Bolton Wanderers defender Chris Forino grew up in Arsenal country and cannot wait to face the club he supports in the EFL Cup on Wednesday (19:45 BST). The St Lucia international, 24, was born in Islington and lived about five minutes from the Emirates Stadium. Now the lifelong Arsenal fan hopes to come up against, who he regards as, the best central defenders around - Gabriel and William Saliba.
Forino's love affair with Arsenal started with a game against Portsmouth in 2008 and continues to this day. He watched the dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City at home with team-mate and childhood pal, Jay Matete, and has been counting down the days to the cup tie. "I got goosebumps the minute I heard about the draw," he said. "I’ve loved Arsenal from the moment I can remember. My whole family does.
"I lived 10 minutes from the stadium, went to school round the corner from there. They gave out tickets to games like this and did initiatives in the area. And my dad probably wouldn’t have let me choose anyone else, anyway!
"I can’t wait for the game and I know a lot of the lads feel the same. For a lot of younger Bolton fans it might be the first chance they have had to go to the Emirates and we hope we can make it a good night for them."
Although there are rumours of Arsenal blooding untested youngsters with one eye on their game against Leicester a few days later, Forino expects that Bolton will have to defend with the same sort of resolve - and perhaps skulduggery - as Arteta’s side did against City.
"I think we’re going to have to," he said. "I’m well-equipped from my time at Wycombe.
"I don’t think I’ve seen anything like Sunday, or at least anything to that extreme. I was watching it at home with Tets (Jay Matete) and cheering the boys on in that second half. We were unfortunate to lose the goal.
"But William Saliba and Gabriel have absolutely transformed the club. It’s attacks that win you games, but defences win you the league and hopefully that’s the case this season.
"The Premier League is a different style to League One but I don’t see why I can’t take notes from them. I remember Saliba’s breakthrough season a few years ago and thinking ‘he’s two or three years younger than me!’ But he is the pinnacle of what defenders want to be these days."
Forino and midfielder Matete, 23, on loan from Sunderland, have been mates since they were kids, with the defender revealing: "We used to play against each other.
"We grew up playing on Highbury Fields, both of us dreaming that one day we’d play for the Arsenal.
"Now we’re going up against them and I started getting goose pimples the minute the draw came through.
"My dad, Barry, will be there leading the family and many friends who want to see me play at the Emirates.
"It’s going to be a fantastic experience for them, just as it will be for me. Who knows? I might even get the chance to score a header, just like Gabriel did against City.
"My first time at the Emirates was in 2008 to see a game with Portsmouth.
"When I was a kid, Thierry Henry was my idol — although I had so many of them in that team.
"Now whatever happens — and, yes, we believe we can do it and win — I’d love to come away with a shirt.
"There would be so many of them I’d like but, right now, if I had a choice of asking any of them to swap I’m edging towards Gabriel.
"That’s because he and Saliba are the kind of defenders you would always want to be."
Forino has been looking forward to stepping out on the hallowed turf of the Emirates for the first time as a player, having watched so many games from the stands. Back in Wanderers’ Premier League pomp, Big Sam’s unfancied Whites used to regularly put Arsene Wenger’s nose out of joint. Victories were confined to home games – and Bolton haven’t actually won in North London since Bruce Rioch side knocked the reigning league champions out of the FA Cup 30 years ago at Highbury.
But Forino can recall some of the bloodied noses given to the stylish Gunners back in the day and is now looking to do the same in a Bolton shirt.
"I remember coming home from training one day and watching Bolton play Arsenal, and I think it was Ivan Campo who was going around smashing everyone," he said. "He should have been sent off and we were losing 2-1.
"My dad was telling me that they always used to struggle against Bolton back in the day, so we’ll be hoping history repeats itself.
"They are world class players and I don’t think we need to talk about their quality. It speaks for itself. But crazy things happen and we just need to go there and be the best possible versions of ourselves, see where it goes."
Arsenal showed against Manchester City they may have learned a few of the dark arts that made Allardyce and his team so successful but Bolton will once again be hoping to shake things up. How can they cause a shock on Wednesday?
"Maybe a team talk from Big Sam could do the trick," suggests Giannakopoulos.
“The dark arts of defending may not exactly be what people want to see. But it’s always been a part of what us central defenders have to do when push comes to, yes, shove.
“You can’t teach it. The dark arts just come as a sort of instinct.
“It’s not something you learn on the training ground. You just do what you have to do when necessary.
“You’re paid to protect your goalkeeper and your goal and put your body on the line no matter what.”
Forino tuned into the game with team-mate Jay Matete, who, like him, is a lifelong Gunners fan and who was brought up just a stone’s throw from the Emirates.
“Me and Jay were just glued to the TV,” he added. “At times we couldn’t believe what we were watching. We couldn’t believe that Mikel Arteta had decided to stick all his players behind the ball and guts it out for a whole half.
“Not against a team like City. Yet they so nearly did it and that defensive display was an inspiration for me. It was amazing to watch.
“Some people say that the dark arts of defending are anti-football but whether you like it or appreciate it or not, it’s part of the game.
"Of course, I know how tough it’s going to be for us against Arsenal but I’m ready to give my all, no matter what.”
