There is something very special happening at Arsenal Football Club, and Mikel Arteta is at the heart of it. As I read Stuart Jeffries' very biased review in The Guardian, I'm somewhat stunned that the guy is still in a job! His headline reads, "Mikel Arteta is like a supply teacher out of his depth!" Well, you know what? I give your review, mate, zero out of ten. He talks about a team in decline, comparing them to Everton or Aston Villa, adding "no offence" lazily to soften the blow. This guy's review is so far from the truth that he should retire from writing with immediate effect. In fact, I doubt he even made it to episode two, where we see Arsenal's fightback after a tough run of opening fixtures. The comeback happens against none other than Tottenham Hotspur. You'd expect a man employed to review for a top UK paper to appear neutral, but that's far from the case with Jeffries. Today marks the start of the 2022/23 season, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Arteta fares now that he finally has his team. I'm confident that Mikel will lead Arsenal back to the promised land and prove Jeffries wrong.
All or Nothing begins with an extremely tough period for Arsenal. They start the season without both Lacazette and Aubameyang, a point conveniently overlooked in Jeffries' review. Arsenal's first three matches are against newly promoted Brentford, followed by Chelsea, and then title-winners Manchester City. What's evident is that this is a very young Arsenal team filled with passion, a team that's built to win in the future and be much more than mediocre. The bond between the players is touching, especially with the introduction of Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale was subjected to abuse when he first joined the club, while Bukayo Saka suffered racist abuse after missing a penalty for England. There's a heartfelt moment in Ramsdale's first game, where not only was his family present, but Arsenal also secured their first win of the season. Ramsdale kept a clean sheet and helped push the team forward in the games to come. Three of the back five defenders were new signings, with Arteta determined to get them playing at the same level.
This series provides a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of this historic football club. We hear from Josh Kroenke, who explains how they've only really had full control of the club since 2018 and expresses high hopes for returning Arsenal to its former glory. Thierry Henry also offers insight, discussing the pressure young players face today compared to the past. He highlights that it's not about becoming the next "me," but the next "you." This documentary is everything an Arsenal fan could hope to see behind the scenes. Perhaps, just perhaps, Arteta does have what it takes to get this club back to winning big things again. I look forward to revisiting Jeffries' review, where he claims Arteta is out of his depth-because hasn't Arteta already won an FA Cup? If anyone is out of their depth here, it's you, Stuart! Overall, the All or Nothing series on Amazon has been fantastic, whether you support Arsenal or not.
