[ad_1]
The Gunners seemed well on their way to recovery when they were 5-1 at Craven Cottage two years ago, but things quickly turned pear-shaped.
“We have our Arsenal back!”
That was the chant that rang out repeatedly from the visiting winger the last time the Gunners made the short journey to face Fulham in the Premier League.
Unai Emery was cheered off the pitch on that sunny afternoon in West London on October 7, 2018, after watching his team crush the Cottagers 5-1 thanks to a brilliant display in the second half that included the goal. wonderfully built from Aaron Ramsey’s season.
The optimism of the crowd was understandable. They had just witnessed Arsenal’s ninth consecutive game in all competitions. Emery’s new approach had given new life to a club that had lost its way under Arsene Wenger and dropped out of the Champions League as a result.
For a few moments, as players and fans celebrated together after the final whistle, the division that had come to symbolize Arsenal during the final years of Wenger’s tenure disappeared. There was unity again, the feeling that he had turned a corner.
There were no banners, no protests, and no planes anywhere. “We have recovered our Arsenal,” they shouted. And for a while I felt that that might be the case.
But that victory at Craven Cottage turned out to be a false dawn. The positive signs that emerged under Emery, which continued into the festive period, were soon wiped out by a wave of negativity.
A gruesome end to the season, culminating with the Spanish team losing a place in the top four and being defeated by Chelsea in the Europa League final, was followed by an equally poor start to the following campaign.
Emery had left for Christmas; fired, just over a year after being praised as a savior.
And as Arsenal prepare to return to Fulham for the first time since that day, what happened to the Spaniard should serve as a stark reminder to Mikel Arteta of how quickly things can change in soccer.
Arteta’s shares couldn’t be higher right now. He picked up the pieces left by Emery in December and ended the season by lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, all amid the coronavirus pandemic as a backdrop.
It was a remarkable achievement, which has now improved its position.
“Mikel has been here since the end of December and the last nine months have been probably the most challenging nine months in Arsenal’s history, and we’ve been in for 134 years,” Chief Executive Vinai Venkatesham said Thursday.
“He has raised the spirits and energy here at London Colney and with Arsenal fans around the world. He is doing an absolutely phenomenal job.
“The other thing that’s clear is that from the day he walked in the door, he was doing a lot more than just being our head coach.
“So, we are going to change your job in the future. He will go from head coach to first team coach. That is an acknowledgment of what he has been up to since the day he walked through the door, but also where we see his capabilities.
What Arteta has done in a short time has been extraordinary. He has transformed the mood throughout the club, has won silver against all odds and has assembled a locker room that was disappointed.
But now, as he begins his first full season in charge at Emirates Stadium, the 38-year-old must avoid the same pitfalls that led to the demise of his predecessor.
The success of the FA Cup cannot be a lightning bolt. That victory must be based on whether Arsenal are going to start closing the gap that has opened up between them and their rivals at the top of the Premier League, something Arteta himself freely admits.
“I think it’s premature,” he said, when asked if Arsenal were close to coming back.
“It’s great that we were able to win trophies and we’ve changed a lot of things at the club, things certainly seem brighter, but there is still a long way to go and the gap I spoke about is still there.
“We have to make sure we reduce that this season as much as possible.”
So far, the transfer window has been relatively positive for Arsenal. They brought in Willian and Gabriel, two of their main targets, and secured a deal to bring Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid for one more season.
They are all players Arteta wanted and all three could be involved in Craven Cottage, but the Arsenal manager knows he needs more before the window closes on October 6.
At least one more midfielder is considered a priority, with Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar on the club’s wish list.
Whether they can afford to sign any of them may depend on Arsenal’s ability to move players in the coming weeks, something that has so far proved difficult, with players like Mesut Ozil, Matteo Guendouzi, Mohamed Elneny and Sokratis all still. in the club.
The challenging market makes Arteta’s job even more difficult. You have a clear idea of how you want to move your side forward and progress, but you need to be given the tools to do so.
For now, however, their focus is exclusively on Fulham and getting a good start to the season, which is vitally important considering that Arsenal have to travel to Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United for their first seven. league matches.
Craven Cottage has been a happy hunting ground in the past, as it was less than two years ago when Emery’s team beat Fulham by five in what appeared to be another step in the right direction for a club that had lost its way. .
There are signs that Arsenal are back on the right track with Arteta, but this season will really tell us if the Gunners are really back.
