In this Manchester City – Arsenal match review Blackburn George @arseblagger (suspended on Twitter) is not surprised that the Gunners were “humbled and outclassed” by the Citizens as this was his prediction in the previous podcast. City has the better players and the better coach. On the day City was unbeatable. Neither he nor Shotta think its worthwhile trying to find scapegoats for this defeat. To the contrary Arsenal has come a long way within a year but City are a a cut above as they look likely to win their 5th title in six years. The Gunners have exceeded expectations by qualifying for the Champions League and simply need to recover from this defeat and finish the season as strong as they started.
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Positively Arsenal 
Please promote this podcast if you have a twitter account, as I’m currently banned for saying Partey plays like a Donkey under pressure.
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Anyone with sense knew. It’s would beat us who we was in our line up. Recent History shows us that.
But what has happened over the last month brings into focus very sharply the weaknesses and yes we have faded, badly.
So much so It is difficult to see where a win in our remaining fixtures might come from. Newcastle away? No chance. Chelsea at home, wounds still to raw.
What is alarming is the paucity of class evident outside the first 11.
Nketiah? Oh seriously, we have tried to sell him in 3 successive summers. Nelson, on the back of 20 mins v Bournemouth ? What about the previous 3 years! Holding. Did us proud before but we are trying to move on up. Jesus? Oh save me, he is NOT a striker and we need a striker! Jorginho? Only bought because we could t get Kanye. Kiwior? What a waste. Vieira? Any more lightweight he would blow away.
Then there is Arteta. Done a great job getting rid of the mischief and dragging us back into CL. But let’s not pretend he is a Pep Wenger Ferguson. Though he shares AW trap of persisting with under performing favourites
Hold on to your hats it gonna get bumpier
Oh can we please buy some fb’s
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Silent Stan, this site is called Positively Arsenal , just incase you are a bit lost
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I reject the ‘faltered,’ ‘faded,’ or even more derogatory ‘bottled’ label for the last four games where Arsenal drew 3 and lost one.
Any objective analysis would predict Arsenal would lose away to Man City and Liverpool. Winning away in the Premier League is difficult, winning away to top 8 teams, rare. The draw to West Ham hurt, but the Hammers are a decent side overwhelmed by a lack of depth. The Southampton draw hurt, but playing the bottom club in the run in is always risky, they have nothing to lose and can just go for it, which the Saints did.
The other thing to keep in mind is the teams Arsenal are playing. They have padded their records playing the easier teams, with a run in featuring City, Chelsea, Liverpool. Brighton, and Newcastle. City have already played those teams. City is deeper and their manager is brilliant at rotating his squad all through the season. Mikel Arteta, in contrast, has played the same XI consistently, when they are fit. Pep paid a price for rotating early, but is reaping the rewarss now. Arteta did not rotate early, but now he needs Vieria, Nelson, Holding, Jorginho, Smith Rowe, and Tierney and they are not integrated into the side.
I also reject the silliness of the ‘It’s all Rob’s Fault! being sung, fortissimo, by Charlie Watts and others. Holding might, and only might, be blamed for one of the 11 goals scored by Arsenal opponents in the four games where they dropped points. When Alexander Arnold stood the ball up to the back post for Firmino, Holding was out jumped – however, Zinchenko’s defending on Alexander Arnols was like a matador with a cape, and Firmino was being marked by Ben White. Holding dropped to cover after While failed to track him. So… he was out jumped, but not really his responsibiltiy.
As far as getting outmuscled by Haaland… seriously? Haaland has 49 goals in all comps, he set the legue 38 game season record with 8 games to play. He’s manhandled the entire league, or run away from them. There is not a center back in world football who can play him one-on-one. And on the play where he held Holding off, De Bruyne ran away from Partey, Gabriel, and White, none of whom made a challenge. No mention of Ben White playing Stones onside for the second goal, and Haaland scored, with Gabriel flailing like a U-18 player on the fourtth. But it’s Holding who gets blamed. Pathetic.
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Trying to sell Eddie for three years really, numerous clubs made offers but we done everything we could to hold on to him.
I think that’s a off poetic licence stretched a mile.
Reiss done really well on his loans but then suffered a really bad injury and because of Mikel’s policy of playing the same eleven or his favoured played he and ESR really haven’t had much of a chance.
As far as pleading to buy more players is concerned we have spent massively over the last few seasons even topping all the other big spenders until recently.
The comment about Arsene falling into a trap of playing bad players is laughable. At no time during his twenty odd years was he backed in the transfer market and what he did with the players he had and found was truly amazing and the enormity of his success is is getting more apparent every season.
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@arseblagger: People are asking tactical questions in the comments section of the podcast. Hop on over. You are our our expert.
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There is value for next season in resting some regulars in the remaining fixtures I hope we get to see more Nelson and one or two others. Props from me to the coaches for not doing a John Terry with Saliba.
With a season in the CL ahead Arteta has the challenge of being smarter in his squad rotations ahead of him. I wonder what Arsenal fan Harry Enfield’s reaction was when he saw a recent squad list: “Oi Arteta No! It’s Jorginho! Not Viera”
(JJ they are both Arteta signings!).
Great podcast thank you. Still some big fixtures to play & this season has more goals for. COYG
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Important correction:
“Oi Arteta No! It’s Jorginho! Not Fabian* Viera”
*No offence to the player just avoiding any misunderstanding!
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It’s possible to be critical of the use of Jorginho & Trossard & Nelson in recent weeks to rest and rotate fatigued or players returning from big injuries.
But starting two eights away to City was a brave call from Arteta. Brave & stubborn. Reminds me of another coach.
And if I was ashamed to watch Emery’s Arsenal attempt to play football against Watford I am not horrified by a defeat going for it against the most doped team in history.
Some have been critical of the lack of variation in the team’s shape against City & looking at the City line up today against Fulham looks like they’ve shifted back to their usual posture/balance after Pep adjusted it for the Arsenal game.
However I agree with George about the approach to the City match (Viera over Jorginho wasn’t a consideration in the City game). If more defensive players were available or not injured maybe. Would’ve been harsh IMO to drop Partey for Jorginho after some good form before the recent games but that’s one call people can debate I guess.
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I agree with George about the approach to the City match.
Would’ve been harsh IMO to drop Partey for Jorginho after some good form before the last few games but that’s one call people can debate I guess.
the defensive injuries in the squad could have made the option of repeating the fa cup semi final counter attacking set up less appealing to the coaches. I’d be a hypocrite criticising Arteta for attacking. Maybe he could’ve inverted the shape of the midfield, watching City’s second goal today from a squad player i’m not sure it matters.
City still as always the favourites. The upcoming derby is always a massive game title is irrelevant many always hope for a victory against the ugly club coyg.
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This was the path many feared the club was upon and indeed it was for a short time.
I agree with Ian. No one did well from the toxicity of the Sanlehhi/Emery years everyone was a loser the players & coaches but not including the agents.
But to be fair they still have a better record then Levy!!!! Only just two years of dodgy antics as opposed to twenty but he still shows up the spuds for the flatulent frauds that they are. Saliba is a better signing then any billy big bollocks poetry from Levy’s pen.
A manager of Conte’s standing in the sport calls out the ownership (hilariously so we thank him & honour him for his service) of one of the most favoured clubs and barely an article in the media to follow up. There it is folks. Tott up the numbers of articles that criticise the neighbours for the above record with the articles attacking the old gaffer for having a budget not built on debt. A fascinating & forensic contrast.
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Manfy Dodd, you are correct. The title of this blog is Positive Arsenal, not Blind Arsenal, Wishful Thinking Arsenal or Dreaming Arsenal.
If you multiply 2 negative numbers you get a positive.
In order to rebuild you need to destroy. Is that not what Arteta has been trying to do, to build his new Arsenal by destroying the old?
He has done the destruction phase very well, but the 2nd part of the ‘process’ leaves a lot to be desired.
It was always doomed to failure whilst Arteta persisted in removing all the experienced and skilled players by ‘his choices’ and persisting with them.
To suggest that criticising Arteta and the players he relies on is against the ethos of his blog belies the realistic comments that the sites creator had been making over the years.
If you wish to live in your own dream world, please do so but do not expect us all to join you.
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Arsenal were on top of the league for 247 nights, City 14. Arteta can’t have been that bad so far this season. Im not sure you can say its a failure unless you’re only able to resonate with perfectionism. And there’s been some pretty exciting moments this season too. Ok, the last games have been disappointing, but only in that we were so close. Anyway its not over yet.
When was the last time Arsenal led the league for 247 nights?
I would rather have this seasons excitement than being back in a mid-table sludgery. It’s been an extraordinary leap this year, and at this moment nobody can say what will happen next year without merely placing a speculative bet. Im not sure anyone expected Newcastle or Villa to do as well as they are, and that’s made things exciting. We have had the usual punditry that disliked Arsenal but also made a lot of new friends on the way.
If you multiply 2 negative numbers you get a positive.Yeah and? But the comments we read here aren’t numbers.You will now tell me that negative comments make a positive one? Depends on your perspective, but then positive and negative fall under the same judgments. I get the feeling you would be unhappy if Arsenal didn’t win the league this year? Why don’t you have anything positive to say about the side, we haven’t been playing paint-by-numbers football this year, and although the subs haven’t made the impact you wanted, sometimes they did. Do you know how hard it is to create a side like City, perhaps the most powerful, skilful side in PL history? Yes we aren’t close to them, but we’ve had something others we couldn’t have made the running for such a long time?
Some people like Arteta and this Arsenal, and yes, its been a drag (with some ok moments too) since Wenger left , perhaps it was always going to be without a big cheque book and a top flight manager to come in, and for many fans there’s a glimmer of hope this season. Something to enjoy and get behind, maybe some people don’t want to read/listen to your opinion.
People quiet rightly make much of democratic ability to express themselves, however the next stage will always be critical analysis of their opinions,that will clash with the cultural mores of the day, that’s part of the democratic liberty too. Sometimes it not that which we say, but the way we say it, the tone and language we use. You ask people not to expect you to live in their perspective of things, but why does they have to live in yours? It works both ways.
I don’t agree either about rebuilding and destruction, evolution shows a different pattern, its more about fitting things together, and even if I did agree, Arteta wanted to do things his way, whats so terrible about that, ok, he got rid of some great players which was sad to see, but formed a side that has got close to winning the league. Artetas not Wenger, and hes never claimed to be, and he had every right as the boss to form things his way.
Most of the negative views about Arteta on here were more in the mid-table sojourn not this year. Anyway now you can tell me how to be more realistic. Whatever that actually means. Isaiah Berlin had some interesting thoughts on that.
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Tight game in Champions League tonight at the Emirates
COYG
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This bleak time continues with the ladies getting knocked out of the CL in the final minutes of extra time, with their massive list of injuries they have done brilliantly well to get this far. It was a cruel way to go out.
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Dave, I agree with some of what you say however the mid table sluggery and paint by numbers football was under Mikel as well so we have to keep that in our minds when we thinking of what will happen in the future.
We have also massively used the cheque book and it is difficult to say we have evolved rather than ripped up first Arsene’s squad and then Uni’s in a relatively short space of time costing the club a fortune on top of the large spend. Obviously that is Mikel and Edu’s fault.
I have really enjoyed this season and it has certainly exceeded my expectations by a mile and yet because of the mistakes of the past and the uniqueness of this season I still have no real idea of our expected finish next season.
Do we expect further improvement or will the added problems of CL and improvements in richer squads push us out of the top four spaces.
I sincerely hope this season is not a one season wonder.
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Jjgsol, and I thought you said you were going to ignore me! I should be flattered I guess.
Yes, Arteta, like all managers when they come in let some players go, Wenger did the same. I am sure managers have their reasons. I cannot think of many of these players whereby you could say Arteta was categorically wrong to do so.
You could say Willian is having a decent season, but he didn’t do a huge amount with us overall, we could prob do with Callum Chambers at the moment, Mikha, maybe at his best, but that didn’t always happen, Cebaillos, he has won things, but was a loan signing. Ozil has retired, and Auba, had, some good times with us, but was MA really that wrong to let him go , I can see no evidence he was .
Arteta is perfectly entitled to build his own team, he would have accepted the job in that basis. Yes he has spent money doing so, but look at what most of our rivals are spending, and City have 100+ charges to face for some of their antics.
Let’s not forget Arteta has the second youngest team in terms of average squad age in this league, several academy grown players have featured this year. And most important of all, he has led us to our highest league finish since the 2015-2016 season, so he must be doing something right.
I might live in a dream world, (but I would take that over the world you show on this site at least) but the metrics are kind of backing me up, don’t you think? Top or second so far all season, unacceptably poor isn’t it! Not forgetting Artetas nice early trophy win either .
The team are showing a steady improvement , they are not finished yet either.
You only appear on here when a result has gone against the team, as is your right, but if your main interest in this team is as it appears on here, ie resenting the manager and some of the players achieving any success, I suspect you are in for an unfulfilling few years to come.
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As George has said on the podcast many times the extremes of opinion may have some validity but the real truth will always lie somewhere in between.
I do think Mandy enjoys rose colored glasses and Jig is sometimes overly harsh but I have agreed with points that both have made.
I do think Mikel and Edu’s ARSENAL have done very well this season. However I also believe this has been a unique season and a real difficult one to gauge progression.
My experience of over six decades tells me the most successful sides are managed by coaches and executives that preside over steady progress but that hasn’t really happened with us and that is what concerns me about this season.
For the last five games of this season I’m just going to try and enjoy the good bits to the full extent and then worry about the future later.
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Tonight pits two teams with great players but bad form together. Although our three draws and a loss seem bad it is wonderful compared to the LLLLL on chelusa’s form book.
Home advantage and a good performance should be enough tonight although I have never been so unsure about an opponent with such a bad recent record because of the world class squad they have.
An ARSENAL win however it is achieved is what is needed just to get us going again so let’s see the fast pace inventive ARSENAL of earlier in the season COYG.
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As Graham Taylor did not say:
Did i like that?
A win over a Chelsea team managed by Lampard by an Arsenal team managed by Arteta?
Sorry JJ but. You bet I did! Alongside at least 60,000 other happy sonorous souls on the night.
How Lampard got more caps then Scholes or Carrick (the English Arteta) was a crime against Football. Some things are more important then titles. Beating Chelsea is one of them.
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Who would have thought that all my hopes would be pinned on Big Sam? A funny old game indeed.
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It was a strange performance against chelusa but as I said before the game we just needed to get back to winning ways however it was achieved and we certainly did that.
Both defences were not great and plenty of don’t panic Mr Manwaring in both penalty areas. We are obviously going to have to defend better against the magpies not just the back four but as a team.
I couldn’t believe MO got MOTM, he took his goals very well and in moments like those he shows just what a class act he is but his performance overall was well below par losing the ball with amazing regularity. His decision making was also off and that is usually one of his better traits.
The one for one sub policy employed by Mikel also didn’t help and probably the wrong options as well.
Jesus again drifted to deep in the second half and once again we had no out ball.
Three points and a win against the little club from SW London, that thinks it’s big because of all the financial doping in the last couple of decades, was excellent and enough to put a smile on any gooners face.
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huddersfield beat sheffield utd 1-0 which means Reading, Blackpool and Wigan are the 3 sides relegated to league one.
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with brighton beating man utd tonight it means arsenal need just a draw with newcastle on sunday to confirm at top 2 finish this season, utd could still match our points total but the goal difference is so much it would never get over turned.
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correction if we get a draw man utd can’t catch us for 2nd, nor could newcastle. Hopefully we get the win at Newcastle and keep our slim title hopes alive for another while.
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utd losing tonight also means Man City will finish above Manchester United in the EPL for the 10th consecutive season.
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They are interesting stats Ed,
The importance of a victory up at st James’s is not only relevance to this season but with them, supposedly, getting better next season confidence of going to these grounds will be very important. Although we have done fantastically away from home in London we haven’t won at any of the big clubs “up north”.
A win would also go some way to shutting up all those who said we have bottled it this season.
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I too am hoping for a big bounce for Big Sam (Latin: Biggus
An animal in danger of extinction but if he pulls it off I’ll treat him to a pint of vino.
However if I put my thinking Football basketball cap on then it’s all or nothing on the City Brighton game. Welbeck.
Whilst putting on all anti-jinx measures, protective balms & adhering strictly to all rituals so that the Gunners might win their game up at Newcastle etc. A Willock OG off Fabian Viera’s arse for the title?
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Another remarkable result for the ladies, racked by injuries and hampered by a ridiculous fixture list and again picking up knocks along the way they still managed to score a fantastic goal and dig out a win.
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no results went well today, hopefully we can win tomorrow and keep the slim title chances going for another game or two or three, ha ha ha
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another disappointing result for our U21’s today, losing 3-0 at home to man city u21’s
our 2 star schoolboys lewis-skelly and nwaneri both played for us, hopefully nwaneri follows lewis-skelly and accepts our scholarship offer.
a lot of talk that many of our youths will be released or sold off this summer, Nelson has not yet accepted our contract offer, reports suggest he has turned it down and as things stand he has a dozen or more clubs making offers to him to join on a bosman.
Balogun is said to be wanting assurances about playing time if he is to remain with us, and its reported Arteta is willing to let him be sold.
Lots of rumors that Smith-Rowe will be sold this summer and that Holding and Tierney will be sold off too.
Patino said to be on the for sale list too.
u21’s like Smith, Azeez and Cotterill all likely to be leaving, as could many of the young players who have been out on loan this season, Auston Trusty has been mentioned as a likely sale after he has done well with Birmingham.
Of the first team players there are lots of rumors that both Partey and Xhaka could be off this summer, several big money replacements being mentioned, for me even if we sign 2 top top class CM’s this summer no way should be sell both Partey and Xhaka, we have to improve squad strength, not just the first 11, no way should we be letting these two go and still be left with the likes of Elneny and Vieira as back up to whoever we sign.
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It is quite strange to think in just over three weeks we will know who has won the league, who has qualified for the champions League, who has taken up the remaining European places and who has survived and been relegated.
Even with the world cup this season seems to have flown by.
My guess is
Champions not us
CL us, magpies and manure.
Europe pool, seagulls,spuds.
Then villa, Brentford, Fulham, chelusa
Wolves, cherries, eagles
hammers, Leicester, Forrest
Relegated
Leeds, toffees saints.
Just a guess I obviously want to be wrong about the champions.
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Newcastle are easy favourites for this game.
Off the form table, and considering they are at home.
But that won’t be covered by the narrative writers and click baiting experts you know the ones that attacked Xhaka for years, called out Holding last week but couldn’t ever acknowledge that Saliba had an understandable horror show at OT as he adapted to the league etc. Shame Saliba wasn’t bought in last season. the fans took to him so quickly simply because he is at the highest level. All we can do is hope the elite management management team at the club (who as JJ gaslights apparently don’t get criticised here) haven’t blown it with his contract.
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I wrote that dropping Partey in recent games would’ve been harsh after his good form earlier in the year but I was glad to see Jorginho in the team for Chelsea.
Away, it’s different, Newcastle look like the new Chelusa and Chelusa are playing like the new Newcastle. Either game is a big contest for the Gunners.
COYG.
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This is ARSENAL’s hardest game left of the season a win here would set us well on the way to a brilliant end to the season.
A really hard game but one we are well capable of winning COYG.
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What a great goal and response to the opening spell and pressure and eagerness from the officials to make “mistakes”.
COYG
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Partey still dropped Away to Newcastle!
That tells us all how poor he has been since half time at Anfield.
And the Experts still tell on their click baiting podcasts that Xhaka should be dropped for any flavour of the month. Stupidity appears to be relentless. I’d feel sorry for their gullible listeners but all they have to do is turn off, tune out, and carry on.
Saka unlucky there. Think he expected the keeper to come in low but Pope stood up well.
COYG.
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One thing the coaches need to get smarter at is getting the physios on when players are actually hurt. We’ve seen improvements in this group with fitness management so fingers crossed.
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They have targeted Saka for rough treatment today.
Really impressed with Kiwior, a bit of calmness has been restored to heart of defence. Good performance so far.
Odegaard man of the match and shout out to Jorgegeeno midfield maestro and Martenelli.
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A hugely entertaining game of football between two good squads.
Fortunately VAR stopped he officials from ruining the spectacle.
A great result for the reasons which Ian outlines above. COYG.
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FT: Newcastle 0-2 Arsenal
Odegaard and an og from schar give us the win that means we can finish no lower than 2nd this season, and keep our slim title chances going for another game or two at least. 3 games to go we are 1 point behind city, who have four games left to play
the referee was a total disgrace today
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That was awesome, in the most difficult circumstances.
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a good day for Arsenal women too, as with liverpool women beating man city women it means CL place is now back in our own hands, we have 2 games in hand on city and are 3 points behind them, we still have a very slim chance of winning the title, amazing considering the 4 ACL injuries to star players this season, and kim little out for last phase of the season too with an injury.
Arsenal women have 4 games left to play
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What a wonderful team performance to guarantee a top 2 finish. They got this one just right.
Newcastle are an embarrassment to the game on this evidence, and that should be the second Greater Manchester official to be sacked this season following one of our games, for demonstrating a complete inability, for whatever reason, to enforce the clearest rules of the game. Lucky one of our players wasn’t badly injured after this thing that was supposed to be officiating signalled they could do what they wanted.
Great result under massive provocation , they should be proud of that performance and this season in general, whatever happens from now on in.
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The only teams Arsenal have not beaten this season are league leaders Man City, who we lost to twice, and bottom club Southampton who we drew with twice, everyone else we beat at least once. Those 4 dropped points to southampton is the difference in between the two sides. Add in drawing at lfc and to whu after being 2-0 up in both games, and if we don’t win the title there will be some real regret at how we left this behind us.
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by the way we have scored at least once against every team in the EPL this season
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That was a truly immense performance away from home to a good side third in the table.
If you add in the magpies decided to play really dirty today and we have just witnessed an amazingly terrible performance from the officials (who are supposed to safeguard the safety of the players) then you can gauge just how good it was.
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west ham 1-0 man utd, leaves man utd just one point ahead of 5th placed liverpool, but with a game in hand
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