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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Sid Lowe in Lugo

Cristhian Mosquera: ‘Arsenal were my team growing up. They had an aura’

Cristhian Mosquera of Arsenal and Spain Under-21s in Lugo, Galicia.
Cristhian Mosquera joined Arsenal from Valencia for £13m over the summer. Photograph: Bruno Penas and Pablo Garcia/The Guardian

“Jesus Christ! All I want to do is get you in a straight bloody line. What do I have to do?” Gerald asks. So Horse says: “It’s the Arsenal offside trap, isn’t it?” Lomper here becomes Tony Adams, and Cristhian Mosquera starts to laugh.

The Spain Under-21 international is sitting at a table in the team hotel in Lugo, Galicia. Through the window, the sound of rain falling; in front of him, the famous scene from The Full Monty, cinematic representation of a defence so perfect, so instantly identifiable it became part of popular culture; a backline never to be bettered. Until now?

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