The Warm-Up: Arsenal slay the Unconvincibles and it's over for the Rovers
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Updated 08/05/2017 at 07:04 GMT
There's a real end-of-season feel to this Monday morning's debrief...
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United and Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal shake hands
Image credit: Getty Images
MONDAY’S BIG STORIES
Arsene Wenger finally takes three points from Jose Mourinho
It was a match that took nigh on an hour to feel like a significant spectacle, but in the end there were three reasons to consider it a meaningful exercise. Firstly, while Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United were busy transferring all their eggs to a single basket marked “EUROPA LEAGUE”, the Gunners gave their perilous top-four prospects a shot in the arm. There is still work to do in that regard, and some favours needed, but the next few weeks will be a compelling watch.
The 2-0 win, courtesy of a double salvo from Grabit Xhaka and Danny Welbeck in the second half, was also a welcome boost for Arsene Wenger. It has felt like more than a mere 15 attempts over the years, but the Arsenal manager finally has a competitive win over Mourinho. This didn’t feel like a momentous ending of a hoodoo – both managers have more pressing concerns, after all – and Mourinho was swift to emphasise that it’s fine, he’s fine, the ending of his record against Wenger is fine, it’s fine. Honestly, it’s fine.
Finally, the result brought to an end one of the most curious unbeaten runs in recent memory. It had been 25 Premier League games since United had given up all three points, a streak undermined quite spectacularly (or not) by no fewer than TWELVE draws. This one looked like going the same way, as Mourinho’s supposedly red-zoned squad was shuffled to find a game enough starting line-up, which then produced testimonial-like levels of endeavour. There was all to play for…and nothing to play for.
Blackburn Rovers plumb new depths
We’re all familiar with the tableau of relegation despair: one disconsolate player sat here, another on his haunches – trying to fathom the next year of his footballing existence – over there. For Blackburn Rovers – the first former Premier League champions to plunge into the third tier – that deflation will be even more acute.
In a final-day battle of the mismanaged, Nottingham Forest did what they needed to at home to Ipswich, rendering Rovers’ efforts down at Brentford null and void. They had spent just eight of the 46 Championship matchweeks out of the relegation places – this was no shock to the system.
We have to take it on the chin. It’s going to be a huge summer for us in terms of recruitment, and conversations with the owners are coming – we have to recruit well, be strong next year and bounce back.
Manager Tony Mowbray – a man who permanently looks like he’s just had relegation confirmed – said most of the right things after the final whistle at Griffin Park, but Rovers will take their place in the third tier next season. Leeds and Manchester City have been there and done their time as humbled giants, and the 1995 champions of England must now take their medicine too. It remains to be seen how Venky’s will respond to this bleak new chapter of their reign at Ewood Park.
Chelsea two steps from wrapping it all up
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Antonio Conte and Lele Oriali
Image credit: Getty Images
The title race took a back seat this weekend, but the machinations of the late-season fixture list meant that Chelsea had their feet up on Friday night to watch Tottenham finally run out of gas at West Ham, and now have two games to claim the six points they need before Spurs take the field again.
The first of those comes against Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge tonight – a convenient enough prospect, albeit not a straightforward one – but Spurs’ extended challenge clearly deserves immunity from accusations of a “bottle job”. Last season’s title race could – perhaps should – have been theirs for the taking, but in 2016/17 they have been worthy adversaries for Antonio Conte’s relentless leaders.
Pochettino’s side have put better-paid and more expensively-assembled clubs to shame in their pursuit of Chelsea – but next season has the potential of erasing that memory fairly quickly. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will improve, as should Mourinho’s United, while Liverpool and Arsenal could go either way. In any case, this Spurs squad have a job to do to avoid being remembered as merely the best runners-up the Premier League has seen. Chelsea won’t be looking back over their shoulders now.
IN OTHER NEWS
Remember Nelson Vivas? Sort of? He kept himself to himself, didn’t he? Kept out of trouble. He’s a manager now, and that comes with a whole new set of stresses and strains. So here he is, semi-forgettable former Arsenal defender Nelson Vivas, being sent from his Estudiantes dugout against Boca Juniors.
One day, we’ll examine why players – and now, apparently, managers – feel the need to disrobe after being sent off. For the moment, though, it’s best just to enjoy the sheer fury of it all.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Rafa Benitez
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Rafa Benitez manager of Newcastle United gives a thumbs up
Image credit: Getty Images
A £50m outlay – enabled in part by some generous sales figures – was always likely to be enough to pave a way back to the Premier League for Newcastle. Nevertheless, it has proved to be a scrap to get there – something for which Rafa Benitez was well prepared ever since he got to work on their promotion bid last summer.
Benitez will now go into talks with Mike Ashley over his future with concrete evidence that he is manager who can be trusted with a big budget, having already done the hard bit: getting the St James’ Park faithful overwhelmingly on his side. He dedicated his title winners’ medal to the fans, who – like their manager – will be a welcome sight back in the Premier League next season.
Benitez has earned another crack at the top table of English football.
Zero: Jurgen Klopp
I know nobody wants to hear it but I am brave enough to say it. The pitch was really dry today. We gave it all the water we had but after 15 minutes it was really dry again with the wind.
The Liverpool manager – to his credit – doesn’t often resort to flimsy excuses. The Anfield pitch, though, merely exacerbated a problem of the players’ making: ponderous, sideways nothingness.
Liverpool are now three games without a win at their expanded Anfield, whose fans expect better. With the top-four picture looking seriously tight, any further loss of momentum could be catastrophic for Klopp’s medium-term project. It’s up to him to turn up the volume for their remaining two games.
HAT TIP
Claudio Ranieri’s dissertation, from 1990, was not truly a dissertation at all but rather a comprehensive diary. By contrast, 16 years later, Antonio Conte prepared a 38-page discourse under the title: “Considerations on 4-3-1-2 and the didactic use of video.”
In a fascinating long-read for Bleacher Report, Paolo Bandini takes a look inside Italy’s Scuola Allenatori, the all-star finishing school for football managers that is responsible for putting Italians on course to win three of Europe’s five major league titles this season. Perfectionism? That’s not the half of it.
COMING UP
Chelsea host the Boro, with Conte making sure their collective foot remains firmly planted to pedal to get the title-race job done. That kicks off at 8pm.
Tomorrow’s edition will be brought to you by Nick Miller, who suddenly has a renewed love for the Championship.
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