This will most likely be the longest post I write on this blog. I am on an unusually long hiatus from Arsenal, attending football matches and, after I finish this post, writing about those things. Arsenal will not play again until March 31st and I have taken their break as an indication to take one of my own. I have attended and subsequently written about at least one football match every week since I attended my first, in Reading on January 29th. I enjoy the process of finding new things to discuss and I love trying to convey the experience with my words. More than anything, I appreciate that so many of you take the time to read what I have to say. On that topic, I received more “I can’t wait for the blog” texts after last Tuesday’s match (the subject of this post) than I have for any previous game. Some of you have seen me in person over the last week. Some of you have seen me on FaceTime. Most of you have texted me. If you have done any of the above, you will know that last Tuesday evening put me in a mood I described as “the best of my life.” In truth, the joy continued beyond that evening. Arsenal’s match against Porto was the starting point of one of the best weeks I have had in many years, filled with football, food, friends, and family. When I wrote my post about the Liverpool match, I knew I had my work cut out for me because I had to describe how much Arsenal meant to me. Writing this post will be challenging because I want to share a mood with you all, but to explain that mood requires bridging a knowledge gap and explaining why a relatively insignificant result actually matters a lot to Arsenal. Then maybe my mood will make sense. If at the end of all these words, the majority of you think “hm, now I get it” I will feel accomplished. Please let me know. For now, let me tell you about the UEFA Champions League and How it Has Hurt Arsenal Fans.
The UEFA Champions League and the Pain of the Past
Until this point, I have only written about Arsenal’s Premier League matches. This post covers a new competition: the UEFA Champions League. The Premier League is a season-long affair that crowns a winner based on which team accumulates the most points across 38 matchweeks (3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss). The Champions League is a traditional knockout-style tournament that includes teams from all around Europe. It sits atop a mini-pyramid of European competitions and features the best teams from every domestic league. The Champions League starts with 32 teams spread across 8 groups, and each team plays the other three clubs in their group at home and away between September and December. The top two sides from each group advance to the Round of 16, and then the winners progress on to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and eventually the finals. Each round of knockout play is two legs, except for the finals. As you might imagine, getting a good result in an away game is significantly harder than doing so at home, so the two-leg setup of the knockout rounds always features unpredictable twists and turns in the second leg. Teams will play reserved and defensively on the road and then switch to a more expansive and free-flowing approach at home. The first leg is often a more cagey affair whereas the second legs are often full of late drama.
I am now going to share some videos of insane knockout stage comebacks over the last decade. In 2017, having lost the first leg 5-3 away from home, Monaco returned to the Stade Louis and beat heavyweights Manchester City 3-1 to advance. A young man named Kylian Mbappé had a lot to do with that result. In 2019, after losing 3-0 to Barcelona in an away game that saw Lionel Messi score twice, Liverpool delivered one of Anfield’s greatest Champions League nights en route to a 4-0 resurgent victory. This is the match that gave the world “corner taken quickly…Origi”- if you don’t know what I’m talking about, please watch the video. Just two years ago, Madrid completed a sensational comeback in overtime against Manchester City after losing a scintillating first leg 4-3 in England. Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory in the second leg started with an equalizer in the 90th minute, and the dream continued in extra time. The most famous of them all, however, is La Remontada. In the same year that Monaco completed its triumph over Manchester City, football lovers were treated to an even more outrageous spectacle in the Champions League. Barcelona had traveled to Paris and lost the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain 4-0, which was a shocking result for a club that got to field Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar for most matches. But then the return leg in Barcelona happened. Barcelona won 6-1 in a game that was hard to believe. Luckily, we have video evidence that it all took place as we remember.
Why did I just spend 250 words telling you about things that have nothing to do with Arsenal? That’s just it: Arsenal have not been up to much in the Champions League since I had much more hair and much smaller feet. The last genuinely triumphant European Season was 2008/09 when Arsenal made it to the Champions League semi-finals. Three years before that, we lost in the finals to Barcelona. We could have won. We should have won. But we didn’t. Arsenal’s trophy cabinet is full of domestic accomplishments but the same cannot be said for continental silverware. We may have been the first team to beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, and we may have qualified for the Champions League in 19 successive seasons, but those are narratives, not trophies. The reality is that, until last Tuesday, Arsenal had been knocked out in the Round of 16 more than any other side. For the last five seasons, Arsenal has been playing in the little brother of European competitions—the Europa League. The last time Arsenal was in the Champions League? The club finished off a run of seven consecutive seasons making it to the Round of 16…and no further. 2017? Arsenal lost 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich. 2016? 5-1 to Barcelona. Year after year after year, Arsenal’s mediocrity in Europe manifested in a capitulation that would get me berated at school the following day. But this is 2024. Arsenal did not allow a goal at home during the group stages. Arsenal sit on top of the Premier League. Underlying stats love us. Despite all that has gone right for the club this season, a last-minute winner in Portugal saw Porto arrive at the Emirates with a 1-0 lead. If the first leg was any indication of the stylistic matchup in round two, Porto would be content with an ugly 0-0 draw that would leave Arsenal tumbling out of the Champions League. So as kickoff last Tuesday loomed large, the question was on everyone’s mind: will this be the first quarterfinals in 14 years or are we still a free meal in Europe?
The Match Report
As you all know, I have found myself sitting high, low, near, and far over the last four Arsenal matches. The seats I had on Tuesday night could not have been more perfect for a high-stakes European match: right next to the away end. I was close enough to Porto fans to hear their conversations, shake their hands, and see the whites of their eyes during the nerviest moments. Those moments were not hard to come by. Before I tell you about how the match played out, I must tell you about the guests of the evening. We had some repeat appearances from Francesca and Mikey, both of whom attended the Brentford match with me a few days earlier. In addition to those two wonderful humans, Alex was on hand at the Emirates for what I believe was his first Champions League match of the season. This was the first match of the season that featured this particular trifecta, so let me take this moment to summarize. I have known Alex and Francesca my entire life, and Alex introduced me to Mikey many moons ago. Alex and Mikey are childhood friends and have been attending Arsenal matches together for more than 20 years. Though we were not sitting together, we found each other an hour before kickoff and enjoyed each other's company as the nerves set in. Anyway, enough about other fans. Let’s talk about the match.
For much of the first half, Arsenal were chasing a goal to level the tie, and though we found some joy via intricate build-up, Porto stood firm and defended their net with resolve. 41-year-old veteran defender Pepe was pivotal to Porto’s efforts as he spent much of the evening sussing out searching crosses and intercepting hopeful through balls. As Arsenal grew frustrated, Porto remained unwavering. That was until Arsenal’s captain Martin Ødegaard attracted four defenders before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Leandro Trossard. On the stroke of half-time, the Belgian attacker put his shot past Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead. Celebrations ensued, and the chorus of hopeful Arsenal supporters let their belief be heard. Following a nerve-wracking first half, the match continued in a similar vein throughout the second 45 minutes. If anything, the Emirates faithful grew to be impatient- with Porto’s style of play, with the officiating, and with our own players for always being one pass away from finding a way to unlock the opposing defense. In the 67th minute, the crowd erupted. It seemed as though Arsenal had found a way through, but it was not to be. In the buildup to the would-be goal, Kai Havertz fouled the crafty aforementioned Pepe, and the match official ruled it a foul. Arsenal had to go again. Try though they did, Arsenal could not find a way to put things to bed, and so after 90 minutes, the tie was level at 1-1. As a result, the teams would play 30 minutes of extra time (two 15-minute halves) and if neither side could score, the match would go to penalty kicks. The most fraught, stressful outcome imaginable. I will save you all the additional words. Nothing happened during extra time. Both sides made substitutions, but neither Arsenal nor Porto landed even a glancing blow. Arsenal don’t have great recent history with the Champions League Round of 16, nor do they have a great track record when it comes to penalty shootouts. Just last year, Arsenal bowed out of the Europa League after losing a penalty shootout to Sporting Lisbon at home. Same time of year, same venue, another top Portuguese club, another year in Europe hanging in the balance. Gulp. Watching penalties at home or in a restaurant usually involves hiding your eyes just a little. Turning your back and taking deep breaths. Trying to remove yourself from the stress that you know is engulfing a stadium far far away. I was afforded no such luxury on this occasion. There is nowhere to hide in a stadium of 60,000 people. Deep breath. Whistle. Shot. Eruption. Deep breath. Whistle. Jeering. Save. Eruption. On repeat for 4-5 rounds, just hoping the eruption and the jeering and the subsequent post-save eruptions are in your favor.
On Tuesday night, it was all in our favor. We won. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made two huge saves and the Arsenal penalty takers went perfectly from the spot, converting all of their penalties to secure a 4-2 victory. The Emirates erupted, I reacted in ways I hope weren’t captured on camera, and then we turned to the away fans to let them hear our joy.
A Long Exhale
14 years of waiting. It is both as simple and not as simple as “Arsenal won a semi-important match.” In the 14 years since Arsenal last advanced past the Round of 16, we have had three managers, eight different captains, five seasons in the Europa League, one Amazon Prime Video special, and far too many frustrating evenings to tally. I have finished middle school, high school, and college, and gone through multiple jobs. I will spare you the predictable follow-up line about how, actually, Arsenal is the one constant. Some things are similar to 2010 and some things are very different. That is, after all, how 14 years of life work. It’s a long time (!!) and the point is that it has been too long since Arsenal did what a club of its magnitude should be doing much more regularly. How I felt after 120 minutes of stop-start football and penalty kicks does not speak to some great human truth, but it might shine a light on one of the things about sports that keep me coming back. There are victories within campaigns. I am not a war strategist (for that, you will have to refer to one of my previous Guests of Honor or my brilliant stepfather) but I imagine you try your absolute best to win many smaller battles in pursuit of winning the big battle. Expert analysis, I know. The point is that some battles are harder-fought, take a while longer, and are a little more costly. Sure, now you have control over a more important river and its three bridges than the two bridges you gained control over last week. Beating Porto means more than beating Brentford, absolutely. But sometimes those battles tell you the tide has turned in the war of enduring a previously cursed football club, and that is how Tuesday night felt. Arsenal are not at the head of the table among Europe’s footballing elites. We may have only just got our invite to the table in the mail. But as of last Tuesday, we are back where I and most Arsenal fans feel we belong: in the Champions League Quarter-Finals, next to teams festooned with European pedigree. Getting past Porto by no means equates to winning a trophy. If anything it clarifies just how much more work has to be done. While we wait for the work to pick up again in the coming months, now is a good time to share my Dad’s favorite phrase (and the title of an album his band released last year)- The Work is Slow. Arsenal’s work has been slow, and the path has been anything but linear. We don’t play again until March 31st and so, as I left the Emirates last Tuesday night, I took stock of the work the club has done and let out a very long, very happy sigh of relief.
The Evening’s Details
Things We Discussed
The 14-year-old Monkey
It was really on our back! Boy oh boy did we go on about this point. We went on about it after the first leg in Porto. I went on about it over text to Alex, Mikey, Jonah, Francesca, Cody, colleagues of mine who could not care less about football, and just about anybody else in my vicinity. When it was all said and done, we got rid of one monkey just to encounter an even more daunting Bavarian monkey. We’ll deal with that one in April.
The Away Fans
Other than the entirety of Porto’s away section, I sat next to two duos of Arsenal fans, and though I did not serve as the middleman in a quartet formed during the match, we conversed separately about how entertaining away fans are. They were screaming about their domestic success, berating security guards, and acting out in just about every imaginable non-violent way, all of which we found amusing. I would have loved to share a meal with some of those Porto fans, frankly. In one of the videos attached, you will see an elderly gentleman spitting in the general direction of Arsenal fans. Earlier in the match, we had locked eyes and smiled at one another. I thought he was a friend. He might still be, but spitting on other fans isn’t great.
Things We Drank
Six bottles of water
I take my hydration seriously, especially on European nights
Things We Ate
Two cajun chicken bowls from Remedy Kitchen
This is such a side quest but there is a healthy fast-casual restaurant in North London named Remedy Kitchen. It is an institution replete with fresh ingredients that fill bowls you can customize to your liking. Francesca, Jonah, and I are particularly fond of their offerings and when I am in the vicinity, it is an absolute priority. Because I met up with Francesca before the Porto match, Remedy Kitchen was on the cards and, as always, they delivered. As a very superstitious individual, I might need to make a habit out of prematch Remedy Kitchen meals.
Things We Sang
This clip is not from the Porto match, but I am using it as an example!
Just like Benfica, we’re top of the league
Hilariously, this video is from last year against Sporting Lisbon. Benfica went on to win the Portuguese League, we came in second in the Premier League and we didn’t even beat Sporting. At least this time we beat our Portuguese opponents.
It’s happened again, it’s happened again, just like Benfica, it’s happened again
For context, Porto and Benfica are massive rivals. The video I included is of Arsenal fans mocking Tottenham for capitulating in an important game, as they often do. The tune and the sentiment are the same, but the lyrics are different than those in the video.
Things Porto Fans Screamed
“We beat Benfica 5-0. We won. Shut up”
Porto beat Benfica 5-0 the week before they played us, and the away fans were amazed at how much the Arsenal fans tried to mock them for Benfica being top of the league. The Porto fans near me were legitimately in fits of laughter every time we would sing about Benfica because they had beaten them so recently.
“Porto have 2, you have none. ZERO”
Porto have indeed won the Champions League twice (1987 and 2004) and they are incredibly proud of it. As they should be! Throughout the night, Porto fans’ most common response to Arsenal chants was reminding us that they have two Champions League trophies and we have none. If it’s any solace to my fellow Arsenal fans, they will not be winning a third this year.
“Wanker”
Things Arsenal Fans Screamed
“It wasn’t me. I swear it wasn’t me!”
One of my favorite things about watching the Arsenal fans jaw with the Porto fans was watching a man who just instigated another fan sitting ten rows in front of him turn into a pacifist the second a steward confronts him. It happened when beer was thrown, it happened when Porto fans would playfully try and cross the home-away fans barrier, and it happened throughout the evening. Like kids in a playground.
“Sit down and watch the match, your heart is gonna give up before your team does”
This one felt deeply personal but let me explain. There was one very shirtless Porto fan who admittedly looked a lot like a meatball, and though Covering Ground does not condone bullying, we do condone funny chirps. This one had me laughing. Fair play to the rotund gentleman, he did not stop screaming or standing for the entire match. His heart did not give out, and I hope he will be yelling on Porto’s behalf for many years to come.
“Wanker”
See ‘Things Porto Fans Screamed’ #3…a shared sentiment
Thank you, Arsenal
Here's hoping this is the last time you ever have to write about Pepe in the UCL. Can't believe he is still causing trouble and shutting attacks down