Cue the 8-2 collapse at Old Trafford on 28th August, when a stretched squad and inexperienced team crumbled on the pitch after a difficult midweek Champions League qualifier at Udinese. Arsenal had managed to regain entry to the Champions League, but their league form was disastrous, finishing in the top four an unlikely hope.

Wenger and the club had to take action as the team entered some of the darkest days of his 16 year reign. Fans were calling for change, and Arsenal, not known for excessive transfer activity, went into overdrive.

Five new signings arrived in less than 24 hours, and the mission to save the season commenced. Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun, Per Mertesacker, Ju Young Park and Andre Santos were all brought in rapid succession, to the shock of Arsenal fans. However, successful were each of these last-minute signings? What was the impact of this last, frantic set of negotiations, and how has this shaped the club? I now aim to investigate their contribution to the club’s eventual recovery and third place finish and the meaning for Arsenal overall of this marked change in policy…

This is an excerpt from my latest article, continue reading the full piece here.

This full article is published on the FootballScores.com Superblog.

Read more tactical analysis of Chamakh

Today, through an astonishing run of form, the club sit just a point behind Tottenham in the league but have been removed from both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

This blog speculated that the Arsenal would have a tough away game at Sunderland in the FA Cup following the first leg of the Champions League second round in the San Siro, and this was correct. Indeed, the previously mentioned European hangover came into effect, and Arsenal went out of both competitions.

In conjunction with this analysis, we also provided an analysis of Arsenal’s form over the last six years in the final 14 league games of each season.

This analysis revealed that, on average, Arsenal took 25 points over the final 14 games of each season since 2006. This equates to 1.78 points per game on average in the final 14 games. Arsenal have now played four games of those 14, and due to a stunning run of form have taken 3 points per game, equating to 12 points.

To continue, the previous article stated that to have a chance of achieving fourth place, a minimum target of 70 points was feasible.

After the results against Sunderland, Tottenham, Liverpool and most recently Newcastle, the club has continued an excellent run of form, which also included the near come-back against AC Milan 3-0 in the Champions League.

The run of results has meant that the gap between Tottenham and Arsenal has been reduced to one point, and the atmosphere around the club is one of hopeful recovery.

Arsenal now stand on 52 points, making a 70 point target much more feasible from the remaining 10 games. To achieve this, the club must average 1.8 points per game, so far this season they have averaged 1.85.

Maintaining a run of form can be a precarious business, and as always each game can prove a turning point. The club face Everton, recently rocked by a Steven Gerrard hattrick in defeat to Liverpool, and then subject to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup against Sunderland. The performance by Arsenal could have greater bearing on the ‘business end of the season’.

Arsenal’s base aim for this season is clearly now to secure qualification for the Champions League, maintain credibility as a ‘big club’ in England in order to secure the services of Robin Van Persie in a new contract, and finally to finish above Spurs if possible as London’s top club.

The European Hangover appears to have been vindicated by the result at Sunderland in the FA Cup, will the 70 point target, and the 1.8 point average also hold true?

Want all the latest Arsenal football scores? Make sure you go to www.footballscores.com for all your scores today.

Top Four Aspirations

Although all Arsenal fans would love to consider their club as a contender for the Premier League title, this season a top four finish must be looked at as a success, if it occurs. With the loss of Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri in the summer, the slow start to the campaign and increased competition for the top four, if The Gunners can qualify for next season’s Champions League it will be a real bonus. The battle for fourth place is seemingly now against Chelsea, with Liverpool and Newcastle outside contenders.

Henry’s ability to win a match would be a welcome bonus for the rest of the season, as he has he ability and past record of popping up with important goals to turn one point into three; take Sunderland for example. Without the French man for inspiration, pressure is now on the likes of senior statesmen Tomas Rosicky, Andrei Arshavin and Gervinho to help Robin van Persie to reach the required goalscoring tally to finish in the top four.

Champions League pride

Despite the dreadful performance in Italy in midweek, Arsenal Football Club must hold their heads up high and gain some respect and pride by winning the second leg. If the hosts score an early goal anything is possible, but realistically the club will be eliminated at the hands of Massimiliano Allegri’s men. However, despite a competition exit, a victory at home to salvage some honour, confidence and revenge is a must going forward.

The modern day footballer typically does not put his heart and soul on the line for his team, but one man who did and does is Thierry Henry. With a never-say-die attitude, Henry would urge his team-mates to get a result and play for pride in the second leg; in his absence senior figures at the club must stand up and be counted.

North London pride

Finally, with Tottenham currently ten points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League standings, it is looking increasingly likely that Harry Redknapp’s men will finish above The Gunners in the table. This could also be critical due to the lack of available places in next year’s Champions League, however the north London derby on Sunday 26th February could play an important role in determining where each club winds up.

After losing 2-1 in the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane, Arsenal simply must beat Tottenham at the Emirates to save some face. If Spurs are going to finish ahead of Arsenal some pride must be regained by taking three points from them, and giving the home faithful bragging rights for the time being. Thierry Henry was a menace to Spurs backlines throughout his first spell at the club, and would have pumped the side up had he been present next Sunday; the club needs someone else to fulfil that role if three points are to be achieved.

Gareth McKnight is a writer for Soccerlens, a blog on world football. If you liked this article, you can follow Soccerlens on Twitter for more of the same.

However, the focus now turns to the two remaining cup competitions, the Champions League and the FA Cup. The second round tie against AC Milan in the Champions League kicks off on Wednesday in the San Siro, whilst Arsenal return to the Stadium of Light following Henry’s late winner last weekend, for a cup tie in football’s oldest competition. The key question is what effect will these games have on the Arsenal, and is there a pattern in terms of a so-called ‘European hangover’?

You can take the initiative and pick up last minute Arsenal tickets for both of these fascinating games online, at the San Siro they start from £34.95.

AC Milan and the San Siro hold mixed memories for Arsenal, in recent years the club have seen two memorable victories in the sweltering cauldron of the Guiseppe Meazza. Henry scored two against Inter in 2003, as the side who became the Invincibles beat them 5-1 in a surprise away win. Three of the goals that night came in the final five minutes. Henry’s second was particularly notable as he ran the length of the pitch, tricked Javier Zanetti and finished neatly.

Arsenal’s most recent Champions League match up against AC in the San Siro was also a Second Round fixture and ended in a 2-0 victory in 2008, when ex-captain Cesc Fabregas led the scoring, with a wonderful goal from 30 yards out. Meanwhile, four months later Mathieu Flamini would relocate to the San Siro as he left Arsenal’s central midfield berth on a free transfer.

The game in Milan this year will be a challenge for the Arsenal side. In between two away trips to Sunderland this is a rather gruelling week for the players. Though AC have played two games more than Juve, they top Serie A, and this is based on impressive home form, where they have lost just one match and conceded just five goals. Like Arsenal, they came from behind at the weekend, beating Udinese 2-1.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the main threat in terms of goals, and members of this Arsenal side will have experienced his scoring ability, having played against him at Barcelona in the Champions League.

The European Hangover?

Following the match in the San Siro, the Sunderland match may see Arsenal suffering from a common aliment. The European hangover is a famous phenomenon, and an affliction which is at it’s worst when the game in question is in an away match against a northern team. This is the stuff of nightmares for the Arsenal, which is why the tie at Sunderland becomes even more important.

This season alone, when playing away after a Champions League tie Arsenal have lost 8-2 to Manchester Utd, 4-3 to Blackburn and 2-1 to Tottenham. An aggregate score of 14-6 combined from three of the worst defeats in Arsenal’s recent history.

Even last season during away games after playing in Europe, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Sunderland, lost 2-0 to Chelsea away, though they managed to beat Villa away, they were beaten at home by Newcastle.

However, as a cup game it is likely that Wenger will make some changes to the line-up which should make this interesting. The closest parallel in this case comes last season, where after playing Barcelona, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Leyton Orient away in the FA Cup. The team then faced Manchester United in the FA Cup after the second leg in Barcelona, and lost at Old Trafford 2-0.

How Wenger will cope remains to be seen, what is clear is that Arsenal’s two most likely chances of a trophy are waiting to be taken over the next week, but only if this side can buck the trend. It took a last minute Henry winner to take the points at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, can they do it next week without him? Even more importantly, will they gain the crucial away goal at the San Siro in midweek?

If you’re searching for football tickets online, then get them at TicketBis, a service which helps fans buy and sell tickets for almost any football match across Europe.

The Bernabeu win in 2006 is remembered for the wonderful Henry strike, the resilient defending of the Arsenal side, and as one of the famous nights in the club’s history, not least because this game paved the way to the final of the Champions League for the first time for both club and Arsène Wenger.

However, what are the parallels in terms of the performances of 2006 and this year?

Though the club has somewhat changed in complexion since that year there are similarities, which may shed some light on the possible end scenarios for this season based on statistics for points and games played.

Firstly, and rather oddly, Thierry Henry is an Arsenal forward, scoring to the delight of the home fans, as against Leeds Utd in the FA Cup and Blackburn in the Premier League most recently.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League Arsenal have played 24 games this season and taken 40 points, lying in seventh position, below local rivals Tottenham. In 2006 at this stage Arsenal had also taken 40 points from 24 games, and were indeed below Tottenham (albeit by a margin of one point).

That season Arsenal played in the Champions League final against Barcelona, after just managing to scrape into fourth place, and the Champions League qualifying round. They finished on 67 points, whilst Tottenham finished on 65 – the latter taking 25 points from their last 14 games, whilst the Arsenal of 2006 took 27.

If Arsenal were to recreate this type of form it would be unlikely that they would finish above Tottenham this year, considering the 10 point gap, and they might struggle to finish in the Champions League qualifying places.

The fourth place finishers since 2006 are more likely to exceed 70 points, and where this has not been the case the total is within two or three points of this. As an average the points total needed for a safe qualification place is 70.2 based on the totals for clubs in that position since 2006.

Considering the two tiered appearance at the top of the League, with Man Utd, City and Tottenham, and then Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal, it seems likely that the points total will be at the lower end of this spectrum, but less than 67 would be less feasible.

In this case Arsenal have a challenge on their hands to maintain strong enough form to requalify for the Champions League, but this is not impossible. Assuming the club require 70 points, they must take 30 from their final 14 games, an average just over 2 points per game.

Currently this season Arsenal have just under 1.7 points per game on average, and by way of comparison last year’s abysmal form saw them take just 19 points from the last 14 games. However, the years from 2006 are detailed below.

From this small sample it is clear that last season was an anomaly, and in fact, on average Arsenal have taken almost 25 points on average from the final 14 games. We should consider here, that the current Arsenal side is a very different animal from that of seasons past, and it will be interesting to see how the race at the top of the table develops.

The win against Blackburn has shown promise, and the impressive form of Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular provides some comfort, as well as the incredible performances this season by Van Persie. Arsenal need to continue this with a stern test at Sunderland over the weekend before the journey to Milan.

Without the basis of the league performance to qualify for the Champions League, the situation of top players like Van Persie in terms of contract extensions becomes increasingly untenable, especially after the problematic exits of both Fabregas and Nasri last summer.

However, all of this also places some emphasis on the tie against Milan. The club are not the force they once were, and a Fabregas inspired performance in 2008 led to a 2-0 win at the San Siro. If Arsenal can repeat that sort of win, it might provide the foundations for a sequence of wins which can take them at least past the probable 70 point baseline in the league.

With the new season of Football just round the corner now is the time to have a look at some season bets to see where Arsenal might gain punters a few pounds whilst hopefully collecting some trophies and honours. There are many betting options this season involving Arsenal, and this article will review all the best bets including which bookmakers are offering the best betting odds.

Arsenal’s perennial target is the Premier League, and this season will probably be no different. After coming closer than many outsiders bargained on last season, a bet on Arsenal to take the title cannot be ignored. There is little doubt that if Arsenal remain injury-free and show consistent form, they can put up a serious challenge. However, the bookmakers rate Arsenal’s chances as slim with some online bookies giving, in our eyes, excellent betting value in underestimating Arsenal’s chances of being crowned champions. The odds on Arsenal winning the league vary slightly but a whole host of bookies, including William Hill and Stan James offer odds of 9/1, a very generous price especially as you can go each way which will payout 1/3 of the odds for a top two finish.

If Arsenal are going to win the league then goals are required, two bets that can compliment the Premier League champions stake. Robin Van Persie shoulders the greatest responsibility in goalscoring, and 10/1 is offered at Coral bookies and Sky Bet on Van Persie finishing the Premier League top scorer. Coral are also offering 50/1 on Gervinho for top scorer, superb value and worth £5 of anyone’s money for a small outside bet.

Arsenal have the potential to beat any football team given the rules of chance, and this is one reason they should never be written off in any competition. Provided they make it through the qualifying stages, Arsenal can still pose a strong threat in the Champions League and the 24/1 that Unibet bookmakers are currently offering is great value. Another that stands out at the same bookies are betting odds of 9/2 for Arsenal to make the semi-final stage of the Champions League.

The most widespread opinion on Arsenal often cites the fact that the club has been without a trophy for several seasons and there is a good chance that Arsene Wenger may try and relieve the pressure in knockout competitions, by targeting the FA Cup. Most of the leading bookmakers have Arsenal fourth or fifth favourites to lift the famous trophy, with the best price found again at Coral who are the only bookmakers to offer odds of 10/1 for Arsenal to win the FA Cup.

Arsenal may well play younger players from the squad in the Carling Cup but this shouldn’t put people off having a bet on them. After reaching last year’s final they well could have the hunger and desire to go one step further and win it. Odds of 10/1 can be found from Bet365 and Bodog . You could even double up on a Cup double to win some huge money.

We’ve chosen to go for a classic 3-5-2 formation given the bias towards Premier League players from the 1990s and 2000s.

In attack Kevin Kyle of Hearts partners Wayne Rooney, who ran up £700,000 of gambling debt in 2006. This was mainly on dogs, horses and football, which brought to light renewed concerns over gambling culture within modern top flight football as a form of relaxation. It’s unlikely you’ll see him in any US casinos during Manchester United’s preseason tour there, as the players seem happy occupying themselves with FIFA online.

The midfield is a mix of skill and grit, with an obvious choice in Paul Merson on the right, a player whose name immediately comes to mind when casinos are mentioned. He was one of the first players jettisoned in the Wenger reign and claims to have lost £7 million to gambling and cocaine addiction. Meanwhile on the other flank Matthew Etherington provides some width as a decent left winger. The Stoke City midfielder gambled regularly as a West Ham player until events became too much for him, and the club had to help bail him out. In the centre is ex-Chelsea and Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen who lost £400,000 in casinos.

Didi Hamann and Michael Johnson form a midfield duo, which is surprisingly solid, if lacking a little in pace. Didi Hamann formerly of Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City built up a £600,000 debt and was under threat of legal action to repay the cash. Meanwhile fellow Man City player Michael Johnson was an exciting young talent who struggled with alcohol and gambling, and lost his way.

In defence John Terry, lines up with old pal Wayne Bridge, both of whom used to spend vast sums on dogs and horses , rather than online casinos in their days together at Chelsea. This pairing is slightly awkward in more ways than one, as Bridge is more accustomed to a role out wide. Finally Jonathon Woodgate makes up the third defender, a man who was reported to have lost £1.8 million in casinos. Meanwhile the ‘keeper Roy Carroll was also reported to have suffered problems at West Ham.

The topic of gambling amongst footballers is one of public interest and debate, with worthwhile research being conducted into the causes and consequences for the modern game. The habit has been widely commented on in the media, and with more revelations in recent years, looks set to continue.

Is winning trophies the definition of a good side? Most football fans would agree that it proves something, but there are always those who judge sides on other merits. Indeed the cult of the glorious loser is one that only increases with age.

The pain of defeat: Carsten Jancker in tears after losing 2-1 to United in the Champions League Final 1999, and Jack Wilshere confiding in Eboue after the latest Arsenal defeat.

Say what you like about the Carling Cup, but it represents something tangible, a measure of mental strength, which Wenger’s current side, led by Cesc Fábregas have been accused of lacking time and again. There are those who claim arrogance on the part of Wenger’s charges in their adherence to a certain style of play, but it has to be said that in terms of basic quality the side does have the potential to win something.

Remember, they only remember the winners

They say history only remembers the winners and there is no doubt that winning titles is the definition of a successful side. But the best losers are not always forgotten, and the worst winners not always looked upon fondly.

In his interview with Sid Lowe, Xavi, that magician of Barcelona, made a good point when he said that only certain winners will be remembered. His jibes were mainly aimed at the treble winners of 2010, Inter Milan, who beat Barcelona without a hint of desire for the ball in Camp Nou under Mourinho. What is true though is that great sides that never were also retain some nostalgia, perhaps tainted with a slight bitterness for the potential never fulfilled, and therefore the greatness never fully recognised.

So in a rather roundabout way this brings us to the essence of the idea. In the most simplistic of methods we can make a comparison between different clubs, to look firstly at how successful they have been – their dominance at various times. Not only that but it allows us to view the so called ‘barren’ periods, where the records are blank, to resurrect the stories of the nearly men, and so provide an evaluation of the true worth of the historical records.

People hold up Barcelona as a shining example of a Wenger style of play delivering results, and indeed Xavi mentioned that teams such as Arsenal should evolve and change their methods, to attain the ultimate goal of winning. However, no-one mentions the fact that Barca went without a trophy from 1999 until 2005. Even then Barcelona were arguably a better side in 2009/10 than in 2008/09, and yet they were treble winners that year – is one trophy more meaningful than three, including that most coveted of large shiny vessels, ‘big ears’, the Champions League?

There is an even greater sense of nostalgia when it comes to World Cups, most probably due to the fact they occur only every four years, leaving few chances for great players to make their mark, over just a handful of games on the stage the whole world turns out to watch. Many have commented on the best sides who never made it, the Hungarians in 1954, the Dutch in 1974, or the Brazilians of 1982. At international level the brevity of the tournaments does mean that truly great sides only get a tiny sprinkling of minutes to condense their play into wins. This naturally increases the chances of the best sides not winning.

When it comes to judging success at club level there is one reason why trophies do physically represent a good side, in the fact that the duration of the season means only the team able to endure the most, and produce consistently can triumph in a large league, or pull off simultaneous cup wins.

In that light here is a brief comparison of a selection of several top English clubs: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham, as well as Arsenal, all of whom are currently inhabit the upper echelons of the Premier League table, and all of whom have league winning sides in their past.

Giants of the North West

At Manchester United the story is somewhat similar to Arsenal in terms of two managers dominating the club’s history. At United Busby and then Ferguson provided the two phases of real success, and like Wenger, Ferguson is also the current incumbent.

United’s 18 league titles, 11 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 3 European Cups and 1 Cup Winners’ Cup

Apart from two titles and an FA Cup in the early years of the 20th Century, United were quiet on the trophy front until after World War Two, with their greatest exploits coming under Busby in the 1950s and 1960s. There is a hiatus in trophy winning after that fateful Munich disaster of 1958 which decimated the ‘Busby Babes’, there exists a team truly unable to fulfil its potential. United did experience a resurgence, winning two titles and the European Cup from 1965 to 1968. Indeed, Busby was the first to win the European Cup for an English club, beating Benfica 4-1 with the likes of George Best, ten years after the Munich air disaster

Those United sides of Matt Busby are the ones remembered fondly, and they did back their success up with title wins, albeit in nowhere near as great quantities as Sir Alex has amassed in his time at the club.

From the 1960s the club experienced relatively sparse years in terms of trophies, with three FA Cups until Sir Alex joined the club in 1986. Fergie famously took several years to develop the team, and struggled initially, but given time he pushed the club into the role of winners, taking the FA Cup in 1990 against Crystal Palace. That was arguably the title that saved his job.

Meanwhile the maturation of a generation of Ferguson youth players fortuitously coincided with the breakaway of the top English clubs into the Premier League in 1992, from which point the disparity of wealth and trophy accumulation in English football became greater. United were poised perfectly to exploit this gap, but not only that, they have managed to maintain success across several different sides from the early Irwin or Cantona, then Keane and Beckham to Ronaldo and Rooney, with veterans such as Giggs and Scholes providing the winning link across the generations.

The Champions League win in 1999 was the culmination of that most successful of United sides, at a time when competition between Arsenal and United was intensifying in a two horse race in the Premier League. Indeed, there is a blip with the arrival of Arsène Wenger at Arsenal from 1998 until 2003 when Arsenal and United were the two almost uncontested contenders for the title.

Ferguson has won 35 trophies at United, presiding over their most successful period, and he makes an important distinction in his terming of success:

“I judge my success by trophies… We know we have to perform to make sure we are always up there.”

“But what is success? You could have a team who finishes in the top three or four every season and get to the final of a cup competition but don’t go on and win it. I don’t think that is failure. That is relative success.”

“You have kept your team in a competitive situation throughout the season. You are in Europe and contesting the Champions League.”

Ferguson managed United to success in trophies, but also relative success too, consistently maintaining competitiveness, and only going two or three years without a trophy, including in the transition years from 2004 until 2007. United undoubtedly replaced Liverpool as the dominant club in England based on the trophy record. However, in perspective, United’s current wealth of trophies came after a prolonged period with few successes, and thirty five years without a league title.

Liverpool are a case in point, the most successful side in England is without a league trophy in twenty years, since 1990, although they have come close on several occasions. Kenny Dalglish is back in charge at Liverpool, and in fact he was the last manager to lift a league title with the club, though they have had some success in cup competitions.

Liverpool’s 18 league titles, 7 FA Cups, 7 League Cups, 5 European Cups, and 3 UEFA Cups

It is Liverpool’s sides of the 1970s and 80s who came to dominate English football, and this persisted until the reign of one Grahame Souness, upon whose appointment Liverpool promptly blew millions on flops and slid rapidly down the table.

Liverpool waited six years for a trophy between 1995 and 2001, but already by that point the side had not won a league title for eleven years. Some claim Liverpool were a side of title winning potential under Roy Evans from 1994-1997, though he is never given credit, and in fact they never won the trophies to back that claim up, a sole League Cup triumph in 1995 is generally disregarded.

Under Houiller and Benitez they experienced somewhat of a resurgence, but never recovered to win that elusive 19th League title. In 2009 though with an in form combination of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard the side looked likely to take the league, even recording a resounding 4-1 win at Old Trafford, only to fall at the final hurdle and give Manchester United the record equalling 18th title. The efforts of that side were never recognised by the sound of chisel on metal, and they have to make to with the achievement of a slightly earlier Benitez side, that which won the Champions League in 2005, and the FA Cup in 2006.

The London Clubs

The record of Chelsea and Tottenham is one which shows the relative paucity of titles in London excepting Arsenal’s thirteen. Tottenham were the first club to win the double in 1961, a feat only seconded in 1971 by Arsenal and Charlie George. Arsenal’s trophy record is the third strongest in the country, though the gap since 2005 is clear.

Arsenal’s 13 league titles, 10 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 1 Cup Winners Cup, and 1 Fairs Cup

Spurs’ longevity in English football is exemplified by their 1901 and 1921 FA Cup win, but with just two league titles to their name they cannot claim to be a side with long term success in England. Bill Nicholson presided over the most successful period in their history, beginning with the 1961 double and ending with the 1972 UEFA Cup, and 1973 League Cup wins. The starting for these graphics differ slightly, so Spurs’ is actually stretched over twenty years longer to accommodate their early FA Cup wins.

Tottenham’s 2 league titles, 8 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and 2 UEFA Cups

The wait for a league title over forty years has been tempered by the addition of five FA Cups and European triumphs, but since the 1991 FA Cup, where a Gascoigne powered Tottenham beat Arsenal and then Nottingham Forest at Wembley, the club has had to make do with two League Cup titles. It is only now after years of sustained investment that Harry Redknapp has been able to build a Spurs side capable of qualifying for Europe.

Chelsea were another side with mid Twentieth century success. Their first and sole title pre-Abramovich came in 1955, after which they suffered several periods of rise and fall, this culminated in increased investment under Ken Bates and his team, including the development of Stamford Bridge, one factor which encouraged Roman Abramovich to buy the club.

Chelsea’s 4 league titles, 6 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and 2 Cup Winners’ Cups

The arrival of Abramovich is probably the defining event of modern English football, and the model is now replicated at the likes of Manchester City under the sheiks. Abramovich’s investment after purchasing the club for £140 million in 2003 was the enabler for Chelsea’s sustained push which saw them gain two league titles under Mourinho in 2005 and 2006, and a third four years later under Ancelotti in 2010, as well as three FA Cups.

Previously Chelsea suffered a fifty year gap in league title wins, though they now hold four to their name. The sides of the 1990s and early 2000s did challenge for honours, and with the likes of Zola and Vialli at the helm won the FA Cup and Cup Winners Cup at the turn of the millennium, but never looked like consistent title winners.

What is clear from the Chelsea parable is that instability in managerial regimes wins you nothing. The philosophy of the Mourinho years built a unit of players which struggled to adapt to his alienation and departure, resulting in a gap which Manchester United exploited to full potential to take home three trophies.

The future of English football may lie in the new money, that of Manchester City, and out of interest their titles are included below. Indeed, their record is rather like that of Chelsea pre-Abramovich, though that will most likely change.

Man City’s 2 league titles, 4 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, and 1 Cup Winners’ Cup

At Arsenal the record compares favourably with that of Chelsea and Spurs, but lags behind the giants of Liverpool and Manchester United, both on 18 titles. The patterns of the current era shows how times change, although Liverpool have a weight of history behind them, their current league position shows they are not the side they were under Benitez, whilst Chelsea are not even playing like the same side which won the double last year.

The ideology of winning is something built, but which needs to be maintained. Liverpool lost the connection after 1990, Arsenal have not faltered to the same extent in terms of league position, but the generation gap between the current crop and the likes of Henry, Vieira and Adams is growing.

Ivan Gazidis on Arsenal winning things:

“I think Arsène has said that winning trophies is compulsory at Arsenal. It is always compulsory”

“We judge ourselves on the pride we create for our fanbase. That pride is created through all kinds of different things. One of them clearly is trophies. That is critical for a club of Arsenal’s size but there are other things that drive pride, including the style of football we play and the values that we represent.”

In that quote Gazidis has hit the nail on the head, and in a way Ferguson also made the same point with his comments about ‘relative success’ – an achievement based on principle, within a constrained budget, and remain competitive is a feat, that is as much as Wenger is achieving at the moment. This ties in with the economic view of footballing success, increasingly relevant in the modern game, an argument which could vindicate Wenger’s transfer and youth policies.

In the long term perspective the record of Wenger is that of the most successful manager the club has ever seen, in the same way that Ferguson is for United, Mourinho at Chelsea or Paisley at Liverpool. What is most interesting in the latter two cases are the individuals who came before.

At Liverpool it is universally accepted that Shankly built the famous ‘boot room’ and laid the foundations for the greater success of his successor, whilst in a much more short term move Ranieri undoubtedly built a core of defensive stability at Chelsea which Mourinho moulded into a successful side.

If these graphics show anything it is that in English football success is impermanent. Dynasties can be built, but no team lasts forever, and eventually it falls to another to take the crown. The Premier League is more competitive than ever today, and the myriad of tournaments clubs feature in play out in different manners, affecting teams in different ways.

A six year hiatus is nothing compared with the long stretch of eighteen years, and in that respect the understanding of what Wenger is building is tolerated. As Ferguson says, managers need time to do their job properly. However, to be recognised as successful, Alex is correct in saying that this is judged purely on trophies.

With that notion secure, the requirement for Wenger to take a trophy to prove that this team is as good as he claims, though whether the Carling Cup is really the stage for that is questionable. What is not in doubt is the difficulty in now rebuilding the morale of a team which is quite clearly knocked. Whether or not Arsenal really value the Carling Cup, the symbolic meaning of the competition was not understated. Nevertheless the club has more than one chance at proving themselves on the highest level. A trophy can make or break a side, and though six years is relatively short in real terms, for one generation of a team that is all it takes to lose the winning mentality.

European continental competition is club football’s greatest stage, the final frontier, a pinnacle of achievement. Millions of people around the globe watched Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League triumph over Barcelona last Wednesday night. This was Arsenal’s first against the ‘best team in history’, and most of all this was a moment to savour for Arsène Wenger. Success in Europe has consistently evaded Wenger, arguably the greatest manager never to win a European trophy.

There is no doubting Wenger’s depth of experience in Europe. Even in his modest playing career he managed to appear at centre back in a UEFA Cup tie for RC Strasbourg in 1979. His selection there was out of desperation, the youth team coach called into the side against Duisberg, only to see his side lose 4-0. As a manager though, he is a veteran, playing teams in Europe since 1988, and leading Arsenal into the Champions League every year since 1998. However, the pain of those campaigns which never quite lived up to expectation still lingers.

Wenger and Jean Petit on the bench during Monaco’s 1992 Cup Winners’ Cup final in Lisbon.

Wenger’s first European final came in the 1992 Cup Winners’ Cup. After missing out on the 1991 league title to Marseilles, Arsène had to be content with taking the Coupe de France, providing Monaco with a crack at the Cup Winners Cup in 1991/92. The Cup Winners Cup was subsequently absorbed into the UEFA Cup, which now goes by the moniker Europa League, but its predecessor had a respectable history. Ferguson’s Manchester United lifted the title the previous season in 1991 after a 2-1 win over Barcelona, and George Graham’s Arsenal would famously triumph in the same competition in 1994 against Parma.

Monaco’s 1992 European run coincided with a glorious season; pushing Marseilles close in the title race, alongside a run to the final of the Coupe de France. George Weah was in sparkling form up front, scoring 18 goals in the league, whilst upcoming starlet Youri Djourkaeff scored 9 from midfield alone.

This was Wenger’s third attempt in Europe; having lost 2-1 to Galatasaray in the European Cup Quarter Finals of 1989, and 4-2 in the 1990 Cup Winners’ Cup last 16 against Torpedo Moscow. He was determined to use this opportunity to win a European trophy for Monaco, with his strongest side since joining from Nancy in 1987. The 1991/92 tournament began emphatically enough with a 10-1 aggregate win over Swansea City, whilst Monaco went on to defeat both Roma and Feyenoord.

The scene

Arsène’s Monaco were paired against German side Werder Bremen in the final, a team growing in strength under Otto Rehhagel, the manager who later ‘achieved the impossible’ in winning Euro 2004 with Greece. Otto had turned Bremen into a footballing force in Germany using the same kontrollierte Offensive philosophy which, although contrasting somewhat starkly with Wenger’s attacking philosophy, had propelled Werder to the fore in the Bundesliga. This same team were to win the Bundesliga title the following season, 1992/93.

Wenger’s first European final was to be played  at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, the country where he spent the previous summer watching the 1991 under-20 European Championships with a certain Gerard Houllier. As ever Wenger was consistently putting the hours in meticulously researching the future stars of Europe, and three young players destined to make their mark on European graced the Monaco side of the 1992 final; the legendary Emmanuel Petit, Youri Djorkaeff and Lilian Thuram.

A young Emmanuel Petit, playing at centre back.

In hindsight this is a crucially significant game in Wenger’s Monaco career; the prelude to a storm. The final itself was overshadowed by events in Corsica, where a temporary stand collapsed during the Coupe de France fixture between Bastia and Marseilles. Eighteen people died, and 2,300 were injured. Monaco immediately decided not to go ahead with the final, and UEFA agreed at first, but inexplicably changed their minds.

Wenger’s assistant Jean Petit:

“Arsène was inconsolable. He asked what we were doing over there. We were about to play a match in Portugal, when football had been, well, killed by this tragedy”.

Arsène did not allow the Monaco players to leave the hotel; instead they were hidden away from the journalists hovering for comment, whilst Wenger travelled to Corsica to pay respects to victims. The lives of those who died would be on the players’ minds during the final.

Monaco fans send a message to Corsica.

The final itself was a rather odd affair, an anti-climax. Both clubs took relatively few fans; only 16,000 attended the game, a paltry figure considering the 44,000 who had crammed in to watch Manchester United overcome Barcelona 2-1 in the previous year’s final.

The empty Estadio da Luz in 1992, a ‘flat occassion’.

Claude Puel remembers:

“On the night of the game we arrived at this massive stadium in Lisbon which can house 120,000 people to find only 15,000 spectators sitting there. There was absolutely no atmosphere. The banks of empty seats made it feel like a non-league game. It was unnerving and we were all affected. Even Wenger, whose job it was to overcome such situations and motivate us, ensuring we were concentrating on the job at hand, was subdued. It was a non-match. A flat occasion.”

The Wrong Match

Arsène gave his sides chances as 50/50 in his prematch interview, and his line-up was strong, with Patrick Valéry and Luc Sonor as the right and left back respectively. Emmanuel Petit was named as centre back partner to Mendy for the day.

In midfield the skilful Gérald Passi was paired with Marcel Dib, whilst Jérôme Gnako played down the right, and the speedy Fofana be preferred to play wider on the left, using his pace in attack. The number eight, Rui Barros was positioned more centrally, behind George Weah playing up front.

In effect Monaco lined up with something akin to a 4-4-1-1, although in some respects it could even be described as a 4-2-3-1, a theme explored in Wenger’s earlier European campaigns. The formation was generally fluid, incorporating Wenger’s persistent obsession with pace.

Monaco took to the field with a high line, pressing and making use of the overlapping full backs. Werder meanwhile played true to the kontrollierte Offensive, putting almost no pressure on Monaco, instead relying on the physicality of the defence including Uli Borowka and Thomas Wolter. Offensively they looked to launch lightening counter attacks, sporadically raiding into the Monaco half.

Monaco press – Sonor and Valéry (yellow) made forward runs alternately, whilst in blue Petit (near) and Mendy (far) marshalled the back line. Dib in the holding role is marked green.

Les Monagesques dominated the early phases, although there were few clear chances. Fofana looked dangerous on the left, pacey as ever, whilst Sonor and Valéry pushed upfield leaving Petit and Mendy in defence. In midfield Marcel Dib played the holding role, distributing passes to the front men, with Passi alongside him. However, set pieces and crosses into the box were the main threats to Werder as Monaco exploited the flanks.

Throughout the game the interchanging of positions in the Monaco midfield was emphasized. Weah would sometimes move onto the flank and Gnako would come in to the centre. With Weah in the centre Monaco would lob balls over the top in an attempt to pit Weah’s pace against the Bremen defence.

Consistent pressure does produce results, but also crucial weaknesses. Bremen kept the door firmly shut on Monaco’s advances, and then proceeded to close the first half with a goal. A looping freekick from Bremen’s half found its way into the Monaco box, and Petit lost out on the header. With the ball bouncing inexorably forwards Mendy was wrongfooted and hero Klaus Allofs pounced on the half volley, searing past Jean Luc Ettori.

Second Half

In the second half Monaco employed an even higher defensive line as they pushed for a response to Werder’s opener. The flanks were again exploited heavily, as the fullbacks looked to cut the ball back from the byline into the box. The right flank was key with passing triangles and link up play between Weah, Barrios and the number seven Gnako.

However their efforts were in vain, as a second Werder goal came. Petit pushed forward pressing Werder at the halfway line in an attempt to win the ball, but he lost the tackle; left sprawling on the floor. Allofs picked up the loose ball near the centre spot and picked out Wynton Rufer making a forward run, playing a simple ball over the top as Rufer ran between Valery and Mendy, neither of whom tracked back. Monaco were picked off in a moment of counterattacking perfection, all that was required was a mistake and the high line was exploited to the fullest extent, Ettori was again left helpless as Rufer made it 2-0.

The second goal. Klaus Allofs made the pass from the halfway line to the onrushing Rufer (pink), between Mendy and Valéry (yellow). Monaco’s high line in effect.

Monaco became increasingly desperate as Wenger’s side searched for a way back into the match, but against Rehhagel’s controlled tactics the frugality was the theme. Monaco’s pressing only increased, whilst Fofana came off, replaced by Benjamin Clement and right back Valéry for the young and highly talented Youri Djorkaeff.

Now Djourkaeff held the centre of the pitch, mesmerising spectators with his range of passing and talent on the ball. Dib fell back to cover right back when needed exchanging with Gnako, adapting to the situation as Werder sat back and Monaco pushed everyone forward. In terms of formation the side became amorphous, Clement playing up front, on the left and right, with Dib and Djourkaeff drifting in the centre. Although Monaco were now desperately pushing for a goal, their efforts lacked the quality final ball to penetrate the layered Grün-Weißen defence. Werder had every man behind the ball, and only pressed when Monaco managed to reach the final third; thwarting their forays forward.

A young Youri Djourkaeff can’t break through Rehhagel’s defence.

Bremen continued to look for the positions to break, and they were constantly found offside as they attempted through balls into the channels, although by the end they were often simply punting the ball downfield.

Monaco showed flair at times, knocking small one-twos and triangles on either flank, and time and again Djourkaeff looked to pull off moves with slick skill, but overall lacked an end product. At the final whistle the players collapsed on the pitch, overcome with the emotion of the moment, undoubtedly drained. There is sparse footage of Wenger and Monaco wallowing in the pain of defeat as the Bremen players celebrate ecstatically in front of their 5000 travelling fans.

Wenger after the 1992 loss:

“When you have lost the final of the European cup, you have hit rock bottom”.

Otto Rehhagel and Werder Bremen celebrate their 2-0 victory.

The End Game

Ultimately Wenger’s first European final was Otto’s day, the culmination of his teambuilding efforts at Bremen, in the long term this result set a pattern for Wenger’s European credentials. Of three major European finals he has won none. The second attempt came against Galatasaray, where Arsenal lost 4-1 on penalties in the 2000 UEFA Cup final, allowing a Turkish club to win a European trophy for the first time, whilst losing to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final was yet another painful day.

The 1992 final has always been used as the reflecting pool for Wenger’s time with Monaco where he established a great team playing good football, but fell short; always second best. Despite Wenger’s first League title in 1988 and the Coupe de France triumphs in 1989 and 1991, this still holds true for the 1992 season. Monaco qualified for two finals, and were fighting for the league title with Marseilles. However, due to the tragedy in the Bastia semi-final, the Coupe de France final was cancelled, whilst finishing second in the league to Marseilles. It would take another year for the Tapie bribery scandal to explode, as far as anyone knew Marseilles were simply too good for Monaco. It was a trophyless year of frustration, and the beginning of the end for Wenger’s great Monaco side.

Claude Puel again:

“For me, the disintegration of that squad started in May 1992. A fortnight from the end of the league, we were tied with Marseille and we had reached the finals of the Coupe de France and the Cup Winners’ Cup, but we ended up fading horribly.”

Indeed, the Werder game was Weah’s last major appearance for Monaco. The frustration of the experience led to him signing for PSG in the summer of 1992, whilst Gérald Passi moved to St Etienne. Here there is a contrast with the current Wenger side, where teambuilding has been sustained, the experience with Monaco stood Wenger in good stead.

Jean Petit assistant manager emphasized the frustration at the inability to build the team, something which has become almost an obsession for Wenger, as apparent today as ever.

“We had the best players in France. With such a squad, with such players, we wanted to keep the structure in place for subsequent years. It was so frustrating that we didn’t manage to do that.”

Wenger’s first great side never recovered to their former heights, eventually culminating in his departure from the club in 1994/95. Ironically his fate was intertwined with that of his first European final opponent, Otto Rehhagel, something which the football betting couldn’t have predicted. In 1994 Bayern Munich approached Wenger to become manager, but when he decided to honour his Monaco contract Bayern hired Rehhagel in his place. Wenger was subsequently sacked and missed the opportunity at Bayern, moving instead to Japan, and Nagoya Grampus Eight.

At Arsenal the story has unfolded rather differently, but the tug of Europe abides. Still the belief persists that Wenger can triumph on the continental stage. Defeating Barcelona’s superlative side has added weight to Arsenal’s credentials this season, an undoubtedly brilliant performance, but if the hard work of the first leg comes undone at the Nou Camp Wenger will have to wait yet another year for his chance at European glory.

Line Ups: Cup Winners’ Cup Final, 6 May 1992, Estádio da Luz, Lisbon

AS Monaco: 1 Jean-Luc Ettori, 2 Patrick Valéry, 3 Luc Sonor, 4 Emmanuel Petit, 5 Roger Mendy, 6 Marcel Dib, 7 Jérôme Gnako, 8 Rui Barros, 9 George Weah, 10 Gérald Passi, 11 Youssouf Fofana. Manager: Arsène Wenger

SV Werder Bremen: 1 Jürgen Rollmann, 2 Manfred Bockenfeld, 3 Thomas Wolter, 4 Rune Bratseth, 5 Marco Bode, 6 Ulrich Borowka, 7 Dieter Eilts, 8 Miroslav Votava, 9 Frank Neubarth, 10 Wynton Rufer, 11 Klaus Allofs. Manager: Otto Rehhagel

Part of a series – Wenger: the Beginnings