Darby Jean #95 | Goalie battle: De Gea versus Mendy

The bulk of this issue comes to you from a Wendy’s in a small town outside of Toronto. My mom needed a cortizone shot for her hip, and so dutifully we trundled down the highway to see to things. "A Single with Cheese combo, please. I'm taking it easy this week," I said to the attendant. I'm usually on a double. They'll never know.

On the weekend I was chatting with my buddy Tom, a big LIV guy, and owner of the famed Shillaleagh Tavern in Astoria, about the quality of the season so far. It really has been a decent go. Look at the table right now. It's a tight pack of the top, with lots of movement in the middle mush, and a decent relegation battle already underway.

Do you believe in Brighton? Arsenal? Freshly colonized Newcastle? I have no answers, only vaguely realized maunderings.

To wit...

Alphonso Davies’ Canada wondergoal.

That Davies goal

It’s hard to describe the night that the Canadian Men’s National Team had last Wednesday in Toronto. Unless you’ve watched Canada for a few decades, and I know that you haven’t, you may not understand that seeing this team play with credibility and verve is something that has been wished for for an age, and still feels completely unnatural. And to have that underlined by a moment like this (as CONCACAF-y as it was), delivered by the team's marquee player, well, it was a bit special.

While the CMNT isn’t keeping many people up at night on the global stage, and its grasp on the final automatic CONCACAF World Cup qualifying spot feels less than firm, something special, relatively speaking, is happening. It will be a lot of fun to see how Mexico and Costa Rica fare during mid-November qualifying matches scheduled to take place in Edmonton, which will basically feel like a remote arctic settlement to pretty much everyone by then.

Ruben Neves’ goal. Wolves vs. Villa. Brought to you by Dazzling Dave.

Some game: Villa versus Wolves

No soccer is too much soccer when the soccer is like this.

Aston Villa versus Wolverhampton Wanderers is an easily overlooked fixture: a traditional Midlands derby that really only matters to people who live in the Midlands. The reality on the day, however, was that this game was magic.

Villa, up 2-0 at Villa Park in the 80th minute, if not quite cruising, looked in command, thanks to the stellar John McGinn and Matty Targett, and Emiliano Martinez's customary elasticity (he really is very good).

Then came a clutch of goals from Wolves, three in thirteen minutes, that snatched bragging rights from the Villans and turned a frustrating away day into a famous victory and three important points.

Wolves' third goal, scored by Ruben Neves, the Uncle Leo of the Premiership, a man who looks permanently furious, particularly whilst celebrating his deflected free kick winner, brought the house down in extra time.

You can enjoy a moment like this in a highlights package, sure, but they ring extra true when you see them in real time, narrated by a man named Dazzling Dave.

Pipe-tweeners: Mendy and de Gea

David de Gea is back to his old self, performing small miracles in goal for United, and willing his bretheren toward the opposition's goal in search of run support. But this past Saturday this support was not forthcoming. De Gea was spectacular in goal for United on Saturday, even as he shipped four goals in a losing effort to Leicester City. United staying near the top of the table looks increasingly reliant on de Gea being at the top of his game for much of the season.

Shotstopper du Chezzz, Edouard Mendy, had a spectacular outing of his own on Saturday at Brentford, standing on his head and denying the Hollywood Bees at every turn with brave positional goalkeeping. The Senegalese is on 20 clean sheets in 38 games since his arrival at Stamford Bridge from Rennes. It's an incredible record that has quickly placed Mendy among the Premier League's elite shotstoppers, and given Chelsea's title hopes for the season a substantial boost.