Friends in fútbol,

After last week's utter chaos, today the EPL acted like nothing happened. Chalk.

But tomorrow - TOMORROW! - is when we get some of the juiciest matches of the SZN so far:

• West Ham-Newcastle (21% / 47% / 32% DRAW) is our most evenly picked match to date.
• Arsenal-Man City (19% / 55% / 26% DRAW) is a battle for the top of the table.
• Brighton-Liverpool (21% / 61% / 18% DRAW) would get top billing in most other weeks.

It's a good thing we're so distributed in our Sunday picking, as we have a whopping 38 people sitting at 5-0 after five of Saturday's six matches.

MATCHDAY 8 PICKS

EPL SURVIVOR

• 9/20 clubs picked
• Top pick: Fulham (35%, vs. Sheffield)

EPL PICK'EM (HALF 1)

Top picks

• Spurs (98%, at Luton Town)
• Chelsea (87%, at Burnley)
• Man United (77%, vs. Brentford)
• Villa (73%, at Wolves)
• Draws picked: 290 (20%)
• Most draw picks: West Ham-Newcastle (47 draw picks)
  
  

COMMISH COMMENTARY

I loved looking at the weekly picklines for the 38 of us who went 5/5 thru today's first five matches.

Obviously, all 38 picked the five early favorites, who all won. But from there? Chaos!

This will give you a sense of the range over these upcoming 5 matches:

• @Jdizzy007 picked FOUR draws plus Villa
• @allenraines was like "I'll match your 4 draws and toss in a Palace win for some spice."
• @AuburnZRJ picked Palace, West Ham, Brighton (!), Wolves (!!), and an Arsenal-City draw.
• @Nastyboy1956 paired a relatively tame run of City, Villa, West Ham, and Brighton... with a Forest pick in today's final match.

So much dynamism in such a simple format including 10 picks.

The EPL works REALLY well for the types of pools we love here on The SZN.

Cheers to a GREAT Sunday of fútbol ahead of us. Will anyone emerge with 10 correct picks and our second $500 perfection bonus of the SZN?

COMMENT AWARDS

The Thierry Award

Funniest/best comment (a club of one, just like Thierry Henry's standing atop the list of EPL greats)

@Keiffapro (Pick'em): "On Saturday I watched as two grown men came to blows in a Liverpool supporters bar. They were both in red and I was t about to try to break it up in my Tottenham jersey. Ref mistakes? Totally. Rigged? Possibly. Tottenham doing anything wrong? Absolutely not, and man 2nd place is nice"
Commish says: Wait wait wait, why were they coming to blows with EACH OTHER? Also, what's the Spurs supporters bar and can you get THE ENTIRE BAR IN THE POOL?!?

"Watch Me Dive" Award

Most convincing comment

@RotoJeff (Fulham): "We're getting to the point of the season where Fulham is probably the chalk pick."
Commish says: Next week, I want a prediction of the top survivor pick for Matchdays 9-15. All at once. I BELIEVE IN YOU, JEFF.

Insulting Zizou's Sister Award

Spiciest take

@matthewf10 (Pick'em): "I'm hosed"
Commish says: ACTUALLY YOU'RE 5/5 AND LEADING THE PICK'EM.

MORE COMMENTS

@edudeus (Spurs): "Time for Luton to give back. "
Commish says: They've been frisky of late! The Survivor Gods are listening!

@kempsoos (Pick'em): "We won’t talk about what happened last week"
Commish says: EPL Matchday 7, 2023: When all those not familiar with Moxie GOT THEIR COMEUPPANCE.

@Ickey_Woods_Shuffle (Pick'em): "Eating Bangers and Mash this week in hopes of rebounding from last week's armageddon... and not get gas..."
Commish says: Can you make a t-shirt that just says, in giant font, "BANGERS AND MASH" and then tell me if it becomes your favorite shirt, Ickey? RHETORICAL QUESTION, I KNOW.

@Noteldar (Fulham): "Sheffield is the bottom of the league.
Sheffield Wednesday is the bottom of the championship.
Something tells me Fulham will be fine "
Commish says: The Giants are bottom of the NFC East.
The Jets are bottom of the AFC East.
WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT NEW YORK CITY

Yours in show dives,
The Commish