Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 30/09/2026The brilliant thing about this is that Etihad haven't been named in the verdict, and say they weren't approached by the Premier League to comment...which kind of makes you wonder if they might be protesting a *little* bit too loudly at this point. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Right then. Gordon off, go to a back five and defend for 45 minutes, yes? 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Mark Guehi has started here like he has something else on his mind… 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026This guy has some *serious* Bond villain energy. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Appreciate I might be asking too much, but might be nice if the media now shifted their negative narrative away from the young, successful team with a manager who occasionally steps outside his technical area and scores set piece goals to the club that cheated on an unprecedented financial scale. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Will be interested to see how the Premier League handle the sanctions now with Man City. If the process allows, I hope they can impose their punishment immediately, to motivate City and their lawyers not to drag their feet and further prolong the process with an appeal. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Nice to have some good news on a Friday afternoon. Now throw the book at them and relegate these cheats down the divisions to set a proper example of them. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Looking forward to a quick response from Arsenal when they next take the field in… [checks notes] …the year 2073. 110
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026If I’m honest, I think half of the problem I had with Tzolis’s performance today was that he wasn’t really suited to the game. I think it maybe highlights why moving on Martinelli without bringing in a pacy, wide player to act as an out ball behind a high defensive line may have been a mistake. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Felt like everyone was a yard or two off it from an Arsenal perspective. Of particular concern were Bruno Guimaraes, who never quite seemed able to get on the frequency of this match, and Tzolis, who was predictable in his unwillingness to go on the outside when dribbling from deep. 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026As poor as Arsenal were today, you have to say Brighton were excellent. Outplayed us, wanted it more, and were more precise in everything they did. Not many times Arteta will have seen that happen to his team. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Inexplicably poor first half from Arsenal. Two good goals from Brighton, which were difficult to do much about, but Arsenal’s sloppy, casual, and even nervous start to the game gave them the encouragement they needed to take the game to us. A rocket from Mikel needed at half-time. 231
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Thought for a moment there that Sky were going to give the Player of the Match award to Bruno Fernandes… 021
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Well done Mikel Arteta for calling out that bullshit Sunderland penalty decision. Far easier to do it when you win. It’s an important point to make though - this ref looked like he wanted to give Sunderland decisions and you can’t blame their players for looking for them. Ref wasn’t strong enough. 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I think that’s the third Premier League game out of four we have had a bizarre refereeing performance (for both sides, not just Arsenal). What is going on?!? 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Love that Bruno’s first goal for Arsenal - an absolutely exceptional strike, by the way - will have billed the piss not only of all the Sunderland fans booing him, but also of the Newcastle fans who sent him such torrid abuse for leaving. What a player. 120
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026The Sunderland penalty, by the way, was ridiculous. The Sunderland forward grabbed Konsa’s shirt, pulled him on top of him, and the ref fell for it. World class save from Raya meant justice was done. 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Seriously impressive win there by Arsenal, playing against a physical Sunderland side, a hostile home crowd, a partisan referee - who seemed to take a strong dislike to Gabriel for no apparent reason - and the entire TNT Sport commentary team. Very, very satisfying 3 points. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Bruno Guimaraes becomes the first player to score for Arsenal despite Arsenal never having put in a bid to the club they bought him from. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Not sure if it’s my memory playing tricks or not, but I can’t remember Arsenal playing so high up and penning the opposition in quite so intensely, or aggressively last season. It feels like the centre backs are playing as no. 8s and refusing to let the opposition get any hope of getting out. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Seriously though - Merino, Saka, Madueke, and Hincapie all missed absolute sitters…and there were other chances besides. It could have been about 7-0. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026What an incredibly impressive performance that was from Arsenal. Can’t remember any team going away from home in the Champions League to a decent European side and so thoroughly dominating, suffocating, and outthinking them. All with a rotated side. If we could finish we’d be dangerous! 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Got to say, I’m not going to get tired of looking at pictures of Arsenal players with those gold Premier League patches on their sleeves anytime soon. Absolutely love it. 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Interesting to note that around 30 seconds before Ødegaard’s goal, Arteta pulled Calafiori over and clearly made a gesture with his arm, telling him to run in behind the Chelsea back line. He did it immediately, took away a Chelsea defender, and left Havertz - then Ødegaard - in acres of space. 100
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Huge win today, and an excellent, fluid attacking performance in particular. Responded well to the early setback, and I thought Havertz, Myles, Rice, Ødegaard, and Tzolis were on a different level. A big shout out too to Konsa for an extremely impressive, crowd-pleasing debut. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Two big final takeaways from tonight’s match. 1. There’s still a LOT of room for improvement - some of Arsenal’s passing was very sloppy and they looked off the pace in the 1st half. 2. We have SERIOUSLY impressive depth. Eze, Zubimendi, Konsa, Guimaraes, and Merino all came on tonight. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Interesting - and very bold - move at half time from Arteta I thought to move Eze inside alongside Havertz as a second striker and pushing Calafiori on to occupy Cash. It changed the game. 010
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026If Mosquera now has a hamstring injury, then those questioning the Konsa signing are going to look a little silly. Very skinny at the back there now with Timber, Saliba, and Mosquera out - worth also bearing in mind White’s injury record too. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026That’s a massive 3 points for Arsenal, showing patience, discipline, and a lot of muscle in hostile conditions. Villa didn’t threaten Raya aside from a first half effort against the bar that I think would have been pulled back for a foul had it gone in. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Seeing big improvements from Sp*rs already in that first half. The main one being that they were only 2nd best over the 45 mins as opposed to 17th. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Lovely way to start the season - very impressed with Tzolis and Ødegaard, while the midfield options are [chef’s kiss]. Difficult to read too much into a game like this though - City looked very undercooked. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 16/08/2026No gratuitous TV shots of the Man City fan with the Arsenal bottle today? Disappointing. 172
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 14/08/2026The need for the first alert was debatable. Was there REALLY a need for a second one saying the exact same thing?!? 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Anyone else just shit themselves when that alert came through? No? Just me then. 110
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Sitting out on my balcony during an eclipse, silently judging all the people waving about their colanders in the apartment buildings opposite… 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/08/2026*shakes fist angrily at the sky* “CALL THAT AN ECLIPSE??!? Ow, my eyes…” 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Looking forward to Donald Trump awkwardly trying to insert himself into the background as Andy Burnham makes his first speech as PM. 000
Reposted by Jon Brigdenmensrea @mensie.bsky.social · 19/07/2026German broadcast. Nailed it 139149764996
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026I do love World Cups. And I enjoyed this one. But it’s the one I’ve connected with least in all the years I can remember. Whether it’s the bloated format, the annoying middle of the night kick off times (which forced me to miss some great games), or the sheers levels of cringe…it’s not felt normal. 120
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026I think it’s fair to both say that a) England would have find a much better job than Argentina in tonight’s final and b) we also wouldn’t have stood an earthly chance against this Spanish side. 000
Reposted by Jon BrigdenDEF-G @scriban.bsky.social · 19/07/2026The only thing more graceless and pathetic than that Argentina performance has walked into the stage. 0145
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Watching Donald Trump shake hands with footballers I watch on TV (or in person) every week is never not going to be weird for me. 000
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Actually feel sad looking at the World Cup trophy. It used to be a symbol of sporting excellence and achievement. Now it’s sullied by a lack of sporting integrity, bloat, and noise. I understand you have to move with the times. But surely it has to be for the right reasons? 020
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Oh God. It’s nearly time for ‘You-Know-Who’ to start inserting himself into the centre of all the celebrations, and making the whole thing about him, isn’t it? 100
Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/07/2026On a separate note, this World Cup has shown us the folly in giving the US major tournaments to host. In the absence of culture or history, they substitute celebrity and noise and think it holds the same gravitas. All it does is shine a light on the complete lack of substance. 021