Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Lisbon, Thursday 8th November 2018

Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Club de Portugal, Europa League (c40,000; can’t find official attendance anywhere)

Welcome to ...

It’s a Thursday night, which can only mean one thing….5 aside up in Finsbury Park.  And, if I drop lucky, one of the lads offering me a free ticket to see The Arse in Europe.  In Europe’s premier club trophy, save for the European Champions League, which the Arse don’t qualify for anymore.  What a pity.

Setting the scene.

Anyway, cheers Mani, a late birthday treat.  Sadly, he couldn’t make it (‘a demanding wife and two kids’, which I took to mean only the wife is demanding…who knows?)  So I pootled from football, tied my bike to the rack outside the Co-op near the Emirates and in I went.  I was a bit thirsty too, having ran around for an hour and I was looking forward to a Coke (capital 'C' since I'm on-brand).  Pepsi just doesn’t cut it for me.  It’s just not nice.  The Emirates has Pepsi.  I went thirsty.  Not to worry, it wasn’t long before I had something else to think about: it’s quite chilly sitting there in shorts in November, especially when Arsenal are failing to score.

An injury is tended to, 1st half.

Yes, for the 1^st time ever, I failed to see an Arsenal victory at the Emirates.  I must have seen them 10 times, beating allcomers such as Spurs, Newcastle (twice), Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Stoke, Norwich…and they’re the ones I remember.  No, this finished 0-0, with neither keeper seriously tested.  Highlights were few, despite the pretty football.  Welbeck was carried off.  I say ‘highlight’.  I just don’t rate him, and was pleased to see Aubameyang get a run out.  Then there was the Sporting player who was laid out for 2 minutes cos a ball hit him in the BACK.  My god.  I didn’t often agree with The Irate Arsenal Fan further down my row, but I did here.  

Welbeck is carried off.

Mind, I notice he shut his mouth when Lichsteiner (sp?) was injured and, instead of limping 10 yards off the pitch behind the goal, hobbled 50 yards across the pitch, collapsing twice.  Now who’s timewasting?  Still, we got our rewards.  5 mins extra of nothingness, though Sporting’s centre half was sent off in the 87^th minute for chopping Aubameyang, the ref deeming it a goalscoring opportunity, despite Pierre-Emerick running towards the corner flag and on his wrong foot.  Still, he’s quite pacy, so maybe…

A disappointing night, but at least I beat the rush by staying till the end.  And, as ever, the seat was comfortable and the view good.

Up the Arse!!!!!!!!!!

Half time.  Spot the exec tier.

Away: c6,000, the entire bottom tier at the Clock End.  They looked like they had fun, especially when they started waving their scarves around as they realised Arsenal were never gonna score.

Drink du jour: none.  Tho I had did have that can of coke when I got home.

The Damage:
free ent

The Tunes:
Licensed To Ill (Beastie Boys)
A Little Deeper (Ms Dynamite)

Cech wonders whatthehell is going on.