So defeats to Forest, a 0-0 draw between Brentford and Chelsea and a 0-0 between City and United, have effectively meant that despite getting shafted on Merseyside on Saturday lunchtime, there’s not really been a lot of movement in the Premier League this weekend. The results as they fell mean that we’re five clear of Forest, nine clear of Chelsea and 10 clear of City, with seven games to go. Win the final four remaining home games, or at least three and then beat an already relegated Southampton, then we’ll have secured that second spot.

Meh.

I was thinking yesterday afternoon about why I am feeling so ‘meh’ about this season. I think it’s the most ‘meh’ I’ve felt about it for a long time and I’ve been trying to put my finger on why. Arsenal are comfortably one of the best sides in the league, we’re up there for the third season in a row and will more than likely finish second for the third season in a row. I’ve seen the season in which we fished eighth two years in a row. We had those season’s in which we just seemed to fight for top four and that was pretty much it. We’ve seen any hopes of any trophies extinguished before now, yet here we are about to take on Real Madrid in a quarter final of the Champions League. I should be more buoyed by that and the fact that we win more than we lose or draw this season. I’ve felt more invested in season’s where we’re battling for top four, or we have a League Cup final to aim for, than I am right now.

And yet…meh…

Why?

I think some of it is injuries. The fact we’ve lost another player in Big Gabby for the Madrid tie has dampened a few spirits for sure. It’s been the worst season I can remember for injuries and the result of it feels like we’ve never really been able to get our season truly started. It’s been a ‘bitty’ season that hasn’t really been able to properly ‘kick off’ and that’s been frustrating.

I also think our inability to break down compact teams hasn’t helped. Coupled with the injuries in forward positions that we suffered at the end of January and beginning of February, it’s felt like we really have to slog hard to score goals, whereas despite only getting one or two chances (look at West Ham at home in February for the second season in a row) our opponents seem to get that opening that wins them games or at least picks up draws.

The draws too haven’t helped. There are some instances where you pick up a draw away from home and you go “I’ll take that”. But the draws this season haven’t really felt like that at all to me. The Brighton one at home felt like we’d been shafted, the City won away the same because of the late goal, the 2-2 at home to Liverpool should have had us winning it but for a makeshift back four on the pitch because of injuries and suspension, the 1-1 at Chelsea should have been a win, as should the 1-1 at Fulham. We had that frustrating 0-0 at home when Everton parked the bus the first time, then we got shafted with a penalty against us at Brighton that you won’t see given again. United away was a wretched game of football and Villa at home was a frustrating 2-2. The 0-0 away to Forest felt very much like United away and then you have the game at the weekend. All these draws just had elements of frustration on our part, or being shafted by decisions, or having clustered injuries that meant we were makeshift in a part of our team. Which all leads to the feeling of ‘meh’ about every single one of those draws.

And a big part of that is the refereeing as well. I’ve now seen so many instances this season of terrible refereeing – worse than any other year for Arsenal, than I’ve ever seen. I won’t roll them all off again because we all know them and it’s been a consistent theme throughout the season. And what’s worse is that the media and PGMOL have made the situation worse by doubling down on the gaslighting. From the early stages of the season with the “he’s got no choice there” nonsense, right through to now in which all we get is the whole footballing world saying “it’s a bit soft” from the weekend’s penalty Everton were given. It’s not soft, it’s just simply not a foul. It’s a dive. Call it out. It’s cheating and doing it in plain sight of a referee, who also should be corrected by video replay, but that’s getting ignored.

And this all just leads me to be a bit more ‘meh’. The standard of refereeing in this country is so crap, that Arsenal fans – and other fans as well to be fair – are becoming apathetic to the appalling levels that we have to watch from a collective of not-fit-for-purpose referees every week. We all know their names by now, every fanbase, because we’re getting to the stage where all of them have shafted us for one reason or another in the season. It’s pathetic.

Tomorrow night we have the Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid. Now, we know that the refereeing in European competition isn’t great, but I bet you it’ll be a darn sight better than what we have to deal with in the Premier League and domestic cups in England. Why? Not because the referees in Europe have better eyes, or are designed any differently; they are just as human as you or I. But because they apply the rules based on UEFA mandates, they leverage technology like semi-automated offsides that UEFA has asked to be implemented, they are officiating the game as UEFA decrees. And, broadly speaking, it works. Yet what we get in England is PGMOL making mistake after mistake every week, avoiding the use of some technologies that would clearly aid the decision-making process, as well as be part of an inherently biased and borderline corrupt collective that promote from within, have had years to deliver geographic as well as other diversities, yet remain an Old Boys Network that self-regulates. Poorly.

And that all adds to my general feeling of ‘Meh’ about this season. And next Saturday we have to sit through it all over again until this season can be finished.

Back tomorrow with a Real Madrid preview – at least that will be something to get excited about.