Arsenal did not have the same financial 'muscle' as Newcastle United do now - even when the Gunners were regulars in the Champions League.
That is according to David Dein, the club's former co-owner and vice-chairman, who worked at Arsenal for 24 years and was the architect behind the formation of the Premier League in 1992. It was Dein who brought manager Arsene Wenger to Arsenal and the Gunners went on to lift 18 trophies during his spell in the boardroom.
However, by the time Dein was ousted, in 2007, Arsenal were no longer the Invincibles of old. The Gunners were counting the cost of building a new stadium, the Emirates, and Dein felt the club needed help to compete at the time.
