CHAMPIONS

IT IS DONE

I have troubles finding words to describe the immeasurable exhilaration and an equal amount of relief this has brought to me and Arsenal fans alike. It's been 22 years. Freaking TWENTY TWO! The journey took us through ups and downs (mostly downs). We cried with Arsenal. We grew with them. We carried high hopes with them. And we suffered heartbreaks as a result. And today, WE CELEBRATED WITH THEM.

CHAMPIONS!!! 🏆 

There was never A SINGLE moment that won us the title. A season is 38-game and 10 months long. It is a marathon. And Arteta's army, after finishing 2nd for three consecutive years, has recruited wisely and learnt to pace themselves, to last the journey, and they did it finally. Most games won, least goals conceded, best card discipline. This would not be the Arsenal that would be remembered as one which played pretty, but one that defends SO WELL and is SO HARD TO beat.

Finally, I can sleep well tonight 😌

-------------------------------

As quoted from Arseblog:

"Football is the most important unimportant thing in our lives. We commit our lives, our time, our sanity, our patience, our money, our everything, to a team and a manager and players and hope they can make us happy for 90 minutes. Then do it again. And again. It’s all completely out of our hands. That lack of control can drive you mad. We do stupid things to try and make a difference.

Last week we had a question on the podcast about what deals with universe have we done to ensure Arsenal would win, as if anything makes any difference at all. I said I couldn’t answer because I’d undo it."

https://arseblog.com/2026/05/champions/#:~:text=Football%20is%20the,I%E2%80%99d%20undo%20it

Yes, I so relate to it. And I thought I'm the only silly one. Gluing myself in front of the TV, barking instructions, depressing "defend" button on an imaginary playstation controller when corners were taken, etc. And this season there's sth new I did, to break the voodoo:

Hawhawhaw.

THE LEAGUE IS OURS.

Arsenal fans lost their hearts and souls in this game

FT West Ham 0-1 Arsenal 

Holy cow what a terrifying last 10 minutes of the game! Trossard hasn't scored in 2026 because he was saving up for a GAME WINNER!!! 

We started amazing, created several chances within the first ten mins. However West Ham, in 18th position was fighting for a result to avoid relegation. They defended resolutely with 10 men behind the ball. Saka was having an off day and Ben White went off injured in the first half. Mosquera would have been the obvious replacement but Arteta told Zubi to come in and moved Rice to RB??! This totally changed our game and the team struggled to control the midfield and West Ham gradually began seeing more of the ball in the final third. At 66" Arteta realized his folly- he took off Zubi and Saka and Eze, in came Odegaard and Madueke, Rice was shifted back to midfield. Indeed, it was the combination of a 1-two played between Odegaard and Rice and the former found his way into the box with the ball before he teed off Trossard who kept his composure and whipped it towards the near post through a crowd of bodies. It deflected off Soucek slightly. I yearned to see the back of the net bulge AND IT DID!!! A-WOO!!!

AND THEN AT 95TH extra time West Ham scored via a corner!! I hid my face under my shirt, fearing that's it's happened again!!! Goal was given initially but VAR asked the ref over to the monitor! After a lengthy review, Imo it was quite clear Raya's hands were impeded. For once, VAR was on Arsenal's side! Goal was overturned and we eventually secured all 3 points and the result also cemented Raya's Golden Glove award for the 3rd consecutive year! What an immense save from Raya at 80" btw!!! He's done it consistently all season and he deserves to be our Player of the Season! 

Dam Arsenal you give millions of fans heart attack every weekend! 

But the weekend ended great because of this massive, tremendous result! The week ahead will be fantastic!! COYG!! 

36 down, and just 2 more "finals" to see through.

Wassup @ Wawawa

Had a great time catching up with my bossom uni mates. Some things don't change:

The cocky

The pro PAP 

The humble braggy

Topics we talk about also don't change:

 

Housing

Car

Career 

Glad everyone's doing well with our own lives :) Thanks Irritating Ivan for jioing! 

Gunners be serious

Let's be serious. More serious than serious. More serious than it could ever be. This week onwards.

https://arseblog.com/2026/04/its-time-to-be-serious/

3rd work trip

Typing this as I'm otw back to Singapore from Shenzhen onboard CZ8047. My first time on China Southern airlines, by choice, as the other alternatives for direct flights are 1) SQ but it departs Sg at 9pm and 2) the other is Shenzhen airlines whose reason goes without saying. Truth is, I didn't find CZ isn't quite as bad as my dad said? If I were asked to describe it using a familiar airline, I'd say it's like Scoot, similar sized seats and legroom but with in-flight food and service. However it is bereft of entertainment; whereas Scoot offers onboard free wi-fi (limited to their own apps). 

It's my 3rd overseas FAT (not including those done at Msia) since I joined this org. At Shenzhen, we completed FAT of one unit of Daikin air cooled magnetic chiller 175 RT at MacQuay's premises. Whilst the tests were completed as per planned, the results were accepted with reservations nearly the lack of calibration certs and inability to verify the identity of assets. The factory admitted it was a lapse on their part for failing to check accuracy of information beforehand and poor documentation. I reminded the team of consultants and contractor the reason why I requested in the early stage of the project for the source of factory to be USA (but I later learnt it wouldn't have been possible as US factory does not produce chillers that use Sg's list of acceptable refrigerant).

Whilst I was away this week, alot of discussions happened at work which I was unable to participate in. The discussions were on early access and involved D, DDs, ngpo, pmi and us. Having mixed feelings for missing out... On one hand I'm sorry I couldn't be involved in the midst of the action me being the project lead (thanks to my colleagues for covering!), but on the other hand I feel somewhat relieved that I am not the one fronting the difficult questions. Anyway, I'll be sure to get back up to speed after I'm back.

Another part of me feels guilt that my colleagues are doing a lot of hard ground work while I am tucking in into the good hotel breakfast, socialising with the factory and contractor/ supplier/consultants... Hey to be fair, I checked my emails and replied wherever I could, every night until late.

Also very thankful to my wife who solely took care of the kids this week whilst I was away! Muakz love ya! 

I love you so much papa

On a work trip and did video calls with my girls every night. Cherishing that my 6-year-old is so sweet in her msgs to me 🥰

lucky

Mh you're one darn lucky guy 

My neighbour on wheelchair

My neighbour. When we moved in some 11 years ago, he was a healthy middle aged man who chatted with me if we were waiting for the lift, he told me he has two daughters. 

A few years later, I noticed a ramp built outside his unit. I later learnt he had both legs amputated and moved about in a wheelchair. We exchanged hi-byes and didn't talk much beyond that. His daily routine for dinner was that he would travel in his motorized wheelchair to the 201 hawker for dinner with his friends about about 6.45pm, and return two hours later. On a few occasions, it was pouring and I was concerned why he decided to head out despite the rain. Once, he insisted to head out because "my friends are waiting for me". Once or twice when the lift broke down and he had no food at home, I offered to Grab food for him. I remembered a packet of chicken rice to his doorstep costed $15, but paying a premium seemed the only option.

I eventually realised the reason why he always headed out for dinner - his daughter who used to stay with him had moved out to be closer to her workplace, whilst his wife worked unusual hours. In Feb 2026, his wheelchair battery was dead and replacement could only be done in a few days' time. With no one to turn to, he called me for help.

First, he requested for Hokkien mee from 201. 

Then, it was hor fun on CNY day 3. We were out so I ordered Grab but they cancelled on me (shortage of riders as it was raining cats and dogs and being CNY) last minute, I dabaoed from a coffeeshop otw home. It was 10ish pm by the time he ate.

Next, he asked for siew mai and 大包. "Remember put chilli," he called me twice to remind. 

His wheelchair was repaired after that, thankfully.

Not long after, I received a call from him again during a work day. He asked if I was at home, if I could help him troubleshoot his TV which was not emitting sound. I was legit at work, and I told him that.

 

Last week, I saw a WhatsApp notification from him. Wondered if he needed help again? It was a picture message that surfaced:

 

😢

That explained why he looked more frail and listless lately....

He was already sick to begin with.... I feel sad for him of the quality of his last days... Ppl dream of happy times with family members but I believe he didn't have it that way unfortunately.

Got money really doesn't mean anything if you don't have (fairly) good health and the company of loved ones who genuinely care for you.

In a way I feel thankful that I managed to buy food for him last month of his requests - hor fun, siew mai and big bun, hokkien mee. These were meals which gave him comfort. I'm glad I had helped him in my capacity. RIP Mr Chia.

Football hurts you but also rejuvenates

This perhaps describes best how I feel about Arsenal, about football:

How can this be? How have I committed so much of my life to this thing I have zero control over that can do that to me? It’s because football is a really special thing. It can hurt you like few other things can, but when it gives you something like this, all those scars, those many, varied scars, just disappear for a while and are replaced by something almost indescribable.

Source: 

https://arseblog.com/2026/03/arsenal-2-0-everton-max-dowman-delivers-something-special/

Arsenal should be renamed Heart Attack

Unconvincing win.

Despite being 1 goal up and 1 man up for the last 20 mins or so, Arsenal gave away possession too easily and too naively!

Our defenders saved our asses 😰

29 played.

8 more to go.

Can they ...?

Arsenal 4-1 London derby

Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so invested in this son of a gun.

5 points lead over Man City isn't anything. 1 more game played. 12 games to go.

大扫除

We did some pre-CNY cleaning and hung up 春联 around the house this weekend and it was enough to inspire #wye6 to draw this. Cute!

YE's cute comments

YE complimented my pasta that "爸爸煮的pasta 是 好像 5-star hotel 的！"

After playing B Boat with the girls:

Ye in the lift, smiled and chirped: "Today feels like a very good day! Today's B Boat is the best b boat ever!"

And she created the most tiniest storybook ever it's hardly legible it's worse if you have 老花😃

小兴奋

Planned a short 2d1n staycay at JB this weekend, 有点小兴奋, hehe. 😸