It’s now been over a week since ‘The Announcement’ was made and it still hasn't quite sunk in. For over a decade, Arsenal Football Club has been a source of joy and anguish for myself and many young gooners across the globe, and despite recent division on the position of the manager Arsene Wenger, the common denominator of the fanbase has always been that of respect and admiration for the man known as ''The Professor''. After it was revealed last Friday that the boss would be stepping down after 22 years at the helm, fans and players past and present have called for unity and want to give Wenger the send off he richly deserves.
This afternoon, a devastating last-minute winner from substitute Marouane Fellaini meant a valiant but widely inexperienced Arsenal side suffered 2-1 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford. It was an encouraging display from the Gunners, with young prospects Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Konstantinos Mavropanos receiving plenty of praise from fans and pundits. Former Red Devil Henrikh Mkhitaryan produced a deft finish to equalise around the hour-mark to help round off a solid performance from him also.
Looking forward to Thursday night, a crucial Europa League semi-final at the Wanda Metropolitano against Atletico Madrid lies ahead for Arsenal as their hopes for a European trophy and most importantly Champions League football next season hang in the balance. With North London rivals Tottenham increasingly likely to clinch the final top four spot ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League – guaranteeing them a place among Europe’s elite next campaign, the pressure is firmly on Arsenal to produce a win against the formidable 'Rojiblancos' who will be without their manager Diego Simeone after being sent to the stands as a result of a fiery outburst in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
