Arsenal 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen…

Guests of Presilia and Sam, Darce and I enjoyed UEFA Champions Club at the Emirates Stadium last night. Almost as much as we enjoyed the match. 

Arsenal did the polite thing to be fair, and ended this tie early. Leverkusen arrived with intent, left with memories of Eberechi Eze bending physics & Declan Rice tidying up the paperwork.

The first half was attack versus goalkeeper auditioning for sainthood. Leandro Trossard tried everything short of a strongly worded letter, while corners rained in like unpaid bills. Eventually Eze spun, struck, & introduced the top corner to its new landlord. One nil, inevitable.

After the break Arsenal continued to behave like a team that quite fancies this competition. Trossard nearly added art to science, then Rice collected a loose ball & passed it into net with the calm of man choosing a sandwich. Two nil, tie done, kettle on.

There was time for a disallowed cameo & a fine save from David Raya, but the evening belonged to control, competence & the quiet hum of a side going somewhere interesting.

Onwards & upwards, my friends. 

@Arsenal ♥️⚽️ #COYG 🔴⚪️ #ARSB04 🥅 #Arsenal #Leverkusen #UCL 

Summerfolk…

Last Friday night with Stuart went to see Summerfolk at the Olivier Theatre on London’s glitzy South Bank.

Maxim Gorky’s talky Russian holiday turns into a Chekhov pastiche with sun, ennui and gossip. A superb ensemble led by Alex Lawther, Doon Macichan, Paul Ready, Justine Mitchell and Sophie Rundle. It is long. Then the second half sharpens and Gorky’s politics land the ending with a thump. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

@nationaltheatre #Summerfolk #Theatre #LondonTheatre

Mothers…

Happy Mothering Sunday to the mothers out there. Here are our three ❤️❤️❤️

Rail Replacement Bus…

 My rail replacement bus service from Potters Bar can’t stop at Welwyn North. There’s a car parked in the station that is stopping the big bus getting in. 

So they are running a special smaller bus JUST FOR ME to get me there! No really!

Arsenal 2 - 0 Everton…

What a game! What an ending! Teenage kicks!

For 88 minutes this had the aroma of one of those afternoons when football decides to be deeply annoying. Arsenal shot often, Pickford stretched occasionally, and Everton threatened just enough to make everyone chew the furniture. 

Then chaos arrived.

A scuffed pinball in the box fell kindly for Viktor Gyokeres who accepted the gift like a man finding a tenner in an old coat. Relief all round.

Then came the real theatre. Sixteen year old Max Dowman decided the moment suited him perfectly. One bouncing ball, two bewildered defenders, seventy yards of green grass and a calm finish into an empty net. Child does homework early. Back to double Latin vocab Monday morning, lad. 

Football is ridiculous and glorious in equal measure.

Onwards and upwards, my friends. 

@Arsenal ♥️⚽️ @Everton

#COYG 🔴⚪️ #ARSEVE 🥅 #Arsenal #Everton @ViktorGyokeres @MaxDowman 

Peter’s 60th…

Lovely time helping the lovely Peter celebrate his 60th last night.  Happy birthday buddy!

Monorail! 🚝

Wuppertal is a city in western Germany known for its iconic hanging Wuppertal Schwebebahn — a suspension monorail gliding above the river since 1901. Monorail! Graham and I couldn’t stop grinning. Lisa indulged us. 😄

Well, sir, there’s nothing on earth

Like a genuine, bona fide

Electrified, six-car monorail…

What’d I say?

Monorail!

What’s it called?

Monorail!

That’s right — monorail!

@graham_callam

#Wuppertal #Schwebebahn #Monorail #Germany #Travel #TrainTravel #PublicTransport #Simpsons #MonorailMonorail 

Lads Who Lunch…

Lads Who Lunch do Friday lunch. With rubber gloves! 😅

Bayer Leverkusen 1 - 1 Arsenal…

Great away day with the @gaygooners 🌈

On the pitch Arsenal flirted with defeat until Madueke won late penalty & Kai Havertz coolly punished his old club. 

One - one and tie heads to North London with nerves intact.

Onwards and upwards, my friends.

@Arsenal ♥️⚽️ @kaihavertz29 @bayer04_en @regenersaurus 🦖

#COYG 🔴⚪️ #B04ARS 🥅