The Art of the ‘Real’ Deal: Reviewing Big Wins For Chelsea and Liverpool

If there is one particular cliche that takes precedence at this point of the season, it is referring to teams as the 'real' deal. We are 10 games into the new campaign and, as such, the footballing commentariat are better able to judge which of those sides in the traditional top six look likely to push on and challenge for the league. While some sides are innately 'real' in their dealership – Manchester City, for instance – others invariably struggle to be labelled the 'real' deal, such as Arsenal. The realness of one's dealness is highly subjective, and depends on perceptions of mental toughness, strength in depth, and the manner of one's victories over other, comparably 'real', teams.

While we all understand what it means for a side to be labelled the 'real' deal, it is still a hateful expression, and one which sounds characteristically Trumpian in its gauche aping of transatlantic business speak. Imagine the Donald, his blonde thatch protruding aggressively towards the cameras, his pink flesh quivering with excitement, labelling a football team the 'real' deal while shaking Richard Scudamore's hand with his fleshy paw and signing a crisp new contract of ownership. Imagine the Donald taking the reins at one of the country's biggest football clubs, then instantly demolishing the stadium to make way for another luxury golf course. It's not so far-fetched, really. He speaks the language of covetous enterprise, and knows the value of a 'real' deal better than most.

Were Trump to have been invited onto Match of the Day this weekend, he would almost certainly have referred to one of Chelsea or Liverpool as the 'real' deal, doubtlessly after a quick briefing from that idiosyncratic form of creep that is a British person who happily works for Breitbart. While Chelsea recorded their fourth league win in a row at St. Mary's, Liverpool chalked up a big victory over Crystal Palace. Both clubs may have struggled last season, but they now look capable of mounting a genuine challenge. The reality of their deal-ity is there for all to see, even for someone as bovine as Donald Trump.

Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte deserve praise for turning their respective sides into the 'real' deal at this point, especially after several high-profile slip ups earlier on in the season. Both Liverpool and Chelsea are capable of playing stylish football, and were tremendous at times this weekend, just tremendous. In the end, though, only one club can rise to the top, and show that they understand the art of the 'real' deal in all its glory. We can only hope that the dishonest media doesn't try to influence the race in the meantime. Sad.