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 
lukaku makes it 2-1
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Gabriel gets a yellow for giving away a throw in. No second yellow for Williams for stopping an attack though. Joke.
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COYG!
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Funny how Watford put up a massive fight against us at the Emirates, but lie down and think of Hertfordshire against City.
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60 minutes – coquelin on for xhaka
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Xhaka safe for the final.
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The season ends as it has been all along…way too much influence by the pgmol…..think that is double figures in pens conceded by arsenal now, a rare event for anyone, let alone one of the cleaner teams in the league.
Still, nobody at the club is going to do anything about it
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cool your head Holding.
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why isnt the snide off?
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oliver does not want to send off an everton player, clear second yellow offense by sneiderlin but of course oliver says no yellow, disgraceful stuff
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alexis sitting down in middle of the pitch injured
the excitement in the commentators when they thought efc had levelled
alexis off, iwobi on
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bloody hope Alexis is fine.
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an awful day for afc so far, kos out suspended, gab out injured, and now alexis a doubt with injury.
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and no CL.
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its 10v11 when it should be 10v9,
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Hectors has a good game today.
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Ramseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy 3-1
what a wonderful finish by ramsey, edge of the area curler into the top corner
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Kellys man!!!
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FT: 3-1
a great win but a bad day, finished season 5th, koscielny out of cup final with suspension, gabriel out injured and alexis an injury doubt.
some great football, probably should have hit efc for six or seven
michael oliver was a disgrace, no wonder the pgmol think so highly of him
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well there it is. first time in a generation we dont make it to the CL. Why Boro werent given a pen and Liverpool didnt have a red are baffling( or not really).
Rambo on a smart goal. Hector good game. Per back. Hope Alexis is ok.
COME BACK SOON SANTI!!!
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Superb performance and with 10, created some quality chances
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Koeman knows he can send a team to do pretty much what they like against,arsenal, and they will not be red carded.
That said, decent performance and result , especially with ten men. And what a final goal. That was a good end to the season in the league.
There have been disappointments this season, poor form , low confidence. Learning points. Injuries have caused havoc….again….if there are going to be some changes, perhaps employ the medics/fitness staff who look after Spurs, unlike most bielsa inspired teams, they did not run out of energy seasons end. Chelsea also did rather well on the injury front, but no Europe. And ,Either take on, or find a way to deal with the pgmol, they have cost us big time this season….again…and in money too Stan….and no, it doesn’t even itself out, when far dirtier teams than us have gone a couple seasons without an on field red.
But the positives, we can win the Europa, we are not going to get Bayern or Barca first knockout, we can use it to develop youngsters and fringe players, while keeping first teasers fresh for what could be a title challenge. We have finished strongly, and if we are able to field eleven players , there is a cup to be won.
All good things come to an end, it is how they respond that counts.
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It was an excellent run. 20 years in top-4. This season 75 pts, highest ever to not qualify for top-4. We’ve been the most consistent.
No question we were screwed over by the PGMO, today and all season. But we all know that is a permanent obstacle we must overcome.
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Sadly, one of the worst things about this season, the media/WOB have got pretty much everything the dreamed of, their favourite teams in the top two, northern Giants third and fourth and even Utd should make the ECL next season. Just Arsenal amongst the top dogs who have missed out, I hope this fires and inspires those at the club to put things right.
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Wenger and Bouldy not on the thank you walk around?
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Not seen but by sounds of it a good performance in difficult circumstances.
Have never claimed refs tend to make big decisions against us from thin air, only that if they get a chance to go give something big against us- pen, straight red, 2nd yellow- they’re almost sure to do it; whereas with something similar to benefit us, they’re likely not to. A stupendous disadvantage to try and combat.
Yet we’ve still ended up with 75 points, despite some disappointment and mistakes of our own doing to go with the normal pgmol shite.
Signs look good that 3 at the back can help us, including making us more resilient against Riley’s goons. Too late, ultimately, to save us for CL this year, but maybe next it can do the trick.
Dare they hit us again with likes of 3 straight reds none against, and 10 pens against, meaning yet another negative year for them under Riley (7th now I think) while angels at Spurs do so well from them? They’d probably like to avoid it as there must be some theoretical tipping point which makes all our fans believe something is wrong with them. Maybe Dean in the managerial position I expect he’ll take now can help us.
Anyway, real shame to lose key players for cup, but form allows for plenty of hope, then onto the next year supporting this great club.
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Gabriel was having a great game, such a pity about his injury
cech was very good again, as he has been in recent weeks, would you select him for the cup final, or is that ospina’s spot
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Am sick and tired of having to make this point: Our season, for the 2nd year in succession, turned when Santi suffered a long-term injury in October. Up to that point and up to December we were 1st or 2nd in the league. So significant is Santi’s influence the boss had to change the shape of the team in March. If one fails to understand how important is a secondary playmaker to this team then one will fail to identify where we must focus to strengthen the team.
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BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal will have to play wild card of either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in next seasons Europa league. Its a new rule thats been organised.
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find it odd that wenger did not join in the lap of appreciation, that is the first time he has not done it
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What was the booing for after the final whistle?
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Ed- I thought the same, did he feel uncomfortable?
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Arsenal will enter next season’s Europa League at the group stage, which runs from Thurs 14 September to Thurs 7 December. #afc
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What a great performance by Arsenal. Came out firing on all cylinders, took an early lead, and then, the error that cost us. Giving the pgMOB the chance to screw us over, yet again. This time, with the cup final thrown in as bonus.
No way is that a red card in this league if you aren’t wearing an Arsenal shirt. Maybe if you’re playing against ManU, Spurs, or Chelsea. Definitely not if your opponent is wearing an Arsenal shirt.
And apparently Liverpool got away without conceding a penalty and a red card? Pulling out all the stops even on the final day.
I was mentally prepared to finish 5th and it isn’t the ‘humiliation’ it’s being made out to be. But once again, I finish watching a game of PL football, and despite some brilliant play by us and the right result, I am just sitting here angry.
We’re not going to be able to win the title as long as the refs are allowed to treat us this way. We’d have to be miles ahead of all teams in terms of talent if we are to overcome this rubbish.
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feel similar to you shard, the reds and penalties against us just do not happen to anyone else, nor ever in our favor. when was the last time we had two players on yellows then commit yellow card fouls, and not have at least one of them get sent off, I honestly can not recall it happening for us. But i can recall several where it went the other way.
and then to have the media and pundits make excuses for the ref, the whole thing is a fraud
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Strange Wenger didn’t show up after game, but I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
If he were leaving, surely he would be even more likely to be out there saying goodbye. Perhaps he went to tell the ref what he thinks of them this season
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Li’l Dice @SmolManSyndrome
Man who has predicted Arsenal to finish outside the top 4 for the past decade now screaming he was “right all along”
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mandy i seen a photo of wenger standing near the sideline around the tunnell area as the lap was being done
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There’s loads of worrying uncertainty, but if you could somehow promise that no CL would not seriously harm us in terms of keeping or attracting players, I’d find it easy to feel optimistic about next year.
As it stands, we just have to wait and see what happens with manager and key players, as well as who we can bring in.
The positives are results and performances since the change of system (7 wins and many good performances, one bad loss), the pattern of recent years of no CL benefiting teams in the league (though we only stand to receive some of that if we rotate heavily for Europa), plus the simple fact that due primarily to the immense quality of Barca, Bayern and Real the possibility of an English club winning CL is remote, whereas Europa League offers a good chance of winning European trophy.
Without those aforementioned worries at the top, I’d be feeling pretty good about the future, so long as i can avoid all the shit and misery of journalists and many fans.
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with kos and gab out of the cup final, if we are to keep 3 at the back then our choices are 3 from Mustafi, Holding, Mertesacker and Monreal, and if Monreal is a cb then gibbs left back.
any word on why mustafi missed todays game, is he injured too
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he must have been concerned about the Wob and what with the players little kids around?
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Wenger on missing out on the Champions League – “It’s sad.”
Wenger on Kroenke – I respect Stan Kroenke a lot, he is not at fault for not reaching the CL. The technical department is responsible. It’s been difficult. My personal situation has certainly contributed to that.”
Wenger: Gabriel to have a scan tomorrow – it doesn’t look good for Saturday.
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Wenger: I will love this club until the last day of my love.
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Mills
The crowd were understandably and vociferously booing the pgMOB representative.
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Great effort from ten against twelve
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Great performance by 10 v 12. I love watching a game of football, but I am heartily sick of the crap that surrounds it. That the anti-SK chant was the loudest of the day just shows the level to which the AFC fan base has sunk. I was embarrassed to be associated with them today. What exactly has he done to warrant such abuse? Not spent his own money to buy them the latest expensive play thing to make them feel better about their pathetic empty lives? Fucking bunch of losers who have no idea what support means
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Ozil having fun today, Ramsey too.
Sanchez still carrying that knock from the kind of hack that gets called red for AFC. Hope he’s ok for the final along with Gabriel.
Gabriel’s ninja nibble hasn’t been as appreciated as Holding’s barge but that is the level of stealth an AFC foul requires, especially against top opponents (& respect too – Silva was back for the next match).
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Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 15m15 minutes ago
The wankers are mad Arsene didn’t do a lap of appreciation. They wanted to abuse him. How fucking thoughtless of him?
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