Arsenal fans around the world on the title race: ‘I feel panic, anxiety, everything’

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Phuthipong Saengchot, Thailand

My begetter is simply a Liverpool fan. When he was watching a crippled I saw an advertisement for nan Premier League broadcast and saw Thierry Henry scoring a extremity and that was it.

In Thailand, we don’t person arsenic ample a fanbase arsenic Manchester United aliases Liverpool, but successful nan past 3 aliases 4 seasons, it seems there’s been an summation successful younger fans owed to nan squad becoming a superior title contender.

Because of our 3 consecutive seasons arsenic runners-up, fans of different teams started calling america “The Guards”, meaning we were guarding nan Premier League trophy for different teams. That’s very painful.

Now we person a overmuch larger organization and not conscionable successful Bangkok, but besides successful different provinces for illustration Ubon Ratchathani, Songkhla and Chiang Mai.

I judge nan number of fans will summation exponentially if they triumph a awesome trophy, particularly nan Premier League. It is important to nan nine and to nan fans because we haven’t won nan title for 22 years. Everything will beryllium unlocked and Arsenal will return to glory erstwhile again.

A subordinate successful an Arsenal garment during a crippled five-a-side shot successful Bangkok
A subordinate successful an Arsenal garment during a crippled of five-a-side shot successful Bangkok. Photograph: Diego Azubel/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

I’ve ever had religion successful nan squad but after our nonaccomplishment to Bournemouth, thing tin hap moreover though these are words you don’t want to say. I’m not confident.

I’ve ever had religion successful Arteta. He is nan astir suitable personification for Arsenal and I judge nan committee has assurance successful him arsenic well. But thing tin hap successful football. Perhaps Mikel is simply a bully coach who builds teams, but to go a champion-level manager, he mightiness request much experience.

About nan City game, I consciousness panic, anxiety, everything. This crippled is simply a existent make-or-break moment. If we suffer we will repetition nan aforesaid pattern. If we win, I’m assured we will go Premier League champions and merit it.

I don’t attraction astir disapproval of our playing style. If we’re successful arsenic bully beingness information arsenic we were astatine nan commencement of nan season, we tin play immoderate style of game. This play mightiness beryllium frustrating for fans because we’re focusing much connected results, but this is nan correct measurement if you want to beryllium champions.

I will beryllium disappointed if we fail, but I was calved to beryllium an Arsenal fan. As agelong arsenic I’m still live I’ll support cheering nary matter wherever nan squad is.

Jeremy Docteur, France

As pinch galore French shot fans successful their precocious 20s to precocious 30s, supporting Arsenal was nan evident prime because of nan number of French players and Arsène Wenger. Henry was my absolute favourite player.

I don’t cognize what London-based Arsenal fans deliberation of French supporters, but nan passion and nan strength is similar. So galore regularly make immense sacrifices to spell to immoderate games and it is highly expensive. Most of them support Arsenal stronger than their French squad and galore don’t moreover person a French team.

Winning nan Premier League is monolithic because truthful galore fans of nan younger generations person ne'er seen Arsenal triumph it and for group for illustration maine nan memories are starting to go a small blurry.

I judge it would beryllium an unthinkable liberation and monolithic alleviation for everyone. For nan fans, but besides for nan nine overall, nan players and decidedly for Mikel Arteta.

French Arsenal supporters during a Champions League crippled successful Marseille successful 2011
French Arsenal supporters during a Champions League crippled successful Marseille successful 2011. Photograph: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

I person ne'er been sold connected nan thought that nan title title was done and dusted this season. After caller performances I americium highly nervous. It’s not conscionable astir nan results, it’s astir nan style of play, nan deficiency of ambition, really tired nan full squad seems to be, nan individual errors, nan uncharacteristic deficiency of protect composure, nan indifferent performances immoderate players person put successful …

Since January, nan matches person been thing but boring and I suppose arsenic agelong arsenic you’re winning you don’t really request to interest astir it excessively much. But lately, nan results haven’t been coming and that’s a large worry. Especially increasing up pinch Wenger, what we’re seeing from nan existent squad is so, truthful acold from nan shot played backmost then.

This season, truthful galore times I felt worried watching games and reasoning to myself: “I’m not judge Arsenal will people 1 goal, but if they concede I person nary thought really connected world they’re going to people two.”

If Arsenal don’t triumph nan league, I it could person unspeakable repercussions. I don’t moreover want to ideate nan meltdown and chaos it will create, particularly because I’m not judge different aureate opportunity for illustration this play will originate immoderate clip soon again, pinch truthful galore teams being inconsistent and City acold from being astatine their best.

Laurie Laker, USA

Arsenal are 1 of – if not nan – astir celebrated teams successful position of protagonist numbers successful nan US. Depending connected really you root your data, it is mostly betwixt america and Liverpool.

On nan title race, I’m assured but terrified. Scared. Scarred. Hopeful. All of those things, simultaneously, and more. I won’t lie, it feels era-defining aliases redefining, potentially. That’s why nan nerves are truthful raw, truthful existent and truthful all-consuming – because we cognize what’s astatine liking and what we could win. It’s perchance so, truthful brilliant, but it could besides beryllium so, truthful brutal.

A young Arsenal instrumentality during a pre-season friends betwixt Arsenal and Everton successful Baltimore successful 2022
A young Arsenal instrumentality during a pre-season friends betwixt Arsenal and Everton successful Baltimore successful 2022. Photograph: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

We’re good known for being “bite happy” erstwhile interacting pinch clickbait content. We’re a small sensitive, perhaps, but that stems from wanting real, large occurrence truthful badly. There’s a existent collectivism successful that sensitivity, though, and I position it arsenic a spot alternatively than thing to beryllium mocked aliases incited. What this indicates to maine is that erstwhile we yet triumph 1 of nan large things – which, I cognize successful my bones, we will – nan corporate merchandise will beryllium dissimilar thing seen before. The statement will beryllium genuinely generational. I can’t wait.

I powerfully judge there’s each chance we’ll succeed. To me, it’s astir nan squad seizing nan infinitesimal pinch a affirmative mindset. Operating from fearfulness ne'er brings joy, truthful let’s spell and do it. It’s location if we want it.

If we spell to City pinch courageousness we tin astatine a minimum gain a point. City person flattered to deceive until very, very precocious this play and we’ve been nan champion squad successful nan convention until caller weeks. I deliberation we’ll get astatine slightest a draw, if not a win.

I watch matches pinch chap Gooners and friends astatine our location pub, The Local, successful downtown Minneapolis. As a group, we’ve grown importantly successful caller years, averaging 80 fans per match. Larger matches mean much than 250. It’s a beautiful pub and nan ambiance is unsocial to our community. Songs are sung, pints are consumed and corporate joy, grief, and togetherness are held so, truthful dearly.

Watching matches pinch friends and different fans makes each result much tolerable, particularly nan gut-wrenching defeats. You person personification to bent connected to afterwards, to unpick what went wrong, to vent your spleen aliases to wail and gnash your teeth alongside. That joyousness of a large win, a precocious smash and grab, a infinitesimal that will unrecorded connected – it’s heightened to nan nth degree. I’ve been fortunate to person a batch of footballing joyousness successful my life successful Arsenal pubs and bars down nan years. Those moments whitethorn beryllium nan closest I’ve travel to existing connected different level of joy, euphoria and absolute bedlam. I time off my body, we each do, for those moments. Sharing those together … it’s nan best.

Aniefiok Essien, Nigeria

Arsenal is very celebrated successful Nigeria. Most of my friends are Arsenal fans and sometimes much than 50 of america watch games together. I would opportunity we are No 2, pinch Chelsea No 1, for now, and Manchester United third. There are not galore City fans moreover if they triumph everything.

I started supporting Arsenal erstwhile I was 5 and I americium 29 now. I utilized to emotion Thierry Henry and nan measurement nan squad played. I emotion nan history, really they had financial issues and struggled a agelong clip agone and moved to northbound London.

Arsenal supporters attending a instrumentality arena successful Lagos successful 2012
Arsenal supporters attending a instrumentality arena successful Lagos successful 2012. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal will surely triumph nan league. I americium very confident, moreover though we mislaid to Bournemouth. Bournemouth are playing well, immoderate of our players person been injured and person played galore games. In nan past, we person travel backmost good aft losing.

Against City, I would opportunity Arsenal should beryllium mindful arsenic City are playing good correct now, but we should spell and win. If we triumph aliases moreover draw, past we get nan league.

I don’t attraction astir nan measurement Arsenal play. Before, we played fancy football, but what did that get us? Nothing. There is thing incorrect pinch playing to win, conscionable get nan 3 points. I emotion it erstwhile group criticise america arsenic it intends we are doing well, they person hated america from nan clip we moved to northbound London. We person endured a batch arsenic fans. I show this to different fans: ‘Here we are, we tin withstand thing and support trying.’ We don’t cognize what will happen, but we person to try. I can’t ideate what will hap if we don’t triumph nan title now.

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com