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By the Earl of Sidcup
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Now I like to think that when Untold does a spot of the previewing for each Arsenal game, we give a bit of a different take on things. And indeed what we used to do also is provide a review of the betting, and then adjust it for the referee of the day’s past performance but sadly we can’t do that any more.
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So in the absence of such guidance I have been taking the odd gander at the various bookies’s to see what the odds are.
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Since I am not a gambler myself I meandered a bit until I came up with this: despite the last two games we have played being a drawn (v Everton of course) and then the defeat in Naples (which did neither they nor us any good) we are still the favourites on this, William Hill making us 4/9 to get through (without or without a replay) with the tiny Totts at 13/8. We might be slipping a bit, but even the bookies think there are limits.
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Beefed up by the news (as Bertie W would say) I took a look at the odds on ending up in the top four. You will recall that at this time last year you could get any old price you wanted on Arsenal managing that (what with us being half way down the league) but this year there is no easy money. 1/14 Manchester City; 1/8 Arsenal; 1/8 Chelsea; 4/5 Liverpool; 11/8 Manchester United; 9/4 Tottenham; 4/1 Everton. So they are placing Chelsea and ourselves at the same rating to get into the top four for the 500th year in a row (in our case), equal second behind the Ethiad. Tottenham will be a bit miffed I think to find themselves still placed behind Man U. They obviously reckon on a Man U recovery. I’m more doubtful.
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When it comes to winning the Premier League Manchester City remain in top spot, the bookies favourites. But we are second behind the Citeh, at 9/4 Arsenal and at 7/2 there is Chelsea. These are the only three clubs that the bookies reckon stand much of a chance. After that it is 8/1 Liverpool; 25/1 Manchester United and 50/1 the rest of the field.
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This weekend they reckon that we are going to lose (4/5 Man City to win) with a draw the second most likely outcome and us winning at 10/3.
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I certainly hope they are wrong – and the rather droll thing about it is that we are still going to be top of the league even if we lose.
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Anyway, just because I like the look of it, here’s the table…
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| POS |
|
LP |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
| 1 |
 |
(1) |
Arsenal |
15 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
30 |
11 |
19 |
35 |
| 2 |
|
(2) |
Liverpool |
15 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
34 |
18 |
16 |
30 |
| 3 |
|
(3) |
Chelsea |
15 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
30 |
17 |
13 |
30 |
| 4 |
|
(4) |
Manchester City |
15 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
41 |
15 |
26 |
29 |
| 5 |
|
(5) |
Everton |
15 |
7 |
7 |
1 |
23 |
14 |
9 |
28 |
| 6 |
|
(6) |
Tottenham Hotspur |
15 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
15 |
16 |
-1 |
27 |
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The win for Man City which will come before any other games are played will make it put then on 32 points, still three points behind us. Now I am sure that at such a moment (which of course I sincerely don’t want to happen) the anti-Arsenal mob (aka the under 12s supporters club on the grounds that they want it all and they want it now) will say that we are in total crisis, Ozil is rubbish and Wenger must go. But I can tell you with my hand on my heart that if in the summer, or the summer before or the summer before, or any time since I started watching football somewhere around the time of the Viking invasion of Northumbria, you had said, just before Xmas we would be top of the league 3 points ahead of our nearest rival, I’d have said yes please, I’ll have some of that.
Anyway, I’m grateful to William Hill for pointing out to me that they also have the Opta fact pages. Here’s a few that I have just found about this weekend.
- This match pits the two most clinical teams in the Barclays Premier League with Man City scoring with 20.6% of their shots and Arsenal 18.9%.
- Arsenal have scored more goals than any other team away at Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League era (28).
- No team has won more Barclays Premier League games against Manchester City than Arsenal (21 along with Chelsea) or won more often on City’s own ground (10 along with Chelsea).
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The usual referee preview and then on Saturday our regular match preview, will follow anon.
Cheers Sir Roderick!
What? No we will destroy city, people have some believe, we are better 11 on 11, let this be a fair contest and then see who is the better team. Am an Arsenal fan, I dont think of my team losing until they do, I want them winning and they will…. They are strong on their ground, but everyone forgets we are the Arsenal, we dont give a ….
What Ho!Eulalie? Im sure Jeeves has come up with a plan!
COYG!!
Yassin,
You are my kind of Arsenal fan!
NO NO! I am in no fear of City.They are more inconsistent than Asenal. We will damage City!
The Guardian is selling this as some sort of horrible outcome (10 talking points about the Champions League)
“After the 1-1 home draw against Everton on Sunday, this was another bad result and, next up for them, is Manchester City away on Saturday lunchtime. It is all going wrong” … David Hytner
This guy rarely says anything nice about us. I didn’t view the Everton match as a bad result…and it is not ‘all going wrong’…muppet.
GGG….let me translate Hytner’s comments as he really meant them: ¨After the very disappointing AAA enraging 1-1 draw at the Emirates, imagine that,against a far weaker Everton side who are total shite, but less so than AFC, the invincible juggernaut that is Manchester City, who demolished Bayern in the Alianz Arena, something AFC only did by sheer luck and terrible indifference from Bayern last season, everything is falling apart we pray, AFC are in crisis I hope, the AAA and the media will drag this line out until it actually happens AND if , in the horrible likelihood it doesn’t, we,ll continue to flog a dead anti-Arsenal horse for some cheap net hits and AAA readers regardless¨
He is worse than a muppet, he is a manipulative anti-Arsenal yellow journalist with a desperate agenda and he won’t stop until he is proven right.
Hopefully 3-1 again 20 squid on that then!
If someone had promised me in the preseason ( or even after that defeat by Villa )that in mid December we would be at the top of the table by 5 points and that ManUre would be 10 points behind us, I would have been ecstatic !
Now many (the AAAA) are stirring up the fear of failure and eventually disapointment .What is wrong with these people ?
It probably due to some phobia – Topofthetablephobia ? Its probably the fear of achivement and heights .
Or it could be one of these –
http://listverse.com/2007/08/20/top-10-bizarre-phobias/
AAAphobia: the fear of Arsenal winning things…
1. Ithyphallophobia – Fear of Erections
Defined as “a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of an erect penis”,..
What would Freud say ?
Just about able to get it up but being nonbelievers ,unable to sustain to fruitation !
2. Ephebophobia – Fear of Youths
The psychological and social fear of youth. At least one major economist has proposed that the fear of youth can have grave effects on the economic health of nations.
Your court Mr.Alan Hanson !
3. Coulrophobia – Fear of Clowns
Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after having a bad experience with one personally, or seeing a sinister portrayal of one in the media. The weird appearance of the clowns, swollen red noses and unnatural hair colors makes these persons look so mysterious and treacherous.
This is too easy – PASS !
4. Ergasiophobia – Fear of Work
Ergasiophobia can be a persistent and debilitating disorder in some people, …. These individuals may actually be suffering from an underlying mental health problems …
Shut up ! Its lazyness and the inability to have thoughts of their own – yes ! Journos, pundits & expert commemtators as well as those who cut-and-paste ( Whoops !).
5. Gymnophobia – Fear of Nudity
Oh ! So that’s why some players ‘opt’ to have ‘early ‘ showers !
6. Neophobia – Fear of Newness
Some conservative and reactionary groups are often described as neophobic, in their attempts to preserve traditions or revert society to a perceived past form.
The rotational midfield ? A winning mentality ? Postitive vibes ? Cheering players ?
7. Paraskavedekatriaphobia – Fear of Friday the 13th
…derived from the concatenation of the Greek words ?????????, ?????????, and ?????, meaning Friday, thirteen,and phobia respectively …
Also Sat. ,Sun .and any other day when Arsenal play !
Is it only me or do you guys also feel the sudden chill up your spines ,when you realise today IS Friday the 13th ?
What is the Greek concatenatioN for the AAAA ? ????????????
?????????????????? or is it !@$%^&*())_+ ?
8. Panphobia – Fear of Everything
a medical condition known as a “non-specific fear”; the sufferer finds themselves in a state of fear but with no known target, and therefore no easy remedy. It has been described as “a vague and persistent dread of some unknown evil….
Success is good ! Never fear it !
9. Taphophobia – Fear of being Buried Alive
Also known as being swamped ! Being overwelmed ( by logic , facts ans good sense !)
10. Pteronophobia – Fear of being Tickled by Feathers
If I’m ever captured or detained by the AAAA , I’ll claim to have this condition and undergo this torture ! I promise not to laugh out loud !
Hynter is a spud. that is all
I was just wondering Brickfields how you call the fear of being tickled by feathers while being nude on a friday the 13th….
GymnoPteronoParaskavedekatriaphobia ? It sounds like a Harry Potter magic word to me
Ah just tickle me 😉
I would call that ‘getting some ‘ , Walter !
Yes ,baby , yes , yessss that’s the spot ! OHHHHHHH !
@Brickfields – Don’t compare us with teams who are not even in our radar.
On avg over last 5 seasons difference between team finishing 1st and 4th is ~16.5 that would be 6.5 points after 15 matches. So after everton i don’t care who is there in the current table. 🙂 coz at best teams after 6.5 points will only finish fourth i.e not challenging us for the title.
Since the “journalists” and “pundits” wont say it , the number have 😀
kafearphobia the fear of Arsenal passing every test put up this season so when $ity fall you will see kacitywengerphobia the pundits will start eatin gomo the intestines of a Malibu stork.
All in all we have enjoyed what come may we will still be here.
Lets see gunners
@ r.iris – oh how soon we forget….
An Arab Sheik was admitted to Hospital for heart surgery,
but prior to the surgery, the doctors needed to store his blood-type in case the need arose.
As the gentleman had a rare type of blood, it couldn’t be found locally, so, the call went out.
Finally a Scotsman was located who had a similar blood type. The Scot willingly donated his blood for the Arab.
After the surgery, the Arab sent the Scotsman as appreciation for giving his blood, a new BMW, diamonds
& thousands of US dollars.
A couple of days later, once again, the Arab had to go through a corrective surgery.
His doctor telephoned the Scotsman who was more than happy to donate his blood again.
After the second surgery, the Arab sent the Scotsman a thank-you card and a box of
Quality Street chocolates.
The Scotsman was shocked that the Arab did not reciprocate his kind gesture as he had anticipated.
He phoned the Arab and asked him: “I thought you would be generous again, that you would give me a BMW, diamonds & money, but you only gave me a thank-you card and a box of Quality Street”.
To this the Arab replied: “Aye laddie, but I now have Scottish blood in ma veins”.
____________________
Blood donation
John’s girlfriend was in the hospital and she needed blood and John’s was perfect so he donated his blood to her.
A month or two later they broke up and John said he wanted everything back including the blood.
About a week later she shows up on his doorstep and throws him a bloody tampon and says “there you bastard, but I’m gonna pay you back in monthly installments.”
Brickfields Gunners
December 13, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Good one bricks. He was lucky to get the sweets!
Blood transfusions –
A medical association has found that patients needing blood transfusions may benefit from receiving Chicken blood rather than human blood.
It tends to make the men cocky and the women lay better.