The 7 best Arsenal pubs in London to watch the Champions League semi-final tonight
London might be enjoying a late April heatwave this week, but Spurs fans might be better off staying indoors this evening, because north London's Gooner population will be out in force.
Having trounced current holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarters earlier this month, Arsenal's men's team will be playing in their first Champions League semi-final since 2009 on Tuesday (April 29) evening, when they take on Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium in the first of two legs.
The crucial fixture arrives just days after the women's team overcame Lyon to secure their first European final in 18 years, only increasing the anticipation for the historic club's biggest game in a generation.
Tickets to the 60,000-capacity Emirates are predictably hard to come by, so most fans will be heading to the boozers and beer gardens of north London to watch Rice, Saka and Ødegaard go toe to toe with Dembélé, Marquinhos and Donnarumma.
Looking for a lively atmosphere in which to catch all the action? Look no further than our roundup of London's best Gooner pubs.
The Drayton Park
A bar stool at the Drayton is basically as close as you can get to pitchside without a ticket. You can see the stadium from the window, and you'll certainly hear the roar from inside if the home team score. This place has a pretty strict home crowd only policy, and predictably gets insanely busy before kick-off, before quieting down as the lucky ticket-holders head inside.
66 Drayton Park, N5 1ND
The Tollington Arms
Another lively spot within shouting distance of the stadium itself, the Tolly also attracts a huge pre-match crowd that spills out into the fenced off porches outside the entrance, where the pre-match atmosphere is sometimes bolstered by a live band. Make sure you check out its impressive collection of stickers from Arsenal fan clubs around the world.
115 Hornsey Road, N7 6DN
The Gunners Pub
You'd struggle to find a pub that wears its allegiances more proudly than this Blackstock Road institution, which is decked out in all manner of Arsenal memorabilia. It also sports a covered beer garden, and stages live music before and after matches.
204 Blackstock Road, N5 1EN
The Army & Navy
This 1930s-built boozer was crowned our favourite pub in London last year. Being in the overlapping area between hipster territory and the Gooner heartlands, it's always rammed and rowdy on match days. Wear a JVC-era 90s kit if you want to fit in with the Héctor Bellerín wannabes that frequent its massive beer garden.
1-3 Matthias Road, N16 8NN
The Brook Gate
Formerly known as the Arsenal Tavern, this pub underwent extensive refurbishment when it was taken over by new owners in 2023, but its allegiances haven't changed even if the name has. One of the roomier pubs near the stadium, it boasts two pool tables, some great matchday drinks offers and more screens than you can count.
175 Blackstock Road, N4 2JS
The Bank of Friendship
A Yard Sale delivery partnership and a healthy smattering of fans rocking the Arsenal x Aries collection are just some of the 'cool pub' signifiers on display at in this Blackstock Road boozer, which sports a deceptively large beer garden out back. It's also a good option for the discerning drinker; you'll find a solid roster of craft beers and even a mezcal negroni on tap.
226 Blackstock Road, N5 1EA
With a massive beer garden overlooking Stoke Newington's leafy park, and plenty of outdoor screens, Clissold Park Tavern is a great place to catch the action on sunny days. And it's also a good option if you're keen to line your stomach, serving up decent pizzas, sharing platters and classic pub snacks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
38 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Thomas Frank is perfect manager to deal with Tottenham's Daniel Levy – after being slammed by his OWN chairman on forum
Frank beats Ange in one big way TAKE IT OR LEVY IT TAKE IT OR LEVY IT Thomas Frank is perfect manager to deal with Tottenham's Daniel Levy – after being slammed by his OWN chairman on forum Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOMAS FRANK'S first big job ended when the club chairman was exposed for criticising him on an online fans' forum. Although some Tottenham supporters have a pretty low opinion of supremo Daniel Levy, it's unlikely he would ever be caught doing the same. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Thomas Frank is the perfect manager to deal with Tottenham's Daniel Levy Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 Spurs owner Levy is on the hunt for a new gaffer after sacking Ange Credit: Alamy Levy keeps a low profile and says very little about whether he is backing his manager — until the moment he doesn't any more. Which is not quite how Jans Bech Andersen handled things after becoming chairman of Danish club Brondby. Frank had left his role with the Danish FA coaching the youth teams and working with senior boss Morten Olsen, to take over at the cash-strapped fallen giants in 2013. But he resigned in March 2016 after just under three years in charge because of what became known as 'Oscar-gate'. READ MORE TOTTENHAM NEWS ANGE-R MANAGEMENT Spurs face 'player revolt over Postecoglou axe as some threaten to quit' 'Oscar' was the name attached to a profile on a leading Brondby fan messageboard which had repeatedly hammered Frank and sporting director Per Rud. And it turned out that 'Oscar' was Bech Andersen, a rich fan who had increased his investment and influence at the club a few months after Frank's arrival. Among 'Oscar's' posts were rants criticising Frank for being a coach 'who is inexperienced and stubbornly sticks to a system that doesn't work' and his 'inability to integrate new players that he himself has 100 per cent chosen'. 'Oscar' said Frank and Rud had made 'crazy decisions together due to ignorance and lack of experience', creating 'a headache that needs to be cured as soon as possible'. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Frank understandably talked of a 'breach of trust' in his resignation statement. Nine months later, in December 2016, he joined Brentford as assistant boss to Dean Smith before taking the head coach role in October 2018. England football ace Millie Bright leaves fiancé & falls for married personal trainer 'in a big way' 5 It would be easy to say the rest is history but Frank did have a sticky start to his reign. Without the strong backing of Bees owner Matthew Benham and co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen — a fellow Dane — he might not have survived. Gambling guru Benham believed Frank was a good bet and has been proved right. For all Frank's incredible success in leading the club from the Championship to the top half of the Premier League, Levy and Spurs fans are entitled to ask how he would cope with the very different challenge at Tottenham? The 51-year-old has never taken charge of a Champions League match nor won a major trophy, two things which were on former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou's CV even before he led Spurs to Europa League glory in what turned out to be his final game. Eddie Howe was similarly inexperienced when he joined Newcastle in November 2021. Yes, Howe had taken Bournemouth through the divisions all the way to ninth place in the top flight but he had also been relegated in 2020 and never managed in Europe. Yet Howe proved his doubters wrong — in 2023 he led the Magpies back into the Champions League, before lifting their first major domestic trophy for 70 years with March's Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool. Much has been made of Brentford's use of data from Benham's gambling business to give them the edge in recruitment. But it is one thing to identify hidden gems with the potential to become stars — the art is making them realise that potential. 5 Spurs sacked Ange Postecoglou on Friday 5 And Frank has a brilliant record, particularly with forward players. Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are the most high-profile examples of the ability of Frank and his coaches. Levy will have also seen how players like Christian Norgaard — soon to become a free agent — have quietly become established Prem stars. Frank has also proved tactically adaptable in a way Big Ange stubbornly refused to be until that backs-to-the-wall performance in the second half of the Europa League final against Manchester United. Brentford were a free-scoring, attractive side in the Championship. But after winning the play-off final in 2021, Frank knew he had to compromise a bit. He made his side defensively sound and difficult to beat, using marginal gains like set-piece excellence to help preserve their top-flight status. But last season the Bees were among the Prem's great entertainers. They were also one of the very few clubs in Europe to have three players with more than ten league goals - Mbeumo, Wissa and Kevin Schade. If Frank gets the Spurs job, his personality will be quite a change from Postecoglou's gruff Aussie charms. The genial Dane is the most relatable and likeable Prem boss. His image of a man who likes to visit his local pub on the Thames is not just for show. Brentford know what an asset they have, which is why Frank has a £10million release clause. Every managerial appointment is a gamble but for Levy that could be money well spent. Bech Andersen remains at Brondby and is still posting on social media — albeit under his own name now. At least Frank won't have to cope with Levy doing that if he joins Spurs.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Thomas Tuchel says England star looked 'out of rhythm' after Andorra win
Thomas Tuchel said the decision to bench Declan Rice for England's win over Andorra came after the midfielder lacked 'rhythm' in the build-up to the game. England made it three wins from three in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, but ultimately flattered to deceive in their 1-0 win over Andorra. The Three Lions huffed and puffed, dominating the ball for large swathes of the game, but only Harry Kane found his way onto the scoresheet midway through the second half. Still getting to grips with his squad, Tuchel fielded an experimental XI in Barcelona, with Curtis Jones deployed at right-back and Jordan Henderson starting in the heart of England's midfield for the first time since 2023. Rice has been a mainstay of England's midfield for the past few years, but only came on as a late second-half sub, with Tuchel suggesting the decision to bench the Arsenal star was solely based on what he had seen in training prior to the game. 'Declan [Rice] looked a little bit out of rhythm and I think Jordan [Henderson] deserved to play,' Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live post-match. 'And also for what Jordan brings to this group, well deserved. We started well and then lost the rhythm and precision and also the energy to be more decisive and score more goals. 'It is necessary that we look at it and then present in detail to the players what we don't like, what we want to do better and what are the standards.' Rice played 52 games in all competitions for Arsenal last season, and is one of many England stars who could have done without this international break at the end of the campaign. But Tuchel insisted that fatigue after a draining season was no excuse for England's lack of urgency against their lowly-ranked opposition on Saturday evening. 'The window is the window, so no excuses of course,' the German said post-match. 'We said many times that the clubs don't like the window, and even for the national teams, it's not an easy window because they come from holidays and long seasons. But still, I think we can and have to do better in the 90 minutes. 'We played 25 minutes where I had the feeling it was a matter of time before we created chances and scored, but we lost this momentum completely in the last 20 minutes of the first half. 'Started okay again for the first 15 minutes of the second half, but we lost it again. It was a lack of energy and quality at the end of both halves and I think it's the most honest thing to admit it and not talk around it. 'We expect more and we can deliver more and we'll try to take this as a learning and do better as quickly as possible.' Kane's second-half strike saw England's captain notch up his 450th career goal, but the Bayern Munich striker admitted his side must be better regardless of the schedule. More Trending 'It's not one that many will remember and we had good spells but we take the three points and move on,' he told ITV post-match. 'We were probably not good enough on the ball and it gave them some confidence and then the last five or 10 minutes, we have to stop them. 'We need to be better for sure. June is never an easy camp and we have people coming in after long seasons. We have a friendly on Thursday we can learn from again. 'The fans were great and they made themselves heard, and we are disappointed we couldn't score more but we will look towards the next game.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Why are England playing Andorra in Spain? Reason behind different stadium MORE: Why Bukayo Saka is not playing for England against Andorra MORE: Reece James reacts to Chelsea's signing of in-demand striker Liam Delap
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Harry Kane saves the day for England against Andorra - but drab display a worrying sign for Thomas Tuchel
After a game that was so dismally lacking in spark, Thomas Tuchel had one message he clearly wanted to repeat, doing so in three different interviews: 'We were playing with fire.' It says much that a Champions League -winning manager genuinely thought there was a chance that England might slip up to Andorra. Another comment after this dreadful 1-0 win said even more. Tuchel was so alarmed by England's 'attitude' in the last 30 minutes of this match that he plans a meeting on Sunday to let the squad 'know what we want from them'. That is what might make an otherwise completely forgettable game somewhat significant. Tuchel was furious. And yet, through all of this, it was difficult not to think back to words the England manager said in March: 'The Fifa June window is I think debatable if it makes sense.' Tuchel was at the time talking about how some players won't have played a game for four weeks but, given the amount of discussion about the calendar right now, it's hard not to put that into a wider context. At Espanyol's new stadium, England looked like what they are: a group of elite-league players who have had long seasons, and need a break. Some of them instead have to go to the Club World Cup. They played as if they wanted to be anywhere but here. And that is what most aggravated Tuchel. It was why he was completely unwilling to re-assert his reservations about the June window. 'No excuses,' he said. 'The window is the window.' In other words, they can all have arguments about what this international break should be but that doesn't mean they should allow themselves to drop off in the way they did in the last half-hour. Tuchel simply said he didn't like it. 'I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier. I think we played with fire. I didn't like the attitude in the end. I didn't like the body language. It was not what the occasion needed.' Tuchel instead likened it to an FA Cup game, where the favourite fails to realise there is a real risk of an upset. Andorra's Guillaume Lopez even caused a late scare. 'Matches like this can become awkward when you don't score or you don't score a second goal,' Tuchel said. 'It can be stuck. Even then it's more necessary to not get frustrated, to not let your energy drop, to do the little things right. I had the feeling after 25 minutes that it becomes like we are frustrated with the little things, then everybody tried a little bit different than we tried in the first 25. It looked slower and slower and slower. 'There were no more movements in the last third to attack the box. Everyone wanted the ball then into the foot, no more speeding up the game with runs. You need runs, you need counter-movements, you need nonstop movement. If you don't invest, then it becomes suddenly a stuck game and you get frustrated. 'I think in the end, we played with fire, honestly. I felt it almost like in a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger. I didn't feel a team that was aware it was only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier.' It's actually a perfect summation of these types of games, that aptly explains the psychology of such occasions. What Tuchel described was very visible, right up to players forcing dribbles or long shots. There was that growing angst about England. In the end, it was just a natural lack of quality from a side ranked 173rd in the world that settled the game. That's so low it's well over 100 places more than Fifa's absurd World Cup expansion. Either way, Curtis Jones played the ball through, Harry Kane finally got inside, the initial effort was diverted - Andorra's Iker did have a good game - and Noni Madueke diverted it back for the captain. It was Kane's 72nd goal for England, putting him joint 15th in the overall international rankings. Madueke himself missed a good late chance for a second, but that was pretty much it. England had created so little. Even Tuchel remarked how they 'created an xG of three and underperformed with one goal, which is very unusual in a match like this where you usually over-perform an xG'. The manager had said before the game that he was almost seeing this as a training exercise to prepare for low blocks. Except, England weren't playing with the necessary edge, and no one plays a block as low as Andorra. There were long periods when they had five players in their own six-yard box. That ensured Dan Burn was on the ball so much that it was hard not to wonder if Cole Palmer would be better served in that position. England might have benefited from some searching balls. As it was, they toiled to find a way through. Andorra had a well-executed tactical plan, and the game was clearly well worth it for Andorra. They could be proud of this, and Tuchel praised them for their resilience and how 'well drilled' they were. 'It is the third time we have played a deep block, the third time we have played a 5-4-1 from the opponent, and we struggled heavily in the ending of the first and second halves to create, to show the quality in one-on-ones, to create overloads and decisive situations for us.' From all of that, you could say England ultimately won and this game barely matters. Gareth Southgate 's side used to rack up heavy scores in such matches only for it to have no bearing on actual tournaments. It's like a different level of football. Except, there was a wider significance. Tuchel well knows that successful sides can't just switch it on and off like that. Spain 2008-12 weren't like that. Germany 2014 weren't like that. What made them successful was the absolutely punishing standards, and the expectation that they would fully execute their great quality in all moments. They acted as if any drop-off would be fatal. That is what Tuchel demands. 'We got away with a win,' he concluded. 'I think we still deserved the win and we've got three wins and three clean sheets. OK, we will not stop encouraging them and make clear after we have a proper look at the match what we want from them.' It's not about a 1-0 against Andorra. It's about the standards of champions.
