Luis Suárez...

Luis Suárez (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"Luis Suárez has pleaded with Liverpool to fulfil the promise they made a year ago and let him leave Anfield" says The Guardian.

"Suárez claims the club told him they would let him depart if they failed to qualify for the Champions League this season and that a clause in his contract allows him to leave should someone make a bid of more than £40m. He says he has the backing of the Professional Footballers' Association and that he his prepared to take the issue to the Premier League to force his exit and move to the Emirates before the transfer window closes on 2 September."

So hopefully heading to Arsenal FC then!

Arsenal Qualify for Champions League Again!...

It was a nail-biter of a game. Arsenal needed to win against Newcastle United to guarantee Champions League football next year. A draw coupled with a win at arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur home game against Sunderland would have sunk us.

Luckily, and the use the word advisedly, we won. Phew!

Needless the boys celebrated like they'd actually won the European title itself. Steady on boys. Some way to go yet!

Arsenal 1 - 3 Bayern Munich...

Last night Simon and I went to watch the Champions League first round match at the Emirates Stadium as the might Arsenal took on the even mightier Bayern Munich.

We played pretty badly in the first half conceding two goals but picked up in the second, scoring one (courtesy of the ever smiling Lukas Podolski) but conceding another.

Just before kick-off the away fans let off a flare. Not a measly inshore one one but one of those 'you can see them for 50 miles in a storm at sea' bright orange ones. It filled the stadium with smoke and we could barely see the ball for 5 minutes. The smoke got caught in our throats too. My question is: how did they get in with that? And what if it had been a bomb?

Arsenal 2 - 0 Montpellier...

Jack Wiltshire is back. His first goal for the Gunners in two year's broke the first half deadlock and started the team on the road to a 2-0 victory and entrance to the lockout stages of the Champions League. After scoring he ran into the stands to embrace his physio. Bless.

The second goal came from Podolski whose powerful left-footed volley delightfully sealed the win.

Arsenal 0 - 2 Schalke...

A woeful performance last night in the Champions League home game. Santos out of position. Ramsey out of position. Mannone weak. Miserable. And most of the fans around me were in a mutinous mood. Their targets being the new stadium, other fans not singing and then deserting like a fire drill in the 86th minute. Special ire was reserved for a certain Mr Ivan Gazidis. I see trouble ahead.

Still here's a picture of Giroud to cheer us up.

Arsenal Finishes Third...

Arsenal secured their place in next season's Champions League with a thrilling victory at the Hawthorns that owed much to a series of errors made by West Brom goalkeeper Marton Fulop.

The 3-2 victory means Arsene Wenger's side finish the season in third place which considering that we were 17th in the League last October isn't too bad.

It's sure been a roller-coaster of a season. Now if only we can hang on to Robin van Persie...

Arsenal's End of Season Maybes...

Arsene Wenger's side are in pole position to finish third and guarantee Champions League qualification - but any slip-up for the Gunners at West Brom could let in Tottenham, particularly as their goal difference is only one ahead of Spurs, or even Newcastle.

Arsenal will finish third: if they win; if they draw and Tottenham fail to win; if they lose (by any margin), Tottenham lose and Newcastle fail to win; or if they lose by a single goal, Tottenham draw or lose, and Newcastle fail to win.

Arsenal will finish fourth: if they draw and Tottenham win; if they lose (by any margin), Tottenham win and Newcastle fail to win; if they lose (by any margin), Tottenham lose and Newcastle win; if they lose by a single goal, Tottenham draw and Newcastle win; or if they lose by two or more goals, Tottenham draw and Newcastle fail to win.

The doomsday scenario of Arsenal finishing fifth can only occur if they lose (by any margin) and Tottenham and Newcastle both win; or if they lose by two or more goals, Tottenham draw and Newcastle win.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Barcelona...

Last night Paul, Simon and I went to the match. It was the 1st leg of our Champions League against Barcelona FC - the 'best club in the world.' Ha. Or so they thought.

They had super-troupers in sky over the Emirates Stadium prior to kick-off. The club had really pulled out all the stops including red and white flags on every seat. The odds were against us. I was crossing everything (including the road).

It started well but we were soon outplayed. Villa scored and we were 1 - 0 down at half time. The bookies then lengthened the odds of our come-back to as much as 16-1. Things weren't looking good. Alex Song was making sterling efforts (and got booked for his trouble). Cesc Fabregas was excelling but getting closed down by their total football approach. And Lionel Messi was always threatening.

But towards the end of the second half, miracle upon miracle, it happened. Largely against the run of play came two goals - Robin Van Persie in the 78th minute and five minutes later from Andrey Arshavin. Wondrous goals both. So we pulled back from the misery of 1 nil down to the ecstasy of being 2-1 up. My flabber had never been to gasted. My heart was pounding for hours afterwards. I was beaming ear to ear.

Neat idea for a celebration after scoring against Barca. Audrey Arshavin has a shirt with himself on it.

Now we have to go to the Nou Camp and hold on for another 90 nail-biting minutes. I don't hold out much hope - but some!