This, clearly, was the weekend during which Arsenal won the Prem for the first time in twenty years. Yes, Man City obliterated Palace. Yes, we waltzed past Brighton. The result that really and truly mattered, however, was the one at Old Trafford that saw Liverpool struggle to salvage a point against a wide-open, injury-ravaged host. The two points they dropped put us firmly in the driver’s seat. We’re now level on points with those lousy scousers, a position we absolutely won’t let slip through our fingers at any point between now and the end of the season.
We went into the weekend hoping and praying that one or both of Liverpool and Man City would drop points while also knowing that Man City just wouldn’t, not against Palace. After Man U’s calamitous capitulation at Stamford Bridge suggested that they’d be ripe for the scything, but they showed that they at least occasionally have at least enough minerals to go behind against Liverpool, equalise, and seize the lead—only to be pegged back late on, and now here we are.
Level on points with seven to play. Liverpool, I will see your goal-difference of +42 and raise you by nine. That’s right. Our goal-difference of +51 is superior to yours, perhaps so much so that we can now win the Prem should we match your results through the rest of the season. Just coronate us now. After all, there’s simply no reason to suspect that we’ll succumb to complacency, pressure, or banana-peels…is there?
For as much as we have hoped and needed Liverpool to drop points, to see them do so so suddenly has to feel like manna from Heaven—but it almost has to feel as well like it’s happened almost too soon. While we’re only barely in the driver’s seat, it might have been nice to preserve our status as hounds over foxes, if only for a little longer. Now that we’re in the catbird’s seat, we might just find ourselves feeling a bit nervy. After all, we do have the toughest run-in of the top three, with visits from Villa and Chelsea and trips to Tottenham and Man U, not to overlook a visit from Everton, who might be desperate to avoid relegation, to close off the season.
In other words, for as giddy as we might feel to see Liverpool and Man U share a point, denting the former’s title-hopes as well as the latter’s top-four aspirations, that only matters as much as we make it matter. Should we stumble here, there, or anywhere, we’ll find ourselves right back to where we were on Saturday morning, hoping that Liverpool (and perhaps Man City) will again drop points.
Yes, that rich vein of form in February, the one in which we outscored four opponents by 21 goals combined, might end up being more than gaudy; it could end up being consequential. After all, the three of us—including Man City and Liverpool, for those not keeping score of things at home—are on a collision-course. Something’s got to give…or does it? The status quo would see us crowned as champions, and why not? We’re not just in fine form. We’re rounding into it. 2024 has seen us go undefeated across eleven matches, keep seven clean sheets, and outscore opponents by a combined 38-4 scoreline.
Of course, none of that matters if we can’t seize the rest of this season by the scruff. I’m no longer talking about matching our rivals’ results, trading blow for bloody blow. It’s time to rise above the fray and put our supposed betters in their respective places.
This might just be our time. Maybe. We’ll have deeper insights by Sunday evening. Will we be one step closer, or will we fall back into our ostensible place?
Ah, there’s the rub.
aye. what dreams may come, indeed?
what is this, a literature class? I thought it was a football blog!
I intended to reply by using only old worn cliches since those still seem relevant given the schedule and what we face versus our two opponents. Let’s start with: ” Don’t count your chickens until they hatch” and end with: “it ain’t over until it’s over” as well as “it isn’t over until the fat lady sings”. I will step aside and allow others to add to those or fill in between those three.
Obviously the hardest parts of this journey will be those 4 matches you have identified. Granted that Chelsea and MU now stand well south of either the Mendoza line (for US Baseball fans this has meaning) or even the Mason-Dixon line (can I use Hadrian’s wall?), but as shown yesterday even after no shots on goal for 45 minutes, a team can score (twice, yet) and both might seek to rise to the occasion. That still leaves AV and Spurs, neither of which are either the Pillsbury Doughboy or the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. Thus, they appear to be potential stumbling blocks, if not roadblocks.
Statistically, it seems hard to believe we can win our and that means we also have to hope that the other two might or need to stumble, as well. Everyone conceded that City has the easiest path to winning our and Liverpool a slightly tougher path, but Euro vs CL for them evens it out a bit.
Assuming we cannot win our, we cannot afford more than one draw (two seems disastrous), and that only works if the others suffer the same fate. I do see a faint light at the end of the tunnel, but is it the end of the tunnel and daylight or an incoming train?
Good news on the Villa front with Douglas Luiz serving a one-match suspension (against us). Spurs have a chance to play an outsized role given that they play all three of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City. We’re in the enviable position of having “complete” control of our destiny – simply win our remaining matches and we’re the champions (unless Liverpool also win all of their remaining matches while also outscoring so prolifically that they eclipse our superior goal-difference (ours is currently +9 better than theirs).
Rarely Jon, do I encounter someone even more optimistic than myself– but you manage to surpass me regularly! And I love it.
These are the moments to enjoy most. The journey. The ‘getting there’ of it. Because? If somehow we don’t reach that pot o’ gold at rainbow’s end– we’ll still have made the most of it trying.
That we’ve got a whole team full of likeable young lads to root for makes it so much more for the better still.
A very good time to be a supporter of Arsenal.
I hope the optimism doesn’t get too wild-eyed. I’m a level-headed, stoic person in general, but these are exciting times. It’s hard to resist letting one’s imagination run away. This young, likable squad is still plumbing the depths of its potential!
I’m seeing some miserable sods on Twitter (of course) complaining that none of this means anything unless we actually win. It’s as if they never saw Bergkamp’s line : “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”
Of course we want to win trophies b ut if you can’t enjoy this season there’s something wrong. Yes the destination matters a great deal but so does the journey.
I’m thrilled to see where we are – but I also know that a lot can happen including us dropping points. If we come up short, I’ll be disappointed, but that won’t take away from how I’ve been feeling for most of the season.
The breadth of knowledge compiled on this website is astounding. Every article is a well-crafted masterpiece brimming with insights. I’m grateful to have discovered such a rich educational resource. You’ve gained a lifelong fan!