Arsenal
Football is life. (As seen and heard in the Apple TV show Ted Lasso and experienced in today's Arsenal match).
I did follow the World Cup in the news but did not know much about the game or the rules until I was 22.
All of it changed when I went to Kerala for my MBA in 2010. Most boys followed the game, were fans of teams, and had regular banter in the hostel.
A lot of them also played FIFA on their laptops. Their passion for the game was crazy. A close friend was an Arsenal fan, and since I hung out with him the most, I liked the Arsenal team. There was no one moment I can remember that can be held responsible for me becoming the club's fan. It happened organically, and I never tried following other clubs.'
I used to follow the league in the subsequent years but only sometimes diligently. I lost touch with the game.
Last year while I was stranded at the Doha Airport, I bought a PS5. The only game that I play on PS5 is FIFA. The game brought back memories of college. Once I started playing, I began appreciating the game again. That led to me playing in the FPL this season. One thing led to another, and since then, I have been following Arsenal's every game in the league. I picked the right season to come back. Arsenal is doing exceptionally well and are the title contenders.
The team feels special. It has youngsters who are on the cusp of becoming stars. Some of them are already massive stars. They are playing for each other and the club. The players who are not getting too many starts post their happiness about the team win on Social Media. What more can a manager ask for? Arteta is a great manager with an excellent future in world football.
Today's match was against Bournemouth. They are fighting to get out of the relegation zone, and we are trying to safeguard our five-point lead over Manchester City. We concede the first goal in 9 seconds. It is the second-fastest goal in EPL history. We chase the game from the first minute. We concede again at the beginning of the second half. While this would mean the end of the road for most teams, it isn't for this remarkable team.
Arsenal is relentless in its attack. Yet they are unable to get through the defence of the opposition. Partey scores the first goal, and White the second. The comeback isn't uncommon anymore. We expect the team to fight back. We are hoping that we can squeeze in a third goal. The extra time of 6 minutes is on the verge of finishing. In the nick of time, we get a corner, and captain Odegaard kicks the ball to Nelson. He finds space and kicks the ball with ferocious energy, and it's a goal in the 97th minute.
That was the last kick of the match. As you can imagine, this match was a rollercoaster of emotions. I've not been this excited for a long time. Arsenal makes me feel the gamut of emotions one can handle. I hope we go on to win the league, and even if we don't, we have had one great season with lots of memories to cherish.