I just rewatched 8-2 at Old Trafford in 2011, and you know what? It turns out that Arsenal were unlucky.
IF Robin van Persie had scored that penalty, the momentum of the match would have been completely different.
IF Man Utd hadn’t taken advantage of their chances, they wouldn’t have scored as many goals.
IF Carl Jenkinson hadn’t been sent off, we would have had 11 men and therefore been more competitive.
IF Wayne Rooney had never been born, he would not have been on the field to score a hat-trick.
IF we had scored more than them, even though they made a lot more shots than us, then we would have gotten all three points.
IF we had done some transfer business that summer instead of calling it quits late, the team would not have been a disaster and the outcome would definitely have been a lot different.
Hopefully now this whole narrative can change, because for years people have perpetuated this fallacy that United were by far the better team that day and fully deserved to win the game. But now we know that the near total dominance of possession, territory, chances, shots, shots on goal and ultimately the number of goals scored in a game doesn’t tell the real story.
I’m glad I was able to clear that up for all of you.
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Speaking of completely lucky people who don’t deserve any credit at all even though chaining up Harry Kane to the point where he got so grumpy he decided to take it out on Gabriel late in the game and somehow avoid a yellow card seems like a decent performance . for me, William Saliba is in the news regarding a new contract.
A couple of weeks ago, he said he was open to the idea of a new contract, and after Saturday’s game that Arsenal were so lucky to win despite the Sp*rs manager literally throwing in the towel in the minute 70, the Frenchman said of his agent and the club:
They talk a bit.
What is the kind of efficiency you see in him in a defensive situation or when hitting one of the Sp*rs faceless players who couldn’t pick from a lineup if he tried? Was it Skhlipp? bendyberg? Faker? I don’t know. Who cares?
Anyway, on this contract situation, I don’t think I can remember a young player at this football club in a stronger position to negotiate a new deal for himself than Saliba. He was hopeful that he would break into the team this season and play a decent role, enough for him to feel at home, relaxed and encouraged by what his North London career might bring. The World Cup on the horizon was a great thing. Having earned a place in the France team, if he missed out because he wasn’t playing enough here, that would have made life difficult for him.
Now, only an injury can surely prevent him from being called up. He is playing every game. I can only imagine that he is having fun on the pitch, because he doesn’t play that well without being comfortable and settled. And how should he feel about the way the fans have taken it?
William Saliba’s relentless Tequila.
As the stadium remained three-quarters full after Saturday’s derby victory, the venue rocked with songs from Granit Xhaka, Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, and how Tottenham get hit wherever they go (there’s not a second, though). verse about how they were actually unlucky, funny that), Saliba’s song was playing from every corner.
Watch Mo Elneny and Mikel Arteta in this clip (credit to whoever shot this, tried to find the original but it’s only on Arsenal aggregator accounts everywhere without accreditation). Little interactions, but they tell you a lot about how Saliba is viewed within the group, and hopefully all of those things are positive in securing him a new contract.
Update: original clip here, of Nigel Mitchell out on the pitch! Thanks to @nishantgunner10 for the heads up.
????❤️ he’s full time ❤️???? I love him, I love this team! Happy Saturday Gooners #NorthLondonIsRed #COYG pic.twitter.com/9qToJrwErM
— Nigel Mitchell (@MrNigelMitchell) October 1, 2022
However, and this shouldn’t be a disappointment or anything like that, the player and their agent can also read the room. Football is business at the end of the day, and they will absolutely want to maximize this goodwill in negotiations. Some might say it’s cynical, but we’ve seen it before. Do you remember when Theo Walcott had the club on a barrel after the departures of van Persie and Cesc? He ended up being our highest paid player when he signed a new contract with less than 6 months left on the current one. Let’s also not forget that when a club no longer wants a player, they will act cruelly to get rid of him, and we have seen this at Arsenal in the not too distant past.
So as much as we all want this to happen, and as much as I hope the club is doing everything it can right now to make this the place where Saliba wants to be for the next four or five years, we may have to be a little patient They have a perfect right to play this for all it’s worth and they’d be crazy if they didn’t do exactly that.
Still, it feels like a good time on both sides, even if you’re heavily leaning into it. He has a long career ahead of him and is part of something that feels a bit special at Arsenal. If we can stay competitive, continue to progress and add quality, this could be the place for him and other young players, so let’s hope it all works out. I’m not going to hold my breath right now.
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Ok, let’s leave it there for this morning. On Patreon, we have our regular recap from last month with words from me and artwork from @cantdrawarsenal. Get it here, shows below, as the curse of the Manager of the Month award somehow bypasses Mikel Arteta.
