As a lack of football and Arsenal continues and times look bleak, we at GT decided we would do a three part special on our memories so far of the Emirates era, 14 years after moving to Ashburton Grove from Highbury. It would be fairly safe to say I think that no one is placing a wager at online-bookies.org.uk that this Arsenal team will win a trophy but I asked some members of our writing team some question on past teams and players who did or in most cases should have!
1) It is our 14th year at the Emirates, which season saw Arsenal’s best?
MarbleHallsTV: 1 – 14/15 – we won the FA Cup this year and finished 3rd in the league, but pound for pound this was the best imho. It had the highest concentration of then world class players (in my view Sanchez, Ozil, Koscielny, Cazorla) since the Invincibles era, and only Chelsea and possibly City were better than it man for man.
Alex Burns: I would say our best team from the era was probably 2007/08. We had a team which finished four points off the top, Fabregas running the show, as well as players like Hleb, Rosicky, Van Persie and Adebayor. That team played some truly wonderful football and man I miss, God only knows what could’ve happened had Eduardo not broken his leg, which saw this superb team collapse
Eduardo injury – season defining
Matt Lorrimer-Roberts: I think our best team from the previous 14 years is mixed really, we could go over the fantastic team that won the FA Cups, but I will say that it was the possibly best side to never win a trophy in the 2007-08 campaign. Although we should’ve won something we had some great talents that helped.
James Howson: For me the best team was probably the 06/07 team , sure they didn’t achieve much besides a cup final defeat to a plucky Chelsea side but they had the players to do so. Titi Henry playing his final year for Arsenal , along with Van Persie and remnants of the Invincible defence. For me though the stadium move hit them hard that year because, there was an over reliance on Henry and you can see that with just one star left winger that team could have been so much more than what it achieved.
Gary Lawrence: The best Arsenal side since we moved to the Emirates for me would be the 2007-08 team. Should have won the title that season. However injuries and a lack of experience did for us. The midfield quartet when they were all fit of Fàbregas, Hleb, Rosicky and Flamini were a joy to watch. The passing and movement was exquisite at times. Also Adebayor was excellent for us upfront that season as well.
Image of 07/08 imploding
Dave Seager: I would have to say the team in 2007/08 which should have won the league and I believe would have, had it not been for the injury to Rosicky and then the awful one for Eduardo. The midfield of Flamini sitting behind Fabregas, flanked by Hleb and Rosicky was superb but lost so much when it lost the Czech. Sagna had been an inspired addition in the summer and RVP and Eduardo competing to support a prolific Adebayor gave us goals in abundance. The Eduardo injury and subsequent on pitch collapse, including the infamous Gallas sit down protest sadly saw the team capitulate.
Nigel Evans: I think the best team of the Emirates era is the team of the 2007-08. If Eduardo didn’t get injured I think we could have won the League
Steve Wellman: 2014/2015 – Santi at his best, a trophy and Jack’s song2) If you were to make an Emirates XI, who are you picking?
MarbleHallsTV: Leno; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Song, Cesc, Walcott, Aubameyang, Alexis.
Alex Burns: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Toure, Clichy; Fabregas, Gilberto; Nasri, Özil, Alexis, Van Persie.
Matt Lorrimer-Roberts: Lehmann, Eboue, Koscielny, Toure, Clichy, Ljungberg, Rosicky, Cazorla, Walcott, Henry, Eduardo.
Not popular but brilliant together
Occasional writer who follows the Arsenal home and away. Dennis is our greatest ever.
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