Our member Choo Yun Ting shares his visit to The Arsenal to watch the team take on PSV Eindhoven in September 2023

“Big thanks to Arsenal Singapore for helping me get a ticket to watch our first game back in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven on 20 Sept 2023. It’s been a tough few years with Thursday/Friday night games in the Europa League and I’d been looking forward to hearing the Champions League anthem in the Emirates once again. 

It was a rainy evening – a very blustery day in London – but the stadium felt really positive, and I’m sure the players felt it too. From the moment the UCL anthem played, coupled with the singing of North London Forever, the players looked really up for it. Credit to the PSV away fans, who were seated in the lower tier near us, who added to the brilliant atmosphere, it was really a perfect match to watch. 

There’s this bit in Louis Dunford’s The Angel (North London Forever) which goes, “Whatever the weather, these streets are our own” and the players really showed that on the day. The weather was really dreadful, the sort of rainy, dreary weather during which we’ve often had terrible showings, but they took it in their stride as they played wonderful, flowing football. It had to be our Starboy who opened the scoring with a lovely finish, putting any early nerves to rest, and after Trossard scored the second (a real clinical strike into the bottom corner, of course), we looked ready to cruise. The PSV fans grew quieter after Jesus hammered another home following an exquisite touch to control a Trossard cross. Of course, it had to be our captain to finish off the 4-0, a perfect, perfect performance. 

My programme booklet didn’t survive the wet commute back from the Emirates, and I suspect neither did those of other fans at the game that day. 4-0 to the Arsenal, what a return to the Champions League!

It was the first time I’d heard the “Mikel Arteta’s Army” chant in person and it’s definitely a fun one, along with the new Odegaard song. Looking forward to hearing them through the screens and hopefully sing in the stands again soon :)”