Aditya Iyer

This season has been Prime Barclays. When was the last time there was a title race (7 point gap with a game in hand) + race for Europe (3 points between 3rd & 6th) + race for Conference League (7 points between 7th & 14th) + a relegation battle (3 points between 15th and 18th)?!

Wrexham have a better football field than Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.

Pickup football lineup selection from Arteta.

You have to hand it to Tottenham, they somehow manage to steal Arsenal’s thunder.

At this rate, Spurs might sack Igor Tudor, hire Sean Dyche, and still end up getting relegated.

A very good morning to Fabian Hürzeler.

7 more wins 🔴⚪️🏆

8 more wins 🔴⚪️🏆

Champions find a way, and so far this season Arsenal haven’t really been able to prove that. But after Chelsea (h) and Brighton (a), we can truly say that they have found a way.

Manchester City are going to drop points when we all least expect it.

PERSISTENCE OVER PERFECTION I’m going to come clean.

Managing fear when control slips.

9 more wins 🔴⚪️🏆

Manchester City are going to drop points when we all least expect it.

Eze’s first goal is an absolute work of art, and I don’t think enough is said about his first touch. He basically pulls off an alley-oop all by himself.

Hearing Thomas Frank was in the away end.

10 more wins 🔴⚪️🏆

Viktor Gyökeres has arrived?!

If Arsenal are going to win the rest of their league games, then we need to stop having pedestrian first halves. We have been wasting far too many first halves, and the result is that the game state ends up being decided by fine margins.

STOMACH FOR FIGHT This is probably the lowest I have felt after watching an Arsenal game in a long time.

Can this Arsenal side finally break its own narrative?

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Probably a hint of positivity from last night was Saka ending his 15-game goal drought and his post-match presser. The tone and body language were definitely those of someone who is going to drag this team to the finish line. This could be the turning point we look back on in May.

Arsenal’s league campaign now hangs on Kai Havertz remaining fit and Martin Ødegaard somehow rediscovering his 22/23 version. Otherwise, the title could be well and truly done in the next three games.

The Gabriel–Raya mix-up felt like the League Cup final against Birmingham City in 2011 all over again. And for the very first time, I worry about what could follow, especially after we capitulated on all four fronts back then.

THE FRAGILITY OF BELIEF Not even five days ago, the entire fan base was buzzing.

The sound of panic at the top.

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11 more wins 🔴⚪️🏆

Every time we fail to seize a moment like this, questions resurface, about the manager’s judgment, about the players’ nerve, about whether this group truly believes it can go all the way in practice, when the margin for error disappears. That scrutiny is absolutely valid. It’s on them to change it.

An absolutely shocking game from Eze. We can talk about player profiling all we want, but that level of performance simply isn’t acceptable.

A huge opportunity for Eze, and it feels like the game state suits him as we need someone who can generate high-quality shots.

Maintaining fitness was always going to be a challenge for Havertz, so I’m glad it’s nothing major. There’s no better opportunity for Eze to shine, and he might get another chance to do so in the NLD.

THE SIX-POINT ILLUSION This was one of those weekends that should have felt uncomplicated.

The tension between control and fear in a title race.

gooneradi.substack.com/p/the-six-po...

Normal service has resumed for Manchester United.