A REAL TEST
After leaving Thomas Partey, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the bench for Arsenal’s match at Everton, Mikel Arteta could scarcely have made it more obvious he had an eye on the Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg with Real Madrid if he’d started with Gunnersaurus, Ty from AFTV and Win the training ground pooch at Goodison Park. As it happened, the players he did pick were in total control until Everton were awarded the kind of weird penalty that will have done little to deter the conspiracy theories of some Arsenal fans who are convinced English officials have an agenda against their club. At least they can go into Tuesday’s match safe in the knowledge that it is being refereed by a more accomplished and less gaffe-prone foreign referee. Specifically, one who prompted outrage by inexplicably ruling out what appeared to be a perfectly good goal scored by RB Leipzig against – oh dear! – Real Madrid in last season’s Big Cup.
