On the Road Again!

Yes. I know. I shouldn't have... £22.50...

Shirt arrived today.

Probably a mistake to have ordered this from some Chinese factory. It seemed like a gamble rather than simply a scam! 从中国工厂订购这个东西可能是个错误。这与其说是骗局，不如说是一场赌博

Not the result we wanted, but losing on penalties shows where we are now. PSG were unable to score other than with a penalty. The game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes. Two missed penalties from our players in the penalty shootout handed the trophy to PSG.  They had one penalty saved by Raya, but it wasn't enough.

Need to think positively... At the ground I met my brother Neill and Helen who I go with to all the games since the club moved to Emirates Stadium. We also met our friend Ashley who had flown from Singapore. Unfortunately the ladies didn't match the dress code.

Whilst it would have been nice to have been there, in Budapest, to go to the game, the ticket cost and the travel would have made it almost impossible to have done it. Instead we are going to go up to the Emirates and watch it on the big screens. My brother Neill booked the tickets on the first round that was pretty much for season ticket (Gold) holders. It means that Phil, who goes when I can't, is unable to join us. The ticket price was £15 and Club Level tickets £20. We decided to see what Club Level seats are like. You never know. I might win the lottery tonight and buy us all a seat up there instead of Block 11 in the Lower seating area. Tickets are as usual in the Google wallet but are blue instead of the usual Arsenal red.  What shirt to were? My collection of Arsenal shirts goes back many years. I'll decide tomorrow. Plus, we also need to check out the weather forecast. All week it has been hot and muggy at home. Shorts and t-shirts. Tomorrow though? Hopefully my new be...

Whilst full of the euphoria from winning the Premier League... Have I mentioned it before? Anyway, I ordered a t-shirt for my upcoming holiday to Spain and France. It's not a Champion's shirt, but a 26/27 shirt. Hopefully it will arrive in time for the trip up the Emirates to watch the Champions League final on the big screens. It's an official Adidas Arsenal product.

Did I mention that Arsenal are the Premier League Champions 2025/26 with a game to spare? Perhaps I am too humble... I have bought an official t-shirt on pre-order from the Official Arsenal site, but wanted something a little quicker, at least before I go on holiday. So, I bought this. It's from a company called Teerific..... Unofficial Champions t-shirt. Hopefully this will arrive before we go away.  It's been 9 days since the order and the air is very quiet...

I thought I would invest in a t-shirt to mark the occasion. Proper Adidas football shirts (they are NOT jerseys!) are eye wateringly expensive. This one, an official product is £22.50.... They are all on pre-order and so I expect it will arrive when I am on holiday! Offical Product!

PSG!! Despite it being a massive stadium in Budapest the teams are getting about half split into halves again, 16500. UEFA will be able to reward all their arse kissers and other tossers with seats that genuine fans could have used, but the corporate troughs need to be filled.... And the prices are disgustingly expensive.

After the game in Madrid last week, when the game ended up all square at 1-1, no one was expecting an easy game.  And it wasn't.   In the end it took some good work from Gyokeres with a cross to Trossard whose shot was only parried and Saka reacted quicker to scoop the ball into the net. 1-0 to the Arsenal. Who will we get on May 30th in Budapest? Do I wish I had gone tonight, rather than selling my ticket to my mate Phil? Yes and no. I might have some finger nails left had I been there and not watched on Amazon Prime.

The last Arsenal game physically at the Emirates Stadium this season. Should have a few on the TV though as the season runs down. Today was home to Fulham in the Premier League. A chance to extend the lead at the top over Manchester City. Already three points and +1 goal difference at kickoff. They got the Champions League experience flame thingamajigs out. I usually miss the flame. I just kept clicking the button. Sixty photos later in chose three and deleted 160mb of storage. This far away you can feel the heat. Two goals from Gyokeres and one from Saks before half time seemed like a thrashing was on the cards... Nope. The second half was a 0-0 draw. When goal difference has proven to win the Premier League title, why do we piss about? So. The difference is six points and +4 goal difference.

After the pretty much last minute winner last week away in Lisbon, when Kai Havertz stole in to score in added time, and a terrible gutless performance at the weekend, all attention was on Wednesday, and the Emirates Stadium. What a poor game. Neither side took the opportunities the opponents gave them. At the end of the day the day, neither team needed extra time! Thankfully, Sporting failed to force an equalising goal. The Arsenal team only seemed to wake up in the last twenty minutes, coincidentally, when Sporting had to throw everything forward to get a goal. Arsenal held on and could even have stolen this game as well in added time. Now we are to face Atletico Madrid in the Semi-Final.

There are a few games I simply can't watch on the TV. This is one of them. The stresses and strains are way too much, usually. Today different. I was busy during the day and had the game recording on the Sky Q Box. I could watch it later....  Another thrashing of a really poor Tottenham side. Both games this season 4-1! Eze scored three in the home game, and two today! Gyökeres got the other two yesterday. Next home game? Chelsea on Sunday March 1st. Will I be able to go? 

This weekend is another big game at the Emirates as Arsenal host The 115, aka Manchester City, in the Premier League. Whereas we had a good start apart from losing to Liverfool, they had a poor start and have since recovered their usual charm and success rate. A 3-0 win over The Rags, aka Manchester United, last weekend will have given them some confidence. It's another game that I had planned to ride up and park as usual at the school up the road, but with the weather forecast, for Sunday, to be peeing down for most of the day, I didn't want to ride 80 miles each way, get wet or sit in my full waterproofs all afternoon. Or should I say early evening? Once again it's televised and so it's a 4.30pm kick-off!  One day we'll get to kick-off at the traditional English time of 3pm on a Saturday! Some bloody hope. So it's back to the train. As usual there's a one an hour service from Folkestone West to St Pancras.  I have booked outward journey on the 2.01pm HS1 t...

Amazingly the trip up to London wasn't too bad. The 12.30pm kick off means that the trains are often almost full with shoppers.  With both Stratford Westfield and Bluewater on the way in a seat is usually hard to find. Today, it was worse. The train was packed with protesters on the way to a rally in the centre of London. I did get a seat in the end on the folding down seat in the disabled area. As there were no wheelchairs it was safe to sit there. Once on the way to the ground we joined the Arsenal fans.  I met Helen, and we went in. A bit early and after  coffee, my round, we took our seats. It was a strange day weather wise, heavy rain, then bright hot sunshine, and repeat. The opponents this weekend were Nottingham Forest. They recently sacked their successful manager and recently took on a new one. The one that took Spurs to the Europa League title.  Luckily that golden ticket wasn't much help. A other good game and another goal-fest. Two goals from Zubimendi a...

At last. My turn to go to a game where we score at hat full of goals. Until 1-0 it looked as though we would struggle.  In fact the first save was Raya from a Leeds corner. So until tomorrow we are top of the League ahead of Tottenham Vermin on goal difference. My next game another one against a "top" team at home to Nottingham Forest.  It's after the international break though.

The first home game of the 2025-26 Premier League season.  To cater for the TV armchair fan kick off is 5.30pm. At least the unpredictable UK weather might have cooled a little. What would we give for a 3pm kick off? The traditional Saturday afternoon  kick off for games the length and breadth of the country. My first three games are 5 30pm and 12.30pm on Saturday,  and 4.30pm on a Sunday! TV money rules.