8th May 2002 is a familiar date for many Arsenal fans. It was the day when just four days after defeating Chelsea 2-0 in the F.A Cup final, the Gunners went on to clinch the Premier League title, defeating their bitter rivals Manchester United 1 -0 in front of the Red Devils’ home crowd.
It was a time when Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal was at the summit of its dominance in English football, winning 12 straight games before this one, and achieving several great accomplishments during the time period. This historic game saw the end of the careers of two club legends in Tony Adams and Lee Dixon, both retiring after providing a mammoth proportion of their respective careers to the club.
Their strong presence and experience at the back can be judged from the fact that in this season, Arsenal was the second lowest goal conceders in the league, a major reason for its triumph.
Nearly eleven years later on April 28th 2013, Manchester United will be looking for a night of revenge for what happened at Old Trafford back in 2002. The away game at the Emirates will be an ideal chance for the Reds to seal their Premier League title, producing the same kind of emotions in the Arsenal fans as were felt by their own fans over a decade ago.
Manchester United have been ruthless towards the beginning of the season and hardly gave its rivals any opportunity to have a sniff at the prestigious trophy. Despite their hiccup towards the end of the campaign the Red Devils look certain for a 20th league title.
The closest threat has been defending champions Manchester City, who sit 15 points behind the league leaders in the current standings with a game in hand. And while the third and fourth place finishes are likely to go till the last game of the season, matters at the top look completely settled.
What will not sink in well with the Arsenal fans though, more than the prospect of their rivals celebrating in front of them, is the fact that their former club captain, a certain Robin van Persie, will also be invited to the party. Robin van Persie had been phenomenal last season in making sure that Arsenal reached the Champions League.
However, with a trophy drought at the club lasting more than half a decade, the Dutch striker was forced to “listen to the boy inside” him and take a trip to the red half of Manchester. To say that he has had a fruitless season at United would be unfair, as he has scored some crucial goals for the club toppling the results in his team’s favour on several occasions.
His move to United at a time when Arsenal needed him to stay did not sit well with the fans, and his return to the Emirates celebrating victory wearing a rival team’s shirt will not sit well with them either.
Such is the enthusiasm and unpredictability of modern football.
United have an easy fixture as they face a struggling Aston Villa side at home, should the Red Devils score a victory over the villains they will need maximum points against Arsenal in order to win the title at the Emirates.
Their strong presence and experience at the back can be judged from the fact that in this season, Arsenal was the second lowest goal conceders in the league, a major reason for its triumph.
Nearly eleven years later on April 28th 2013, Manchester United will be looking for a night of revenge for what happened at Old Trafford back in 2002. The away game at the Emirates will be an ideal chance for the Reds to seal their Premier League title, producing the same kind of emotions in the Arsenal fans as were felt by their own fans over a decade ago.
Manchester United have been ruthless towards the beginning of the season and hardly gave its rivals any opportunity to have a sniff at the prestigious trophy. Despite their hiccup towards the end of the campaign the Red Devils look certain for a 20th league title.
The closest threat has been defending champions Manchester City, who sit 15 points behind the league leaders in the current standings with a game in hand. And while the third and fourth place finishes are likely to go till the last game of the season, matters at the top look completely settled.
What will not sink in well with the Arsenal fans though, more than the prospect of their rivals celebrating in front of them, is the fact that their former club captain, a certain Robin van Persie, will also be invited to the party. Robin van Persie had been phenomenal last season in making sure that Arsenal reached the Champions League.
However, with a trophy drought at the club lasting more than half a decade, the Dutch striker was forced to “listen to the boy inside” him and take a trip to the red half of Manchester. To say that he has had a fruitless season at United would be unfair, as he has scored some crucial goals for the club toppling the results in his team’s favour on several occasions.
His move to United at a time when Arsenal needed him to stay did not sit well with the fans, and his return to the Emirates celebrating victory wearing a rival team’s shirt will not sit well with them either.
Such is the enthusiasm and unpredictability of modern football.
United have an easy fixture as they face a struggling Aston Villa side at home, should the Red Devils score a victory over the villains they will need maximum points against Arsenal in order to win the title at the Emirates.
