Yet still they sodding win.

I was riveted to the match on tv last night. Riveted. So enthralled by the first half of the first half that I went out. Had some pre-Christmas stuff to attend to. Not shopping. Never shopping. Mel had in fact gone to Brent Cross (now open til 11pm!!! oh joy) but its too near Christmas for me to consider that place. As is March, June, October or any day with a ‘y’ at the end. I hate Brent Cross.

And I hate Arsenal. Not so much the team, there’s much there to be admired there, but the fans, the smugness of whom grows exponentially with each three points gained.

Theo Walcott scored a goal. A great goal. The man on the radio told me when I was driving home. But other than that the game was dull. Boring. The ‘two best teams in the country; other than Leicester City’ and they can’t provide entertainment to the masses. Couldn’t live up to the hype of the match. Which then degenerated into a dive-fest.

Arsenal’s players are all small and fragile and delicate, so do tend to get knocked about a bit. Not as much as they should be, but the laws of the game prevent common assault, however worthy. But City have some big guys. Some muscle. Yet were even more guilty of going to ground at a puff of wind that the Arsenal divas. It appeared that in the absence of a viable game plan, Pelligrini had instead told his team to dive at every opportunity. When you get inside the box, don’t waste time taking a shot, just hit the ground. A tactic which reached epidemic proportions when Raheem Sterling came on. They should have just rolled him on along the ground, for all the time he spent down there. He’s fast becoming the new Ashley Young. Loads of talent but prefers to cheat.

The game did come to life a bit in the second half. Man City eventually realised that at 2-0 down they would have to get off the floor and play some football if they wanted any points. Even Yaya Toure woke up temporarily from his semi-permanent state of slumber. As the whole City team seemed to exude a collective: “FUCK!!! Is that really the time??” Bit late though, despite Yaya’s wonderful goal.

Pelligrini’s gone. Simply can’t survive sending out the world’s most expensive players to produce very little week after week. He’ll join Louis Van Gaal on the Euro-manager scrap-heap, headed up by Morinho. And all three teams can fight over Pep Guardiola.

And look at the league table. Its Christmas and Leicester are top. Spurs are forth, which is a glorious thing indeed that Jesus would be proud of. And then Crystal Palace? Watford?? All doing well. Chelsea still in 15th place; long may that last, and Villa are gone. I wonder if Bournemouth can qualify for Europe?

All to play for.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx