ARSENAL fans are claiming they have Manchester United to thank for their current success as a team.
That’s due to being on the wrong end of an 8-2 defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson’s United 12 years ago in August 2011.
That might sound a bit strange, given that it was Arsenal’s largest margin of defeat since 1927 – and their worst in modern history.
But in a roundabout way, it has gotten them to where they are today.
The traumatising loss saw them undergo a late flurry in the transfer window, where they brought in Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos and Park Chu Young.
While Arteta and Mertesacker were successes on the field, it has been their impact since retiring that has bore most fruit for Arsenal.
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Arteta would retire at the club in 2014 aged 32 after making 150 appearances for Arsenal.
Mertesacker would also retire at Arsenal in 2018 after playing 221 time for the club.
Arteta then immediately joined Manchester City to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach – although he also received offers from Arsenal and Tottenham to join their staff.
The prodigal son would return to Arsenal in 2019 after the club sacked Unai Emery to become The Gunners’ manager.
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Since returning to the club he has won the FA Cup and turned Arsenal into title challengers again after years in the wilderness.
Mertesacker meanwhile became the club’s academy manager in 2018 and has seen the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe come into the team under his tutelage.
The fan that pointed out the interesting quirk on Twitter said: “It’s funny how the most embarrassing defeat in our history led to us panic buying Arteta and Mertesacker, who now manage the club and academy and have turned the club’s fortunes around.”
And other fans were keen to chime in on the theory, with one saying: “Wenger’s done it again!”
Another said: “Arsene Wenger, went to Old Trafford lost 8-2 on purpose to force Kroenke’s hand, signed Arteta who was central in breaking our trophy drought and now manages club, he’s done it again!”
And a third wrote: “More reason why a revenge for that embarrassing loss should happen this weekend.”
Arsenal will have an opportunity for some belated revenge as they host United at The Emirates at 4:30pm this Sunday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
