Opponents “hate watching” Arsenal should be more concerned with their own clubs demise

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At the weekend…

Tottenham lost 3-nil at home to a relegation rival leaving them only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. Still without a league win in 2026, they have got 5 points out of the last 39.

Liverpool ran away with the title last season and spent over £400m on the summer. Almost every pundit expected them run away with it again this season. Following Saturday’s defeat to Brighton, they sit 5th, 21 points off top with only 21 points to play for. Limpest title defence this millennium.

Chelsea have the most expensively assembled squad the world of football has ever seen. This despite their project being about buying younger, cheaper players. Some peoples dark horses for the title, the “World Champions” lost 3-nil at Everton on Saturday making it mathematically impossible for them to finish top. Currently 6th, failure to make the Champions League will be a financial disaster.

To see so many fans of these clubs “bantering” Arsenal following losing a cup final to the most successful English team of the last decade with the highest wage bill in world football shows where the game is at right now.

Football for many has become about “hate watching” opponents, celebrating their downfall, rather than supporting their own team. This is fuelled by the likes of TalkSport and PaddyPower who have a business model of mocking whoever lost at the weekend, no matter who it is. And lol she many fans now follow.

Fans these days don’t care that their team lost. The only care of a rival lost. Chelsea fans will mock Arsenal one week, Liverpool the next, and Man U the week after. One of those 3 not winning makes their weekend. And it is the same for Tottenham and Liverpool fans.

For fans of Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool, they had a good weekend, despite their teams defeats. All because The Arsenal lost.

I actually think Tottenham fans would prefer to get relegated if it meant Arsenal missed out on the title. The showed their priorities a few years ago when celebrating Man City scoring against them, which led them to missing out on Champions League football.

Losing a cup final, regardless of its status, will always make it a horrible weekend. But I’d rather we be in the final and lose it the have had Liverpool, Chelsea or Tottenham’s weekend.

Ignore the noise, back the boys.

Keenos

Five takeaways from Arsenal v Chelsea

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1. Sky Sports show their bias

Arsenal v Chelsea live at the Emirates. And our expert pundits are badly dressed Manchester City legend Yaya Toure, former Manchester City youth product Micah Richards, and ex-Manchester player, coach and City Football Group employee Patrick Vieira.

Were we playing Manchester City, I would understand this sort of punditry team. Whilst they all have Man City connections, one is an Arsenal legend, one a failed Arsenal trialist and one a big Arsenal fan. It would have been a good line-up with all 3 having connections with both clubs. But we were not playing Man City. We were playing Chelsea. So why did Sky Sports platform 3 Manchester City men?

2. The ref was a bit whistle happy

On 3 occasions, the referee pulled play back for a free kick just as Arsenal were breaking.

Even with the Pedro Neto sending off, Gabriel Martinelli had got himself back up and was in a great attacking position before the whistle went. The ref could have held back, played on, then pulled it back for the red card.

It did not cost us yesterday, but hopefully the ref gets rightly called in by his bosses and given extra training on playing on.

3. Gary Neville is a knob

Not exactly breaking news this one. But Gary Neville claiming that “he was onside” when Joao Pedro was at least a yard offside shows just how biased he is when it comes to Arsenal.

Neville and his little VAR screen (is it a euphonism for something else little Gaz?) could surely see, without the need of a replay, that it was offside. He needs to stop being given a platform in Arsenal games to spout his nonsense.

4. David Raya the Magnificent

It still does not feel too long ago that fans were getting on Mikel Arteta’s back for signing David Raya and casting Aaron Ramsdale aside. Yesterday Raya won us the game and was my MOTM.

“Great personality” Ramsdale has struggled since he left us. A great signing to make us Champions League contenders, but Raya makes us league title contenders. Just as we predicted back in 2023.

5. Chelsea are rubbish

The most expensively assembled squad in the history of the game, with one of the highest wage bills in world football. Chelsea are 6th.

Whilst fans point to their young players and profiteering off players, it can not be ignored just how much they have spent, how much they have lost, and how much they have underachieved.

Yes, they might be “world champions”, but we all know that was just a glorified friendly tournament. And the Europa Conference is not a trophy that a team like Chelsea should celebrate winning as it means they were shit enough to qualify for it.

An average finish of 6th since Boehly and Blue Co came in. We all used to ask “what would happen when Roman leaves” and we now have our answer…

Kick Off Merchants are offering BOYOF on their Arsenal beer mats. That is two sets of beer mats for just £6. Use the discount code AFC2026 and grab your free set today.

Keenos

Arteta’s winning machine rolls on…

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It was only Wigan. But a win is a win.

That victory takes us to 41 games played across all competitions, 31 wins, just 3 defeats and 90 goals scored. We have won 75.61% of games this season. It is incredible, but it could also be nothing if we do not convert our great form into trophies.

Was interesting to see Bukayo Saka playing more centrally yesterday. It is a position where I think his future lies, especially as Max Dowman continues to develop.

Saka is certainly a different option to Martin Odegaard there. More forward thinking. Capable of picking up the ball and unleashing a shot in one movement. It is certainly something I would like to see more of when teams are defending deep against us.

And by playing Saka inside, teams will then drop narrower which should free up space for Noni Madueke and the right back outside of him.

It was good to see Marli Salmon and Tommy Setford get on the pitch. Both are still only teenagers, so we need to give the time to develop and not overhype them. But it is hard not to tecognise their talent.

At just 16, Salmon looks like a rolls Royce of a defender already. Quick across the ground, strong and a superb reading of the game. Let’s remember that William Saliba did not “finally” start playing regularly for us until he was 21, whilst Rio Ferdinand was 19 when he began playing week in week out for West Ham. We have another 3-5 years of watching this guy develop. At that point he could be ready to take over from Gabriel (who will be 31-33). Still a long way to go though.

Setford is als thought highly of at the club. And just 19, he has another 3-4 years of development ahead of him. That would take David Raya to 34/35.

I would say Setford should be looking at a loan deal next season to a League One or Two club. Get regular game time and get that body strong. Salmon is probably too young to be going on loan, and we should keep developing him mentally and allowing physically, allowing him to grow from boy to man.

A good victory. In the bag for the 5th round. And it is mid-February and we are competing on all 4 fronts. Not sure when the last time that was?

Keenos