Arsenal Reserves 1 Everton 0

The huge gap between the top 3 in the EPL and the rest was confirmed today with a win for an Arsenal team that ended with just 3 first team regulars on the pitch.

Lacking the entire first team midfield, playing the most junior of the four strikers and ending up with two left backs Arsenal outplayed Everton for much of the game, and readily held their own when Everton stepped up the pressure.

For this was no end-of-season run out for the reserves and retiring older players.   Everton needed a point to secure a place in the Diddly Widdly Euro Cup next season, and came out with a packed defence.   Arsenal eventually found a way through in the second half.

Although it was a triumph for Arsenal with such a junior squad, and it must be depressing for the 5th team in the EPL to see just how far they are behind the top 3, it was a particularly feeble display by Sky Sports.

Already the laughing stock of football with their insane predictions that Arsenal would finish mid-table, and Tottenham would sneak into the Euro League next year, the Sky team kept speaking of Arsenal’s need to buy big this summer.  Theuy showed complete ignorance of the fact that 2 men from the top league in Spain are already on their way: Merida and Vela.

It must be a tough life at Sky with all that talking to do and no facts to base it on.

So – unbeaten at home this year.  Second top scorers.  And the ability to stay in the top 3 even when most of the first team are out injured.  Not a bad starting point for the future.