Freeman Mag returns with his final preview of the season
Premiership Game 34 (W12 D6 L15 – 14th): Season 2025-2026
**Date:**Saturday 25 April 2026, at 5:30pm, Live on Sky TV at the 60,704 all seater Emirates Stadium.
Football Trivia: Arsenal fans sometimes refer to their ground as Ashburton Grove as a reaction against sponsored stadiums – something which I think is laudable as, even if naming is a great revenue stream, it just comes across as crass and naff.
**Quizzy Rascal:**Who scored Arsenal’s decisive second goal when they won the League very late on at Anfield in 1989?
Preview Ramblings by Freeman Mag:
I could have sworn I had not done an Arsenal preview for ages, but there it is, this fixture last season was our penultimate game on Sunday 18 April 2025 and I was typing away about NUFC being two wins away from finishing second in the league; with their fate in their own hands.
Not a spoiler alert: we lost both, natch, as is the NUFC way, and scraped into the corrupt UCL in fifth. Since that kick-off just over a year ago, NUFC have generally been pretty poor. Plenty has been written about our current malaise – I need not add to it here and now; this is a preview not an eulogy.
Last season we beat Arsenal three times, once in the league at our place (1-0, The Rat, 12th min, back in November 2024, NUFC in 11th) then home and away in those joyous League Cup semi-finals (2-0 each time: early Jan, early Feb 2025 – oh so long ago).
I had to check, but lo and behold, NUFC lost the return fixture at SJP this season on Sunday 28 September 1-2, to an injury time goal after being 1-0 up at half time (through the BFG / Backwards Facing German – remember him?). Surely late winners for the opposition, after NUFC going 1-0 up, would not keep on happening again and again throughout the season. Not a spoiler alert, they did, regularly – NUFC are now in 14th.
Last year, as this season, Arsenal had lost 1-2 to The Cherries in their previous home game prior to playing us and were again in somewhat of a rut – I was minded to type then: “Shergar has got better recent form”. That applies to both teams now; in fact NUFC look deader than Shergar.
This is a massive game for Arsenal, as they need to get back to winning ways if they want to scoop the League Title, and they also now have to think about outscoring Man City, with whom they are now level on both points and goal difference after a midweek 0-1 win at Burnley for the Blues.
My London contacts still have some hope and Gooner Keane says:
“It’s not easy being an Arsenal fan, but we need to remember 1989 and see that this can still be our year. Can we outscore City in the title race? Probably not, but Arsenal never do it the easy way. There are still twists and turns and we cling to the hope that Moyes can help his old captain out or, ironically, the recently unbeaten Bournemouth can help us deliver the Premiership; after having so badly damaged our chances of winning last time out at home” –nice lad, but that all seems a tad desperate.
The Gooners also have a tough two-legged semi-final in the UEFA Champions League coming up against Barcelona beaters Atlético Madrid, which will drain them further.
I can’t see Arsenal winning all their remaining games and I cannot see Man City slipping up and dropping any points from their last five matches, but anything can happen – as NUFC found out after basking in wins against Man United at home and Chelsea away just last month and looking upwards to more adventures in Europe next season; which also seems ages away now.
Since then, NUFC results have been aka a ‘microphone check’ (1-2, 1-2, 1-2) and the purported Plan A has not worked again and again, so much so that I wonder if there is a Plan A at all or if it is something mythical like a unicorn. I cannot see NUFC winning against a zealous team with something to play for, as the heart seems to have seeped out of this black & white squad.
Mundanity and mediocracy are now our identity.
Being the opposition at the start of Arsenal’s must-win run of games, I fear we will be swept away after the Gooners last two damaging defeats. Need a win – call on an ailing NUFC! We have all seen it too many times.
The ‘Gordon’ question also now looms heavy over the club – he does seem to get short term injuries at very peculiar times. I suppose he takes a decent penalty against mediocre European opposition, which is more than Isak has achieved this season at Liverpool - off he can flounce there, for all I care.
For me, it’s good riddance, as his body language stinks, as does his attitude. If we can get a decent price, and Bayern Munich seem to be interested, I would hope as part of the deal there are a couple of promising German youngsters we could take, maybe on loan (or part-exchange with a buy-back clause). Them and Big Nick might help each other (buying denim jackets and sewing band labels on them, dwelling on the ball too long, growing shaggy hair or mullets, passing backwards, listening to soft rock, being shrugged off the ball easily etc).
If it is to be Gordon Go-Go, please, let’s do it, and do it quick and before the World Cup, then (as per The Rat) let karma take over.
Speaking of take-overs, five years down the line, I am not the only one who is ready for a change at the very top. It’s pointless (literally) having rich owners who don’t spend much and don’t like bending the rules like the Greedy Six do.
Will the Arabs fire-sale their little Geordie football project, as it has stalled somewhat and they have bigger fish to fry? I hope so. But it’ll likely be some huge American entity we get. Knowing NUFC’s luck it will be Trump after his presidency and he’ll appoint himself Manager and Head Coach and relegate us within a season. On such inane thoughts I will leave you all to it.
It’s my last preview this season which has been a rollercoaster.
I’ve been able to travel abroad and see The Lads play six more games away in Europe (seven as saw the U19s in Leverkusen too), with two big wins (and also our biggest defeat ever). NUFC have enjoyed domestic victories over Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs (twice – one League Cup), Villa (FA Cup - away). Proudly, NUFC have stood up against PSG away again, and performed well in large parts of three matches against the powerhouse which is 12 man Barcelona.
Sadly the joys of last minute winners against Leeds and Fulham (League Cup) have been far outweighed by such similar daggers from opposition sides with NUFC dropping 26 points in the League – which is appalling.
I hope that all that bad luck will have been used up, so next season, which shall see the centenary of the last time NUFC won the top flight title, it is all good luck, no European distractions and a 38 game winning run to the title.
Anyhoos, there, or armchair, try and enjoy the game!
Freeman Mag
Quiz answer: Mickey Thomas (Michael Lauriston Thomas).