Arsenal Thread | 2025/26

bridgeno1 said:
City didn't beat Arsenal in 3 attempts the last time you won the league so that's not exactly a good reference.
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People weren’t circle jerking over that City team tho!?That team was running on fumes.Look at the treble winning side,and a couple of earlier ones,..if we’re talking benchmarks.
 
bridgeno1 said:
I suspect that we might be like you were in so far as you lose the 1st final and then build on that experience to go and win the next one. Obviously I hope not!
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In the last 30 odd years only Red Star Belgrade (91) and Borussia Dortmund (97) have won their first final.

When City played Chelsea in 2021 we were the 8th team to make their first CL final this century and all of them lost!

Valencia (2000), Leverkusen (2002), Monaco (2004), Arsenal (2006), Chelsea (2008), Spurs (2019), PSG (2020), City (2021).

Of those; Chelsea, City and PSG won their 2nd final (and all within 5 years of their first finals). Chelsea won their 3rd final too, but can't remember who they played.

Valencia also lost their second final in 2001 (1yr later).

The rest haven't been back to the final...until Arsenal tomorrow.

It's too long for the 1st final to mean anything. But like you say, might be one that serves as a learning curve if you do lose although I do believe that the PL saps so much out of English sides it's incredibly hard to go and win it - particularly when you contrast the number of games other nations play too.

I think we'd have won at least one more CL if we hadn't been fighting for the league as well.
 
dadnlad said:
but if we never win another one im hanging on to one we won like villa and forest have
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Forest have won 2 but I agree with the point you're making.

We've seen how hard it is to win, particularly whilst competing for the PL. Just look at how many English sides have won the league and CL in the same season.

We were the best side in Europe undoubtedly for a number of years but it didn't quite happen for us. We should have won one more, but I think the dippers having as many as they do even if over several decades isn't something to baulk at. It makes them a powerhouse of European football.
 
The 10 days or so since they've won the league have been very quiet and basically proof that everyone worrying about "the world ending" when another team wins the league had nothing to worry about. Pep announcing his departure has ended up being the bigger story.

Arsenal winning the league is a big achievement for them but nothing happened at the end of the season that the rest of the world can give a shit about, or want to re-watch for years to come. Their first title in 22 years and it's completely lacking a defining moment.

Since 2010-ish some title wins have had defining moments but others haven't.

2010 - A mixture of the Drogba goal at Old Trafford and their 8-0 win on the last day
2011 - Rooney's overhead kick vs City that basically sealed it for them
2012 - Agueroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
2013 - Van Persie's volley vs Aston Villa that won the PL that night
2014 - Gerrard's slip and the 3-3 vs Palace that threw the league away
2015 - N/A (Covid)
2016 - Hazard goal vs Spurs that meant Leicester won the league (and Spurs' subsequent meltdown)
2017 - N/A Chelsea won it with weeks left and without a challenger getting close
2018 - Gabriel Jesus' 100 points goal vs Southampton gave that title a defining moment
2020 - N/A (Covid)
2021 - N/A (Covid)
2022 - Insane comeback vs Villa, Gundogan goal after coming on as a sub
2023 - City 4-1 Arsenal, also part of a historic treble
2024 - Ortega save vs Spurs, or Foden's goal vs West Ham after 90 seconds
2025 - N/A
2026 - N/A

If Everton had won that game 3-1 then you'd look at the Guehi mistake, or if Bournemouth had scored a late equaliser/winner vs City to hand Arsenal the league then you'd look at that, but ultimately we had the final key moment in both those games (Doku & Haaland goals).

If we'd gone on to win the league then you'd say it was the Haaland goal vs Arsenal, or if Arsenal had won that Etihad game instead then you'd say the Donnarumma mistake. But neither of them had an impact on the eventual destination of the league. It wasn't a case of Arsenal "winning" the league in the end, they just lost it the least.

Beat PSG and they can start having conversations about being among the best title winners of recent times, but if they get beaten (or worse, hammered) then they'll just go alongside 2024 Liverpool or 2017 Chelsea or even 2021 City where you'd have to do a bit of googling to remember who even won the league in that particular year.
 
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youngbob said:
The 10 days or so since they've won the league have been very quiet and basically proof that everyone worrying about "the world ending" when another team wins the league had nothing to worry about. Pep announcing his departure has ended up being the bigger story.

Arsenal winning the league is a big achievement for them but nothing happened at the end of the season that the rest of the world can give a shit about, or want to re-watch for years to come. Their first title in 22 years and it's completely lacking a defining moment.

Since 2010-ish some title wins have had defining moments but others haven't.

2010 - A mixture of the Drogba goal at Old Trafford and their 8-0 win on the last day
2011 - Rooney's overhead kick vs City that basically sealed it for them
2012 - Agueroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
2013 - Van Persie's volley vs Aston Villa that won the PL that night
2014 - Gerrard's slip and the 3-3 vs Palace that threw the league away
2015 - N/A Chelsea won it with weeks left and without a challenger getting close
2016 - Hazard goal vs Spurs that meant Leicester won the league (and Spurs' subsequent meltdown)
2017 - N/A Chelsea won it with weeks left and without a challenger getting close
2018 - Gabriel Jesus' 100 points goal vs Southampton gave that title a defining moment
2020 - N/A Liverpool won it with weeks left and everyone was distracted by Covid
2021 - N/A City won it with weeks left and everyone was still distracted by Covid
2022 - Insane comeback vs Villa, Gundogan goal after coming on as a sub
2023 - City 4-1 Arsenal, also part of a historic treble
2024 - Foden's goal after 90 seconds just after winning PFA Player of the Year
2025 - N/A Liverpool won it with weeks left and started the drop-off that would kill them next season
2026 - N/A City scored late equalisers vs Everton & Bournemouth

If Everton had won that game 3-1 then you'd look at the Guehi mistake, or if Bournemouth had scored a late equaliser/winner vs City to hand Arsenal the league then you'd look at that, but ultimately we had the final key moment in both those games (Doku & Haaland goals).

If we'd gone on to win the league then you'd say it was the Haaland goal vs Arsenal, or if Arsenal had won that Etihad game instead then you'd say the Donnarumma mistake. But neither of them had an impact on the eventual destination of the league. It wasn't a case of Arsenal "winning" the league in the end, they just lost it the least.

Beat PSG and they can start having conversations about being among the best title winners of recent times, but if they get beaten (or worse, hammered) then they'll just go alongside 2024 Liverpool or 2017 Chelsea or even 2021 City where you'd have to do a bit of googling to remember who even won the league in that particular year.
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You don't win the title anymore, it's handed to you on a plate to stop Manchester City winning it
 
RayCTID said:
We didn't get bailed out with VAR and to be honest West Ham should feel more hard done by
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This just opens up a whole can of 'whataboutery' worms re decisions one could argue went City's way in previous seasons.

I'm not going to do that and start a slinging match, suffice to say that when it comes to refereeing decisions some days you're the bug, other days you're the windscreen.
 
youngbob said:
The 10 days or so since they've won the league have been very quiet and basically proof that everyone worrying about "the world ending" when another team wins the league had nothing to worry about. Pep announcing his departure has ended up being the bigger story.

Arsenal winning the league is a big achievement for them but nothing happened at the end of the season that the rest of the world can give a shit about, or want to re-watch for years to come. Their first title in 22 years and it's completely lacking a defining moment.

Since 2010-ish some title wins have had defining moments but others haven't.

2010 - A mixture of the Drogba goal at Old Trafford and their 8-0 win on the last day
2011 - Rooney's overhead kick vs City that basically sealed it for them
2012 - Agueroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
2013 - Van Persie's volley vs Aston Villa that won the PL that night
2014 - Gerrard's slip and the 3-3 vs Palace that threw the league away
2015 - N/A (Covid)
2016 - Hazard goal vs Spurs that meant Leicester won the league (and Spurs' subsequent meltdown)
2017 - N/A Chelsea won it with weeks left and without a challenger getting close
2018 - Gabriel Jesus' 100 points goal vs Southampton gave that title a defining moment
2020 - N/A (Covid)
2021 - N/A (Covid)
2022 - Insane comeback vs Villa, Gundogan goal after coming on as a sub
2023 - City 4-1 Arsenal, also part of a historic treble
2024 - Ortega save vs Spurs, or Foden's goal vs West Ham after 90 seconds
2025 - N/A
2026 - N/A

If Everton had won that game 3-1 then you'd look at the Guehi mistake, or if Bournemouth had scored a late equaliser/winner vs City to hand Arsenal the league then you'd look at that, but ultimately we had the final key moment in both those games (Doku & Haaland goals).

If we'd gone on to win the league then you'd say it was the Haaland goal vs Arsenal, or if Arsenal had won that Etihad game instead then you'd say the Donnarumma mistake. But neither of them had an impact on the eventual destination of the league. It wasn't a case of Arsenal "winning" the league in the end, they just lost it the least.

Beat PSG and they can start having conversations about being among the best title winners of recent times, but if they get beaten (or worse, hammered) then they'll just go alongside 2024 Liverpool or 2017 Chelsea or even 2021 City where you'd have to do a bit of googling to remember who even won the league in that particular year.
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The defining moment that everyone will remember from last season will be the inexplicably chalked off West Ham goal against Arsenal.
It's extremely fitting that the defining moment would be a bit of bent officiating to get Arsenal over the line.
 
bridgeno1 said:
This just opens up a whole can of 'whataboutery' worms re decisions one could argue went City's way in previous seasons.

I'm not going to do that and start a slinging match, suffice to say that when it comes to refereeing decisions some days you're the bug, other days you're the windscreen.
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Nope it means you aren't the all conquering, plucky underdog the media portrays you as; and that your lot had to rely on extra assistance to get over the line.
 
bridgeno1 said:
This just opens up a whole can of 'whataboutery' worms re decisions one could argue went City's way in previous seasons.

I'm not going to do that and start a slinging match, suffice to say that when it comes to refereeing decisions some days you're the bug, other days you're the windscreen.
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No team has ever, ever won the league without giving away a penalty or a red card until Arsenal this season.
To claim the season just gone has any form of parity with other seasons in regards to bad decisions going for or against teams is beyond laughable and deluded.
PGMOL won the league for Arsenal by turning a blind eye to Arsenal players holding, handballs, headbutts, red card fouls and yellow card incidents while simultaneously giving free kicks or penalties for blatant dives while not giving your opponents the same leeway (ask West Ham for proof of that, can't be using Arsenal's tactics against them after all).
Arsenal were the windshield in every single game played this season.
 
BigJoe#1 said:
So do we want the Tarquin Arses to win as a positive English football? Or, like me do you want to see them get absolutely thrashed and humiliated?
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Crystal Palace going for Europa Conference - yes and well done.

Aston Villa going for Europa - maybe, but they’ve been arses since 1980 European cup win, so it’s a begrudging well done.

Arsenal going for Champions league - no, no, and thrice no. File under United, Liverpool and spurs winning any cup.
 
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