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OTD in 2000 Robert Pires became a Gooner - five warm memories of the silky Frenchman By Oscar Maung-Haley 21 years ago today, the French wizard that is Robert Pires joined Arsenal from Marseille. Scoring 84 goals during his six-year stint, the Frenchman helped Arsenal to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. And on this momentous day, we look back at five of the silky Frenchman’s best moments for the Gunners. FA Cup glory The 2003 FA Cup final pitted the Gunners against Southampton in a real David versus Goliath encounter at the Millennium Stadium. Arsenal were the clear favourites that day, but they still needed Pires to help them overcome a plucky Southampton side 1-0. With all the stars out in full force, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp combined, with the Dutchman then finding Freddie Ljungberg in the box. Controlling Bergkamp’s cross, Ljungberg’s shot was blocked by Saints defender Claus Lundekvam – falling to the feet of Pires. And Arsenal’s number seven kept his cool, sl...

Five young Arsenal players that could feature at the 2022 World Cup By Oscar Maung-Haley With a string of Gunners players currently starring at Euro 2020, we take a look at which youngsters might feature at the next international tournament – the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Bukayo Saka We’ll start with the most obvious name. Barring any major injuries or a serious drop in form, Bukayo Saka will be at the World Cup in 2022. While seven goals in 46 appearances might not seem that impressive, it’s important to remember that Saka is just 19. If anything, the fact that he’s scored that many goals at such a young age emphasises just how big a talent Saka is. Another thing in his favour is that he offers versatility in abundance, too. This season, Saka has showed that he is capable of performing at a high level, both as a left wing-back or a right winger. That sort of positional fluidity could be something that is incredibly useful for England, especially given how hot conditions will be in...