Summary: In a week where club football resumed and Champions League Matchday 5 became a major talking point, we take a look at some of the key facets of the Premier League where both Arsenal and Liverpool have become huge and pressing issues as the future of their managers took center stage, then comes the aftermath of Milan Derby where two giants face more questions off the pitch than on it given the quality seen on Sunday night. We begin with football commentator and correspondent Ben Lyttleton on the tangled perceptions about Arsene Wenger as tactical and evolving criticism continues to solidify a narrative about what the club should do next and whether is future is indeed untenable as Arsenal lost a key battle at home to a Manchester United side seen as undermanned yet better prepared for that contest. We examine several key variables including whether the club is preparing for his departure in the near or distant future, whether he will begin to damage his reputation in the eyes of supporters the longer this perceived malaise continues, but always with a view towards how Wenger views his place in the club and whether these perceptions are misguided given the absolute power he wields within the football club and what exactly his targets are year to year. We also examine the fortunes for Louis van Gaal after a key win to determine if he has actually turned a corner or if more evidence is required, how the biggest story in the Premier League may just be the situation at Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers, whether the Balotelli situation might just be a clear barometer to his coaching style and if the problems for him at Anfield are just beginning before settling on a Southampton side that is now about to face its biggest challenge yet as winter football rounds into view. Then in part two, Italian football broadcaster Owen Neilson joins the show to take a look back at the upclose and personal view of a Milan Derby where the quality on the pitch could be questioned, but the spectacle and significance remains in tact. For both AC Milan and crosstown rivals Inter, the story off the pitch continues to dominate the analysis both in terms of the financial and competitive ramifications, however the issues continue to underline a clear and persistent thread about a plan that responds to ongoing constraints borne from being left out of the Champions League. We examine the situation for both Roberto Mancini and Pippo Inzaghi, how the fallout from the Derby concerns both managers and where the barometer truly lies for them. We also visit with two fabulous stories that emerged over the weekend as well, the ongoing exploits of Zdenek Zeman at Cagliari and the goal scoring milestone now reached by Antonio Di Natale who is just five goals away from Italian legend Roberto Baggio.
