New Delhi: No one remembers who came second, and that’s precisely what separates winners from others. The great football teams of the past and present have shown that it takes more than just good football and stepping up in clutch moments to go the distance in elite competitions. Not many would question the quality of the current Arsenal squad and their calibre to win big tournaments.
But the club’s failure in stepping up when required and the habit of falling short have now started to project them as football’s new ‘Nearly team’. That ‘nearly team’ which has the potential and perhaps the talent to win the big trophies, but keeps falling short at crucial junctures to miss out on the laurels, nearly every time.
There was great optimism when Mikel Arteta, a Pep Guardiola understudy at Manchester City, took Arsenal to FA Cup glory in his very first season after taking over as the manager of the Gunners in 2019. However, Arsenal have since failed to win a major trophy, despite coming close on several occasions. Arsenal have now gone five years without a trophy, a fact that doesn’t do justice to the team’s performance in all those seasons.
The near misses…
After winning the FA Cup in his first season, Arteta’s Arsenal made the worst possible start the following season, but a string of difficult decisions were made by the club to restructure the backroom while addressing the drop in standards overall. Arteta was backed with money and was handed big signings to begin the transformation that the Gunners had waited for.
The likes of Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang were driven out while Arteta emphasised nurturing the youngsters. The 2022-23 season saw the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard flourish while Arsenal also added Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City to bolster their squad.
What followed was a memorable season as Arsenal gave Pep Guardiola’s City a run for their money in the title race in the 2022-23 season. Had it not been for an injury to defender William Saliba towards the end of the season, Arsenal might have done the unthinkable. They eventually finished runners-up with 84 points as City pipped them to take the title.
Arsenal made their intentions clear in the transfer market ahead of the next season with the statement signing of England midfielder Declan Rice for 100 million pounds. A signing that was expected to bridge the title gap for Arsenal. But Arteta’s men ended up falling short once again. Arsenal enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in the Premier League 2023-24, but fell short went they needed to step up, once again.
Arsenal secured 28 wins, smashed 91 goals throughout the season and had the best goal difference, but it was not enough to stop the juggernaut that was Manchester City as Guardiola’s men lifted their fourth Premier League title in a row and sixth under the Spaniard. Arsenal have also failed to plot title challenges in Europe and the domestic cup competitions, but perhaps not managing to win the Premier League even once in the last two seasons defines the kind of team they have been.
Why Arsenal need to ditch the ‘Nearly team’ tag against PSG
Twice they have come agonisingly close, but failed to win the Premier League, and their failed title challenge against Liverpool this season has already added to the narrative that Arsenal are the new ‘nearly team’ in football. But the Gunners have a chance to ditch the tag and take a step towards etching history when they take on a high-flying Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the first leg of the Champions League 2024-25 semi-final on Wednesday.
After a third consecutive runner-up finish in the Premier League this season, Arsenal have a chance to finally redeem themselves by going all the way in the Champions League, a competition they have never won, and last reached the semi-finals in 2009. But standing in their way are Louis Enrique’s PSG, who have transformed from a star-studded squad, famous for their big names, to a young, cohesive unit known for their energetic football.
Both PSG and Arsenal are on the same boat. Both are chasing their maiden European glory, but PSG are far more experienced on the big stage and have the pedigree, having been in the semi-finals of the Champions League four times in the last six seasons. Both teams would be looking to give their all in inching a step closer to glory.
For Arteta’s Arsenal, the two-legged semi-final against PSG would be a season-defining one as it finally gives them a chance to get closer to the elusive winner’s medal and etch history by claiming their maiden Champions League crown. A place in the final and eventually the trophy, if it comes, would see Arsenal go from a team ‘under progress’ to a team that translated progress into trophies.
While Mikel Arteta would be hoping Arsenal shun the ‘nearly team’ tag, PSG will be aiming to take a step closer to their long-standing European dream when the two sides lock horns in the first leg of the blockbuster Champions League semi-final at the Emirates. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
