Arsenal flying, and everyone else makes the headlines!

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By Tony Attwood

Having several hobbies makes for a full life, but means I sometimes miss all the fun.   And thus it was that I was driving in the heat late yesterday afternoon to a dance, while Chelsea and Tottenham gave the journalists a chance to take the moral high ground as their managers exchanged pleasantries.

Of course if there was any justice each club would have ten points deducted for such a display (I did hear it on the radio while travelling and it sounded quite entertaining) as well as their managers being banned from the touchline for a year or two, but no, I suspect they will just be given a warning.

And it is not just Chelsea and Tottenham who are giving us some fun – Manchester United are making one or two headlines as well, as Arsenal sail all unbeaten.  OK it is only two games, I know, but think of the fuss made last season after the first three matches.  So why not a bit of enjoyment this season after the first two?

But perhaps we should pause to have a little look at the top and bottom of the table – just in case you have missed anything… the top three and bottom three make jolly reading…

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Manchester City	2	2	0	0	6	0	6	6
2	Arsenal	2	2	0	0	6	2	4	6
3	Brentford	2	1	1	0	6	2	4	4
18	Crystal Palace	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
19	West Ham United	2	0	0	2	0	3	-3	0
20	Manchester United	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0

 

I don’t think that before the season began I was imagining anything better than this.  And yes of course I know it is only two games and all hell can break loose tomorrow, but just for the moment it is not Arsenal that the media is attacking, and that is quite rare in itself.

And there are some rather jolly headlines out there too, such as the Guardian’s “Thomas Tuchel suggests Anthony Taylor should not referee Chelsea again” not to mention Furious Thomas Tuchel blasts referee Anthony Taylor: I get a ban but he can whistle the next game

He also said, “Chelsea’s players “know what’s going on” regarding the referee, a comment that if it had ever been made by Arsene Wenger would have got him a 10 game touchline ban.  In fact, it did get him a 10-game ban until he appealed and showed that it was the referee who was at fault.

That one of course was overthrown on appeal but we can surely remember the endless headlines such as “The FA charge accuses Wenger of making “abusive and improper” comments and he also “questioned the integrity of the match referee.”.“

As the Guardian reminds us in today’s edition, more than 80,000 Chelsea fans last season launched a petition for Taylor to be taken off the club’s games but of course, it makes no difference.

And that is not all that is going on.  Manchester City’s stadium sun cream ban called ‘worrying’ by cancer charity is just plain awful – has the club really got no idea about public health?   While on the other hand Erik ten Hag makes United players train on day off after heavy defeat is just amusing.  Does he really think that an extra morning on the training pitch is going to make any difference?

Although my favourite comment of the day was Tuchel’s about the referee and the penalties that then managers will face after their bit of argy bargy…. “So…good. I cannot coach but the referee can whistle the next game.”  How true.

Of course there is plenty more, as in “Graeme Souness sparks sexism row by saying football is ‘man’s game’ while sitting with Karen Carney”   Well if you employ someone like Souness what do you expect?

And then again “10 catastrophic mistakes from Manchester United’s horror performance – and why it will get worse”   That’s quite good – I had to read it twice to remind myself that it is NOT about Arsenal.  What is the media up to these days?

But what of Arsenal?   Would you believe it – there is even something positive in the media about our club.  Oleksandr Zinchenko has already transformed Arsenal by giving them something special

And all these quotes just from a couple of newspapers.  But of course not everyone can join in.  It’s not an Arsenal story so the Mirror doesn’t really get too involved with the moral outrage running  BOILED OVER: Tuchel and Conte embroiled in heated touchline row as both sent off after Tottenham snatch late point at Chelsea

So anyway, we’ve had a bit of a fun Sunday, and nothing much will happen.  No 10-match ban, and the papers will be back to telling us what wonderful clubs they both are in the not too distant future.  But at least we can enjoy the spectacle for the moment.

Not to mention the league table.

• Why is the media so certain Arsenal will fail in 2022/23?