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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Dan Marsh

What happened to Arsenal XI that played in humiliating 8-2 defeat by Man Utd

Arsene Wenger is an Arsenal legend after an iconic career spanning over 22 years with countless trophies and accomplishments.

However, there is one afternoon that Wenger will still want to forget a decade on.

The Gunners were absolutely smashed in an embarrassing 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford 10 years ago today.

Manchester United ran riot with a hat-trick from Wayne Rooney the catalyst for the drubbing as Arsenal tarnished their 125th anniversary season.

The Gunners even offered free tickets to a different away fixture for the 3000 fans who had made the trip to witness the Old Trafford horror show.

Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at what has happened to that Arsenal side in the decade after their Manchester mauling.

Goalkeeper - Wojciech Szczesny

Wojciech Szczesny was in goal for Arsenal during their horrendous 8-2 battering at Old Trafford (GETTY)

Wojciech Szczesny was the unfortunate man between the sticks for Arsenal on that humiliating afternoon.

The Polish stopper had to pick the ball out of his net an embarrassing eight times that day - making just two saves.

Szczesny racked up over 180 appearances during his Gunners career before departing for Serie A giants Juventus in 2017 - eventually dislodging Juve icon Gianluigi Buffon to claim the coveted number one spot.

Defenders - Carl Jenkinson, Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Armand Traore

Will Mikel Arteta see the season out at Arsenal? Let us know below

Laurent Koscielny was a fan-favourite for the majority of his nine-year stay with Arsenal (REUTERS)

Unsurprisingly, the majority of Arsenal's defence that day didn't go on to feature for the club much longer.

In fact, that afternoon at Old Trafford would prove to be Armand Traore's only Premier League appearance for Arsenal all season. He was flogged to Queens Park Rangers shortly after.

Djourou was loaned out to Hannover 96 the following season and impressed enough to earn a prolonged stay in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV the year after.

Carl Jenkinson was blighted by injury issues during his stay in North London after being snapped up from Charlton Athletic.

He spent the majority of his time at Arsenal away from the club, as he was farmed out for consecutive loan spells at West Ham and Birmingham City before joining Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2019.

Laurent Koscielny was probably the only recognised senior Arsenal defender that day.

The popular Frenchman racked up over 250 Premier League appearances during his nine years at the Emirates before a 2019 switch to Bordeaux in his native France.

Midfielders - Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, Tomas Rosicky

Aaron Ramsey only departed the Emirates in 2019 (REUTERS)

The 2011/12 campaign was Francis Coquelin's debut season after breaking through into the Gunners senior set-up - just in time for their 8-2 drubbing.

The defensive midfielder went on to establish himself as a squad player over the next few years before a reported £12m switch to Valencia, where he enjoyed two years before joining his current club, Villarreal.

Tomas Rosicky looked a real find after first joining the Gunners, but like so many players in the squad on that miserable day, suffered a torrid time with injuries.

He was actually on Arsenal's books for just shy of ten years before departing for Sparta Prague in his native Czech Republic.

Rosicky went on to retire in 2017 at the age of 37.

Aaron Ramsey was a mainstay in the Gunners midfield when fit during his decade-long stay in North London.

Ironically, Ramsey actually chose to move to Arsenal ahead of United when he was plucked from Cardiff for a bargain £4.8m back in 2008.

The Welshman now plies his trade for Juventus in Serie A after a free transfer in the summer of 2019.

Forwards - Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin, Robin van Persie

Andrey Arshavin was an enigma who burnt out rather prematurely for Arsenal.

He made a blistering start to his Gunners career with six goals in 12 appearances and is responsible for one of the most iconic solo performance's in the club's history with his four goals in the 4-4 thriller with Liverpool at Anfield.

But the Russian failed to maintain those sky-high standards and eventually slumped out of the door back to his former club Zenit.

Theo Walcott arrived in an initial £5m deal from Southampton as a teenager with the world at his feet.

The striker enjoyed a fine career at the Emirates but never really reached the level he was thought to be capable of.

He managed just 65 Premier League goals during his 12 years on Arsenal's books before completing a switch to Everton in 2018.

Robin van Persie was the Gunners captain on that grey afternoon in Manchester - but he was a United player just 12 months later.

Van Persie was Arsenal's main man and netted one of the Gunners' consolation goals in the 8-2 drubbing, but was prised away from the Emirates the following summer by Sir Alex Ferguson in a £22.5m deal.

The Dutchman racked up 96 Premier League goals during his eight-year spell in North London - but that Old Trafford humiliation a decade ago today was very much the beginning of the end for van Persie and Arsenal.

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