It was simply an honour to be there. And by the way, we won 7-5 « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager

by Tony Attwood

I finally got home at around 12.30am, asleep by about 1am, and for some daft reason (probably called adrenalin) awake at 6am.  It was of course a momentous occasion, and one that will stay with me I suspect for the rest of my life.  The greatest game I have been at?  Yes, probably.  Beating Everton 4-0 to win the league with Tony Adams scoring directly in front of us for the last goal – that was great (and as with last night, an extraordinary atmosphere) but yes, giving the quality of the game and the atmosphere, this was probably it.

Walter’s article, which I read this morning, captured the mood, and no one needs the match reporting since everyone saw it.   But I threw in the number of shots on target in the headline, just in case that hadn’t actually been made clear.  We won on that count too.

Which is quite something considering the slickness of Barca in the first part of the game.

The atmosphere was the greatest ever at the ground, that is certainly true.  I have been truly fortunate in having been at the very first league game at the Ems, and at many since then, and indeed I was at the Barca game a year ago, but this was not just a bit more special, this was on a different planet.   Putting a flag on every seat was a nice touch, and during the regular build up it was noticeable that while the whole place was rocking there was one corner of the ground that seemed strangely subdued – from where I sit it looked as if the Barca fans hadn’t a clue how to respond.  They did have one little bouncing session part way through the game, but for the most part they didn’t take us on.

But even before we got into the ground we knew this was going to be different.   Touts outside the ground were offering tickets at £450 each (I genuinely heard “that will be £900 for the two mate”, and prior to leaving I was offered £450 for one of my two tickets.   But Stuart already had it – and after the game he couldn’t stop thanking me enough for it.  I wanted to tell him that actually it wasn’t me that was out there on the pitch, but then I thought, well, I don’t get that much praise in my life, so I’ll go with it).

Back to the prelims.   Walking from the tube to the ground it was just, well, different, different, different.  More chanting and shouting even that when we play the Tinies.  More energy.  More buzz.  I was so totally wound up I couldn’t even go and get my regular fish and chips.

What I remember more than anything about the game a year ago was the way after 10 minutes I was just sitting there with my mouth hanging open wondering how we could be pulled apart so easily.   There was an element of that in the first half, but, there was also an element that suggested that we might just find out how to do it.

It made it so clear to me that in most games we profit by the opposition giving the ball away to us, and we charge on.   But Barca don’t.   They play like Arsenal at our best – but for longer spells.  That’s all the difference is.

And then after half time we saw it. The most audacious tactical change ever in the history of football.  Nothing less than the total re-writing of the laws of physics.  Robin VP kicks the ball.  There is no room for the ball to go between the keeper and the post.  The ball shrinks.  The post moves out an inch.   The ball goes through, and returns to its normal size.  Amazing!   Unprecedented.   The head of the Royal Society is, I am told, on the spot at this very moment, investigating.  This could lead to a whole new realm of science, opening the door to transportation into the quantum world.

As for Arshavin, what a brilliant ploy.  Make him play poorly for a month.  Let him get his form back.   Then drop him, and then bring him on as a sub to score the winner.   How do you work such things out?

No one around me was happy with Theo coming off, and there were those behind me saying “Nasri’s in trouble – injury’s back – Wenger shouldn’t have risked him.”   I just hope they reflect for a moment – that change of tactic with worked a treat.  Theo was played out, they dismissed Bendtner as a typical “bring on the big man” ploy, and they had no idea how to play Arshavin.

After the game the crowd stayed.  I don’t know if on TV you got to see any of it, but Arshavin rushed off the pitch and straight down the tunnel, while others hung around.  Robin came over to the Red Action end and cheered us all, while Sczcscszjssny gave his gloves to a lucky kid.   (If you watch TV you probably didn’t see the event a game or two ago where Eboue took off all his clothes down to his pants and gave them to people in the crowd, but that’s another story.)

They loved us, we loved them.

It was good, it was special, it was an honour to be part of it.

Oh and by the way – do have a look at Phil Gregory’s preview, and the score he predicted.   You should have had a bet on his prediction.

Walter and family wreck the joint

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