Arsenal’s best moments of 2023 from swotting aside Tottenham, to THAT Reiss Nelson goal and Dennis Bergkamp-style statement signing
It was going so well, for so long, but in the end it wasn’t to be for Arsenal in 2023.
Mikel Arteta’s side made progress, produced great football, and built a spirited young side to be proud of, but ultimately there was no Premier League title to celebrate.
That’s not to say this year won’t be remembered fondly. Far from it. There were lots of moments and highlights to enjoy from a Gunners’ perspective.
Here are 10 of my best Arsenal memories from the past 12 months…
Arsenal hadn’t won a single game at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a source of enormous frustration, but they produced an outstanding 2-0 success in mid-January to get 2023 off to a brilliant start.
Comprehensively outplaying their north London rivals, they banished a bunch of bad memories.
Context was just as important as earning local bragging rights. Going away from home, into the lion’s den, to completely control a match against one of the ‘Big Six’ sent out a message that this Arsenal team was ready to make the step up.
Villa Park was a tough place to go in 2023, so the Gunners’ dramatic 4-2 win there stands out.
A top class second half display saw Arteta’s men come back from 2-1 down, courtesy of a swerving Jorginho strike in the 93rd minute. The Italian’s shot cannoned off the underside of the bar, hitting the ever-unpopular Emi Martinez, who recorded the most unwanted of own goals against his former club. It was a sweet, sweet moment.
When Gabriel Martinelli raced upfield to score into an empty net (after Martinez had gone up for a corner) there were wild scenes of joy in the away end.
Hand on heart, in the moment, I thought Arsenal would win the Premier League when Reiss Nelson’s 97th minute thunderbolt sealed an unforgettable 3-2 comeback
Read on talksport.com
