The stylish superiority was confined to the 90 minutes. Thereafter, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dropped more trophies than most Arsenal captains of the 21st century have lifted, but Mikel Arteta could afford to smile about the forward’s ungainly attempt to get to grips with the FA Cup.
“He needs more experience with trophies,” smiled a manager who won one within eight months of his appointment.
Arsenal’s season, like its predecessor, finished in a final against Chelsea. In each case, the prize was greater for north London than west.
This time, Arsenal grasped it. Fourteen months earlier, a second-half capitulation and a 4-1 loss in the Europa League final cost them Champions League football. On Saturday, once again, Chelsea knew they were bound for the premier continental competition. Defeat would have meant that, for the first time in a quarter century, Arsenal were not in any. This time, the second half produced a stirring win.
In a world of uncertainty, it is hard to quantify the value of a Europa League spot. Perhaps it is worth £40 million (Dh192m), though, and with Aubameyang’s contract expiring in 2021, those added funds could be invaluable in extending his deal. “I want to build the team around him,” said Arteta, and progress could be destroyed by the departure of the one truly world-class player in his side.
Not since Ian Rush in 1986 had anyone scored a double in both the semi-final and final of the FA Cup and Aubameyang deserves to be bracketed with the greats. His last five seasons have produced 170 goals and, at 31, a speedster shows no signs of slowing down.
Arteta sounded confident of keeping him, Aubameyang more non-committal. Yet his tweet of the pair of them holding the trophy was captioned simply: “My manager!!!!”
Those sentiments may be echoed in the dressing room and the fanbase, the four exclamation marks illustrating his impact. In five games, Arteta has beaten Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, imbuing his side with resolve and displaying his own tactical nous, not least in the first-half drinks break.
Arsenal’s wins came with 31, 29 and 40 per cent of possession respectively. Pep Guardiola’s protégé has had to abandon some of his mentor’s methods. It has required fresh ideas to engineer alchemy. With notable exceptions like Aubameyang, Arsenal can appear the unlikely lads.
Granit Xhaka was the deposed captain who was despised by some supporters. Arteta rehabilitated him. “He turned it around and gave me a second chance,” the Swiss reflected.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles had started once in 18 games, seemingly hankering after a midfield role no one afforded him, before Arteta brought him out of storage and reinvented him as a left wing-back in the semi-final against City. It was a role he reprised in the final, exploiting the room behind Chelsea’s wing-backs.
Emi Martinez was Arsenal’s oft-overlooked longest-serving player before Bernd Leno was injured. He finished the season with the highest save percentage of any Premier League goalkeeper to stop at least two shots.
David Luiz veered erratically between liability and colossus and if no one can say with any confidence that extending his contract will not bring further errors, Arteta made the most of a bad situation by trusting the biggest character in his defence.
Kieran Tierney has looked a class act, whether as centre-back, left-back or wing-back. So, too, Dani Ceballos as Xhaka’s sidekick, though he illustrates the issues at Arsenal. Securing a loanee’s signature for another season ranks among many priorities.
Defence should be one even though, with William Saliba arriving, the substandard Sokratis Papastathopoulos can be deemed surplus to requirements. So, too, the exiled Matteo Guendouzi, who at least has some resale value, and the resolutely unshiftable Mesut Ozil.
Arteta has not picked on reputation or price tag, but he has proved open-minded. Alexandre Lacazette was among the axed, but was restored to the side and responded to uncharacteristic requests by trying to snuff out Ilkay Gundogan in the semi-final and Jorginho in the final. The Frenchman passed the attitude test. So have others.
“We had to change the energy and the mentality,” Arteta said on Saturday. He has done that. Arsenal feel more upbeat, more optimistic.
Their lowest league finish in 25 years nonetheless looks a springboard for something. It is a reminder of the difference a manager can make and, already, it feels as though Arteta’s first trophy will not be his last. He inherited a club at a low ebb, one which had wasted 18 months under Unai Emery. The question now is how far he can take them.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
