The latest in our series on Arsenal’s record-breaking 100 consecutive seasons in the top division is now published, along with an index to the whole series: Arsenal in the late 1950s and the hopes of a revival
Recently on Untold Arsenal we have….
- Portsmouth v Arsenal: Arsenal are top of the “Last Six” league
- How journalists don’t have a clue what it is like to be a football supporter
———————
By Tony Attwood
Liverpool had no shots on target in their match against Arsenal.
I am not too sure that this story turned up in much of the English press, but it was noted by the New York Times, which added that, “It had been nearly 16 years since Liverpool last failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League game. The last time Liverpool suffered such a fate was in a 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic in March 2010.” The owners were Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The media made a fuss.
But this time, with no shots on target, the media seemed to want to praise the club and criticise Arsenal instead. The logic behind that decision took some finding, but in the end, they came up with Liverpool being the first team since Manchester City to deny Arsenal a win in a home game. And when the media are reduced to finding that accolade to give to the champions of last May, you know they (that is, both the club and the journalists who support it) are running out of ideas.
So the story was “Liverpool nullified Arsenal’s attack” because they (Liverpool) were “disciplined and compact”.
Now you might find in the archives some commentaries on Arsenal’s goalless draws of the past. And if you do, you’ll find they are invariably described as “drab” (a popular newspaper word, rarely heard in normal language, meaning dreary and dull). But the problem with that definition is that it has to apply to both sides in a goalless draw, and it is written in the journalists’ book of “What you must never do” that you must never describe Liverpool as dreary, dull or indeed drab.
So it is noticed that “The 207 passes Liverpool completed in Arsenal’s half in the second half were the most by a visiting team at the Emirates in the last five Premier League seasons.” And yet Liverpool ended up with an expected goals tally of 0.36. It is indeed a funny old game.
And in fact, we are told if “Ekitike had been fit enough to lead the line, Liverpool would surely have triumphed.” (But what about the supposition that if one of Arsenal’s injured attackers had been injured, they might have won?)
The media also noted that Slot said after that he was, “Definitely happy with the performance,” which pretty much tells you where Liverpool are in terms of entertaining football and what their fans are happy to put up with.
Following this, we are told by Jonathan Liew: “Arsenal fans restless as Emirates groan returns.” So, poodle fans are happy, and Arsenal fans are not.
And by and large, that’s it, it’s all over, forget winning the league, because even if we do, the headlines will be “Was this the most boring league champions ever?” and “Arsenal win the league by default”.
But thankfully, we can move on to the FA Cup, where the referee is Tony Harrington, and while the media go their merry way upping Liverpool for a goalless draw, we can take a look at tomorrow. As usual, we look at the referee nominated for this game and his record compared with others.
Harrington has overseen 10 games in the league this season, blowing up for 19.2 fouls per game. This is 22% fewer fouls spotted per match than, for example, Simon Hooper, and thus one imagines Harrington is given this game to help Portsmouth along, since Championship defenders are generally less adept at tackling than Premier League defenders. Having a referee who sees fewer fouls is, therefore, obviously a benefit to the Championship side.
Harringon is particularly reluctant to see a tackle as a foul, seeing just 58% of the tackles in his games as fouls. This compares with Hooper, who sees 70% of tackles as fouls. Again, a boost for the Championship club with its less adept defenders. Double shin-pads for the Arsenal forward, I think.
Harrington is also reluctant to award penalties, which helps less adept defenders put the boot in as the last line of desperate defense. He has given only one penalty every five games, as opposed to, for example, referee Barrott, who gives a penalty every other game.
As for yellow cards, well, so odd is this referee we had better leave that topic for the next piece, later today.
