The league leaders welcome Bournemouth to North London this afternoon, and a quite unbelievable Arsenal stat has surfaced after the starting 11 featured no players managed by Arsene Wenger for the first time in 37 years.
With Fabio Vieira stepping in for Granit Xhaka this afternoon, the Gunners, incredibly, failed to name a player managed by Arsene Wenger in a competitive game for the first time since 1986.
Xhaka, Reiss Nelson, Rob Holding, Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny remain the only players left in this current Arsenal team to have been named in a starting XI by the legendary Frenchman, but Mikel Arteta’s latest team featured none of them this weekend.
This incredible stretches all the way back to January 1986, where Arsenal played Aston Villa in the League Cup quarter-final. The starting XI from that day shows a host of familiar faces, including Sky Sports pundits Charlie Nicholas and Niall Quinn.
Arsenal Team vs Aston Villa – January 22nd 1986
Rhys Wilmot; Viv Anderson, David O’Leary, Kenny Sansom; Tommy Caton, Graham Rix, Stewart Robson, David Rocastle; Ian Allinson, Charlie Nicholas, Niall Quinn.
However, it was both Tony Adams and Paul Merson who were named in squad, although they weren’t to feature that day. However, the pair are the earliest vestige of this incredible Arsenal stat, with a first glimpse at Arsene Wenger’s eventual 22-year reign.
#Arsenal have named a starting XI without a single player to have made a competitive appearance under Arsene Wenger for the first time since 22nd January 1986 vs Aston Villa in the League Cup.
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) March 4, 2023
Mikel Arteta may opt for a personnel change however, with his side 1-0 down at half-time to relegation-threatened Bournemouth after conceding the second-fastest Premier League goal ever, within nine seconds of the whistle.
Related Content
- Football Betting Tips 2023 – Latest Picks & Football Tips
- Football Predictions February 2023
- Football Accumulator Tips 2023 – Latest Acca Betting Tips
- Best Correct Score Tipsters on Telegram & Social Media 2023
- Best Horse Racing Free Bets Offers at UK Sportsbooks – Top Horse Racing Bonuses for 2023
- Top Free Horse Racing Tips & Advice for UK Betting Today
- Free Horse Racing Lucky 15 Tips for Today – Best Lucky 15 Bet Today
- Today’s Racecards – View Horse Racing Cards Today
- Horse Racing Results Today – See All Recent Race Results & Winners
- The Best Cheltenham Betting Sites for 2023
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
