2025: A Baptism of Fire

Brentford’s home form has been their saving grace this season.

Then the fortress was finally breached by high-flying Forest in the dying weeks of 2024 and it appears repairing the holes in the outer walls will take sometime, cause today Arsenal sauntered in and strolled out with all the riches going.

Worst of all is that they didn’t even have to try that hard cause all the defenders were either dead or hungover.

Referee Peter Bankes wasn’t far off that either, with some exceedingly questionable calls scattered throughout the match.

Things turned so bad in the second half that I decided to commit the mortal sin of all football fans, I left early…. like 66th minute early, but I just couldn’t stand staying and missing out on the family New Years celebrations I had waiting across town.

Few people would blame me though given just how abysmal my beloved Bees became the second their visitors equalised just before the half-hour mark.

We fell apart like a house of cards from the moment Gabriel Jesus snuffled home a scrappy equaliser for the Gunners, shooting down the hopes of the hosts in the process, just a minute after Brentford’s second goal was cleared off the line by a skittish David Raya on his return to the Gtech.

Having taken the lead through the mercurial Mbuemo turning his marker inside out before slotting a reverse shot between Raya and his near post in the 13th minute we should have doubled our lead through Keane Lewis-Potter, whose weaving charge down the right resulted in a shot that squirmed though Raya’s gloves.

Seeing this saved and then suffering Jesus’s sucker punch sucked the soul out of the hosts and this was pounced upon twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half as first Mikel Merino, not nearly woolly enough in front of goal, then Gabriel Martinelli stabbed home just 180 seconds apart to secure 3 goals and 3 points for the Gunners of North London.

Brentford were abysmal between the restart and the hour mark, when I decided to suffer no more, and unless they can rebuild the fortress walls quicker than the Flash they are in danger of crumbling to dust.

Forest and Arsenal have reduced the walls to rubble now all City, Liverpool and Spurs have to do is continue the looting for the next month.

Our next easy home game is Everton on February 25th, but at least we have away games at Southampton, Palace, West Ham and Leicester to boost us up the table right…….

At Least 2025 can only get better.