Finally the bride? Arsenal's rise from disappointment to the cusp of greatness, as told by those who were there along the way

Ben White of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates Jurrien Timber, Gabriel and Bukayo Saka during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on January 14, 2026 in London, England.

The end. The collapse. The exhaustion of 11 Arsenal players, slumping to the turf against the glittering backdrop of a Toon foil display. Mikel Arteta’s thousand-yard stare. Granit Xhaka’s chevron brow. The Sisyphean mission on St James’ Park’s infamously subtle slope to fight thunder, demons, Bruno Guimaraes, and the rumble and boom of 50,000 passionate Geordies. When you lose – and lose comfortably – it’s as if the ground beneath your knees swallows you up whole.

The night was May 16, 2022 – an evening that defined a blossoming Arsenal side, crushed underfoot by Newcastle, 2-0. It wasn’t the first time that Arteta’s tender team had neatly folded at the opportune moment. It may have been the most definitive. “It’s true: we couldn’t cope,” Arteta sighed in the game’s aftermath. Xhaka was far more cutting. “If some minds are not ready for this game, stay at home,” the midfielder growled. “Don’t come here. We need people to have the balls to come here and play.”