Inarguably, the biggest story in footy is whether Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger definitely should be or definitely should not be manager of Arsenal. Last year was a roller coaster of emotions that ended with the Frenchman missing the Champions League for the first time since Christ was a boy, winning the FA Cup (again) and signing a two-year contract extension.
Arsenal's fanbase is divided between those who believe Wenger should be IN and those who believe he should be OUT. The tension between these groups is the most powerful force in the universe. So, this season we will be chronicling which group has the upper hand in their mortal struggle, starting with the Premier League opener all the way until (at least) Championship Sunday.
This week: Arsene Wenger is IN.
For most of Arsenal's Premier League opener, it did not look like Wenger would be IN. It looked, dare I say, like he would be OUT. Arsenal's performance inspired this:
56 minutes into the season for the first lingering shot of Wenger staring powerlessly into the middle distance. Surely a new record.
— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) August 11, 2017
And also this:
— Arsène's Son (@hughwizzy) August 11, 2017
Those are not things generally inspored by a man who is IN. Rather, they are more indicative of a man who is OUT.
That said, Arsenal's loony 4-3 comeback victory was enough to ensure IN status for this week. I'd advise investing in a midfield at some point, though. Granit Xhaka had a good game but you know at some point he's going to feel the draw of the red card, and it will be irresistable.
Also, Arsenal didn't really play that well, and they certainly didn't play the brand of soccer Wenger has become known for championing. Lacazette looked good though. And Olivier Giroud remains handsome and able to score goals when completely unmarked on corner kicks.
However bad Arsenal's performance, a win is a win and a win means WENGER IN. Tune in next week to find out if Wenger remains IN or does something dumb and becomes OUT.