After a fairly barren soccer summer the Premier League is–at last–back in session. I had plenty of time on my hands, having retired from working at the end of May. I am a person of very few hobbies and one for whom most of my social contacts were established through my work. Therefore, it’s been somewhat of an uphill battle keeping busy, let alone Finding Purpose. I did a lot of gardening, helped some friends and family members with financial questions, and experimented with volunteering. Got plenty of exercise, more than I ever did while working. (I daresay that if I had exercised as much while I was still working maybe I could have tolerated Work BS a few years longer. That’s a theory I don’t feel compelled to test.) Still, I would say there has been a lot of floundering and too much doom scrolling. It’s such a terrible time for scrolling, so hard to keep it mindless and not take in all the nonsense/doom. In short, I have work to do to have a retirement I feel good about.

I couldn’t force myself to watch the Club World Cup–such an abomination–but I did invest in watching almost all of the Women’s Euros. Delightful and worthwhile in every way. I didn’t gravitate to any one team as I usually do while watching international competition, just enjoyed watching women play great soccer, have high highs and low lows. Kudos to Team England for winning the competition. They ground out result after result, never looking comfortable until it was all over.

A lot of my doom scrolling of the summer was focused on Premier League transfer rumors, especially for Arsenal. I see ESPN and other media outlets grading Arsenal’s transfer window as a B-. First, let’s acknowledge the ridiculousness of grading transfer business. Then let’s take exception to the grade Arsenal got. I can’t remember a better overall transfer window in my time as a fan. We’ve brought in six players that would make it possible to replace a future injured first-choice player with a solid second choice option, to successfully rotate to prevent those injuries, to be able to bring different energy from the bench when needed in a match, and to just make us better in key positions.

We successfully brought in a new dedicated striker, Viktor Gyokeres, where both previously available options had been repurposed under desperate circumstances from other positions. In my opinion, both of those options worked out pretty well. But having a guy who has a history of scoring a goal on average in every match is pretty exciting. We also brought in Martin Zubimendi to replace the position formerly filled by Thomas Partey, whose contract expired at the end of the season. Against its better judgment, Arsenal did try to re-sign him, more as a replacement of Jorginho, a solid second-choice defensive midfielder. Partey is an excellent defensive midfielder but has legal–and possibly moral–baggage that we’d have been smart to be freed of. Not by Arsenal intention but because Partey wanted higher pay than Arsenal could stomach, it seems we have been freed.

Zubimendi has been very exciting to watch in the pre-season and will make a great difference immediately. How long it will take Gyokeres to kick in as a valuable option is an open question. He came from a weaker and less physical league and has a style that isn’t exactly a fit for Arsenal. I back him and Arsenal to figure out how to get the best of him.

As I write, Arsenal appear to be in final stages of signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, out from under the noses of our fiercest rivals, Tottenham. He’s a magnificent creative midfielder but where he fits in Arsenal with its very solid existing midfield is a bit mysterious. I’m going to trust the process, here.

The primary wild card is that other teams were unfairly able to strengthen over the summer as well. The future is contingent on alchemy, ours vs. theirs.

We’ve already played one game in the season, an away fixture at Manchester United on Sunday. That is always a tough game. No matter how badly Manchester United are they always seem to have a good day when we play them at their home. Last Sunday Manchester United played pretty well and Arsenal played pretty shit, but Arsenal still won, 0 – 1. The goal came via a header from an unmarked Riccardo Calafiori on a corner kick routine that has produced more than its fair share of whining. In every corner kick situation in the Premier League there is grappling in the box by both teams, and this kick was no exception. I don’t know how VAR could rule a possible foul by an Arsenal player as more important than fouls on 3 Arsenal players in the same moment, and this time they did not. The goal stood and Manchester United couldn’t break us down for the 80+ minutes after the goal. We’ll take the win.

On that backdrop, my husband and I managed to score tickets to the Leeds match on Saturday. You know the drill, we have to enter the ballot and, once we inevitably lose, that allows us to use the exchange to try to find tickets being sold by others. This is the home opener (not sure they call it that in soccer!) so it was a very popular ticket and arguably hard to get. You know why–because we are going to win the league this year. Everyone wants to say they were at the first game.

For me it was quite easy to get. I was chatting with my mother on the phone and the conversation was nearing its end when she started to tell me a story I had heard before. I am an old person so I appreciate being able to repeat my stories again and again to any person not bold enough to stop me from re-telling them. Therefore, I allowed her to tell the story without interruption while concluding that it might be acceptable to multi-task a bit on the exchange. A ticket came up on my first click. It’s Club (you know I don’t love Club) but the price was decent, I bought it, and a trip could be planned.

Airfare prices are pretty great right now and we were able to book a hotel that’s never before been in our price point. That said, going to London for Arsenal matches is a pretty expensive hobby for someone with no income. Well worth it if you know for a fact you are going to win the league that year. I do know it. You know I know it.

Luckily, while a hopeful fool and her money are soon parted, it takes a whole season to part her from all her money. Let’s rejoice in the fun to be had along the way.