ARSENAL officials were delighted with the reaction from fans to the tifo which was unfurled before Sunday’s 4-1 win over Tottenham at the Emirates.
And SunSport understands the club is certain to do it again ahead of a major game this season.
But the big question is: which match they will choose?
The club was mocked ahead of the Champions League semi-final against PSG last term with a giant red flag with a white cannon which was hung from the top of the North Bank.
Sports fan groups were consulted for this much better effort. The tifo read ‘The Arsenal’ with ‘These streets are our own’ underneath, together with images of Gabriel, Tony Adams, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, David Rocastle, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell.
Dan Evans — a lifelong Arsenal fan with clients including Adidas and Netflix — was commissioned to design the display, working from the club’s London Colney training base.
Although some fans thought Ian Wright should have featured on Sunday, this latest one featured iconic moments from games against arch rivals Spurs.
Although he scored 185 goals for the club, Wright’s most important strikes came outside north London derbies.
For the next time, Arsenal still want the tifo to have an impact, like it did against Tottenham. Normally, you would be looking at the January home games against Liverpool and Manchester United although looking at their league positions, these games might not be the crucial matches they once were.
As a result, the next tifo could be the February 28 home game with Chelsea or after that, a Champions League knockout match.
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Asked about the tifo, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “It’s about constantly learning and the thing that I loved is that it came from our people.
“Our supporters decided why they wanted to do it and how they wanted to do it. And I think the club gave them massive support to do that.
“In the end, it created something unique which is what you want and it was a great start to the day. I think it was beautifully delivered.’
LAY DOWN THE LAUR
FORMER Arsenal defender Lauren believes the club finally have the strength in depth to win their first title in 22 years.
Lauren, 48, part of the 2003-04 Invincibles side, told Sunsport: “This Arsenal team, I believe, is one of the strongest teams that we’ve ever seen. The team is balanced everywhere and we’ve got good players at the back.
“We have just conceded just six goals all season in the Premier League and that is just fantastic. I get the impression that whoever is on the pitch can do the job.
“Whether we can compare this team to the Invincibles, I think we have to wait. We must not rush and wait until the end of the season.
“But it is all about mentality. Apart from a fantastic back line, we have good people in the middle and good players in the last third.
“In the last two, three or four years, the hope was that we were going to win the League. But now, it is not just hope – there is a strong belief. And we are closer to winning the League because we are stronger at the back.”
Lauren, who now lives in Seville and works for La Liga TV and FIFA, also thinks Arsenal have caught up with Liverpool and Manchester City by adding to their offensive might with Vikotor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze joining in the summer.
The former right-back, who left Arsenal after six-and-a-half years in 2007, said: “Have a look at Liverpool last year. They had Gakpo, Diaz and Salah. With those players, it was easy to win the league. Man City had De Bruyne and Haaland.
“But now, I believe that in this case, we have the potential in the last third to win the league with Gyokeres, Madueke and Eze coming in”
Lauren was speaking via Champions League odds.
TOP GUNS
ARSENAL co-chairman Josh Kroenke was among the guests when the club’s women’s team was awarded Islington’s highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough – in recognition of winning the Champions League last season.
The team won their first Euro title in 18 years by stunning Barcelona and on November 21, Cllr Jason Jackson, Mayor of Islington, bestowed the honour on the team.
Captain Kim Little, head coach Renee Slegers, Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley, and CEO Richard Garlick were at the ceremony to receive commemorative certificates.
Arsenal’s women’s side continues to be a massive success on and off the pitch.
All 11 WSL games will be staged at the Emirates this season with a current average of over 36,000.
Even at their recent 0-0 draw against Tottenham at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road they sold out their away allocation of 1700.
CUP FOR IT
MARTIN ODEGAARD has revealed his delight that he is finally going to a World Cup. Norway have clinched their spot at next summer’s finals for their first appearance since 1998.
The Arsenal skipper, who returned from injury as a sub in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, said: “For me personally, I’ve been in the team since 2014 and during that time we haven’t qualified for a major tournament so to get there is huge.
“It’s one of my biggest dreams to go to a tournament with Norway and to be able to go to a World Cup with this group of players is an unbelievable feeling.”