The behaviour of Arsenal fans as they watched their team remain nine points ahead was extraordinary; they get a kicking.
Thank you as ever for your mails. Welcome back Premier League. Mail us at theeditor@football365.com
A new entry into football lexicon
Has anyone else coined the term squeaky glum time yet? If not, may I kindly add this to the lexicon for the benefit of Arsenal fans?
Thanks,
Adam
When you know it’s going badly…
You know s*** is real when you play Gabriel Magalhães as a centre forward.
L-M-effing-A-O.
Gaptoothfreak, Man. Utd., New York (Laughing all the way from 3rd place)
Michelin-starred deliciousness from Arsenal fans
I can’t be the only one who is loving the seamless and shameless transition from “Arteta is a generational manager, better than Klopp” and “Saka is better than Yamal” to Arteta out and “we were never good enough anyway”. Incredible stuff.
Booing off a fragile side, struggling for confidence and in need of support that was also nine points clear is peak entitlement. Honestly it feels like there is a large portion of the Arsenal fanbase that has no actual interest in football or the team but just likes to have a fashion accessory they can lord over others when the goings good to feel temporarily superior.
Still enough games left for momentum to swing again but the willingness to look so ridiculous at every turn should really be studied.
Andy, formerly London now Cambridge (via everywhere)
Losing faith in Arsenal
Up to Saturday, I thought, we still got this.
But now I am taking off my rose tinted spectacles to really witness what is happening here.
I have defended Arteta to the hilt until now but now I am beginning to lose the faith.
Still, I will not make a final judgement until season’s end.
It seems to be a vicious circle of despair, Arsenal play rubbish, the fans get anxious and boo and it then translates back to the players, and so on and so on.
I think next week, when we play City, they will be overwhelming favourites, this may help us, plus being away from home, less fan pressure.
With some players back, maybe Timber/Calafiori, we could just get a result. Next week is no foregone conclusion.
Cmon you Gunners!!!
JimmyB
What does a coach do?
Mubashir Iqbal says that it’s not Arteta’s coaching, it’s the players looking like they’ve never met each other and playing with zero coordination.
Now, I might be a mere Sunderland fan whose recent experience of bottling it is more about championship playoffs than Premier League titles, but I reckon that’s something that would probably fall under the heading of “Coaching”.
Mark, SAFC
…I didn’t see Arteta’s Risk Averse All-Stars v Bournemouth, ironically because I was in London for the first time in too long with some very old friends – in both senses of the word (Yavsy, Matthew, thanks again gents). So obviously I didn’t write in to express my glee at the result, because lord alone knows how Ickle Mikel f***ed this one up.
Actually, scratch that, I know exactly how. Same as every other time, coaching his players to play with fear for set pieces. I see in my absence however, that the baton was picked up and carried enthusiastically by many others. And then I read the mail from Mubashir Iqbal. Wow.
I’ve read some one-eyed Gooner contributions here since Arteta’s laughable press conference monotone mumbling about dominating every game commenced 7 years ago, but even at their bloody minded, one-eyed, Junior Gooner fan club badged, Keown jim-jam wearing best, folk like Ryan, Tom, or Rich wouldn’t have had the chutzpah to say the issue is….gulp….. recruitment!!?!!
Heartening to see many other Gooners finally agreeing with me and many others though, your issue, Mubashir, is Arteta and his inability to coach an attack, despite signing, and already having, some very, very good attacking players.
Sadly, I still think you’ll win the league, but I’ll console myself with watching Arteta get eaten alive by Enrique (obviously). Or Kompany (snigger). Or Arbeloa (guffaw). Plus, still a few pressers for Arteta to carry on soiling himself in to laugh at (that one pair of grey school trousers he owns must be making Islington dry cleaners and absolute packet).
RHT/TS x
(The ref in the PSG v Liverpool game was absolutely appalling – properly atrocious – I don’t want to hear any This Means More FC fans moaning about ref bias against the plucky red men for a looooong time after that, or ever preferably)
Arsenal will deserve the title
What I’m hearing from non-Arsenal supporting football fans is that if Arsenal don’t win the league it’s because they’re not gold enough but even if Arsenal do win the league they’re not good enough to deserve winning the league because they don’t play the right kind of football. Which is of course ridiculous.
Which football club who has won the English Premier League title has played eye catching and entertaining football throughout the entire league season? Many have won the title through grinding out results and winning ugly. Saying a club doesn’t deserve to win a trophy or a title beacuse they’re football isn’t attractive or entertaining enough is just ridiculous.
Dan, London
Maybe trust the unpredictability of youth?
For all the (deserved) flak Slot is getting today for the often moribund performances from Liverpool – especially of late – the idea he is due some forgiveness is brought into perspective with the recent form of Arsenal. Just shows how hard it is to maintain enough form to get it across the line – while Arsenal and Arteta are showing cracks – even with 2 or more decent players in every position – something Liverpool didn’t have last year.
The idea he is protecting’ Ngumoah by not playing him is bizarre. Especially as Gakpo is not only predictable but offers no more support for the team nor is good on the press. The team seemed more up for it with Ngumoah than Gakpo in the line. Perhaps Arteta needs to trust Dowman to bring some unpredictability to Arsenal?
Paul McDevitt
A long mail on Asterisk FC
There is a growing sense in English football that the game is being asked to look the other way. Not because supporters don’t understand the complexity of financial regulation, but because the contrast between cases is becoming impossible to ignore.
Take Chelsea FC. When the Premier League investigated historical financial irregularities following the change of ownership, Chelsea were publicly praised for their full cooperation. They disclosed information, worked with investigators, and accepted a settlement. The process, while not trivial, moved with relative clarity and resolution. It reinforced a basic principle: engage transparently, and the system can function.
Now contrast that with Manchester City.
Charged with 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, City have not taken the same path. Instead, the process has been characterised by legal complexity, procedural challenges, and parallel disputes—most notably around Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules—that appear to have intersected with, and potentially delayed, the main case. Whether framed as robust legal defence or strategic obstruction, the effect is the same: time.
And time matters.
Because this is not just a legal process; it is a credibility test for the Premier League itself. When a case of this magnitude stretches over years, behind closed doors, with no transparency and no clear end point, it creates a vacuum. And in that vacuum, perception takes hold.
Why would a club pursue such an aggressive legal strategy? The answer is straightforward. The stakes are existential. A guilty verdict could carry severe sporting and financial consequences—points deductions, titles questioned, reputational damage that stretches far beyond the pitch. In that context, delay is not neutral. Delay is leverage. Delay allows seasons to pass, trophies to be won, narratives to be cemented before any final judgement is handed down.
But here is the uncomfortable consequence.
Every title won in that window is now viewed through a different lens.
This is why, outside of Arsenal FC supporters locked in a direct title race, there is a noticeable absence of emotional investment when City lift another trophy. It is not jealousy. It is not rivalry. It is detachment. Because until the case is resolved, those titles sit under a cloud that cannot be ignored.
Not proven illegitimate—but not cleanly accepted either.
That is the damage being done.
It is also why the wider context matters. Manchester City are owned by Abu Dhabi interests linked to Sheikh Mansour, a senior figure within the UAE state. The UK maintains deep economic and diplomatic ties with the UAE, and it is now publicly known that figures such as James Cleverly and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office have sought updates on the case, with the British Embassy in the region also making enquiries.
There is no definitive evidence of political interference in the outcome. But it would be naïve to pretend the case exists in a vacuum. When state interests, global investment, and elite sport collide, sensitivity follows. And sensitivity, more often than not, slows things down.
So we are left with a situation where:
One club is praised for cooperation and resolves its case
Another fights every inch, and the process drags on for years
The governing body remains silent due to confidentiality
Governments are, at the very least, aware and engaged
And supporters are asked to carry on as though nothing is unresolved
That is not sustainable.
Because football ultimately runs on belief—belief in fairness, in competition, in the idea that what happens on the pitch is earned within the same framework for everyone.
Right now, that belief is being tested.
And until there is a final, transparent resolution to the 115 charges, every Manchester City title will carry an asterisk in the minds of many—not officially recorded, not legally defined, but quietly understood.
That is the cost of delay.
A concerned football citizen, Malta
Spurs and inexplicable decisions
Some notes on the Sunderland game. Firstly, I’ll be a grownup and say honestly, that wasn’t a penalty.
But how in the name of Jesus did the ball restart with Sunderland? It was a corner, a proper goalscoring opportunity.
The defender had the last touch before the ball crossed the line, ergo it was a corner. I understand some people want Spurs to go down but can we at least see the rules of the game applied please?
See also, how was Brobby not sent off for multiple infractions post his yellow card? He elbowed Porro in the face, for.one.
And then more of the misfortune that has dogged us. Crazy goal. More injuries.
Won’t take away from Sunderland, they deserved at least a point. But that game was a great example of how sometimes everything is going wrong for a team and they can’t catch a break no matter how hard they try.
Six games left. We’re not done yet. COYS.
Sam
Rashford is not all that
Rashford is not elite. His numbers hide a lot of his weaknesses. He is not an average reliable player who gives a 7/10 every time. He oscillates between a 3 and a 9 within a game and over a stretch of games. Some of his goals look great. It hides in a way people can’t see bad habits in good looking people.
He ranks very poorly in terms of shot accuracy, lot of his shots are blocked or deflected, either because he is too close to a defender or he doesn’t go around, he shoots in a straight line. The no. of times he goes for power or finesse or placement is maddening. Check out Michael Cox of zonal marking for a better analysis.
His off the ball work is abysmal. Not in a Mbappe or Hazard way, he shows no understanding on how to arc his runs, or when to jump. He looks lost off the ball, meandering and disconnected always.
He is a luxury for a mid tier team, and not very good to be a squad player for a top team. I doubt Barcelona will keep him unless he takes a huge pay cut that reflects his skill.
Madrid fan (next up – Mbappe is bad for a team)
Eddie Howe should resign
[Blasphemy redacted], Newcastle have lost 25 points from winning positions this season. That’s more points than either Wolves or Burnley have won at all. That’s enough points to put us in second. It’s baffling: We’re good enough to get into winning positions against even very good teams, but we’re trash enough that a first-half lead is cause for anxiety.
I retract my earlier statement that Howe should be sacked. He should damned well resign. He hasn’t met his own standards in any way this season, and it means we’re going to finish below the newly promoted mackems. Even Sir Bobby wouldn’t have kept his job past May.
Arsenal supporters did make me feel a bit less sorry for myself in the Saturday morning Mailbox, though. I’m quite sure that I’ve never heard supporters of the club leading the league calling for their manager to be sacked. Delightful!
Chris C, Toon Army DC (Threw up in my mouth a little when I wrote that about the mackems, but they’ve deserved it.)
