An American Gooner in London
The Game: Arsenal v Bournemouth, The Emirates, GeoffArsenal
It finally was about to happen. The flight from JFK to Heathrow was done and dusted, the tube ride on the Piccadilly line from Russell Square to Arsenal station with loads of other Gooners had been completed and I was there, at The Emirates Stadium. Strangely enough it was almost difficult to take it all in. A place you’ve seen so many times on TV, in pictures, and imagined in your mind but now you’re there, in the heart of it all, an hour from kickoff. My better half, who puts up with me being a mad Arsenal fan and who would later be a very relived girlfriend after Arsenal won the game (she feared I’d be miserable the whole trip if the result went the wrong way), obliged all the requisite photos with Tony Adams, Dennis Berkgamp, and Theirry Henry’s statues, and it was time to finally enter the stadium.
This is the part of the story where Mr. GeoffArsenal enters. Many of you will know Geoff as perhaps the highest profile Arsenal twitter account and one of the teams biggest, most loyal fans. Thanks to Geoff, I had managed to score two Executive Box seats for the game and he would be in the box with us. Not only do I get to enjoy the splendor of Arsenal and the Emirates in the most luxurious way possible but also I get to chat with one of the most knowledgeable fans out there. Naturally, I was on cloud nine. Also in the same box was a father and son, who described how they had managed to save up enough money for this “once in a lifetime special treat” to watch Arsenal in this kind of setting. It was the father’s Christmas gift to his son, one he confided in me he worked extra long to be able to obtain. That sentiment stuck with me and is still on my mind as I write this. When you decide to support a team with your full heart and soul, it’s because you identify with something within that team, be it similar values, tradition, etc. When I decided to start supporting Arsenal, I loved the style of football they played and I respected the manner with which they operated as a club. This article is not meant to be a referendum for or against the “Arsenal model”, but it’s the model I’ve come to love and it’s a prime reason I’m so devoted to the club.
Refocusing to the actually game. Geoff arrives and we both lament the fact that Tottenham have just lucked an offside, stoppage time winner against Watford. I say I’m “disappointed” and Geoff says he’s “gutted”. We both discuss how this Tottenham side has a bit more to them than sides of the recent past but ultimately could be undone by a lack of depth after the starting XI, and then we come to Arsenal. In some ways the two games leading up to Arsenal – Bournemouth are the perfect microcosm of the popular narrative surrounding The Gunners. Arsenal dispatched Manchester City, considered their main title rivals, 2-1 at home only to get whacked 4-0 in the next game by Southampton. Is it time to worry that perhaps this Arsenal side are no different from past sides, they’ll falter at the vital moment and give away the title? I think not. What’s behind those two performances is the nature of the modern Premier League. The current BPL is the most taxing, rigorous examination in all of sport. What always was the most physical league, with no winter break, has now added money that allows every side to buy quality players. In other leagues, when Real Madrid or Barcelona go up 2-0, the opposing sides capitulate. In the Premier League, perceived lesser sides fight to the death and now have the talent to match their commitment.
After some tea and coffee, we settle in outside as the players come out of the tunnel. After a touching tribute to recently departed former Arsenal coach and player Don Howe, it hits me that I’m one of the Arsenal faithful, one of the 60 thousand fans I see every week on TV cheering on The Arsenal. What’s on my mind, as well as Geoff’s, is how Arsenal will respond after the punch in the gut at Southampton. Thankfully for us, Arsenal has Arsene Wenger as their manager. Whatever your opinion on Wenger, he is a master at responding to adversity, to preventing slides, and this was as evident as ever against Bournemouth. Due to the heavy fixture pile up around the Holiday period, Wenger had opted to rest normal starters Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal for Gabriel and Kieran Gibbs. Add in the fact that Calum Chambers was making his first start of the season at defensive midfield and fears that my first in person Arsenal game might not end in victory raced through my mind. Wenger’s decision to play Gabriel paid off, as the Brazilian got on the end of a corner to open the scoring for Arsenal and notch his first ever goal at the club. The goal settled The Gunners down and settled my nerves, as I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the game, and enjoy watching a master class from the Premier League’s current best player: Mesut Özil. Özil created 9, yes 9 goal scoring chances in the game (the most by any player in a single Premier League game this season). On another day, when Theo Walcott had his shooting boots, he could have had 3 or 4 assists. He also added a goal via a superb one-two with Olivier Giroud, which happened virtually right in front of my seat and is a moment I’ll remember forever In many ways, Ozil symbolizes Arsenal and why I love the club. He’s cerebral, he’s unselfish, he’s about the team before himself, and he’s pure class. This is why, when I see Arsenal’s own fans going at the club for different reasons, be it transfer dealings or what have you, it hurts me. Yes, Arsenal and Wenger had a barren trophy period during the time when The Emirates were being paid off. Yes, it’s been eleven years since Arsenal have won the League Title. And Yes, I’m a foreign fan that has only ever been to one game in my life, so what right do I have to critique the way certain fans choose to “support” the club? However, Arsenal have won two major trophies in as many seasons and currently sit top of the league into January, so what’s their to really complain about? Couldn’t all that energy be better spent supporting the club? One of the most negatively striking images that I can remember in my time as a fan, is when Arsenal beat West Brom 1-0 away from home, a hard fought victory, and traveling fans unveiled a WengerOut banner. So, after a tough as nails victory, that’s what the players had to look at. People can say it shouldn’t effect them, that they’re professionals, but they’re humans also. All these years, when it wasn’t going as well as fans wanted, when it was tough, Arsenal could have went about it a different way but they never sacrificed their principles, what makes them the club I love, and in the sea of a sport where money often overrides dignity, that resonates more than trophy honors.
The 2-0 final, which should have been a lot more, was good enough for me on the day. I got to clap for the players as they did their victory lap around the stadium and sing, “We are top of the league!” Maybe I’ll be back in May to sing it again when it matters most. A final word on Mr. GeoffArsenal, who proved to be, as he always comes across on the Bergkamp Wonderland Podcasts, a true gentleman. Geoff and his daughter proved to be excellent company, and he talked with me about the club we both love to my heart’s content. Arsenal: connecting people who have never met, a half a world away, creating friendships and lasting memories.
London Culture
A word about London in general, as a foreigner and a New Yorker, I loved the culture. Outside of being an Arsenal supporter, I’m a craft beer enthusiast (Brewdog in Soho and Euston Tap were London favorites), coffee lover (Tap Coffee and Dept of Coffee & Social affairs were standouts), and wannabe food critic. In many ways London reminded me a lot of my hometown, New York. The best restaurants are eclectic and diverse, ranging in type and style. From Zelman’s Meats which is run by an Arsenal fan and features absolutely excellent chow, from Jose which is basically standing room only style Spanish Tapas from well known London chef Jose Pizarro, to Chotto Matte which features Peruvian and Japanese sharing dishes. It feels to me like New York with older history and more accommodating people. At Jose, the seating is such that you’re basically forced to interact with a bunch of people you don’t know. As an American, forced interaction with strangers is something we don’t walk but rather run away from. Maybe it’s part of the reason we’re an individualistic society and European culture is seen more as a collective. The collective element is what brings this full circle, in that sport is assembling societies across country lines. In a way it’s a language. I may have never met you and know nothing about your life, but we both speak the language of the beautiful game. It’s why I can go into Zelman’s and spark up a conversation with their manager, the terrific Dave Strauss, whom I’ve never met about whether Mohamed Elneny will be a good signing for Arsenal. Focus is too often on separates: race, religion, and social issues, Arsene Knows Best or Arsene Out. In a world where it’s increasingly about dividing lines, sport continues to have the power to unite, if we just let it.
