With a full programme of European fixtures taking place this week, I have had more exposure to TNT Sports' football coverage than anyone would like, becoming well-acquainted to their ad breaks as a result. With the broadcaster holding the rights to the Arsenal vs Newcastle game (not being subjected to pearls of wisdom from the likes of Rio Ferdinand and 'Fletch' is worth the price of admission to Emirates Stadium alone ) these breaks have included a promo for Saturday night's game. I would imagine that eking a narrative out every televised game for promotional purposes requires a stretch of the imagination and strong dosage of hyperbole (the giants of Bournemouth meeting the titans of Fulham would indeed make both seem normal-sized), but in the case of this particular game, the reverse fixture at Saint-James's Park and the fallout that followed did the TNT Sports marketing team's job for them.
The fallout in question dragged on for over a month before an FA disciplinary committee, after extensive deliberations over the nuances of the Spanish language, came to the conclusion that Mikel Arteta's description of the performance of the var officials as a 'desgracia' was in danger of being lost in translation. This was after the officials chose not to send off Bruno Guimaraes for violent conduct and allowed the only goal of the game to stand despite the VAR being unable to conclusively prove that (a) the ball had stayed in play and (b) goalscorer Anthony Gordon had managed to stay onside all while missing what looked to be a clear shove on the back of Gabriel. It's lucky that Arteta's comments essentially amounted to saying that the decisions made by the officials were simply unfortunate, otherwise, he could've brought the entire game into disrepute (will someone please think of the PGMOL!).
All this amounts to a Premier League scriptwriters' field day ahead of the reverse fixture on Saturday night at the Emirates. To ensure that supporters make the most of the novelty of a Saturday night kickoff, Arsenal are offering a BOGOF deal on pre-match beers ahead of the match (I will be there no matter what), which means a raucous battle cry, albeit one made with slightly slurred annunciation, will meet the players at 7:55pm.
If there's one thing we've learnt about Arteta's Arsenal in the past 18 months, it is that they are willing to dish out revenge like they are antagonists in a Park Chan-wook film (yes, I recently watched Oldboy (2003)). The most recent team to find this out were a West Ham side that had bloodied Arsenal's noses earlier in the season before finding themselves on the receiving end of the Gunners’ joint-biggest ever away league victory. Last May, Brighton put the final nail in Arsenal's title challenge with a 3-0 victory at Emirates Stadium, In December, Roberto De Zerbi's side were left chasing shadows. In the autumn, 1-0 to the Arsenal was the order of the day to end hoodoos against Everton and Manchester City.
This trait was emblematic of last season's Arsenal too. Manchester United were the only team to beat the Gunners in the first half of 22/23, and they did so controversially. In the second half of the campaign, they were on the receiving end of one of the best attacking performances Emirates Stadium has seen. In fact, this desire for retribution can be traced back to the opening night of last season, when Arsenal travelled to Selhurst park for an evening kickoff against Crystal Palace just months after they had travelled to Selhurst Park for an evening kickoff against Crystal Palace and lost 3-0. With the wounds of a defeat that marked the beginning of the end of their pursuit of Champions League football in 21/22 still fresh, they pulled their sleeves up and won the game at a canter, showing fledgling signs of their evolution from top-four chasers to title challengers.
It is not just the tv companies and wannabe writers that are buying into the revenge arc narrative. Arsenal's official match preview leads with:
We aim to maintain our 100 per cent winning league record in 2024 when Newcastle United head to north London on Saturday night, as well as extract revenge for our controversial defeat at St James' Park back in November.
In his captain's notes, Martin Ødegaard referenced the defeat in November as a source of "extra motivation". Arteta, meanwhile, used his press conference to rally Arsenal's home support: "I ask everyone to go there tomorrow night with full energy because we are going to need it".
In November's match, the furore around officiating was useful for Arsenal in that it shielded what was, truthfully, a blunt attacking display on the pitch, in which the Gunners mustered just one shot on target. As much as there was a valid sense of grievance around Newcastle's goal, it was ultimately the difference between the one point Arsenal deserved and the zero that they got. At the time, a draw would've been seen as a commendable result, Newcastle would win eight of their opening nine home games this season, but their form has nosedived in the months since the teams last met. They have won just three of their last eleven matches and have conceded a whopping twenty goals in their past eight games. Stifling an Arsenal side who were flying at the top of the Premier League in a 0-0 draw at Emirates Stadium last January feels like a distant memory. There are goals here for Arsenal, and in the league, scoring goals hasn't been a problem of late. Let's hope that by full time we hear less said about 'Desgracia' and more about 'rewenge'*
*The Spanish word for revenge is actually venganza, but as big Peep Show fan I appreciate that the word for how for revenge should sound in Spanish is far more satisfying.