Street Peeper Zimbabwe Street Peeper April 2018 | Page 73

By Mondli Mhlophe
Just That Good
Manchester City are 3 games away from winning the Pre-
mier League. Just 3 games. And yes, your calendar is not
wrong, we’re still in March. City could be crowned champi-
ons as early as the first week of April and it could perhaps
be even earlier than that. 3 games only applies if the other
side in Manchester don’t screw up between now and April.
Considering that United face Liverpool and City themselves
in that same time span, that is in no way guaranteed. In-
deed, it seems like City is destined to win the league title by
winning the derby, something the Manchester Police de-
partment are already making preparations for, or worse (or
better, depending on your affiliation), being given an hon-
our guard by their fiercest rivals.
only four games in 2018 so far (by 07/03). Four. In all com-
petitions, mind. They have won only three away games all
season in the Premier League. Palace, Everton and Burnley
are the only sides that could capitulate to the supposed
might of Arsenal at the moment on their home turf. Of
course Everton would be one of the 3 sides.
The problem is so acute that Arsenal are closer to West
Bromwich Albion at the bottom than they are to City at the
top. With nine games remaining, it is now mathematically
impossible for Arsenal to win the league, if there were any
out there that retained some hope. If hope for the title was
so forlorn that none but the most naïve could have it, the
Gunners are 13 points from Spurs in 4th. Not even the most
degenerate gambler would put anything on Arsenal making
the top four.
There is no doubt about it, this is Wenger’s worst season in
England to date. Arsenal have only won 44.8% of their
It’s virtually unprecedented, but City have been worthy
games in the league, and have conceded 41 goals. If just 4
winners in 17/18. They have been that good. Just how good, more fly past Petr Cech, something he has become accus-
you may ask. Well, if United won all of their remaining 9
tomed to (he still doesn’t have his 200th Premier League
games this season, including the City game, they’d end up
clean sheet, something he has been waiting for since De-
with 89 points, which is by no means a measly points total. cember); they will exceed last season’s total. The subject of
That would win United the title in most seasons to date.
Wenger’s continued tenure at the club comes up like clock-
They would have missed out 8 times, including the early
work every time around this time of year. Each year the
nineties seasons where there were more than 20 teams in
evidence of the club’s regression seems overwhelming, and
the division. Chelsea currently hold that record, with 95
every year the man stays on, in an attempt to change the
points. If City win 6 of their remaining 9 games, they will
narrative. While Wenger probably can’t feasibly tarnish his
surpass 95 points. Still have doubts? City’s goal difference
legacy at Arsenal, he is doing a pretty impressive job of try-
(+63) exceeds United’s current points total (62) at the time ing.
of writing. In short, if you think City is being overly praised,
you’re wrong.
While we’re at it
But their real test begins now. Their loss to Basel in the sec-
ond leg of the first knockout stage of the Champions League
should be concerning. Stronger opposition lie in wait. Op-
position that won’t let City render the second leg of a tie
meaningl ess because they lost the first leg 4 – 0. Hard as it
is to believe, City have to become better. God help those
that play against them if they do.
Just That Bad
Not all sides can be good as City. That is why an extraordi-
nary amount of praise is bestowed upon them. But one side
is proving to be particularly bad, especially since the turn of
the year. Their incompetence is all the more galling consid-
ering that they are supposed to be good. No, we are not
talking about Everton, although a segment on their under-
whelming season is overdue. This is about Arsenal. A teem
steeped in history that grows ever more distant.
Just how bad have Arsenal been? Well, Arsenal have won
You may have missed the fact that Mourinho got himself a
punditry job for RT. The pay, a cool 1.7 million pounds. All
that for spending 4 days in Russia at the start of the World
Cup, and giving his opinion on the final at the end of the
tournament from wherever he may be when that day
comes. So, still think you made the right career choice?
In case you missed it, Spurs are out of the Champions
League. So that’s two English clubs definitely through, with
another two you wouldn’t be completely confident to back.
Can’t say it wasn’t expected though. After all lads, it’s Tot-
tenham!
Lastly, one more parting shot at Arsenal’s ineptitude, be-
cause what’s life without whimsy? Lacazette and Aubamey-
ang have scored only 11 goals between them in the league
this season. Doesn’t that make you wonder why Morata and
Lukaku are so widely criticized? And you may think that it
is unfair to bash the Arsenal duo, especially PEA. Truth is, it
probably is. But it isn’t fair to bash Lukaku and Morata as
well.