A season which I have been reliably informed is a disaster, best forgotten, a total shambles, and a sad the end to Arsène’s reign has somehow contrived to find Arsenal in an FA Cup semi final. I had to check the fixture list twice to see if I was dreaming, but it appears that while I’m working my way through a twenty five hour shift for wages which would insult a paper boy, the rest of you will be settling down to watch Arsène and Pep and their proxies on the pitch duking it out in the world’s most famous cup competition.
Funny old game innit?
Spurs, as I discovered when I got home from work just in time to see the final kick of yesterday’s game, failed to make the final by what appeared at least to be a convincing margin. It’s a gut wrenching experience to lose in a semi final as only the older Arsenal fans will know. No one remembers the also rans, only the finalists. You almost wish you’d bowed out quietly in the sixth round rather than face the drooping despair of a lacklustre semi.
I’ve never enjoyed these penultimate occasions. In my memory they seldom produce the best games nor the most convincing of performances. I’m also of the generation which grumbles about any qualifying round of any tournament being played at Wembley. Keep the final sacred I say. I don’t say it very loudly nor very often because it’s silly and pointless to moan about such things. Only the very old and enfeebled like me and possibly George can even remember semi finals at neutral grounds, never mind care enough to mention it in a blog.
It’s always difficult to predict the outcome of a football match and only a fool would attempt it. This year, predicting the likely performance of this Arsenal side is all but impossible. In a patchy end of season run of matches the most recent game against City was actually one of our better displays. Granted the wheels fell off again only eight days later but we’ve seen enough to know that on their day this group of players can go toe to toe with the huge mega rich clubs and emerge with their reputations intact.
We didn’t ought to be able to compete with City, United and Chelsea but time and again we prove we can. It would be rather nice if today was one of those days. It would put a smile on a few faces, both of people who’s emotional well being I value as well as many who’s entire existent is a matter of absolute indifference to me.
This is the big problem with being part of the elite echelon of the ultra positive Imperial Praetorian Guard of Arsène loving Arsenal fans. Any success has to be shared with all Arsenal fans everywhere – even the ones who hold up bits of paper with negative career advice for the manager. Doesn’t seem fair when the reward for staying resolute and loyal throughout the one disappointing league campaign in Arsène’s entire tenure is precisely the same as that enjoyed by the most spiteful and disloyal of supporters.
This ought to make me realise how little difference all this makes and hang up my hat. It really ought to. We had just as well get into verbal spats with people who disagree as to which cloud will pass overhead in the most pleasing shape. Guess what? The clouds will pass in any shape they please and in any order no matter what fights are taking place on the ground beneath them.
Anyway, for many people today will be a lovely day out at the spiritual home of English football (in name at least) and a rousing occasion at the fag end of a confusing and at times frustrating season. Both sides are chock full of talent and have famous footballing men at the helm. It ought to be a fine feast of footy and I hope it’s one everyone enjoys. I just want the Arsenal fans to enjoy it a little more, that’s all. If you’re going I’m sure you’ll have fun and if any of you see me cycling back from work tomorrow morning there is an outside chance I won’t have heard the score so please don’t spoil it for me will you?
Positively Arsenal 
well I only seen from the start of the second half, had to do with listening to the first half on bbc radio 5, so only going on what I seen, we were the better team, did not panic when we went behind, and stuck to the task, this 3/5 at the back might just work for us. Would say that it looked better once welbeck’s speed and movement was added in place of the more powerful Giroud
oh and palace have leveled at liverpool
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COYG
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…keeping it level at HT. Good defensive work of Kos, RH, and Gab, then the Ox stepping up at the beginning of the 2nd, he was the driving force. Everyone did their bit one way or another. Time for a good run in to the end of the season now.
We’ve had Chelsea already once this season, time to do it again. Magic day out for us!!! Alls quiet at the Coop.
COYG!
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the wob blogs and twitteratti are crying as much as jenas, murphy and dunne, lovely stuff
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Caught the match from the second half onwards. We definitely looked the better side. 3 at the back seems solid against an attack of city’s quality.
I felt Monreal should have played Aguero offside for their goal. He took his superbly however. Our attack needs to grow in confidence. This win will help.
Now it is in our hands to end the season with a 🏆 and make sure Chelsea don’t win the double. Hopefully they don’t lose the league to the Spuds.
Now to get top 4 in the league.
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Love Arsene’s scream at the end. One for those who want to see passion.
No mention of any disallowed goal here.
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There are some happy campers around here..I know I am. We grew into that game and we’re the better team. We certainly were lucky in th first half and it could have been a mountain to climb. But hey ho, it’s about time we had some luck.
I feel good…I knew that I would….
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A tactical masterclass from Arsene.
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Say no more
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Wow,
What a fantastic game, and the 3 CB option seems to have been a master stroke by AW.
A lovely team performance, but the Ox and Gabriel were top class, and everyone else had one of their best games.
Loved it — but exhausted with the nervous energy I expended!!
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We will have to have a round robin to collect enough money to buy anticket and send the inestimable Sir Anicoll, our lucky rabbit’s foot, to the Final to work his magic for us!! lol
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Chkmiaot impossible for monreal to play aguero offside as they were ten yards inside city half when pass played
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its not klopp’s team
oh benteke you naughty boy, 2 goals against your former club to give palace a 2-1 win
lfc are 9pts ahead of crisis club arsenal, but the gooners have 3 games in hand
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James OlleyVerified account @JamesOlley 52m52 minutes ago
Nice touch from Mikel Arteta to wait for former #afc team-mates and congratulate them before disappearing down the tunnel.
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Oliver HoltVerified account @OllieHolt22 51m51 minutes ago
So, 2nd in PL last season + now a 3rd FA Cup final in 4 years: those poor, poor Arsenal fans suffering thru living hell under Arsene Wenger
Yeswell @JordanCresswel1 31m31 minutes ago
Jermiane Jenas: “It may have finished Arsenal 2 – 1 Man City, but Tottenham absolutely dominated that game”
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A new formation, still low on confidence, but high on unity and determination. Add in the fact that the ref didn’t judge us by a different set of rules, and that we genuinely got some rub of the green contributed to us coming out with a victory against a good City side and their manager who were expected to beat us easily.
Some great performances, but the Ox stood out in the first half for taking the initiative when others were playing more cautiously. Second half we were all much better and despite going behind, didn’t get thrown off our game. A well fought, well deserved victory and another trip to Wembley beckons.
On the media, because Silva went off injured from a nothing tackle, and Aguero rolled around holding his back, they were trying to paint us as a dirty team. Amazing. We could up our physicality because we weren’t handicapped by a ref keen on reinforcing the soft Arsenal narrative by tilting the pitch. And because this was so, and they had an incident involving 2cms in it, the referee was a major focus of both the match commentators and studio pundits.Amazing again. Contrast that with the time we lost at their ground in the league to 2 offside goals.
Only a small sample of everything this team is up against, but that the manager and the players still keep fighting the good fight is all the more reason for us to back them and be proud of them. Which I certainly am. Well done Arsenal.
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Serge GnabryVerified account @SergeGnabry 46m46 minutes ago
COYG #EmiratesFACup
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£2.5M Rob Holding everything Pep thought £55M John Stones is
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I still dream of orgonon
I wake up crying
You’re making rain
And you’re just in reach
When you and sleep escape me
You’re like my yo-yo
That glowed in the dark
What made it special
Made it dangerous
So I bury it
And forget
But every time it rains
You’re here in my head
Like the sun coming out
Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen
And I don’t know when
But just saying it could even make it happen
On top of the world
Looking over the edge
You could see them coming
You looked too small
In their big, black car
To be a threat to the men in power
I hid my yo-yo
In the garden
I can’t hide you
From the government
Oh, god, daddy
I won’t forget
‘Cause every time it rains
You’re here in my head
Like the sun coming out
Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen
And I don’t know when
But just saying it could even make it happen
But every time it rains
You’re here in my head
Like the sun coming out
Looks the sun coming out
Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen
And I don’t know when
But just saying it could even make it happen
Just saying it could even make it happen
The sun’s coming out
Your son’s coming out
Songwriters: Kate Bush
Cloudbusting lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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Wenger at the end of the game
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today was proof that Arsenal only play when the pressure is off, isn’t that what they say
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New post up
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Wenger gave Gabriel special praise in his post match presser.
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so happy for the team… they really needed this.
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Been mixing it up on twitter but how about Arsene and them rip roaring reds!
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