The long walk back to the summit of English football has been arduous and emotionally taxing for the faithful followers of Arsenal Football Club, but...
The long walk back to the summit of English football has been arduous and emotionally taxing for the faithful followers of Arsenal Football Club, but the powers that be at the Emirates have finally delivered a title that many feared might never come again. From the ashes of that traumatic afternoon at Old Trafford on Sunday 24 October 2004, when the Invincibles' remarkable 49 match unbeaten run was slain in controversial circumstances, the club endured a wilderness period that stretched well beyond the Wenger era. It took a full month for the squad to process their grief and rage after that defeat, and by the time they had steadied themselves, José Mourinho's remorseless Chelsea had already zoomed past them. For all their artistic brilliance, something fundamental had died in the Arsenal of old, and the subsequent years were marked by drift and decline. In the scheme of things, the appointment of Mikel Arteta proved to be the turning point. The Spanish tactician, who had once worn the cannon on his chest, understood the burden of history and the weight of expectation. He steadily rebuilt the squad, instilling a resilience that was previously absent, and gave a good account of himself against the formidable Manchester City and Liverpool machines. The lion's share of the credit must go to the defensive solidity that Arteta cultivated, a far cry from the swashbuckling but porous units of the past. At the end of the day, Arsenal's return to title glory was not a flash in the pan but the result of patient planning and clinical execution. The current squad boasts a formidable blend of youth and experience, with the Nigerian international Victor Osimhen having been linked with a move to the Emirates in recent windows, a prospect that would further bolster their attacking options alongside the Super Eagles talisman Kelechi Iheanacho, who has also been mentioned in GoalZaza's exclusive transfer columns. The team's jerseys are now synonymous with relentless pressing and intelligent movement, and their boots seem to find the net at crucial moments. In the viewing centres in Surulere and on the big screens in Abuja's Wuse Zone, the faithful who gathered to watch the title decider shed tears of joy, hugging strangers as the final whistle confirmed their long awaited coronation. There, in the humid Lagos night, old men remembered the Invincibles and young boys celebrated a new dynasty, all united by the belief that Arsenal, at long last, are back where they belong.
