Media Madness

Lots to pack in following a fascinating week. Let's get straight in to it.

I'll be covering the 'routine' home win over Sunderland, the highly satisfying win over Chelsea on Tuesday; and the madness of Liverpool vs Manchester City, which according to Sky Sports has 'blown the title race wide open'. Here we go then:

A second successive Saturday afternoon 3pm league kick off? What on earth is going on, television companies? Actually, I suspect that they are obligated to cover every team a minimum number of times per season, and want to save Arsenal matches up for the business end. 

Sunderland, without Granit Xhaka, were nonetheless a pretty tough nut to crack They have bought well, and are not flattered by their inflated position in the league table. Like pretty much every team that visits Emirates Stadium, they sat in deep and looked to hit Arsenal on the break. Their main variation on what other opposition has done this season was to make sure that they got the ball into the Arsenal box with long diagonals at every dead ball opportunity; early on causing a deal of panic as Raya dropped a high ball. They bought a number of very decent players - including Xhaka - in the summer, and will hope that they can hold on to them going into next season; I suspect that 'bigger' clubs are going to be sniffing around the likes of Mukiele, Diarra, Sadiki and the massive unit that is Brian Brobbey over the summer.

It was interesting to note a variation in Arsenal's tactics in this game. Another string to the bow. Having scored one of their two goals in the away game against them from distance (Trossard the scorer), Arteta looked to repeat that tactic, and the number of shots from outside the box was notable. Arsenal sucked defending Sunderland midfielders into places they didn't want to go, and made use of the ensuing space around the corners of the penalty area. There were close calls for Declan Rice (from the left) and Kai Havertz (from the right), before Martin Zubimendi's sublime daisy-cutter with the outside of his boot cut across the ball, beat Roefs at his near post, and went in via the inside of that upright. A glorious finish. Lovely to see the goalscorer's 'homage' to the injured Mikel Merino, as he mimicked his team-mate's 'around the corner flag' celebration.

I'm absolutely obsessed with Zubimendi. Yes, he has the odd mistake in him; and in the position he plays those can be fatal (and have been at least twice this season). But the difference he makes to the way that Arsenal operate compared to what Partey contributed last season is noticeable. He is metronomic in the pace of his play and the quality of his passing; and he dovetails superbly with Declan Rice. On top of that, he is now scoring goals - and different types of goals at that. Which is a string to his bow that I'm not sure even he knew existed. Last week, a late run into the penalty area to head Arsenal into the lead at Leeds. This week the finish I described above. And who can forget his Goal of the Month volley against Nottingham Forest in September?

Sunderland, for all their huffing and puffing, created very little. Just 0.17xG; another side who found it almost impossible to penetrate this amazing Arsenal defensive line. But they didn't feel out of the game until Big Vik, from off the bench, put Arsenal two up on the back of a clever and clinical assist from Kai Havertz. 

Jesus, who had been given the start ahead of the Swede, did typically Jesus things, and was perhaps unfortunate not to have scored - or at the very least won a penalty - just before he came off (he was adjudged offside despite having both feet inside the Arsenal half as he began a defence-splitting run).

Gyokeres applied the coup de grace in the 93rd minute following a fast break, during which he kept pace with Gabi Martinelli before the Brazilian unselfishly set him up for a tap in. That's now 6 goals in 7 matches for Gyokeres, by the way. As I said several weeks ago, the goals were going to come. He needed time to settle, and get up to speed having not had a pre-season. 

Plus - and I cannot emphasise this enough - the key to the lock that is Kai Havertz is making a massive difference to the capability of the whole side - but particularly Gyokeres. The German's ability to generate space that Odegaard, Eze and Merino (although the latter is a very clever player himself) cannot locate is really helping change Arsenal's normal patterns of play. His fitness is key to this becoming the landmark season that 2025/26 could easily become.

If there was a single downside to report on the Arsenal performance, it was the showing that Riccardo Calafiori - replacing Hincapie at left back - put in. He looked off the pace; caught out of position and flapping at the ball at times. He is only just back from injury, and we know what he is capable of doing, but at this stage the Ecuadorian looks a far more solid option at left back. At his best, the Italian is a quite unique player, but he looks to have a fair bit to do to get back to that level. On the right wing, Madueke wasn't at his best either. But he's the type of player from whom one expects the odd below average showing. But a 3-0 win is pretty comprehensive; three more points in the bag, and one fewer game left to play.

Now to events at Anfield, and the mood swings that the changing fortunes generated. Firstly, what a hit that was from Szoboszlai! A rare and unique thing of absolute beauty. And one that had us Arsenal fans dreaming of ending the weekend fully 9 points clear at the top. Alas, it was not to be, as firstly the thoroughly irritating Bernardo Silva pulled a goal back and then Allison - now no longer the world's best goalkeeper in my humble opinion - having a crazy rush of blood to gift Manchester City a penalty. As the ball was running harmlessly off the field, I hasten to add. 

There was no way that Haaland was going to miss, was there? And, if I can bring this back to Arsenal, how that's a penalty and Nick Pope's foul on Viktor Gyokeres at St James Park earlier this season was not I simply cannot fathom.

There was then the farce of the goal that wasn't a goal, and the mutual shirt-grabbing between Szoboszlai and Haaland that led to Cherki's 50 yard shot being disallowed (thus costing me 5 vital FPL points, I should mention), and to the Liverpool player being given his marching orders. Yes, I understand that the officials reached the correct conclusion by the letter of the Law; but why not just let the goal stand - last kick of the game and all that - and just move on? As a result, the Hungarian has a ban, and City are deprived of a goal that would have been a fitting end to the match.  

And so to the fallout. Firstly on Sky Sports, and then in one particular WhatsApp group that I inhabit; in which I received absolute pelters after the Liverpool/City game ended. And we'll start with Gary Neville, whose punditry and agenda-setting - with its innate anti-Arsenal bias - I am getting more and more aggravated about. 

Suddenly, the 'Title Race' is 'back on', apparently. This despite the gap between Arsenal and Manchester City remaining exactly the same as it was before the weekend, and there being just 13 matches left to play. Look, I know that Sky feel that it's their duty to try to make things interesting, but the gap is fully 6 points. And I'll take Arsenal's remaining fixtures over City's every day of the week.

Yes, City play before Arsenal in midweek, and the gap may be down to three points by the time Arsenal kick off their next game. But with a goal difference 5 better than City's, a deeper and fitter squad than their rivals', and far fewer weaknesses I know who I'd rather be.

In the WhatsApp group, however, my pronouncement that it's not really a race was greeted with both derision and anger. Like it's my fault that they feel that way. Yes, City have been there and done that - although not too many of this particular group of players, I must add - and Arsenal have not. But whilst the manager and players appeared steel-focussed on their targets, many elements of the fanbase - if fairly represented (as I would say they are) by this WhatsApp group - are collectively losing their minds. Yes, we all bear the scars of recent history and those three successive second places. But this Arsenal team/squad is an entirely different animal to that of the past three years. 

Anyway, I reined back from describing it as 'not really a race at all' to saying that I remain confident. And whilst I can expect to take the blame personally if Arsenal implode on the run-in, I promise not to tell my peers that 'I told them so' back in February if the season ends as we all hope. Meanwhile, it's one game at a time. That's how the players have to approach it.

It does appear, however, that Arsenal and City are on a massive collision course as we approach the end of the season. The Carabao Cup Final. A league game at The Etihad on April 18th or 19th. And - if we examine the Champions League draw closely - the likelihood of a quarter final showdown in that competition too. But should we be afraid? No we should not. Cautious; yes. Afraid; no - why should we? They ought to be more worried about playing Arsenal than Arsenal ought to be about playing them. How Liverpool failed to score at least two more goals against them I'm really not sure - although our nemesis Donnarumma does have something to do with that - and this is a side who were recently defeated by Bode/Glimt, and who managed to make even Tottenham look good a week or so ago. So, guys... let's keep calm.

I cannot end without going quickly back over the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg victory over Chelsea, which remarkably propels Arsenal to their first final since the FA Cup Final of 2020. And firstly, I should mention that thanks to the antics of their match-going away supporters, Chelsea have finally made their way above Tottenham and Manchester United to the top of my particular chart of teams I love to hate! It's something about the arrogance and lack of self-awareness of these oiks that makes my blood boil! I am sick of their 'We won it all!' chant; a chant which we, quite rightly, counter with 'You bought it all!' - which goes over their heads, no doubt... Can't stand 'em.

But to the match itself. And for all that outsiders and neutrals could sit in front of their televisions commenting about Chelsea's negative tactics and general lack of threat, that didn't stop me from 90 plus minutes of nerves. Indeed, when the away side won a free kick around 25 yards out with 10 or so minutes to go I checked my pulse on my Fitbit; and it was 111bpm... 

All's well that ends well. How pleasurable it was to watch Kai Havertz going through on goal against his former club, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home, and then kissing the cannon on his chest. For all that his goal won Chelsea a Champions League, I don't think that he has much affection for that club. He's found somewhere where he's appreciated at Arsenal, and I don't think that he ever felt that at Chelsea. Waka Waka.

Some might find it difficult to reconcile my nerves throughout the semi-final to my relative calm as I contemplate Arsenal's title challenge. I can't quite understand it myself, to be honest. I guess that it's the jeopardy of a one-off game, and I have to assume that as the season goes on my match-going nerves are going to increase exponentially. As the games are ticked off, all I can hope is that Arsenal continue to ease themselves clear of their Premier League opposition. Meantime, there's a Cup Final to contemplate, and I know that I'll be a nervous wreck for that one.

I'm holding my nerve in the belief that Arsenal have been through their 'blip'; those two successive 0-0 draws, and the defeat the Manchester United which resulted from one errant back pass and two absolute 'worldies'. It's been plain sailing since then, and whilst I'm sure that it won't be that until May, hopefully we've got enough in the tank to hold the opposition at bay. Meantime, for all that I'm starting to hear certain rumblings in some quarters, I am banning the 'Q' word from this page.

Meantime, it's Brentford away on Thursday. Back to the grindstone, and COYG!