CHELSEA 6:0 ARSENAL; win or lose do it fairly.

CHELSEA 6:0 ARSENAL; win or lose do it fairly...

"Before you judge another, think of your own last mistake,” I had just arrived home and my calendar conspicuously stared at me, as if warning me not to be negative and mad at what was going to be the biggest loss Arsenal would suffer this season so far. And what was my last/most recent mistake? I had mistaken the game’s kick off to be 3:45 p.m. British time which would have given me another three hours yet the kick off time was 3:45 p.m. local time.

I was at work, and before I realised that I needed to go and watch Wenger’s 1000th match at Arsenal, Arsenal was already 3 goals down and one man less, to make it worse a defender. What happened next was my own expectation and everyone's guess.

My first response was to call my big brother, a staunch Chelsea fan and congratulate him on earning what will probably be their sweetest win this season. His numbers were all unavailable (thanks to the tel. networks that claim to be everywhere and not show up when it matters) but I knew he was in the depth of the game, having read his last post equating himself to the early bird that caught the worm at Stamford Bridge and believe you him; the early birds took the worm while Arsenal probably thought they still had some more time to style up and turn their misfortunes around.

So I called my junior brother, a staunch Liverpool fan, who I expected to have been following the match, basically to find out how the quick goals had rapidly hit the net behind Arsenal’s goalkeeper. He was only following the match online but we talked it off, partly blaming the referee, who has now come out to apologise to Arsenal, for sending off the wrong player. And here we were when Gibbs, the rightful complainant was seated watching his professional master seal the reign of his mistake.

So why am I writing this, if not to bemoan an Arsenal loss? I write to celebrate my two brothers, probably the strongest Chelsea and Liverpool fans closest to me. They are not too conceited in victories, yet never despaired in defeat. Their resilience towards their teams’ effort and above all gracious attitude towards wins and losses that are well shared amongst the top teams this season endear them to me. This makes football games involving the top rival clubs a bit of a family re-union making me feel very privileged to have them for brothers.

But also for all other friends who look at the football game from afar or even closely, my fair friends who sometimes think men have gone nuts about football or the very distant spectator who once stopped and wondered why many big men in nice jerseys were all chasing one ball like kids instead of going after bigger things . We can surely pick a few leaves from this football tree where success is not forever and defeat not so fatal. Life will not hand you a bunch of roses whenever you expect it to be. In fact, it is probable that life is about ten per cent what happens to you, and ninety per cent how you respond to it. It is not how many games Moyes has lost at home to small teams, but how he responds in his next match and that belief that there will be better times.


Only last week, Chelsea lost to Aston Villa, Tottenham lost to Arsenal. This weekend Tottenham assertively won its match, Aston Villa lost and Chelsea has caused this note. Who knows what’s next?

Chelsea 6:0 Arsenal probably tells me to celebrate the little victories of life, learn from certain experiences and move on for the future and never taking anything for granted. It could be surviving an accident, an illness, completing that degree, passing that test, a good day at work, an anniversary, a hard fought victory for innocence, justice and fairness or celebrating a friend’s achievement. As long as it is fair, and your heart knows you are on the fair side, the rest doesn't really matter. Like a friend put it, "...to know u showed up and did your best at the end of it all..." is really what matters.