One overarching theme is evident when the counting of the fouls in the box during the final seconds of West Ham’s loss to Arsenal has come to an end, the freeze-frames have been used up, the referee’s integrity has been completely undermined, the numerous shortcomings of VAR have been thoroughly examined, and the spectacle of wrestling in the box has been thoroughly deplored.
Many people find it intolerable to think that Arsenal would actually do this. Mikel Arteta’s squad just took a step closer to winning the championship for the first time in 22 years, and many people are going crazy.
And there are a lot of people who are searching for any explanation for why the league leaders are now only two wins away from winning the Premier League because they were so sure that Arsenal would lose and were so certain that their nerves would fail them in the final furlong.
As Arsenal approaches their final two games against Burnley at The Emirates and Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, you can anticipate a great deal more of this over the course of the next two weeks. My bingo card is ready. People who are desperate want Arsenal to fail will say things that we are all familiar with.
My favourite is “Red Cartel.” “Corruption,” the Red Cartel’s ally, will also play a significant role. In fact, I’ve already seen a few well-known and quite agitated Manchester City supporters claim that evil spirits were involved in the decision to deny West Ham’s last-minute goal at the London Stadium on Sunday night.
Naturally, “VAR” is also on my card. In our game, there is a strong need to try to minimise the accomplishments of others, and VAR is at the core of many conspiracy theories. When Liverpool won the championship, do you recall “LiVARpool”?
In the lead-up to West Ham’s “goal” at the London Stadium on Sunday, Arsenal custodian David Raya is fouled. The decision to forbid the strike has infuriated supporters of rival teams.
Arsenal’s superior defence is one of the reasons they are at the top of the league, not VAR.
Yes, I do. Some, I recall, actually took the time to create a different league table that displayed each team’s position in the absence of VAR. Everyone despises VAR, but when it renders a decision that favours a side that could defeat your team to the championship, they detest it even more.
Additionally, “Client Journalist” will be included. That applies to almost everyone who shows admiration for anything or anyone who isn’t on your team. I too have “Set Piece FC” on my card. “Bent,” “Bottle Jobs,” “Worst Title Winners in History,” and other adjectives that won’t fit in print here will fill in the remaining space.
Look, nobody likes the spectacle of the box wrestling that has been permitted to become a part of the English game. It is ridiculous and awful. However, everyone engages in it. Everyone takes advantage of the referees’ lax application of the rules. It has nothing to do with Arsenal’s dominance.
It all boils down to this: many people find it difficult to accept that, despite their strong predictions and frequent claims that it was ingrained in their DNA, Arsenal hasn’t succeeded yet.
It’s not because VAR Darren England properly urged referee Chris Kavanagh to reconsider his decision to allow West Ham’s goal that they are now five points clear at the top of the Premier League this morning.
Additionally, they are not five points clear since Callum Wilson’s strike was rightfully ruled out by Kavanagh. Pablo fouled Arsenal custodian David Raya. That is acknowledged by the great majority of people. Thus, VAR made the right decision in the most important decision it has had to make since its debut in the Premier League.
Because they have been the best team in the Premier League thus far, Arsenal is at the top. Their outstanding defence is the reason they are at the top. They are at the top because Declan Rice, their leader, has had such a fantastic season that many are upset that he did not win Footballer of the Year.
They are at the top due of their deep roster, which has allowed them to manage injuries to nearly all of their important players. They have Bukayo Saka, which makes them the best.
Raya is a superb goalie who made several crucial saves on Sunday, which is another reason Arsenal is at the top.
Manchester City’s 3-3 tie at Everton demonstrated that they are not quite the team they once were.
Raya is an excellent goalie who made several crucial saves on Sunday, which is why they are at the top. They are at the top because Arteta has done a great job mobilising his resources this season, despite the fact that supporters of other teams seem to despise him.
And the reason they are at the top is that, despite Pep Guardiola being the world’s best coach and Manchester City being a terrific squad, they are not quite the same as they once were. In the upcoming seasons, they might very well make a comeback to the top. This season, they might still win the championship. However, they haven’t arrived yet.
That was evident in their 3-3 draw at Everton. At Hill Dickinson Stadium, giving up three goals in 13 minutes demonstrated it. When competing against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool for the championship, this side isn’t yet capable of winning ten or fifteen straight games. It contains weaknesses that the team did not.
Arsenal is the best because of this. Not because VAR made a significant ruling at the London Stadium. It won’t make a difference if Arsenal’s critics yell and scream as much as they want, act irrationally, be angry and agitated, and refuse to acknowledge that Arsenal deserves to be at the top.
It’s time for the rest of the game to stop implying that football is going through an existential crisis just because Arteta and his team won’t give up. Arsenal may yet overcome Burnley or Palace.
Before the World Cup, at least Rashford is in excellent form.
As the World Cup draws near, there are many worries that some of England’s top players may lose their form.
Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers, and Anthony Gordon are all going through challenging times with their teams. Therefore, it was especially satisfying to watch Marcus Rashford, who had been cast aside at Manchester United, thriving at Barcelona, where he has been on loan.
In Barcelona’s El Clasico triumph over Real Madrid over the weekend, Rashford hit a magnificent free kick, securing his team’s La Liga title. Rashford appears to be a player who has secured a spot on the left side of attack in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineup this summer, despite the fact that others may be having difficulties.
In Barcelona’s El Clasico triumph over Real Madrid this past weekend, Marcus Rashford struck an opulent free kick. His current form will secure him a starting position in England’s World Cup squad.
Why Brady left the Hammers is beyond me.
I still don’t understand why West Ham’s vice-chair, Baroness Brady, quit the team in the midst of a relegation battle that might have such dire consequences for the team’s future.
Regardless of how unpopular she was or how detrimental the relocation to the London Stadium has been to the team, leaving while West Ham faces the Championship seems like an odd form of leadership.
