Arsenal Is Heading For A Title That Only A Gooner Could Love

These are heady days for Arsenal fans. After three consecutive years as the Premier League's designated nearly men, the Gunners finally look poised to win the title, ending a dry spell that has lasted more than 20 years now. Though dominant domestic campaigns are often accompanied by lackluster continental showings, Arsenal has to be considered one of the big favorites on that front too, their 3-1 home win over Bayern Munich last month still standing as the single most impressive result of this Champions League season. The team has earned this favorite status at home and abroad on the strength of the strongest, deepest, most complimentary roster in Europe, which they have placed in the hands of one of the game's few legitimate difference-makers at the managerial position, Mikel Arteta.

And the good times for Arsenal fans aren't just limited to what's happening on the pitch, either. If Zohran Mamdani is now internationally known mostly for running a wildly successful, potentially paradigm-shifting leftist campaign that shocked the world by winning him the mayoralty of New York City, a non-negligible amount of his coolness comes from his endearingly dedicated Arsenal fandom. Hell, even outside the worlds of sports and politics, it seems like the entire internet can't stop talking about Gooners. As a neutral who nonetheless has a bit of a soft spot for the club, I am happy that Arsenal fans are enjoying the unceasing cycle of pleasure that comes with rooting for a team that can truly win it all. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the team's hyper effective style of play is remarkably joyless, and produces the kinds of spectacles that only hardcore Gooners would drop their pants for.