Up The Arsenal

An Arsenal Champions Recipe Start with a copious amount of talent. Throw in a dedicated, inspiring manager. You’ll need to mix these together for a while, roughly 5-6 years. This requires a bit of patience and a Board who’ll back you to the hilt. Once these two ingredients are combined, splash in some biased punditry about Arsenal being soft, then too physical. Beat these together with some…

Some lament over-reliance on a player. Some say that other players should step up and lighten the load. But when a player is as bona-fide brilliant as Bukayo Saka – any team in the world would lean on them to produce world-class, game-changing moments. Our Starboy isn’t new to the elite. Arsenal’s number 7 has been leaving defenders and markers perplexed for a good few seasons now. But it’s…

Martin Odegaard is the cornerstone of Arteta's Arsenal. And read on to find out why he's amongst the best to do it in The Emirates era.

There are many reasons in this current Arsenal team to be beaming with pride. But Martin Odegaard is perhaps the greatest Arsenal player in The Emirates era. And it’s time we gave him the props he has earned and continues to do so. We have William Saliba and Gabriel Maghalaes – not since the hallowed days of Toure and Campbell have we had a defensive pairing so effective at shutting out the…

We’re one result away from winning the title for the first time in two decades. It’s what has prompted me to write a blog for the first time in 9 months. The problem is – that one result isn’t in our hands. In fact, it’s highly likely that the result we need won’t happen and we’ll be bridesmaids for the second year in a row. This isn’t negativity. It’s just raw data. Manchester City are one…

It's my 12 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

Havertz isn't a striker, nor a midfielder. Where does he fit in? Take a look at why Kai will be a hit at The Emirates.

Kai Havertz isn’t a striker. Kai Havertz isn’t a midfielder. In fact, it’s pretty difficult to peg down his best position. The only way to really understand how marvelous our recent recruit will be for Arsenal and Arteta’s grand plan is to examine his strengths. Of which he has many. Our acquisition of Havertz certainly raised a few eyebrows in the Arsenal fanbase. His time at Chelsea didn’t…

The story of Granit Xhaka's time at Arsenal would fit perfectly into a movie script...

The most beloved character arcs in the history of cinema – a lot of them revolve around redemption. Good Will Hunting. The Shawshank Redemption Jerry Maguire Braveheart Groundhog Day Anchorman (redemption is spelled R-O-N!) All of them have a central character who falls in the face of a trial or challenge – only to rise up magnificently to claim adulation and glory. And looking back on…

Did Arsenal bottle the title? And if so, can we make next season the sequel that is even better than the original?

We’ve blown it. We got over excited and peaked before the finish line. Our team were on the cusp of glory and instead of triumphantly holding aloft the Premier League trophy in front of their adoring fans, they puked on the approach to the stage and had to rush to the toilet. Well – if you read social media and listen to punditry, the above is correct. But did we crumble? Or did we…

Arsenal have been on the rise this season - what moves should we make this summer to continue to strengthen?

It’s quite the leap. Jumping from the fringes of Champions League qualification to fighting for the title shows that Mikel Arteta and Edu have got us on the right track. Now, how do we consolidate this progress – and reach even higher? Both Edu and Arteta have waxed lyrical about returning Arsenal to the summit of our own league and European football. This season, while it has flirted with…

The whole squad deserve plenty of plaudits - but who should be awarded our Player of the Season?

It’s been too long since Arsenal have been genuine contenders. And this season has been a breath of fresh air after a decade or more of mediocrity. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with one of Europe’s strongest squads. And that is with a squad that is the youngest in the Premier League.  Keep that core together and we have a foundation that can battle for honours for years to come. They have been…

Arsenal's recent hammering at the hands of Man City was a wake-up call - both in a negative and positive sense...

The recent 4-1 mauling at the hands of current champions Manchester City was a watershed moment. It may have made us realise that there is still work to do in order for Mikel Arteta and Edu to return this club back to the very top. But it also showed us a few other things. Firstly, the contrast in our fanbase. For the best part of a decade, Arsenal fans were divided. Wenger fans, those who…

Should Arsenal fail to capture the title, there's plenty of reasons why us Gooners should still be optimistic. Arsenal are back...

It’s been a while since we’ve been in this position. No, not the lofty heights of fighting for the title. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to see our club finally duking it out for the League after years in the wilderness. The last time we had a realistic chance of lifting the PL trophy, William Gallas was wearing the coveted number 10 jersey and Eduardo’s horrific injury derailed what was a…

Nelson's last kick winner was the epitome of why we love football - here's a recount of what it was like in the stands.

Unforgettable. There’s a reason why football is the standalone best sport in the world – and it was on the pitch for the world to see during the dying embers of our 3-2, last-gasp victory over Bournemouth. Arsenal is back with a force – not only on the pitch, but in the stands too. I was lucky enough to get to the game and experience it firsthand – and I’m eternally grateful I got to saturate…

There's been lots of ridiculous statements - negative ones, surrounding Arsenal of late. Here's the cold, hard facts.

The Arsenal fanbase has developed a reputation for being a little fickle. But recently, there’s been a spate of downright lunacy from so-called Gooners. We’re currently enjoying the best season since the Invincibles. Whether or not we win the title, the progress under Mikel Arteta is tangible. Yet some overlook the reason we call ourselves supporters and don’t support. Instead, they feed…

Can Rob Holding step up in Saliba's absence for Arsenal in their fight for the title?

It was always going to happen. Sitting pretty at the top of the table going into the international break, we hoped and prayed our players would return to the Arsenal fold in one piece as they go through the demands of two competitive international games. The club were also apparently in the same frame of mind as they sent a club physio with Thomas Partey to ensure he came back in decent…

Ten games left for Arsenal to lift the title - can they do it? Every game in focus here, you decide for yourself.

We’ve all done it. With just ten games to go, we’ve all looked at the remaining fixtures and attempted to figure out what we’ll get and what we’ll need to lift a first title since 2004. It’s pretty futile, yep. But it hasn’t stopped any of us poring over the list has it? So, let’s do that together. We’ll go over every remaining fixture we have, we’ll try and gauge how we’ll fare and more…