Other than Son + Kane, the biggest difference between us and Spurs has been their ability to win games that had no right winning, or winning games late or winning them where the opponent had most of the game. They started the season with 3 1-0 wins when they were outplayed in each. They had last minute winners v Watford, City and Leicester. When you're not playing well you need that individual spark because the collective isn't working.

Compare that to us and whenever we've played poorly we've dropped points. Even in some of the tight 1-0 wins like Norwich, Burnley, Wolves, Villa we've been the more dominant side and deserved to go 1-0 up at the time and didn't have too many scares to see out the game.

Very few of the Mikel Arteta boo boys actually go to games. The majority sit at home, watching on dodgy streams, hoping Arsenal lose

They are life’s losers. Watching games at home alone, hoping their agenda fulfils itself. I feel sorry for them. I will be at the next game. And the next game after that. And so on. Backing my team. Hoping we win.

Meanwhile there will be some weird little kids (or adults whose brains have never fully developed) sitting at home alone cheering on our opponents. Moaning about Guendouzi, Saliba and all sorts.

These folks don’t want a successful Arsenal. It’s a joke

Didn’t you say it wasn’t sustainable? Haven’t they more or less sustained it? Perhaps there other nine players aren’t quite as ordinary as some make out?

If there’s only two months in the ages how can you criticise Guendouzi for a lack of defensive awareness just because you thought Gallagher played well against us. He did not play for us at the age Guendouzi did. I believe that makes your criticism of Guendouzi hopelessly feeble. His energy is what we desperately need. Running intelligently can come with experience.

I didn't criticise Guendouzi's lack of defensive awareness 'JUST' because Gallagher played well against us. I didn't bring Guendouzi in to the point I was making about high tempo. Guendouzi with us and Gallagher with Palace play in different positions. There is a difference in what I call general defensive awareness - ie: the player in front of the back 4 vs having defensive awareness in being able to press from the front, knowing how and when to do it and to do it relentlessly ie: what Gallagher does for Palace.
When Guendouzi was with us his strengths were his passing and his energy and the fire he had - but his weaknesses for me were he could switch off defensively. He'd struggle to track runners and he'd sometimes struggle with his lack of pace. It seems the Marseille manager has helped mask those weaknesses by playing him further forward. There is also the possibility that he just suits playing in the french league more than he did the premier league - I know which league I think is harder to play in.
I know you're a massive Guendouzi fan so I won't change your mind, nor am I trying to. Lets just see how his career goes.

Last minute winners and lucky victories aren't sustainable. Spurs most recent victories have been pretty emphatic and deserved. Scoring goals for fun.

The impression I got was of them largely sustaining it way beyond the time you said it wasn’t sustainable for, prior to their recent form.

Watching City v Liverpool yesterday I was trying to work out which players from any other team in the league would actually get in to either side's 11.
They have the 2 best GK in the league
I can't think of any better full-backs than Trent, Robertson, Walker, Cancelo
VvD, Matip, Stones, Laporte (and Dias) - Possibly Rudiger but he plays in a back 3
Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo in midfield - there is probably a case for a CM from Chelsea being better than Henderson - peak Kante or Kovacic
Then up front - Salah, Mané, Jota, Sterling, Foden, Jesus - The only two players I can make a case for is Son and Kane neither of whom would be out of place in those sides.

We may be biased and look at Partey or Saka but in my opinion they probably still aren't at the level of any City or Liverpool player.

Those 2 clubs are miles ahead of the rest

Myself, I think it’s too simplistic to associate how players perform at other clubs with how they would play at City or Liverpool, by thinking they wouldn’t get into those sides. I bet Klopp and Guardiola would absolutely love to have Ødegaard and Saka at Liverpool and City. Moreover, if they did, both would get lots of game time.

Declan Rice would walk into both City and Liverpool’s teams.

But it is still a valid conversation to have as it is literally the conversation recruitment teams are having when they look at new signings. As fans we're always going to say is player X better than player Y? I'm sure they both would like them in their squads but Klopp doesn't play with a player where Ødegaard plays. Pep plays Bernardo/De bruyne in that position and I'm pretty sure he'd have either of them over Ødegaard. Saka would be up against Salah, Klopp isn't doing that swap, and at City he'd be up against Sterling/Foden/Jesus/Mahrez - he can be compared to them and I suspect the only reason Pep would swap any out is due to Saka's age and English status.

Declan Rice is a fine player but in my view he's not quite at the level of Fabinho and Rodri. If Rice gets a move to a huge club this summer we'll be able to judge him again. Someone like Grealish looked like one of the best wide attackers in the league, 15 goals and 20 assists over the last 2 years with Villa - but has struggled to replicate that now hes not the big fish in a small pond.

West Ham and Man U also losing did us a big favour. When we get in this kind of form it is hard to see where the next win is coming from. 7th palce is europa conference league, only 5th and 6th are Europa league assuming that Palace don't win the FA Cup - then I think 6th is Europa conference league.

On current form and fixtures it wouldn't surprise me if Spurs ran away with 4th place now, probably sealing it before we even meet them. Man U and West Ham have much tougher fixtures so we need to make sure we stay ahead of them both.

Hi Rich
I think 4th has gone.
No way Spurs are letting go of that now with the form they are in.
Can't see palace winning the fa Cup so it will be 5th and 6th for europa.
That might well be our saving grace. That there are 2 europa positions and not just one.

Although Palace winning the FA Cup gets them into the Europa League, I must admit I just can’t make myself want Chelsea to beat them in the semi-final. If Palace reach the final and play City, depending on the league positions I could make myself want City to beat them. But Chelsea in the semi-final? No, I simply can’t do it.

i hear you Bernard but its self preservation for me.
If Chelsea beating Palace releases another Europa league spot down to 6th place which ensures we get into that and not the Europa Conference league then i'm all for it.
Of course id want Liverpool or City to hammer them in the final.
Job done.

If Thiago gets game time at Liverpool, Rice definitely would.

But it is still a valid conversation to have as it is literally the conversation recruitment teams are having when they look at new signings. As fans we're always going to say is player X better than player Y? I'm sure they both would like them in their squads but Klopp doesn't play with a player where Ødegaard plays. Pep plays Bernardo/De bruyne in that position and I'm pretty sure he'd have either of them over Ødegaard. Saka would be up against Salah, Klopp isn't doing that swap, and at City he'd be up against Sterling/Foden/Jesus/Mahrez - he can be compared to them and I suspect the only reason Pep would swap any out is due to Saka's age and English status.

Declan Rice is a fine player but in my view he's not quite at the level of Fabinho and Rodri. If Rice gets a move to a huge club this summer we'll be able to judge him again. Someone like Grealish looked like one of the best wide attackers in the league, 15 goals and 20 assists over the last 2 years with Villa - but has struggled to replicate that now hes not the big fish in a small pond.

I'm sure Rice would get some game time, but when it comes to the crunch games would Klopp pick Thiago the serial winner (16 trophies, including the CL and countless league titles) ahead of Rice.

How many of those countless league titles were playing for Liverpool, or the Champions League? My mother-in-law could win trophies at Bayern Munich and she’s in her eighties.

No way would Thiago get selected for crunch games ahead of Rice.

A lot of fans have talked about tempo and how much better we play when we start fast, press high and maintain that more direct and high tempo.

Congratulations Unai

On a completely unrelated topic to Arsenal, I found the television series of The Ipcress File deeply underwhelming. It went on for six weeks and watched all six episodes. The acting wasn’t as good, the storyline confused, and it was all a bit tedious plus a struggle to sit through.

I fully accept I’m probably not qualified to judge the television series fairly. I rate the film so highly, I was never going to enjoy a remake of it in any form - by film or television series. But whilst accepting those qualifications as a critic of it, I was disappointed by the television series.

We’ve just finished watching the series and thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting, entertaining and not at all confusing.

Mind you I have no real memory of the plot of the Ipcress File film and so the series didn’t suffer from making unfair comparisons. Oddly though it did remind me very much of The Manchurian Candidate which is memorable.

Your assessment is probably fairer than mine because I simply wasn’t going to enjoy any remake of the film. I found it confused because it seemed to borrow ideas from Funeral in Berlin.

I’ve never seen The Manchurian Candidate.

Real Madrid are a crazy football team. Go 3-0 down and then raise the game out of nowhere. Modric is a magnificent player.