Former Arsenal star says current side under Mikel Arteta are the best of ‘Emirates era’

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal are currently flying in the race for the Premier League title, and are competing in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta has taken Arsenal to a position which their fans were desperate for over the years. Arsenal had not reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2010 prior to this season, and have not won the Premier League since 2004.

Arsenal moved into the Emirates Stadium in 2006, but have won four FA cups since, with no title or European glory won despite the majority of squads possessing some true star quality.

Arsene Wenger came close to success with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, before rebuilding the side around Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to win back-to-back FA Cups.

Fans often refer to the time since Arsenal left Highbury Stadium as the ‘Emirates era,’ and whilst this has seen entertaining football and world-class players, they have not tasted glory in one of the two biggest competitions.

READ MORE: Arsenal’s top European nights at Highbury and Emirates Stadium

Kieran Gibbs says current Arsenal side is the best in the Emirates era

One former player who was part of the FA Cup wins under Wenger was left-back Kieran Gibbs, but he has now claimed that Arteta’s current side are the best the Emirates Stadium has seen over the years.

“I think definitely they are the the best team of the Emirates era, hands down, even if they win just one (trophy this season),” Gibbs stated on ESPN FC.

“There have been some pretty decent teams in the Emirates era, but this team, they have the clearest identity, they managed to keep most players fit, which was a problem over the era of the last 10-15 years, which I think makes a big difference.

“They have a ruthlessness about them. They’ve gone into the market, they they haven’t been shy, they’ve spent the money, they’ve gone and got themselves a young manager who’s a visionary. They deserve something this season for sure.”

Arsenal now need to win a trophy to solidify their brilliance

There is no doubt that this current Arsenal side would beat most of the other Emirates era teams, but they do need a trophy to cement themselves into club history among the greats.

Even if that does not come this season, winning one of the Premier League or the Champions League would put Arteta’s team up there with some of the best in history, including George Graham and Arsene Wenger’s best squads.

Defensively, Arsenal are arguably at their very peak of the Emirates era with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes forming possibly the best defence in Europe, and if they can get over the line in the race for the Premier League to end 20 years of hurt, they will finally bring major silverware to the Emirates Stadium at long last.