For much of the season, there were calls for long-serving manager Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to be removed from his post, which he has been at the helm of for the past two decades.
With the Gunners’ on-field form notwithstanding, there was a copious amount of vitriol that was spewed from fans and pundits alike. A large section of the Arsenal faithful turned their back on their manager and unfurled “Wenger Out” banners at every given turn – at empty stadiums, during an Indian Premier League cricket match, at Wrestle Mania etc.
Going into the last day of the season, Arsenal needed to win against Everton to harbour any chance of sneaking into the top-four and thereby a spot in the UEFA Champions League. Despite the North London side winning 3-1 against Everton, their fate was sealed when Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 win against relegated Middlesbrough.
For Wenger, it was the first time in two decades that he missed out on a place in the elite European competition. Arsenal will now play in the second-tier Europa League next season and the folks on Twitter couldn’t stop goading them. From Bayern Munich jokes to Arsenal’s adherence to Brexit to even Europa League being a a bit of a troll, social media wasn’t kind to Wenger or Arsenal following the last day of the season.
As mentioned earlier, the Bayern Munich angle was hard to miss. Especially considering how the German champions have been tormenting Arsenal in recent seasons. Wenger’s side was thumped 2-10 on aggregate this year in the Champions League round of 16.
...And in came some Hollywood references too
The Meme machinery also had a field day..
And then comes the voice of the faithful Arsenal fan, who has been through his side through silverware and hardships (Piers Morgan makes this list. Just saying.)
And how could one keep Brexit out of this. After all, this is an English story. A tale of a one-time great that sent shivers down the spine of every opponent in the Premier League to a side that frustrates more often than thrill its fans.
In the “battle of the managers”, which garnered a lot of hype before the start of the season, Wenger has clearly come out at the bottom, despite Jose Mourinho finishing one place before Arsenal. United are a club clearly on the rise. Arsenal, perhaps not.
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