Before Burnley. The Wounded Warrior

A short preview before the final home game of the season.

The final fixture of the season against a side already relegated, currently gafferless, and lacking individual quality by Premier League standards… On paper, you couldn’t ask for a better day out in football… though, let’s be honest, you could!

I wasn’t exactly holding my breath for City to drop points at home to Palace, but there was a tiny glimmer of hope. Just imagine the absolute magic of that Monday night if they had slipped up. Our supporters, especially those who visited the Emirates week in and week out for the long 18 years, have suffered enough. They deserve to see that long-awaited trophy lifted right in front of them.

Imagine the scenes at the final whistle at the Emirates if we’d managed to secure the title mathematically. It would have been a brilliant, all-night session in North London and for Gooners across the globe. Sadly, City have gone and spoiled the party, meaning the title race definitely won’t be settled this Monday.

What really grinds my gears is the thought of the league being decided without us even playing. Unfortunately, it’s looking like a distinct possibility. If we do the business on Monday and City stumble against Bournemouth, we’d be stepping onto the Selhurst Park pitch as champions. And there’s a decent shout for that happening because:

• Bournemouth are on a brilliant 16-game unbeaten run. In fact, the last time they tasted defeat (shootouts aside) was … against Arsenal back in January, when Rice bagged a brace.

• The Cherries have an absolutely realistic chance of nicking a Champions League spot for next season.

The media has been buzzing with scenarios where six English teams could make the Champions League, but Villa’s home draw against Burnley has thrown a massive spanner in the works. Emery’s lot have Liverpool and City left. If they fail to pick up more than a point—hardly likely given Liverpool still didn’t secure top five and City are chasing us—two wins for Bournemouth secures them direct qualification into the biggest European tournament. No ifs, ands, or buts.

That situation smells like a potential banana skin for a City side that hasn’t looked quite as lethal lately, and will be coming into the game after an emotionally exhausting Cup final. If I were a betting man, I’d say City dropping points when they’re desperate is more likely than them taking all three.

I’d much prefer we won the league by our own merit. I want to see City’s hopes crushed on the final day. I want them to feel exactly what everyone else feels when they’re under the Guardiola’s cosh during a run-in. I want to be in absolute ecstasy with every other Arsenal fan the moment that whistle goes, watching the total headloss from rival fans on a beautiful Sunday evening.

It is what it is though. The main thing is we need to smash Burnley convincingly. No shaky one (or even zero!) goal leads late in the game, please. I’m confident it won’t happen because the home crowd will feel the weight of the moment. They won’t let a single player slack off on that pitch; they’ll be cheering every tackle. And they would make every player who is not at their best to pull their shit together. With our bench strength, we should be able to dismantle Burnley over the ninety minutes.

On a final note, the news about Ben White is a massive blow. We all felt that it was something serious when he limped out of West Ham stadium and it’s now confirmed he’s done for the season. To make matters worse, there are whispers the club is likely looking to move him on this summer.

Benjamin White is a bloody warrior who gave away his body to Arsenal football club, perhaps even sacrificing his long-term career at the highest level to meet Arteta’s demanding standards. Arteta openly praised players who play through the pain, but I’m sure it’s almost never justified. History suggests I am right - when White played multple games in the end of 21/22, we ended up failing to secure top-4.

Risking an injured player for a one-off final, play-off game or a massive “six-pointer” can make sense. But running them into the ground over weeks is a classic rookie manager error. One game of football can cost you a great player for months ahead.

Sometimes, they might never come back on the level and that is exactly what happened to Benjamin. After that long overdue surgery, his pace and stamina just aren’t the same. He can still put in a brilliant shift once in a while—look at the Atleti game—but he can’t do it week-in, week-out anymore.

So, while one Wounded Warrior heads for the treatment room, another Warrior is urgently being emerged out for our biggest game in the last two decades. It might be premature, but I get the gamble here. Even 60 minutes of defensive solidity against someone like Kvaratskhelia could be the difference-maker.

Benjamin White always left everything on the pitch. He was the first to stick up for his teammates and was a massive part of our 22/23 renaissance, where I (as many other Arsenal fans) started believing we can win the largest titles again. The only bit of comfort I have is the thought of him—like some other warriors who put their bodies on the line to get this club where we are now—having a picture with a Premier League trophy in his hands to crown his tenure at Arsenal. And I sure as hell hope that the boys leave it all on the pitch in the last two games to make sure the Warrior gets that damn picture!