- Arsenal v Brentford. Slowly it is being recognised, Arsenal are more than XI
- Is it possible to tell a real Arsenal commentator from a computer?
By Tony Attwood
The last ten games table can, by this part of the season, give us a lot of information of exactly where clubs are. They have had their second and final attempt at signing new players, they have most likely sacked the managers they want to sack, and now we can see where they really are. Hence we look not just at the season’s table, but also the last ten games And for once I want to run the whole of the last ten games table rather than just the position of Arsenal and the next opponents, as it really does tell us a lot about where the season is going.
Besides who would believe the turnaround of Crystal Palace, currently 11th in the league? They are second in the last-ten game chart, above Arsenal in both points and goal difference. What we can also see is that Manchester City, still endlessly in court, still refusing to give up on any issue, still threatening the league with an almighty lawsuit if the league tries to reign them in, still also struggling along behind the leaders.
We might also note that Nottingham Forest, for some weeks highlighted by the media as the new big thing in Premier League football, have been slipping away. Meanwhile at the foot we have the three favourites for relegation. And indeed not only are Southampton dead and gone, but the current form of the other two pretenders is so bad that they look likely also to return from whence they came.
Brentford however have been having a balanced time of late – an equal number of wins as defeats in the last ten. But spare a moment, if you can, to consider exactly who it is behind Brentford.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 23 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 22 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 19 |
| 4 | Fulham | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 18 |
| 5 | Newcastle U | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 17 | +1 | 18 |
| 6 | Manc City | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 17 |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 16 |
| 8 | Chelsea | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 16 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 14 | +1 | 16 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 16 |
| 11 | Brighton & H | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 16 |
| 12 | Everton | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 15 |
| 13 | Brentford | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 14 |
| 14 | Tottenham Ho | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 13 |
| 15 | Manchester Utd | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 12 |
| 16 | Bournemouth | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 11 |
| 17 | West Ham Utd | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 9 |
| 18 | Ipswich Town | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 28 | -17 | 4 |
| 19 | Southampton | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 27 | -17 | 4 |
| 20 | Leicester City | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 24 | -22 | 3 |
Yes indeed, it is not just that Tottenham and Manchester United have been having a difficult time of it this season but also they have been having a difficult time of it of late. In short, their recent form does not suggest in any way that they are about to be lifted out of their torpor in order to rise rapidly and challenge for European football once more. Nor that the transfer window helped them much.
And this is interesting, not just as a chance for us to snigger at those punters who thought as they so often do, that this could be Tottenham’s season, but to note also that these two clubs with their supporters carrying that great load of unfulfilled entitlement really are again performing rather poorly.
Of course, they are not doing as badly as last season’s promoted clubs, each of whom seems to have decided to take the money from a season in the Premier League to pay off some of their debts, rather than buy a new squad, and so take the journey back down, along with the solidarity payments that means. But then it has taken a lot of years for club directors to realise just what a great deal a season in the Premier League can be, if the money isn’t spent on four-year contracts for high-value players. “Take the money and fall back down”, is a very viable financial option.
Meanwhile we can see Brentford, who have come up and survived, with a very, very small ground, are jogging along well in mid-table of late. And indeed if we look at the League table for the whole season the pattern is very similar – Brentford doing a little bit better than the declining oldsters of yesteryear.
Let us therefore have a look as we usually do at the home and away figures.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Arsenal home | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 12 | 18 | 34 |
| 13 | Brentford away | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 17 |
So Arsenal have scored exactly twice as many points at home as Brentford have away, and have a +17 better goal difference across the whole campaign.
This does look rather promising. But there is a problem…. and we’ll come to that anon.
