Inter Milan vs Arsenal – A Historical and Modern Perspective

November 25, 2003, marked a pivotal moment for many Arsenal fans who began to believe this was the year Arsène Wenger’s exceptional team would finally secure the elusive European Cup (or as I still call it, the Champions League). Even though the final score of 5-1 at the San Siro seemed somewhat flattering due to three late goals, it didn’t matter—we had done it. We were on our way to Gelsenkirchen, believing we could lift ‘Old Big Ears’ for the first time. But as we now know, that dream was shattered by Wayne Bridge in the infamous night at Highbury the following spring. Though Invincibility was eventually achieved a few weeks later, the dominant feeling was that we would have taken down Monaco and then triumphed over Mourinho’s Porto in the final. It was a golden opportunity missed.

Fast forward 21 years, and Arsenal are back in Italy, set to face I Nerazzurri once again. Given the current poor form and ongoing injury crisis, it looks set to be another tough night. So, how do the Arsenal teams of then and now compare?

In goal, Jens Lehmann and David Raya are vastly different characters, yet both equally effective—solid 8s in their own right.

At the back, Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell were truly world-class, both deserving of 9s. However, Kolo Touré wasn’t quite at that level, and I’m still unsure why Pascal was in that team—so they get 7 and 5, respectively. While I’m not sure of the exact lineup (especially since Declan hasn’t travelled), I would go with White (8), Gabriel (9), Saliba (9), and Timber (8).

Bobby Pires was a standout on his day and clearly deserves a 9. Edu, Ray Parlour, and Freddie were solid midfielders, earning 7, 7, and 8, respectively, forming a tidy midfield. While Mikel doesn’t favor a 4-4-2, my preferred quartet would be Saka (9), Morino (7), Jorginho (7), and Partey (8).

Up front, Thierry Henry is, for me, the second-best player ever to wear the Arsenal shirt, earning a definite 10, while the mercurial Kanu could be a 10 or a 4—so we’ll settle on a 7. Kai will likely lead the line with Martinelli, and although both are slightly off their best, they both deserve an 8.

2003 Total: 86
2024 Total: 89

So there you have it—the current team scores higher than the Invincibles! Looks like we can expect a 1-6 victory tonight!

Source: https://arsenal-mania.com/inter-v-arsenal-now-and-then/