It is the 47th minute of the north London derby, and Viktor Gyokeres has just thumped Arsenal into a 2-1 lead. In O\u2019Malley\u2019s, a pseudo-Irish pub in the Jardim region of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a carnival unfolds.<\/p>\n
This is where the local contingent of Arsenal fans gathers regularly for games. Watching the celebrations, you would not know we are nearly 6,000 miles from the Seven Sisters Road. The enmity is just as strong here, and the passion too. Strangers embrace. Brazilians, ex-pats and holidaymakers, united by a common language: Arsenal.<\/p>\n
As the crescendo builds, there\u2019s yet more noise from outside the bar. The match has barely restarted when a \u201cbloco\u201d (or street party) can be heard rolling down Alameda Itu, right past the bar. The sound of the Arsenal fans\u2019 celebrating blends with the pounding beat from the carnival floats. Only in Brazil.<\/p>\n
Few cities understand the significance of derbies like Sao Paulo. The region is home to four major clubs \u2014 Corinthians, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo and, out towards the coast, Santos \u2014 with fierce rivalries between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand these rivalries because we live them,\u201d says Lucas, 28, a local Arsenal supporter. \u201cI\u2019m also a Corinthians fan, and we absolutely hate \u2018that green team\u2019.\u201d He can barely bring himself to speak the name of Palmeiras.<\/p>\n
Arsenal\u2019s supposedly local rivalry with Spurs has gone global. As the second half goals rain in, the Brazilian Arsenal fans sing that Spurs are destined for \u201crelegation<\/em>\u201d \u2014 relegation.<\/p>\n The bulk of supporters attending are members of Arsenal Sampa, a local supporters\u2019 group led by fanatical Arsenal fan Jailton, 32.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been an Arsenal fan since 2007,\u201d he tells The Athletic<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s when the Premier League started being regularly broadcast here in Brazil. I never liked Manchester United, and when I started watching Arsenal, they were a fantastic team. I fell in love with them.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Malleys emerged as San Paolo\u2019s Arsenal hub somewhat organically. Jailton first attended after looking for a bar to watch the 2014 FA Cup final, which ended Arsenal\u2019s nine-year wait for silverware.<\/p>\n \u201cThe place was full of people, and I thought, \u2018Wow, this is amazing,\u2019\u201d he explains. \u201cBut the official fan network didn\u2019t often organise regular meetings. I thought about creating a supporters\u2019 group that would regularly bring people together, especially for the big matches.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, the group has formed a solid core of support.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a family,\u201d says Jailton. \u201cMany people here, including me, have never had the opportunity to go to London and watch a match at the Emirates.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our way of being close to the club. You make friends, you create bonds, and you feel at home here. This is our stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Arsenal fans watching on during Sunday\u2019s game (James McNicholas\/The Athletic)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While Mikel Arteta strives to end Arsenal\u2019s long wait for a Premier League title, it\u2019s clear the club\u2019s last title-winning manager has had a huge impact on the club\u2019s international support.<\/p>\n \u201cI personally started loving Arsenal because of the beautiful football under Arsene Wenger,\u201d explains Lucas. \u201cGrowing up, everyone was always talking about Barcelona and tiki-taka, but at school I was always telling people, \u2018You have to watch Arsenal.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201c<\/i>Watching Arsenal in the 2000s with Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri <\/b>\u2014 it was Joga Bonito (The Beautiful Game).\u201d<\/p>\n While there were certainly no complaints about Arsenal\u2019s style of play in this 4-1 demolition of Spurs, Arteta\u2019s team are not the free-flowing artists of Wenger\u2019s day. How does that sit with fans in a country where football aesthetics have traditionally been prized?<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a strong defence, it\u2019s OK to sacrifice a bit of beauty,\u201d reasons Lucas. \u201cIt\u2019s about a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to imagine that Arsenal\u2019s rich history of Brazilian players might be a draw for these supporters. Even in the current squad, Arsenal\u2019s three Gabriels all hail from the Sao Paulo region.<\/p>\n \u201cBrazilian players have been important,\u201d admits Jailton. \u201cPlayers like Gilberto Silva and Edu were part of the Invincibles era, which made a big impact.<\/p>\n \u201cBut honestly, you don\u2019t hear many people saying they support Arsenal because<\/i> of Brazilian players. Brazilian fans usually connect more with players like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.\u201d<\/p>\n The legacy of the Invincibles is evident here. If Arsenal become champions again, it will continue the spread of Arsenal lore across the planet.<\/p>\n In Sao Paulo, Jailton and the team are preparing for a huge event on March 22nd, when Arsenal face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final.<\/p>\n And after this resounding derby victory, local fans are dreaming of seeing the team lift the Premier League or Champions League trophy in May.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would mean so much to us,\u201d says Jailton. \u201cThat would be a real carnival.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is the 47th minute of the north London derby, and Viktor Gyokeres has just thumped Arsenal into a 2-1 lead. 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