Could Arsenal Snatch A 21st Consecutive St Totteringham’s?

My hearty congratulations go to Leicester City for their Premier League triumph. Like so many others I was wrong about you, I thought you’d falter as the heat was turned up but you kept racking up points and no-one can claim you were not worthy winners. Personal views on some of their players aside it’s nice to see a team win the Premier League that I don’t completely detest.

I’m insanely jealous that it is not Arsenal and frustrated that we didn’t make more of the most open season this century but I’m also pleased that Sp*rs didn’t win it. Thanks must also go to Chelsea from coming back from 2-0 down to crush the hopes of spuds everywhere. I’m sure a lot of Tottenham fans will take issue with that but it’s not like they haven’t spent the last 50 odd years revelling in every failure of ours.

That draw has also thrown up an interesting prospect, one final twist to this riddle of a season, and that is the potential for Arsenal to snatch 2nd place from Tottenham.

It pains me to say it but they’ve been a much better team than us this year and probably deserve to finish ahead of us. However, if they bottle it in the final two games I would dine on the hilarity of this season for years to come. It’s widely accepted that this has been the worst season for football at Arsenal since the mid 90s. For Tottenham, this has arguably been their best season for over half a century. They had a real chance of winning their first league title in 55 years, and they even had help from us with the six points we took from Leicester.

There are potential stumbling blocks for Tottenham finishing 2nd but they mean nothing if Arsenal don’t pick up maximum points and their next opponent is Manchester City away at the Etihad.

Neither team is in the best of form but fortune may smile upon Arsenal here. Manuel Pellegrini knows he will not be at Manchester City next season so has no vested interest in ensuring they finish in the top four. Anything but a win and they are potential prey to local rivals Manchester United. There is a chance they will face Arsenal with one eye on the title and that is a positive prospect for us. As mentioned, Pellegrini has no vested interest in ensuring Pep has Champions League football next season but might consider winning the Champions League to be a better way of delivering that particular directive.

Should Liverpool overturn Villareal this week he might even see missing out on the top four but winning the Champions League as a parting gift. For were Liverpool to also triumph in Europe the fourth placed team, in this scenario United, would miss out on UEFA’s premier competition.

Even with one eye on the semi-final I don’t expect City to be easy opposition, especially given our recent form. That said, we managed to beat them in December looking distinctly average and we always seem to end the season strongly. This match was supposed to be a title decider and both clubs will feel disappointed in themselves that it is not but it can still help decide what form the final table will take.

If we take a result against City for granted, as idiotic as that sounds especially when you look at the bettingexpert’s review of Paddy Power‘s odds, then Arsenal enter the final day with a tiny chance to usurp Sp*rs.

Sp*rs’ goal difference pretty much guarantees them second barring a complete meltdown but there is a glimmer of hope. Their brawl against Chelsea shows how much missing out on the title affected them and the feeling of deflation is almost as hard to overcome as the feeling of elation to keep on winning as Leicester may well find out. Southampton are the final visitors to White Hart Lane this season and they have a decent chance of European football so will be up for a match. Not only that, they have shown on numerous occasions this season, as Arsenal and City can testify, that they can turn it on against high-flying clubs. Sp*rs will have their work cut out and anything but a win will take it to the final day and nerves might just get the better of them.

It’s possible that Newcastle will be facing a make or break final day and in front of their own fans they might be far stiffer opposition than Sp*rs will expect. You can never dismiss a team facing relegation on the final day as players are quite literally fighting for their jobs.

Arsenal will welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates for the final day. The West Midlands side had their relegation confirmed a few weeks back and have little to play for, not even pride. It’s unlikely that we will overturn a 14 goal deficit by ourselves but there is an opportunity to score heavily.

Imagine if Arsenal snatch 2nd place for a 21st consecutive St Totteringham’s from the best Sp*rs side in 55 years with the most disjointed, unimaginative and lethargic side they’ve had in 20 years. It is unlikely to happen but boy would it be funny, absolute comedy gold. Sp*rs fans might crow about finishing above us but I doubt it will get under the skin of too many Gooners – one in 20 years is hardly an arrow to the heart but for them to lose out to us after the season each side has had would be crushing.

I’m praying for a miracle here because this season owes us a laugh at the very least.

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