Morning all.
Liverpool battered Man City yesterday afternoon in every department bar the scoreline. With better finishing, the game could have been over in the first half. Yes, Liverpool looked very very good but let’s not forget they were playing against a City team who haven’t won a game for a few weeks and are really out of form. They’ve been so bad I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been Leeds Utd beating them yesterday.
Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool aren’t top of both the Premier League and Champions League through luck, although they do have more than their fair share of that, they’re there because they keep on winning.
The reality is though, they earned three points in what was possibly one of the easiest contests they’ll face for the rest of the season.
Every other club might as well give up chasing them for the league title because apparently, yesterday they took another step towards winning the league according to Sky Sports. Have they forgotten it’s December?
A 9 point lead has been chased down before. Not often admittedly but it’s been done. I’ve nicked this table from The Sporting News.
| Season | Eventual Champion | Eventual Runners-Up | Points Gap |
| 1995-96 | Manchester United | Newcastle | 12 |
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | Manchester United | 11 |
| 2013-14 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 9 |
| 2002-03 | Manchester United | Arsenal | 9 |
| 2011-12 | Manchester City | Manchester United | 8 |
The best of the above was 1997/98. It was Arsene Wenger’s first Premier League title and Arsenals first for a while. At one stage, in December funny enough, we were 13 points behind the then leaders Manchester Utd. Fergie was being his arrogant self by dismissing our chances of catching them, or something like than but instead, he should have focussed on his own team. 15 wins and 3 draws later, Tony Adams had his hands on the big trophy. It was defeats to Coventry, Southampton and Leicester City which Fergie clearly didn’t see coming and Arsenal took advantage.
Arsenal, Chelsea and even Man City shouldn’t be written off just yet. I suspect Brighton and Nottingham Forest still believe they have a small chance too.
Arsenal have two big fixtures this week, Man Utd at The Emirates on Wednesday night before a Sunday lunchtime fixture against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
More on Utd tomorrow after Mikel Arteta’s press conference but what we do known is that neither Kobbie Mainoo or Lisandro Martínez will play as they’re both suspended.
Catch up later..
Afternoon Rico and the esteemed members of the House.
I didn’t see the Scouser vs Cittie game as I was working yesterday but I followed it online.
The media are in their element, we all know that they love Liverpool, not Everton funnily enough just the Heysel boys.
So be prepared for an inescapable mass of sickening verbiage from the MSM between now and the end of the season as they have a collective climax over the prospective success of their Scouse darlings.
It’s enough to make you want to throw up…
In the words of a wise man I once knew: ‘I can’t stand them’
When I saw your headline Rico, I hoped it would mean both Gabriel and Calafiori would be fit for Wednesday’s game. The fact that Mainoo is not available is good but not as good as Martinez also being suspended, he’s a nasty player ever ready with a sneaky hit off the ball and behind the ref’s back.
We will need to play at a high pace early on, to run the legs off their aging midfield and defence.
Late on here today, I took a bus ride into Norwich ( free with my bus pass) to visit the library and for a delicious bacon roll and a freshly brewed cup of tea at Reggie’s tea stall on the market.
Quite a crowd outside the Forum, where a small group of musicians and a children’s choir were performing.
Very Christmassy.
Afternoon Kev.
Anyone but us eh, that’s the media agenda.
Hope that will come on Wednesday Cicero. We need them…
Nice to see Martinez is out , he is one of those that trades on leaving his foot in and is always likely to injure someone. His Argentinian nickname “”‘El Carnicero'”” kind of sums him up.
After a couple of games it’s obvious that the players wanted Ten Haag out and had downed tools so with new new manager bounce suddenly this becomes a major banana skin .
FA Cup 3rd round draw tonight @ 7.00 a home draw against a lower division team please.
I’m amazed they gave Ten Hag a new contract. Talk about not reading the room although a few Utd fans I know thought he was the right man.
Fingers crossed Limey..
A home tie v Man City would be good. 😜
So long as it’s not Nottingham Forest, or for older Housers, Wrexham. 😕
Or Swindon… 😂
Man Utd at The Emirates
Oh what a surprise Home to Man Utd
Well, it a worse draw for them!
T.V Game ? The draw was at Old Trasfford ,The place went quiet when they drew us.
Liverpool, Totts, City and Chelsea get drawn against lower league sides yet we get a PL club…
Only two all-Premier League ties so the 4th round is bound to be tough.
At least we’re at home but it’s going to be a great game, the two most successful FACup teams in the 3rd round, I’m not sure that we’ve ever faced them in the 3rd round before, maybe in the 1890’s?
Liverpool continue to enjoy every slice of luck going but that’s not a surprise…
Well we got a home draw at least. In view of fixture congestion, couldn’t we combine the cup game with Wednesday’s match? Two for the price of one sounds good to me. 😉
Swindon was the League up Rico. A game played on a mud heap after the pitch was used for show jumping the previous week. I know cos I wus there. 😉
Don Rodgers had his finest hour!
Only 3 weeks to Christmas, were has this year gone.
Maybe, Man U owners looked at Arsenal and relised that sometimes you have to back the manager and get rid of the bad apple players that are letting everyone else down.
Will be a tough match but I feel we will win 3 – 2, unless we give the ref a chance to award them a penalty.
Good morning Rico and all
Tomorrow round 1 of season 24/25 against the mother of all entitled clubs. I hope we bash them. still seething from the 8-2 humilation.
Everton got Peterborough. Nothing out of this world….except that Ashley Young at 39 years old will be playing against his son who is 18 years old.
Morning Devil, all.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game..
Just hope Calafiori is fit.
Yep, I just hope that everyone is still fit after the game. Fingers crossed that besides the ones ruled out through suspension for United, Fernandez will not be fit to play as well. He was seen with an ice pack around his ankles when he was subbed.
If we tear them apart in the first half and have a good lead we can control the game much better.
Definitely need a fast start to unsettle them.
Yes a goal in the first minute and then at every two minute intervals for the next half an hour would be great. hahaha
but honestly. We need to score a good lead like we did against WHU
We’re at home so it’s up to us to set the tempo.
Must check who the officials are.
Sam Barrott will referee Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Manchester United this Wednesday.
Liverpool fan, Jarred Gillett will be involved in his fifth Arsenal game of the season, and will be on VAR.
Deep joy, Gillet on var is a nightmare for us…
Given the state of the Premier League there’s absolutely no way that Gillet should be anywhere near to a game involving Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal.
Just another example of the muddle-headed thinking by those in charge of the PGMOL.
I mean are the PGMOL really that totally unaware of the football publics suspicion of favouritism among its officials?
Couldn’t agree more Kev.
New post up