Arsenal
Newcastle have got the money but have kept the heart. Paris Saint Germain should start this state-owned business again.
Imagine being Jamaal Lascelles, who was relegated with Newcastle in 2016. Imagine being 31-year-old Dan Burn, who watched his beloved Newcastle when they last played in the Champions League 20 years ago before being let go from their academy. Imagine being Elliot Anderson, or Sean Longstaff, who know nothing but Newcastle.
But above all, imagine being those fans, who have lived and struggled to breathe through 14 years of Mike Ashley. They’ve earned this.
The ick at watching two state-owned behemoths in a petro-dollar derby is impossible to overcome. The thought of Saudi and Qatari royalty delighting in their respective sportswashing is enough to turn the stomach, and sours things to a degree dependent on your respective morality. But it’s possible to revel in good football and fan revery while sparing thoughts for what this game represents in a wider, far more uncomfortable sense.
And boy did we revel. In Miguel Almiron’s goal. In Eddie Howe fighting off a heart attack after Miguel Almiron’s goal. In Bruno Guimaraes entirely dominating the midfield. In Dan Burn thinking he’d scored, then thinking he hadn’t, before knowing he had, after a glorious three-minute long VAR check. In the rain pouring down on Kylian Mbappe. In the young ultras taking on the tradition of shirtlessness. In fan fever pitch over a throw-in in their favour. In Fabian Schar hitting top bins.
It was glorious, and, despite the calibre of the players they were up against, entirely inevitable.
Paris Saint Germain didn’t stand a chance on a night like this against a team that retains its sense of self despite the same untold riches.
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