SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
ARSENAL CLOSE IN ON GLORY
‘I just think that we are going to win the game and hopefully something beautiful is going to happen. Let's wait.’
Mikel Arteta, Final Presser
Here we are my friends, the day only the most optimistic of fans could have imagined, it’s Arsenal heading into the final game of the Premier League season with a chance of winning the whole damn thing.
Arteta was cult-leader-positive in the pre-game presser. He said everyone is walking around the training ground this weak with their chins up, high on the purest of North London hopium.
There are two things that need to happen today. Firstly, Arsenal needs to beat an Everton side that has a pretty decent defence. Sean Dyche has been an Arsenal spoiler over the years and don’t underestimate his desire to put the knife into the Arsenal title party this afternoon. As a fan, I’ve taken my eye off our actual job this week, you have to hope that the focus of the coaching staff hasn’t been too much on saying prayers for David Moyes.
Everton has a pretty straightforward approach. They’ll bed in, aggressively look to win the ball off us, and they’ll go route one to goal. I’m not sure that’s an ideal strategy against an Arsenal team that has the defensive coverage and pace we have. But basic bitch football can sometimes have its way with you.
The second piece of the day is hoping that David Moyes and his West Ham boys can do something at the fortress that is The Ethiad. We can’t kid ourselves, this is a massive, massive ask of a team that has conceded 71 goals this season. A team that is saying goodbye to David Moyes today. A team that could very well be on the beaches this afternoon if they still carry the pain of Arsenal pinching Declan Rice.
Where is there hope?
West Ham has a lot of individual talent who might be interested in shining in a game that carries the responsibility of history. A billion people will be watching today. Scouts from all around the world will be looking at the West Ham carcass. Historians will be looking to pen the final chapter of this season - and pro footballer egos often want to have an impact in games like that.
They don’t have many injuries to worry about. Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio, and Bowen are all more than capable of shining on the big occasion.
David Moyes is capable of a deep block, he’s capable of setting up to spoil, and we have already seen that first hand at our place. I was in the ground for the grimmest of 2-0 losses in December. We had 30-odd shots at their goal and still exited with nothing.
Why can’t that happen to City? How can the footballing gods gift a side like that all the advantages? They haven’t had a bad decision, a freak result, an injustice so horrific only an HBO staff writer could cook it up. They’ve been perfect. Surely there’s a sting in the tail?
I can play out all the sub-narratives:
Arteta downing the man who gave him his skills
Daddy Moyes handing his footballing son the keys to the kingdom
West Ham boys doing it for Declan
Spurs players celebrating a job done, only for local rivals to step in
City players celebrating winning the league a game too early
Pep G getting so angry post-losing the Premier League he rage quits
All of these are possibilities - but the important thing for me is whatever happens, I’m just really glad to be having days like these again. My Uncle says football is measured in parties - if you’re having parties, you’re having a good time. Today is a party and I’m part of it. That is special.
This has been an immense season from Arteta and the boys. Arsenal is now a credible force in world football after 4.5 years. The future is extremely red & white. We’re at the very start of our journey and it’ll be one paved with European and Premier League glory.
So enjoy the day, there will be plenty more like this. Soak it all in and believe until it’s impossible not to… or the impossible has happened. And finally, never underestimate the Arsenal.
Ok, I’m off the get ready for the BIG GAME. Have a great afternoon wherever you’re watching, and thank you for reading Le Grove this season. xx
P.S. I opened the Before The Whistle to everyone as a gift if you like podcasts. No On The Whistle for obvious reasons. x
Arsenal have done all I asked for this season. I have nothing but pride for the club from top to bottom. And shame for how the premier league allowed this farce to continue for 2 years without so much as a minor decision
Well done Ronay, for being one of the very few in the media to write about this
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there’s the thing nobody really wants to talk about much because it’s a hypothetical, and also because, frankly, it’s harshing the super soaraway vibe. Here it is though. When you’ve had a final‑day thriller, when proximity at the top is the unique selling point of the league, how does this intersect with a champion team carrying 115 charges related to alleged financial irregularity, every one of them potentially the source of a points deduction?
Is this real? Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop? These questions can exist simultaneously with the fact Manchester City are a brilliant, hall-of-famer team and a joy to watch. None of this is anything to do with the players or manager. These are incredible champions. But they have also won the league by two points in a season when teams with far fewer charges were docked eight points and four points for breaking rules on expenditure. How are fans of those teams supposed to feel watching the trophy being hoist?
Those charges have been processed during the current season. If City are found guilty – a big if, as they deny every charge – a genuine regulator with a desire to enforce the rules would have a full range of penalties available. In the middle of which two points look pretty small beer.
There are also issues of sporting legitimacy, robustness and the basic credibility of the brand here. We need to feel this is real, that success has been fairly audited. If there is any weight at all to the Premier League charging its teams, even the most powerful, this needs to be resolved as soon as possible, if only to avoid that sense of a shadow-asterisk, a league title awarded pending resolution.