I Still Believe

Training. Living On A Prayer

I had a good feeling about the match yesterday. Yes, I was nervous but I was also confident. Strange considering the aggregate result last season was a 6-3 tennis score. Persuaded by this, I thought it’d end 2-1 in Arsenal’s favour too.

This is Cesc’s programme notes before the game:

‘Barcelona are the best in the world right now, but I think they are also an example of how to be patient. When I was there as a youngster not that long ago, they didn’t win anything for five years. My friends Xavi and Puyol didn’t win anything until they were 26. Nothing. Not even a cup. They always remind me to be patient, it will come. They say, ‘You are only 23 and you have the World Cup, FA Cup. European Championships, Champions League final. So many things. Until 26 we had nothing, we didn’t even know what it was to be in a final’. That’s what they tell me and it’s funny because now they have won everything in football. That shows you how football can change so, so quickly and that patience is the key to everything.’

Matchday programme. Source: KeithTheGooner

I was so excited my body clock woke me up before 3 am. Finally, I got up at 3.55 and turned on the TV. Shortly after, David Villa scored. Dang you.

Finally, Arsenal’s fight back with a dozen minutes to go was rewarded. Those last dozen minutes really encapsulated the defiant and determined side of Arsenal and their desire with goals from RvP and Arshavin completing Arsenal’s recovery. It was a bold move by Wenger when he took a gamble by replacing Song with the Russian meerkat. This win has given Arsenal a second leg to stand on and guess what? We did it with Wenger’s brilliance and without ethical compromise.

Teams walk out
Red and white at The Emirates
Cesc and mate - who is suspended for the next match. Moc moc! Jajajajaja!!!
Sublime goal from our Flying Dutchman

GIF of Wenger and RvP here.

With eight minutes to go, the Russian Meerkat made it 2-1 ;')

AA23 celebrates. Yes, it’s a picture of him ‘shhh-ing’

Team celebrates

GIF of Szczesny here.

Emirates celebrate even before the whistle

Cesc is relieved at the whistle

And Xavi? Take note of Arsenal DNA.

Source: Gunnerblog

For more pictures at Emirates, go here.

ARSENAL-only one team in my heart
ARSENAL WAVE!!:„ ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤KEEP THE WAVEGOING ¸„ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤øº LET’S GO ARSENAL!¤¤º°¨¨°º¤øº¤ø „ ¸¸ø¤º°¨„ø¤º°¨ ¨°ºL-E-T-S GO!„ø¤º °¨ ¨°º¤LET' S GO...(tharr be more) ARSENAL!¸ „ ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øºL-E-T-S GO! ¤¤º°¨ ¨°¤øº¤ø„ ¸¸ø¤º°¨ARSENAL WAVE:„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤KEEP THE WAVE GOING ¸„ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤øº ARSENAL!¤¤º °... ..Keep ......it going!
Arsenal 2 vs Barcelona 1

P.S. We’re not going to get carried away. Yes, Barcelona are more than capable of overturning a 2-1 deficit; after all, they only need a 1-0 win at Nou Camp. But we don’t care. We just want to savour this for a bit. And hey, like Arshavin, I Still Believe.