Head to head rivalries Arsenal vs AC Milan

Arsenal vs AC Milan

Red and white is always better than red and black

We are not even a little bit frightened of the San Siro

Ah, the Italians don’t like us, I guess. We seem to have a good record against them, particularly on their home turf, something few teams have. Going to Italy generally means defeat, no matter who you are, unless you are the Arsenal. I covered Juventus here.   We managed to give them a few nightmares. But now I turn my attention to the other undisputed giant of Italian football, AC Milan. And they are the European kings of Italy as they have 7 Champions League to our… well, none.

They are big, big boys. The Rossoneri have won 48 trophies: 18 Scudetti, 5 Italian Cups, 7 Italian Super Cups, 7 Champions League, 5 European Super cups, 2 Coppe delle Coppe, 3 Intercontinental Cups and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. Yes, we have more FA Cups with 14 and 16 Charity Shields, but in fairness, we would love their level of trophies.

Even Merse couldn’t save us

So, on our first meeting, we were given an arduous task. It was the European Super Cup, played between the1994 European Cup winners and the European Cup winners Cup winners. It was 2 legs played in February 1995. They were intimidating, having hammered a top-notch Barcelona 4-0 in the final. Fabio Capelli was their manager, on his way to cementing his place among the greats. They had Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Donadoni and Desailly among their superstars. Pretty much every player was. We had some players who would never achieve that status like Ian Selley, Stefan Schwartz, David Hillier and Ireland’s own Eddie McGoldrick. But we did have the famous back five, Ian Wright and the returning Paul Merson from rehab who came on to a great reception from our fans. And our best manager in my time up to then, George Graham. But they sent us home crying.

Paul Merson got lots of applause

We drew the first match 0-0 despite Milan probably being a little better than us. And we had to go to the San Siro for the second leg. We couldn’t do it. They were better than us and were one up on 41 minutes with Boban scoring and then 2-0 on 67 with Massaro. That was the end and they lay down a marker against us. They were better, they had more trophies, more superstars, and played better. So, I have to say one nil to the Rossoneri.

Our one and only chance at the Super Cup, and it was easy for AC.

No Kalishnikovs? No problems!

The next time was a long time later in 2008 in the Champions League knockout round of 16. We had become Wengerised. We had become the best team in England and gone backwards from that. We still had top players but not many superstars. Lehmann, Hleb, Toure and Fabregas I reckon. They had some big names, Seedorf, Kaka and Pato the Brazilians, Maldini still, Pirlo, Nesta, Gattuso and others were the envy of many teams. And they held us 0-0 at the Emirates although we did have some chances.

Fabregas: a goal we will always remember

The thing is, nobody went to the San Siro to win and indeed, no English team had ever beaten AC Milan there. Even if we entered with a bunch of Kalishnikovs we wouldn’t have been sure of victory. But we played superb. Fabregas and Adebayor came very close in the first half. Then Fabregas got the ball late on as extra time was on all our minds, went on a run and we were hoping, but he was a long way out. Suddenly he flashed the ball, it bounced and went in the corner and all us Gunners went wild. It was the perfect time to score on 84 minutes. Could we hang on, being Arsenal? Oh yes we could. Walcott, on late for, you won’t believe this, Emmanuel Eboue, went on a great run down the right, whipped in a perfect pass for Adebayor to slot home on 90 and that was the end. Our away fans had only just got going on one nil to the Arsenal when they had to change it. Two nil to the Arsenal. Easy peasy AC, don’t ever take a trophy from the Arsenal again. One of our best ever nights and I know you all remember it.

But they came back

Super goal from Rosicky

Then it was 2012, again Champions League, again the round of 16. The first match was at the fabled San Siro. I feel we had a better team than the last time, Koscielny, Rosicky, Vermaelen, Van Persie, Ramsey, Arshavin and a cameo from the returning Thierry Henry gave us a solid look but we were destroyed 4-0. They had obviously come for revenge and got it. We performed heroically in the return at the Emirates, and almost did it with 3-0. Koscielny nicked in a corner on 7 minutes on the left to give us a glimmer of hope. Then Walcott, wearing 14, went on a lovely run, dinked the ball to Rosicky, who tucked it in the right hand corner on 26. Oh hello, are we Arsenal? Can we do the impossible and come back from 4-0 away? Alex Oxlade Chamberlain went on a run and got sandwiched in the box. Penalty with Robin Van Persie slamming it home on 43. Now the impossible looked easy. Good old Arsenal had done it again. But despite pressure and chances we couldn’t get that one goal we needed in the second half and they had done us. Revenge and on they go.

Past his best and couldn't save us

Wenger’s last Hurrah

And that left us with our last tie against them recently in 2018. In the humbler surroundings, for two former greats, of the Europa League but again round of 16. Arsene Wenger was still there and Gattuso was the manager of Milan. It was in the San Siro but Arsenal were unafraid. Xhaka, El Neny and Holding of the current side saw action. Henrikh Mkhitaryan whipped in a blaster from inside the box to allow us to sing our favourite song on 15 minutes. We had plenty of time to practise our singing when on 45, Ramsey beat the offside trap, rounded the keeper and it was 2-0 to the Arsenal.

A howler from Donnarumma

And so to home. Surely we had done the hard work? Those days seemed in the past now. Wenger’s sides, once the famous back 5 retired, had a brittleness that made us nervous and so it proved on 35 when Çalhanoğlu blasted the ball from well outside the box to score a screamer. The Italians had every right to believe and even borrow our song. But a few minutes later Welbeck won and scored a penalty to restore our advantage. On 79 Xhaka slammed the ball from well outside but it went in and I am certain the Donnarumma of today feels very embarrassed about that one. He should have saved it. It extinguished all hopes for the visitors. An attack a few minutes later, a bit of a scramble and Welbeck scores an easy header. 3-1 to the Arsenal. Ciao Milan. Easy peasy AC.

You'll always remember Milan, Danny

And so that was it. Against an undisputed giant of world football, we have a good record. We paid them back for depriving us of a trophy we never won. We beat them twice at the San Siro which I am certain few teams have. We also were the first English team to beat them there and thank you Milan, you gave us great nights. Be afraid if you see us again.

Where can we finish update.

I have once again been doing pretty well in this series and have got some results and even scores right. I predicted 3-0 against Wolves for Thursday’s match. I am not feeling so confident about that but still feel we can win. They will give us chances. We must take them. Read it here.