Morning all.
So, did yesterday’s 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Man Utd depart you extra pissed off about our consequence at Brighton? I can perceive if it did, a possibility missed and so forth, however I used to be extra relieved than the rest. Particularly as I anticipated little or no from United, they usually truly performed fairly nicely. Given we have now an FA Cup tie towards them on the weekend, that’s not superb, however we badly wanted for Liverpool to not win they usually helped us out in that sense.
I feel I used to be extra pissed off by the incident when Rasmus Hojlund kicked the ball away, in clear view of referee Michael Oliver … who did nothing. This is identical referee who couldn’t wait to concern a second yellow card to Leandro Trossard once we performed Man Metropolis for kicking the ball lower than a second after he’d blown his whistle for a foul. That value us a participant for all the second half, and robbed us of an opportunity to construct on what was an excellent first 45 minutes.
It additionally meant the gamers we had on the market needed to work actually onerous, and I do marvel if we must always issue that in to a number of the health points we’ve skilled this season. We performed 55 minutes on the Etihad with 10 males; virtually all the second half towards Brighton at house; and nicely over an hour when William Saliba was harshly red-carded towards Bournemouth for an incident that wasn’t a crimson card in one other recreation a day later. That takes loads of out the gamers who should work loads more durable to make up for the absence of a colleague.
It’s simply infuriating {that a} rule that was so harshly utilized to us earlier within the season, and which value us factors in each video games, is now apparently not price bothering with. Except it’s a 17 yr outdated taking a nook, after all, during which case the strictest potential definition of delaying the restart – TIME-WASTING – is utilized. As I stated in yesterday’s weblog, we have to do extra in regards to the issues we will management, nevertheless it’s inconceivable to not really feel we’ve been royally fucked over by a few of issues we will’t.
What else? Properly, can somebody clarify to me why Darwin Nunez wasn’t despatched off for this? He had a very good take a look at the opponent, then shouldered him proper within the face. Is that not violent conduct? There isn’t any try to problem for ball. The truth that in commentary on Sky – regardless of Gary Neville muttering one thing like ‘That’s not good’ – they utterly glossed over it was wonderful to me. I’ve written right here too typically about PGMOL’s soft-touch method to on-pitch violence and harmful challenges beneath the auspices of Howard Webb, nevertheless it’s onerous to not assume the broadcasters are additionally complicit when one thing like this occurs. Howard has his personal present now on Sky too, in order that they gained’t say something that makes their mate look dangerous.
It’s pathetic actually. Name it out for what it’s, don’t speak out of the aspect of your mouth and transfer on. There have been far too many incidents when dangerous challenges or snide assaults on gamers have been both ignored utterly or handled too evenly with only a reserving. For me that makes it worse. They’re basically telling gamers there’s a low threshold for violent conduct, and we all know there will likely be some who enjoy that. Tomorrow night time’s opposition, for instance, are a particularly bodily crew who’ve gamers who dwell proper on the sting in that regard, as a result of they know there’s a very good probability they gained’t get punished to the complete extent.
Even in reference to our recreation on Saturday, the Pervis Estupinan problem on Declan Rice is at the least partly knowledgeable by the very fact he was solely given a yellow card for a possible leg-breaker of their earlier recreation towards West Ham. When you’re that approach inclined as a participant, why wouldn’t you check the bounds if you understand referees aren’t going to punish you? Anyway, I suppose the purpose is that in a season when the one luck we’ve had is dangerous luck, Liverpool had been lucky to get away with that.
Lastly, and I do realise this has been fairly gentle on Arsenal, I loved how salty Jamie Carragher was in commentary about Trent Alexander-Arnold yesterday. Did he have a very good recreation? No, clearly not, however the ‘I hope Actual Madrid aren’t watching!’ line was gold. As in the event that they’d change their minds at this level. They’ve clearly achieved all the bottom work for a summer season freebie, they usually’re not signing him for his defending anyway. Enjoyable stuff.
Proper, there’s a press convention later forward of our Carabao Cup semi-final towards Newcastle tomorrow night. Will we get an replace on the Ethan Nwaneri harm? We’ll have to attend and see, and we’ll deliver you all of the updates and tales over on Arseblog Information.
We’re gonna have an Arsecast Further for you in a short while too. We’ve put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or when you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod ought to be out round midday. For now, have a very good one.
