And so here we are. The final curtain call of yet another season is upon us. Elsewhere the thing has been done and dusted for some time now. My neighbourhood team have long since taken in the goal posts. There’s a travelling funfair on the pitch, dodgem cars racing around the goal mouth, the Waltzer spins upon the centre circle. All around trees are in full and verdant leaf, chicks swell in the nests and family fun days are washed out in the early summer rains.
In the classrooms exam bound school children are dreaming of the beach, of camp sites, of late nights and waking up at noon. Gardening granddads and bumbling bees are busy in back yards and farmers survey silage through half closed eyes and contemplate the first cut. But the Premier League hasn’t quite finished with us yet. There is one last act to play out and all eyes are on just two matches.
It’s true that a defeat for Man City and a goal avalanche for Arsenal would render Liverpool’s contest with Middlesbrough irrelevant but of the unlikely scenarios this seems to present the most vanishingly small chance of success.
Despite our collective disappointment at watching Chelsea run away with the league it is undeniably exciting to be arrive at the ultimate day of the season and still have something to play for. I do like it when a league campaign keeps me interested right to the bitter’s end.
Now I’m not one to pad out a piece with extensive quotations nor to indulge in such ego caressing narcissism as to quote myself but then I’m not one to miss the final match because I’m attending a vegan festival in the heart of Bristol either but all of these things are about to happen.
As the end of term mood imbues my Sunday morning thoughts I couldn’t help but reflect on how short a time it seems since all this started again and yet how very much has happened. Here is what I had to say in my very first blog of the season
“I always hope for the best of all possible outcomes. If that ends up meaning fourth place or a Europa league position or just avoiding relegation then that’s what I’ll be cheering for at the death.
Not this time though. Having been stung by the season which followed the World Cup I watched in horror as the Euros dragged on to see all those Arsenal players not getting a break, not resting and recharging. I realised that this would be a difficult season. Now it seems that we will not only have to catch up after a slow start but also assimilate all sorts of new faces into the squad, which, when allied to the inevitable injuries ( a knock on effect of the international bullshit we all had to endure) simply means disruption and disjointed performances.”
I know what you’re thinking – crystal ball stuff isn’t it? But not really, it was all easily predictable and a disrupted season has produced mixed results. It is of course not all over yet, not in the league nor in the FA Cup and getting to within sniffing distance of the top four and to a Wembley final in such a difficult season is no mean feat and the manager and his staff deserve credit for this.
So where do we go from here? I don’t believe we need another influx of new players to disrupt the squad yet again we just need people not to get injured all the time. The players are good enough, but the results have simply been insufficiently consistent to mount a serious challenge. Despite a very good run, which lasted until just before Christmas when Everton and City took six points from us in consecutive games, we just didn’t hold it together for long enough. Those six points would have robbed us of our fun today but would have put an entirely different complexion on our season.
I know, I know, it’s all ifs and buts, but then that’s what we do at this time of year isn’t it? Like an impotent man with a big arse, there is so little in front and so much behind us that some reflection is only natural. However, I’ll put my short term nostalgia on hold and try to focus on the game today.
We owe Everton one don’t we? We deserved at least a draw at Goodison and need to pay them back this afternoon. Our visitors are in reasonable to middling nick right now. They’ve lost two of their previous six and won three. But then, they were in a dreadful run of form when last we played them and we were unbeaten in fourteen league games and we all know how that panned out.
There has been a huge improvement in our performances of late, and confidence appears to be returning to the side. Kieran Gibbs has shored up our vulnerable left flank and our mercurial Chilean has found his passing and shooting boots. We have the fire-power, the resilience and the belief we need to do our bit, the question is can ‘boro lift themselves and do to Liverpool what Newcastle did to Spurs?
Despite my seeming ability to see into the future the truth is I don’t know what will happen today. Last games are like opening games – a bugger to predict. In any case I’ve never gone in for that psychic stuff. For what it’s worth I believe we’ll do it with aplomb and both Liverpool and City will lose and an awful lot of humble pie will be eaten come five o’clock today. Not by me I hasten to add, I’ll be eating an Indonesian jackfruit curry followed by breaded seitan and tofu wrap washed down with a Sorrel smoothie. Possibly.
Anyway that’s enough from me, I’ll see you one last time for my cup final preview but that is all I have for another league season. I’m sorry I’ve failed to discuss take over bids, ex players comments to the press, and the manager’s contracts, but you see none of that is of any interest or relevance to us. All we have to do is to sit and enjoy the game. So let’s do that shall we? One more time.
Positively Arsenal 
A heartful thanks from me Stew for all your blogs this season. A tour de force finale, poetics worthy of L.Lee, some jokes and funny observations, and some keen eyed views on the final day of the season.
Heres to coming fourth, heres to Wenger staying on, and let next weekend take care of its self till then and we get behind the lads today.
Thanks again, Im sure its not always been easy for you or Andy Nic this season to make the PA match sandwich of preview and review, but Im sure I speak (write) for many of us that are grateful to you both for all your efforts.
Thank you.
COYG!
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Love that Steww a fitting post to the end of the PL season. Although I didn’t like your choice of phrase “bitter end” the rest was suitably uplifting.
You can pick any points dropped in the season to highlight our current predicament but like you said the game which is difficult to predict, the game where we didnt have our euro players availiable and the game where it so nearly finished in a draw highlights the fine lines of finishing positions. That first game against liverpool had it finished level would have meant us only needing a draw today but there you go.
At the moment as Jonny Nash would say “there are still more questions than answers” going on around the club that this last game of the PL season sees nothing finished really as there is still a couple of game of thrones size books worth of chapters still developing at the club.
On the culinary theme I fully intend to enjoy the last game and see some good ARSENAL football served up and then go for a few beers and a chinese with Steve his mates and my eldest lad COYG.
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A o B – Bitter’s end refers to the final piece of rope on a ship not bitter as in foul tasting. Don’t panic!
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bitter-end.html
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Another excellent read. Thank you
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Its always nice to be at PA.
Always positive all the way from start to finish.
Keep it up PA.
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The season really does feel over in a flash but you prepped us all with mini-masterpieces in prose this entire footballing year, which was no mean feat. No match day was complete without a Black scene-setter and all the better it was for it too, keeping us grounded and sensible whilst so many around the blogosphere and beyond lost their heads. Your gentle, sensible contemplation of upcoming encounters helped us to keep ours. And very many thanks for all of that.
Heaven help us all between now and August!
But what of today’s encounters?
Well I wouldn’t fancy being in Liverpool’s shoes with an expectant crowd anticipating an Anfield walkover against a supposedly stricken side stuffed to the gills with players playing for an escape route out of the Championship, the whole thing televised. A team with nothing to lose against a home side whose season-long inconsistency really does leave their league position flattering to deceive.
Equally at the Emirates some suggest Everton will roll over for Arsenal to allow their near neighbours to tumble out of the CL. I don’t personally buy it but our form of late has been quite splendid. I was fortunate to get up to the Ems to see us despatch West Ham and Man U in the flesh but one of the highlights of the season for me (aside from THAT Giroud goal) was Sanchez’s pass to Ozil for THAT Stoke goal. A worldie if ever there was one. When you have players capable of that then you of course have a chance against any opposition, be it Everton, Chelsea or anyone else.
So a multitude of grounds for optimism for a last minute Arsenal dash into the top four, frankly a most unlikely possibility six weeks ago. Even two weeks ago, let’s face it.
But I won’t lose my head, either way. And, like Stew, I’m grateful that Arsenal are as ever active in a meaningful way in two of the last games of the domestic season.
And people wonder why we want Arsene to stay.
COYG’s!!!
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If there was any one in the world I’d choose to have a final last time with it would be Stew. Strictly in a platonic Up the Arsenal sort of a way, I hasten to add. And probably with some wistful Finzi playing to enhance that sense of a vanishing England he so effortless evokes.
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Morning Stew,
Another season closes, the rock rolling is temporarily suspended, the pleasuresome burden set aside for a few weeks.
ESPECIALLY IF WE BEAT EVERTON AND CLUMP KOEMAN THIS AFTERNOON !
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Not sure which I will miss the most, the football or Stew and Andy’s delightful blogs.
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Have managed to snaffle a last minute ticket if anyone is heading to the Ems for an end of season beer? Maybe meet at the Blackburn George around 1.30 pm? If not enjoy the game, wherever you are!
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Good luck to them today…..guess there is always a chance that those going will be saying goodbye to one or two staff and players who have served the club well, would be good to send them off with an excellent performance.
It’s been a difficult, disrupted season. There were times when nothing went for the team. There were times, when the team were down, when opponents kicked our best out of games, with impunity, I am sure this got to some. Times of uncertainty over the future. Endless media belittling. There seemed to be week after week at one point where ours lost, and ALL the rivals won, but things have improved, the manager has shown he actually does possess tactical flexibility ….and the players have shown strength of character, giving at least the chance of ending the season on a high. But even if we finish empty handed, have a hunch there is a lot to look forward to next season, especially if ,as reported the manager really is staying
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Re “bitter’s end”. And there I was thinking you were talking about the last of the pint of amber nectar.
Thanks for all the league reviews Stew, after next week what are we going to do for the best in kind,insightful and enjoyable reading?
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The final chapter of the PL season. Thanks Stew, it has been a fine read from the first page to the last.
There’s a bit uneasiness for me today. Not because I dont think we can do the job vs Everton but because I’m doing my best impression of a pretzel for events over at Anfield. Social media will be fun one way or the other come 6pm local time, for me, 5pm for you guys in the UK.
Good luck to the boys and all of you for today. COYG
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If we go 4-0 it looks like Per might be given an outing?
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hectorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 1-0 to the arsenal
welbeck misses an open goal but bellerin fires in
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back in the top four!
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watford 0-1 man city
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Kos will miss the final.
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michael oliver sends off Koscielny, who is not out of the FA Cup final, well done pgmol
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sorry that should be now out of cup final, and not, is not out of the cup final
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And yet the Lillywhite fouling machines escape one single red in two whole seasons? Smelling the fish here
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I still reckon we can win this game.
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That was such a stupid foul
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need our fans to get behind the lads.
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If we had reds for some of the tackles we get I would not mind so much PGMOL wankers
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seemingly middlesboro have had a clear penalty not given to them
watford 0-2 man city
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I suppose he still has the penalty card to use up his Northern sleeve
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everton bringing on ross barkley
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Boro denied penalty? Shock horror, strap me vitals guv and no mistake who would have thunk it?
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nice. More please. Come on Boro!
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alexissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss 2-0 to the arsenal
alexis takes a shot it hits an everton defender then hits welbeck, he then gets to the ball before the keeper, seemed to stop, then rolled it to alexis to fire into an empty net
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watford 0-3 man city
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good to see Twatford putting up a big fight against Citeh.
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watford 0-4 man city
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liverpool have scored, top 4 is over for this year
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The Orns will come back and win 5-4.
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hang in there Ed, Boro might still do the biz.
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HT: Arsenal 2-0 Everton
played some great football, two odd goals, cech with some fine saves, koscielny sent off and misses the cup final.
with lfc winning top 4 looks beyond us, come on chambers be our hero
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Pgmol doing their utmost for Liverpool at anfield….but won’t hear much about it in the media
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Hot afternoon here – expect both sides to tire in closing few minutes – good game
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Gab looks like hes in the poop too.
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Gabriel down with what looks like a serious knee injury
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liverpool now 2-0 up, 4th is gone
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gab off and our captain is on for his first game time this season
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Not funny to see Gab going off. Come on Per! Europa league here we come?
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how is that not a second yellow?
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well all you need to know about michael oliver and the pgmol, williams with a clear second yellow card offense but of course he is not an arsenal player so no sending off, disgraceful
lfc now 3-0 up
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3-0 Pool. Europa league we aving a laugh!
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oliver has now given everton a penalty
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