9 years: The making of an Arsenal victory

Arsene Wenger finally took his team over the line

But Arsene Wenger has to be one of the best managers in the world, simply because of what he managed to achieve during this time of crisis. Players kept leaving, but he somehow managed to keep the team in the top 4 for all these years. A feat which doesn’t seem much at first, but financially, it was imperative in taking Arsenal to the position at which they are now. The importance of the financial aspect of the Champions league in helping Arsenal clear their debt in the past 9 years; cannot be undermined.

During all this time, Arsenal had a profit to show year after year. Although the players kept leaving Arsenal for richer clubs, the silver lining was that Arsene transformed them from nobody to somebody, which meant a huge profit when the player wanted to move to another club. van Persie, who was brought to Arsenal for 5 million pounds, went to United for 24 million pounds. This wasn’t exactly a positive for Wenger, consistently losing his players, but like I said, it was definitely a silver lining.

The 2012-2013 season was where Arsenal really came into the picture for me. Having lost Van Persie to United, Wenger, with finances at his disposal for the first time in years, brought in Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla in the summer transfer window. At the same time, he managed to develop a core of young players: Wilshere, ramsey, Gibbs, Chamberlain, Walcott; who were willing to stay at the club. Arsenal managed a top 4 finish yet again, and now really were a financial superpower.

This became all the more evident with the acquisition of Ozil from Real Madrid for 42.5 million pounds in the summer transfer window next season. Arsenal led a long overdue assault on the title for a major part of the season. They ended the season with 79 points in 4th place, a 6 year high and only 7 points off the top of the table. Key injuries had a major part to play in Arsenal faltering in the later stages of the league.

But Arsenal were no longer an ordinary team. The FA cup was where Arsenal really took center stage and gunned for glory. On their route to the final, Arsenal defeated Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton; so they had every right to be at Wembely. They fought back against a spirited Wigan team, who had just knocked out City, to win 4-2 on penalties after extra time ended on 1-1.

But the final was of a different level altogether. 8 minutes into the final, and Arsenal were 2-0 down. A million gooners all around the globe, me included, were shell shocked, thinking, as we were quite used to thinking, “not again!” It was as if all that buid up to the final meant nothing, that Arsenal were once again going to end the season empty handed, having come so close! And then, astonishingly, Arsenal produced the fightback of a lifetime, in a cup final, at the new Wembley, trailing by 2 goals, to make it 2-2 in the 71st minute!

At that moment, I just knew, that it was written in the stars. Nobody was going to stop Arsenal from ending that 9 year drought. And in the 109th minute, when Ramsey topped off a slick Arsenal move to make it 3-2; my joy knew no bounds. The gooners blew the roof off of Wembley that day! They had done it! 9 years all leading to this moment of pure joy! And there he was, the architect of this victory, not even willing to take center stage, but letting his players bask in the glory. That is what Arsene Wenger is all about. The flak he has taken from the fans in the last 9 years has been unreasonable and unbelievable.

But never did that ever sway him from the job he had at hand. He rebuilt a team out of nothing, and instilled in them the fighting spirit which made them fight back after being 2-0 down. And all he did was smile silently, a job well done, but never quite acknowledging it. Humility is certainly one of the traits that Wenger possesses, which earns him so much respect in th Arsenal fraternity. Seeing Arsene Wenger with a trophy in his hand and an unbridled smile on his face, was quite a sight for sore gooners' eyes!

Now that he has started winning again, I doubt he would want to stop. Brace yourselves gooners, a storm is coming! And with it, a lot of trophies! In Arsene we trust!