Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright made his feelings crystal clear on Mikel Arteta's side's failure to land silverware this season as he called on the women's team to be given a parade after their Champions League triumph
Ian Wright has called on Arsenal to give their women's team a parade after their Champions League triumph - and has labelled the men's failure to win silverware an "embarrassment".
Arsenal beat favourites Barcelona 1-0 at the Estadio Jose Alavade in Lisbon on Saturday night thanks to a 74th-minute goal from Stina Blackstenius. It secured the Gunners their first European trophy in 18 years.
The men’s side reached the semi-finals of the Champions League before losing out to Paris Saint Germain and couldn't keep pace with Liverpool in the Premier League title race. They also fell to semi-final defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United.
And former Gunners striker Wright insisted on TNT Sports after the women's triumph: "It's saved the club!"
He said: “The embarrassment of not winning anything this season when we’ve played so well with the men. The ladies have saved the club. We’ve got something to celebrate.
“They need a parade. They’ve beaten Barcelona in the Champions League. No-one gave them a chance – they average four goals a game. Everyone wrote them off. They deserve all the accolades they’re getting because this is a magnificent achievement.
“Look how far it’s come. I remember the Champions League being at Boreham Wood, and where they are now, Arsenal winning it. It’s amazing.”
Arsenal have announced celebrations will take place on Monday in Armoury Square outside the Emirates Stadium, beginning at 10am, with a trophy lift scheduled for around 11:40. Capacity will be limited, for safety reasons, to 10,000 fans.
Wright also admitted that his heart “went funny” as he watched on anxiously as Renee Slegers’s side saw out seven minutes of added time to seal the win.
”I can’t believe it,” he added. “This is the first time I’ve watched a game where my heart went funny. When we scored, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is happening’. I’m delighted for them, no-one gave them a chance, especially after the last couple of games.
“I was worried, with the amount of goals we were conceding. Today, everybody did the job. That’s what it needed against Barcelona.
“I thought it was going to be one of those games where we create the chances – that we might get punished for this. Because you have to punish this Barcelona side. In the end, I thought they didn’t turn up, and you have to take advantage of that.”