Key events
The Arsenal fans cheer the start of the Champions League anthem. How quaint.
Bruno Giordan offers: “7 August 2012: Volleyball in Earl’s Court, then a rush across London to the Olympic Park for the BMX
”31 August 2012: Goalball in the Copperbox, then a leisurely stroll across the park to the Wheelchair Basketball.
“So much sport in such a short time, though mostly restricted to one a day.”
A big day out x2.
Russell Homer has a fine double day: “May 2013 Premiership Final at Twickers and hoofed it to station on final whistle. Across London to Wembley for Bayern-Dortmund ECL final (best atmos. at a football match that I’ve been to).”
The teams are in the tunnel before heading out to a wet Emirates, which is enjoying a light show.
Jeff Necessary has more info for us: “One further detail. Once in November we had a football and basketball game scheduled on the same day, which has never happened before or since; the logistics of getting one crowd off campus and another one on three hours later are insurmountable (no Tube there). At halftime of the football game, which started at 1 p.m., we led 42-0 (think 6-nil in a Premier League match, or worse). I ran into the basketball coach at halftime and told him we probably wouldn’t have 42 points at halftime of his game. We didn’t; it was 32-29.”
I assume it would be advisable to talk about the match. I am very excited to see David Raya starting, meaning he has gone from playing for Southport in the National League to being Arsenal’s No 1 in the Champions League.
Michael Chilcott offers: “In 2010 I ran the Oxford Town and Gown 10k in the morning, then my dad drove me up to Wembley to watch Oxford batter York City in the Conference Play-off Final. Pretty sore legs by the end of it, but worth every minute. Just looked up my time and I ran a respectable but unremarkable time of 57:36, and ran it in swim shorts because I couldn’t find my running shorts.”
I hope you did not wear the shorts to the match.
“I worked for the university athletic department when I was in school,” says Jeff Necessary, “and with 14 sports at our school at that time, it was not uncommon for me to have to attend two events in one day, particularly in the spring. Baseball game in the afternoon, basketball at night, things like that.”
A fine job.
Harriet Osborn has a near miss: “The closest I’ve ever gotten is attending baseball (Texas Rangers, awful loss) and then returning to the hotel room to catch the end of a Concacaf Nations League match broadcast (US Men, nice win in a dead rubber).
“And speaking of the US men, I know it’s been PSV’s way all season but it is striking for us USMNT fans to see Dest being the only starter of the three Americans in the squad tonight. Pays to be useful in the club’s thinnest position!”
USA! USA! USA!
“Not sure if this fits the bill,” we will take what we can get, Matt Fortune, “but pretty chuffed to have ticked off Goodison in a lunchtime kick-off (Arsenal’s last game pre-Arteta) and then hot-footed across the Mersey to Prenton Park for Tranmere v AFC Wimbledon at 3pm.
“I say ‘chuffed’, when really it was perhaps the worst day of sport I’ve ever witnessed in person – a 0-0 and a 1-0. Yuck.”
Are we claiming the Premier League is a different sport to League Two?
Nathan Phillips knows how to have a good time: “Well Will, I recently attended the Beer City Cup, the largest adult amateur soccer tournament in the US, before attending a minor league (4th tier) baseball game. The beer was great.”
I am a huge fan of this.
Joe Pearson emails: “I remember many years ago, a group of friends drove down to Cincinnati. We spent the afternoon at River Downs, betting (and losing) on the horses. Then the evening was spent at Riverfront, watching the Reds baseball team. I can’t remember if they won or lost (beer may have been involved). Does that count?”
I will take it.
Get in the Champions League mood with Niall McVeigh telling you it is about to become rubbish.
I am here immediately after doing a rugby minute-by-minute, so I ask you … when have you attended two different sports in one day?
Arteta is excited.
Starting lineups
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Nelson, Elneny
PSV: Benitez; Teze, Bella-Kotchap, Boscagli, Dest; Saibari, Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, L De Jong, Lang
Subs: Drommel, Waterman, Sambo, Ramalho, Tillman, Pepi, Til, Babadi, Lozano, Van Aanholt, Vertessen
Preamble
The Champions League is back at the Emirates. This is everything Mikel Arteta and the lads have been waiting for. I assume there will be tears in the stands and smiles on the pitch now the Gunners are back among the elite. Hosting PSV is a decent place to start: they are a team with a long European history but should be very beatable for a side that challenged for the Premier League title last season.
PSV, as pretty much always, have a very exciting group of young players, who will be looking to make their mark on the biggest stage in the hope of securing a massive move next summer. Joachim Bakayoko and Noa Lang are two of the most interesting players, eager to make a mockery of the Arsenal full-backs.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
