Seven o’clock on the morning of this showdown Sunday in north London, and among the early risers is a man hitting tennis balls in an Arsenal shirt on one of Finsbury Park’s courts.
It is a coincidence, no doubt, but the strip in question, from Mikel Arteta’s first full season in charge, is an apt choice for this day: a reminder of how far this club has come in a short space of time, from the era of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang exile, of David Luiz dithering and fan disconnect, to a united force within sight of the title.
