As Arsenal brushed Newcastle to the side with an ease we’ve rarely seen all season, the main thing most people seemed to be talking about was the incredible co-commentary of Don Goodman.
If there has been a more biased co-commentary performance this season, then I’ve forgotten about it.
It started early, with Granit Xhaka getting a stupid booking after just 20 minutes, prompting Goodman to spend most of the remaining 70 minutes urging him to get sent off.
“He’d be top of the list,” Goodman said about players you wouldn’t trust to play on a yellow card which, on the surface makes sense if you are crap at your job and not able to look at basic stats that other people compile for your education.
There’s no denying Granit Xhaka gets red cards but despite playing 160 games in the Premier League, and collecting 41 yellow cards in the process, not one of them has turned into a second-yellow red.
Not one.
Granit Xhaka has also only been sent off three times for Arsenal, twice in his first season and once this. In between, he had three full seasons without a red.
With about 87 minutes on the clock Goodman commented that Xhaka had ‘done well’ not to get sent off. He did better than you, Don. That’s for sure.
Other gems from Don Goodman during Newcastle United vs Arsenal included
- Calling Dani Ceballos ‘naughty’ for being in pain after a tackle that saw Miguel Almiron go in the book.
- Saying the red card for the horrendous, pointless tackle on Gabriel Martinelli was ‘borderline’ while repeatedly excusing it and saying that the only reason it wasn’t overturned was because it wasn’t a ‘clear and obvious error’.
- Saying ‘that’s the world we live in’ when an Arsenal player fell over after getting clipped from behind while running, a foul we see 10 times a game, no matter who is playing.
- Completely ignoring a late Callum Wilson barge on Mat Ryan after the keeper had claimed the ball and with nobody else around.
This isn’t a new thing from Goodman. Back in 2018 he was one of the points I noted after Arsenal had played his old side Wolves.
I wrote then:
There’s a more miserable commentator than Stewart Robson and It’s Don Goodman
He was unbearable. In fact, I was just constructing a tweet after only 10 minutes because he had been so relentless harsh on Arsenal when Wolves scored, not really backing me up.
The Arsenal crowd, that had been doing its best to get the team going, came in for criticism, as did just about everything Arsenal did. It was a hard listen, for sure and actually made me long for Stewart Robson. Yes. He really was THAT bad.
Don Goodman, who played for Wolves, is the co comms who is making Stewart Robson look like Arsenal's #1 fan
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) November 11, 2018
If that could be comms says one more time there's no energy to Arsenal's performance I'm gonna slap my TV. He's like Jamie Vardy talking about not signing for Arsenal. On and on and on
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) November 11, 2018
Who was he? It took until the second half to find out it was Wolves legend, Don Goodman.
Mr Misery Co Comms mentioned the crowd to moan about how quiet they are https://t.co/bdpz4omzFq
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) November 11, 2018
Some of the best comments about Don Goodman
Spare a thought for Don Goodman. It must’ve been horrific watching Arsenal win when he hates us so much #NEWARS pic.twitter.com/DLnph6l80T
— Steph (@stephpgold) May 2, 2021
Don Goodman is really worried about ‘the world we’re living in’ when we win a foul you see 10 times in every game
— Jonny (@JonnyOneill) May 2, 2021
Don Goodman who played at the dizzy hights of Walsall and Hiroshima is now giving us his anti Arsenal words of wisdom during this game. Lovely.
— Rob Ross (@gooner145) May 2, 2021
Horrendous potential ankle breaking tackle and we have seen this a number of times on our promising young players. Don Goodman can do one. Shit player ,even worse commentator. Biased prick
— deano (@deanobaby89) May 2, 2021
How can Don Goodman sit there on @SkySports and ‘advise’ newcastle players how to get Xhaka sent off?! Is this unbiased punditry?? Nope! Its this an agenda against a player? YES! #stophate @Arsenal
— Jay Patel (@Jayp6181) May 2, 2021
Sod the Kronks, I’m starting a protest at the absolute shambles that is Don Goodman’s punditry – new levels of anti-The Arsenal. Prat
— Carl Eldridge (@EldoMedia) May 2, 2021
https://twitter.com/bajankris/status/1388878973128564745
Someone connected with Arsenal once did something really terrible to Don Goodman.
— RUSSAFC (@russafc) May 2, 2021
Don Goodman spends the first half complaining Arsenal make too much if contact and then when Saint-Maximin doesn't get a foul (when it wasn't) he says ge didn't make enough of it. The bloke is an absolute idiot #NEWARS #arsenal #afc
— Mike Cox (@MrMikeCox) May 2, 2021
https://twitter.com/daveterry44/status/1388860204071243780
Don Goodman is a dick. Almiron on a yellow in the first half:
“That’s accidental, that trip. Never a yellow”
Just bow with Xhaka on a yellow and fouls, but nothing more:
“He’s lucky. That’s a foul and a yellow. Lucky”
He’s also been bemoaning Arsenal players going down easily
— SuburbanGoonerChris (@SuburbanGooner) May 2, 2021
https://twitter.com/freakinstunto/status/1388858062321111047