A renaissance has undoubtedly taken place within Arsenal Football Club in recent months. After a shaky start to the league season, Mikel Arteta’s side have found their feet and begun to deliver. Mentalities seem to have shifted and hope has emerged from the dark clouds that had been gathering over the Emirates.
It is not so long ago that jeering chants of “boring, boring Arsenal” rang through the stadium under the managerial tenure of Unai Emery. The lifeless brand of football that spurred this chant – George Graham’s Arsenal of the 80s and 90s, which was famous for producing dull one-nil wins – had been reinstated to North London, leaving the club devoid of the iconic stylistic play that it had become famed for.
Following the 2018 departure of Arsène Wenger, after 22 years as manager at the club, Arsenal sank into a rut. Despite a £72 million record signing in Nicolas Pépé, Emery failed to replicate the success he had previously generated with other clubs. The position of head coach fell into the untried hands of Arteta. In spite of winning the FA cup in the 2019/20 season, Arsenal struggled to keep a hold on the Premier League. Finishing in a disappointing eighth, they faced their first campaign without European football for 25 years.
Discontent pierced the ranks of Arsenal fans as they protested the clubs’ motives being solely driven by money and success rather than representing the fans. Stan Kroenke’s ownership of the club was widely criticised, whilst players like Willian and Sokratis sat on the bench, despite their hefty salaries (£10 million a year for Willian).
Sunday’s fixture proved, though it had already become clear to many, that Arteta has been a force for change. We saw a vastly different club from the one that has suffered in past years. The three goals that Arsenal put past Watford’s Ben Foster were created by build-up reminiscent of the so-called “Wengerball”, fluid play that became a staple under Wenger. It was anything but ‘boring’.
Martin Ødegaard has proved to be a significant summer signing for the Gunners. Appearing comfortable in the Arsenal side, the 23-year-old Norwegian once again showed his quality by scoring within just five minutes at Vicarage Road. “Martin for us is a really important player, that’s for sure, he’s showing that every single week. He’s phenomenal to work with,” Arteta said ahead of Sunday’s match.
A spectacular display of acrobatics by Cucho Hernández equalised for the Hornets, as his overhead shot made it past Aaron Ramsdale just six minutes after Ødegaard opened the scoring.
With the side unchanged since their clash against Wolves on 24 February, Arsenal’s collection of young talent was highlighted as Bukayo Saka fired in a second goal before half time to give Arsenal the lead once again.
In the 52nd minute, Gabriel Martinelli fixed the final nail in Watford’s coffin with a resounding strike to increase Arsenal’s goal tally to three in Sunday’s tie against Roy Hodgson’s side. Despite a late goal from Moussa Sissoko bringing the score line to 3-2, the Gunners secured an important victory in their push for Champion’s League football and extended their winning streak to four.
Arsenal’s drive for a top four position revealed that Arteta has amassed a squad of young players that believe in his vision and are willing to fight for the club. Beyond the successes of Arsenal’s attack, the defensive members of the team have demonstrated their passion for the club. Arsenal’s defensive signings throughout the summer transfer window were criticised by fans and ex-players alike early in the season – Arsenal’s former captain, William Gallas, said: “it’s difficult for me to understand why Arsenal spent £50m on one player who is yet to prove himself at the top level”. The player in question, Ben White, and his fellow defenders have since demonstrated that they form a strong back line for the Gunners, with Arsenal ranking fourth for number of clean sheets in the Premier League.
Following Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Wolves on 10 February, Wolves mocked the impassioned celebrations, particularly from White and Aaron Ramsdale. Midfielder Rúben Neves said in the post-match press conference: “I didn’t see Arsenal celebrating like this in the past 10 years – it was like they won the league”. In their second tie, two weeks later, Ramsdale made sure to run halfway down the pitch to celebrate his 2-1 win in front of Neves.
“I encouraged them to celebrate every victory. Because you can tell how difficult it is in this game to win football matches. Our supporters are the same, every time we win, we should celebrate”, Arteta told Arsenal.com after the match.
For the first time since the departure of Wenger, Arsenal legend, Tony Adams’ famous quote feels more believable than ever: “Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they will remember the name on the back”.
I am a freelance writer and journalism student at City, UoL, writing culture and sport.