So that is it.
37 video games. 27 wins. 89 targets. 86 factors. And all of it comes right down to the ultimate day. It’s all pretty easy: we have to beat Everton, and we want West Ham to attract with, or beat, Man Metropolis on the Etihad.
Easy. And but. Neither factor is sort of that. It’s taken without any consideration that as we speak hinges solely on what occurs in Manchester, however we now have to indicate the identical degree of efficiency and professionalism that we now have all season to take all three factors. Then, realistically talking, we want one thing extraordinary to occur within the different recreation.
One minute my outlook is that it’s utterly unlikely, the following that you simply simply by no means know what can occur in a recreation of soccer. That stat about how the crew main on the ultimate day has all the time gone on to win the title doesn’t augur properly, however then a part of me thinks it has to occur in some unspecified time in the future. Why not as we speak? Will the best legislation of all of them – the legislation of averages – be on our facet?
In all probability not. However possibly!
‘Be sensible, Andrew’, my mind says.
‘I do know,’ I reply, ‘but additionally shut up mind’.
As a result of for all of that, when you can’t go into the ultimate day of the season when you’ve got an opportunity to win the league and never let your self dream a bit, what’s the purpose? Maybe it received’t be a dream that lasts too lengthy, Metropolis’s relentless successful machine will simply go and do what it must, however you by no means know.
So many individuals requested me after the reside occasion what would occur as we speak, and I needed to disappoint all of them by revealing the stark reality that I can not inform the long run. I believe my normal reply was ‘You by no means know!’. There’s the weblog title as we speak.
I don’t know what else there may be to say about this one. We might discuss concerning the crew choice as we speak however I believe we might all just about decide the beginning line-up. I don’t even suppose it’s particularly related to the dialogue. This crew, or slight variations of it, have received 15 of their final 17 video games (46 factors from 51 in 2024) to get us so far. Do we have to discuss whether or not or not they’ve the chops to get a outcome as we speak? Probably not. Which isn’t to take something without any consideration, however merely a mirrored image of their high quality and consistency.
Regardless of that unimaginable run, our hopes lie within the fingers (and toes) of others. There are numerous eventualities the place West Ham might do it, however all of them are overshadowed by the evil Mount Chance which looms over as we speak and can possible resolve the result. However you by no means know!
I don’t actually even need to dwell on that. An important factor about as we speak for me is that Arsenal have an opportunity, nevertheless slight, and that’s it. The work the crew and the supervisor and everybody behind the scenes has achieved to get right here has been so spectacular, and no matter occurs they deserve a lot credit score. It’s actually not that way back that the concept this soccer membership can be concerned in a title race that goes to the loss of life was simply so fanciful.
Now we have come an extended in a reasonably brief time frame. I don’t know if as we speak is the day we get it over the road, however I don’t suppose I’ve ever been extra assured about our potential to compete. In another league, we’d have been champions a few weeks in the past (at the very least), however the crew we now have to beat to win it within the Premier League isn’t regular (for every kind of causes we don’t want to enter).
I really feel fortunate that I could be there as we speak, and if we win it … oooof, you possibly can all think about. If we don’t, they’ll get loads of properly deserved love and reward from the followers, grateful for what has been an unimaginable season by any requirements. I hope to see a few of you round, I hope for all of us that a little bit miracle occurs in Manchester (however for West Ham clearly), and that we do what have to do in our recreation.
I want some espresso. I want a little bit of a stroll. I want Arsenal to win the Premier League. However I can solely management two of these. I now hand myself over to the gamers in each the video games, to the fates themselves, and let’s see the place it goes.
Come on you reds!
