From Ruslan Morris : Feb 20 FA Cup results
The facts:
Arsenal 0, Hull City 0; 17 places apart
W Brom 1, Reading 3; 22 places apart
Watford 1, Leeds 0; 27 places apart
BPL, 1 win; Championship, 1 win; 1 draw
BPL goals, 2; Championship goals, 3
Arsenal made 9 changes, Hull City made 10 changes.
Arsenal had 24 shots, 11 on target; 70% possession
Hull City had 6 shots; 30% possession
Possible conclusions:
1. The gap between the BPL and Championship has shrunk.
This is reinforced by Leicester City’s rise from top of the Championship to top of the BPL in 2 seasons, and with almost the same team and wages bill.
2. The FA Cup is a low priority to many clubs, and FA Cup results reflect squad depth, not first team quality.
3. With a clean sheet, 11 shots on target, and 70% possession Arsenal displayed quality in depth.
4. A defensive formation with a keeper playing out of his skin can stalemate a superior offense.
5. Wenger succeeded in resting 9 of his starting 11 for Barcelona (only excepting the centre halves who run less than the other outfielders), and gave competitive run-outs to squad players in need of competition, and managed to remain in FA Cup contention.
Thank you for ANR.
Myles says:
Please come back at 10a.m. to read Why Arsenal and Spurs lost.
I wanted to write that piece last night but instead we watched The Night Manager, where hotelier Jonathan Vine is working in Cairo, looking after elite customers in the Middle East.
After 20 minutes I said, “If he carries on like this, he’s gonna be killed in this first episode.”