Bound to happen, wasn’t it. We’ve been so caught up in winning and singing “We are top of the league” after every match, we maybe forgot how young this side is, the monumental nature of the task ahead, or that we won’t effortlessly swat every side aside.
Southampton has been a bit of a bogey team in recent years and Sunday was one of the stauncher challenges the Gunners have faced. Sure, the ref was abysmal and continued this season’s tradition of letting teams kick the crap out of our squad. But after the first 30 minutes or so, we looked listless and without imagination. While disappointing, the draw was deserved.
Another good group of Gooners at the pub, though turnouts have waned a little recently. A 6am kickoff will do that, but it’s always been inconvenient for West Coast Gooners to show support, so I hope we’ll see more of you soon.
Speaking of which, here’s our next 4 matches. You’ll note we have a 4am against Chelsea in early November. Maggie’s has confirmed they will open, so plan accordingly. We managed over 125 Gooners for the recent North London Derby which kicked off at 4:30am, so let’s rally the troops in similar fashion.
Let us know on Facebook if you’re coming!
But first, a few Europa League matches and the (not so) small matter of Nottingham this Sunday. Another problematic side for Arsenal, they’ve bumped us out of 2 FA Cup competitions in recent seasons.
Here’s hoping Arsenal have a bounce back game against The Tricky Trees (yes, that really is one of their nicknames) Sunday, and we can continue singing our familiar refrain at the end.
Cheers, Mark
Bay Area Gooners 