It was a great week for Gunners.
We had the signing of an expensive midfielder. Strong, leader, more powerful left foot than Lukas, young, International. Here’s some perspective. He cost at least three times what we spent on Elneny, who I had never heard of and is brilliant. I am very excited by this, and it’s what we’ve all been calling for. Great stuff Arsene. Could be an awesome platform with the pair of them.
We had May 26. Oh sigh. Happiest of happy days that was.
Jack played for England. I didn’t see the game. Was he good, where did he play and does it bode well for Arsenal?
Erik raised the point yesterday about Marc Overmars and a possible link to Everton. Mmm. He’s currently Sporting Director of a very successful Ajax side, with De Boer as Manager, and DB10 as coach. Wow, some good blood there. Could some or all of them be groomed for Arsenal?
WEEKEND SPYING
Today Switzerland play, and I’d love to watch Granit in action. Of course, I’ll be using these pre-Euro games eyeing targets for The Arsenal, while hoping to see many goals.
Help me out here. Where are the goals most likely to come from, and for which teams do any potential Gunners play for.
Teams in action include:
Today: The Madrids, Swiss and Belgians
Tomorrow: Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal
Enjoy your weekends
Written by DidIt
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Cheers, Mickish.
The swiss game is at 3.15. Civilized.
A fine appetizer for the CL final.
Talking of CL, the spuds are at Wembley.
Memories of Barca, Batistuta, Rebrov and Shevchenko come flooding back. Hope it’s as crap for them.
Thanks Micky.
And there is the Test match plus the Monaco Grand Prix. Thinking of which – I went to the Historic Monaco GP a couple of w/e’s ago. It was great. Cheap to get in and highly recommended if you like cars, noise, fine looking women etc …
Thanks Micky, I agree about Granit – he’s going to be the rock of our new midfield resilience and I can see Elneny being box to box.
Will Le Coq want to stay as a bench warmer I wonder.
Jack played DM for England and struggled a bit to deal with one or two of their players. As usual her looked better going forward, I wonder if he is really cut out for the DM job?
Sorry, but I can’t see us buying a striker before the Euros unfortunately because the selling clubs will be looking to get the highest price from the billionaire clubs and so bidding could go on until late in the window – unless we buy a relatively unknown ‘prospect’
I attended all the Wembley CL games. The Rebrov/Batitusta goal was just awesome.
As you say chas, let’s hope it is as crap for them as us.
9.51 Can’t be Jack. He is reading a book.
We bought One Leg Luzhny after playing against him at Wembley I seem to remember. I also went to most of the games at Wembley, it was a disaster – one thing DD did get wrong 😦
Thanks Chas
Rasp
Re Coq. I hear what you’re saying, but it so rarely works out like that in reality when you throw injuries, rotation and form into the mix.
If Arsene is aiming at this solid two in mid, then we need three players inElneny, Granit and Coq.
Then throw in all the more attack minded players like Aaron, Santi and Jack and you have all the options for different games, and different stages of those games.
Thinking ahead to the CL Final, I do wish we’d bought Torres back in the day. That ship has obviously sailed, but I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for similar
I’m very removed here in Aust, but supposedly Ferguson has just done an interview supporting Wenger. In it he describes the players Arsene always goes after. Is Granit in this style?
Ferg – “… he has never changed in the type of player he wants or the sort of play he wants. It’s always about penetration from runners off the ball, good passes into angles for the strikers.”
My position has always been that many people have an over exaggerated view of DD’s real input into the club and how much we miss him and his apparent leadership but I defend him with regards to the rumour that he was determined that Arsenal move to Wembley.
The reason being that he was doing so before it became apparent that we could move to the site we currently occupy. He should be commended for the effort he put in to find a new home and as much as I still love Highbury I do realise that it was no longer viable and a new home had to be found – Wembley was a realistic possibility, although, obviously not one that we would have liked with the use of hindsight.
Those with sharper memories for this kind of thing will remember that it was very late in the process that it was realised that our current site was a real possibility. I find it hard to believe that as enthusiastic as DD was for us to move to Wembley that he didn’t change his mind and get behind the move we made to the new home of football.
Thanks for the post Micky, a slightly different format today, I liked it.
Chas
Where or how are you watching the Swiss game?
Hi LB, I’ve just done a quick google ‘watch Switzerland v Belgium’ and there are a few streams that say they’re showing it.
How was your cycling trip in Ibiza? Were you back in time to laugh at Tottenham? 😂😂😂
Thanks for the post micky. Everyone I speak to is so excited about our new signing and I’m pretty certain he and Elneny are going to be a force 🙂
Jack did ok last night, he made more than a couple of sublime passes but I feel he’s wasted playing so deep.
With Sturridge injured anyone else think Theo may get a late call?
Anyway I’m very unimpressed by the colour of the sky on show having had endless blue for a week 😦
Hi Peaches
Thanks for the info and yes I was here for that fun day. I don’t think I can remember a day when I laughed more at a game of football than that. Spuds don’t seem to get it they think we were celebrating they don’t seem to grasp that fact that we were just howling at them and their hilarious fall.
Howdee yarl
Sea flat. At home in burning sun.
I will join for 2nd half. Don’t rate Lukaku. Do rate Origi who I hope comes on for 2nd 45. Join you for that.
Rate Lukaku. Not sure about Origi.
Hope Akpom gets some pitch time this afternoon
It’s on ESPN USA
Cosmic 😦
Sorry LB, I’ve tried five streams!!!!! No luck, seemed like a good idea at the time.
Anyone found a stream that works?
I can’t find one 😦
Akpom on the bench. Atmosphere excellent,
With the addition of Granit AW has arguably the best mid-field in the PL. Granit appears to have the Arsenal cannon in his left foot, lets hope that AW allows both Granit and Elneny shoot from distance as they both possess great shots.
Great stuff Didit
I have seen Xhaka in action on two or three occasions and I nurse no doubt that he will
bring the steel we've not had since the departures of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva. He played one or
two seasons with Elneny at Basel and am sure their reunion isn't just a coincidence. His presence in the
heart of the Swiss club midfield was at the time they made quite an impression in the two European club
competitions and am certain that Arsene is convinced that the young duo now more rounded could do a
great job for us in a long time to come. I however hope Arsene won't stop at the acquisition of Xhaka
alone we more than ever now need a to add a first class striker and probably another effective winger.
Our inability to convert chances last season contributed immensely to us falling out of the title fight. I
am convinced Gabriel will come good so no urgency in searching for another central defender.
ATTENTION RASP: Please contact me on ojomeng@gmail.com for an urgent matter.
at long last something exciting!!! what could O J O’Menga might need to communicate urgently to Rasp…
Good game at San Siro, almost too pretty, like they could do with a bit of Sam Allardyce/Tony Pullis touch here and there.
Right. Worth watching? I’ll join you for some.
Akinzo
Great to hear all that about Elneny and Granit. Agree with everything else, especially the bit about Gabriel.
I have a feeling he’ll do a Kos ie suddenly elevate himself to top class player
All good Eddie? Bees in action?
yeah, all ok’ish, usual shit really
oh yeah micky, bees have been in action all right, bitches swarmed twice to the new next door neighbours garden. She, a Spud, is allegedly allergic to bees. Great. I am looking for an apiary now.
Bloody hate usual shit. He’s a bastard. Gets everywhere, and always uninvited.
Oh right, allergic is she? How convenient 🙂
yeah, that’s what I thought, but I cannot afford to fall out with them
I was trying to rent out my old house, but very quickly I discovered it was not a game for someone with my nervous disposition. 4th lot of viewers were ordered out or I was going to push them down the stairs. Asked if I could remove the fire place so he could get out of bed easy, fat bastard instead of going on a bloody diet he told me to remove the fire place!!!
good man Carrasco!!!
Superb 1-1
Eddie
I was going to say you don’t have much luck
Then I remembered the big talk I had today with one of my children about luck
Problem now is, I can’t re-engineer my thoughts to fit your needs 🙂
ha ha ha, are you saying one makes one;s luck? correct. I am looking for trouble or at least don’t avoid it
Yeah, more or less. Luck occasionally leaves a door ajar. So long as you’re always alert, you stand a chance of seeing the gap.
Come on. 30 mins then pens
I told my son to have fun in life, I didn’t realise he was going to take it so literally 🙂 he is in Monacco at the Grand Prix, bless him 🙂
come on Atletico, come on come on come on, it is a year of the underdog
Life is short, that’s for damn sure
Come on AM. Under no circumstances should a team with Pepe in it win anything
Ah ha….Erik. Nice.
Didit. I forgot to ask … how is the arm? Unscrewed?
No
Plates and screws on both arm bones staying on. It’ll never work properly again, but hey, works ok
Don’t they rust in the surf?
ha ha ha
I do. They don’t
I have to be at the airport tomorrow at 06.30. Tell me how it finishes ….
God Nat
Tell you what though, there’s no surf at the moment. Flat for three days, which means good visibility hopefully, so a bunch of us going snorkling tomorrow. Flippers and goggles. It’s stunning. Last time saw lobsters, spider crabs, sea bass, and incredible colours in the seaweeds and shit
Cannot wait
Pens. Yipee
Come on Athletico
Damn.
Night all.
Hey, here’s our new striker. 🙂
I was amazed when I saw how he celebrated!!! Had his shirt on back to front so that everyone would know his name 😃 But he didn’t get on the pitch…….how much has he played for them?
peaches. Quite often but not a regular since his bust-up with Bruce.
Aubaymeng is apparently on the move.
Back from the wilderness.
And oh boy, we signed Granit Xhaka. Brilliant. He’s the Coqteta we wanted for a few years. He’ll probably get sent off a few times because he plays for us, but it’ll still be worth it. Plus the fact that he’s left footed should be of use in the double pivot in midfield.
I expect Ramsey to start next to him to recreate the magic season he had with Arteta next to him. Then we have Elneny to play either role, and Coquelin to be the destroyer. CoqNeny and CoqZorla both work well, so backup quality shouldn’t be an issue. Cazorla can also be Mesut’s backup. Wilshere should shut up about having to play wide, and just concentrate on playing well wherever and whenever he can.
I still think we need a winger and a striker. Alexis and Ox, and new signing and Iwobi (plus Campbell/Wellington/Gnabry) should be enough. I’d hope to sell Walcott.
It seems Gibbs is on his way if the left back rumours are true, and backup RB might be an issue too, unless a recovering Jenkinson and Chambers are deemed adequate options. Ideally I’d like a ball playing CB to replace Per in the starting XI. I don’t think Gabriel is it. Maybe Chamber is. It’s tough because I don’t want to lose any of them but feel we could do with an upgrade. Guess it depends on what opportunity we get here.
So, lots of transfers potentially, some returning loanees to join the first team potentially, and of course, a new contract for Flamini 🙂
It’s going to be an exciting summer as long as Chile drop out of the Copa america Scamenario early, and all our players in the Euros come back fit and fine.
The club will watch closely the developments at Real and Atletico Madrid. Both teams are having transfer bans suspended by FIFA pending their appeals. Significant activities can produce chain reactions from other clubs.
Shard. Good to see you back on AA.
I will n to get excited until we sign someone who can score goals
BR
We will. I’m hoping for a winger, and a striker. It’s exciting to expect it too, though of course many then let that excitement turn to rage when they don’t get what they want.
I spent a week in the rural hinterlands of India. Odd mixture of modern amenities and lack thereof. Villagers get mobile phone signals, and there’ll be the occasional TV in the village, but no running water, sewage, and most people can’t read or write.
5 miles away you get the little towns with slightly better housing and amenities, but still no plumbing. You can buy Pepsi in the market, but bread and butter isn’t sold there. The nearest hospital is 200kms away.
Was quite an experience. Not pleasant per se, but definitely something I am glad to have done. Will go back in a couple of months.
I don’t think it’ll happen, but I read someone suggest a change in formation to a diamond 4-4-2, and I think it’s interesting.
Play Xhaka at the base, with Ramsey and Elneny to do the running around. Ozil playing behind two strikers, Alexis and new signing. Keep Walcott because he can be effective as a second striker.
You then have Coq, Wilshere, Cazorla, Ox, Iwobi, Toral, to rotate around the midfield. and Giroud, Walcott, Campbell and (eventually) Welbeck to rotate up front.
The width would have to come from the fullbacks, and that would mean having better second choice fullbacks on either side, who can contribute in attack as well as be defensively sound.
Like I said, I don’t see it happening, but I find the idea quite intriguing.
As you say, it is an interesting possibility. Sadly, in modern football I cannot think of a team who play 4-4-2.
I expect Walcott to stay.
As to India, I too have travelled in rural India (both North and South) so am well aware of the difference between the city and the rural areas. Give me the countryside because the major Indian cities are difficult for the tourist.
Strangely, I am given most of the Copenhagen tours with Indian customers so get the opportunity to learn about India from my guests.
Shard. Can you answer this …. of all tourists the Indians are the only people who do not tip, not just me, but anyone. Why?
BR
I’ve had a bit of a think about your question and here’s what I came up with
1. The exchange rate for the rupee as opposed to the pound or Euro acts as a disincentive. A pound or two would be seen as a small tip, but could buy you a decent meal in India. (Not paying a tip can also be seen as less embarrassing than paying a tip deemed too miserly)
2. Perhaps the explanation is that there’s been a new middle class in India which has started to travel to foreign locales, whereas earlier it was only the affluent who would travel across the world. So while there are more tourists now from India, they have to watch their money.
3. There really isn’t too much of a tipping culture in the country. Though this is changing in the urban areas with higher end restaurants/bars, there remains a general tendency to not pay too much in tips even when you do, because it is seen as something which should be paid only in extraordinary circumstances, and otherwise promotes laziness, or increases expectations/cost without a commensurate return in service.
Very wordy, but that too is the Indian way apparently 🙂
😀 😀 Thank you.
Morning All,
Media say we are trying to sign Zouma from Chavs.
V. happy if we sign him but likelihood hovering between 0 & 1%
Your comments made interesting and enjoyable reading Shard.
Carrasco is a good bench player as he can really pounce on defenders with his speed and skills. He would be a great value to us especially against teams that play deep because he forced you to commit when he comes racing at you.
Pepe is not an exemplary player but he is a solid defender that is available for free. I would take him.
Then to be honest – Godin, Griezzman would be great and so would former Spurs Bale and Modric.
Question – would you buy a former or current Spur player?
RC78,
I believe that a player should be chosen based on what he brings to our team and not where he previously played.
I still remember the reaction from N17 when we signed Sol – priceless.
I would buy Bale immediately. He is a wonderful player and fits the PL with his power and strength.
Pepe constantly cheats and AW would never sign him even if he paid to join us.
Of course we should sign Spurs players if they are good enough. Kane would be a fine start.
Bale Aubameyang Sanchez
with Ozil in behind.
Sweet.
Bale on the right and Sanchez on the left for GoonerB. 🙂
Granit and El Nino sat as double TA.
“Go on lads, do your stuff – alchemy’s what we’re after”
Ah. Sweet dreams are made of this…..
——- Cech ——
—-Gab—–Koz—-
—-Eln——Xha—-
Bel—-Ozil—-Nac
Ram———-Jack
——Alexis——–
Death by a thousand passes! 😘
But a Bale or Aubameyang would be very sweet indeed. 🍾
An Arsenal trivia question –
How many goalkeepers have played in 200+ games for Arsenal?
Hey here’s our new striker. 🙂
Half a dozen, I’d guess at, GN5.
Morning all. Well Chas
Can’t stay. Late up. Shouldve cleared off an hour ago.
Couple of pallets to get to Germany by Friday, and guess what, the bloody French are revolting
Later
Wouldn’t mind Pogba on the right 🙃
Micky, the Belgians are also on a nation wide strike today…
Morning All,
I would like the chap who made that superb play before passing an inch perfect pass to OG. Never seen him before so he must be cheap.
😂
pogba, not for sale. OG goal fab
Reddish,
You have never seen Pogba before? And Cheap?
What have you done with the footbally Big Raddy? 🙂
The Mancs could not keep him which they must be gutted about. A great calmness and professionalism about him, as you can tell from this recent interview.
http://www.vi.nl/vivideo/vi-bezoekt-pogba-voor-mij-telt-alleen-de-ekwinst.htm
Idea for a post: Are you in favour of our current 4-3-3 formation or would you like to see us change?
Given our current squad, do you believe that the 4-3-3 maximizes on the available potential or would you like to see something else as there are many options to set up a team.
Juve plays 3-5-2
Bayern plays 4-2-3-1
…..
I would be quite keen to see our team as a 4-3-1-2 with
Cech – Bellerin, RECRUIT, Kos, R.RODRIGUEZ – Ramsey, Xhaka, El Neny – Ozil – RECRUIT, Sanchez
Ospina – RECRUIT, BFG, Gabriel, Gibbs – Ox, Coquelin, Wilshere – Cazorla – Wellbeck, Giroud or Walcott
What are your thoughts?
Template for Team:
Goalkeepers who played 200 or more games for Arsenal.
………………………………………………………………………………………
1 – David Seaman – 563
2 – Jack Kelsey – 352
3 – Pat Jennings – 327
4 – Bob Wilson – 308
5 – James Ashcroft – 303
6 – John Lukic – 298
7 – George Swindin – 297
8 – Jens Lehmann – 200
Euro 2016 England Squad:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).
Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).
Morning All,
That England squad is perhaps the least inspiring in living memory. Where is the spark? The midfield is pedestrian, the defence porous and the attack average at best.
I cannot recall a time when England did not have a single world class player.
Morning All
True about England, Erik. When do Euros start?
Well, assuming terrorists, strikers and rioters in France would be so terribly kind and allow the thing to go ahead.
Ollie got booed by his own fans. I know England fans are revolting as well as the French, but heck.
I was wondering how his recent run of goals affects Arsene’s thinking ie good news, no need to buy or great news, his value and profile soar as transfer movers and shakers stir
—————–Hart
—-Walker Smalling Cahill Rose
————— Dier
——–Alli———– Wilshere
————Rooney
——-Kane———-Vardy
Looks pretty good to me.
Welbeck would have really helped that team, shame
LB
Staggered Jack has been selected, aren’t you?
Micky
Yes I am, he still looks a long way off full fitness.
England may struggle defensively if Cahill or Dier get injured. Otherwise, excellent team.
France’s bid for the title has been dented with recent injuries in the defensive sector:
– Varane, Sakho, Zuma, Matthieu, L.Diarra are all out
Now our back four is very weak: Sagna, Rami, Kos, Evra
Only Kos is good enough, the rest is below par especially Rami and Evra.
If we make it to the semis, I would be more than pleased with the team we have 😦
Defensive stability wins you tournaments.
Lloris – Sagna, Rami, Kos, Evra – Pogba, Kante, Matuidi – Payet, Giroud, Griezzman
Mandanda – Jallet, Umiti, Mangala, Digne – Sissoko, Schnederlin, Cabaye – Martial, Gignac, Coman
+ Costil
If I were R. Hodgson, I would play a 4-3-2-1
Hart – Clyne, Smalling, Cahill, Rose – Milner, Dier, Henderson – Alli, Rooney – Kane
Alli and Rooney should play off Kane. Kane has excellent movement.
Milner and Henderson have the engine to cover enough ground both defensively and offensively and your full-backs are excellent going forward so you have the width there.
This is a solid team and you do not compromise on creativity with the passing range of Henderson, Alli and Rooney nor on the attacking threat as your full-backs will put in plenty of crosses in the box and with Kane, Alli and Rooney you have three players with intelligent runs and an ability to score from inside and outside the box…
Good team RC
In my opinion, there is a lot to get excited about from an English point to view, although, I agree with you when you say that we will struggle if we get an injury at the back.
Plus your bench then becomes very relevant with Wilshere, Barkley, Vardy, Sturridge and Sterling all being able to add to your attacking power…
RC’s line up for England demonstrates perfectly why Jack has been included. He is the only one that can add creativity from deep and orchestrate play. Woy is hoping for Jack to be fully fit when the big games start.
That France line up has me much more excited.
I like the Belgians. Flair, power , team work, the whole 9 yards
Belgians have an excellent squad but they will miss Kompany. Their weak point is their full back but otherwise, what a team!
Courtois – Lukaku, Ald., Verth, Denayer – Naiggolan, Witsel, Dembele – De Bruyne, Lukaku, Hazard
Their bench from midfield up is also impressive with:
Fellaini, Mertens, Carrasco, Origi, Batshuyi and Benteke.
I think they will make it to the Semis.
And Vermaelen who can cover at RB (as we know!)
Evening anyone.
Have we? You know where I’m going with this… 🙂
Erik
I need a word in private
So here we go.
After advice on aging disgracefully. We are not spoilt for choice on the gig front down here. I’ve just bought four tickets to see Manic Street Preachers at The Eden Project (superb venue) which I thought would be a nice family day out
As you may know, my children are 15, while I am not. They think I’m too old to be doing a gig like this, while they also think the band are too old for them. What the hell do you do?
You come with Ant and me to North West Calling in Manchester this weekend.
Wife goes to see Cliff Richard
Get kids tickets to see 1D.
Sorted.
I am a huge fan of the MSP and have seen them a few times. Big Dave S has been to see them on this tour and says they are very good BUT
I agree that the saucepans (cocky rhyming slang – saucepan lids) will think it is Old Man’s Music. That said, they aren’t paying so who really cares if they enjoy themselves 🙂
Take them, buy them a toffee apple, tell them to go and play on their phones and enjoy the gig because you will.
ha ha, not a bad plan, although I thought Cliff was in prison
BTW chas. Fair Play. Nothing like watching 50+y.o. blokes with beer bellies crash out 3 chords
One of my mates was in a punk band called the Screaming Dead. They re-form every few years, get gigs and have a brilliant time. Shit music though
Erik
My daughter is more likely to be at the back, skinning up with some moronic emo, while my son is right in thinking all great music was written two hundred years ago by blokes in wigs
I think your daughter is definitely heading the the right direction. Olly on the other hand ….
ha ha
The other day she announced she wanted turquoise hair for the summer
Think she wanted a fight, at least, expected an adverse reaction.
Wasn’t prepared for the delight and cartwheels of excitement from me
I’m bored
Waiting for old mate from Australia to rock up
Called from a pay phone at Heathrow saying he’d be here in three and a half hours having gone via Bristol to get his son!!!
I’ve never met anyone with less respect for other road users as him (actually make that other human beings) but still that’s four and half hours in a bloody ferrari
Oh FFS, can’t we sign someone while I’m waiting 🙂
New midfielder?
Kill’im Lukas!
Two years ago, we recruited some German doc/PT to ensure that our players do not get injured so often. Unfortunately – the new methods do not seem to work either as we had loads of injuries this year again. These injuries have impacted our bids for silverware so do you think that we just have bad luck, abnormally fragile players or that our initial medical visit is just poor? Title winning sides tend to win with a core of 15-16 players that play all games throughout the season. Could we be one next year?
MorningAll,
I will publish RC78’s comment about tactics as a post this morning.
OK?
Perfect
I promise to talk about football
Bit lost for words to be honest
That cat is awesome. Looks like Anthony Eden
Ballerina’s assist was tasty. Don’t like that the Spaniards are realising just how good he is.
AW needs to give him a 10 year contract
There is a New Post
something Wenger lovers will enjoy:
Chelsea were London’s only Premier League club to see a decline in revenue durring the 2014-15 season as they struggled with the highest wage bill in the top flight en route to their fifth top flight title.
The latest review of football finance by Deloitte has revealed that whilst revenue across the Premier League cleared £3billion, with the top 92 clubs generating £4bn, Chelsea found their earnings going backwards – the club reported proceeds of £319.5m in the 2014-15 season compared to £324.4m in the preceding campaign, a decrease of 2 per cent.
That made Jose Mourinho’s title-winning side the third-worst performing club in the top flight in terms of revenue growth, with Manchester United’s fall of nine per cent the most significant.
Standard Sport understands that Chelsea remain confident about the overall financial stability of the club and largely credit the slide in revenue in the 2014-15 season to their achievements in the Champions League. In the previous campaign, Mourinho’s side had reached the semi-finals of the competition, losing to runners-up Atletico Madrid. Less than a year on they were eliminated at the round of 16 by Paris St Germain.
Across the capital, Arsenal, in the first season of a new kit sponsorship deal with Puma worth £30m-a-year, increased their revenue by 10 per cent whilst Tottenham (£195.9m, a 9 per cent increase) and West Ham (£122.4m, a 5 per cent increase) saw similar growth.
Chelsea’s overall revenue significantly eclipses the latter two sides but they are still struggling to keep up with Arsenal, who have emerged as the financial powerhouse of London football in recent years. Whilst the Gunners’ average attendance of 59,992 at the Emirates brings in the highest matchday revenue in world football the Blues languish in seventh in the race for the Premier League’s biggest crowds. Arsenal’s matchday revenue for the 2014-15 season was over £100m, Chelsea’s around £70m.
It is a problem that the Blues are looking to swiftly address, with ambitious plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge into a 60,000 capacity stadium by 2020 submitted in December.