Why 10-man Arsenal’s rearguard action was a spectacle we did want to see

If Michael Oliver had brandished a red card in the fizzog of a Manchester City player who had just blindsided a stationary opponent with a fairly violent shoulder charge and then kicked the ball away in frustration upon being penalised for it just before half-time at the Etihad Stadium yesterday, Football Daily is fairly certain various Arsenal fans of our acquaintance would have had no problem whatsoever with his decision. In fact we know for a fact they would be absolutely delighted with it and rubbing their hands together with glee at the prospect of seeing their side play half the game with a one-goal lead and an extra player in their ranks.

Sadly, because this perceived injustice was visited upon one of their own, assorted Gunners supporters chose instead to bleat pompously about how the referee had “ruined the game as a spectacle”, apparently oblivious to the fact that Leandro’s Trossard’s dismissal had been a major contributory factor to the spectacle in question; one which was rendered no less compelling or entertaining by the Belgian’s absence. In unilaterally deciding on everybody else’s behalf that Oliver had ruined the game, what Arsenal fans in the media, on social media disgraces or in Football Daily’s local drinker actually meant is that the referee had ruined it as a spectacle for them.

After the game Mikel Arteta got in on the action with his quietly seething, passive aggressive rumination on the injustice of it all when he incorrectly stated that Trossard’s dismissal had turned the game into one “nobody wants to see”. While Football Daily can’t speak for everyone, we can’t have been the only viewers without a dog in the fight to be thoroughly entertained by the sight of Arsenal’s depleted side mounting a rearguard action so stout, well organised and heroic that it reduced one of the best sides on the planet to such a state of comical bewilderment that you could see Manchester City’s players openly pining for an absent Belgian of their own.

Reduced to taking a series of long-range surface-to-air potshots before sending on a big defender to play up front in the hope he might scramble home a goal, City finally equalised in time added on to added time, in the process pouring more fuel on the already roaring flames of The Big Conspiracy fire. With the points shared, assorted pundits across various networks were asked which side they thought would be happiest with the outcome and it was disappointing that not one of these assembled experts had the presence of mind to say “Liverpool” by way of reply.

Adults with nostalgia and money brought it back. It has the planning ahead of chess, the geometry of pool and the excitement of football. You need the reactions of a cat” – Stewart Grant, media director of the English Subbuteo Association, on how lockdown helped the game bounce back after it almost went under. He was speaking at this weekend’s Subbuteo World Cup in Tunbridge Wells, where the game was invented by Peter Adolph in 1946. Fifteen nations took part and Italy were crowned world champions again after knocking England out in the quarter-finals.

Complain all you like about every two-bit team desperately trying to copy Pep Guardiola’s playing out from the back (which is actually Johan Cruyff’s playing out from the back and, in turn, Rinus Michels’s playing out from the back) despite them not having players talented enough to do it but it is giving us a vast array of gloriously incompetent own goals that would have given Danny Baker enough content for a new VHS every week. Pray silence for the great Huddersfield Town” – Noble Francis.

Following Football Daily’s revelation on Friday that Pep Guardiola had enjoyed a meeting with Neil Warnock, at one point during Manchester City’s game against Arsenal he had four centre-backs on the field, a tactic previously employed on a regular basis by Tony Pulis. If Guardiola wins the Premier League while taking inspiration from the regulars on the managerial merry-go-round, then it would be the most spectacular of his title wins. The only way he could top it would be to bring back the W-M” – Ed Taylor.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Noble Francis. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

The Lancashire derby between Preston and Blackburn can often be a tasty fixture but in its long and storied history we’re not sure incisors have been put to use quite like those alleged to have been brought to the party by North End’s Milutin Osmajic in Saturday’s match with Rovers at Deepdale. The FA has said it will look into the incident in which it appeared that the Montenegro forward Osmajic introduced his gnashers to the neck of Blackburn’s Owen Beck, who is on loan from Liverpool. The flashpoint occurred as the players tussled with one another as Beck was sent off for kicking Duane Holmes in the 89th minute of a spicy goalless draw. Osmajic received a yellow card following the incident. Rovers boss John Eustace was incensed. “He’s got a big bite mark on the back of his neck,” he roared. “It’s a shame the referee didn’t see that. He’s shown all the lads. He’s a little bit quiet, a little bit shook up. It’s a very serious incident, no one likes to be bitten. Everyone’s angry about it. I’m sure the right people will see it and we’ll take it from there.”

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the Friedkin Group has agreed a deal to buy Everton.

With fewer than 10 months to run on his contract, Trent Alexander-Arnold has kept Liverpool fans in the dark about his future. “I want to be a Liverpool player this season is what I will say. I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public and this one won’t be either,” he blabbed, scratching his ear awkwardly.

The WSL and Women’s Championship have secured their most lucrative commercial deal yet after signing a three-year title-sponsorship agreement with Barclays, understood to be worth more than £30m in hard cash.

Wimbledon’s Milk Cup match against Newcastle has been called off after flooding at the Cherry Red Records Stadium turned one corner of the pitch into a replica of the 18th at Whistling Straits.

The door marked Do One has been busy this weekend. Cardiff have given Erol Bulut the heave-ho while Steven Naismith has been sacked by Hearts after eight straight defeats.

Move over Jude. Conor Gallagher only went and scored again for Atlético Madrid at the weekend. All that and more in our Euro round-up.

And Football Australia have responded to Graham Arnold’s flamin’ exit by appointing Tony Popovic as his successor. “I’m ready, I want this job, so I’m here because I want to be here,” roared the former Socceroos defender.

Premier League talking points? Here. WSL talking points? Here.

The seriousness of Manchester City’s 115 charges by the Premier League leaves no room for a result that lets everyone live with the outcome. Be either vindicated or damned, says Sean Ingle.

Manchester City’s minimalist striker is now the unlikely tactical focus of the ultimate midfield stylist coach. It’s Barney Ronay on Erling Haaland.

Here’s Tom Garry on how Vivianne Miedema scoring on her Arsenal homecoming was inevitable.

Milan leapt back into the Serie A reckoning with their derby win over Inter, reckons Nicky Bandini.

Michael Olise is making all the right noises at Bayern Munich after his one-man demolition job, writes Andy Brassell.

And Tanguy Ndombele is back in France and bossing games again, whoops Luke Entwistle.

There’s a fair bit of rain around in the UK at the moment so let’s wind back the clocks to 25 August 1999, when Newcastle and Sunderland did battle in the Tyne-Wear derby on a St James’ Park pitch that looked more suitable for ducks than footballers. We’re not sure who has gone down in this image but a snorkel would have been handy.