Arsenal’s disappointing 2-2 draw at Wolves on Wednesday is similar to what occurred to the Gunners 18 years in the past.
Again in 2008, Arsene Wenger’s facet had been prime of the Premier League after 26 video games, with 63 factors and a five-point lead over Manchester United in second.
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Much like this season, their twenty seventh recreation concerned a visit to the West Midlands to face a facet battling relegation – Alex McLeish’s Birmingham Metropolis.
After an terrible damage to Arsenal striker Eduardo and a aim from 10-man Birmingham’s James McFadden, an 18-year-old Theo Walcott scored his first targets within the Premier League to go away the leaders 2-1 up heading into damage time.
However a foul by Gael Clichy meant the Gunners conceded a penalty and allowed McFadden to attain a Ninety fifth-minute equaliser – only a minute later than the one Tom Edozie scored for Wolves on Wednesday.
After drawing a recreation they’d dominated, Arsenal defender William Gallas famously sat down on the pitch in what Match of the Day commentator Jonathan Pearce described as “a state of disbelief”.
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Whereas Gabriel Jesus shoving Yerson Mosquera on Wednesday wasn’t wherever close to as dramatic, it reveals many Arsenal gamers had been equally surprised and annoyed after the ultimate whistle in that recreation.
That 2-2 draw on 23 February 2008 meant their lead on the prime was lower to simply three factors when Manchester United gained 5-1 at Newcastle, whereas Wednesday night time’s end result provides Manchester Metropolis the possibility to shut the hole to simply two factors in the event that they win their recreation in hand.
This present Arsenal facet will hope the similarities finish there. The Gunners went on to win simply considered one of their subsequent seven Premier League video games 18 years in the past.
Such a poor run of outcomes prompted them to drop to 3rd place, 9 factors behind new leaders Manchester United.
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Regardless of profitable their last 4 video games, Arsenal completed the season in third place with 83 factors, 4 behind champions Manchester United and two behind runners-up Chelsea.
Arsenal’s gamers have an instantaneous alternative to point out issues might be completely different this time round with the north London derby this weekend, adopted by a house recreation towards Chelsea.
After that, their solely recreation towards the present prime six is one that’s more likely to be much more pivotal within the title race – a visit to the Etihad to face Manchester Metropolis on 18 April.
With simply two wins of their final seven video games and echoes of that notorious end result towards Birmingham of their draw final night time, Arsenal are at risk of telling the identical previous story in terms of the title.
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However with the longer term nonetheless unwritten, this present crop of Arsenal gamers nonetheless have the possibility to place the ghosts of 2008 to relaxation by changing into Premier League champions for the primary time in 22 years.