My partner is a Gooner so we were going together for my first visit to the Emirates stadium to see Newcastle play what we all knew would be Arsenals youth team.
First getting there, did no one tell London Underground there was a game on? We gave ourselves an hour and a half to travel four stops from Central London to the ground enough time to meet up with a few Geordie mates for some banter. The first station we tried had 'overflow policy' in place which meant standing outside in the rain for 30 minutes, eventually we were packed onto the tube which then stopped in the tunnel for an eternity and we were told that the station we were heading to was not open. So we went on to the next one arriving just 30 minutes before kick off too late to go to the pub, i mistakenly decided to queue for a pie and a pint (on special offer at only £6.50!)
With just two minutes to kick off i eventually got served by a guy who couldn't speak English and tried to charge me £15.
I then had to wolf down my pint as you're not allowed to take it in to the seating area (i can at Rugby games!)
We found our seats and the stadium is very impressive, a good view and the ground is just a bit more than half full, i noticed after ten minutes it was almost totally full, must have been people still waiting at tube stations or in the pie queue.
Well a full strength Newcastle team (from those fit) played mostly Arsenal youth and from early days it didn't look promising. Although martins missed a sitter after about two minutes (and cost mre money on the first goalscorer) we were never in it.
Ameobi carried on his form from last week truly abysmal, Milner was in Traore's pocket and played as badly as i can remember him.
Arsenal had Diarra in midfield totally bossing the game and no Newcastle player could touch him.
Martins was at least giving them something to do and Senderos looked woeful (is he Bramble in disguise?)but with no support whatsoever he was getting no change from Song.
still half time arrived and we are still in it!
Jees what did Wenger feed them on during the break, Given was suddenly playing out of his skin making about seven saves in the first five minutes. After that Milner and Ameobi both rightly subsituted (but no one supporting Martins still?!?!) it was only a matter of time and Bendtner scored, then Martins did his round the keeper trick and fluffed it again and Arsenal got another late one, still time for Given to make one last save (at least my partner was happy her bet came up!)
Woeful performance we have no pace or guile or passing ability in midfield and that was where the game was won and lost.
Arsenal had three outstanding players in Traore, Diarra and Song and talented back up from all over the park.
So then it was an hour and a half wait for the tube back, nearly missing the last train home, all in all i probably won't go back to the Emirates for a night game ever again.
Howay the lads.