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Alright folks, yesterday got me flipping annoyed trying to figure out that Arsenal vs Tottenham starting XI mess. Wasted my whole damn afternoon. Here’s how it went down, step by ugly step.
Started Simple Enough
First thing I did, opened two browser tabs like an idiot. One for Arsenal news, one for Spurs stuff. Figured I’d just grab the latest predicted lineups from the usual footy gossip sites. Easy peasy, right? Wrong.
Total Chaos Online
Every single site had a different flipping idea! Some said Saka was definitely starting for Arsenal, others claimed he was injured and wouldn’t make it. Tottenham? Forget about it. One source had Richarlison nailed on, another benched him completely. Made my head spin. Why can’t anyone just agree?
- Checked five different rumor mills
- Found three different Arsenal formations proposed
- Spurs lineup predictions? Absolute joke, pure guesswork
Fell Down the Twitter Rabbit Hole
Figured I’d check actual “ITKs” on Twitter (you know, those blokes claiming to be “in the know”). Big mistake. Scrolled for ages. Saw all kinds of crazy stuff:
- Someone swearing Arteta was switching to three at the back
- Another insisting Postecoglou would start three academy kids
- Endless arguments about who was “training well”
Hours wasted chasing nonsense leads. Nobody actually knew squat.
The Spreadsheet Struggle
Alright, desperate times. Fired up a spreadsheet trying to compare possibilities side-by-side. Columns for Arsenal (Best Case / Worst Case / Wild Guess). Same for Tottenham. What a flipping mess.
Colors everywhere trying to show doubtful players, fitness issues. Looked like a kindergarten art project gone wrong. Just showed me how impossible it is to pin down these coward managers and their last-minute changes.
Finally Threw My Hands Up
After losing most of my afternoon to this useless task, gave up. Decided to predict it myself. Arsenal? Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus. Tottenham? Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison. There. Done. Probably wrong, but at least I picked something.
Honestly, why bother? Woke up this morning to actual confirmed lineups and guess what? Both managers changed things from what ANYONE predicted! Saka started but Jesus was benched. Richarlison played wide? Postecoglou surprised everyone. Shockers. Felt like the whole thing was pointless, just feeding the rumor machine for clicks. Never trusting “predicted lineups” ever again. Maybe I should just flip a coin next time. Save myself the headache.