Actor Innocent Passes Away
Veteran Malayalam actor and former MP Innocent Vareed Thekkethala passed away at VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi on Sunday. He was 75. He was under the care and treatment of Lakeshore Hospital since March 3, 2023 and Covid related respiratory issues along with multiple organ failure and a cardiac arrest led to his death. Innocent, a cancer survivor, was admitted to VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi on March 3 after he complained of breathing issues and uneasiness. The 75-year-old actor had reportedly not been well for some time.
He predominantly worked in Malayalam films in addition to few Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English films, mostly in comedic roles. In a career spanning more than five decades, he has acted in more than 750 films and is considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema. Innocent has won several awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards. He served as the Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha of India representing Chalakudy constituency. In a career spanning five decades, he featured in over 750 films, including Akkare Ninnoru Maran, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam, Nadodikkattu, Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu, Vadakkunokkiyantram, Ramji Rao Speaking, Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal and Mazhavil Kavadi, Thoovalsparsham, Gajakesariyogam, Dr Pasupathy, No.20 Madras Mail, Kottayam Kunjachan, Kilukkam, Sandesham, Keli, Adhwaytham, Kabooliwala, Vietnam Colony and Devaasuram.
A few years ago, Innocent had been diagnosed with cancer. However, in 2015, the actor announced that he was cancer-free. He chronicled his battle with the illness in the book titled Laughter in the Cancer Ward. Innocent married Alice on 26 September 1976, and had a son, Sonnet. Sonnet was married, with two children, Innocent Jr. and Anna. Innocent Jr. acted in a documentary as Innocent in childhood.
Peavey EVH Wolfgang Red Finish – 3
Biggest Regret When It Comes To Music & Living In India
Either a concert you went to and loved or never went to and regret missing
One of my biggest regrets is that I have not been able to go and see any of my favourite musical artists live in concerts. One of the main reasons is ofcourse that I live in Cochin, India and international bands have not ever come here at all. They have had a few great rock acts come and perform in India but it;s usually one of the big 6 metro cities or somewhere up in the North East that has a huge rock music fanbase.
Money is another challenge as I could have gone for some in recent years but the cost of going to say Bangalore and booking a hotel plus travel costs have all put me off trying to go and see the bands live. Bangalore was the first city in India where internationally popular rock groups Opeth, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Bryan Adams, Scorpions, Sting, Aerosmith, Elton John, Deep Purple, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, among various other heavy metal groups performed live for the first time in India. out of these I wouldn’t have gone to see the Rolling Stones (maybe) and I have no interest in Opeth but the others – hell ya!
Bon Jovi, Mr. Big, Firehouse, Guns N Roses, Carlos Santana, Simple Plan, Dream Theatre, Mark Knopfler & Joe Satriani have all also been here and it irks me that I haven’t been able to see these artists. For all that rock & metal music means to me, not being able to have seen even a few of these artists live it saddens me.
Prompt from MARCH BLOGGING PROMPTS at Food Fun Family
Some Points To Consider Before You Plan A Vacation
Trip duration
The first thing to determine is how long you want your trip to be. Do you only have a week off work, or can you travel for as long as you want? The longer you have then the more flexibility you have on where to go, and this would help you to go further afield rather than more local destinations. If you have enough time you may even be able to go on a multi-destination trip.
Trip type and where to go?
Next, you should have a think about where you want to go and what kind of trip you want. Do you want a more adventurous trip such a ski holiday, a city break, or maybe a relaxing spa destination? As well as the type of trip, where do you want to go? Such as somewhere in Europe, a place in Asia, a more well-known destination, or a lesser-known spot. Looking online such as on blogs, or even on Instagram, are great ways to find inspiration on where to go for your next trip.
Who are you traveling with?
When you plan your trip, your destination choices can be affected by your traveling companions. Will you be traveling solo, as a couple, or taking family vacations? Sit down with other members of your traveling group and discuss your ideas and interests. Memorable trips are those where each member gets to experience something they love. Don’t leave it to one person to make all the decisions. Or, maybe you could take turns in choosing a destination each year!
What kind of experiences do you like?
To have a memorable trip, choose a destination that allows you to have experiences you enjoy.
Do you like:
- Relaxation or adventure
- Beaches or mountains
- Summer or winter
- Cities or countryside
- Resorts or road trips
- Festivals and culture
- Shopping or food experience
- Luxury, mid-range, or budget
When to Travel?
Weather and crowds play an important role when you plan your trip. For your chosen destination, do you know when the high season and low season is? If you are fortunate enough to be flexible in when you can take your vacation time, good for you! Avoiding peak travel periods is one of our best travel tips for how to plan a vacation.
Cost/budget
Some destinations are particularly expensive, such as Iceland, Switzerland etc. This means that you would need a much higher budget to visit and it may take longer to save for your trip. The way I determine whether a destination is affordable to visit is by doing the below:
- I check the cost of the flight
- Then I would search on Booking.com or Airbnb and put in some rough dates to get an idea of accommodation prices
- Then finally I would check on a site such as Numbeo to get an idea of the cost of living and prices of restaurants and food
Once you have done the above, you should then look at how long you were planning to visit the destination and calculate the basic cost. Of course activities at the destination will add to this basic cost so keep that in mind.
Package holiday or book independently
Another thing to consider is whether to book a package holiday or book everything independently. There are definitely pros and cons to both types, such as booking independently takes a bit more work, but can provide more reflexibility.
Visa/entry rules
Visa and entry requirements are extremely important to check before you travel. You may not need a visa, but instead you may need a travel pre-authorisation. Such as in Canada they now have an eTA (electronic travel authorisation), and in the United States they have a ESTA. You may find that a lot of destinations don’t even require a visa for short stays which is making travel so much easier. Of course, it varies depending on your passport and which country you are from, so always do your research and never take the risk or arriving without checking.
Prompt from 87 Blog Post Ideas That Will Never Fail You (2023) at Blog Tyrant
What Are Your Favorite Movies?
It is very difficult to pick just one favourite movie which is why I don’t say that and instead I mention a bunch of movies that fall into the category of my favourite movies. So instead here are my favourite movies.
- Star Trek : The Wrath Of Khan
- Star Trek : First Contact
- Star Trek : The Voyage Home
- My Cousin Vinny
- The Departed
- Captain America : Civil War
- Shawshank Redemption
- Wayne’s World
- Dumb & Dumber
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- Planet Of The Apes (1968)
- Mrs. Doubtfire
- IT : Chapters 1 & 2
Prompt from 103 Blog Post Ideas That Your Readers Will LOVE [Updated] at Optinmonster
Enola Holmes (My Thoughts & Review)
Rising Prices Of Laptops In India
Why are the prices of laptops not going down? Jesus H Christ, the price are so ridiculously high that I am laughing at them. Especially if you want a nice looking slim one with the best specifications. Pay Rs.1.5 lakhs for a laptop? Heaven forbid. That is way more money than I earn in a month (a little less than I earn in 3 months actually) and with soaring monthly expenses going up, I don’t want to spend money on expensive stuff when we can go for something that works just fine and costs less than a 3rd of it.
My current laptop – which I love by the way – works just fine but in a year or so I will want to get a new one. I have been looking, not planning to buy anything right now but it is good to check around for prices and see what you can get. And I am shocked!
Star Trek Starships : USS Titan NCC-1777
My Highlight Of The Week Was Meeting A Dog
It’s no secret to people who know me that I love dogs. When I was a kid I wasn’t so sure but by the time I as 10 I really liked dogs. I wanted a dog in my family. When I was 11 my dad and sister went to a family who had puppies that they were selling and brought home a female Pomeranian who we named Lassie. She had some health issues, including worms and did not last 3 days. I’ve had cats since then but it would be more than 6 years later when I got a dog – as in I went and got the dog that I wanted and the breed(s) of dog that I want – which was a Golden Retriever and she was a legend!
Now you can read about my Shawny in this blog. When she passed away in 2005 I was heart-broken and swore to myself that I would never get another dog in my life. Why try to replace the un-replaceable and the best? However in just a few months I would end up taking care of my sister & brother’s pup, a Dalmatian and Black Lab mix, and I was pretty happy to have her for that 1 year. Since then, other than the odd visit and babysitting my sister’s pug (the other dog had passed away) a few times, I have been a dog lover but without a dog in my life. I also have lived in a small apartment since 2006 hence, there isn’t much space and I think that dogs need a bit more space and a backyard to thrive.
Yet when I see dogs my heart leaps and I am happy. I earn for a dog. Like yesterday while I was standing outside and waiting for my Uber, I saw this beautiful, or should I say handsome, brown/chocolate lab (slightly long haired) and I stopped right in my tracks. I just asked the owner, who was walking him along with 2 ladies, if it was a boy or a girl and he said boy. My Uber had arrived and if I had a couple of more minutes than I would have taken the time and asked permission to pet the dog and take a pic. I just felt so happy on seeing the dog.
And it made me ache. It really made me want to have a dog again. I know that my Shawny can never be replaced – no way – but do I have enough love to give another dog again? Yes I do! Maybe 2 dogs. Or 3 even! I wish I could get to that stage again.
World Atheist Day, 2023
Annually observed on March 23, Atheist Day is a celebration of those who do not believe in deity. More than 400 years ago, the term “atheism” arose in medieval Europe to describe those who rejected the concept of a higher power. There are reportedly over 4,000 religions in the world today, and nearly all of them have associated festivals and observances. Despite the fact that atheists do not believe in God, they also desired a special day to be observed, thus the establishment of Atheist Day. This is an attempt to recognize the struggle of atheists to live authentic lives in many parts of the world, the struggle to openly affirm one’s atheism.
The share of Americans who identify as atheists has increased modestly but significantly in the past decade. Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 show that 4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 2% in 2009. An additional 5% of Americans call themselves agnostics, up from 3% a decade ago.
The literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster. And the vast majority of U.S. atheists fit this description: 81% say they do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind. (Overall, 10% of American adults share this view.) At the same time, roughly one-in-five self-described atheists (18%) say they do believe in some kind of higher power. None of the atheists we surveyed, however, say they believe in “God as described in the Bible.”
Atheists make up a larger share of the population in many European countries than they do in the U.S. In Western Europe, where Pew Research Center surveyed 15 countries in 2017, nearly one-in-five Belgians (19%) identify as atheists, as do 16% in Denmark, 15% in France and 14% in the Netherlands and Sweden. But the European country with perhaps the biggest share of atheists is the Czech Republic, where a quarter of adults identify that way. In neighboring Slovakia, 15% identify as atheists, although in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, atheists have a smaller presence, despite the historical influence of the officially atheist Soviet Union. Like Americans, Europeans in many countries are more likely to say they do not believe in God than they are to identify as atheists, including two-thirds of Czechs and at least half of Swedish (60%), Belgian (54%) and Dutch adults (53%) who say they do not believe in God. In other regions surveyed by the Center, including Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, atheists generally are much rarer.
A declining share of Canadians identify as Christians, while an increasing share say they have no religion – similar to trends in the United States and Western Europe. Our most recent survey in Canada, conducted in 2018, found that a slim majority of Canadian adults (55%) say they are Christian, including 29% who are Catholic and 18% who are Protestant. Slightlu over than three-in-ten Canadians – 34.6% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, which is up from 23.9% in the 2011 Canadian census and 16.5% in the 2001 Canadian census. Among those estimated 4.9 million Canadians of no religion, an estimated 1.9 million would specify atheist, 1.8 million would specify agnostic, and 1.2 million humanist.
In many cases, being an atheist isn’t just about personally rejecting religious labels and beliefs – most atheists also express negative views when asked about the role of religion in society. For example, seven-in-ten U.S. atheists say religion’s influence is declining in American public life, and that this is a good thing (71%), according to a 2019 survey. Fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults overall (17%) share this view. A majority of atheists (70%) also say churches and other religious organizations do more harm than good in society, and an even larger share (93%) say religious institutions have too much influence in U.S. politics.
Atheistic traditions have played a significant part in Asian cultures for millennia. While Buddhism is a tradition focused on spiritual liberation, it is not a theistic religion. The Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator god, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment. A similar form of functional atheism can also be found in the ancient Asian religion of Jainism, a tradition that emphasizes non-violence toward all living beings, non-attachment to worldly possessions and ascetic practice.
While the Hindu tradition of India embraces the belief in many gods and goddesses – 330 million of them, according to some sources – there are also atheistic strands of thought found within Hinduism. The Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy is one such example. It believes that humans can achieve liberation for themselves by freeing their own spirit from the realm of matter. Another example is the Mimamsa school. This school also rejects the idea of a creator God.
The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, deals with significant skepticism around the fundamental question of a creator God and the creation of the universe. It does not, at many instances, categorically accept the existence of a creator God. Nasadiya Sukta (Creation Hymn) in the tenth chapter of the Rig Veda states:
Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
3 Rude Catholic Jokes
A man is leaving church when he sees an altar boy get hit by a car. The man rushes over and asks the dying boy, “Would you like me to get the priest?” To which the altar boy responds, “How can you think about sex at a time like this?”
A Catholic priest in New Orleans had tickets to the NFC Championship game against the Vikings last year. Unfortunately, he also was scheduled for confession.
He notices a very devout looking parishoner praying and decides to ask the man to cover confession for him. The parishoner replies, “Father, I’m not qualified to do that.” To which the priest says, “I have a book in the confessional with all sins and the correct penance for it so I don’t make any mistakes.”
The man reluctantly agrees and the priest races to the Superdome and the man takes his seat in the confessional.
A man enters and says, “forgive me father, for I have sinned. I have had sex with young boys.”
“I see,” he says, and opens the book to find the correct penance for anal sex with young boys, but to his dismay it wasn’t listed. He opens the door and sees an altar boy lighting candles. He asks, “alter boy, what does Father give for anal sex with young boys?”
The alter boy replies, “he usually gives us a tootsie roll and a cherry coke.”
A man goes to confession.
“Priest, I kept a woman in my basement for years.”
“Go on, my son.” said the priest.
“You see, she’s a Jew and they were looking for her. I told her I would hide her.”
“Well, that sounds like the Christian thing to do. Sure, you might have had to lie a few times to keep her out of harms’ way, but you saved a life.”
“But, I asked for sexual favors in return for my services.”
“Still. You did a good thing. Ten ‘hail Marys’ and you’re forgiven.”
“How many ‘hail Mary’s’ do I have to do to keep from telling her for another few months that the war is over?”
FOOD REVIEW #418
7 Reasons Why I Would Love To Visit Ireland.
List 7 reasons why you would love to visit Ireland.
1. Jaw-dropping natural landscapes
When you think of Ireland, it may conjure up images of green rolling hills, rugged seaside cliffs, and windswept rock formations. When you visit this Celtic country, you will be rewarded with all that and more! You’ll be able to admire or hike the high mountains of Wicklow and McGillycuddy’s Reeks. Take in the views over the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast cliffs. Sail or walk along the majestic lakes such as Lough Erne and Lough Leane. And explore the islands where you could learn more about the Gaelic culture and language.
2. Music and festivals
Ireland is a place to visit not only for its beauty and history, but because of its lively atmosphere. The Irish are known worldwide for their festive celebration and the country hosts many events and festivals along the year. This includes the TradFest held in Dublin every January. It is the largest festival of traditional music in Ireland. Not to be missed if you’re a fan! The town of Dingle also hosts its own in September. St Patrick’s Day is a five-day affair in Dublin. In September, Galway hosts the International Oyster and Seafood Festival, for lovers of this gastronomy. At the same time Dublin hosts the Fringe Festival, as well as a Bram Stoker Festival in October.
3. Regal castles
Irish history goes back centuries if not millennia, from the Vikings and Celts to warrior clans. Because of this, there is an estimated 30,000 castles and ruins dotted all over the country. During your journey, you could visit as many as you wish and time allows.
Here are some of our favourite castles:
- Blarney Castle – where you can kiss the famous Blarney Stone
- Bunratty Castle – one of the most complete castles left today in Ireland
- Dunluce Castle – a cliffside fortress with majestic sea views
- Rock of Cashel – an ancient royal site
- Ross Castle – a 15th-century fortress set amidst a national park
4. Guinness and whiskey
If you are a lover of beer and whiskey you will be in for a treat on your trip to Ireland! There are multiple brewers around the country, but the most famous is, of course, Guinness. Come taste the ‘black stuff’ in its hometown at the Guinness Storehouse. You won’t be surprised to hear it’s Ireland’s number one attraction! Whiskey distilleries are dotted around the country as well. If you want to visit one, you’ll have plenty of choice, from Jameson in Dublin to Kilbeggan in Westmeath, to the isle’s oldest whiskey distillery at Bushmills or Micil in Galway. Or, you could forgo attractions and simply curl up in a pub and order a pint or a dram of whiskey.
5. Lively cities
Known for its stunning natural landscapes, Ireland is also ideal for city breaks! Dublin will probably be the starting point of your trip to Ireland. The capital is a stunning mix of modern and historic architecture. It is full of fun attractions like the Guinness Storehouse and St Patrick’s Cathedral. We recommend adding extra days to your itinerary to make the most of it. In the west, you’ll want to stop by Galway. This laid-back city has a thriving music and foody culture. In the south, Cork is Ireland’s second largest city and the area’s cultural hub.
6. Delicious food
During your time visiting Ireland, you’ll be able to taste the hearty local food. Among other things, dig your teeth into the famous Irish soda bread and the lesser-known boxty, an Irish potato pancake. At B&Bs and other accommodation, you may be able to try the full Irish breakfast. It’s typically served with eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, beans and toasts or boxty. In small fishing villages along the west coast, we also recommend ordering some seafood. And you can’t leave Ireland without trying the famous Irish stew! Cities, like Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Cork, have plenty of fine dining restaurants. They focus on local and seasonal produce to give you a modern taste of Ireland.
7. Irish People
The Irish people truly make Ireland special! As a visitor to their shores, you’ll experience their fun sense of humour and warm hospitality, especially by staying in B&Bs and smaller hotels. You can also participate into the cheerful atmosphere by visiting pubs. Every city and town has at least one! Here you could have a drink with the locals, taste the Irish flavours and even listen to traditional music.
And Irish ladies – oh gosh! That accent and the gorgeous red hair (well I do know of some gorgeous non-redheads) will make you want to listen to them for hours on end.
Prompt from 31 March Writing Prompts at Mamakatslosinit
12 Fun Facts About The Corn Dog
- A corn dog is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried.
- It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine.
- Newly arrived German immigrants in Texas, who were sausage-makers finding resistance to the sausages they used to make, have been credited with introducing the corn dog to the United States, though the serving stick came later.
- A “Krusty Korn Dog” baker machine appeared in the 1926 Albert Pick-L. Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The ‘korn dogs’ were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked.
- On 1927, the idea of fried food on a stick was filed for a patent in the US. On 1929, the patent was accepted. On the patent, it states that many foods other than sausages can also be used in the same way that a corn dog is prepared. The patent also states that by having a stick, the stick would allow the fried food to be handled and eaten in a cleaner way.
- A number of current corn dog vendors claim responsibility for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their “Corny Dogs” at the State Fair of Texas sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941.
- In Canada, a battered hot dog on a stick is called a “pogo” and is traditionally eaten with ordinary, yellow mustard, sometimes referred to as “ballpark mustard”.
- In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog, Pluto Pup, or Dippy Dog, depending on region.
- In Argentina, a panchuker is a hot snack that can be bought near some train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit.
- A New Zealand Hot Dog is invariably a deep fried battered sausage on a stick that is dipped in tomato ketchup. The sausage is thicker than a frankfurter, resulting in a thinner batter layer than American
Corndogs. - In Japan, the equivalent food is usually called an “American Dog” based on the idea of where the food is believed to originate. It is also called “French Dog” in certain parts of Japan including Hokkaido.
- In South Korea, a corn dog is one of the most popular street foods. A corn dog is usually called “hot dog” in the Korean language (???), creating confusion with a genuine hot dog.
If I Could Create My Own Cereal
If you could create your own cereal, what would it taste like? What would you call it?
I guess I would like a cereal that gave me a strong bacon and chocolate flavour. I tried to look out for what weird but strangely appealing flavours are out there. You soon will be able to buy chicken-and-waffles and maple-bacon-doughnut-flavored cereals. But one that I would love to try is the Cookie Crisp cereal which offers sweet flavors for people of all ages. One of the biggest visual appeals of this cereal is its chocolate chip cookie shape. However, it doesn’t taste like an authentic cookie is what I have been told.
As a part of General Mills’ Monster Cereal Lineup, Count Chocula offers a unique twist to cereal with marshmallows. It has ghost-shaped crisps and bat-shaped marshmallows to give it a spooky vibe. Unlike most of the chocolate cereal on this list, it’s only available from the beginning of September until the end of October. Another chocolate cereal that promises cookie-like flavors in every bite is Oreo O’s. Unfortunately, despite its chocolate flavor and cream coating, it doesn’t capture the authentic flavor of an Oreo cookie.
I wonder if there is an eggs and bacon cereal. I couldn’t find any in the quick search I did. Pancake flavoured? Pizza flavoured – ok, I better stop.
Prompt from Lalilo March ’22 Writing Prompt Calendar at Lalilo.com
Good Places To Drink & Read A Book
Share your favorite coffee shops or places to read a good book.
Not that I have been to a coffeeshop or any place to read in a very, very long time. I just don’t read books anymore and that is a shame. I just don’t find much time to do that and I wish I could. However for quite a while – I would say from 2006 till like maybe 2011 – I used to frequent quite a few coffeeshops and read books while chilling in there.
So during those times the two Cafe Coffee Day outlets – the original one at Shenoys Junction and the other one near Medical Trust were my favourite coffeeshops. Another one was Kawaha Cafe which unfortunately has not survived Covid 19. Coffee Beanz, Fort Cafe and Coffee Cube also were good options but they don’t exist anymore. But yes I have enjoyed many hours in there with a book and some good coffee/frappe when I am not with somebody else.
But the one I really miss is not a coffeeshop but a bar! Oberoi’s bar and attached family restaurant was a favourite of mine and the good thing is when I went in the afternoon, I usually would go in with a book. I would pick a seat next to one of the large windows and move the thick curtains a bit so I got in plenty of sunlight. Then I could read several chapters of a novel while I drank my beers or vodka + Sprite and ate some good food. Good times!
Prompt from 87 Blog Post Ideas That Will Never Fail You (2023) at Blog Tyrant
Arsenal 4 Crystal Palce 1
Arsenal moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a routine home victory over managerless Crystal Palace. The Gunners, aiming to become champions for the first time since 2003-04, went ahead at Emirates Stadium through Gabriel Martinelli’s left-footed strike – his sixth goal in six league matches. Bukayo Saka doubled the lead when he collected Ben White’s pass and curled an effort past 19-year-old goalkeeper Joe Whitworth. Granit Xhaka made it 3-0 with a first-time finish from Leandro Trossard’s assist, before Jeffrey Schlupp pulled one back from close range following a corner for Palace’s first goal in five matches.
But the excellent Saka restored Arsenal’s three-goal advantage with a guided finish from Kiernan Tierney’s pull-back to seal the victory. Arsenal have 69 points from 28 matches, with second-placed Manchester City, who beat Burnley 6-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, on 61 points having played a game less. For Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, this was a perfect response after his side lost on penalties to Sporting Lisbon in the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday. Once Martinelli put them ahead with his 13th goal of the season, there only looked to be one winner, with Palace powerless to stop Arsenal. Saka’s goal, confirmed by the video assistant referee following a check for offside, made it 2-0, with Xhaka adding a third in the 55th minute.
Palace got a goal back, but it was no surprise that Saka soon scored again to take his total to 13 for the campaign. Arteta will also be delighted with the character his team have shown as they have bounced back from setbacks. This victory was their sixth in a row in the league since a 3-1 home loss to City threatened to derail their title hopes. But they have recovered in style and go into the international break in pole position.