The next three games are big.
The next three games define Arsenal’s season.
Wigan today, Villarreal at the Emirates on Wednesday, Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
Which is the most important game?
Villarreal, of course.
If Arsenal draw at Wigan, Everton could draw at Aston Villa at 2pm on Sunday.
I don’t think Arsenal will beat Chelsea at Wembley without William Gallas and Almunia, so I’ve written that off.
The Villarreal second leg is poised at 1-1 and that’s the massive game and a chance for a glory night at the Emirates, a stadium that has been very short of big nights for three years. I see that as a very tight, tactical, edgy, dodgy game. But I’m expecting Arsenal to scramble through by one goal.
At Wigan, I don’t think Wenger will play his strongest team. He has a six-point cushion which is important now and will be even more important in the next few weeks. He’ll rest a couple to protect them for the Champions League game, which is far more meaningful to him. He’s had four European Finals in his career and lost four.
Bumped into my gambling pal Tony in the street just now. On Saturday morning when I go round the corner to buy The Guardian, he’s rushing round to buy the Financial Times before it sells out. I only see him at weekends because he’s at work and I haven’t seen him for three weeks. Tony said, “I won a lot of money last week. Barcelona, the bookies were giving you money. I had £1,000 on that.”
A massive Man United fan, he gave me tips for this weekend, especially in La Liga, which he follows very closely. On Saturday mornings I never write ANR, I either read The Racing Post or The Guardian’s book reviews and literary features.
It’s almost 11 a.m. now, so I have an hour and a half before I watch Liverpool v Blackburn.
The weather has just started to brighten up and it will be fine tomorrow. Have a merry weekend, wherever you are