It may seem a little odd given our unblemished, 100% Champions League record, our lead in the Carabao Cup semi-final, a home draw to Wigan in the FA Cup and a four point lead at the top of the Premier League, but I’m suddenly convinced that we are not going to win a single trophy this season – an Arteta quadzero!!
What? how? why? – well actually I just don’t know, but that is the way that I felt when I woke up this morning. Could it be that when we fought back from 2-1 down to equalise on Sunday against Manchester United, we just seemed to presume that we would go on and win without trying (echoes of those dreadful weeks of April 2023)? Could it be the way we struggled to impose ourselves in last night’s second half against a team with nothing to play for? Could it be that Leroy Rosenior seems to have injected some fight and back bone into the nouveau riche Chavs from SW6? Who knows, I’m even worried that Wigan will do a number on us in the Cup!
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I fully accept that this is an irrational way of thinking and I hope beyond hope that I’m wrong, but it is the hope that kills and the target is well and truly on our back. I actually think that it will start on Saturday at Leeds, continue with a two goal defeat to Chelsea in the second leg of the semi-final and by the time the daffodils are forcing their way up through the early March frost, we will only have the Champions League to aim for. Now in a moment of unbridled optimism, I do actually think that we will get past whichever of Dortmund, Olympiakos, Atalanta or Leverkusen we play in UCL round of 16, but I with our QF opponents likely to be another English team or Real/Inter, I think that’s where it will end and our season with it.
I would suggest that you put a big black mark next to April 15th in your diary, book it off work, turn off your phone, do not got out, close the curtains, avoid TV, radio, the internet and particularly Social Media. The talentless ex-footballers and clueless anti-Arsenal brigade will be out in force and louder than you can ever imagine. It’s going to be hell on earth for the rest of the year and perhaps forever………..and the worst thing is we will deserve everything that we have coming to us. As I say, I desperately want my gut to be wrong. It has been many times before (just not in this way), but I very much fear that it’s not going to be wrong this time
I’ll say no more and I’ll get me coat!
Featured image courtesy of Reuters/Action Images