Enthusiasm flows for a Saudi World Cup in all the places you would expect

The big Premier League match this weekend is Arsenal v Manchester City and if it grabs our attention anything like the tyre-track chic knitwear Pep Guardiola wore at his pre-match press conference it should live up to its top billing. The bold threads are clearly giving Guardiola confidence. Without Rodri, John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, was he worried about losing back-to-back top-flight games for the first time in five years? “It shows how good we have done … 2018!” he trilled. “We have done incredible. The manager is so good!”

I think I have the solution to Liverpool’s VAR dilemma (Football Daily letters passim). It involves using one of this season’s fetishes to fix another. Instead of a VAR-induced replay, let’s add 90 minutes of injury time to the end of the next Spurs-Liverpool match. Done and dusted” – Mike Wilner.

Re: Jürgen Klopp’s call for a replay. How about making it a charity fundraiser instead, with the proceeds going to programmes to recruit and train a new generation of (good/competent) referees or VARs? Only half joking” – Simon Dahlman.

Maybe I’m being too highbrow (there’s a first for everything), but after just two matchdays, the inescapable, mute-button-defying pomposity of the Big Cup theme music has me envying Van Gogh, maybe even Trotsky. What kind of big audio dynamite will it take to make this ersatz grandeur go away?” – Clinton Macsherry.

All those who hype the weekend fixture as an early title decider, calm down. You do not know Arsenal!” – Krishna Moorthy.

Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Clinton Macsherry.

Lady Cathy Ferguson, the wife of former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has died aged 84. “Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career,” read a Manchester United statement.

Paul Pogba has tested positive in his B sample and could be banned for two to four years if found guilty of doping.

The UK government has been asked to reveal which steps it has taken to investigate whether Manchester City’s owner, Sheikh Mansour, assisted wealthy Russians on whom it has imposed sanctions in moving their assets to the United Arab Emirates.

Dutch police have arrested two Legia Warsaw players after the team’s Tin Pot match at AZ, officials said, prompting an angry reaction in Poland. “I have ordered the foreign ministry to take urgent diplomatic action to verify the events of the night,” fumed Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki.

Kevin Keegan has been asked to keep his opinions to himself after he was reported to have claimed female pundits were not convincing covering England men’s games. “I won’t be doing any interviews about Kevin Keegan’s comments,” sniffed former Lioness Lianne Sanderson. “But I would absolutely ‘love it’ if he would shut up!”

Australian IT millionaire Justin Rees says he decided to invest in Southend while holidaying in Europe on a flamin’ gap year. “I was watching the story unfold on the BBC thinking, is someone going to take this over?” he cheered. “When it becomes apparent that they’re not, it just feels like the right project to do next.”

Jürgen Klopp is buttering Roberto De Zerbi up like a piece of sourdough toast before Liverpool’s trip to Brighton. “We expect a really tough game against the best-coached team in the league,” he cooed in the wake of the Reds’ 2-0 Big Vase win over Union Saint-Gilloise and the Seagulls’ 2-2 fightback at Marseille.

Arsenal boss and Football Daily colleague Jonas Eidevall is backing Alessia Russo’s top, top qualities to shine when she revisits her old club Manchester United. “Alessia has all of [the] qualities,” he beamed. “She’s clever in defence, but she can also score goals. She’s an excellent finisher both with her head and with her feet. She’s a technical player, but she can also control the duels and be really physical and protect the ball.”

Sean Dyche reckons Everton’s season might finally have lift-off when Dominic Calvert-Lewin finally shakes off the knack that seems to have been in his system for the past two years. “He’s getting there, to true, total fitness,” blabbed Dyche. “I think he’s getting to the really end point of being totally fit.”

And Rangers defender Connor Goldson is sick of saying sorry after the managerless club’s latest loss, to, erm, Cypriot heavyweights Aris Limassol in Big Vase. “For us not to win here is rubbish,” he sniffed. “We have to apologise but that’s all we do at the minute is apologise to our fans.”

Ange Postecoglou has had quite the week. Having had to keep answering the same old flamin’ questions about VAR, he must have been feeling a tad jaded. But with the Premier League top spot up for grabs on Saturday if they beat Luton, a supportive message from the Fonz gave him a timely boost. “What a gentleman Henry Winkler is, sometimes you’re disappointed by your heroes but he sent me a message and I’m truly chuffed about that,” beamed the Australian. “If he sends me a poster I will definitely put it on my wall.” The Spurs manager then switched mood like Bob Katter as he made it clear that his more knack-prone players are not given special treatment in the buildup to games. “No one is wrapped in cotton wool here mate,” he growled. “It’s only barbed wire and comfortable uniforms.” But just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Sky’s Gary Cotterill spotted a shark to jump.

It’s only 80 days until Christmas so get your nearest, dearest or most-distant the Football Weekly Book (and merch), which is out now, now, now.

Ten things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend. Get them while they’re still warm.

John Brewin takes us on a trip through Manchester United’s decade of waste and chooses 10 lost boys who got swallowed up at Old Trafford.

Next Gen update, ahoy! Here’s how the class of 2022 have got on in the past 12 months.

And Louise Taylor checks in on one northern powerhouse project that’s yet to be sidelined by the UK government.

Clearly health and safety wasn’t such a big deal in 1936. Here’s a group of Arsenal fans, in March that year at King’s Cross, ready to catch the football special to Huddersfield for the FA Cup semi-final against Grimsby at Leeds Road. It would prove a happy trip as the Gunners won 1-0 and went on to win the final by the same scoreline against Sheffield United.