Premier League 2025/26 Thread

[Pliskin]

9 minutes ago, Torquay Gunner said:

I have said much the same thing on this site. I would have wished we could have won it with the sort of football we played in the early Wenger years. I enjoyed the Klopp heavy metal at Liverpool, but Guardiola’s ‘pass you to death’ bores me stiff. International football has for me been poor for many years. Ultimately,  I am of course very happy we finally beat Man City in a two horse race. There will be no asterisk in the record books, we won the title on merit and having the best defence in the league was instrumental in that.

There’s no questions Arsenal have been the best team this season, and Arteta deserves it for building a team in the right way, I’ve nothing but respect for him  and am happy that Arsenal have won the league. It’s not necessarily arsenals fault, it’s the way of the game now, I mean you’ve got twats like us trying to play the “pep” way when we don’t have capacity to do so. 
 

I think world football as a whole has been on its arse for some time. There just doesn’t seem to be those exciting outstanding teams anymore, or those individually world class players, those who are clearly better than their peers. 
 

The game has become a billionaires play thing, and a means for a kids fantasy pro clubs thing……

Edited 20 May by Pliskin

[Bert]

2 hours ago, eblair said:

Nope I live around there, it’s dystopian. I hate arsenal fans more than anything, grew up around them. This has been the worst footballing year of my life, and this was the cherry on top.

 

Got bus back from work last night and was like a horror film.

 

There fans are majority plastics with no love for the same game of football I fell in love with. They’ve not been to Bolton away, their version of football is sanitised premier league crap. I hate them.

I’m sure many people in your situation/people that don’t like football, when we won the league, with everywhere being crowded and all sorts of celebrations happening felt the same too. Obviously it’s a bit more personal to you. 
 

I’m not overly keen on Arsenal, even more so their fans but some of the clips did bring a little smile to my face. 

[Nalis]

1 hour ago, Pliskin said:

Best of a bad bunch Arsenal. Got to be one of the most boring teams I’ve ever witnessed, it’s great for the fans to see them lift the trophy again, but as per its largely down to the rest of the pack being completely inadequate. 
 

It just for me further highlights the state of modern football, absolutely garbage, the game seems bereft of proper world class players and teams…… there’s players we deem to be world class, but they’re not a patch on the personalities and talent we were treated too in the late 90’s early to mid 00’s…… pretty much every international team would have at least one top class player, and that just doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. 
 

Im hoping the World Cup offers a burst of new exciting talents, who return to the free flowing flamboyant expressive game, the one we all fell in love with. 
 

Footballers may as well go and stack a shelf, because all they do in this day and age, is turn up, pass, and go home. 

The recent Bayern/PSG and Bayern/ Real Madrid set of matches were a unique combination of top level and very entertaining and so there is hope

[jammie82uk]

45 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

For a so-called 'Big Club' you have to ask why has it taken them 22 years to win the title?

The same way it took Liverpool 30 years to win the title again when they won it in 2020 

Man Utd haven’t won it for 13 years 

Chelsea haven’t won it for 9 years 

 

 

 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

1 hour ago, Pliskin said:

pretty much every international team would have at least one top class player, and that just doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

 

What are you on about  

[howie]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

For a so-called 'Big Club' you have to ask why has it taken them 22 years to win the title?

The stadium move didn’t help them. For nearly half of those 22 years they were operating with a reduced transfer budget, at a time when oil money had entered the premier league.

[The Bear]

 

 

[Torquay Gunner]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

For a so-called 'Big Club' you have to ask why has it taken them 22 years to win the title?

It’s a very difficult league to win.  There was a 18 year gap before Graham won it.  Football is cyclical.  Ask Man U and Chelsea the same question. 

Edited 20 May by Torquay Gunner

[David Hankey]

50 minutes ago, jammie82uk said:

The same way it took Liverpool 30 years to win the title again when they won it in 2020 

Man Utd haven’t won it for 13 years 

Chelsea haven’t won it for 9 years 

 

 

 

And Leicester City for 10!!

[Trent Steel]

Well done arsenal! Fully deserved.  Man city huffed and puffed but couldnt cut it in the end. Bet the unibrow brothers are fuming... looking forwars to Pep going. Man citys dominance is now over.

 

Just need west ham to win and everton to win to see Spurs in the championship next season... how funny would that be?

[Pliskin]

42 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

What are you on about  

The game globally is on its arse. How many teams are genuinely top class? How many make you sit there and say “bloody hell they’re good”…. Everyone seems to be the same robotic passing machine….

[Wsl]

13 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Unless Leeds want Spuds down

Leeds were very touched that when they played their cup match against them and West Ham put up a tribute to the Leeds fans who were murdered in Turkey. May be they'll repay that kindness?

[Deeg67]

13 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Unless Leeds want Spuds down

Too much money at stake for Leeds, they could finish anywhere from 10th-15th. With the rules designed to screw newly promoted sides they'll be chasing every penny they can get for transfer spending. Besides, they'd run through a brick wall for Farke at the moment.

[Fox92]

4 hours ago, Bert said:

I’m not overly keen on Arsenal, even more so their fans but some of the clips did bring a little smile to my face. 

The copy of the "Panic on the streets of London" banner which Man City unveiled was good as they changed the words to "Party". Made me laugh.

[Corky]

Arsenal as a club is a strange phenomenon. They are a traditional giant, success way before any hypothetical nation state or oligarch purchased them, yet appeared to have the worst traits of modern football- hideous rip-off ticket prices, social media fanbase, a snobbish attitude towards lesser clubs. In Wenger's first decade, they weren't liked but certainly respected. Now they appear to be neither.

 

They aren't entertaining to watch, Arteta and elements of the fanbase are intensely dislikable but they held their nerve really well.

[fox_favourite]

Why are most Arsenal fans so insufferable?!

[Super_horns]

Just to make some feel older !

https://x.com/oilysailor/status/2056844572790026673

[Spudulike]

All the footage of players celebrating wildly together whilst watching an on-screen match elsewhere seems so stage managed since our players did it round at Vardy's in 2016. Don't ever remember it being done before as the players are not together. Just seems expected now and another part of the plastic Premier League.

 

Was it done before 2016?

[Foxdiamond]

1 hour ago, Corky said:

Arsenal as a club is a strange phenomenon. They are a traditional giant, success way before any hypothetical nation state or oligarch purchased them, yet appeared to have the worst traits of modern football- hideous rip-off ticket prices, social media fanbase, a snobbish attitude towards lesser clubs. In Wenger's first decade, they weren't liked but certainly respected. Now they appear to be neither.

 

They aren't entertaining to watch, Arteta and elements of the fanbase are intensely dislikable but they held their nerve really well.

I have known quite a few Arsenal fans over the years and all good people. I would guess the London thing adds to the ticket prices and the big time charlie image. As a kid in the 60s they were in the doldrums relative to their past. Of course doing the double in 71 was a major comeback. Their elevation to the top division back in the day would put Man City and Saints scandals in the shade. The club does have a sense of history. One nice touch is that Leicester Fosse were their first opponents at Highbury. Our Tommy Benfield the first ever scorer. Of course Tommy was killed in the Great War. Arsenal did invite Leicester to the 50th anniversary of Highbury opening.

[foxfanazer]

Marco Silva off to Benfica apparently. He's done a brilliant job at Fulham 

[brookfox]

Didn’t realise Arsenal have the second highest net transfer spend over the last 5yrs. Wonder if people will now start calling Arteta a chequebook manager. Fine with them winning it but there’s something about the style of play which puts me off.

[foxfanazer]

3 minutes ago, brookfox said:

Didn’t realise Arsenal have the second highest net transfer spend over the last 5yrs. Wonder if people will now start calling Arteta a chequebook manager. Fine with them winning it but there’s something about the style of play which puts me off.

They do try to pass themselves off as "against the odds" Arsenal fighting the machine that is Mam City. Let's face it they play appalling football which relies on nicking a goal (usually from a set piece) and being defensively resolute whilst also benefitting from ridiculous refereeing decisions 

 

They have been the best side this season just about but that speaks volumes about the state of football at the moment 

[RowlattsFox]

Decent move for Marco Silva.

 

Fulham are a club that are always one bad appointment away from dropping down the league so interesting to see who they go for. 

[ajthefox]

4 hours ago, brookfox said:

Didn’t realise Arsenal have the second highest net transfer spend over the last 5yrs. Wonder if people will now start calling Arteta a chequebook manager. Fine with them winning it but there’s something about the style of play which puts me off.

Certainly wouldn't have thought that, they've definitely spent a bit more recently but I do wonder how much of that is balanced out for Man City and Chelsea hoarding youth players just to flog them.

[brookfox]

9 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

Certainly wouldn't have thought that, they've definitely spent a bit more recently but I do wonder how much of that is balanced out for Man City and Chelsea hoarding youth players just to flog them.

There’s definitely some of that (particularly with Chelsea obviously), although arguably it’s part of the game. Even on just total expenditure though Arsenal are 5th. Point being they’re not exactly some plucky underdog, Arteta has spent the money.