 |
| Welcome to .... |
A dream draw in my household, as a week off work coincided with the 4th round of the ‘Carabao Cup’ and my partner’s team, Norwich, being drawn at the Emirates. Even better, tickets were a tenner, a far cry from t’other year, when I looked into a similar Canary venture to Old Trafford, where the home side were charging £47. We didn’t go to that one.
 |
| This claim used to amuse me at Highbury too. |
I have a number of Arsenal season ticket holding friends, and, despite Norwich immediately selling out their 5,000 allocation (later increased to 8,800), tickets were easily procured in the home end. Jolly decent tickets they were too, back of the lower tier, near the halfway line, somewhere behind Arsene. I did ask would we be ‘Arsene in’ or ‘Arsene Out’ today? ‘I love him, but he should have gone 5 years ago.’ Like every other neutral, I look forward to seeing what happens to the Arse(nal) after Wenger leaves. I should imagine the same as now, but without the attractive football.
 |
| The teams line up. Obvs I wasn't at my seat yet. |
Of course, the Emirates, or ‘The Library’ is a grand stadium, of that there is no doubt. Though the floodlights are in one’s eyes, in the lower tier. I’d have preferred the upper tier (£20) but my mate didn’t think 4 hours was a quick enough response time for an e-mail and jumped in with the lower tier. Still a good view of the pitch, and the widest seats in the league (allegedly). Certainly very comfortable, and again, favourably compares to the last time I was at Old Trafford, where they really wedge you in (or is that just the away end?)
 |
| Looking towards the away end. |
The programme was a bargainsome £3.50 and full of the kind of tittle tattle I enjoy, such as this being Arsenal’s 7th home match of the season, each one having been played on a different day of the week, surely some kind of record. Also, it was Andrew Madley’s 1st Arsenal game he’s reffed. This may mean nought, ‘cept he’s the older bro of Premiership ref Robert Madley. At least Andrew kept with family tradition, denying Norwich a certain penalty in extra time (Robert had denied West Brom another stone-waller the other week). Oh well.
 |
| Arsene prowls the technical area. |
Norwich went ahead after half an hour or so, the Murphy twin they didn’t sell to Newcastle latching onto a throughball while the keeper (debutant Macey) dithered. Thereafter, Arsenal Arsenalled it around without looking too dangerous, while Norwich lined up on the edge of their own box and failed on the odd break. Then, with 5 mins of normal time remaining, Arsenal brought on some unknown youngster (Edward Nketiah). Wow! The reaction was immediate, with Nketiah equalising from close range with his 1st touch, then bagging the winner in extra time, a header off a corner. ‘Eddie, Eddie’ sang the home crowd, while other members of the fraternity got on their iphones to find out whothehell he is. (yes, Jo, I mean you!)
 |
| 'He is widely considered the best player of all time' ho ho. |
There was still time for Eddie to have a couple of shots at the hattrick, before Norwich were denied a penalty when their wide man was barged over by Debuchy, French international fullback that he is. Of course it was no penalty. There’s no way an experienced Arsenal player would need to foul a Championship plodder. (We’ll ignore the earlier foul by Elneny when Norwich looked like going clear, a yellow rather than red. At least the ref spotted it was a foul).
 |
| Arsenal and Eddie celebrate. |
Then, with a minute left, the move which should cement Eddie’s place in a future Carabao Cup game: when breaking with only one defender in front of him, he ran it to the corner flag. Premiership class. It was time to leave, to back street Cuban boozer (only in North London) ‘El Commandante’ where I drank a delectable local brew, an IPA, ‘N7’ (see what they did there?) while everyone else drank that brew beloved of Fidel, Che, et al - San Miguel. A thoroughly pleasant evening all round.
 |
| This fella could still problies do a job for Arsenal, eyes closed. |
ps, re: the official attendance. How can it be 58,000 odd? Most of the upper tier (save for the away end) was empty. And with the season tickets not including the league cup…I’m puzzled. I’d have thought c.40,000.
The Damage:
£10 ent
£3.50 prog
£5 hot dog (no onions; they were 30 pence extra)
= £18.50
 |
| Arsenal v Norwich panorama. |
 |
| Where's Wally? |
No comments:
Post a Comment