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Football London
Football London
Sport
Joe Doyle

The day that the Arsene Wenger era finally ended at Arsenal

There have been many ups and downs for Arsenal Football Club over the past 10 years.

From winning three FA Cups to missing out on the Champions League in recent seasons, it has been a rollercoaster for Arsenal supporters.

But the biggest change at Arsenal in 22 years came on 20 April 2018, with the announcement that manager Arsene Wenger would be leaving at the end of the 2017/18 season.

Below, in the latest of our end of decade series on football.london, we look back at that day, and what it meant for the Gunners.

The French manager created a legacy in north London, helping to take the club - and the Premier League - into the modern era.

Wenger's methods helped to revolutionise English football, and the rivalry he struck with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United side in the late 1990s and early 2000s took the game to new heights.

Wenger's career with Arsenal peaked with their Invincibles season over the course of the 2003/04 season, when the Gunners won the Premier League title and went through the whole league campaign unbeaten.

In 2006, Wenger almost grabbed the ultimate prize with the Champions League, only to lose out in the final to Barcelona.

The transition between Highbury and the Emirates Stadium hamstrung the Gunners boss financially, but he kept the club competitive in difficult circumstances.

But the Gunners would not pick up the Premier League title again in Wenger's reign. There was FA Cup success to enjoy in 2005, and again in 2014, 2015 and 2017, but pressure mounted on Wenger for a number of years.

Ultimately, Wenger decided to leave before the Arsenal board were forced to make an uncomfortable decision.

(David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

When the news broke, it was a mixture of sadness and relief for a lot of Arsenal fans, while a succession of former players paid tribute to the manager.

In the statement confirming the news, Wenger said at the time: "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season.

"I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.
 


"I want to thank the staff, the players, the Directors and the fans who make this club so special.
 
"I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high. To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club.
 
"My love and support forever."

John Cross of the Mirror wrote: "Arsene Wenger feared he would be sacked - and decided to leave Arsenal on his own terms instead.

"Wenger revealed yesterday that he is quitting this summer after receiving no assurances on his future beyond the end of the season.

"He believed the club wanted to change manager, so he took the heartbreaking decision to go.

"The Gunners boss is parting on good terms with the Arsenal hierarchy and they did it in the most amicable way."

There was to be no fairytale ending for Wenger as Arsenal finished the season in sixth place in the Premier League, while they exited the Europa League at the semi-final stage, losing out to Atletico Madrid.

But the Gunners did win Wenger's last game in charge, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring the only goal of the game against Huddersfield Town as Arsenal won away from home.

Huddersfield fans applaud Arsene Wenger

And Wenger was given an emotional send-off from fans at the John Smith's Stadium, as can be seen in the video above.

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