Morning all, welcome to a brand new week.
I watched some football yesterday. Arsenal Women won the North London derby 5-0, and while that’s obviously an impressive scoreline, I think it kinda flattered Sp*rs who were terrible. Which is obviously a great thing. That’s to take nothing away from Renee Slegers and the job she’s doing since she took over, by the way, but Arsenal could have scored more yesterday.
For more on that game, there’s all the post-game coverage on Arseblog News, and a new Arsenal Women Arsecast on site here or in all the usual podcast places.
I then sort of watched some of Liverpool’s win over Wolves. Not especially convincing from the leaders, but they got the job done. Which is all that really matters when you get the business end of the season. I’ve seen chat about Ibrahima Konate and whether or not he should have been sent off for an obvious foul while already on a yellow card. I can’t sit here and say I’d be happy if an Arsenal player was sent off for that, and I’ve often said I think the threshold for a red card (particularly for two yellows) needs to be higher.
However, it feels like this season we’ve had those soft decisions go against us a bit too often without the same standards being applied elsewhere. That’s not the only reason why Liverpool are top of the table, far from it, but it feels like we haven’t had the rub of the green at all this season, and small things have gone their way which is part of why the table looks the way it does right now.
It does feel like the next three fixtures will be pivotal in the title race. Liverpool are away at Aston Villa, away to Man City, and then home against Newcastle. I think the first two games there are the ones to keep an eye on, because when it comes right down to it, Newcastle are absolute twats every time they play someone who isn’t us. I watched their game against City on Saturday, and they were a goddam shambles. The polar opposite of how they raise their game when it’s Arsenal.
I realise, of course, that it’s up to us to deal with that, but let me have my irrational moan on a Monday morning. Anyway, let’s see how Liverpool cope with those difficult games, and the onus is on us to keep winning in the meantime. There’s a week now for Mikel to work with other Mikel to make Mikel the best centre-forward called Mikel in the Premier League. Simple. I think.
Late in the afternoon, Sp*rs beat Man Utd 1-0. It’s one of those that leaves you a bit conflicted because nobody wants to see them win, but hearing Gary Neville sound so completely miserable about how bad his team are is almost worth it. At one point in the first half, when there was a big space where United’s midfielders should be, he started muttering stuff about how ‘That can’t be right’, and bemoaning the fact you wouldn’t see it in an underage game.
He sounded so sad. Bereft. Like the pain of it was eating at his very soul. And I loved it.
LOVED IT.
We’ve had to endure this guy for weeks now. Every time we’ve been on the TV it seems like he’s been on co-commentary. Even the insufferable ‘bantz’ of Fletch on TNT Sports on Saturday were a welcome relief from the shrill bleating of Neville, subjecting us to those awful noises when something happens in the game.
‘Uuuuuurrrrggggoooooooooooh’, as the ball pings around the penalty area.
‘Eeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’, as one team creates a chance that almost ends up with a goal being scored.
‘Arrruuuuaaauuggeeeeeeeiiiiiieee’, when Jamie Carragher brings him a cup of Bovril.
These sounds should not be heard. They ought to be illegal. They are inflicted upon us without any consideration, so as ‘payback’ for that, I think we should all revel in how much he is suffering at the moment with this Man Utd team. There was a point in the second half when Sp*rs had a corner, and Ruben Amorim sat with his head in his hands looking at the ground. Even HE can’t watch them, so Neville deserves to …
… for all eternity in some kind of football purgatory before he and they are put out of their misery by a trip to hell. Wait, that would actually increase their misery, so I’m all for it. Try make those noises down there and Satan’s hounds would gnaw your bollocks off.
Right, I’ll leave you with that wonderful image for now. We’ll have Arsecast Extra for you in a little while too. We’ve put out the call for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or if you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, leave your question in the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod should be out around noon. For now, have a good one.
