Bayern 1-1 Arsenal [3-1 on Aggregate] - Some food centre in Penang.

Arsenal have been somewhat undeservedly knocked out of the Champions League, yet again, by Bayern Munich. It was a fixture that didn't have much in the way of hope for Arsenal fans, yet as soon as the boys kicked off you could see there was intent to repeat what we did last year, and that gave us all hope during the match but consequently disappointment after the final whistle. It was simply too little too late, the inevitable was confirmed and Arjen Robben (along with his vagina) has once again cheated his way through to the next round of the UCL.

Robben: no testicles.

Robben's antics may have cost us the first leg and he no has no doubt helped his employers, both past and present, (Chelsea, Real and Bayern) win games undeservedly. If it were down to me he'd get punished retrospectively by UEFA, preferably by firing squad, but we all know that these sporting bodies display more corruption than a Sopranos episode.

The defeat leaves us with two competitions to concentrate on, the Premier League and the FA Cup, the latter of which is easily our biggest silverware opportunity since the Carling Cup against Birmingham. Once again there's no clear outcome here, it'll mostly come down to how we cope with our brutal fixture run-in and typical Arsenal injury table implosion. It is evident that Arsenal are an improved side overall, compared with last season. The Gunners have grown up physically, technically, mentally and, most important of all, statistically, and this is a great thing to look forward to for seasons to come. It's food for thought, and the FA Cup will be the overdue cherry on top of it all.

A cannon in Penang. Fitting

I watched the Champions League match in Penang with Anand, the Arsenal fan who's putting me up whilst I'm in Malaysia. It was a different affair to the usual match-screening as there's no real Arsenal supporters club in Penang, but it didn't matter. The most important thing for me was to enjoy what the city had to offer, and that, once again, meant food. Penang is where foodies, chefs and critics from all over the world head to when they want to eat some of the tastiest, cheapest street food available. It's not all about the food though - a large portion of the city has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique architecture and well-preserved colonial age buildings. 

So, I've done Kuala Lumpur and Penang. I will be back in Malaysia's capital for the North London Derby before flying to Borneo to spend some time in the jungle. Hopefully I won't get eaten.

Until Sp*rs then...

COYG