The Crow - Two teams that can’t win anything draw 3-3. The End.
Published: 21 April, 2011
ARSENAL
THEY will joke that Arsenal lost the league at White Hart Lane this week, a kind of reverse of the Gunners’ title triumphs on that poxy turf in 1971 and 2004. ( 2004..? ...Maaan, we’ll never forget 2004. Happy days.)
That achievement seven years ago is sadly way back in the mists of a time, a carefree time before beer bellies, expensive Olympic tickets and parenthood. They hadn’t even invented Facebook back then. Or trains. Or wheels. It was that long ago.
But in truth, Arsenal lost the league this season at Newcastle. Four nil up to 4-4. At West Brom – they drew there too. Heck, they lost (they were battered) at home to West Brom. They couldn’t win at home to Sunderland. Nor at home to Blackburn. They failed to beat Liverpool in a season when everybody beat Liverpool. Blame Eboue for that.
Twice, they held two goal advantages against Spurs this season in the league and bungled both opportunities to reinforce the obvious difference in quality between the two teams.
When you put it all like that... it’s a wonder that Arsenal are third in the table. Maybe it shows that when Manchester United lift the trophy next month, they will be one of the weakest champions of the Premiership we’ve had. They’ll come first but – so what? What kind of achievement will that be, beating a team with the list of mistakes detailed above?
RICHARD OSLEY
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
IS it me or does Arsene Wenger look like he could start a fight in a room full of nuns?
In truth, after beating Arsenal at the Emirates in November, this week’s derby was the opportunity to really drive the stake through their ever-diminishing title hopes.
A time when Spurs fans could say, “remember the season we got further in the Champions League and did the double over our noisy neighbours?” And then someone who has no affiliation with football would ask: “Is that the season you scored more goals in Europe than they did?” And we’d say: “Yes.” “The year you entertained and they trudged and argued their way to another inevitable defeat?” We’’d answer again in the affirmative. Then they’d laugh and say: “Is that the season we had the Watergate Scandal? When Spurs came from behind to beat Arsenal 3-2 and Arsene Wenger threw his bottle on to the ground and all that water splashed up with the bottle top flying after? Ha ha, that was funny.”
Yes, again, would have to be our reply, because even a novice football watcher will have smiled on those occasions and read between the lines of some of the rubbish written about Spurs this campaign.
The thing is, no matter what the score, Arsenal do not like our rise to form and when you let a two-goal lead slip twice in one season to your bitterest rivals, well Gooner fans, that must hurt you as much as it pleases us.
TONY DALLAS