%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
For the last few years, Arsenal have been criticised by football fans for 'ruining football'. The only reason why Arsenal get blamed for being less entertaining is because they operate defensively and placed a heavy emphasis on set pieces during their title winning season. However, they were never the villains; Man City were.
Today, it was announced that Man City were found guilty of 114 charges, all but one of the 115 they were accused of. No sanction has been decided yet, and Man City are expected to appeal the charges.
The damage was already done. Football as a sport is in a terribly sorry state right now, and while Man City aren't entirely to blame, they're largely to blame.
Being found guilty of 114 charges tells the story every fan needs to know. Man City will appeal it, but come on, there are 114 charges (yes, one hundred and fourteen, I wish it was a typo).
Arsenal setting up in a defensive manner and scoring from a few corners doesn't seem so bad now, does it?
Arsenal were not the villains they were painted out to be
As sports fans, we always need somebody or something to blame. A few years ago, VAR was the villain. Last year, Arsenal was the villain. This summer, FIFA was the villain. There have always, and will always be villains in football.
However, through it all, Man City became champions of the best league in the world and the best competition in all of sports. But they didn't deserve it, and that's a damning indictment of the integrity of football.
Everybody should be angry about this. Not just rival fans, but Man City fans, too. Man City, as a club, has sucked the soul out of football, and they've done it to their own fans' detriment.
Arsenal were never the villains. They won the Premier League fair and square, and they didn't need any helping hand from bending the rules.
They might not be the most popular club in the world, but Arsenal have always been classy. That's not anything to write home about, because most clubs barring Man City have won things the fair way, but it is at least a nice reminder that we support a club doing things properly.
Time will tell if Arsenal reap any rewards from any looming Man City punishment, but hey, I would much rather overly celebrate wins and score from set pieces than be found guilty of 114 charges. That we can say for sure.
All is well that ends well
We didn't know it last season, but the title race between Arsenal and Man City was good vs evil. It was Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader, Harry Potter vs Voldemort, Batman vs The Joker. In the end, good defeated evil.
It took a few months after Arsenal dethroned Man City for Man City to be outed as football's true villain, but anyone who ever got a funny feeling in their stomach when watching Man City lift the trophy will have felt validated.
Arsenal didn't know it then, but they might have lifted something worth much more than the Premier League trophy; they might have just saved football.
As always, Come On You Gunners.
Add us as a preferred source on Google