Arsene Wenger was appointed as manager in the year 1996, and this particular appointment played a crucial role in Arsenal’s success in the late 1990s.
Arsene Wenger brought along, new tactics, training methods and several foreign players who complemented the existing English player’s style of play. Arsenal won their second League and Cup double in 1997-98, and a third in 2001-02. In addition to these, the club lost to Galatasaray on penalties in the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup.
Arsenal were victorious in the 2003 and 2005 FA Cup, and also won the Premier League in 2003-04 without losing a single match, this feat earned Arsenal the nickname “The Invincibles.” The 49 game unbeaten streak extended from 7 May 2003 to 24 October 2004.
In Arsene’s first eleven seasons at the club, Arsenal finished in either first or second place eight times. Until 2005-06, Arsenal never progressed beyond the quarterfinal stage of the competition.
In that season, Arsenal became the first club from London, in the competitions fifty-year history to reach the final. However, they were beaten in the final 2-1 by Barcelona.
After 93 years at Highbury, Arsenal moved to the Emirates stadium in the year 2006. Arsenal has not won any trophy since 2005; they came close to winning a trophy twice when they lost in the League Cup finals in 2007 and 2011 to Chelsea and Birmingham City respectively.
The fans
Arsenal fans are often referred as “The Gooners”, the name derived from the team’s nickname “The Gunners”. Arsenal enjoys a large loyal fan base, who turn out for almost all Arsenal matches, and results in a full stadium for most of the Home matches. In 1997-98, Arsenal recorded the second highest average League Attendance for an English Club. The stadium was filled with 60,070 people, about 99.5% of available capacity.
The club supporters also publish fanzines such as The Gooner, Highbury High, and Gunflash among others. A 2005 report by Granada Ventures, which at the time owned a 9.9% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal’s global fanbase at 27 million.
Arsenal’s longest running rivalry is with their nearest major neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur. The matches between these two sides are referred to as North London derbies. Other rivalries within London include those with Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham United. However, Arsenal and Manchester United developed strong on-pitch rivalry in the late 1980s, which intensified in recent years when both clubs were competing for the Premier League title.
Straight from a Gooner’s heart
It has always been a pleasure watching Arsenal play. Over the years, Arsenal has grown as a team. Despite the injuries the players faced, Arsene Wenger put his trust in all players, who have undoubtedly repaid his faith and confidence in them, and it has been pretty evident this season.
All Arsenal fans will certainly echo my view when I say this:
We are loyal when we lose, We are proud when we win, We are Gooners till we die!