Category Archives: Arsenal

SheWore: All or Nothing – Episode 6 – Back From the Brink

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Recap: After working hard to be front runners for top 4, three defeats from three games leaves the club in 6th place with games against Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham still to come. Top 4 dreams over?

Episode 6 – Back From the Brink

United (H)

Unfortunately, this huge fixture was scheduled in the dreaded 12:30pm kick-off slot. I’m convinced it exists solely to anger home and away match-going fans, as it is an absolute nuisance. 

Regardless, The Eaglet was buzzing beforehand, everyone aware to a man that the team needed our full support. 

Whilst a 3-1 result flattered us slightly, it felt like an enormous three points at the time after three abject showings against Palace, Brighton and Southampton. 

Outside The Eaglet afterwards, I seem to recall Granit Xhaka being mistaken for Rob Holding. Curse those tinted windows! 

This was followed by chants of 

‘Super Jack Wilshere’ as an off-duty ambulance passed by. 

Like many that day, a pal was going to the Tyson Fury after The Arsenal, so I ended up joining his crew in the Pins and The World’s End for a few before heading home on cloud nine. 

The Arsenal social really is unmatched.

Zac

SheWore: All or Nothing – Episode 5 – The Collapse

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Recap: After 5 wins in a row, Arsenal sit 4th in the table. Champions League in their own hands. Facing the club now is games against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton. Relatively easy fixtures considering what is to come…

Episode 4: The Collapse

Saints (A) 

The only downside to securing tickets for this was that we had to (somewhat) monitor our booze consumption on the Bank Holiday Friday. 

No matter, we were equipped with cans and, bizarrely, a bottle of watermelon vodka gifted to us by a fellow Gooner outside Waterloo. 

The rattler down to Southampton was packed out not just with The Arsenal, but also a herd of tourists venturing to the seaside in Bournemouth for the first time. 

We arrive into Yates bang on 11:30 and proceed to see one of the group – who shall remain nameless for the sake of his own pride – pour a can of Fosters into an empty plastic cup.

‘A smart strategy’, you may reason. To our amusement, that statement proves to be wrong when the result is 95% foam!

If there were Football League-wide awards handed out for the level of efficiency at letting in away fans, Southampton would be expelled into non-league. 

The queueing system outside St. Mary’s was an absolute shambles, meaning we only just made it to our seats for kick-off. 

On-pitch events will not be mentioned due to the ineptitude of the performance. 

Whilst we were all in good spirits after arriving back at Waterloo, my personal away record in 2021-22 was dismal. 

Four games attended, six goals against, no goals and two Arsenal red cards. Football, eh.

Zac

SheWore: All or Nothing – Episode 4 – Back on Track II

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Recap: Arsenal’s rollercoaster of a season continues as the club have gone from bottom of the table to 4th on New Years Day. After a winless January they sit 6th in the league with 15 games today. Zac is still drinking his way through Islington.

Episode 4 – Back on Track II

Brentford (H)

It was absolutely bucketing down just as we flocked out of The Arsenal towards the Emirates.

The players did not let it dampen their spirits though, delivering one of the season’s most complete, controlled performances to earn a 2-1 victory. 

Oddly enough, I stood in Block 7 of the North Bank next to two season ticket holders from Wiltshire who turned out to be Manchester United supporters. 

They had been given the tickets through work and told me they were North Bank regulars. 

Despite disagreeing with their original choice of team, I had a lovely time after the final whistle with them in The Faltering Fullback, treating them to one of London’s best pints of Guinness. 

If you haven’t been there, give it a try next season, you won’t regret it! 

Wolves (H) – best atmosphere of season

There was a sense of cautious optimism in The Victoria Tavern preceding a midweek match under the lights. 

We had beaten Wolves at Molineux, the only blemish for them whilst they were in their best form of the season and pushing for a Europa League spot. 

Consequently, we all feared the worst when Hwang Hee-Chan pounced on a Gabriel error to give Wolves an early lead. 

In fact, that shock concession worked in Arsenal’s favour as Wolves sat back, seemingly intent on stealing a 1-0 win. 

Yet Nicolas Pepe’s introduction from the bench changed the game.

Full of purpose, the Ivorian levelled with six minutes to go before playing an influential part in Alexandre Lacazette’s deflected winner to send the stadium into delirium. 

Only four rows back in the North Bank, it was absolute bedlam. 

The anxiety of the previous 90 minutes poured out from inside each and every one of us, to bring an end to an unforgettable night. 

This could well be a contender for one of the best games of the Emirates era.

Zac