Morning all, a fast Friday round-up for you.
With the North London derby arising on Sunday, Arsenal’s ‘self-discipline’ is within the highlight once more because the FA have charged us for the third time this season following an incident within the 3-0 win over Oxford United on Monday night time.
Within the thirty fourth minute, Albert Sambi Lokonga took a shot which hit the hand of an Oxford defender. The Arsenal gamers appealed for a penalty. The ref mentioned no. We obtained a nook. Took the nook and the sport carried on. There didn’t appear to be a lot in it past the routine attraction any staff would make for a penalty (which I believe we’d have been given had VAR been lively on the night time).
Nonetheless, yesterday afternoon, the FA launched a press release saying:
Arsenal FC has been charged with breaching FA Rule E20.1 throughout its tie in opposition to Oxford United within the FA Cup on Monday ninth January 2023.
It’s alleged that Arsenal FC failed to make sure its gamers performed themselves in an orderly style throughout the thirty fourth minute, and the membership has till Monday sixteenth January to reply.
I noticed some individuals counsel that this rule applies to followers, however I went again to verify, and the wording on this one is identical because the Newcastle cost. The identical rule is cited, and I don’t assume Arsenal followers did something to warrant such FA scrutiny, so we will assume it’s for the behaviour of the gamers.
Personally, I believe this can be a bit mad, and if that’s the brink for an FA cost, then I stay up for a second half of the season replete with them for golf equipment up and down the nation. Final night time’s sport between Chelsea and Fulham will certainly see either side censured for behaviour which was the identical, if not worse, than the Arsenal gamers on Monday night time.
I realise that on TV we would not have gotten the total image of what occurred, however on the Arsecast I spoke to Charles Watts who was there on Monday, and he was genuinely astonished after I instructed him concerning the FA assertion. He didn’t see something to warrant it, however like I mentioned, if the brink has been lowered, they’re going to be busy handing out fees in all places.
I think about a part of that is the actual fact Arsenal are prime, and sure lycanthropic Doha primarily based busy-bodies have been doing their finest to place us within the highlight. I wrote about this after the Newcastle incident, and my intestine feeling is that throughout the membership itself, this can be utilized a optimistic factor to construct that siege mentality and the ‘us in opposition to them (the place them = everybody)’ mentality. That’s completely one thing we should always harness.
Nonetheless, I do fear when all this occurs earlier than a North London derby, a sport through which some fairly scandalous selections have been made down the years. Consider that penalty they obtained final season, and we all know it doesn’t take a lot for Harry Kane to be awarded one in opposition to us.
Sturdy gust of wind. Penalty. Frivolously disregarding him. Penalty. him with intent. Penalty.
So for those who had been of a cynical thoughts, you would possibly surprise about how Arsenal gamers would possibly react to a different beneficiant choice that goes the house aspect’s manner on Sunday. I’m not likely one for refereeing conspiracy theories, however I additionally assume sure referees on the PGMOL panel are fairly eager to make themselves a part of the story. Paul Tierney, who refereed the sport at their place final season, is on VAR this time round.
All I’ll say is that now we have a supervisor who gained’t be unaware of all this. He’ll know there’s going to be lots of give attention to him and his gamers, and I’m certain he’ll make that a part of his pre-game preparations. It is going to be attention-grabbing to listen to from him later this afternoon when he meets the press and he’ll little question be requested about this. How a lot he’s prepared to speak about it stays to be seen. He may try to downplay it, or he may doubtlessly go huge on it within the hope that the highlight shines elsewhere. Let’s see.
Elsewhere, Joao Felix’s Chelsea debut ended with a straight purple card and a 3 sport ban after a knee excessive lunge. I don’t assume he can have any complaints, however whenever you’re paying an £11m mortgage payment and wages of £250,000+ each week, it actually impacts the worth of that deal when a participant picks up a suspension. Oh properly, he made his alternative due to the Chelsea mission (££££££), suck it up.
Proper, I’ll go away it there. There’s a model new Arsecast for you under, and we’ll have all of the presser protection on Arseblog Information later.
