The next morning it was back to Heathrow and a connection through Dublin, then the long flight to Chicago. I was surprised to see so many Arsenal shirts on my flight to Dublin. In fact, all three of us in left row 28 had been to The Emirates the night before.
Interestingly, Aer Lingus does not land in Chicago in the International terminal so you go through customs in Dublin. After getting off the flight, you are routed through literal TSA, where your carry-on bags go through Security again and then you go through passport control.
In the Security line, we were told by a harried TSA agent to remove our shoes unless we were age 75 or older or under 12. A passenger in the line a few people in front of me asked if he had to remove his shoes if he was Global Entry. The Security agent waited until he was out of earshot and muttered, “Yes, you have to remove your shoes even if you are a prick with Global Entry.”
I took my shoes off cooperatively, hoping no one would think I was over 75. Then I slinked over to Global Entry, which I am also lucky enough to have. It does save a ton of time when you return from a trip. Even if you have to remove shoes along the way.
It never occurred to me that I’d have to get through customs in Dublin and the timing of my connection was kind of tight. I had time to have a cup of tea and we boarded the flight to Chicago shortly thereafter. I had spent time in both Heathrow and the Dublin airport reviewing content after the Arsenal match. Since there was so much activity after the match, it was a while before the normal manager interviews were produced.
One thing that surprised me in the Mikel Arteta interview was his comments about Man City’s match with Bournemouth which was to take place that same night I flew back to Chicago, Tuesday. Up until that point, Arteta had been dogged, when the press asked him what he hoped would happen in any upcoming Man City match or would he be watching Man City’s next match, that he was only focused on what he can control. He insisted each time that he can only focus on the next match his team plays. And they would work as hard as possible to have the “right” to win it.
In contrast, every time Pep Guardiola, Man City’s manager was asked a similar question he spoke openly about how he was rooting for Arsenal’s opponent. When Arsenal were going to play West Ham next, he said jokingly that he had offered to West Ham to serve as an assistant coach. He had said there was “no doubt” that Burnley could take something off of Arsenal. And with regard to Arsenal’s last match of the season against Crystal Palace, he openly supported them. He made a special point after Man City’s match against Crystal Palace to shake the hands of many Crystal Palace players, to put an arm around them in camaraderie.
So it was interesting in speaking with the press after the Burnley match that when Mikel Arteta was asked if he would watch Bournemouth vs. Man City, he said he would watch it with his family and that he was going to be Bournemouth’s biggest fan. No more being focused only on his next match and what he could control. A strange turn of events.
To review the title race as it stood on Tuesday morning, if Arsenal won the last match against Crystal Palace away, there would be nothing Man City could do to stop Arsenal from winning the title. If Man City won both of its upcoming matches, the one against Bournemouth and the one against Aston Villa, and Arsenal tied or lost to Crystal Palace, the title would be Man City’s, decided on the first tiebreaker, goal difference.
There is no way Man City was going to lose to Aston Villa. Aston Villa are managed by Arsenal’s old manager, Unai Emery, and he usually radiates tremendous bitterness against Arsenal. And Aston Villa were solidly in Champions League spots for next year with no concerns they might fall out. And finally, Aston Villa were playing in the final of the Europa League this week, Wednesday. They had a great chance of winning, and winning equals party and, let’s face it, after that who cares about winning the last match against Man City?
So that left two hopes for Arsenal. #1: Win away from home on Sunday against a good team, Crystal Palace. Or #2: hope Man City ties or loses at Bournemouth. It wasn’t a crazy hope. Man City didn’t look good over the weekend, regardless of their ultimate win, and Bournemouth has a great record at home. And Arsenal lost to Bournemouth when they visited recently.
But you know. It’s Man City. I felt pretty resigned to having to sit through a tight, horrible match against Crystal Palace next Sunday. And the many things can happen in that match.
I was going to be on the plane back to Chicago during the Bournemouth v. Man City match and almost certainly would not be able to watch it. I’m pretty sure I would not have even tried. I feel like when I watch, Man City inevitably scores. Especially if they are losing or tied when I start watching. I usually try to not even follow the score line, which probably would have been possible even on the plane.
But the match was going to be over several hours before I got off the plane and I was hoping to be able to know our fate at some point before that.
It did not happen. I was unable to connect at all with wifi on the plane. I watched three movies, two of which I had seen before. I ate pasta lunch and a snack. I listened to calming music for the last 45 minutes. I had my phone fully charged so I would be ready to go the second we touched down in Chicago.
And remember, I was hopeful, but I kind of just knew we were going to have to get through that last match on Sunday. It’s been that kind of year.
The wheels hit earth and we were still skidding to a stop when I had my phone in hand and off airplane mode. A few seconds later I was trying to open the BBC Scores and Fixtures page in Chrome. It loaded interminably and then, bing, bing, bing. So many text and What’sApp messages coming up, one after the other. Congratulating me on the title, woohooing at me, OMGing me. All from different people who don’t know each other, so surely they were not banded together to punk me?
And then the BBC page loaded. It was already Wednesday in England so the BBC page was showing the upcoming Aston Villa match in the Europa League rather than Tuesday’s results. I clicked back to Tuesday and there it was. Man City had only managed a 1-1 tie with Bournemouth. A gap in points they could not overcome with only one match remaining.
Arsenal were Champions. For the first time in 22 years. For the first time since they’ve been my team. And it doesn’t matter what happens on Sunday.
I was overcome with joy. And so much relief. And on a plane with a bunch of strangers and not able to shout out with glee. I was harboring so much of it in my body. Tears rose in my eyes.
The rest of it is a blur. Since returning to Chicago I’ve wasted so much time watching the celebrations all over the world, including the Arsenal players celebrating from their training center where they watched the match together.
One thing stands out more than anything. As Man City was playing and it was looking like they would not win, Arsenal fans started leaving their houses and flats all over the city of London. They walked, rode, and drove over to The Emirates like Monarch butterflies coming back to their home.
Thousands of people around the stadium and on the streets of North London. Hugging, crying, singing, celebrating. Being washed in champagne. In this moment where there was nothing planned by the club and no one expected even to see the players, they needed to be together.
They stayed there for hours. A few players did get over to The Emirates at about 5 a.m. and took selfies with the remaining die hards.
The other thing that stands out in all my viewing is the wonderful video released by Arsenal that I think sums up this season so beautifully. The club was ready to go if the moment struck, but that video might have been consigned to the trash heap. Probably several others have in the past few years. Arsene Wenger to kick it off! You know I love that.
Mikel Arteta was nowhere to be seen in the videos of the players celebrating for several days when finally a few photos were made public of him with the team in a nightclub somewhere in London Tuesday night or Wedensday morning.
It came out more recently that Arteta did not watch the match with his family as he said he would in the interview after the Burnley match. A plan for players and staff to watch the match at the training center had been made at the request of the players on Tuesday. Martin Odegaard had asked Mikel and his staff to be there. But at the last moment, Arteta found himself in the viewing space and realized he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be present. Instead he drove home, where he found his family watching the match. He went into his yard, lit a fire, and commenced barbecuing. He stayed outside for the entire match. He said it felt like forever. At last his son came out the door. He was crying. “We are champions, Daddy.”
What a beautiful moment for the young man who has worked so hard in his first managerial job. And for his family who no doubt bore much of the stress. And for the players and all of us who joined them on this journey.
There is a different takeaway. Arteta didn’t watch the match. I didn’t watch it. I understand Declan Rice didn’t watch it. We were controlling what we are able to control, which is making Arsenal succeed by not letting Man City see us looking at them.
You’re welcome, Arsenal community.
WholeArsed 