Emotion sensor

Let's be rash and assume the Boxing Day clash with Man City is going to go ahead and take a look at some of the stories featuring in the match build-up, shall we?

First up we have the news that ASBO's claiming that the visit of his former employers is just another game: "It's not as if I'm going to get all tear-jerky and emotional because it's not my way". You don't say! That said, you'd have thought he might be a bit emotional - after all, he is facing the club he claims he rescued...

What sentiment there is could actually be of a rather different nature, though, given goings-on during our visit to Eastlands in October. Much as we'd like Nigel De Jong to receive a taste of his own medicine, I hope Alan Pardew has a calming word in ASBO's ear beforehand. As for the injured party, according to his agent Simon Stainrod, Hatem Ben Arfa is making excellent progress in his recovery: "You can never tell 100% but hopefully he’s going to be back in the first week of February, which is just fantastic. It could be later, it could be earlier but that’s better than anyone thought".

Meanwhile, Man City's own mercurial forward Mario Balotelli has been busy claiming to be the best winner of the Golden Boy trophy aside from Lionel Messi. A bold boast, and one his manager Roberto Mancini has challenged him to live up to. Hopefully that won't start against us...