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Photo from Freepik
Morning all.
No surprise really that Ethan Nwaneri’s goal against Manchester City last month is a contender for the Premier League’s Goal of the Month award. It was a stunner. If there was an award for assist of the month, then look no further than the Declan Rice 50 yard pass to our youngster. I think the goal was even sweeter because it was against City and the fifth in our 5-1 thrashing of them.
Arsenal v Utd used to be the biggest clash of a season for both clubs as for a short period of roughly one or the other used to win the league. The battle between the two lasted for around nine years.
The appointment of Arsene Wenger in 1996 saw more overseas players join the club as an overhaul of the squad took place and away from the pitch, the Frenchman focussed on fitness, diet and delivering exciting football. as well as fitness and diet.
Whilst most of our current players are great in their own right, Wenger certainly spoiled us by signing wonderful players over years he was manager. From Anelka, Vieira, Petit, to Bobby, Freddie, Campbell, Gilberto and Henry and even through our barren years the great players kept on coming. Fabregas, Nasri, Hleb, Aubameyang and Ozil. All excellent players although for one or two, their attitude towards playing, didn’t necessarily match their talent. I listed just a few but there has been so many more.
Not only was the battle between both sets of players back then, the Fergie v Wenger banter fed the back pages every week. The media loved it, mind you, I thin’ they loved the post Invincible years more because Arsenal dropped away from bing a really competitive club to one which had to deal with a stadium move and the financial burden which came with it. Instead of signing really good players, Wenger was swooping up old has beens from other clubs.
But those first nine years were special under Arsene Wenger – League and Cup double in 1997–98 followed by another in 2001–02. Two more FA Cup wins came in 2003 and 2005 and there was the incredible 2003/04 unbeaten season too which no Premier League club has been able to repeat. Not even the juggernaut which has been Manchester City. The Champions League final against Barcelona in 2006 was ruined by the officials. No surprise eh.
Since those successful days in the 90’s and 00’s, the club had gone downhill slowly but steadily. As said, our transfer business was mostly average, some of it bad but then a burst of talent joined the club in Alexis Sanchez, Aubameyang, Lacazette and Ozil. Not all together of course but even so, the club couldn’t manage to do better than finish in the top four as far as the league goes but Wenger did ensure three more FA Cup trophies were placed in our trophy cabinet before he left.
Since Fergie left Utd and Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, the rivalry between both clubs hasn’t been as intense. Neither club has really challenged for the league title, not until last season anyway when Mikel Arteta’s players came close but Utd, well they’ve really dropped away from being a top four club let alone a club challenging for the league.
There’s something about Utd I really don’t like which probably stems from Fergie time as well as the man himself. Oh, and a lot of their historical players. Van Nistelrooyd the Neville brothers, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Rooney – actually, I’d be here all day if I listed every one of them. In football there’s confidence and arrogance, Utd were always the latter in my opinion. I think they still are, especially that lump Maguire who thinks he can get away with everything and anything, Martinez too although he’s out injured for Sundays game.
Utd are trying to get back to the top of the game I’m sure, just as we are. Amorim has done little but moan so far about hard hard his job is, whereas Mikel Arteta didn’t moan about what he was left, he just worked hard to make us competitive and to bring the fans and the club back together again. Could the club have got to where it is now quicker? Perhaps but look at the clear out which took place. Should we have a recognised striker or two in the squad? Absolutely, just as the club should have foreseen injuries coming our way bearing in mind how much football these guys play. Saying that, Martin Odegaard had the summer off. Every club has and still are suffering with injuries though and lots of them. We’ve just been hit harder because ours are mainly attacking players.
But back to the Arsenal/Utd rivalry, I wonder if it’ll ever return, or has it really ever gone away?
Hope this all makes sense, I found myself often digressing as I wrote…
Catch up in the comments.