Some stats are bigger than others – Looking at you Manchester United and Arsenal | OneFootball

Tuesday night and Newcastle United away to Arsenal.

I had a dilemma.

I couldn’t get to this away match, no matter how much I wanted to, life got in the way.

So it was the TV for, as United took on Arsenal for hopefully a progressive result in this semi-final first leg.

The dilemma was which channel to watch? A rare occurrence, as we could choose between Sky Sports and ITV.

I set off watching Sky Sports but inside ten minutes I had found it unbearable.

Switching over to ITV and Lee Dixon, I suddenly found Sky Sports bearable!

One of my (many!) problems with having to turn back to Sky Sports, was their use of stats. Andy Hinchcliffe and whoever the commentator was, just went on and on and on, repeating the same stuff.

One thing that always plays a big part in build ups to these significant matches, is the stats.

The thing for me is, some stats are bigger than others.

Indeed, some stats are in reality, totally irrelevant.

It always makes me laugh for example, when ahead of any Newcastle United match, you get stats covering the last couple of decades.

Those NUFC stats covering the last 20 or so years, include 15 seasons when United kicked off under Mike Ashley ownership.

What on earth have those 15 seasons got in terms of relevance to these past three seasons that have kicked off under the current owners?

Ashley was only interesting in benefiting himself and his retail empire at the expense of the football club. It is the exact opposite of almost every other Premier League club, where the club owners look to use the rest of their business empire/wealth to benefit the football club that they also own.

The 15 years of Newcastle United stats, on and off the pitch, under Mike Ashley are meaningless.

So you then get stuff on Sky Sports like ‘Newcastle United haven’t won at the Emirates since… Arsenal have won ?? times against Newcastle these past ?? years… Newcastle have only won away at Arsenal ? since…’

These stats have no value whatsoever.

It is like comparing the top speed your car is capable of, from when it was sitting on your drive totally knackered, to getting a new engine put in and able to hit the road again.

Which brings me to Arsenal v Newcastle United.

These last three years, from 2022 onwards, have seen Eddie Howe and Newcastle United now face Arsenal seven times (including last night).

In those seven meetings, there has been one draw, two wins for Mikel Arteta, four wins for Eddie Howe.

In the four Eddie Howe wins and that draw at the Emirates, Arsenal haven’t scored a goal.

I never heard any reference at all to these matches on Sky Sports last night. Instead it was basically recounting what had happened during the soulless Mike Ashley era, how on earth is that relevant to what is a completely different football club now? One with ambitious owners and the brilliant Eddie Howe, rather than Ashley and Carver, JFK, McClaren, Pardew, Bruce.

We had the same with the trip to Old Trafford nine days ago, the nonsense we had to listen to before, during and after the match.

An endless regurgitation of stats regarding what happened between Man U and Newcastle United, back when Mike Ashley was in control, as well as beyond that.

The reality is that under Eddie Howe, the last five games against Man U, Newcastle United have won four of them now without conceding a goal in any of those four. The exception was the defeat in May 2024 when Newcastle United SHOULD have won but found a way to lose 3-2, with the ‘help’ of some woeful match officials and everything going against us.

Other rivals Newcastle United have recent played…

The six games Eddie Howe has been in charge of against Aston Villa, NUFC have won five of the six.

The last six games against Tottenham with Eddie Howe in charge, Newcastle have won five of the six.

The here and now is relevant, what is happening under Eddie Howe and these NUFC owners, as well as what has happened in the recent years and fixtures under them as well.