Premiership Evolution Since The 90s

 
In the mid 90s when I was just 10 Years old, I used to see several Strangers both young and older in the Neighbourhood of Bukoto (a KLA Suburb) smartly donning Jerseys sponsored by McEwans Lager. At that Time, Blackburn Rovers was the in-form Premiership Team. Back then, I did not know how they won it, nevertheless I guess having Allan Shearer (who moved on to shine at Newcastle United) and Chris Sutton on the same Team meant Glory. Jerseys sponsored by Sharp (Electronics) for Manchester United also stood out but I just had a Thing for Arsenal's JVC like I did for Candy-sponsored Liverpool Jerseys from the late 1980s. So when I got down to follow the English Premier League critically beginning with the 1999 Season (courtesy of MBI and TV Africa), I realised that it was mainly a two Horse Race between Man U and Arsenal. I adored Arsenal to the Bone Marrow though I did not wear my Heart on my Sleeve (meaning I did not wear any Jerseys) but I always wondered why Alex Ferguson (the Premiership's First Winner and Greatest Manager) and his Team sometimes got away with unfair Referee Decisions. Some Teams would outplay Man U but late Penalties, lucky Free-kicks which David Beckham executed well, unnecessary red Cards or disallowed Opponent Goals plus ignored Penalty Claims would grant the Red Devils valuable Points that would clinch the League Trophy in the long Run. Of course the Devils had some good Games and very good Seasons (like the Treble Year when the ever-smiling Tobagonian Dwight Yorke had Goal-scoring Fun alongside Englishman Andy Cole), but others weren't so convincing: sometimes they ground out Results with Favour from the Officials. Maybe I was jealous but you cannot change wrong Decisions imposed during a Premiership Match (unlike in NBA Basketball where there is a Video Replay Center for unclear Referee Calls that can be changed) so Game Officials are like the 12th Man for any would-be Champion. I figured that the only Way to defeat Fergie throughout the entire Season was to outsmart the Referees with your Shot-stopping, dribbling and finishing Skills; turn losses into draws and draws into wins. So when Sylvain Wiltord (against Man Utd at Old Trafford) won Arsene Wenger's second of three Premierships in 2002, it was a huge Triumph for the League's Direction. A Winning Mentality away from Home helped the Gunners. Even during the Invincible Season two years later, it came in handy as they extended their Record to 49 Unbeaten Games.


Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovic built a new Empire at Chelsea and literally used his Money to buy the League Title in 2005 (their Centenary) which was a Breath of fresh Air despite Criticism from Purists. Chelsea had last won the English League Title in 1955, their first and only. Abramovic's new Club Manager Jose Mourinho found a Way around the Referees with the Help of a very tight Defence  (The Bus) and potent Attack led by Chelsea Legend (Ivorian Striker) Didier Drogba. "The Special One" started his Chelsea fairytale with a 14th Minute Eidur Gudjohnsen Winner against Fergie's Manchester United and won three Premierships; the third one was during his Second Coming which was followed by his Second Sacking.

When Manchester City also used Arab Money to clinch the 2012 Premiership, it added Poznan-celebratory Flavour to the annual Competition. "The Noisy Neighbours" led by the controversial Mario Balotelli (Why Always Me?) and skilful Spaniard David Silva even beat their Bitterest Rivals 1-6 at Old Trafford in the third Month of the Season just to declare that EPL Power was shifting and ended Man Utd's unprecedented three Year Reign. Now there would be five different Clubs in the Premiership Winners Circle (two in Red, three in Blue). Apart from Sergio (Kun) Aguero's dramatic 94th Minute Winner against Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in a 3-2 Etihad Stadium Comeback Victory on the last Day to end a 44 Year Drought, another Favourite Moment of the Season was when Man City was eight Points behind their red Neighbours with eight Games to play having earlier led by eight Points too. During a Press Conference, City Manager Roberto Mancini said (probably sarcastically) that Manchester United were "Favourites to win the League" and I found it quite funny. Another Manager had audaciously decided to play Mind Games with the Master (Fergie) who retired a few Years later. Mancini shifted the Pressure to Fergie's Team. If you can bypass the Best, then you can be the Best! Both ended the Season on the same Number of Points but City had a much superior Goal Difference (plus Head-to-Head Record). On the last Sunday of the Season, I was in Naguru (KLA City suburb) painting a dark KADS Mural of 1800s Victorian London for Oliver! (Musical) and my Cousin's Son - a Man Utd Fan wanted me to go with him for Pork in Wandegeya during the Season's Finale Games. I stopped painting early before Kickoff but waited for him in vain and just walked straight back Home through Kamwokya having recovered from two broken toes I had suffered after a Farewell Football game in Mukono. As a Gooner, since my Team was already out of the Equation and only fighting for 4th Place, I smiled when I learnt while approaching Home that the Cityzens had scored. Throughout the Season, their Intent was visible in all Games most of which they won convincingly including the last one where they snatched the title from Man Utd who had just won their away Game 1-0 against Sunderland and were waiting for Full-time News from the Etihad. "I don't believe what am seeing!" There were two urgent Goals in two Minutes for City in a Nail-biting 5 Minute Additional Time Period: a cool headed Edin Dzeko Equaliser to make it 2-2 plus Aguero's 23rd Goal of the Season, the Most Dramatic End to a Premiership Season almost like Arsenal's Pre-Premiership 89th Minute 2-0 Triumph away to eventual Runners-up Liverpool in 1989. Arsenal had to win by two or more Goals to become Champions of England against a Team that could also be Champions even if they lost by only one Goal. Man City won the Title again in 2014 but less dramatically.


Leicester City's Manager Claudio Ranieri (The Godfather) meanwhile brought calm fearless Focus plus immovable Belief during the 2016 Campaign. Having had Premiership Experience in the early 2000s, his Return to England after being sacked in 2004 by the new Chelsea Buyer Abramovic was ruthlessly executed because he turned around a Club that had returned to the Premiership from Relegation a couple of Years behind to reign in the English Top Flight. Even before Ranieri was named Manager, Leicester beat Manchester United 5-3 at King Power Stadium in September 2014 giving the Impression that they are not Pushovers having come back from 3-1 down. Argentinian Leonardo Ulloa (amazingly pronounced Ujjoa) brought Power, Jamie Vardy broke the Goal Records with Algerian Riyad Mahrez netting his own Highs alongside him, Kasper Schmeichel was solid like his Father - the Man Utd Legend of the 90s, Shinji Okazaki added Asian Flavour and Danny Drinkwater is a likeable Character. I cannot quantify if the 2016 Championship was because of Money, but Ranieri's focussed Management plus Players performing with free Minds and Heart surely made the EPL a lot fresher; Captain Morgan's equalising Header won the Trophy at Old Trafford. The Foxes are Kings! "(Bell ringing): Dilly ding, dilly dong! Wake up everybody..."

Chelsea did it again in 2017 because of the Input from every Player including new Coach Antonio Conte [Antonio, Antonio] and a Slipup from Tottenham Hotspurs but the Biggest Talisman has to be Frenchman N'Golo Kante, he plays like two Midfielders in one. Put him in Everton, I bet they can also win the League! No wonder his Peers voted him as their PFA Player of the Year clinching his second Premiership in a row with two different Clubs, another Record...

Noone had Swagger like the Cityzens in 2018! Noone on the Corner had Swagger like KDB (Kevin DeBruyne), Sergio Aguero, Ederson and Manager Pep, the King of Tiki-Taka! In his first Premier League Season at Manchester City, Pep won nothing; it was a hard Knock basing on his History at the Nou Camp and Allianz Arena. However the following Season, Pep improved his Philosophy and won the Carabao Cup as well as lifted the Premiership setting a new Record of Consecutive Wins in the EPL (18) that was only one Win shy of equalling the Record he had just set at his previous Club Bayern. The Cityzens also became the first Team to register 100 points (out of a possible 114) after an injury time Winner by Gabriel Jesus at Southampton on the final Day of the Season...

The End of Man City’s 2012 Season was sweet but 2019 was maybe slightly sweeter though I do not hate Liverpool more than Manchester United; Leroy Sane made sure that the annual Invincibles Day celebrated by Gooners came to pass after the Middle of the Season, which was also Liverpool’s only League Loss. Klopp’s Men are the Greatest Runners-Up in Premiership History with 97 Points. The Stage was set for City’s Glory by the penultimate Game when Vincent Kompany lashed in an unprecedented Outside-the-Box 70th Minute Winner against Leicester. The Title Run-in was a Side-by-Side, Neck-to-Neck See-saw; The Kop played many Round Matches first and perched at the Top for some Hours before City could respond. After Liverpool painfully knocked out Messi from the Champions League, not even an Aubameyang Hattrick for Arsenal at Sevilla two Days later in the Europa League could heal me (Don’t break when you’re broken - Michael Jordan taught me that). If Liverpool had lost on Aggregate, then maybe I would have wished them Success instead of Pep. On the Final Day of the Season (12th May 2019), Liverpool scored first at Anfield and Brighton also took the Lead at Home before the Half-Hour Mark but Aguero equalised a couple of Minutes later to calm Nerves. Then, Laporte headed in a Title-winning Corner before Halftime meaning the Cityzens got back their 1 Point Advantage on the Table. In the 2nd Half, Mahrez used his Intelligence to dummy a Defender and blast in a Masterpiece with his weaker right Foot. Ilkay Gundogan put the Icing on the Cake with an unstoppable Freekick. Mane also scored his second for The Reds, but it was not enough. Seeing a former Barcelona Man - Pep and a former Gunner - Arteta happy was very refreshing; would have gone down very well with an unmissable Sheep-slaughtering Family Reunion in Aliba (Arua) plus Mangoes and Whiteant Harvesting in the Month of May, Psiphon that…

Twenty20 belonged to The Reds, Liverpool, Winners of the FIFA Club World Cup with a Victory over Brazil's Flamengo. Not even COVID-19 (Corona Virus) from Wuhan, China could stop Liverpool from clinching their 19th League Trophy, Curse broken after 30 Years! It delayed the Achievement by more than one Month because of postponed Games but not the Inevitability after finishing 2nd the previous Season with 97 Points, a Premiership High by a Runner-up, improved by two the next Season while defending Champions Man City degenerated 23 points behind them. Sadio Mane could smile again and Mohamed Salah became a Legend...

After the Covid-19 Lockdown Season ended, it seemed like anyone could win the new Premiership: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool all led at some Point and each seemed a favourite but Pep Guardiola's Man City possessed the Hardest Fighting Spirit. The Cityzens went on a 21-match winning Run till 7th March that saw them clinch the Title by 11th May 2021 after being knocked out of the FA Cup Semifinal and qualifying for Man City's first Champions League final; Guardiola called it the "hardest one"...

Twenty22 was another close horserace between the Cityzens and Klopp's Kop, but after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League Semifinal (6-5 on aggregate) in dramatic fashion by 13-time record champs Real Madrid who eventually beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final, Pep's Manchester City switched into a different Prem-gear scoring five goals in each of the next two games (DeBruyne got four in one of them). In the last game of the season at the Etihad, Man City fell behind 0-2 to Aston Villa (second goal was scored by an ex-Kop Coutinho) while Liverpool led their opponents which meant the Merseysiders would be champions if nothing changed. Then Pep brought on Ilkay Gundogan close to the hour mark and the Turkish-German rewrote history; it was the Most Emotional Moment in his career...

Maybe the Twenty23 script was already written as Football's Greatest Season, but it was about winning All or Nothing. After three games in the preceding season, Arsenal sat at rock bottom with zero wins, zero draws, three losses and zero points plus a Goal Difference of Minus 9; everything was negative. In the Twenty23 season however, after three matches, the Gunners were at the top of the pile with nine points and kept their 100 percent record intact until matchday 6. Despite the loss, they continued answering all the other questions thrown at them. The World Cup Qatar 2022 break saw them lead the chasers with a five point gap and even though 2nd-placed Man City caught up and overtook by Goal Difference after the two title contenders met at Emirates Stadium in the new year, Arsenal regained top spot by winning 4-2 at Aston Villa (while City drew) plus its game in hand against Everton (the 2nd of 3 teams to beat them by then) like deja vu from 2002; I guess David Seaman knows that Guard of Honour-worthy feeling. It was the last time Arsenal won normal Premiership silverware; 2004 trophy was golden. How about that 97th minute Reiss Nelson winner versus Bournemouth, stuff of legend only? One Prophet once predicted that Arsenal would never win the Premier League again until Queen Elizabeth died. Well, she departed the Earth at 96 years of age in 2022 and the possibilities are now open. Unfortunately, in the first season during the reign of King Charles, French defender William Saliba's back injury during a Europa League game started Arsenal's collapse, watched by Kim Kardashian and her child North West: Send help! By the end of Arsenal's second last game at Bournemouth on Saturday 20th May 2023, Man City joined the exclusive class of 3-in-a-row Champions...

 

Arua Channel

Soccer has always felt supernatural to me like in Shaolin Soccer (2001 Hong Kong film). Even Evang Fumilayo Adebayo postulated that it is the Devil's Creation to take People to Hell by making them idolise Football and pray less, LORD have Mercy! Sometimes it doesn't matter how well you play. If invisible Forces guide your Shots and Headers (ask Real Madrid's Rodrygo), they go in. If they redirect your Shots, you could hit the Woodwork and get blamed, abused plus hated by Fans. That is why Players pray for Victory and Diehard Supporters do too. If you're looking for me, you can find me in the Highbury Memories (2021 Book). After watching Harry Potter 4 (The Goblet of Fire - 2005 film), I noticed that Soccer and Quidditch (A Game for Wizards) have Similarities but instead of flying in the Air on Broomsticks, Soccer is played on the Ground. Maybe that explains why it is so enchanting and unites all sorts of human Beings but it should never take YAHWEH's Place in our Hearts, LORD have Mercy! Nevertheless, Sarah Binayamo [Boyanga] who was taken several times to Heaven [plus Hell] by JESUS around August 2012 revealed that the LORD told her HE was preparing a Football Field in Heaven for all those who love Football like her Brothers. Personally, the first Dreamvision of Heaven I have ever had was an open Enclosure exactly like the Emirates Stadium where Saints worship GOD for two Hours; the Grass was so green, Seats were red and the Space near the Top was just as wavy as that at Ashburton Grove. Forgive us, LORD...