By Bulldog Drummond
Sadly no one has worked any magic on the league table during the winter break, and we find ourselves in 10th, four points and five goals behind the club above us, and six points and 10 goals behind the sixth placed club.
But still those who have put their faith in buying more and more players as a way of improving form, (not to mention getting rid of the manager with the second highest win percentage of any long term manager) continue to demand more and more players (and more and more changes of manager) even though it hasn’t worked thus far.
In terms of home form, this is our worst home performance thus far in the season since the days before Chapman.
Home games only
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Manchester United | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 23 |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 20 |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| 9 | Burnley | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 18 | -2 | 19 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 18 |
| 11 | Brighton and Hove | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 18 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton W | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| 13 | Arsenal | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 17 |
The only relief comes from the fact that Newcastle’s away form is just as awful
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Arsenal | 13 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 14 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 14 |
| 10 | Manchester United | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 12 |
| 11 | Everton | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 24 | -8 | 12 |
| 12 | Burnley | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 20 | -8 | 12 |
| 13 | West Ham United | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 12 |
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 20 | -5 | 11 |
| 15 | Newcastle United | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 24 | -12 | 11 |
On the basis of this season’s home v away form it looks like we ought to win maybe 2-1.
Newcastle are undefeated in their last eight games, but that statistic is a little misleading when we see what some of these matches have been…
| Date | Game | Res |
Score | Competition |
| 04 Jan 2020 | Rochdale v Newcastle United | D | 1-1 | FA Cup |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 14 Jan 2020 | Newcastle United v Rochdale | W | 4-1 | FA Cup |
| 18 Jan 2020 | Newcastle United v Chelsea | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 21 Jan 2020 | Everton v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 25 Jan 2020 | Newcastle United v Oxford United | D | 0-0 | FA Cup |
| 01 Feb 2020 | Newcastle United v Norwich City | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 04 Feb 2020 | Oxford United v Newcastle United | W | 2-3 | FA Cup |
Four of those games were against lower league clubs in the FA Cup, although the one Premier League win was of note – a 1-0 defeat of Chelsea at home. The FA Cup game against Oxford went to extra time and was a close run thing.
If we take a look at Newcastle’s away form in the league in December and January we get five games with just one win – but that was an unexpected result at Sheffield United.
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Dec 2019 | Sheffield United v Newcastle United | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 14 Dec 2019 | Burnley v Newcastle United | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 26 Dec 2019 | Manchester United v Newcastle United | L | 4-1 | Premier League |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Wolverhampton Wands v Newcastle United | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 21 Jan 2020 | Everton v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
Arsenal at home across the same period in the League reads…
| 05 Dec 2019 | Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 15 Dec 2019 | Arsenal v Manchester City | L | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 29 Dec 2019 | Arsenal v Chelsea | L | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Jan 2020 | Arsenal v Manchester United | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 18 Jan 2020 | Arsenal v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
On this basis there is very little to pick between the teams.
It is only on the head-to-head lists that we can find some comfort…
| Date | Game | Res |
Score | Competition |
| 07 Nov 2010 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 05 Feb 2011 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | D | 4-4 | Premier League |
| 13 Aug 2011 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 12 Mar 2012 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 29 Dec 2012 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 7-3 | Premier League |
| 19 May 2013 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 29 Dec 2013 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 28 Apr 2014 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 13 Dec 2014 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 4-1 | Premier League |
| 21 Mar 2015 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 29 Aug 2015 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 02 Jan 2016 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 16 Dec 2017 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 15 Apr 2018 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 15 Sep 2018 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Apr 2019 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
The last time we lost was in 2018, and before that it was 2010 – that 2010 defeat was the last home defeat to Newcastle. To find the one before that you have to go back to 2001.
The recent results here seem to confirm a 2-1 score, with a second choice of 1-0.
More later.
OT: Southampton 1 2 Burnley
Hooper is the PGMO twit for this event. Fouls are 9:11 and cards are 2:2 At 20m, Burnley requires a treatment which results in a substitution 2m later. Sargeant Hooper Schultz sees NOTHING. At 36m, Southampton requires a treatment which also results in a substitution 3m later. Sargent Schultz sees NOTHING.
i love Arsenal to wine a cup this year i will always like to arsenal winning, back in the the days of winger 2004 i started supporting Arsenal so i this new manager to have a good time with the team i will always bee a gunner fan.
OT: Norwich 0 0 LiVARpool!
The game has just barely started. Fouls are 0:1 with the PGMO twit being Attwell. We all know of a team who is quite likely to receive a yellow card on the first foul. LiVARpool! did not get carded for their first foul today.
OT: Norwich 0 0 LiVARpool!
About 1/4 of the way in (or half way through the first half). Fouls are 1:4, and still no cards. A team we all know, could have had 2 or 3 yellows on 4 fouls.
OT: Norwich 0 0 LiVARpool!
At 25m, Norwich require a treatment. 1m later, Norwich substitute the player. Sargent Attwell Schultz sees NOTHING. 1 foul to each team since last report (now 2:5), and nary a card in sight.
OT: Norwich 0 0 LiVARpool!
Fouls are 4:6, attwell decides to hand out his first yellow. To Norwich.
OT: Norwich 0 0 LiVARpool!
Fouls are 7:9, still just the one card to Norwich. If fouls are called, at some point persistent infringement should result in a card. All fouls are cheating, and persistent cheating is worthy of a yellow. If it is rotational fouling, then the captain can be carded for persistent infringement. However, some teams now rotate who is captain, which negates some of the discipline behind carding the captain for rotational fouling.
15m left, can Norwich find a goal and create a miracle?
Will attwell give LiVARpool! a penalty?
OT: Norwich 0 1 LiVARpool!
Mission accomplished by Agent Attwell. Somehow LiVARpool! scored from open play. Fouls are about equal. Issue a token yellow to LiVARpool! to make the game seem even on discipline.
What, LiVARpool! get a second yellow? Attwell could be in the doghouse now.
Congratulations PGMO! You have been working extremely hard to take away the uniqueness of Arsenal’s Invincibles and confer it on another team (and almost give them a perfect season). The entire lot of you should roast in that place which isn’t heaven, munching with all the other crooks that the devil is friends with, for all eternity.