So here it is, my greatest Arsenal game of the past decade...
Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1 8th May 2002
Simply one of the greatest nights in the history of Arsenal football club and one I'll never forget. Had Jens Lehman not had that moment of madness at White Hart Lane when we won the title in 2004 then I would be writing about that game as being the greatest, but that last minute penalty took the gloss of for me and is something that still causes considerable annoyance 6 years on!
It doesn't get better than winning the title at the home of your fiercest rival and that's exactly what we did that magical evening in Manchester. Having travelled to the majority of away games that season I was abslutely gutted to have applied for a ticket and not get one, I was convinced that I had enough away credits and had to make do watching it on the television instead. We only needed a draw to win the title and we always had the safety net of a home game against Everton on the Sunday if we had lost to Utd. We had already won the FA Cup the Saturday before and we were riding high. Henry was injured, Bergkamp was on the bench and the players were clearly on their last legs. For the first half an hour we were the better side and United resorted to making some disgusting challenges, most notably Scholes and Neville whilst Roy Keane put his size 10 boots through Vieira's chest. United were rattled and relinquished their crown in graceless fashion. Sol Campbell was magnificent, Freddie never stopped running. When Wiltord finally stroked the ball home it was an immense feeling of relief, I knew there was no way were going to let it slip - we simply wanted it more.
When the final whistle blew, jubilation! There had been a lot of speculation that Vieira was going to leave in the summer but as he was celebrating the title triumph the TV cameras focused on the french master just as he kissed the badge, a great moment that bonds a fan with a player - the love of one's club. Too many times you see players kiss the badge, I can remember a certain Mr Adebayor doing it when the whole world knew it was a pathetic attempt to win over the fans he had so disrespected only a few months previously. Vieira kissed the badge because he loved the club, it was just as evident now as it was back then. The night had everything and seeing Wenger walk into Fergies back yard and wave his arms aloft as the manager of the Champions was just about as good as it has ever got as an Arsenal fan.
Let's hope we win at Liverpool on Sunday!
Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1 8th May 2002
Simply one of the greatest nights in the history of Arsenal football club and one I'll never forget. Had Jens Lehman not had that moment of madness at White Hart Lane when we won the title in 2004 then I would be writing about that game as being the greatest, but that last minute penalty took the gloss of for me and is something that still causes considerable annoyance 6 years on!
It doesn't get better than winning the title at the home of your fiercest rival and that's exactly what we did that magical evening in Manchester. Having travelled to the majority of away games that season I was abslutely gutted to have applied for a ticket and not get one, I was convinced that I had enough away credits and had to make do watching it on the television instead. We only needed a draw to win the title and we always had the safety net of a home game against Everton on the Sunday if we had lost to Utd. We had already won the FA Cup the Saturday before and we were riding high. Henry was injured, Bergkamp was on the bench and the players were clearly on their last legs. For the first half an hour we were the better side and United resorted to making some disgusting challenges, most notably Scholes and Neville whilst Roy Keane put his size 10 boots through Vieira's chest. United were rattled and relinquished their crown in graceless fashion. Sol Campbell was magnificent, Freddie never stopped running. When Wiltord finally stroked the ball home it was an immense feeling of relief, I knew there was no way were going to let it slip - we simply wanted it more.
When the final whistle blew, jubilation! There had been a lot of speculation that Vieira was going to leave in the summer but as he was celebrating the title triumph the TV cameras focused on the french master just as he kissed the badge, a great moment that bonds a fan with a player - the love of one's club. Too many times you see players kiss the badge, I can remember a certain Mr Adebayor doing it when the whole world knew it was a pathetic attempt to win over the fans he had so disrespected only a few months previously. Vieira kissed the badge because he loved the club, it was just as evident now as it was back then. The night had everything and seeing Wenger walk into Fergies back yard and wave his arms aloft as the manager of the Champions was just about as good as it has ever got as an Arsenal fan.
Let's hope we win at Liverpool on Sunday!
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