The last week has been a tester for even the most thick skinned Arsenal supporter. 3 defeats, conceding 3 goals in each against sides we consider our inferior, meaning in all likelihood, Champions League qualification through the league was gone. Arsenal have choked once more. I saw a tweet that summed it up beautifully; It's de ja vu all over again.
And yet, the season that was announced as the transition one, the one where we wanted progress, but expected it to be a steady rebuilding process, could actually still turn out to be one our most successful in recent memory. Certainly the most important. As much as it pains me to write, we are not Liverpool or Manchester United. We don't have a trophy cabinet clogged with European trophies. In the past 25 years we have reached 4 European finals, and won only the first, in 1994 (Cup winners cup).
Since then, we've seen Nayim from the halfway line, a rather rotten penalty shootout against Galatasary and of course the most heartbreaking of all, Barcelona breaking every Gooner's heart in the Paris rain in 2006. Now comes our latest semi final attempt, after last year's disappointment at the same stage against Athletico Madrid, it's Spanish opposition again, Valencia.
This is a chance. A really big chance. Should Arsenal come through this, they face the possibility of either Frankfurt or, in the more likely case, thousands of fans from London will fly to Baku for a Chelsea-Arsenal final. In this competition, Arsenal have rarely broken sweat this year, even against the favourites Napoli, who were dispatched with the ease and professionalism not seen against Palace, Wolves and Leicester.
While the season has been riddled with highs and lows, after everything, there is still a chance of a brilliant end to Unai Emery's first season. Adding his 4th Europa League and 1st Arsenal trophy wouldn't completely kill the memory of Barcelona in 06, but it would go a long way to doing so. Get behind them until the end of the season, the perfect end is still on, and the beginning of that final act of the script is at home on Thursday.
Come on you Gunners!
@joehurd16
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