AC Milan 0-2 Arsenal: 5 things we learned

Fifteen years ago, Arsene Wenger watched his side pummel Inter Milan 5-1 at the San Siro.

It was a vital result, with Arsenal’s qualification from the Champions League Group Stage depending on a win. In the end, a team containing Pascal Cygan, Edu and Ray Parlour pulled them through to the next round.

Their 2-0 win on Thursday, however, feels more significant. Of course, Arsenal weren’t as fluent as they were on that frigid Milanese evening a decade ago, but they were comfortable and assertive against a side that had gone 13 games unbeaten.

Goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey robbed Gianluigi Donnarumma of a seventh consecutive clean sheet, but statistics felt superfluous during an encounter where the intangibles ruled. Arsenal felt light and liberated, free from the manacles of their joyless domestic form.

In a game that harked back to brighter days, here are five things we learned.

This Article's Topics

Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!

News
Have an opinion on this article? We'd love to hear it!