Morning guys.
I didn’t think I’d watch much of the World Cup but I’ve already watched two matches. At least some of them. The women’s T20 World Cup started yesterday so Englands opening game took precedence. The football in both matches I’ve watched has been fast and quite furious but the actual quality has not been very good. Apparently America were pretty good in the early hours though but I’m blowed if I’m staying up to watch the morning games.
David Ornstein has a bit of transfer news in that Arsenal are exploring a deal to sign Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. More on that should a deal be done.
Yesterday I read back on the 2013/14 & 2014/15 seasons. Both were pretty mixed.
In the summer transfer window, Arsenal announced Yaya Sanogo had joined on a free transfer from Auxerre. Fantastic, said not one Arsenal fan. Better news was that a young and exciting prospect in Serge Gnabry stepped up from the academy to the first team. It wasn’t until the final day of the transfer window when Arsenal would sign a a player whose name I recognised. Mesut Ozil. I think the transfer we all remember from that season though is the January loan of Kim Kallstrom, the man with a bad back who missed half a dozen matches after arriving. Priceless!
Anyway, after the opening game defeat at home to Aston Villa, Arsenal worked their way to the top of the league table and pretty much stayed there until just before Christmas. Surprise surprise, it was downhill from there, or down the table anyway as once again, Arsenal ended the season in 4th place.
In the Champions League, Bayern Munich knocked us out in the knockout round, the League Cup journey was ended by Chelsea.
However, Arsenal were plodding along nicely in the FA Cup. Our first fixture in the competition was an NLD at The Emirates which we won 2-0 thanks to goals from Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky. The draw was kind to us as another home fixture came out of the pot, this one against League One club Coventry. Two goals from Lucas Podolski and one each from Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla secured our victory. Next up was Liverpool who had thrashed us 5-1 at Anfield just a few days previous, but this cup match was again at The Emirates. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain gave us the lead before Lukas Podolski made in 2-0 early in the second. Liverpool pulled one back from the penalty spot but Arsenal held on. Another home tie in the draw, this one against the blue team from Merseyside but they were brushed aside with ease. Goals from Ozil, Mikel Arteta and two from Giroud saw us to a 4-1 victory.
Off to Wembley we went to face Wigan. Mertesacker went from villain to hero after conceding a penalty before heading home an equaliser late in the game. Extra-time produced no goals so penalties were required. Fabianski made a couple of saves to help secure our place in the final.
The final against Hull City was bonkers!
4 minutes in and Hull City were 1-0 up, 8 minutes in and Hull City were 2-0 up and but for a Kieran Gibbs goal line clearance, Arsenal would have been staring down the barrel of defeat. Then, Santi Cazorla was fouled just outside the Hull penalty area. Our Spanish wizard whipped a lovely curling free kick up and passed City’s keeper. 2-1. With around 20 minutes to go, Laurent Koscielny made it 2-2 but extra time was needed to decide this final. Then it was about Aaron Ramsey.
Great to finally lift the cup again but my goodness, Hull City made it difficult. Or did Arsenal simply make it difficult for themselves?
2014/15 season.
The summer transfer window saw the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona and I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal fans were over the move with this signing. I was. Danny Welbeck arrived that summer too along with Mathieu Debuchy, Callum Chambers, Gabriel Paulista and David Ospina. Hector Bellerin would make his step up this season too.
The season began with a 3-0 defeat of Man City in the Community Shield Cup Final. As was par for the course back in those days, our Premier League form and results were very mixed but we secured third place by the end of the campaign. Alexis Sanchez ended his first season with 25 goals in all competitions.
Our Champions League journey was ended by Monaco at the first knockout stage and the League Cup challenge ended in the third round by Southampton. The FA Cup though, well, that was our route to silverware once more. Ironically, we faced Hull City in our first match and defeated them 2-0. Next up was Brighton, 3-2 away from home. A 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at The Emirates earned us a quarter-final fixture against Man Utd at Old Trafford. Good old Danny Welbeck eh!
Off to Wembley we went for a semi-final against my local team Reading, a game which needed extra time to secure a 2-1 win and finally, Aston Villa stood between ourselves and another FA Cup trophy.
Enjoy…
Must admit Limey, I have a bit of a chuckle when reading about them. Some of the defeats against the likes of Stoke, Southampton etc, I wonder how on earth they happened.
Apparently, when Arsenal built the stadium, the bank would only lend the club money if Arsene Wenger agreed to stay for the next ten years. Maybe that’s why he hung on so long.
Afternoon all,
These reviews of past seasons are fun. We are in a golden period now. These things come and go so I’m just enjoying it while it lasts.
The 2014 and 2015 FA Cup wins were great,looking back Wenger should have stepped down after either,although two of my favourite FA Cup goals- Sanchez and Walcott,came in 2015,so maybe then.
I see Balogun scored two for USA,I haven’t seen much of the World Cup yet,thinking about it the TV companies should put a daily highlights show,at a more reasonable time.
The one thing the season reviews do is highlight just how many awful signings the club made over the years. A lot of great ones as well but we always seemed 2/3 players missing in vital areas..
Morning Kev, Potter.
I loved Alexis, such a wonderful player to watch and like you, I was so disappointed to see him leave.
Ozil was a lazy and luxury player. Brilliant one minute, blown over by a gush of wind the next..
About as rare as the Pires one
Morning Rico,
Mesut saw Arsenal as a nice little earner with low expectations and no real pressure, he pretty much played when he felt like it and when he didn’t he didn’t and Wenger allowed him to do so.
Alexis was great, always looking to progress the ball and attack, was sorry to see him go but loved how expensively it failed at OT.
Every summer we’d go into the season on a wing and a prayer only to get smashed by Chelsea, Liverpool, United, City and sometimes Tottenham, it was like death by a thousand cuts.
I’m sure I saw Ozil make a tackle in the final against Villa 😜