The 25th November 2003 was the night that many Arsenal fans started to really believe that this was the season that Arsene Wenger’s magnificent team was finally going to win that elusive European Cup (as I still call the Champions League). The fact that three late goals made the score line slightly flattering barely mattered, we’d won 5-1 at the San Siro and we could go all the way to Gelsenkirchen and lift ‘Old Big Ears’ for the first time. As we now know, Wayne Bridge destroyed the dream in that dreadful night at Highbury the following Spring and although Invincibility was achieved a few weeks late the overriding feeling was that we would have defeated Monaco and then taken Mourinho’s Porto apart in the Final. It was a chance missed.
So roll forward 21 years and we are back in Italy again ready to take on I Nerazzurri again. It looks like it will be a tough night, especially given the current run of poor form and the ongoing injury crisis. So how do the Arsenal teams from then and now compare.
In goal Jens Lehmann and David Raya are very different characters, but both equally effective – Both solid 8s
At the back Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell were genuinely world class and both merit 9s, However Kolo Toure was not at the level and I’m still not sure what Pascal was doing in that team – 7 and 5 repectively. Whilst not knowing the exact line up, except that Declan has not travelled, I would go for White (8), Gabriel (9), Saliba (9) and Timber (8).
Bobby Pires was a star on his day and clearly deserves a 9, whilst Edu, Ray Parlour and Freddie would justify 7, 7 and 8 and made up a tidy midfield. Whilst 442 is not favoured by Mikel, the equivalent of Saka (9), Morino (7), Jorginho (7) and Partey (8) would be my chosen quartet.
Up front Henry is to me the second best player to ever pull on the shirt and is a definite 10 whilst the mercurial Kanu could be a 10 or a 4, so we’ll settle on a 7. Kai will likely lead the line supported by Martinelli and although they are both slightly off their best they both merit an 8.
2003 total – 86
2024 total – 89
So there you go the current team scores higher that the Invincibles, so we can expect a 1-6 victory tonight!
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