So...it's been a while...

Hello CHAMPIONS and welcome back to the blog!

I'm finally back from my totally planned and well-communicated hiatus. Yeah, sorry about that. After the Palace game my group of friends and I headed straight to the Emirates for celebrations round 2 (2 Celebrations, 2 Furious?), which went on until late and left me too knackered to get a post out to you covering that game and the trophy lift. Then I was busy preparing for my holiday, which I then went on, meaning I was too busy sunbathing and taking my mind away from football (not really possible) to get a post out to you covering the Champions League Final. After returning from my holiday well...yeah I got nothing. 

Gosh, how have you all been surviving after not hearing my thoughts on Arsenal for so long? You must have been unable to function. Poor things. Well, don't worry, I'm back again and ready to keep you entertained each week throughout a summer of World Cup action. But before all that, let's first do a little recap on the last few weeks: 

Crystal Palace (A)

Hilarious lineup, it felt like Jesus' testimonial the way we were desperately trying to get him goals. It was also quite impressive that we still managed to win the game despite Palace not fielding as weakened an XI as we thought and giving us a late scare of an equaliser. 

Us winning and City losing (🍼) meant we actually finished the season 7 points clear at the top on 85 points - I get satisfaction from that now looking quite respectable, as title-winning seasons go. 

But you didn't come for the meaningless kick-about with the boys, you came for that sweet sweet trophy lift. Oh yeah, it was glorious, better than I imagined actually. Those few away fans and undercover agents in the home end are very lucky people who got to witness those scenes in person. Even the way Arteta did his trophy lift gave me joy, it reminded me of the Mikel Merino corner flag celebration - Champions style. 

I'm still watching content from the trophy lift on repeat, it doesn't seem to get old. I dreamed of that moment for most of my life and I still couldn't believe it when I saw it for real with my own eyes. 

Final point - shout out to the single Sp*rs fan in the pub with us who still shed a tear during the trophy lift for his late Gooner father that he says would have loved those scenes. In all the emotional moments we've experienced from this title win, that one was an unexpected one that caught me off guard. 

PSG (N) - Champions League Final

This is a very interesting one to write about. My viewing experience was a strange one, as I watched it in a Spanish hotel conference room, with Spanish commentary of course, amongst fans of a multitude of European clubs including PSG, Liverpool and some Arsenal fans (thankfully). 

I won't go into every little detail as I think we have relived it enough times already. I think the referee wasn't great in all the little calls he made, but to be honest I think he got all the big calls right. We did exceptionally well to nullify the best team in the world and either team could have deserved to win the game. In the end it came down to a lottery with the penalty shootout and we couldn't quite finish the job. I felt devastated once the Gabriel penalty didn't go in. 

I think a few things played into this result: 

1. We didn't have the attacking talent to do PSG enough damage up the other end of the pitch, to complement our heroic defensive efforts. 

2. The fitness and injury status of our players vs theirs - we all know their best players played 5 minutes of football all season and so were completely fresh. We had the Timber injury to deal with, as well as White's, meaning we had to play our inexperienced third choice right back, who ultimately conceded the penalty that allowed PSG to equalise. Our star players in Saka and Ødegaard were also still returning to full fitness from their long spells out in the last couple of seasons. We've even since seen news reports around Saliba's fitness ahead of the World Cup, so there were probably issues we don't know about too. 

3. Luck was not on our side, especially losing both coin tosses for the shootout. 

Overall, despite being devastated, I also felt a huge sense of pride for this team and how we carried ourselves in that final. We played into our strengths, gave PSG a tough game, and lost by the thinnest of margins. I loved seeing Rice's smile too because it encapsulated my feeling deep down - we'll be back soon. 2006 felt like the end of an era, this is the start. At least that's what I hope and what all the noises across the club are saying. I was also able to get over this defeat more quickly than usual because I immediately resumed my holiday - nothing sangrias by the pool can't fix!

The Parade

I unfortunately missed the parade due to being on holiday. I was very tempted to fly back for the day but then I realised how expensive, knackering and downright crazy that would be. I loved watching the scenes from afar though. We shut London down and showed the whole world how massive we are. This club is special and I hope the owners took those celebrations around the world in and realised why it is so important that this club continues to thrive and achieve great things. 

I'm still finding new videos and pictures of the parade every day and they always bring a smile to my face. I got a good celebration fix from the two trips to the stadium on those Tuesday and Sunday evenings at the end of the season, but the parade seemed like something different entirely. 

Ben White wins it for me. If he is to leave then I will miss his personality almost as much as the footballing benefits he brings to this team. Even Kroenke's t-shirt of Gabriel and Saliba was a joyful sight to behold. I also must give a special shout out to Calafiori for his sensational performance singing Adele in the private celebrations for the team back at the stadium. Please don't go to Madrid to play for Mourinho, stay and give us more time to enjoy you galloping around football stadiums in the famous red and white. 

Beyond

As the World Cup approaches, I will be keeping an eye on how the Arsenal boys get on. Hopefully they all stay injury free and our key players suffer early exits, meaning they get to have a proper rest, but aren't too psychologically affected that it impacts their form for Arsenal next season. 

I share the many issues and frustrations that people are raising around this World Cup and I will not be ruining my sleep schedule to catch all the games. My interests are purely Arsenal focussed, though it would be nice to see England win it. I don't think they will, but it would be nice. 

There's also the silly transfer season to get into. Who will we sign? When will we sign them? How quickly can we buy another left back and backup goalkeeper, as is tradition? Stay tuned for all that and more over the summer. For now, take it easy and it's good to be back.