End Of The Line

So that's that, then. It's all but mathematically over. And if we're relying on Chelsea to drag it out a little longer; well, that ain't going to happen, is it?

The writing has been on the wall for a while now. For all the talk of 8 point leads, the fact remains that in Manchester City the 19 other clubs are up against a bloated, doped up monster that's capable of hunting anybody down. Peak Liverpool barely beat them to the title once (and that in the pandemic season); otherwise this would be 6 in a row, and 7 in the last 12. They literally 'broke' Liverpool for this season, too.

People say that the Premier League is the most exciting and well-contested of all the big European leagues, but frankly that’s only from second place downwards. And if they weren't good enough already last season, they then signed The Terminator - the freakish cherry on the cake. The playing field is tilted, and the sooner those 100+ financial charges are dealt with, the better. The fact that Arsenal got themselves so far into the conversation is a miracle in itself.

I saw this tweet yesterday that sums it up: 

I don't want this to seem like Sour Grapes. But it all feels hollow, boring and inevitable now. But boy; it was certainly fun while it lasted! I can excuse the dropped points at Liverpool, but the next two draws against West Ham and Southampton, in the lead up to the 'showdown' at The Etihad, were when we sensed what was coming. For the players, it was almost as if they were fixated on that game two weeks too early. But the fact that City felt that they had to play as well as they did in tearing out our internal organs is nonetheless a sign of respect. And from then on it's been uphill all the way - until Arsenal hit a vertical wall on Sunday. This train stops at Falmer. Arteta himself was brutally honest after the game. He knows exactly what we need!

There'll be a fuller analysis from me - and many others - after the season finishes. And it'll be largely positive. But for now I'll cover what happened against Brighton, and something of what it may have told Arteta about what he needs to take this side further.

Just the one change; Tierney for the injured Zinchenko. And whilst the former is a better defender than the latter, it wasn't the type of change needed for a match against a side like Brighton. And a look at the bench told you all you needed to know about where Arsenal are in their growth; the drop from the accepted First XI to the next group is too big when you compare it to several other PL squads, let alone City's. I'll come back to this later.

I sensed very early on that this was going to be a difficult day. Brighton are a very decent side. They’ve got an innovative coach, and play in a similar style to Arsenal. And to Manchester City too, obviously. Probably not what Arsenal needed at this stage of the season. And, as it transpired, they're comfortably the second best side to have visited Emirates Stadium this season.

From early on, it was also all very niggly and stop/start. Martinelli was very fortunate to get away with an early challenge on Mitoma that could only be regarded as merely clumsy if you’re being charitable. The fact that neither he nor Caciedo, who exacted revenge on the Brazilian with a nasty tackle from behind soon after, were booked by referee Madley meant that it felt like it was going to be one of those days when too much was going to be allowed. And so it proved, with plenty of what used to be known as ‘professional’ fouling all over the pitch. 

I thought at the time that Madley was horribly inept, but on watching the game back - yes, I made myself suffer! - I can see that he can only be blamed for unnecessary leniency. The problem with the tackle on Martinelli, however, was that it meant that he was soon out of the game.

The first half was pretty even, as I’m sure you saw. Brighton saw more of the ball, and probably shaded it, but we had our chances. Odegaard (twice), Jesus, Saka and Trossard - who certainly did not cover himself in glory against his previous employers - all failing for similar reasons.

Brighton looked very comfortable indeed zipping the ball about, and it seemed part of Arteta’s plan to let them have the ball and try to hurt them with turnovers. The problem was, as the game developed, that Brighton gained in confidence and Arsenal looked off their game - passing accuracy was down and the home side posed only intermittent threats. Although, as I say, they could/should have been ahead at half time but for a lack of composure in front of goal. 

The game really turned on the half hour, when Mitoma - who had been getting little change out of Tierney - was switched to the left and faced up to a leggy and out of sorts Ben White. Enciso had exposed him earlier in the game, and his lack of pace was ruthlessly exploited thereafter. A clever move by the impressive De Zerbi. 

So 0-0 at half-time. Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory. But on the back of City’s earlier demolition of an absolutely pathetic Everton side, the sight of Mount Everest was already looking too daunting. How that Everton side put 5 past Brighton earlier in the week will remain one of football’s great mysteries!

And while the game turned in Brighton’s favour on the back of an early second half goal that could have been disallowed for a foul on Kivior (it does look like Ferguson impeded him), it really started to feel inside the ground that we all just wanted to be put out of our misery. 

The crowd had been pretty good in the first half, but everything went flat at that point. It just felt like there was no way back, as Brighton dominated, and Arsenal had nothing left to fight them with. Ben White was a shadow of his early season form.  Jorginho suddenly looked like an old man in midfield. Saka looked knackered. Trossard was trying too hard to impress. Odegaard was ineffective. Partey looked half fit. In a repeat of last season, Arsenal were running on fumes once more.

And there was so little from the bench. Yes, we have a few injuries, but when the best we’ve got to offer is Reiss Nelson then we know that the game is up. Arsenal huffed and puffed for a while, and both Nelson and Trossard (again) went close, but Brighton held them off with relative ease and looked in almost total control throughout a second half when I spent a considerable time with my head in my hands. Our race, I sensed, was well and truly run. 

When Trosaard’s optimistic flick rebounded off of MacAllister's knee, leading to substitute Undav (where do they find these players???) cleverly lobbing Ramsdale for 2-0 I - along with 10,000+ other supporters - had seen enough. Much to my daughter’s disgust - ‘Dad, there’s ages to go yet. You don’t know what might happen.’ - I told her that we were leaving. Because I did know what might happen. Nothing good. I've read this book before. We were cooked. And we therefore missed the third goal as a result; we were halfway down Drayton Park by then.

Now look; I don’t want you to think of me as a ‘fair weather’ fan. This team have given me great pleasure and entertainment for 9 months. I was first taken to Highbury in 1966, for goodness' sake. The club is a part of me. I was a North Bank regular from 1974, when the team weren't very good. But it didn't matter - they were My Team. I’m proud of what they've achieved this season, and to be a supporter of the greatest football club in the world. But on this occasion I let my disappointment get the better of me. In two weeks' time, no matter what, I will stay until the end - and until well afterwards - to show my appreciation of My Team and My Club.

But we - and the Arsenal hierarchy- now know how much more has to be done to try to get close to bloody Manchester City. Yes, we know that if found guilty (and surely their lawyers aren’t going to fight off 100+ charges; even on technicalities) they will be sanctioned. But that will not mean that the likes of Liverpool and ourselves have trophies awarded to us ‘posthumously’, so to speak. They’ve inevitably sucked the life out of the rest of the league - yet again - with their highly-skilled, highly-paid, metronomic relentlessness.

Nonetheless I bloody love this team, and what they’ve achieved this season. They’ve over-achieved, of course,  and they had us daring to dream. They’re ahead of schedule, and as a result the lack of squad depth has meant that they’ve come up short. But I won’t listen to that ‘they’ve bottled it’ theory. Yes, Sunday was another day when they fell short of the high standards they set for themselves in the first half of the season, but there are reasons - and I don't have to spell those out.

But it’s the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, with their much bigger squads, who’ve ‘bottled it’, if anyone has. They should have been in the hunt, but they haven’t been close. They have vastly underperformed - and don’t get me started on Chelsea or Tottenham! Let supporters of those clubs have a good laugh if they wish; but they should be looking a lot closer to home - and they know it!

Yet City can leave out Stones and bring in Dias. Play Alvarez instead of De Bruyne. Mahrez for Bernardo Silva; Foden for Grealish. They’ve got Laporte, Dias, Stones, Akanji, Ake and even Walker just to cover central defence. We’ve got Rob Holding, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah... 

What Arsenal need to avoid in the summer is the sort of problem that any fast-growing business can suffer when they start to boom; a lack of resources to fund the growth. And I'm not talking about money here - although we could easily find ourselves up against the combined might of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia AND Qatar next season if the United takeover goes the way we don't want. I'm talking about the tools - the players - to feed the growth spurt. Because there are mighty gaps still to fill.

So Arteta and Edu now need to be ruthless. The likes of Jesus and Zinchenko have made a massive difference to the quality and mentality of the group. Others have stepped up; imposed their will; come of age. But there's no room for sentimentality now. In order to compete - and now in the Champions League too, with the extra riches it will bring  - Arsenal must kick on. A bigger and better squad is required. Many of the ingredients are in place. Now they must start putting them together; moulding them; adding the icing on the cake. And if that means that we lose some of our favourite players in the next rebuild, then that's what will have to happen. 

We all know where help is needed. It remains to be seen how it maps out. But the Board and Management need to be ambitious on the back of what they've achieved this season. Sell it to Stan, and get those funds out of him. Move the dead wood on. Get in more game changers. Having seen what the LA Rams have achieved recently with proper financial support from KSE, I/we have to believe that Stan and Josh will do what they need to do.

There are few more attractive prospects for ambitious players than Arsenal at the moment. So, Mikel and Edu, get out there and sell that dream. We shall overcome. COYG!