Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well? What am I saying... Arsenal just posted a 50-point half season, of course you are! π
I've been a bit busy, and then I couldn't get a new password sent to my email, hence the new account. But I'm loving this new set-up! Well done to all involved (or Pep all on his own?!).
Back to the football, and what a win this was! The United fans in my life were trying to draw a parallel between our season and theirs prior to the Palace game - "If we beat Palace and then beat you, we're only 3-points behind you" as if there was no difference between us and them, and actually had even the slightest hope of finishing ahead of ourselves or City. Almost as laughable as Gary Neville desperately trying to make out the match was some sort of throwback to the heavyweight contests of bygone eras... we battered them for crying out loud!
Sure, we didn't help ourselves at points, and the first half was not our best thanks to a few of ours having a poor half, but we ran all over them in the second half when we focused and played properly. We are not quite there yet in terms of having lethal, elite finishers, so occasionally our territorial advantage isn't accurately reflected in the scoreline, but in every phase of play, we were superior. That was always going to be the case.
It would have been a travesty if we hadn't found the winner.I don't want to think too much about the chance of winning the League, but it's getting harder and harder not to. Two massive wins under huge pressure... very, very impressive.
And finally, I can't quite believe the levels Saka is hitting now. He's absolute elite in nearly every facet of his attacking game. I say it all the time, but attackers that can do damage on the counter are 10 a penny. It's the ones that can produce telling passes, crosses, shots and goals with little time and space, against low blocks and packed defences, they are the truly elite players. Saka might be the best example in the League right now of an attacker that can do that?
Anyway, let's just keep winning and see where it takes us. Arteta won't get any trophies for a 50-point half season (100-point pace... honestly, it's insane), but with this squad, the youngest in the League, it's up there as one of the best managerial feats I've seen.
Damn, this is a good time to be an Arsenal fan! π