Don’t think it is all over yet: it certainly isn’t

 

 

• How are Arsenal doing compared to recent years; and what is possible?

By Tony Attwood

And so we are told Arsenal are not worthy of winning the league because Arsenal couldn’t win the game last night.   Which of course, sets up everything for the summer.  If Arsenal do recover their form and win the title, it was a poor season all round without a standout team; Arsenal were lucky to win the title.  If we don’t get the title, then it shows Arsenal will always bottle it at the last.  Either way, we don’t really win, even when we do (17 times this season in fact).

But now it seems the table has become irrelevant; all that matters is the criticism.  Although there is still a table; Arsenal are still top of it…

 

 

And I suspect anyone who is still being truthful in these days of mega-hype would admit that had they been offered this table with 11 games left, they would have said, “Yes, I’m having that” or words to that effect.

So, for the first time in six matches, Arsenal let in a couple of goals – that is not good, and it is made worse by the fact that it was against a club that, on average, scores once every other game.   Thus, the criticism will pour out from the media, and sadly, from some supporters.

Which is a bit of a shame, because some of those supporters now turning to criticism will expect Arsenal to thump Tottenham at the weekend, despite the criticism that is pouring down on the club.  Yet there is a meaning in “support” which goes beyond cheering when winning.

I am not quite sure why I am able to support Arsenal, the manager and the team come what may – but maybe it was because in my teenage years my family moved out of London and I watched my local team, which played in the Southern League – effectively the fifth division of the time but without any automatic promotion.  Maybe I just got used to a different concept of support.  

But what we get now, is all these people who have never played professional football and don’t seem to know what it is like to support a club emotionally, come out with their negatives.  “Often games against mediocre teams in poor conditions are, in cliched circles, a good test of a potential title winner and Arsenal failed it,” says the Guardian.   And some take that as a truth.

And ignoring the fact that compared with last year after 27 games we have won two more games, scored one more goal, conceded three fewer goals, and thus have a four-goal better goal difference and four more points.  That seems to be an improvement.

 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Arsenal 2026	27	17	7	3	52	20	32	58
2	Arsenal 2025	27	15	9	3	51	23	28	54

 

OK, this is 2026 and everyone wants everything and wants it now, but I am sorry to say that is generally not possible.  I would like the Manchester City affair to be fairly dealt with now.  In fact, I wanted it dealt with a year ago, but there is still no sign, and so I can’t have it.  I want them firmly punished, but it seems that is now unlikely. That’s how it goes.

What matters is that we beef ourselves up ready for the next game, which if my memory serves, is away to Tottenham on Sunday.   And perhaps a certain level of positivity could be found for that game through the current league table…

 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Arsenal	27	17	7	3	52	20	32	58
16	Tottenham Hotspur	26	7	8	11	36	37	-1	29

 

I admit that in the last six games we are not doing as well as we would have hoped, just as I admit that last night was a disappointing performance, but even so, I am still an Arsenal supporter, and still hoping for my club to win the title.  And indeed forver grateful that I was brought up an Arsenal fan, not a fan of some other teams I could mention, but won’t, for the sake of decency and good manners.

 

Last six games

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
7	Arsenal	6	2	3	1	12	6	+6	9
20	Tottenham	6	0	2	4	8	13	-5	2

 

In my view, and of course Untold Arsenal is basically my view, we need to be positive and supportive and remember we are still top of the league, and still doing a lot better than certain other clubs.   Well, actually, since we are top of the league, we are doing better than all the other clubs.