Arsenal ‘froze like a deer in the headlights’ in January to hand ‘shrewd’ Man City the Premier League title | OneFootball

Arsenal should have signed Antoine Semenyo in January. Instead, they ‘froze like a deer in the headlights’ and gave Manchester City a massive advantage in the Premier League title race.

Happy March, folks.

Man City are too shrewd

On one level, you have to hand it to Manchester City. They assessed the situation so shrewdly in January:

They recognised that if they didn’t make serious moves to improve their defence and attack, the league title was going to go by default to Arteta’s dark arts crew, with their awful tactics and ref conning ways (by the way, not nearly enough has been made of Gabriel’s blatant swan dive for Spurs disallowed equaliser last week).

So they went out and with minimum fuss, secured in Semenyo and Guehi, 2 players who are arguably the best in their respective positions in England and boy, does the effect really show!

It was open to Arsenal to press their points advantage and aggressively compete for Semenyo (to simultaneously deny their only legit title rival and improve their team) or make a play for the likes of Tonali, but instead they chose to freeze like a deer in the headlights, and thereby persist with dross like Trossard, Jesus and Odegaard.

And that’s why it looks more than likely that come May, Arteta will be crying into his sangria (unless of course, he and can take advantage of the soft as cottage cheese CL draw). Robert Vard

Liverpool score 5 goals but are unconvincing

Any team that scores 5 goals and concedes 2 can literally not be called “unconvincing”

The aim of football is to win.

How many goals before they are “ convincing”

Winner of the most embarrassing article of the season. Step forward and collect your “ I hate Liverpool and it’s pretty obvious /journo not even trying “ award.

Still love the hate. Keep it up Lewis and Jason. Expect further Liverpool wins with blatant tears when it happens

Kind Regards Ade

Newcastle can’t win at home now

Couldn’t win away and now it seems we can no longer win at home.

I’m not advocating sacking Howe, but I think we should be looking for a new manager in the summer. Let him leave on his own terms at the end of the season, this season is pretty much a write off anyway. Chris NUFC

Garnacho career trajectory

If Garnacho leaves Chelsea, I doubt it’ll be for anything resembling a serious footballing project.

He seems destined to be one of those Instagram gobsh*tes who mistake irritating strangers for a profession, right up until someone refuses to treat it as content. Ant MUFC (please not Glasner or Southgate)

…Now that City are gonna duel with Real Madrid once again in the UCL, I feel that it’s time to acknowledge Pep and my team since the end of era feels inevitable now.

There’s no shame in losing to Real in the UCL, perhaps it could be Pep’s last UCL game. Gradually, his old guard and core squad ain’t there anymore. The Kevin-Bernardo-Rodri-Gundogan-Stones-Ederson Spine is more or less finished after this season. The team that gave me uncomparable joy in the EPL and UCL, where we could go against anyone unfazed and challenge them to the end.

Of course it’s my bias, but the 22-23 treble winning squad was the best for me, each and every of our domestic/European rivals were annihilated, delivering once in a lifetime moments for fans. 20 years later, when I am old ,I will argue with my kids and anyone willing to listen, that the football they watch now is shit compared to my legendary team who brought unmatched athleticism and ruthlessness to the game. “Look at this stout City striker moving so laboriously, prime Haaland was a magician, an animal.”

Perhaps Enzo Maresca will take over now, if he fails the expectation of the owners, perhaps Mancini being available is a choice. As long as we have Haaland in his prime years, there won’t be an immediate collapse when Pep leaves. But gradually, it will arrive, and English football will see the rise of new forces.

And that is the inevitability of any club, Football and life. They can’t dominate and deliver titles every damn year. But I will cherish those wins and magical years for my life. I don’t care if Arsenal wins the title, my team has done enough for me. They have catered enough for such entitled fans like myself. Thank you for reading my mail. Victor MCFC (When Bernardo leaves, the EPL loses a figure hated by rivals but adored unconditionally by City fans)

Kevin Villa’s Referees Rant

I read Kevin Villa’s lengthy rant earlier, and there were some valid points in amongst it once you filtered out the suggestions of bias against Villa, but I think he has made a fundamental mistake.

He makes reference to ‘the commentators bringing in “expert” Darren Cann, a former assistant referee on why no yellows given’ and how Cann suggested the referee in question was only ‘letting the game breathe’.

Kevin then seems to think that Cann, who is effect working as a pundit, is speaking on behalf of the PGMOL which he isn’t. He is stating his personal opinions and interpretations of the incidents only. Being an former referee working in a commentary team should not be taken as speaking in any official capacity, and to use his comments to as a reason to state ‘So who are PGMOL to decide they do or don’t meet some kind of imaginary threshold?  Who are PGMOL to decide when or whether to apply the laws depending on the time or the area of the pitch?’ is bullshit.

Unless there was an official clarification from the PGMOL, which Kevin doesn’t mention, which we get from time to time we don’t know what they think about the specific incidents.

It could be that the referee in question (I don’t know who it was, and Kevin doesn’t mention) didn’t think that the incidents involving Cash and Kamara were fouls or did not warrant yellow cards, but Kevin does and he must know better than a fully trained referee!

Kevin also says, apropos of nothing, that we should ‘note that Villa have been awarded precisely zero penalties in the league this season’. This I think is a veiled accusation of bias against Villa, but perhaps it could actually be the case that no referee (or VAR bods) have thought that they have been on the receiving end of an offence that warranted a penalty so far this season.

Kevin also states that ‘PGMOL’s role is, and should be, to apply the laws of the game consistently and fairly. Nothing else’. I don’t think anyone would disagree with this statement, even if it isn’t specifically listed as one of their responsibilities on the Premier League website.

So to summarise, don’t confuse the musings of someone working as a pundit with an official bodies opinion, and don’t suggest bias against your team just because you don’t agree with some decisions.

All of us believe we are wronged by officials from time to time, but it think that rational people just accept that it can happen that way in a sport where the rule are not exactly black and white (i.e. what the fuck does ‘arms in a natural position mean’, because having them clamped to the side of your body isn’t natural but it seems to be the best way to avoid handball). A, LFC, Montreal.

No More St. Tottingham Day?

It’s often a fun topic amongst fans to discuss whether they would prefer to see their own team win the League OR see their major rival be relegated.

This presents a unique problem for Arsenal as they would no longer be able to celebrate “St. Tottingham Day” each season. I wonder if Arsenal fans could cope without that auspicious day each year? Adidasmufc (I keep thinking about the John Cleese quote that “it’s the hope that kills you!”)

Wrong again Pete

Maybe it’s just me but I took great pleasure in Bournemouth equaliser being from 6 yards out after Crouch said at half time long shots were their best chance. Anthony

Where is Barry Fox?

Can whomever it’s is in the comments that does the Barry Fox character bring him back, please. I need cheering up.

FIFA peace prize disrespected

Not even 3 months into 2026 and the FIFA peace prize winner has kidnapped the Venezuelan president, killed the leader of a cartel and bombed Iran while threatening war across multiple countries.