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Arsenal rising

Stateside Gooner

By Chris Toronyi

This had to be one of the longest International breaks on record. Someone please check Guinness!

I'm pretty sure that my blood pressure had returned to normal service and I was actually in a good mood for two weeks straight. All very foreign to me and people around me.

The weekend kicked-off with the men in Red and White again in a game we were supposed to win against Reading. Games like this after a long time off are the ones that usually require sometime to adapt to being back in London, on the pitch, and playing for Arsenal. But yesterday there was no hesitation in what had to be done. From the kick-off we kept the boot down, suffocating, pressing, and looking very, very hungry. I would say we had the hunger of a dire wolf after a day without eating (I was going to use the hunger of Tyrion Lannister, but this is a family friendly blog…)

We looked confident, we looked into the game, and we were focused. We were a team that knew they had to deliver from the back four to the attacking half. Playing as a team, we had some amazing moments on the ball. Gervinho was the spark that netted us the key goals. His pace, vision - and yes, finishing - delivered us the crucial points. But then again every point in a season is crucial. Especially the squeaky bum portion of it.

The one thing I took from the Reading game is how comfortable the players looked with each other. They looked like a team. A family. More Stark than Lannister. Not afraid to look at the other and give them a piece of mind when focus seemed to dip. Their actions spoke for the words they had been speaking the last month. It seems we're moving in the right direction, and as we all know, focus and trust are needed in the run in. It's crucial in every game.

After all, we don't want to end up like Ned Stark.

Happy Game of Thrones to all.

Thanks for reading and thanks of listening to the Arsenal America Podcast. This weeks' guests include Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, @YankeeGunner and I'm still looking to add one additional guest to the show. Please don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and you can also grab the RSS Feed. Enjoy the rest of your week.

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Chris Toronyi is a longtime Arsenal supporter and the host of The Arsenal America podcast, available every week at ArsenalAmerica.com and on iTunes at "Arsenal America Podcast." You can read more of Chris' thoughts on Twitter.

 

The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Arsenal Football Club or Arsenal Media Group.

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