Canadian Gooners: The rise of Arsenal's fan base in Canada

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Following the recent win against Manchester United, Arsenal reached 50 points in the Premier League ranking, hitting its own record. It's the first time the Gunners have earned 50 points within the first 19 games of the season, which has led many of the club's fans to be overly enthusiastic. The record, which surpassed the club's best result of 45 points mid-season in 2003/2004, leads to a positive memory of Arsenal's title win that season. Although the current score is impressive, the club has failed to re-do its outstanding performance in the 2003/2004 season of winning the championship without losing any match. Back then, the Gunners completed the Premier League championship (EPL) with 90 points, an accomplishment Arsenal fans wished would be repeated. In the case of this club, if strength by numbers could impact the final score, the Gunners would likely win the EPL. Arsenal is one of the most popular football clubs worldwide, with a following of millions. Even in countries where football isn't the top popular sport, as in Canada, the Gunners have amassed an impressive number of die-hard fans.

Arsenal's fan clubs in Canada: a growing phenomenon

Although it has been nearly two decades since Arsenal last won the EPL, the Gunners' fanbase has continuously increased. The current standing for the championship is awe-inspiring and equally rare, as hitting the big 50 halfway through the season has only happened a few times before. Following Manchester City in 2017/2018, Liverpool in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, and Chelsea in 2005/2006, it's now time for the Gunners to offer its fans a small piece of this record-breaking dream. Arsenal fans have been through some ups and downs while keeping up with the team. Between winning the FA Cup four times between 2014 and 2020 and providing inconsistent quality, the Gunners' fanbase has surely felt underwhelmed in the past several seasons. Nonetheless, one particular fanbase has been consistently expanding and committed to Arsenal's success and lack thereof equally. Founded in 2005, Arsenal Canada is the headquarters for Canadian Gooners. Established in Calgary, the fan club has executives throughout Canada, aiming to improve the fans' connection to Arsenal and among themselves. With multiple locations across the country, including in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba, Arsenal Canada showcases how the Gunners keep their followers motivated to celebrate its wins and losses season after season.

The reactions to Arsenal's current success

Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts on Arsenal's current performance, describing it with one single word - "Extraordinary". The Gunners not only cleared the rank by five points but also broke the record of hitting 50 points halfway through the EPL matches. "I think we deserve the points that we have, I think we have played well enough to win most of the matches, but the reality as well is that we still have a lot of things that we can get much better at," said Arsenal's manager, who remains humble after the fantastic win against Manchester United.

Rising from the ashes against the odds

Mikel Arteta's first two seasons as a manager didn't do Arsenal any favours. After placing eighth in the EPL's ranking, many believed that the Gunners were doomed to continue an unsuccessful journey. The fact that Arsenal has the youngest squad in the league didn't give much hope to critics, but the team has demonstrated they can meet and surpass any expectations. With only one loss in the championship thus far, the Gunners' squad showed that it could beat the odds, even when critics deemed the team lacking star power and depth. Many players have proven that they have what it takes to lead the championship, namely Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has become the team's revelation. Martin Ødegaard and Xhaka have also been superb this season, highly contributing to the current success.

Will Arsenal keep the lead?

There's still a long way until the end of the season in May, which means anything can happen. According to the critics, the club's odds were already bad following Arteta's two initial seasons. Nonetheless, Arsenal is currently leading with 50 points, with Manchester City closely behind with 45, which means that the odds can and might be beaten. One way of predicting the championship outcome is by looking at the winning odds sports betting websites offer for each team. Although sportsbooks aren't always right, this information helps fans better understand which clubs might win. Betano.ca is one of the most popular websites for soccer bettors, and according to the odds offered, Arsenal is on its way to winning the Premier League. However, since there are still many matches until the end of the season, any other team at the top of the leaderboard might surprise us. We're sure that the Gunners fanbase will continue to support and motivate its players, regardless of how the season ends and which team finally lifts the EPL cup.