Football is a spectacular sport, but it has enough events to toy with its fans’ emotions – and Arsenal fans have undoubtedly experienced much of its topsy-turvy terrain. While the North London team may have only earned a spot in the Europa League for the 2022/2023 season, the happiness this team has brought its fans in the past is huge.
The Gunners are the third most successful English team, after Liverpool and Manchester United, based on the number of trophies won. The team, which plays its home games at the Emirates Stadium, hasn’t only made some unique records that no one has broken but also successfully retained the support and trust of many sports bettors who wager on games at FanDuel Sportsbook and other bookmakers in the United Kingdom and beyond.
For fans looking for positives, these are five reasons Arsenal is still one of the most prestigious English teams.
- A Highly Successful Academy
Football academies are where the talents emerge from – and Arsenal has produced a modest number. While not many academy products go on to represent their first team regularly, Arsenal has performed better than most.
Who’s the best player Arsenal academy has produced? Most certainly, that would be Ashley Cole. Ashley Cole was the best left-back globally for some years, stamping his world-class rating on the record books. Next to him are nearly comparable stars, like Serge Gnabry and Cesc Fabregas. Jack Wilshere is another significant example of academy products that earned themselves a regular spot in the first team.
The point remains that such feats are rare in many places. Arsenal currently has two such players – Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. They regularly feature, leading goal charts and representing England on the international scene.
Add all that to the fact that the current Arsenal team is the youngest in the entire Premier League, and your support for this team would grow. You’ll want to watch the players as they move to do well for themselves, and the club, week in, week out.
- Rare Team Spirit and Unity
Yes, there were teams in the recent past that had hitches getting along together. But it’s a much different story now. Gone are the dark days when Alexis Sanchez scored away against Crystal Palace in December 2017 and had no one join him in celebrating the goal. The days when Rosicky, Fabregas, Flamini, and Hleb had it rough are no longer here.
Arsenal’s team spirit and unity today are undoubtedly remarkable. Here you have Aaron Ramsdale, a summer signing, suffering an injury that gets him out of his national team duty but traveling to a lunchtime kick-off to cheer the player he replaced in the team. The sight of Ramsdale’s kind gesture for Bernd Leno and the whole team coming around to extend their congratulations is incredible – and infectious.
The team spirit extends to the fans. Usually, a team with ups and downs and disappointments will bring down supporters’ morale. But it’s increasingly difficult to explain Arsenal fans’ attachment to their favorite team. Of course, winning matches helps to encourage fans. But even if the club isn’t in its best form at the moment, Arsenal fans would most likely respond in support rather than hate or harsh criticism.
- Mikel Arteta
It took time before many people got to like him. His poor signings, abysmal performances, results, and nearly unfriendly personality contributed to the hitches in his relationship with others. Moreover, he joined the club when things were quite toxic and made some unpopular decisions, like taking out Ozil and Aubameyang. His early days in the club weren’t the best.
All that aside, Mikel Arteta has done all he did for the team’s benefit. He not only reset the team’s culture at an unprecedented rate but also proved to be a diligent and intelligent manager. Now, Arsenal has a clear recruitment strategy and remarkable support from the fans.
- Fans Never Stop Seeing Brighter Days Ahead
Yes, the players’ performance and results could dampen supporters’ morale. But the landscape is a little different if fans can see solid progress signs that could lead to brighter days. Some clubs often throw money around buying big players from around the world to bring success every couple of years. But Arsenal’s approach is quite different.
Although the Gunners have spent their share of money going out under its current management, the club has kept to a strategy that took note of every step of the way. While the club needs instant results, it sacrifices short-term success for medium and long-term stability.
The club has invested much in its academy while clipping emerging talents to new contracts.
The club is building a young team of players who would peak in their careers at about the same time. With the team’s recent brilliant performances, Arsenal’s sustainable recruitment strategy and clear gameplay can only give the fans hope of how better things could get. Some positive changes are expected in the summer transfer seasons, and others would come naturally either through coaching or players’ improvement.
- Arsenal is the Only Unrelegated EPL Team
It’s one of the reasons from the record books to love this team. Since Arsenal had a name change from Woolwich Arsenal to Arsenal FC, the club has remained in the top English leagues without ever being relegated to the lower tiers.
The top six teams and other clubs have had their share of relegations at different times. But Arsenal has stayed in the EPL to date, and the possibility of a regulation anytime soon is highly unforeseeable.
Final Notes
While some fans could disconnect their team’s performance from their support for the team, others cannot. In any case, Arsenal fans’ support for their team isn’t fading, and there are chances it could get stronger with time.