If Wembley really is the end for Diego Costa after 57 goals, almost 400 fouls and a relentless concatenation of outrage, he could not have chosen better opponentsArsenal fans riled by the Groundhog Day repetitions of the past few years have at least been treated to something more immediate before Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea. Faced with the prospect of another tangle with Diego Costa, Arsenal’s centre-backs have been cutting straight to the chase. Shkodran Mustafi is concussed. Laurent Koscielny has been sent off and banned. Gabriel got in there early with his injured knee. Entering the Diego Zone? They are way ahead of you.Arsenal have generally seen the best and the worst of Costa during three seasons of...
Ray Parlour’s memorable goal earned FA Cup final glory 15 years ago yet served as a prelude to an era of Roman Abramovich-backed Chelsea dominanceWinding the clock back to 2002, the last time Arsenal and Chelsea contested the FA Cup final, one of the telling moments took place at the end. Tony Adams, in what would be his final appearance before retirement, sought out a young John Terry, who had come on as a substitute, to offer some words of consolation. He recalls the exchange in his new book, Sober, as “saying that his time would come but this was ours”. He was right on both counts.It is only with hindsight that the dividing line around that time in terms...
The podders look back on two excellent Wembley FA Cup semi-finals. Plus: Crystal Palace win at Liverpool, Leo Messi’s 500th goal wins the clásico, and Leyton Orient fall out of the Football LeagueSubscribe and review: iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast & Stitcher. And join the discussion on Facebook and TwitterOn the latest Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by Barry Glendenning, Simon Burnton and Nick Miller to reflect on a weekend with, if anything, too much football. Continue reading...
Eden Hazard and co have a softer edge than their predecessors but proved against Tottenham that they can stand firm despite losing the likes of John TerryTold all week that this game would define the title race, the moment when the balance of power would swing Tottenham Hotspur’s way, a less durable team than Chelsea might have responded to Dele Alli’s splendid equaliser shortly after half-time by crumbling. On another day, it would have been in the script. Tottenham, brilliant and refreshing, were on top. They were surely going to reach the FA Cup final. Then they were going to win the league.But even when Chelsea were on the ropes, to doubt them in the moments before Eden Hazard’s decisive...
When City’s owners acquired one of the world’s elite coaches, they will have envisaged an era of domination – not a scramble to finish in the top fourIn a gripping, weirdly unpolished contest, traces of the residual class City’s veteran campaigners possess were not enough to uplift a malformed team. Yaya Touré, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Agüero tried to lead the way but did not quite have the verve to do so, nor did they have the support that they should have had from City’s younger thrusters. So far, Pep Guardiola’s City have failed to straddle two eras while meeting the highest demands. A club with vast riches, some of which were spent hiring the prestigious coach, did not imagine...