Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt, Thursday 28th November 2019

Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt, Europa League, official att. 49,419 (ha!)

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Finally, finally…after about 15 matches, I’ve seen The Arse lose at the Emirates.  I didn’t think it was possible.  With a whimper too, as a team containing at least half a dozen players I wouldn’t recognise in the street, throw away a half-time lead.  It must have been embarrassing, for they sacked head coach Unai Emery the following day (well, if rivals Spurs can sack Pochetino whilst still being in the Champions League, surely it’s the least Arsenal can do).  This was an 8^th game without a win, a lifetime with their expectations.  (My own team, Barnsley, are currently 17 without a win.  Beat that, Arsenal.)

Full time.  Unai Emery R.I.P.

Turns out fans couldn’t give tickets away for this one.  Around 30,000 were expected tonite (though official figures won’t reflect that, counting season-ticket holders who’ve had no choice but to pay for tickets in Europe’s secondary cup competition).  I gratefully accepted an offer to fill in for one, while I was offered another ticket on the night.  Thursday nite is 5 aside nite for me and my buddies, and normally, these days, we struggle for numbers when it’s Europa League and Arsenal are at home – half the players are Arse fans of some level.  Still, dedication to both causes from one, Mani, who’ll sacrifice 20 minutes of Arsenal to see our own game through.

This is what 49,000 looks like at The Emirates.

I really like coming to these Euro games.  The away side invariably fill the away end, bringing 3000+, and make enough noise to make up for the rest of The Library.  So I was disappointed to learn on the day that Eintracht had been banned from receiving tickets due to earlier naughtiness in Guimaraes.  Furthermore, Arsenal had limited sales on their secondary ticketing procedure.  I wouldn’t even have an atmosphere.  Great.

The naughty boys' end.

I arrived about 20 mins in too, having tied my horse bike up outside the Co-op.  I like arriving late; no queues, and an empty staircase.  I was soon next to my mate Rod, in the upper tier, right behind the goal.  However, like me, he’s become disillusioned with (modern) football and couldn’t wait to have a beer.  He lasted 20 minutes before ‘beating the rush’.  What rush?  There was nobody here.  He missed Arsenal’s goal.  Martinelli drove it across from the right, a teammate dummied, and Aubameyang drove it low, off the keeper’s legs and the bar, before nestling in the net.  He’s one of the luckiest (best?) finishers I know.  Everything he hits seems to go in.  I joined Rod for beer.

My favourite Emirates game: spotting the cannon.

There was humour too, from those fans present when the Gunners scored; chants of ‘You’re not singing anymore’ to the empty away section followed by ‘Shall we sing a song for you?’ and, with delicious irony, ‘Your support is f***ing s***’.  Only the Eintracht fans weren’t as non-existent as they ought.  Once they were ahead, the Frankfurters could be heard (yet not seen) at the Clock End (save for a topless gentleman who could only have been an away fan).   The middle (corporate) section looked suspiciously full at the away end, let’s just say that.  Arsenal apparently wait with baited breathe how UEFA will react for their apparent failure to invoke the ban in its completeness.

Eintracht woz ere.  A sticker finds its way onto a cannon.

Arsenal (the players) created little, second half – but we had a great view of Eintracht’s two goals.  We were still supping, chatting rubbish, and following the game on one of the screens under the stand.  We weren’t the only ones.  Japanese international Kamada won it with two super finishes, a left foot curler into the far corner and a low right footed drive, both from around 20 yards.  Only then did we take our seats again.  I mean, you don’t come to football to stand on a concourse, drinking beer and watching it on a screen…do you?  I said we were disillusioned.  Anyway, I hear Arsene Wenger’s available…

The Damage:

£0 ent (cheers Rod!)
£10.40 beer x 2 (Camden Pale Ale, I think)
= £10.40

The Tunes:
Imidiwan (Tinariwen)
La Radiolina (Manu Chao)

Arsenal go through...Unai gets sacked.