THE MACHINE STIRS
A penny for the thoughts of Mikel Arteta, who it seems can’t do right for doing wrong. Widely derided all season for the largely risk-averse, belt-and-braces approach to football matches that has his team perched atop the Premier League, the Arsenal head coach defied expectations and went comparatively gung-ho for Sunday’s potential season-definer against Manchester City. To nobody’s great surprise, his team went and got beaten. Having shipped no end of criticism for the unwatchable style of football that had served his side so well until quite recently, Arteta must be bemused by the amount of condescending praise his team is getting for a performance in defeat that finally shifted the momentum in this year’s title race firmly in Manchester City’s favour. Pep Guardiola’s in-form freestylers are still three points behind Arsenal but if their Wednesday night rout-in-hand of Burnley at Turf Moor goes as most expect, they will leapfrog the leaders to go clear on goal difference of +1,057.
While there are still folk out there who claim it would be unfair to label a team that has led the title race for more than 200 days only to surrender a nine-point lead and end up finishing second for the fourth time in a row as massive bottle jobs, there is still a lot of football to be played and the notion that both teams are going to win all their remaining games seems fanciful. However, if Arsenal do end up pulling off their most impressive Devon Loch tribute act to date, it will be nothing short of a total humiliation, given how much self-righteous scorn their noisier fans heaped upon anyone who had the audacity to question the team’s mental fortitude before a ball was kicked this season. While it has not gone unnoticed that many of the same fans are already getting their excuses about knack, fatigue, financial chicanery and anti-Arsenal refereeing agendas in early, this title race is far from over and there’s every possibility they won’t be needed come season’s end.
On the subject of refereeing, even the most one-eyed Arsenal follower is probably prepared to concede that Gabriel Magalhães was extremely lucky to avoid a red card for clashing antlers with Erling Haaland on Sunday. The defender was almost certainly saved by the City striker’s commendable reluctance to throw himself to the ground as he shaped to stick the nut on him. “I think most agree with me, if I go down like any other guy, it’s a red card,” honked Haaland in the game’s aftermath. “It’s not something I would do. My father taught me to stay on your feet. That’s the reality. Should I have gone down? Maybe. Then it would’ve been easier.” It would also have resulted in an untimely ban that would have ruled Gabriel out for three of Arsenal’s five remaining league games. Given the Brazilian’s seven top-flight goal involvements and incalculable importance to his team’s cause, Haaland’s basic decency in the face of strong provocation could yet come back to bite Manchester City on the collective backside.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Michael Butler from 8pm BST for hot Premier League minute-by-minute coverage of Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This is going to sound mad, but when he’s finished taking shots from the outfield players he takes shots as an outfield player. He doesn’t practise his headers – I’m not going to sit here and say [he] practises headers – but I always see him, and he’s got an incredible eye for a goal” – it’s the time of the season for wild drama and plenty was on show at Exeter City, where goalkeeper Jack Bycroft salvaged a 3-3 draw in League One against promotion-chasing Stockport with a flying header deep in added time, not that it surprised interim boss Matt Taylor. It grabbed a crucial point in the Grecians’ fight against relegation, but it also sent Cardiff City fans wild up at Reading – where they were winning 3-1 – and the Bluebirds back into the Championship.
double quotation mark Roberto De Zerbi is sure that Spurs can win five games in a row. He should not have a haircut until they do. What could possibly go wrong?” – Darren Leathley.
double quotation mark Just a reminder that it’s almost the five-year anniversary of the so-called €uropean $uper £eague collapsing because the six English clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, were forced to U-turn on it by fans and the UK government. To be fair to Spurs, though, it’s now increasingly clear why they desperately wanted to be in a league with no relegation” – Noble Francis.
double quotation mark Sunday’s biggest game, or its result, means Arsenal need a favour from Crystal Palace, one of Manchester City’s opponents to come. Or, to put it another way, the team who bought Palace’s star attacker in the summer hope they still have enough firepower to overcome the team who bought Palace’s highest-profile defender in January. As if Palace weren’t content with all their own drama, they’re now creating some for everyone else” – Ed Taylor.
double quotation mark I am watching the Newcastle game and am so surprised to see a man in a mask playing for them with what appears to be ‘Batman’ on his shirt. Desperate times, Eddie” – Nigel Sanders.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Darren Leathley. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
The Football Weekly pod squad are here to review a busy weekend in the Premier League and beyond.
RECOMMENDED VIEWING
You can also watch the pod if you prefer.
