Of course I’ll be active during the summer, but just in case you only participate in predictions I just want to take this opportunity to thank you all.
It’s been a strange year for the whole world (hopefully it’s getting better). We all have our own stories and I’m not going to pretend to have had it as bad as many others. Yet my writing has become a comfort to me, a form of escapism.
In an era where the Internet can be a cruel place, credit to JustArsenal for having zero tolerance towards abuse and allowing us to have a safe space.
Personally, I want to thank Admin for giving me this platform at a time when I needed an outlet
If throughout the summer, you have any ideas to make season two better (we need a name!) let me know. If you’re on Twitter, follow me @dan_destiny.
This will allow me to spread awareness of our game and get more players on board for Season 2.
In terms of The Prem, the final thing to decide on Sunday is who will be playing in what UEFA competition. Leicester are in danger for the second year running of bottling Champions League qualification after having a huge points advantage. They need to better Liverpool’s result or win and hope Chelsea don’t.
Three points for Klopp’s men essentially guarantees a place in the top 4 (due to goal difference). The same applies to Chelsea. Equally any dropped points and the Blues will drop to 5th if the 2 below them win.
If that’s the case, Chelsea will have to win the CL Final to take part in it next season.
So Arsenal could end up 7th. Currently the reward for 7th is participation in the Inaugural Conference League with UEFA reducing how many teams compete in the Europa.
West Ham need a point to ensure 6th which, due to who won the domestic cups, will be enough for the Hammers to be playing Europa League Football. Even if they lost, Spurs would have to win at Leicester to leapfrog them.
Tottenham are in a unique situation where they can finish in the Europa, Conference or out of Europe altogether.
Everton need Spurs to drop points to have a chance of being in Europe. If Spurs or Everton win, Arsenal will start the next campaign without European Football for the first time in 25 years.
To make this fair, if you don’t want others to see your scores, email admin or message me on Twitter @dan_destiny87. I will then post your scores in the morning to show others.
Even juicer though is the race to crown the first ever Justarsenal Champion. I would argue it’s a 5-horse race.
Dan Kit has been top for months but is crawling to the finish line. Will the chasing pack just run out of time?
The line between success and failure is so small. In midweek Dan Kit was seconds away from 6 points until Arsenal and West Ham got their 3rd goals. That surely would have sealed the title. Equally, Sue had 1-2 at Selhurst Park and Highbury Hero was close to a perfect score at Burnley.
In terms of the race to qualify for the Euros, Admin will start the day 3 points behind Ernie Blaze. More information about the Euros next week but if you’re in the 24 and don’t want to play let me know and I can offer your place to someone else.
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton
There’s only so many times I can say it’s shocking and embarrassing that the club has got itself in this situation, having to rely on favours elsewhere to squeeze into UEFA’s third tier competition.
While our destiny is not in our own hands, we have the kinder fixture on paper, not that we are good enough to take anything for granted. It would sum up our season if we don’t show up and/or the pressure gets to us.
Brighton did beat Man City in midweek but, unlike us, the Champions had nothing at stake.
The Seagulls are struggling to field a fit striker so it all points to a home win.
I’ll be honest we are one the few teams where having fans back won’t make a difference.
If we make Europe and it becomes St Totteringhams Day, then that might make the post-match walk around the pitch passable. If not, I do not envy our players.
Aston Villa 1-1 Chelsea
Because Liverpool had to win games to put pressure on Chelsea and Leicester most of the focus has been on Liverpool’s hopes of making the top 4.
As things stand though I think Chelsea are more likely to finish 5th then the Reds.
Aston Villa were brilliant on Wednesday so common sense says they will be just as, if not more, motivated in front of their own fans at Villa Park.
The visitors don’t have a scorer who has reached double figures. They don’t kill off teams which means their opponents always have a chance
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle
When Fulham beat Liverpool in March, they were a point below Newcastle and hoped that this would be a crucial fixture. The gap between the two sides is now 14 points!
The Toon Army won’t like me saying this but maybe Steve Bruce deserves a tiny bit of credit for that?
A win for the Cottagers strangely will make fans feel worse.
Leed 3-1 West Brom
So Big Sam has stopped the pretence that there was even a chance that he would be staying as manager of West Brom. He says at this stage of his career he’s happy with his reputation of being a short-term firefighter. In reality he sees himself as bigger than the Championship.
He might be right about one thing.
At 66, why struggle for promotion when you know a Prem team will come calling the moment they are in relegation trouble?
Leicester 1-1 Spurs
For the second year running, Brendan Rodgers is in danger of bottling the race for the top 4 (which is why I have always been against calls for him to be our manager).
Spurs didn’t play like a team who needed to win in midweek which is unforgivable given that they were charging their fans 60 pound a ticket! Even your most loyal Spurs Fan must see it from Harry Kane’s point of view.
How can Levy convince him he can win things at the Lane when the teams who want him are in European Finals, while you have to win just to guarantee you’re in the Conference!
Reminds me when we had to let Fabregas and Van Persie go and win the medals they deserved that we couldn’t give them.
As the day progresses, it comes down to who can handle the pressure. How do the Foxes respond to news of a goal at Anfield?
Likewise how do Spurs cope with updates from the Emirates and the Etihad?
I don’t trust either to cope very well with pressure.
Liverpool 3-0 Palace
The moment their keeper scored in stoppage time last weekend I knew it was Liverpool’s destiny to finish top 4. There isn’t a team in England who will benefit from having fans back more than the Reds.
Against opponents whose tactic is to allow you to have majority of possession, this is the perfect game for Klopp.
If he can get his team to produce a quick start like they used to, then the afternoon will be more comfortable.
Man City 1-2 Everton
Any other time I would be confident that City could do us a favour. My fear here is the Champions will have all their focus on the CL Final.
Don’t get me wrong, their second string is more than good enough to win, but since they sealed the title, they have played each game like it’s a friendly.
You drop off intensity even by 5 per cent, it makes a difference against a side who have something to play for.
Sheffield United 1-0 Burnley
No team has suffered without fans more than Sheffield United. Almost to prove it they will win with supporters back at Bramall Lane.
Since they ensured safety Burnley have lost 4-0 and then 3-0, so might be on the beach.
West Ham 2-1 Saints
The last 15 mins at West Brom was massive and took all the pressure off the Hammers who had been choking for weeks. I wouldn’t have trusted their players to have coped in a must-win situation in front of their fans who can be quite demanding.
Instead it’s a ‘not lose’ and even then, Spurs would have to beat Leicester.
Wolves 2-2 Man United
Man United haven’t won since cementing 2nd place.
There’s a high chance that’s 3 days before the Europa League Final, anyone who will start on Wednesday will not start here. That should mean Wolves get some kind of result.
Good Luck Peeps
Dan Smith