A Tale of Two Free Kicks

from the Factory Floor

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Ground: Ashburton Grove

Referee:  Martin Atkinson

Arsenal             1-2              Chelsea                 29 September 2012

Gervinho [42]                      Torres[20]

                                                  Mata [53]

For the first time in very long time I woke up for this one not knowing it was a match day immediately when I opened my eyes. Maybe that’s down to the crap sleep I've been getting lately, but I thought it had something to do with the supreme confidence with which I approached the visit of Chelsea to our emerald shores, erm, pitch. I really thought we’d tonk them.

I arrived earliest at the Factory, got a Guinness from Jack Keane and was shortly thereafter joined by the Kaiser, sporting a new Vermaelen home kit.  We were soon met by tEd, Tin Lid, the Captain, and Barry.  There was a fair smattering of chavs around the place, but not nearly as many as for a normal kick-off. One of the things I noted right away was the absence of the NY Blues flag in front of the bar. Ours hung in all its glory though. It didn't turn out to be any kind of portent of good fortune to come, but I enjoyed that we got that privileged position on the day.