It’s been 24 hours since the game and I’m still livid.

I understand that Arsenal struggled to create chances in this match. We have had that problem all season and Sheffield United did a fantastic job preventing Arsenal playing up through the middle of the pitch. So, credit to them for sticking to their game plan and executing well.

Credit to Sheffield United also for shutting down Arsenal’s makeshift right back, Ainsley Maitland-Niles who completed a pedestrian 42/55 passes (76%). All of the Arsenal outfield players struggled and the team completed just 80.7% of their passes and just 71% of their final third passes.

This continues Arsenal’s alarming trend (from since firing Wenger) of struggling to progress the ball from the back through the midfield to the forwards:

But we knew this was going to be a tight game. Sheffield play with 8 men crowding the center of the pitch. Arsenal were incapable of getting into the area between the lines, which made the wide play all the more important:

So, this was an important match for Arsenal’s wide players – Saka, Martinelli, Pepe, and Maitland-Niles. And by and large they delivered. Saka created the goal from the left and Pepe created a second goal from the right.

Wait.. what? Oh yeah, that’s right, Mike Dean and Martin Atkinson denied Arsenal and Pepe a stonewall penalty.

This is just what Mike Dean does in Arsenal matches. He’s been a referee since 2000. He’s refereed 73 Arsenal matches. He’s given Arsenal 5 penalties.

For most of that time, there seemed to be an embargo on Wenger and Wenger even confronted Dean after he awarded West Bromwich Albion a late penalty for a supposed handball by Calum Chambers. Mike Dean complained to the FA saying:

“As we’ve entered the dressing room after the game Mr Wenger stood behind us in the doorway and told the West Brom steward to ‘let him in’. He was very aggressive leaning towards me, pointing aggressively at me saying ‘you’re not honest’ on numerous occasions. I replied ‘so you’re calling me a cheat’. He replied ‘I maintain what I say, you’re not honest’.

“He then said ‘you’ve done this to us many times before, you’re supposed to be professional, you’re a disgrace’. He was then ushered out of the room by the West Brom safety officer.”

And Mike Dean’s record against Arsenal is clear:

Mike Dean penalties awarded (2000-2020):

Mike Dean career: 500 matches, 162 penalties – a penalty every 3.08 matches

Man City: 15 in 72 – 1 every 4.8 matches

Man U: 16 in 71 – 1 every 4.4 matches

Chelsea: 12 in 70 – 1 every 5.8 matches

Spurs: 11 in 69 – 1 every 6.3 matches

Arsenal: 5 in 73 – 1 every 14.6 matches

His record was worse back when Wenger was in charge, it was just 3 pens for Arsenal in 64 matches. Atkinson was the VAR referee and he has a similar record with Arsenal, awarding a penalty for the Gunners every 8 matches.

In 20 years of watching Premier League football and over 10 years of writing this blog I have learned that it doesn’t matter if the contact is minimal, if the player is going down before the contact, and if player can’t win the ball back. All of that is irrelevant. Wayne Rooney won those penalties all the time. He would kick the ball into the stands, run at a keeper, fall over to draw contact, kick out at the keeper to ensure contact, and win penalties all day.

And this season Man U have won 9 penalties. NINE PENALTIES. And they are 9th in the League in passes into the penalty area.

So, yeah, I’m still angry.

Qq