Eberechi Eze didn’t get the memo, it seems. Formidables v Expendables? PSG v Arsenal could be a classic. Here we are in the dog days of May, with the European club football season playing out a slow, sultry finale as the Geopolitics World Cup bangs ever louder on the door. Legendary managers and beloved players have made tearful farewells, shiny pots handed out, spies spotted in slapstick circumstances. But wait! The big closing number is still to come. Paris Saint-Germain. The Arsenal. Budapest. Saturday, 5pm BST. It’s Bigger Cup Final!
PSG’s Swashbuckling Path
PSG, the defending champions, find themselves in a similar scenario to last year. Having swashbuckled their way through the choppier side of the draw, Luis Enrique’s lads face a team famed for their tenacity and titanium defence. Last year it was Inter who tried to stand up to PSG’s formidable attacking unit, and were dismantled so comprehensively that manager Simone Inzaghi was working in Saudi Arabia five days later. That’s a day for each goal Inter conceded, with PSG racking up the most one-sided result in Big Cup Final history, finally launching a particularly persistent monkey off their collective backs.
Arsenal’s Renaissance
Speaking of former specialists in failure, Arsenal have signed off from their banter era in style. Having won their first league title for 22 years – a moment marked by a glorious impromptu party outside the Emirates – their first Big/Bigger Cup final since 2006 feels almost like an afterthought, a shiny sixpence discovered moments after winning the lottery. Make no mistake though: getting their hands on and heads in that massive trophy would take Arsenal’s already stellar season into the stratosphere – and complete an unprecedented treble of Europots for English clubs with buildings in their names. Maybe next season, eh Newcastle? Oh.
Arteta’s Tactical Challenge
Eddie Howe could at least offer Mikel Arteta some advice on getting a result against PSG, something Arsenal failed to do in last season’s semi-finals. In their defence, few have been able to live with Luis Enrique’s immensely talented team, unshackled from anxiety and riding an attacking groove so ruthless, we’re starting to think PSG actually stands for Pass, Shoot, Goal. Qatar’s finest also find themselves in the unusual position of neutrals’ favourites, and have around 7,000 collective extra minutes in the tank, having cantered to the Ligue 1 title; this season, Declan Rice has clocked up more league game time than Ousmane Dembéle and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia combined.
The Expendables vs The Unstoppable Force
Still, if there’s any team on earth you’d back to spoil PSG’s party, it would surely be Arteta’s masters of defence and dark arts. If Arsène Wenger gave us the Invincibles, this new Arsenal unit are more like the Expendables – a grizzled band of henchmen perpetually ready for one last job. Plus, they already know how to defend a one-goal lead in a Bigger Cup final, because they play that way pretty much all the time. This Arsenal side have a unique set of skills, and can control games in a manner that is hugely impressive, if occasionally hard to watch. Anyway, what is Bigger Cup without its great spoilers, from catenaccio to José-ball? This is a perfect final showdown: silk against steel, magic versus muscle, the unstoppable force and the immovable object. And it’s live!
Subscription required. Live on Big Website: Follow Bigger Cup final for free with pre-game buildup and live updates from PSG 0-1 Arsenal (aet) with Rob Smyth. Plus: Scott Murray covers Scotland 1-1 Curaçao in a GWC warm-up (1pm BST kick-off).
Quote of the Day
“The mural is absolutely top class. I have fond memories growing up on these streets, so it really does mean a lot” – through finger-and-thumb spectacles, John McGinn takes in a 25ft artwork in his home town of Clydebank. More murals are planned as part of Irn-Bru’s campaign in the lead-up to GWC, so if you’d like Grant Hanley plastered over your garage, you know what to do.
Football Daily Letters
“Was the repeat reference to Phil Taverner’s punishment (Thursday’s letters) a rare slip on Football Daily Ed’s part, or was his original offence deemed so heinous that he’s to be named and shamed on a daily basis for the foreseeable? Just asking for a friend” – Phil Taverner.
“Donyell Malen played 46 times for Aston Villa and scored just seven goals, then scored 14 times in 18 games for Roma to finish as second-top scorer in Serie A this season after arriving in January. This might explain how Scott McTominay won Serie A player of the season, and why Italy failed to qualify for their third World Cup in a row” – Noble Francis.
“Re: George Smith’s letter. Not only is the $100+ fee for a train ride to the MetLife Stadium gouging, it is virtually mandatory. There is no pedestrian access during GWC, and the Meadowlands area has swamps that are foul with toxic waste” – Steve Hibbert [Big Website gave it a go – Football Daily Ed]. If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Phil Taverner. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
