By Bulldog Drummond
I was in fact going to lead with the referee for this weekend’s match, but I see that Nitram got there before me quite rightly saying “As pointed out in the previous article, we have Gillett for VAR duty this coming weekend’s fixture against Newcastle. It will be the 4th time we have had the pleasure of his company in 10 games, an absolute disgrace.
“The thing is this has to be deliberate. They simply DO NOT CARE what it looks like. And why should they, nobody else apart from us seems to care?
“The Mirror mention it but all they do is turn it into another pop at Arsenal.”
We’ll be coming back to the issue of referees anon, but that really is a central factor in the Newcastle game. However, let’s try and find something else within the match to contemplate And if we look at Newcastle at home this season and Arsenal away, we find a very similar pattern which suggests a draw…
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Newcastle United home | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Arsenal away | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
But we are now far enough into the season to start looking at the last six games table which has served us rather well in the last couple of campaigns as a guide to predicting results…
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Arsenal | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 11 |
| 17 | Newcastle United | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 5 |
This shows Arsenal on a much more positive trajectory than Newcastle. For Newcastle went through the first four league games this season with three wins and a draw (against Bournemouth). This looked like good form, although those who particularly looked at the chart would have noticed that all three games that the club won, were won by just one goal. In fact in that run of three wins and a draw their goal difference was just six goals scored and three goals conceded.
That’s ok of course if the club keeps winning, but it didn’t. For after those three wins and a draw the league results have been two draws and three defeats, with the goals being three scored and seven conceded. Now in that run, it is true that they have played Manchester City at home and Chelsea away, which are going to be tough games for any mid-table club, but losing 3-1 to Fulham and drawing 0-0 with Everton are not good signs.
Indeed I have mentioned before how misleading the table can be after eight or nine games, even though the media, desperately looking for simplistic news, will readily talk of clubs being in crisis after just a fifth of the season. But if we compare Newcastle last season at this stage (when they ended up seventh at the end of the campaign), with this season after nine, we can see there is real slippage.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Newcastle United 2023 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 16 |
| 12 | Newcastle United 2024 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 12 |
The prime problem for Newcastle of course this season is goals. Just one a game being scored, whereas last season after nine games they were averaging 2.7 goals a game.
By comparison, Arsenal are averaging 1.9 goals a game in league matches, and in fact across the season averaged 2.4 goals a game. Indeed in terms of goals scored Newcastle are 16h in the league, equal with Ipswich Town, with only Manchester Bonkers (sorry that should be Manchester United), Crystal Palace and Southampton having scored fewer.
So the one thing that Newcaslte have to hold onto coming into this match is that their form at home is identical to Arsenal’s form away. But two draws and a defeat in the last three home games (although admitting that one of the draws was with ManC) does not bode well for the future.
The one thing that will give Newcastle hope is that Arsenal’s last three league games have resulted in one win, one draw and one defeat, with a goal ratio of 5-5. Indeed Arsenal’s last three away games have resulted in the same run: one win, one draw and one defeat. However, we should note that Arsnenal’s last three away games were against Manchester City, Liverpool and Bournemouth. But then Newcastle’s last three home games have been against Manchester City, Brighton and Chelsea – which is certainly not an easy run either.
More anon.
Tony
Re Gilletts appointment on VAR duties at Newcastle this Saturday. Thanks for the acknowledgement, but I have to pass that on to mick shelly who it was that initially highlighted this disgraceful state of affairs.
And just as a caveat, it’s actually 4 out of 9 because as a Liverpool fan, the PGMOL were not allowed put him on duties for the Liverpool match, as much as I’m sure they would of liked to. So that means he’s actually been given to us nearly 50% of the last 9 matches. How is that acceptable?
Anyway, the point I was picking up about the Mirror is the irony of it all. By writing the article they are in effect admitting they know something is surely amiss?
First off, I haven’t found a single comment from Arteta complaining about Gillettts appointment this Saturday, or anyone else from Arsenal for that matter. They may have, but I haven’t seen it.
In other words, it is THE MIRROR THEMSELVES that have noticed these issues. The fact that not only does Gillett keep getting allotted Arsenal games, but that he repeated makes controversial decisions against us. They even go as far as to list them.
But rather than admit that:
1 – It is simply an unacceptable way for the PGMOL to allot match officials, to ANY team.
2 – It is simply unacceptable for the PGMOL to constantly appoint a Liverpool supporting official to Arsenal matches, especially one that is applying the Laws Of The Game in what appears to be an extremely one sided manner, against Arsenal.
they turn it into a ‘same old Arsenal, always whingeing’ attack on us.
But, if there was nothing untoward going on, why would they feel the need to even mention it?
The fact is The Mirror (and anyone else who can just put aside their partisanship for one second) knows it is totally unacceptable, but rather than have the balls to call the PGMOL out for the incompetents they are, they simply tow the line and do their favourite trick of turning it against Arsenal.
Said the same thing myself.
Here we have the hypocrisy of the LIEING DAILY MIRROR in all it’s glory.
Yesterday in the Mirror we had:
“Mirror Football understands that Arsenal aren’t impressed that Gillett has been assigned to another one of their games after several of his recent decisions went against them”
Yet today in the Mirror we have:
“Mikel Arteta addresses Arsenal ‘conspiracy theory’ after controversial decisions”
He said:
“No, because every club has got its history and they have games and situations and comments,” Arteta told reporters when asked if he felt there was a conspiracy. “That is part of the game and we have to understand it as it is.”
So, as we said earlier, there was absolutely no substance to what the Mirror said yesterday. It was just a shit stirring lie. In effect, The Mirror itself made something up yesterday about a conspiracy theory, then proceeded to ask Arteta about it today, as if it was him that said it!!!
So again I ask, if it isn’t Arteta’s conspiracy theory, who’s is it?
It’s The Mirror themselves.
Yesterday it was The Mirror, not Arteta that pointed out all the controversial decision this clown Gillettt has made against us.
Yesterday it was The Mirror, not Arteta that pointed out how many times this clown Gillet has overseen our games.
It’s a shame they didn’t tell the whole story. Like the fact that Gillett is a Liverpool fan that has recently overseen Arsenal 4 times out of a possible 9. Like the fact that Gillett has given at least half a dozen massive game changing decisions against us, and as far as I have seen, absolutely ZERO in our favour.
But it is an irrefutable fact that The Mirror, as well as all the rest of the media, know exactly what’s going on, which is precisely why they are so keen on deflection by calling it a conspiracy theory.
It is NOT a conspiracy theory. It IS a disgraceful fact!!!