gunnerblog.com

What is Gunnerblog?

Gunnerblog is a personal Arsenal football blog written by a fan, running under the tagline "Blogging about all things Arsenal from 2004 – 2014." It mixes match reports, opinion pieces and video reaction shows, written in a conversational, joke-heavy first-person voice rather than the neutral tone of a news outlet.

What you find there

• Match reaction posts — short written pieces after games, often with a headline that states the argument up front, such as a claim that Arsenal were the best team in England after a 4-1 win over Liverpool.
• Video reaction — the "On the Whistle" videos, filmed shortly after the final whistle, covering wins that were ugly as well as impressive.
• Opinion and debate — transfer talk framed as open questions (for example, who you would swap a striker for), plus references to a companion podcast.
• Archive material — the site presents an archive covering 2004 to 2010, so it functions partly as a long-running diary of a fan's seasons.

Who it suits, and the trade-off

It suits Arsenal supporters who want emotional, opinionated reaction rather than neutral reporting, and readers who enjoy the running jokes and self-deprecating asides. The trade-off is the same as with any single-author fan blog: the analysis is deliberately partisan, coverage is uneven, and posts can be very short when the writer feels there is little to say.

Practical next step

If you want matchday reaction in the moment, start with the most recent post and work backwards; if you want to judge the site's style before committing, read one match report and watch one "On the Whistle" video, since the written and video voices differ in length but not in tone. For club news and official statements, pair it with the club's own site rather than relying on a fan blog alone.

How does Gunnerblog's coverage of Arsenal compare to other Arsenal fan sites?

Gunnerblog is best understood as a time capsule rather than a live competitor: its own strapline places it as "blogging about all things Arsenal from 2004–2014," and the page evidence is a run of 2015 match posts such as the Burnley 1-0 reaction, the 4-1 win over Liverpool and the 3-0 win over West Ham. That makes it an archive of one writer's voice across a decade, not a rolling news desk.

What it does differently

• One voice, not a staff. Posts are signed by a single author and read as personal argument: whether Arsenal were the best team in England, why a scrappy win still counted, what a result meant for the mood around the club.
• Opinion first, detail second. The Burnley entry openly admits there is "incredibly little to say" and pivots to a video reaction — the opposite of a report-driven site that leads with lineups, ratings and quotes.
• Mixed formats. Written posts sit alongside "On The Whistle" video reactions and a companion podcast (the Arsecast Extra is referenced directly), so the archive is partly audio and video rather than pure text.

How that compares with other Arsenal fan sites

For current, regularly updated Arsenal coverage with a comparable independent-blog feel, Arseblog is the closest well-known counterpart, and Arseblog News handles the news side. For broader club context, Arsenal is the official source, and BBC Sport covers match reporting at scale.

Which to pick

• Choose Gunnerblog if you want to read a single fan-writer's evolving take on a specific era, or you're researching how Arsenal opinion was framed at the time.
• Choose a rolling blog or news site if you need today's team news, transfer confirmation or post-match facts.
• Choose a forum if you want disagreement in real time rather than one considered argument.
• Choose a podcast or video channel if you'd rather listen than read.

A practical test: pick one match you remember well and read how Gunnerblog covered it, then read the same fixture on a news-driven site. If you find yourself more interested in the argument than the facts, the personal-blog model is the better fit for you.

What can I expect from the 'On The Whistle' video series on Gunnerblog?

Expect short, immediate post-match reaction videos rather than polished tactical breakdowns. From the page evidence, the "On The Whistle" series is tied to specific matches: a 1–0 win over Burnley ("They can't all be pretty"), a reaction to Monaco ("Why do I do this to myself?"), and a discussion episode titled "Who would you swap Giroud for?" The Burnley entry is framed as a substitute for a full written report, with the author noting there was "incredibly little to say" and pointing listeners toward the Arsecast Extra for further discussion.

What that means in practice

• Timing and format: The Burnley post is dated the same evening as the match, so expect quick-turnaround video, not a delayed long-read.
• Tone: Self-deprecating and fan-voiced. The Burnley description leans on words like "gritty," "niggly" and "ugly," then jokes the performance was "unusual looking."
• Scope: Reaction and opinion, sometimes with a debate prompt, as in the Giroud swap question. The Monaco title suggests it also handles disappointing results without pretending otherwise.
• Relationship to the written blog: It sits alongside longer match pieces such as the Arsenal 4–1 Liverpool post, which argues a case at length. The video is the lighter, faster companion.

Who it suits

If you want a same-day temperature check on an Arsenal result and enjoy a wry, partisan voice, this fits. If you want structured analysis, player data or a calm post-mortem, the written match posts and the linked podcast are the better destination.

A useful next step

Pick one recent result you have strong feelings about, watch the corresponding "On The Whistle" clip, then read the fuller written post on the same match. The gap between the two tells you quickly whether the video series alone gives you enough. For broader Arsenal coverage, compare with Arseblog.

Is Gunnerblog still updated, and where can I find its archives?

Gunnerblog is no longer an active Arsenal blog. Its own strapline dates it to “2004 – 2014,” and the posts visible on the site are from April 2015, covering matches such as Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool and a 1-0 win over Burnley. So if you want a running feed of current Arsenal writing, this is not it; treat Gunnerblog as a time capsule rather than a live publication.

What you can still read there

• Match reactions and video posts, including the “On The Whistle” series.
• Longer opinion pieces, such as the Liverpool 4-1 and West Ham 3-0 entries.
• An “Archives (2004-10)” link, which is the best starting point for the earliest material.
• An “About” and “Contact” page, plus a “Home” link for the most recent posts that remain online.

How to use the archives

The archive link covers 2004 to 2010, so it is the most useful route for the blog’s early years. The front page and post list carry later pieces, but they are not organised as a complete chronological index. If you are researching a specific match or season, search the site by opponent, scoreline or competition rather than expecting a clean year-by-year menu.

For current Arsenal coverage, use active independent sites and official club channels instead. For historical fan writing, Gunnerblog is worth reading as an example of the 2000s Arsenal blog era, but its value is retrospective: it shows how supporters reacted in the moment, not what is happening now.

How does Gunnerblog analyze Arsenal's matches and transfers?

Gunnerblog analyses Arsenal through a fan-blogger's lens: match reactions written in the moment, tactical and emotional judgements delivered with humour, and transfer talk framed around what the squad lacks rather than around rumour aggregation. The site's own archive shows this clearly — a 1-0 win over Burnley in April 2015 is treated as "gritty", "niggly" or "ugly" depending on your mood, with the writer admitting there is "incredibly little to say" and pushing deeper discussion to a podcast. A 4-1 win over Liverpool the same month gets the opposite treatment: a confident argument that Arsenal were the best team in England at that moment, with Chelsea's form and Juan Cuadrado's struggles used as counter-evidence.

What the match analysis looks like

• Result first, then argument. The post leads with the scoreline, then makes a claim and defends it with recent form (eight straight league wins, victories over both Manchester clubs).
• Opposition as measuring stick. Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs are assessed for what beating them says about Arsenal's progress, not just for the three points.
• Narrative over data. The writing leans on momentum, confidence and historical hoodoos — such as Arsène Wenger never having beaten José Mourinho — rather than expected goals or passing maps.
• Self-aware humour. Jokes about alien-looking models, goats versus hammers, and "the world's most expensive Gervinho impersonator" keep the tone conversational rather than punditic.

How transfers are handled

Transfers appear as squad-gap questions rather than breaking news. One archived post is titled "Who would you swap Giroud for?", which is the characteristic move: take a current player, ask whether an upgrade exists, and invite readers to argue in the comments. The Liverpool post treats the January signing of Cuadrado as a cautionary example of a big-money arrival failing to change a team's trajectory. Expect speculation tied to tactical fit and value, not to insider claims about medicals or fee structures.

Where it sits among Arsenal reading

For a reader who wants a considered, opinionated post-match essay with personality, Gunnerblog is a natural fit; for rolling transfer news and confirmed lineups, a news desk serves better. If you want a second, more news-driven Arsenal voice, Arseblog is the long-running companion site, and the same writer's podcast work is referenced throughout the archive. For neutral, club-agnostic match reports, BBC Sport covers the same fixtures without the fan framing.

A practical test: read one post after a scrappy win and one after a heavy defeat. If the tone and reasoning hold up in both, the blog is doing what it sets out to do — reacting like a supporter who can still make an argument.

What is the tone and style of Gunnerblog's writing?

Gunnerblog's tone is fan-first, conversational and self-aware: it mixes match analysis with jokes, hyperbole and direct address to fellow Arsenal supporters. The style is diary-like and informal, with short, punchy sentences, rhetorical questions and asides that assume the reader already knows the club's history and current squad. It is opinionated rather than neutral, and it openly admits when a performance was ugly or when there is little to say.

What that looks like in practice

• Match reaction as the core: Posts are built around a specific result or moment, often within hours of the final whistle.
• Humour and exaggeration: A gritty win is called "unusual looking", and a rival signing is mocked as "the world's most expensive Gervinho impersonator".
• Fan-to-fan framing: The writer speaks as a supporter ("I'm feeling pretty generous") rather than as a detached reporter.
• Short-form and video mix: Some entries are brief written reactions, while others point to "On The Whistle" video pieces and podcast discussion.
• Assumed knowledge: References to Chelsea, Mourinho, Wenger and Arsenal's trophy record are left unexplained.

If you are deciding whether this style suits you, read one match report and one lighter video post. The match report shows the analytical side; the video post shows the humour and brevity. If you want neutral, data-heavy coverage, this will feel too personal. If you want the feeling of talking to an articulate Arsenal-supporting friend after a game, it fits. The trade-off is that the strong voice and jokes can date quickly and may not suit readers who want a consistent, formal record of events.