What I got for Christmas. Lucky lad. #CDMonday

This was cracking.

Why Sabalenka's demeaning herself to play a bellend like Kyrgios, I don't know. She's got enough money.

Alan & Amanda's Spanish Job is the most Channel 5 show ever seen on BBC One.

3.00pm The King:

Pre-order your Faith blu-ray and then buy yourself a book that tells you all about the album. Nothing's too much for you. It's Christmas! www.bloomsbury.com/uk/george-mi...

For me, Fletch, this whole Arsenal renaissance began with Gabriel Jesus, so it's only right that he should return to see it home.

Always On My Mind/In My House is a Christmas song. I mean, obviously. Everyone knows that. Sorry for wasting your time. (And the little foreshadowing burst of synth at 5.23 is of course the most Christmassy bit of all).

The Geese album sounds like Borrell 1.

John Lennon - Hamburg

Anyway, one week to go. You can start partying now.

Listening to NOW Yearbook 1982 and marvelling anew at the awfulness of Spandau Ballet. When a singer so untroubled by nuance like Tony Hadley bellows "It's my instinction!" he just sounds like he's got the word wrong.

Sent rushing back to my 1986 Chart Diary, where this was the first big new hit of the year. I filled those Top 10s in every week for 12 months. Still disappointed I only had to enter Duran Duran's Notorious once.

Well, this is another in the eye for all you suckers who thought Arsenal were good.

Packed defence, need quick passes? Perhaps don't bench Odegaard.

There's a portable CD player market in 2025?

Barney Ronay great on that bellend Nick Kyrgios and his management company doing his "I'm better than women" misogyny-fest. Shame about the – presumably – hard commercial complicity of Aryna Sabalenka and the BBC. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/d...

Chris Rea writing his first draft:

I know they're very excited, but the Aston Villa fans really shouldn't be booing Bukayo Saka. That's not done.

It's Chico Time is playing in the pub. That's got to be a first. Maybe it's big on TikTok.

Didn't know Spotify Wrapped went back so far – it knows the first five singles I bought.

I guess we're all at it today.

Not to me he isn't.

LOL

The greatest Christmas song. There's someone in this piece who doesn't like it because of the SYNTHS, doubling down on their howling lack of taste.

Playing all day, now it's legal again.

It's coming on Christmas...

Arsenal win that with Saliba, Gabriel and an extra goal.

Anyway, needs Odegaard.

Anthony Taylor controlling the game beautifully. Assuming he wants to send nine players off.

First mince pie of the season. Sainsbury's's's Taste the Difference. Crust didn't put my teeth on edge. A win.

What's the best 80s Prince album and why's it Parade which I'm currently listening to and then maybe Lovesexy when I probably listen to it tomorrow?

Commentator shocked that the vast majority of Harry Kane's goals against Arsenal have come in North London derbies. We haven't played England much, mate.

There's a holiday #sale running over on the Bloomsbury website until Sunday December 7th, which means up to 30% off 33 1/3 books! 🎄 Shop 33 1/3: https://bit.ly/4pkGgpO

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said,

Working my way through the Mojo 75 albums of the year. Eddie Chacon at 22 is some intense, meditative, lo-fi soul. (1-21 were of course the Lennon Ono Power To The People box set etc etc.)

I wonder how many men you have to reduce Everton to for them to play any differently.

John Lewis rave dad currently starring as a Roman general in Civilisations: Rise and Fall on BBC Two. I KNEW he was a fraud.

People are still ranking Star Wars films. In this climate.

Decent. #ARSTOT

That tour was phenomenal. As it goes, I've been in the British Library today researching other 89/90/91 stuff but kept reading Stone Roses articles/reviews because they reminded me how exciting that time was. Their debut was top of NME's On chart for about four months. RIP Mani.

My pal did the Visit Tottenham campaign earlier this year, so we're chalking this up as a win. His reaction: "Every time I watch Declan Rice take a corner I can look at the name of the shadowy megacorp on his sleeve and say ‘I did that’."

Despite my recently discovered quarter-Scottishness, I don't really care about this game – but penalties need to be abolished. Rarely fits the crime and that was no crime at all. #SCODEN

New single from Mike Oldfield - William Tell Overture - "It'll shake you to the core!"

Tim Henman calling fans cheering Alcaraz errors 'students of the game' instead of, say, 'pricks'. #ATPFinals

Getting on with the housework while everyone's out.

On his third cuppa over two visits, the plumber's finally told me I've been putting two spoonfuls of salt in his tea.

Four decades on, I think Springsteen's Born To Run may be better than Frankie's after all.

In performative reading news, I've been wowing my fellow commuters recently with Finnegans Wake. As the months pass and the pages don't, it gets less performative tbh.

I know it's not good – believe me, I came through the refusing-to-learn disappointment of buying Some Like It Hot and Get It On on 7" – but I still want to hear it. If nothing else, it will surely sound LARGE.