Well, I have just about recovered from this weekend and wanted to share some thoughts

[Rich]

1. Watched the CL final on Old Street (The Volley). I said before the game that it was a free hit and really didn't mind the fact we lost. PSG ultimately deserved it anyway - but my goodness the scenes when Havertz rifled that one into the roof of the net. A rake of beers I'd just spent 35 quid on got wiped out in a second.

2. Onto Sunday and I can quite honestly say that it was a peak Arsenal experience for me. Got to Highbury Corner at about 09:30 and it was already pretty busy. I spent the day talking, hugging, laughing & crying with folk from all walks of life. It was genuinely so beautiful and I'm not a soppy person. I think I knew that we had the best fanbase in the world (N.B. you'll not be surprised to hear that GABRIEL 6 shirt sales are up 380% since Saturday).

3. As the helicopters & drones started to hover overhead, we knew they were close. We gazed down Upper Street and as the motorcade came into view in the distance we raised a toast to Gooners we've lost along the way. I shed a tear for my grandad who took me to my first game in 1997 as I knew he'd have loved to be there with me.

Honestly think that Arteta & the club deserve every second of it. I hope that the last couple of weeks have shown them the sort of club that we are and that they want to hang around for the long term.

It's great to see Josh Kroenke so involved too - he seems like he's genuinely emotionally invested in the journey now and that can only be a good thing for us.

An exciting summer awaits - we deserve it.

[redgunamo]

1. Watched the CL final on Old Street (The Volley). I said before the game that it was a free hit and really didn't mind the fact we lost. PSG ultimately deserved it anyway - but my goodness the scenes when Havertz rifled that one into the roof of the net. A rake of beers I'd just spent 35 quid on got wiped out in a second.

2. Onto Sunday and I can quite honestly say that it was a peak Arsenal experience for me. Got to Highbury Corner at about 09:30 and it was already pretty busy. I spent the day talking, hugging, laughing & crying with folk from all walks of life. It was genuinely so beautiful and I'm not a soppy person. I think I knew that we had the best fanbase in the world (N.B. you'll not be surprised to hear that GABRIEL 6 shirt sales are up 380% since Saturday).

3. As the helicopters & drones started to hover overhead, we knew they were close. We gazed down Upper Street and as the motorcade came into view in the distance we raised a toast to Gooners we've lost along the way. I shed a tear for my grandad who took me to my first game in 1997 as I knew he'd have loved to be there with me.

Honestly think that Arteta & the club deserve every second of it. I hope that the last couple of weeks have shown them the sort of club that we are and that they want to hang around for the long term.

It's great to see Josh Kroenke so involved too - he seems like he's genuinely emotionally invested in the journey now and that can only be a good thing for us.

An exciting summer awaits - we deserve it.

Outstanding post, R. Another one for the Classics Archive, if we still did that sort of thing around here.

Well played.

[pjlincs]

Thanks for sharing Rich.

Mrs Lincs and I had planned to come up to London Sunday had we won Saturday night but sadly that did not come to pass.

Instead we went as previously arranged to a local (as in Lincolnshire) food and artisan fair. In Arsenal shirts obvs! A few other folk there also sporting the top so had chats in passing with most of those.

But what made it really special was how many other people there took the time to commiserate/congratulate us. No evidence at all of this media obsession that everyone hates us, quite the opposite. All very touching (also not remotely a soppy person).

GPWM re Josh Kroenke, totally agree.