his role in sending off the wrong player. However, the official has not been stood down from his duties this weekend and will take charge of the game between Southampton and Newcastle.

What? Ox escapes a three match ban?

[MJB]

Presumably because the ball was actually going wide, therefore it shouldn't have been a red card anyway.

[METALMAN]

Even so, the intention to cheat was still there. He shouldn't get off so easily.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, intentional hand ball in the area, I'd say it's a red.

[stokeriño]

Whatever. Means he's available for the Man City game.

[TCO]

Yeah, intentional hand ball in the area, I'd say it's a red.

Rafael didn't even get booked for his one!

[Jimmy]

I did not see the incident

[Colly]

Yeah, intentional hand ball in the area, I'd say it's a red.

Nope, that's a booking.

[brenchill]

It's death by exile.

[Jimmy]

Spurs' summer spending rumours have already started; apparently we're gonna bid £18 mil for Lukaku, as Chelsea wanna sell. Can't imagine they'll let him go to a Premier League club, but hopefully we're not considered rivals either after this year

[stokeriño]

I think everyone's summer spending rumours are gearing up. There won't be a striker on the planet who doesn't get linked to Chelsea at some point.

Although the most hilarious thing was us being linked to Bacary Sagna yesterday. Because apparently his agent thought he'd wait until just after he'd been on the end of a 6-0 humiliation to try and name-drop a random team for the sake of his contract negotiations. And then went and picked the very team who had made him look so poor.

[brenchill]

I've got a crazy idea for Chelsea.

Don't buy anyone. Play Lukaku.

[stokeriño]

Won't stop us being linked with everyone though, will it?

[brenchill]

Won't stop us being linked with everyone though, will it?

No, it will not.

[Gazz]

It'd probably win you a league title though.

[brenchill]

Lukaku, Torres and Eto'o. That would be pretty good.

[stokeriño]

Certainly I think many expect Eto'o to get a one year extension, which generally wasn't the consensus a few months ago. And I would be surprised if Ba remained.

In any case, off the top of my head we've already been linked - with varying levels of ridiculousness - to Diego Costa, Balotelli, Mandzukic and Cavani. I'm just going to keep track of the expanding size of the list for my own amusement.

[King Ellis]

I've got a crazy idea for Chelsea.

Don't buy anyone. Play Lukaku.

So long as they don't win the Champions League so he can look like a nob in the Super Cup again.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Missed Falcao.

[brenchill]

More a case of Chelsea not wanting to pay him a billion zillion pounds-per-week like Monaco did than missing out on him.