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In recent years a rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City has slowly started to simmer. Following City’s Arab takeover in the autumn of 2008, the blue side of Manchester has begun to take a hold over the English football landscape.

For many years Arsenal were mainly preoccupied with the red half of Manchester but when Emmanuel Adebayor left N5 for the Etihad, and proceeded to celebrate a goal in front of his former fans a few weeks later we began to take notice of what was previously a very nothingy club.

City would also pinch Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy from us later on as they went on to dominate English football, a monopoly that is only now showing signs of thawing. Since 2012, City have won eight League Titles, a host of domestic cups and one Champions League in 2023. Prior to their takeover, they had a mere two League Titles in well over a century. That’s less than Preston, Leeds, Sunderland, Huddersfield, Wolves, Aston Villa and Everton. But the same as Tottenham. It just goes to show what miracles can be achieved with a bottomless pit of money.

During my time in Manchester, I found the geographical location of the fanbases of the respective Manchester clubs quite amusing. Whilst we always mock United fans for being from London and most away games being more like home games for them, the bulk of City’s following comes from Greater Manchester. United have fans from everywhere but the city in which they reside and City have fans from Manchester but nowhere else. I was there almost three years and virtually every United and City fan lived up to that stereotype. I suppose you can buy as many hollow trophies as you wish, but passion cannot be bought. Not with money anyway.

It’s an interesting city, Manchester. Historically perceived as a working class industrial hotspot, it is famous for three things; football obviously, Music and most notoriously, rain. And not just any rain. Cold, slanty, drizzly, ever present rain. In Manchester, it never rains, but it never pours either. It just drizzles. Constantly. Manchester has received a great deal of government funding since the turn of the millennium. It’s a city full of dull, characterless high rise buildings, much to the disdain of it’s three million residents. I know Birmingham is officially the UK’’s “second city” but really, everyone knows it’s Manchester. Just a shame it holds two nauseating football clubs. nauseating for very different reasons of course.

Sheikh Mansour has undoubtedly transformed City’s fortunes unimaginably. In my school days I was lucky enough to embark on a football tour to Manchester City where we visited and played at their state of the art training ground and it really is something special. To their owner’s credit, much of Manchester’s regeneration project has been down to them. I think that’s what we now know to refer to as “sportswashing”. It really is a form of hypnosis. Look at all these really lovely things we’re doing with our dirty laundry, marvel at it instead of wondering where it actually comes from! What a bunch of thoroughly wholesome and decent chaps we are! We’ve taken this previously also ran club (if that) and turned it into a global superpower almost overnight. Aren’t we clever? Well perhaps they are because up to this point, City have well and truly got away with it. Of course the hearing regarding their 115 (so we’re told) charges concluded some weeks ago and we await the verdict with baited breath. So maybe they won’t have got away with it for much longer. I’m sure those rascals can find their way out of it. They always do.

Of course we don’t have much insight into what their punishment should their alleged guiltiness be proven will actually entail. Relegation down several divisions would be nice. For the entire club to spontaneously combust would be the best possible outcome. Does spontaneous combustion come under the remit of the investigative body? Even if it does not, I’m sure it can be arranged.

But what about the game itself? Well I suppose a win would be jolly nice. We haven’t had many of those in recent times. Against tomorrow’s opponents that is. We have actually won quite a few games in recent times. But what is recent? A week? A year? Nine years maybe? Lots can happen in nine years. 115 breaches of financial fair play for example. We only have one league win over city in nine years although that came in this fixture last year as a late Martinelli strike deflected deliciously off Nathan Ake’s backside gave us a 1-0 win over pep. A repeat of that would be lovely.

So who will make the 11 tomorrow? Here is my prediction. Please don’t take it as gospel.

Raya
Timber Saliba Gabriel Calafiori
Partey Rice Ødegaard
Martinelli Havertz Trossard

In all honesty, we have little room for manoeuvre in terms of changes from the Wolves game. I think you just have to start Partey as the 6. Let Rice do his thing further forward. And I would assume it will be Trossard off the left to start with and Gabi on the right. Expect them to interchange as the game goes on.

This is a game we kind of have to win to keep in touch with Liverpool but then again every game is a must win at this point. What does must win even mean? What will happen to us if we don’t win? Will we all spontaneously combust? Will Martinelli’s legs turn into a block of cheddar? No, if we don’t win we will still be second, and Twitter will go into meltdown. Which happens every day anyway so who cares? The title is unlikely but lots of things are unlikely but have still happened. The chances of you being born and reading this article are roughly one in four trillion. That mainly applies to you being born and not so much reading this article. I don’t know what the odds for that would be. Probably a few more trillion. And what are the odds of Arsenal winning the league this season? I don’t know but probably better than one in four trillion. Unlikely but possible.

Keep that in mind as we motor on to the end of the season.

COYG!!

28 Drinks to “Unlikely, but not impossible”

  1. 1
    OsakaMatt says:

    I’ll take a 4 trillion – nil win today.
    Great preview, amusing and informative.
    Manchester was certainly a shithole last
    time I went, but that was 30 odd years ago.
    Your team seems likely if Raya is fit.
    I’ll also take any win and a stay humble
    to the large dickhead.

  2. 2
    OsakaMatt says:

    It seems Villa will take Rashford and are looking at Asensio. They signed Malen last month.
    I agree it’s unlikely they will let Watkins go but not impossible if they get Asensio.

  3. 3
    OsakaMatt says:

    Though to be honest I wouldn’t play Malen at CF and sell Watkins myself 😂

  4. 4
    TTG says:

    Very interesting preview 21CG . I’ve been to Manchester many 5imes. Maybe it’s the weather or that annoying accent but I don’t like it as a city . I significantly prefer Liverpool and it seems so does whoever decides football titles this season . They look untouchable .
    I think we can win this but I’d start Nwaneri on the right and put Trossard on the bench .
    I pray that Raya is fit and we can nab a striker . Let’s keep Erling humble

  5. 5
    Bathgooner says:

    An excellent preview, 21CG, stimulating a modicum of optimism. Play to our best and we will win the football match, providing PGMOL feel that they have committed enough fraud already to ensure tha the Mugsmashers win the league and don’t intervene yet again to tilt another game. But then again, have they extracted enough revenge for the overturning of their precious red card with the charge of mobbing the referee or do they require more retribution?

    Just win, Arsenal!

  6. 6
    Ollie says:

    Great preview as always, cheers 21CG!

  7. 7
    Ollie says:

    I’ve been to Manchester twice, one just visiting friends and having a good time. The other for a sadly memorable 4-0 FA Cup defeat.
    I lived in Birmingham for seven months or so though…followed by six in Coventry (spent most of my weekends in either Brum or London during these six months oddly, and found my car broken into on returning one Sunday…).

  8. 8
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Top preview 21CG. Lots of good sense and stitched together oh so smoothly, an excellent read with a dollop of optimism and a dollop of realism. Fine work. Cheers.

    Any win today. They got lucky last game when we were robbed by Michael Oliver, who is incapable of refereeing Arsenal the same as other teams (that’s who decides football titles this season, TTG, it’s PGMOL).

    We need the win for our confidence and mindset as much as the points. A good result today would set us up for Newcastle, and then we have a break and a chance to catch our breath.

    Come on Arsenal!

  9. 9
    BtM says:

    In the wake of Emirates Stadium, ironically, Arsene was forced to balance the books by selling those you mention plus Toure and Sagna to the Sour Milk Shake of Abby Dabbly and his multitude of thieves. Every trophy they’ve won will carry an asterisk in perpetuity. (I was at the Adebayor game when the “He’s 5 feet 4……fuck Adebayor” song emerged. I think that played a huge part in bringing him to the boil. He should have been sent off for an atrocious hack on RvP that day. Also at the game in the photo. Magic strike by MA8).

    Superb preview 21CG, really enjoyed it. Lewis-Skelly at RB and Nwaneri on the right wing for me and I’ve said my prayers for Raya in goal. A game we can win.

    I plan to be in the stadium by 3.30PM. Ping me on my phone, Holics and I’ll be happy to put an actual drink on the bar for you then.

  10. 10
    Ollie says:

    On my way to London but at the moment still not Stadium-bound, BtM.

  11. 11
    Ollie says:

    And now, I have a ticket. Block 133.

  12. 12
    bt8 says:

    Great preview, 21CG. COYG

  13. 13
    bt8 says:

    Everton now in 15th and Spudz now in 16th-
    Ha.
    Ha.
    Ha.
    Ha.
    Ha.
    Ha.
    Ha.
    .
    .
    .

  14. 14
    Uplympian says:

    Top notch preview 21CG – set the match up nicely.
    Let’s just win!!
    COYRRR

  15. 15
    North Bank Ned says:

    An excellent read, 21CG. A good blend of being uplifting and realistic. Any win will do.

  16. 16
    North Bank Ned says:

    DR Congo has called on us to drop our Visit Rwanda sponsorship.

    https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/dr-congo-urges-arsenal-bayern-munich-psg-to-end-blood-stained-agreement-with-rwanda/ljl1pyc

    This is not the first time this sponsorship has been questioned, but there are no clean hands on either side in the current outbreak of the decades-long violence between Hutus and Tutsi. That said, we need to be humble, to use the fashionable word, when it comes to sportswashing.

  17. 17
    North Bank Ned says:

    Raya
    Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly
    Rice, Partey, Odegaard
    Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz

    Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Nwaneri.

  18. 18
    Sancho Panza says:

    Hopefully Martinelli can have good game. He normally scores against this bunch.

  19. 19
    OsakaMatt says:

    Big goal MLS

  20. 20
    OsakaMatt says:

    Put it to bed 4-1

  21. 21
    OsakaMatt says:

    Great win and a great 2nd half MLS and then Ethan, WOW stuff and a great finish for Kai

  22. 22
    False Nein says:

    Up The Arse. Hats Off. Too little, too frothy coffee – in the end.

  23. 23
    Countryman100 says:

    Call and response please

    Who put the ball in the City net?

  24. 24
    OsakaMatt says:

    Half the fucking team did!

  25. 25
    North Bank Ned says:

    The impossible is what we do. Excellent performances all round.

    Our 18-year-old left-back is keeping an Italian, a Ukrainian, a Scottish and a Polish international out of the team. On current form, our 17-year-old right winger might keep an England international out, too. Signature goal from Nwaneri, and loved MLS’s goal celebration, taking the mick out of Haaland.

    Big shoutouts for Raya for two top saves when the score was 1-0 and for Partey, who brought his A-game. Also, a mention in dispatches for Rice’s cross-field pass to Nwaneri to set up his goal.

  26. 26
    Countryman100 says:

    Courtesy of poorly drawn Arsenal

  27. 27
    OsakaMatt says:

    Hahaha brilliant,

  28. 28
    Pangloss says:

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>