Under pressure

At the risk of repeating myself, if Gooners are honest about this season, most of us would have gladly taken a top 4 finish and seen it as a very successful season. But that’s the thing about expectations and getting them raised, perhaps prematurely.

None of us expected the success Arsenal have lavished on us, what with their winning ways and firm grip on top of the table. Completely understandable, that hope and heightened expectations followed.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

Now following two successive draws, Gooners seem to be experiencing any number of the 5 stages of grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance), and it’s fair to say Arsenal and their global supporters are a bit under pressure.

But we keep doing what we do, supporting the club no matter what and hope they can return to their winning ways against Southampton tomorrow.

By popular demand, we have a new batch of BAG scarves available at weekend matches and some weekday matches. These will sell out! We also have new BAG t-shirts available, though we’ve already sold out of some sizes. See me at the pub to get yours!

See you tomorrow at Maggie’s!

Best, Mark

Hammer time

Any other year, any other season, we’d probably be thrilled with a draw at Anfield. But I feel a bit conflicted after last weekend’s stressful affair. Either Arsenal dropped points or they battled a fierce foe within the confines of their fortress and left with an admirable result. I still can’t really decide.

Stop! Hammer time! No time to dwell on what might have been as the Gunners head crosstown to face a West Ham, sitting 3 points above the relegation zone. Guess we should be thankful, they haven’t sacked David Moyes, leading us to contend with another “new manager bounce”. Time for the Hammer(s) to fall.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

Maggie’s was wall-to-wall with Gooners last weekend. Let’s see if we can’t get some of you out for Sunday’s early kickoff.

See you at the pub!

Best, Mark

Feeling alright with the crew

Okay, it’s Easter, but we’ve exhausted all the “Jesus is risen” jokes, haven’t we? Our number 9 had 2 of our 4 goals as we dispatched Leeds pretty comfortably last weekend. To be fair, the penalty looked a bit soft, but we’ve been on the wrong end of a few soft penalties in recent seasons.

Now Anfield looms. Some historical context exists, we’ve won there in 4 of our 5 most recent championship seasons. Including of course, 88/89’s “It’s up for grabs now”. But it’s impossible to know which Liverpool we’ll face, the team that embarrassed United, 7-0, or the tepid side which lost to Bournemouth, Man City, and drew at Chelsea on Tuesday.

But we play on the 9th, with 9 matches to go, and our number 9 is finding his form again. 999, has to be a sign, doesn’t it? And I’m feelin’ alright with this crew.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

Many of you will likely have family commitments this Easter weekend, but don’t forget your Gooner family, good eggs all. See you at the pub on Sunday!

Best, Mark

The wait is over

The waiting is the hardest part. These international breaks are the worst. Having to watch Arsenal’s best players run into the ground, interrupting a title run, is excruciating. Then the small matter of Manchester City scum like Rodri, playing for Spain, trying to injure our best players. Hardly coincidence, he saved his most egregious tackles for Ødegaard and Tierney, on the pitch for Norway and Scotland respectively.

Thankfully, Arsenal are back at this weekend. The beginning of the home stretch. 10 matches to define our season. Leeds are only 2 points off the relegation zone, so don’t expect them to go quietly.

I have missed being at Maggie’s for the matches, rubbing shoulders with you Gooners and shouting myself hoarse.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

Congrats to the Arsenal Women, who booked a spot in the Champions League Semi-Finals yesterday with a 2-0 second leg win over Bayern Munich.

We still got BAG t-shirts for sale, though we are selling out of some sizes and it may take a few weeks to get reinforcements. Also, if you missed our previous post, Bay Area Gooners can get free tickets to the San Jose Earthquakes v Sporting KC match on April 15th. Full details here.

Hope to see you Saturday at the pub!

Best, Mark

Free Quakes Tickets

While we wait for the dreaded interlull to be over and for Arsenal to return to action, I wanted to share an opportunity we’ve received from the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Quakes have offered Bay Area Gooners of all ages complimentary tickets to their April 15th match against Sporting Kansas City at PayPal Park in San Jose.

All seats will be in their newly created Supporters Section which is a standing section only, though the top 5 rows have seats. If you are interested, I need names and emails of each individual requesting a ticket, by Thursday, April 6th.

Please email me to reserve your tickets.

Best, Mark

What lies ahead

Time to move on, time to get going. Arsenal are now done with the Europa League after a shambolic 2nd leg against Sporting CP that saw an opposition wonder goal and the Gunners being dispatched on penalties. Adding injury to insult, both Tomiyasu and Saliba picked up knocks. How bad they are, remains to be seen.

Don’t actually want to talk about it or even think about it. There’s still too much ahead of us. 11 matches left in the season. 6 home, 5 away. A maximum of 33 points available. Starting with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Palace sacked Arsenal legend Patrick Viera and installed an interim coach. Here’s hoping that doesn’t translate to that “new manager bounce” that’s hurt us in the past.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

So still all to do. Arsenal’s destiny firmly in their own hands. When the season began, I think we all would have taken a top four finish. But now we can all but taste the title, and our expectations are understandably higher. I’m fully along for the ride and expect to be at Maggie’s for all of the remaining matches.

Hope you’ll join me! See you Sunday!

Best, Mark

Jesus is just alright

The end is in sight. Sunday was the first of 12 matches to close out Arsenal’s Premier League season. Many of us expected Fulham to be a sterner test, with The Cottagers sitting in 7th place.

But the Gunners swept them aside handily, with goals from Gabriel, Martinelli, and Ødegaard, and new boy Trossard having the run of the pitch, becoming the first player in Premier League history to have 3 assists in the first half of an away game.

Another buoyant crowd at Maggie’s but no rest for celebrants as Arsenal have their 2nd Leg Europa League match against Sporting CP and then Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

HE’S BACK!

Equally exciting as the the Gunners victory was the return of Gabriel Jesus, injured in the World Cup and out for 4 months. Jesus looked bright, setting up Reiss Nelson for a chance and having a decent attempt of his own saved.

Hopefully he will provide the necessary spark to get us over the finish line. Maggie’s will show both our Thursday Europa League match as well as Sunday’s league match.

Hope to see you Sunday at Maggie’s for our match against Palace!

Best, Mark

Do you believe in magic?

Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you know where you were when Reiss Nelson hit the stoppage time winner against Bournemouth last Saturday.

Needless, to say, Maggie’s was pandemonium. The hard part will be coming back to earth. We have a Europa League match Thursday and then a run of very challenging matches, beginning with Fulham on Sunday.

But it’s hard not to believe something magic is happening with this club right now. The grit, determination and never say die attitude of these young players is a joy to behold.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

ARSENAL WOMEN SEIZE SILVERWARE!

Meanwhile, the Arsenal women have been no slouches, beating Chelsea 3-1 this past weekend in the FA Women’s League Cup, winning their first trophy in four years.

The women are back in league action today and you can watch their match against Liverpool, streaming live on the Arsenal website.

We are completely sold out of our scarves, but will have t-shirts for sale this Sunday during the Fulham match. These are moving fast and we’re close to selling out of some popular sizes.

Hope to see you Sunday at Maggie’s!

Best, Mark

Payback is a…

Our loss against Everton a few weeks back was, to say the least, a demoralizing affair. Yesterday presented an prime opportunity for the Gunners to demonstrate resilience and show that match for what it was, an anomalous bump in the road.

Early on, it seemed like a similarly frustrating night against the Toffees. Arsenal dominating possession with little to show for it, until just before halftime, Saka hit an absolute cracker to split the game open. Only to be followed minutes later by a second from Martinelli.

When the dust cleared, Arsenal had thrashed the visitors 4-0, leaving us 5 points ahead of Man City. Looking ahead, there are 24 points available in the run of the next 8 matches. While some appear very winnable, I doubt any will be as easy as this last one ended up seeming.

We’re back at Maggie McGarry’s on Saturday for the first of these as Bournemouth comes to town. I am looking forward to getting back to the pub after a brief absence.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

2023 BAG T-SHIRTS ARE HERE!

Pictures don’t do justice but our BAG t-shirts has arrived! Designed by Holly Hickman, the amazing Gooner responsible for our scarves and Emirates Stadium banner, they are (as the kids like to say) 🔥. You can buy them at the pub during weekend matches, beginning this Saturday.

Our BAG logo is front and center, while Patrick, our dearly departed Gooner friend, bartender, and Maggie McGarry’s legend is featured on the back. He will forever grace our t-shirts.

If you ordered in advance, see me Saturday to get your shirt. These must be collected before the end of the season. Everyone else interested, should not dawdle. If our scarves are any indicator, these will sell out!

Looking forward to getting back to the pub and seeing everyone.

Best, Mark

A game in hand is worth…

Saturday’s match against Leicester ended up being a gritty, grind-it-out, 1-nil-to-the Arsenal (nope, we still don’t sing that song). Two goals ruled out. One rightly so, the other questionable at best, and a solid penalty shout, all but ignored. Still, the Gunners persevered, clamping down on defense, and limiting the Foxes to a single off-target shot.

Arsenal maintain their 2 win lead over Man City and Wednesday, face Everton for their game in hand. Hopefully, we can exact some revenge for the loss a few weeks back at Goodison Park.

Sadly, mid-week matches are tough for many of us to get to Maggie’s, but they’ll have it on for those of you who can arrange a long lunch, an important “appointment” or a day off.

Let us know if you’ll make it on our the Bay Area Gooners Facebook page.

I won’t be able to make it Wednesday, but hope to be back at the pub for our weekend match.

Best, Mark