Ten day breaks between games are becoming the norm. By now, we should have dissected the cadaver of the last home game of the season. Instead that takes place tomorrow night. Tottenham’s win yesterday has pushed Arsenal into fifth, two points behind. Despite having taken the lead very early on, Stoke offered little or no opposition beyond the opening quarter of an hour. Charlie Adam’s star started to wane as he sought to engineer a move from Blackpool; it plummeted even further yesterday when the poor man’s Paul Scholes was cheaply dismissed by the referee.

Stoke’s performance was of no surprise, I don’t understand why anyone expected anything more. It was entirely in keeping with their season and reflected the paucity of their talent They were already safe from relegation following Aston Villa’s failure to take a point from their match against Chelsea on Saturday. Realistically, that defeat meant that only Sunderland or Villa can replace Wigan in the bottom three; Fulham could but would need to utterly implode and concede a goals tally well into double figures in Swansea. Little wonder Stoke failed to put up a fight. They had nothing to play for, not even pride; they sold that down the river when they signed for Pulis.

The same might be said of Newcastle; the having nothing to play for bit. As the media fawning over Sir Alex Ferguson abates, it is replaced with condemnatory reports for their Mancunian rivals over the dismissal of Roberto Mancini and the presumed appointment of Manuel Pellegrini in his place. It is a job which should have been offered to managers who have served their English apprenticeships, so the logic goes. Why, for instance, they insist, has Alan Pardew never been offered a top job? His claim for the role is the achievement of getting Newcastle United to finish in sixth in a season when they were tipped for relegation. No mention of their battle against the drop this season when they were expected to do better or of his disastrous transfer policy which was a significant contributing factor in their woes. A stark contrast to those in the top jobs was on display in his attitude towards games; would a Manchester United or Arsenal manager offer the view that they didn’t care if they lost their next match 4 – 0? Relief at achieving safety for another season explains that to some degree but not entirely. It is why when Wenger retires, there will be more gnashing of teeth with unsuitable home-based replacements touted; why not Curbishley, they ask? Five years since leaving West Ham without another job is the answer.

I, for one, will be happy if Pardew continues with that meh attitude towards his next match, it makes life easier for Arsenal in their quest for Champions League qualification.

As Brian Moore observed twenty-four years ago, tomorrow night will be one of chilling simplicity. Nothing less than three points will suffice for both sides for very different reasons. Wigan have to beat Arsenal to have any chance of staying up. Failure leaves them as the first FA Cup winners to be relegated. Arsenal have to beat Wigan. Failure will most likely leave them in the Europa League next season.

Both sides are motivated to win. Both sides have to win. The permutations can wait until the post-match inquest when the ifs, buts and maybes will be clear for all.

Emirates Trophy…

The club is looking beyond the season’s end, planning for the Summer and next pre-season. Visits to Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam will precede The Emirates shindig during the first weekend of August. Strong rumours emerged a while ago about Galatasaray participating; yesterday they gathered pace with Napoli and Porto added to the guest list. Can you read anything into the invites going to those teams? Does it tell you anything about the club’s current status? Some will tell you that it does; I am unconvinced. There is a balance to be struck between commercial appeal and Arsenal winning the tournament, which let’s face it, is the whole reason for its existence. And invited teams have tended to be mid-tier European clubs. Real Madrid, Juventus, both Milanese clubs aside; Boca Juniors were the international influence but the other invitees? PSG, Valencia, Atletico, Hamburg? Good matches but nothing to set pulses racing.

The silly season kicked in with rumours of Napoli invitation being part of a deal to bring Cavani to Arsenal. A lot of fun will be had in the close season watching implosions as various targets emerge and depart to other homes. Or sign new contracts with their current employers.

…And It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke

After the hard time Manuel Almunia had at Arsenal, it was nice to see that the football gods are alive and kicking. It takes a strong man to produce a momentous double save from the penalty spot in the final minute of injury time in the second leg of a play-off semi-final but to then see his teammates sprint to the other end and score the winner? Pffft. Good luck to him in the final.

’til Tomorrow.

Budweiser’s FA Cup Fan Film – To The Dreamers

The FA Cup is not quite ready to be melted down for scrap metal. For only the fifth time since 1990, England’s premier domestic cup competition will reside in the trophy cabinet of a club which is not currently in the top five of the Premier League. That dominance of the game indicates a fundamental problem facing not just the FA Cup but English football in general; the sheer predictability of it all.

But that is to deflect attention away from Wigan’s thoroughly deserved win at Wembley. Congratulations to them on their victory. If someone had told them their role in proceedings was to lay down and let the money talk, Roberto Martinez and his men took no notice whatsoever. Immediate comparisons were made with Wimbledon’s 1988 victory over Liverpool, the route from non-League football to silverware. Reminiscent indeed, even more so with the similarities between the headers from Lawrie Sanchez and Ben Watson.

It was an object lesson in teamwork and of utter arrogance; Manchester City played as if it were a formality and their nose was bloodied as a result. Time will dilute the achievement of The Latics, Zabaleta’s dismissal will played up as a key reason for the win. Influenced it? Possibly but Wigan had forged enough chances with him on the pitch, sufficiently for a reckless lunge to be enticed shortly after having been cautioned.

Roy Keane actually did observe that Manchester City lost due to a lack of investment, you didn’t imagine it. A staggeringly inane comment on the face of it but one which is not quite as senseless as it appears. Oh, alright it is. If he had observed that for their money, the Manchester City players were shambolic wastrels, few would have argued with him. All of the money in the world means nothing if you do not spend it wisely. Mancini fell into the same trap as many of his predecessors; he failed to strengthen a title-winning squad and the hunger which was fed as the gold medals were hung around necks, was sated. Perhaps Keane had a point.

For Arsenal, it is a warning that concentration will be required on Tuesday night. There are uncanny parallels with last season’s encounter at The Emirates. Arsenal chasing the Champions League, Wigan in a fight for survival. The crucial difference is that Arsenal were more comfortable in their position, complacent if you like. Defeat made life a bit more nervous but did not overly threaten the ultimate target for the season end. This time it is different. Chelsea’s victory at Villa Park has all but sealed third for them. Even a win on Tuesday night will still leave Arsenal requiring a slip from their London neighbours. Defeat would consign Arsenal – you would think – to Europa League football; surely Tottenham will emerge victorious over an insipid Stoke City team, especially as they are likely to be safe from relegation as final whistles blow at grounds around the country this afternoon. The reality is that six points leaves Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers next season of their own accord, irrespective of anyone else’s efforts.

Wigan’s win has inspired some fairytales in this morning’s press, none more so than at the club’s former pet newspaper. Reports in this morning’s Daily Star Sunday equivalent have Arsenal wanting to test United’s resolve to hold onto Wayne Rooney. I am sure Arsenal do want to test United’s resolve but there is a world of difference between wanting and doing. Ask Emmanuel Adebayor; he wants to stay onside but can’t do it. Thankfully. Arsenal it seems, will be busier trying to persuade Aston Villa to sell Christian Benteke, whose £20m fee makes the figures bandied about for the likes of Cavani and Falcao seem entirely reasonable, despite being grossly over-inflated. FFP is a pipedream. As is much of the transfer talk that we will see this Summer, as I had to remind Number One son yesterday as he almost hyper-ventilated at the prospect of a rotund Scouser turning out in the red and white of Arsenal next season. It is as likely as George Osborne making a genuinely funny joke about Star Wars on national television.

That’s it for today as the crucial week of Arsenal’s season begins.

’til Tomorrow.

Budweiser’s FA Cup Fan Film – To The Dreamers