After a nerve-shredding two-legged tie Arsenal managed to find a way past FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League via a penalty shootout to secure their place in the last eight of the tournament for the first time in 14 years. The shootout itself was the first one in Europe’s premier club competition for eight years and it was The Gunners that managed to hold their nerve, netting from all four of their spotkicks, and allowing David Raya to become the hero. The Brentford loanee managed to save from Brazilan duo Galeno and Wendell, securing the club’s spot in the last eight of the tournament for the first time since 2010.
The victory not only signifies a “big step” for the club, as manager Mikel Arteta himself hailed but also brings back memories of the last time Arsenal graced this stage of the competition in 2010. Let’s take a nostalgic trip back to that year and explore three major events that were shaping the world of football.
Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan Wins the Treble
This year, online sport betting sites have the Gunners as second favorites for glory in the competition, behind reigning champions Manchester City. That wasn’t the case 14 years ago as Arsenal faced a difficult quarterfinal test against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. Lionel Messi duly scored four in the second leg of that tie to eliminate the North London club. But the reigning champions would then come up against a defensively resolute Inter Milan managed by a certain Jose Mourinho, and a backs-to-the-wall effort in the Nou Camp saw them set up a date with Bayern Munich in the Bernabeu at Barca’s expense.
The Special One had already led an aging Nerazzuri squad to both the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia, but it was his exploits on the continental stage that secured his legacy. Argentinian poacher Diego Milito netted both goals in the final in the Spanish capital to take the ‘Big-Eared’ trophy back to the blue half of the San Siro for the first time in 45 years. But Mourinho wouldn’t go with it, he remained in the Spanish capital to take over as manager of Real Madrid and attempt to end Barca’s stranglehold on La Liga once and for all.
Chelsea End Manchester United’s Dominance and Wins the Premier League
The 2009-2010 Premier League season witnessed a titanic struggle for supremacy between Chelsea and Manchester United. The Red Devils had romped to glory in each of the last three campaigns, and to add insult to injury, they defeated the Blues in the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow. Ultimately, it was Chelsea, under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, who emerged victorious and took their revenge for that defeat two years prior, clinching the title on the final day of the season.
Their 8-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic on the final day of the campaign ensured they finished one point ahead of the reigning champions, thereby ending United’s three-year reign. This victory marked the Blues’ third title of the Premier League era and the first since the departure of the aforementioned Mourinho. The manner in which it was achieved — with a then record-breaking 103 goals scored over the season — reaffirmed their status as a powerhouse of English football.
The World Gears Up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
While club football had its share of drama and excitement, the international stage was set for the biggest event in world football — the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It was the first time the tournament was hosted on African soil, making it a landmark event even before a ball was kicked. Once the action got underway, the tournament burst into life with Siphiwe Tshabalala’s rocket in the curtain raiser against Mexico.
There were plenty of stories from the summer feast of football, such as the early exits of previous finalists Italy and France as well as Germany’s 4-1 and 4-0 wins against England and Argentina respectively. In the end, however, it was Spain who lifted the famous gold trophy, thanks to an extra-time goal against the Netherlands by Andrés Iniesta.
