OPINION: Pirates and Arsenal benefit from that little bit of lady luck

Sometimes a little bit of luck is all you need.

The two big games of the weekend, the MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, and Sunday’s English Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City, were tightly-contested affairs, balanced on a knife edge throughout.

And in the end, it wasn’t so much class that told as lady luck that landed on the side of the two victors. For Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli proved decisive, or at least he did via a massive deflection in the final minutes off Nathan Ake, that totally wrong-footed Ederson in the City goal.

This was a poor match, in truth, a turgid, tactical game that looked headed for an insipid goalless draw, making a bit of a mockery of the idea that Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola are two of the games’ purists.

But it perhaps suited Arsenal more to play in this way, as trying to turn on the style had resulted in defeat in so many of their previous meetings with Guardiola’s City.

If it wasn’t going to end goalless, this was a game that perfectly suited a flukey deflected winner, not that Arsenal or their fans cared, rightly so after breaking the City jinx.

A day earlier, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, it was Pirates who were celebrating the narrowest of triumphs, as they edged out Sundowns on penalties to retain the MTN8.

Not paying the penalty

Again, there was a dose of fortune for the Buccaneers about their win. Sundowns had two penalty appeals waved away that on another day may have been given.

Pirates’ Bandile Shandu was adjudged to have his hand in a natural position when the ball struck his arm from a corner.

And later in the game, there was no doubt that Sipho Chaine totally wiped out Lebo Maboe inside the box, but referee Abongile Tom ruled that Chaine had been fouled by Peter Shalulile before he took Maboe out.

That, in particular, was a touch-and-go decision, but it landed on the side of Pirates, who took full advantage in the penalty shootout.

There was perhaps a little luck, and certainly plenty of skill in Chaine correctly guessing the direction of all of Sundowns’ first three penalties and making the saves that ultimately allowed Karim Kimvuidi to net the winning spot kick.

Sundowns also had their own dose of luck in the semifinal, second-leg, when Kaizer Chiefs were denied what looked like a clear penalty in stoppage time, when one more goal would have sent Amakhosi to the final in Masandawana’s place.

These doses of luck, after all, have a way of evening themselves out over the course of a season.

Perhaps Arsenal will see themselves beaten by a shot that takes a wicked deflection later in the campaign.

Perhaps it will even be against City, who will no doubt claim their just desserts if an Erling Haaland effort spins off Ben White and into the back of the net.