Some half-time notes on the season so far.
Report card for nearly everyone: must do better.
It could, of course, turn out to be an enthralling year, but if it does, we need something to happen, by which I mean a new leader of the Premiership table, even temporarily, some time between now and May. I mean no disrespect to Liverpool, clearly the best team so far, but if 2023/24 is going to be a season to remember, someone has to get close to them at least. There’s no sign of that at the moment, and here are some thoughts as to why.
Obviously my team, Arsenal, are the best placed to challenge Liverpool. They are, after all, in second place at the time of writing. (Update! Third.) But as one of the crowd members who suffered through, and was profoundly bored by, the 1-0 win over Ipswich this week, it’s hard for me to see a serious challenge coming. We had the same feeling this time last year, but we then embarked on a thrilling run, and pushed Manchester City agonisingly close. Can the same thing happen without Bukayo Saka, injured for a couple of months? I don’t think so. My sons, aged twenty-two and twenty, will have to wait even longer to see their first championship. Meanwhile their dad, aged 67, is beginning to worry.)