Heading into 2026 with unflagging optimism.
It’s sort-of holiday week and we get a sort-of New Yer’s Day match early. Unfortunately, we’ve got a couple more players missing and we’re away to Arsenal. Still, no matter in the first half because we’re as good as them and could have been at least a goal up at half-time. Then Amadou Onana was replaced after a storming half and that turned out to be a missing player too many. Emiliano Martinez got obstructed at a corner, we’re playing Arsenal so it’s not a foul, and we’re one down.
This was followed by another three, plus a sending-off that never was, because we’re playing Arsenal, and our winning run was over. Ollie Watkins got a late consolation, which should help him, but that was all, apart from a couple of late debuts. The media would have said this means we’re out of the title race if they’d ever said we were in it.
They did, tough, remember we were playing in order to make up some nonsense about Unai refusing to shake hands with Mikel Arteta after the match. Ignoring the fact that whatever the circumstances, Unai’s right and anyone else is wrong, it was cold, Arteta was off gladhanding everyone in sight and Unai doesn’t do waiting.
Evann Guessand comes off the bench to get Ivory Coast’s equaliser against Gabon and they go on to win 3-2.
The rest of the midweek fixtures go alright for us so 2026 begins with the league table looking promising.
The new year starts and in its first hours we announce our first signing of the transfer window. Nineteen-year old Brazilian winger Alysson is signing from Gremio for £8.7 million with up to £1.7 million in add-ons. He might make a difference in the rest of the season and it might even be for us.
It’s time for the latest injury news; Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings are almost ready, Amadou Oana will be a couple of weeks.
Saturday sees the arrival of Nottingham Forest as well as a load of frost. The team warm up the crowd with a good opening but it takes until stoppage time until Ollie Watkins gets his sixth goal in eight games. Four minutes after the break John McGinn gets the second and everything looks fine until Forest get a goal back. But no mind, because their keeper has a bit of a mare and McGinn gets his second.
That was the end of the afternoon’s excitement and the only thing of any interest from then was Douglas Luiz getting a good reception when he came on. After the match Ollie says a few words about supporters being quiet and leaving early. He might have put it better and it might have been better still not being said at all, but it’s not worth getting worked up about.
Another day, another win. That’s eleven in a row at home, which is yet another record equalled. The rest of the weekend results are mostly good and the table’s still looking good. It’s all getting exciting.
