One aspect of the history of The Gooner that always gives us a chuckle is the notion of ‘The curse of The Gooner cover’. The idea is that if we put a particular player on the front cover, they invariably get injured, either before the game when the issue goes on sale or pretty damn soon afterwards. A bit of a twist with this issue. We went to press the day before the home game v Dortmund and cover star Aaron Ramsey had a pretty bad day at the office the following evening, gifting the Germans the first goal.

Still, at least he didn’t need a spell on the treatment table, and had a decent enough game when the issue went on sale last weekend at Palace. Most regular buyers will get their first chance to pick up the issue v Liverpool tomorrow, so I am taking this opportunity to do the now traditional bit of self-promotion. I know I always repeat this, but it bears saying again because not everyone realises it. The content of the printed issue is exclusive and unavailable anywhere else – specifically online (unless of course you purchase the e-edition). That, we hope, is enough to persuade you to part with £2.50.

So what is actually in this issue? For starters, a piece by Simon Rose on the idea that the signing of Mesut Özil has somehow transformed Arsenal at a stroke, changing the atmosphere at the club and giving them a psychological edge. Time will tell on that one. This issue’s special feature, which we have already trailed, is on memorable European home matches, beginning in 1970 and taking the story up to 2011. It was inspired by the stunning home performance against Napoli, which we hope will not prove in vain and that the Gunners can avoid the Thursday/Sunday phenomenon of Europa League involvement. There are a couple of articles, by Mark Halfpenny and Nadim Namaan which touch on the idea that Arsene Wenger is getting it right after all and will prove his doubters wrong. It’s an interesting debate. Would a title win this season justify the eight trophyless years? My own question related to this subject is could any other manager have achieved more since 2005 at Arsenal that Arsene Wenger has done. Of course, it is a question that cannot have a definitive answer, but it makes for an interesting exchange of views.

There is an offering from Bernard Dowling on the influence of Mathieu Flamini and our occasional ‘Grounds For Concern’ feature by Charlie Ashmore focuses on Sunderland’s Roker Park. Matthew Bazell writes that Arsenal have a very vocal support out there, it just isn’t getting tickets for matches to influence the team. Phil Wall’s ‘Arsenal Programmes through the Years’ series moves onto 1972-73, whilst Brian Dawes’ submission on the 32 players on the stadium cores reaches Joe Mercer.

‘A Moment In Time’ reflects on the post-match celebrations after the 1987 League Cup semi-final replay at the Lane, whilst Howard Lamb’s ‘A Perfect 10’ puts forward the notion that the record run of away wins stopped with the League Cup penalty shoot-out victory at West Brom because that game was a draw after extra time. David O’Brien’s popular ‘In the Away End’, in which he inhabits the chatrooms and forums of Arsenal’s opponents this issue focuses on Stoke around the time of the recent home win against Mark Hughes’ team. Here’s one excerpt anticipating the return game at the Britannia this season… ‘Hateful, bile filled, raw vitriol should rain down from the stands on to their precious little heads when they play here though and none of this gentle mocking and teasing of Wenger, I want grown men and women, children, dogs, pigeons, just screaming foul mouthed obscenities at him. I want him to rue the day that his French whore of a mother birthed him and he slithered out, bespectacled, wrinkled and sneering about how he was born 'the right way' and screaming blue murder about the way the doctor hacked off his umbilical cord’. Ahem….

Remembering that this issue went on sale last week at the Palace away game, there is a feature by Mike Slaughter on the Holmesdale End and how their fans create such a decent atmosphere. Peter Le Beau recalls the Arsenal match that turned him into a lifelong fan in ‘Arsenal and I’, whilst Marcia Milnes seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Nacho Monreal’s socks. There is cartoon humour in the form of ‘Rixy’s Believe It Or Not’, ‘X-Man Marks The Spot’ and ‘Murph’s Mirth’ as long as all of our regular columnists.

In short, please buy a copy and help the Gooner survive in tough times for print media. We have largely resisted advertising to try and keep the quality of The Gooner at a level where readers will continue to want to buy our issues.

The new issue of The Gooner will be on sale at the home matches against Liverpool, Southampton and Marseille and can be bought online here.

DIGITAL ISSUES
The Gooner is also available in digital form, through The Gooner App on iPhones and iPads, the Exactly App for Android devices and now Kindle Fire owners can also get their fix by searching the Amazon App Store for The Gooner.

You can also subscribe at www.exacteditions.com and read it through your internet browser as well as receiving a code which will enable you to access issues on all the above devices.

All digital subscriptions include access to our digital back issue library which dates back to August 2010.