It is as inevitable as England’s continued disappointment on the international stage…Arsenal WILL finish fourth. It’s just the way things are.
No number of Gunners fans shouting insults and frothing at the mouth on Youtube will make a blind bit of difference. Arsenal and a fourth place finish in the league is like the changing of the seasons, death, taxes and Jose Mourinho blaming somebody who isn’t himself for a poor performance….It is a certainty.
In fact, The Special One himself gave Wenger and Co a much-needed leg up to fourth spot when he announced that he wasn’t really going to bother trying much in the league for the rest of the season. In the footballing version of picking up your ball and going home, Manchester United’s form has been so sub-Jose that Moan-inho just doesn’t want to play anymore, and instead is going to focus his efforts on the Europa League final, a tournament that Jose himself once described as “embarrassing” to compete in.
Even last week, when United came unstuck at the Emirates stadium, JM was positively delighted telling the press that he was “Happy for them. It’s nice”. Hardly the reaction you would expect from a man who has just seen his record-breaking 25-game-unbeaten-run come to an end.
Speaking of United’s unbeaten run…Way back in October last year when they started their invincible performances, they were a whopping 5 points behind Liverpool and sitting in a lowly 6th position. 25 games and ZERO defeats later, they had climbed to an impressive 5th and 5 points behind Liverpool. It truly was the worst unbeaten run in history.
Liverpool are doing their bit to ensure Arsenal get that final Champions League spot too.
This weekend’s Hammering of the Hammers aside, Liverpool’s post-Christmas form has been sketchy. Having occupied one of their strongest positions going into the festive period, Jurgen Klopp’s side managed just one win for the whole of January, whilst also dropping points against the likes of Crystal Palace and Southampton. The latter of which Klopp blamed on the Anfield pitch being “Too dry”…the first time a defeat has been blamed on bad grass since the Jamaican football team.
Good to see Jurgen is finally getting to grips with the Premier League. Not the demands of fixtures or the league’s physicality…the moaning and excuses.
So, with Liverpool and United out of the picture that leaves Arsenal free to claim what is rightfully theirs – Champions League football – and Arsene declaring that he will be staying at the Emirates stadium for ONE MORE SEASON.
Repeat till the end of time. That’s just the way it is and we all need to come to terms with it.
Jim is the sarcastic, cynical voice of On The Left Side, the weekly funny football podcast.
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