Have you ever told a joke that fell completely flat? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Gary Lineker during the live TV coverage of the FA Cup third round. The Match of the Day host was presenting the broadcasters’ coverage of Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool when he attempted to lighten the mood with a “pretty awful” joke.
Lineker, accompanied by pundits Martin Keown and Danny Murphy, spotted Take That frontman Gary Barlow among the supporters in attendance. Intrigued, Lineker asked Murphy if Barlow was a Liverpool fan, to which Murphy replied, “I think he is, yeah.”
Seizing the opportunity to inject some humor, Lineker quipped, “But don’t take that as a given, how about that one?” The joke referred to Barlow’s career with the boy band Take That. However, Lineker’s attempt at comedy didn’t quite hit the mark. His fellow pundits seemed puzzled, with Keown looking stumped and Murphy left scratching his head. Lineker himself admitted, “Yeah, it was a pretty awful one, wasn’t it?” before swiftly moving on.
Although Lineker’s joke missed the mark, the game itself provided excitement as Liverpool emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. The triumph came courtesy of a late Jakub Kiwior own goal and a thumping injury-time strike from Luis Diaz.
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with his team’s misfiring forwards, suggesting they may be struggling with psychological issues when it comes to scoring goals. Despite their recent shortcomings, Arteta remains supportive, stating, “Merit-wise there is no question that we deserve to win the games, but the results are very different. If the team is getting hammered, I’d be much more worried. But when my team plays with that courage and attitude against probably the best team in Europe right now in terms of momentum, what can I do but stick by them and support them?”
With Liverpool securing their spot in the FA Cup fourth round, it’s evident that Lineker’s failed joke didn’t overshadow the overall outcome of the game. Let’s hope Lineker’s next attempt at humor will have better success in bringing laughter to the football world.