By Tony Attwood
Arsenal have scored 13 goals in the last three games, as I am sure you are fully aware. But perhaps you are not so aware (although of course you can correct me if I am wrong on this, as I often am) this hasn’t been done since December 2021 when in three consecutive games against Leeds United, Sunderland and Norwich City Arsenal scored 14.
And since none of those clubs is in the Premier League these days (the Sunderland game being a league cup match) that seems a trifle less impressive than beating Nottingham Forest (currently sixth), Sporting Lisbon (unbeaten previously and top of their league) and West Ham (currently 14th).
It’s taken a little while to get there, and things may change later today, but for the moment we can enjoy a somewhat more encouraging look to the Premier League table.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 31 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
Arsenal have played 20 games in their three competitions this season. Three have been lost, on three occasions Arsenal have scored five. As a result, the team that was portrayed as being in a disaster zone just a few weeks ago is the second-highest-scoring team in the league and with the fifth-best defence in the league.
But of course, we are still six points behind Liverpool. Although here’s a rather interesting point. Of the big clubs that were tipped to be challengers for the top spots before the season started, four are currently outside the top seven positions in the league. Tottenham are eighth, Aston Villa ninth, Newcastle tenth and Manchester United 13th.
Surely it couldn’t be that once again the football journalists haven’t got a clue what they are talking about, could it?
As for today Chelsea play Villa at 1.30, and Liverpool play Man City at 4pm, along with games for the lesser teams in between.
But back to WHAM and their staggeringly inept attempt to play Arsenal yesterday. As the Guardian says, they were “reduced to the football equivalent of one of those paper‑thin wasabi seaweed crackers, all branding and plastic, a little colouring and sheen, but basically not really there.” (Actually I am not sure what wasabi seaweed crackers are, but I am sure this would be impressive if I did).
And they go on, noting that by half time “Arsenal were running at 13 goals in their last two and a half games, nine of them assisted or scored by Saka and Ødegaard.”
Actually that paper’s account is quite amusing today as it suggests Michail Antonio, the man who was supposed to be marking Gabriel, behaved rather like a “flustered shopper”. I’d say a “very angry” flustered shopper, but I get the point.
They also describe the pass to Saka as being “floated like a soap bubble through the damp Stratford air.” These journalists and their language! Whatever next?
But here’s the thing. How come these self-same eloquent journalists could not see this coming? After all it had been there last season – indeed on his very ground. And the season before. It’s been growing.
What stopped Arsenal’s progress was the decision of PGMO to insist on Arsenal red cards whenever possible, the media’s utter non-questioning delight in reporting this, and then, well, just ignoring the other key facts besides the injuries, such as the fixture list.
(Incidentally, Fulham now have three red cards just like Arsenal, but no one mentions that, just as no journalist would dare point out that Chelsea have 50% more yellow cards than Arsenal.)
WHAM’s manager blamed the ref Lopetegui said. “All coaches prepare set-pieces with blocks. In my opinion he [Paquetá] had the position … [and Timber pushed him] without the intention to play the ball. We have a lot of talks in [meetings] with the referees about these kinds of actions. Sometimes we are a little bit lost with the interpretation of the rules.” I know the feeling.
Arsenal do need to build up points: For ManC, Liverpool away on Sunday looks eminently losable, but two fixtures follow for which City would still be heavy favourites: home to Forest, away at Palace.
Meanwhile, on BBC 2, one of the two non-league clubs that play near where I live (Kettering Town) are on TV in the second round of the FA Cup against Doncaster.
Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976, and have scored more goals in the FA Cup than any other club. The club’s previous ground (opened in the 19th century and closed in 2017) had a capacity of 6264, with 1800 seats. The club then moved to a new stadium, which has a capacity of 3029 with 606 seats. I bet they wish they hadn’t moved.
I’ve found it interesting how a number of outlets have commented on the fact that the game was only one of a handful where seven goals have been scored in the first half, making reference to all the other clubs involved and the scores in those other games. Funny how not one outlet has actually been able to bring themselves to point out that in all those games, Arsenal were the only team to have scored five goals…..it’s almost like they don’t want to!!!