Morning all.
Nine points clear at the top of the table, a League Cup Final just days away and of course Arsenal are still in the Champions League as well as the FA Cup, but, we haven’t won anything yet!
I don’t know about you guys but I’m not a fan of all the chit chat about nine points being too many for Man City to chase down. It’s rubbish really, especially as they have a game in hand and we have to play them. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather be in the position we are rather than City’s but the last manager who boasted about having points on the board rather than games in hand etc was Fergie and I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you what happened that season. Ok, I will. Lol
It was the 1997/98 season when Utd held an 11 point lead in early March. Admittedly, Arsenal had three games in hand over Fergie’s lot but those games needed to be won. It was Utd’s title to lose, said the media. Well, lose it they did as not only did Arsenal win all their games but they defeated Utd at Old Trafford too. Marc Overmars scoring the only goal of the game.
On the flip side, the 2002/03 season saw the reverse unfold as it was Arsenal who held a healthy 8 point lead heading into March. Utd didn’t have any games in hand but they didn’t need them as Arsenal went on an awful run of results winning four of the final nine fixtures. Utd ended up winning the title by five points.
To use a golfing analogy, until we are 3 up with 2 to play, nothing is certain in the Premier League.
Guardiola, Sky Sports and every other media outlet and ex player turned pundit can deploy their mind games all they like but this season has a long way to go yet and no result is a forgone conclusion regardless of how it looks on paper. The results this weekend are a good example of that. Who would have predicted West Ham taking a point from their game against Man City, the whipping boys Totts earning a point at Anfield, or indeed Newcastle Utd beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge? The best of all though, who would have predicted 16 year old Max Dowman to change a game in the way he did? Not just because of his goal but because of the way he imposed his game on the opposition. His cross which ended up in the back of the net thanks to the touch from Hincapie and tap in from Gyokeres was perfect. Perfect because it was close enough to Pickford to tempt him, but not close enough for him to get a touch.
Just because he’s done it once though, let’s not put too much pressure on him to do it twice or three times. He’s a boy who needs protecting and thank goodness that is exactly what Arteta is doing with him. The talk in the media which I heard yesterday about the upcoming World Cup and whether Tuchel should look to include him is stupid. Unlike Wenger who agreed with the decision to take a 16 year old Walcott to a World Cup a few years ago, despite I believe not having played for Arsenal, I don’t for one minute believe Arteta will follow suit with Dowman should the situation arise.
Just as I don’t think Arteta will allow talk of a 9 point lead at the top of the table being anything other than what it is. A 9 point lead. Not when 21 are still on offer and 24 for City.
Catch up in the comments.