Ten years and a month ago, Manchester United defeated Arsenal to end their unbeaten league run of 49 games. Nobody realised it then, but the victory effectively ended the era of Arsene Wenger’s side as a title-winning force.
Since then, United have won the league five times, and yet the two sides head into today’s game at Emirates Stadium in oddly comparable situations.
The similarities include defensive uncertainty, a string of injuries, a summer of transfer activity that left the squad unbalanced but with one undeniable South American star, American owners of whom fans are suspicious and a desperate need to qualify for the Uefa Champions League.
They could also learn a lesson from what the other has become.
Read more: Arsenal and Manchester United are in a duel to stay in touch
United are nowhere near as far down the line towards highly monetised mediocrity as are Arsenal, but the suddenness of their fall last season suggests just how easily status can be lost.
Financial results released this week show a fall of 9.9 per cent in first-quarter revenues, something that shows just how keenly the failure to qualify for the Champions League has hit the club.
Despite the insistence of United chief executive Ed Woodward that major moves in January are unlikely, rumours this week linked United with a £32 million (Dh184m) move for Mats Hummels.
The German defender has said he wants to be to Borussia Dortmund what Paolo Maldini was to AC Milan, a one-club man, and there is something startling about the thought of paying that much for a defender in January. Defenders, logically, need to be signed early in pre-season so they can work on structure with the rest of the defensive unit.
So desperate is United’s situation, though, so badly do they need a high-class defender, that it is conceivable that they might make a record-breaking move like that.
United’s revenues far outstrip Arsenal’s. The 2014 Deloitte money league (based on financial results for 2012/13) showed United as the fourth-richest club in the world with an income of £423.8mn (Dh2.44 billion), with Arsenal eighth on £284.3m. The question is, despite the larger stadium, despite numerous commercial deals, how long can that be maintained if there is no Champions League football? And, given United spent £156m on transfers in the summer, what is the cost of maintaining the club’s status?
Football has never preserved its financial status quo as well as it does now, yet English football is far more precarious than other leagues in Europe.
Research by sportingintelligence.com shows that, in the Premier League last season, the club receiving the most money from central funds took 1.57 times more than the least.
In Spain’s Primera Liga that figure is 14 times as much, in Serie A it is 10, in Ligue 1 3.5 and in the Bundesliga 2.0. With Financial Fair Play dictating a club effectively cannot buy its way out of trouble with one year of splurge, it is easy for a club to get trapped in a cycle of underachievement. Or, perhaps more accurately, of achieving just enough.
Given he was able to take £3m out of the club this year, what incentive is there for Stan Kroenke, Arsenal’s majority shareholder, to invest enough to make a title challenge anything more than a distant possibility?
Even within that, it is hard not to think that Arsenal, in particular, could have spent their money better. They will start against United with either the left-back Nacho Monreal at centre-back (and recent games against Swansea City and Anderlecht have shown how he can be bullied by a powerful forward) or with Calum Chambers at centre-back and Hector Bellerin, a right-back with one league start for Arsenal, behind him.
So obvious and so long-standing is their deficiency in central midfield that goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny said this week that when he plays the computer game Fifa, he sells himself in order to buy a proper holding midfielder.
Jack Wilshere, now a regular at the back of midfield for England, could perhaps adjust his role at Arsenal, but it is cobbling together a solution for a problem that should never have existed.
Yet, strangely, while United must look at Arsenal’s persistent fourth-place finishes and fear a similar future, the example of United equally ought to be a warning to Arsenal. The departure of a long-standing manager goes can be traumatic. The old certainties fall away, and new demons spring up. What if Wenger, rather than being the cause of Arsenal’s problems, with his weird blind spots over the back end of the team, is actually the man holding the club together?
Ten years ago, Arsenal against United was the biggest rivalry in English football. When they meet on Saturday, both clubs will look back at the past with a sense of regret, and at each other and see a potentially terrifying future.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Company%20profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.5-litre%20V12%20and%20three%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C500Nm%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Early%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh2%20million%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km