It’s been SIX Years since my last post…
So… my bad.
I began MattsArsenalBlog to write about Arsenal and while I have painstakingly watched every match for the past six years, I have not been consistent with posting here (although I do have some great 2010’s content in my drafts). Since being quarantined is the time of no excuses, I figured I’d dust off the old blog with a guarantee… two posts a month. Here’s to a new beginning!
Since my last blog post, Arsene Wenger rode off into the sunset, Unai embodied this gif, and a player who was starting in the last game I wrote about is now leading us into a new era. If you want a laugh, here’s the side-by-side comparison of the starting lineups when I last posted a blog and the last Arsenal game pre-COVID. Only Ozil remains…
I’m going to use this post to talk about two things… My experience in London in 2018 and how I feel about Arsenal in 2020.
The company that I work for had plans for international expansion in early 2018. With the World Cup on the horizon, I figured it would be the best possible time to go abroad. I arrived in London on April 19th, 2018. The next morning I woke up with a notification that made my heart sink… Arsene Wenger is leaving Arsenal.
To say that I was shocked was an understatement. Arsene was the reason I became an Arsenal fan and while at that moment I agreed it was time to part ways, it didn’t make things any easier. Immediately, I began looking for tickets for what would be my first game at the Emirates Stadium. I secured tickets to the West Ham game, which we won 4-1. Emirates Stadium lived up to all of the hype and in a weird way as soon as I arrived, I felt like I’ve been there 100 times. In what was a whirlwind couple of weeks, I not only achieved a lifelong goal of going to an Arsenal game but I was lucky enough to attend a game before Arsene departed…
Then… it got even better. I was working my ass off for the company when a friend of mine texted me “Atletico?”. I immediately went online to see that Arsenal drew Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Europa League and that the first match would be at the Emirates in a week’s time. I immediately bought tickets and I secured the best seat in the house (LOL). I know the picture below doesn’t look that bad but the seat was in the highest possible row in the stadium and directly underneath the scoreboard. I was so high up I could not see the scoreboard on the other side of the stadium. Nevertheless, I was there to watch the 1-1 draw which was by far the most intense atmosphere I’ve experienced at a sporting event.
As an American fan who admittedly became an Arsenal fan in 2010, I wanted to say I never once felt like I didn’t belong at the Emirates Stadium. I had no idea where I was going when walking through the concourse and everyone was extremely friendly helping me get around. I struck up conversations with everyone around me during the game and felt as though I was part of a gigantic family. I know that foreigners can be seen as plastic fans across the UK but I can wholeheartedly say that going to those two games are still a top highlight of my entire life.
Now I want to say a couple words about today’s Arsenal and our prospects moving forward. First off, Mikel Arteta is the coach to lead us forward without a doubt. While some would say we lost years of development by hiring Emery, I would say Arteta is now in a position to succeed even more so than if he would have taken over in 2018. In order to make a team work as one, you need to galvanize the group. The downward trend of the club mixed with an ambitious former-player coming back absolutely did that. Also, while Martinelli is the future, Aubameyang needs to be resigned immediately. In terms of recruitment, mid-tier players like Mari, Soares are excited about the young talent at Arsenal. However, top-tier players like Partey and Upamecano want to play with players like Aubameyang today. It’s important to build for the future while also being ready to compete and attract top talent today.
In the COVID world we now face, the Premier League returning this year is not guaranteed. After reading more about the Netherlands and France’s decisions, I find the PL situation puzzling. Neutral venues are likely the only way forward and players getting tested twice a day, along with their fears for themselves and their families, is a recipe not meant to last long. I for one would prefer that the FA say 2020 is done and the season is null and void. We start 2021 with the same set of teams and CL/EL spots as what we started the year with. If we are able to do that, solving this public crisis is put as the top priority and teams can gracefully move into the offseason.
Until next time!