Arsenal: With Arsene Wenger & Without - Will They Ever Return to Their Former Glory?

Arsenal Football Club, or simply Arsenal, is one of the biggest clubs in England and Europe. The London-based team is arguably the most successful club in London, with 13 league titles and a record 14 FA Cups.

Speaking about Arsenal, one has to mention Arsene Wenger, considered by the faithful as the best ever Arsenal manager and one of the best in league history in England.

Arsene Wenger’s tenure as Arsenal manager was much more than the trophies & titles he won, but his influence on the English game as a whole as he revolutionized English football with his beautiful attacking tactics.

Arsenal had their ups and downs after Arsene Wenger announced that he would step down in 2018, but weren’t able to replicate the success they had under Wenger.

Arsene Wenger Era: A Great Success with a Sour Ending

English fans and pundits were shocked when Arsenal announced Arsene Wenger as the new manager of the club in 1996 as he had been managing in the J-league then.

Wenger brought a style of play that was foreign to England, as his quick passing game amazed the English fans, who are used to the old fashioned way of playing football.

It wasn’t long before Wenger proved doubters wrong as he managed to win the double with Arsenal just two years after his appointment as Arsenal manager.

Arsenal managed to compete with Manchester United, who under Sir Alex Ferguson, were the best team in the English League.

After 3 seasons, Wenger did the double again with Arsenal in the 2001-2002 season, where the club lost only two league games.

After that season, Arsene Wenger caused controversy as he said that he could win the league without losing, which drew a lot of criticism from the English press.

Despite the criticism, the impossible was done as Arsenal won the league without a single loss in the 2003-2004 season, earning the nickname "Invincibles".

Arsenal reached the final of the Champions League in 2006, but it ended in disappointment as they lost 2-1 to FC Barcelona.

In the 2007 season, Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium, and Arsenal were on a roll, transforming from title competitors to top four regulars & winning a few F.A. Cups in the process.

From the 2016 season and beyond, Arsenal had average performances, failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time under Arsene Wenger.

The poor performances in the last few seasons led to Arsene Wenger announcing his intention to leave Arsenal at the end of the 2017-2018 season, signaling the end of a legendary career with Arsenal.

Post-Wenger Era: Mix of Success and Failure

Unai Emery (2018-2019)

• Spanish manager Unai Emery was hired as the successor of Arsene Wenger. The first season of Unai Emery was going well until the last few weeks, when he failed to get a top- four finish as well as losing the Europa League final 4-0 to Chelsea.
• In his second season, Unai Emery was heavily criticised after a poor start to the season, and he was eventually sacked a few months into the season after a loss to Frankfurt in the Europa League.

Mikel Arteta (2019 - Present)

• On the 22nd of December, Mikel Arteta, who was an assistant manager to Pep Guardiola in Man City back then and a former captain of Arsenal was hired as the new Arsenal manager.
• Mikel Arteta struggled in his first two seasons, despite winning the FA Cup in his first. However, he eventually managed to restore Arsenal as title challengers, finishing second twice in a row in the 22/23 & 23/24 seasons,after a competitive race with Manchester City.
• The Spanish manager is still at the helm, and Arsenal is currently second despite an injury riddled season.

Will Arsenal Return to Glory Days?

Arsenal had a great period under Arsene Wenger, where they won 3 Premier League titles as well as many FA Cup trophies.

After Arsene Wenger left the club, Arsenal had a poor few seasons under Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta, but the latter managed to turn it around and build a team that can challenge for the Premier League title.

The Gunners finished runners-up in the last two seasons, and this looks to be the case this season too. Mikel Arteta is hoping that his side will be able to win the title soon and return the club to glory.

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