By Bulldog Drummond
Since 1995 Arsenal and Sheffield United haven’t played each other much – in fact just ten times with seven of those games being in the league. The other three (two in the league cup and one in the FA Cup) were all won by Arsenal. But perhaps surprisingly this has not been the way of it in the Premier League. Yes, Arsenal have been dominant – but only through four victories from the seven games.
In fact in three consecutive games (although admittedly spread over the years because of Sheffield United’s relegation to the lower levels) Arsenal lost two and drew one. The last two of those results being in the 2019/20 season, when United won 1-0 in Sheffield and drew 1-1 at the Emirates.
Since then however things have picked up and in the last three games (in 2020, 2021 and 2023) Arsenal have accumulated ten goals to Sheffield’s one.
But overall Arsenal are not as far ahead as one might imagine, having won 52 games to United’s 40. This was primarily because in the 1910 and 1920s Arsenal won just six out of 21 games between the sides.
Sheffield United do have one interesting record, which is that they have won all four divisions at different stages in their history, although when they won the first division (as it was then) I think there were only two divisions in the league (1897/98). Preston, Portsmouth, Burnley and Wolverhampton, I think, are the other teams to have won all four.
Of course, Arsenal haven’t achieved this, through the simple expedient of only being relegated the once. And in terms of the most recent matches it has been four straight wins to Arsenal: 1-2 in the FA Cup and then 2-1, 0-3 and 5-0 in the Premier League, the last of these being earlier this season of course.
Arsenal’s 5-0 win saw Eddie Nketiah get a hattrick on 28, 50 and 58 minutes, Vieira scored a penalty and then Tomiyasu (who had come on for Ben White) got the last goal in the 96th minute.
But it is Sheffield United’s somewhat more recent history that may be the cause of concern to their management and supporters. At the foot of the table they are 11 points behind Nottingham Forest and 12 behind Everton, the bottom two clubs in terms of safety. True Sheffield United have a game in hand (the game against Arsenal in fact) but 11 points is a huge gap to make up.
However as it happens both Everton and Nottingham Forest are under investigation over their finances, but even a ten-point deduction will not put them below Sheffield United, although they could then give Luton Town some hope.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Everton | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 29 | 37 | -8 | 25 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 34 | 49 | -15 | 24 |
| 18 | Luton Town | 26 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 37 | 54 | -17 | 20 |
| 19 | Burnley | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 25 | 58 | -33 | 13 |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 22 | 66 | -44 | 13 |
A review of the last six games of each team makes interesting reading. As you can see at once from the table below Arsenal are top, although Tottenham have been doing just as well in terms of results, although not in terms of goal difference. And Chelsea do seem to be doing a bit better of late – and not before time too, given the level of money they have been spending. It had to come right eventually!
At the foot of the table, Sheffield United continue to struggle with just one win. Indeed their record although not a mirror image of Arsenal’s is not far from it. Arsenal five wins, Sheffield United five defeats. Arsenal 16 goals scored Sheffield United 17 conceded. Arsenal five goals conceded, Sheffield United five goals scored.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 15 |
| 19 | Sheffield Utd | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17 | -12 | 4 |
Perhaps worse still for Sheffield United, three times in their last six games they have conceded five goals, at home to Brighton, and at home to Aston Villa in the League, and at home to Brighton again in the FA Cup. That renews my hope for another goal fest.
In goal scoring terms as I write this on Sunday Arsenal are just two goals behind the top scoring club: Liverpool, but with one game in hand. In terms of defence Arsenal have the best in the league. So a victory by two goals or more will make Arsenal the top scoring club, and the top defensive club, unless Manchester City score a hatfull this afternoon.
Sorry to go off topic so soon Tony but this really p!$$3d me off.
I see the Athletic is talking out of it’s backside again, well at least Xhaka is, via The Athletic. As many of you may be aware, Leverkusen have just pulled 10 points clear of Bayern with 10 games to go and Xhaka, by way of a warning to his teammates, is reported as saying:
“We (Arsenal) had a similar points advantage over the team in second and we did not win the league, so I know this experience and I have shared it with the dressing room”.
But that is simply not true. On level games Arsenal never once had a lead over Man City bigger than 5 points. We were in that position twice.
Once after our 3-2 win over Man Utd in the round of 21 games, and then again after our 4 – 1 thrashing of Leeds after the round of 29 games. The tables are here:
https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2022-2023-spieltag/29/
We also still had to go to Man City and Liverpool away. Leverkusen do not have to play Bayern. The only game on paper that may be tricky is 3rd placed Stuttgart and that’s at home. So nothing like our situation then!!!
Why people, even our own ex players, feel the need to exaggerate these things I do not know. Well I do, at least in the case of the media, it’s to support their narrative that Arsenal always ‘bottle it’ and losing a 5 point lead, especially when you still have to visit the home of the best team in Europe, without your best defender, is not really bottling it is it. We just got overhauled by the better, more experienced team. But of course that wont do will it. We have to of ‘bottled it’ so a 10 point lead it has to be.
But why Xhaka feels the need to buy into this b***sh** I do not know. Still, I suppose it gives the media a chance to dig out the old ‘Arsenal Bottled It’ articles again.
I would say that there is a possibility that Xhaka never said anything of the kind. Or he might have said, “there was a time when we were ahead in the Premier League – five or ten points or something like that,..” but the translator simplified it. Given the choice between believing a footballer or a journalist, I’d take the footballer every time.
Tony
This is the direct quote from multiple sources:
“Nothing is won yet,” cautioned Xhaka, who was speaking to ESPN. “I am speaking about my own experience (at Arsenal) with what I had last season. I think it was a similar points difference over the second (Manchester City) and we didn’t win the league.”
Okay ‘similar’ could be 8/9 or 10, but it was none of those it was 5, and as I said, it’s comments like that that lead to headlines like this:
GANIT XHAKA WARNS LEVERKUSEN TEAMMATES TO AVOID ‘BOTTLING’ IT LIKE ARSENAL
https://www.pulsesports.ng/football/story/granit-xhaka-warns-leverkusen-teammates-to-avoid-bottling-title-like-arsenal-202403032
I love Xhaka and I wish him well, but we get enough negative press without our own ex players making comments like that that just give the media an opportunity to start stirring up the s***. I mean, he was in the middle of it all so he must of known more than anyone that we were never that far ahead? Or maybe he didn’t and that’s why we lost the lead? Jeez, if he thought we were 10 points clear or something similar that’s a worry.
So yes, slight media exaggeration but he gave them the opportunity to start it all up again.
Don’t get me wrong Tony, I know it’s not much on it’s own, but it just feeds in to this negative Arsenal narrative we hear day after day. There was an on line article in one of the majors recently all about how Arsenal are going to bottle it like last year, and the notion that we blew a 10 point or more lead was absolutely unchallenged, except by me, and I was just…well you can guess.
Sorry Tony, as I said I love Xhaka but it just p*****es me off.
Back to Sheffield Utd, I am quite concerned that we wont have a fair contest. There is only one way they stand any chance and that is to stop Arsenal playing – ie kick them to bits. Factor in the media support for Liverpool and Man City and the likely PGMOL response and such tactics may well be allowed.
Please don’t anybody forecast another high-score Arsenal victory. Complacency must be avoided.
I am not too sure that will happen John, although of course I realise it is a possibility given that they are the second most yellow carded team in the league. I rather think however they have built in the fact that they will go down again, and so instead of spending all this season’s money on players they have been using it to pay off debts etc. Yes they will kick us to bits, but I suspect the ref will recognise what is going on.
Well it’s Lee Mason , so chances are that he will not be too close to the action . I don’t fear losing points but I am wary of injury to some of our players.
Everybody please chill !!
Our Gunners have all the talent and capacity to put this game to bed.
And they know the goal difference may play a part in the end result and have shown that they can now score more the the usual One nit to the Arsenal.
Trust the process !