It’s been over a month now since the first three episodes of the much-anticipated Amazon series documenting Arsenal Football Club’s 2021/22 season were released. We decided to muster up a quick list of the best 25 moments from the 8-part series. Have a read below and let us know what you think!
1) Bukayo meets Teddy
After missing the all-important spot kick which saw Italy crowned European Champions at Wembley Stadium last summer, Bukayo Saka was subject to some unacceptably vile racist abuse online. However, the good Samaritans of the world countered and overpowered this torrid social media hatred with messages of support to our young superstar which the club collected and displayed for him in a lengthy mural at London Colney.
One letter which stood out to both the club and Bukayo in particular, was that of young schoolboy Teddy, who sent Bukayo a heartfelt letter attached with his own hard-earned pocket money. In quite clearly the most wholesome moment from the 8 episodes, Bukayo meets the 8-year-old in The Emirates changing rooms and the pair head out for a kick about on the pitch and bond over some penalty-taking of their own. Our hearts are still warm from watching this scene.
2) MacFarlane’s Legendary Speech
Stuart MacFarlane, the club’s chief photographer, who has been working at the club since 1991, was called upon pre-game by Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s home game against bitter rivals Tottenham back in September. In a bid to communicate to the players just how much the game means to lifelong fans of the club like Stuart, the floor was given to the legendary club photographer, who delivered an impassioned speech to the players telling them to fight for the badge and believe in themselves. The most iconic line from the speech has to be when MacFarlane emotionally informed them that ‘This is my club. I f***ing love this football club. And I f***ing love all of you.’
Fast forward a couple halves of football and the club had recorded their best win of the season yet – a comfortable 3-1 win over the Spuds in a performance that was wrapped up, truth be told, inside all of 34 minutes. What a scene, and what a game.
3) White details online abuse for hefty price-tag
In a short but comical scene from the series, Arsenal centre-back Ben White tells his fellow English defenders Calum Chambers and Rob Holding about some of the abuse he received from a bunch of kids after joining the club for £50M back in the summer of 2021. ‘Mate, I’ve got some little kids absolutely giving me stacks, they were mugging me right off. They were like – £50M? You’re sh*t!’. Just like Calum and Rob, we were laughing our heads off watching this.
4) Arteta riles up team with Toney tweet
In one of the most insightful scenes of the series, we are shown Arteta’s pre-match speech ahead of our home game against Brentford. Along with the usual emotive and powerful pre-game chat from the boss, we also see Arsenal’s 40-year-old manager bring up Ivan Toney’s tweet mocking the club’s opening day loss to the Bees, reading: ‘Nice kick about today with the boys!’.
Whilst it may appear a pretty simple thing to do in order to motivate his players, this scene told us that Arteta goes beyond just tactically preparing his side. The Spaniard clearly maintains an awareness of, and pays attention to, the stuff that goes on off of the football pitch, and as we learn throughout the series, he clearly aims to delve into player psychology in order to get an extra percentage or two out of their performances.
The club won the game 2-1, and Alex Lacazette, clearly impacted by Arteta’s pre-match talk, got one back at the Brentford striker with an identical tweet of his own just minutes after the full-time whistle was blown.
5) Holding asks if he should forge Auba’s signature
It’s fair to say that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s fallout with manager Mikel Arteta mid-way through the season was not the most amicable of fallouts. The Gabonese international was on very bad terms with the Arsenal boss, and was pretty much exiled from the squad after a sequence of disciplinary breaches.
In a short but pretty funny scene, we see Rob Holding signing copies of the Arsenal Squad Photo 2021/22, and as he’s well aware of his captain’s absence, he asks club officials if they want him to forge Auba’s signature to avoid any trouble.
We knew you were a team player on the pitch Rob, but now we know you’re just as much of one off it.
6) Nketiah sets Sambi straight
In one of the best moments of the series, we are shown a scene of the players having a meal at London Colney. Nketiah and co playfully question Arsenal’s number 23 on why he seems to have become less happy in recent months compared to when he first joined the club. The Belgian midfielder tells them it’s because he was playing more regularly at the start of the season. This visibly bothered Nketiah, who at the time was in a similar position to his teammate and not featuring as much for the club as he’d like, prompting him to go off and address the Belgian’s comment: ‘So what my friend? You think you’re the only f***ing man not playing my friend? Stop feeling sorry for yourself, f***ing wake up man.’ Elite mentality, Eddie. We love to see it.
7) Ramsdale incensed despite 3-1 win over Villa
Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa at The Emirates back in October of 2021 was the club’s 6th game unbeaten after the dismal trio of losses which kicked off the season. The players were all in good spirits and the mood at the club was quickly changing. As the XI headed back into the changing room after full-time, one player, however, was visibly enraged and unhappy with the result. That individual was Aaron Ramsdale. The reason for his anger? The 82nd minute Jacob Ramsey goal which he conceded, stopping him from securing his 3rd clean sheet in his first 4 starts for Arsenal. ‘F***ing sh*t man. Take the f***ing player. F*** you!’ said the 24-year-old, before holding his head in despair as he was consoled by teammates and members of staff. Talking of mentality, Aaron clearly shares the same elite competitor mindset as Eddie.
8) Saka gifts Champagne to Club Staff
More wholesome Saka content you say? You got it. As Christmas approaches, we are given a glimpse of Bukayo’s generosity and kind nature, when we see the 20-year-old starboy roam around the club with multiple bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne to gift to different members of club staff. Gabriel tries to nab one, but Saka is having none of it.
9) ‘The boss has balls’
Discussing Auba’s removal from the squad, Holding and Elneny hold a short chat over a spot of lunch at Colney. Mo asks his teammate what happened with Auba, as Rob explains that the striker was late to report to training after taking a trip abroad to see his unwell mother. Rob then tells Mo that his lateness is why he’s been completely removed from the squad, only for the Egyptian to come out with the classic line: ‘the boss has balls!’, which Holding completely affirms.
10) Cedric stands up for youth player Laca kicks out at
In the last episode of the series, we are shown a scene that most viewers were surprised the club allowed to be aired in an otherwise pretty PG and ‘safe’ docuseries.
At the beginning of episode 8, we are shown a short scene from a training session at Colney. Club Captain Alex Lacazette is shown attempting to dispossess a youth player before he can get a shot off in a small training game. The Frenchman fails to do so, and the youth player has his shot saved by Leno just before Laca leaves one in on him and knocks him to the ground. Bernd then rolls the ball into Laca to start a quick counter-attack before the youth player tenaciously (and cleanly) dispossesses Laca as he tries to turn. Lacazette’s ego is clearly bruised, and he subsequently tries to win the ball back of the youngster, which he fails to do, prompting him to resort to violently hacking him to the floor with absolutely 0 intention of playing the ball. Cedric, who is on Laca’s team in this warm-up game, then appears to say something to his teammate about his poor behaviour, which results in Lacazette confrontationally walking up to Cedric and pugnaciously putting his arm around his throat, before teammates step in and break up the altercation.
Big props to the Portuguese defender here, who it seems was the only player or member of coaching staff to have the balls to check Lacazette on his unacceptable behaviour. As if his showings on the pitch throughout the 2021/22 season weren’t dismal enough, Laca really didn’t cover himself in any more glory here, and as club captain, was far from setting the right example. Do better, Laca.
11) Auba takes the mick out of Mikel’s pre-game antics
Before our game at The King Power back in October, Mikel instructs the squad to stand in a circle and rub their hands together with their eyes close to feel the energy in the room and create an ‘energy bubble’. Fast forward 90 minutes later, and the boys are in high spirits after a 2-0 away victory sees us go 9 games unbeaten. Aubameyang, who was club captain at the time, then gets the microphone in the dressing room and comedically tells the squad to rub their hands together, playfully mocking his manager’s pre-game ritual. He then leads the chant of ‘two days off, two days off, two days off!’ which his teammates sing in unison as their request is green-lighted by Arteta, who channels his inner Batista to turn a thumbs down into a big thumbs up, which is celebrated by the team almost more than the win! The boss took it well.
12) Fan calls for fanbase and board to stick by Arteta after Chelsea defeat
After our London derby defeat to Chelsea in August saw us sitting on 0 points after two games, and on the back of back-to-back 8th-placed finishes in the league, it’s fair to say that more fans than not wanted Arteta replaced. This was demonstrated by several fan-cams that Amazon showed of angered and frustrated fans from outside the stadium after the underwhelming performance against the Blues.
In one fan-cam, we are shown a group of young Gunners, with one of the fans passionately instructing the club to sack the Spaniard after his dismal start to the season. One of his friends, however, goes against the grain, and defends the boss, telling the fans to support him and give him time. Well, this one aged well. Shout out to this positive fan who remained optimistic at a time when it was so easy to be a pessimist.
13) Edu finds out Auba is in Barca via Twitter video
One of the most interesting parts of this All or Nothing series is the insight us fans were given into the going-ons in the club during the transfer window, as we are shown just how hectic it can be in and around transfer deadline day. After being exiled from the squad and with his relationship with Arteta hanging by a thread, Auba takes it upon himself to fly to Barcelona when he should be reporting to training.
An Arsenal official heads into Edu’s office to inform the technical director that the Gabonese striker is in Barcelona, as he’s seen a video of him exiting an airport in Spain via Twitter. The video is then shown to the bewildered Brazilian, who subsequently calls one of Auba’s representatives to see what’s going on in quite an amusing but eye-opening scene.
14) ‘Imagine scoring in the North London Derby bro’
Speaking over some lunch at Colney with Smith Rowe, Bukayo is fully focused on the upcoming visit of rivals Tottenham to The Emirates. Dreaming of what it would be like to score in the legendary North London derby for his boyhood club, Saka says to ESR ‘Imagine scoring in the North London derby bro. Best thing ever, bro’.
Well, funnily enough, both Bukayo and Emile went on to grab goals in our amazing 3-1 home win against Spurs a couple of days later at The Emirates. From Hale End to notching North London derby goals. What a life.
15) Rob and Ben compliment their teammates after West Ham win
After our well documented poor start to the season, the club finally broke into the top four via a 2-0 home victory over the Hammers under the lights at The Emirates in December. As Laca headed back into the dressing room, despite his penalty miss, teammate Rob Holding is quick to compliment the Frenchman, telling him that he was ‘f***Ing exceptional today’. Elsewhere in the dressing room, Ben White approaches fellow starter Thomas Partey to tell him that he was ‘different gravy’. The pride and love that the players have for each other really shone through in this short feel-good scene.
16) Arteta reveals he has kept a record of all of Auba’s misdemeanours
Speaking on the back of a press conference where the Spaniard was grilled by the media regarding his decision to leave Aubameyang out of the matchday squad, Mikel tells club communications director Mark Gonnella that he has kept a record of all of Auba’s transgressions. ‘That’s why I have everything documented, with the dates, the times, the conversation, how it happened, why it happened, because if one day it’s needed… [I’ve got it]. He’s been late, apart from all the issues, many times. The club has got a tradition. When you get paid that much money…’. This conversation was extremely insightful and insinuates that Arteta’s decision to punish Auba as lethally as he did for lateness may have been more justified than it originally seemed.
17) ‘The Angel’ is played for the first time at The Emirates
As the season draws towards a close, the club pick up on a song from local Islington artist Louis Dunford called ‘The Angel’ which pays tribute to life as a North Londoner. The song is loved by the boss and the fans, and the club decide to play the song as the pre-match anthem ahead of kick off against Leeds United. A visibly moved Louis Dunford is stood in a box in the upper tier, taking in a capacity crowd singing ‘North London Forever’ as the Arsenal XI walk out and huddle together before the game starts. A beautiful moment to watch as a boyhood fan’s dreams come true.
18) Arteta’s Changing Room 360 on Tavares
After conceding a 45th minute goal against West Ham at the London Stadium, the team go into the break level as Bowen’s deflected strike cancels out Rob Holding’s first Premier League goal for the club, and Mikel Arteta is not a happy man.
As the team are seated in the away dressing room catching their breaths, the Spaniard gets right in the face of Nuno Tavares and angrily shouts at him: ‘You want to play in the f***ing Champions League? Play to play in the f***ing Champions League!’. Fast forward 45 minutes, and thanks to Gabriel Magalhaes’ header, the team head back into the away dressing room with 3 points in the bag, and a manager a little less irate.
Mikel goes back to Nuno and tells him that he killed him at half-time, before letting out a big smile and dragging the Portuguese full-back off his seat to hug him and tell him that he was much better in the second half. It’s a nice 360 moment as the boss indirectly shows remorse for singling out the 22-year-old in front of his teammates at the interval thanks to his improved performance in the second half.
19) Mikel’s Happy Brain-Heart Drawing ahead of the NLD
Whilst he may be a great manager, and may have been a talented footballer, it’s pretty clear that art is not Mikel Arteta’s strong point. Ahead of the club’s 3-1 victory over North London rivals Tottenham, Mikel tells his players to play with both a big brain but also a big heart, which he illustrates with what has become a now iconic drawing of a smiley heart and a smiley brain holding hands together. Despite the freestyle drawing not being at Pablo Picasso levels, it seemed to have got the message across successfully, as the team played with both passion and intelligence to take a 3-0 lead into the break. What a day, what a win, and most importantly, what a drawing.
20) Carlos Cuesta’s relationship with the players
One of the best parts of the series is being able to watch several of coach Carlos Cuesta’s interactions with the Arsenal players. At just 27 years of age, the Spaniard already has top clubs Atletico Madrid and Juventus on his CV and can speak an impressive six different languages.
One interaction which stood out in particular was in episode 3, where the young development coach talks to Nuno Tavares following his recent up-and-down performances. Cuesta asks the young defender why he thinks his performances have been so erratic, gesturing with his hands how Nuno is one day ‘all the way up here’ and one day ‘down here’. The pair seem to go on to have a much needed open and honest conversation regarding the inconsistency in his performance levels, which we are not shown in its entirety. The camera then cuts to Nuno, who tells the producers that ‘Carlos can understand players because he is young too. He helps me to get better’.
21) Arteta’s rage following Forest loss produces iconic line
After Arsenal’s shock defeat at Nottingham Forest sees the club get knocked out of the FA Cup third round for just the second time in over 26 years, an enraged Mikel Arteta heads into the away dressing room.
During his heated post-game speech where he tells the team that he does not accept the standards which they produced, the boss comes out with an impassioned line which has since gone viral amongst the football community on social media: ‘WHEN I LOSE A DUEL, I AM UPSET!’. He follows this by telling the side: ‘when I lose the small-sided games, I am upset! Because that’s the f***Ing standards. Because you come here and you f***Ing lose. It’s nowhere near [good enough] guys. It’s f***ing sh*t, I’m telling you, sh*t’ before storming out. Kieran Tierney then reiterates the boss’ message by telling the team that if they play the same way against Liverpool, then they’re f***ed. He was right.
22) Ramsdale’s Dad is comedy gold
Towards the end of the first episode, we are introduced to Aaron Ramsdale’s super supportive mum and dad, who attend our home game against Norwich in which the Englishman is given his first start for the club. Watching down from a box on their 23-year-old son (at the time), you can see both parents beaming with pride, but also full of nervous energy as they hope to see him help the team get their first Premier League win of the campaign.
In what is the funniest moment of the episode, Ramsdale takes the ball past Teemu Pukki in his own penalty area, to which his dad cannot bear to watch as he retaliates by standing up, walking off and uttering ‘F***ing nothing to do with my f***ing heart this!’. What a legend.
23) Mikel Arteta x Thomas Edison
Ahead of the team’s home clash against Brighton back in April, the boss gave a slightly unusual team talk to his squad. ‘Edison invented the lightbulb’, the Spaniard utters with a lightbulb in his hand… ‘today, I want to see a team that is connected because a bulb by itself is nothing. I want to see a team that is connected and shines’, he announces as he switches on the lightbulb by connecting it to a power source.
Mikel goes on: ‘…because at the end it is electricity, that through heat, creates light, and life, because if not it would be f***Ing dark if this guy [Edison] did not have the idea to do that.’ After finishing his pre-game speech by telling the boys to, in Layman’s terms, play with energy, the team heads out for the game.
Admittedly, this speech probably would’ve looked a bit better had we not lost the game 2-1 in a string of 3 losses in a row.
24) Saka’s penalty seals win at The Bridge
As touched upon earlier in this list, the abuse that Bukayo Saka received on the back of his Euros Final penalty miss was abhorrent, disgusting and completely unacceptable. To miss the crucial spot-kick at Wembley Stadium, in front of millions watching around the globe, with the country’s hopes and dreams on his teenage shoulders, and then suffer an onslaught of vile abuse after his miss would be enough for any player, let alone a 19-year-old, to shy away from ever taking a penalty again.
Not Bukayo, though, who, after winning the penalty himself in our game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in April, steps up to smash in a 92nd-minute penalty to secure us a 4-2 win. It’s a beautiful moment as Bukayo shows that you can’t let a single setback make you lose your confidence and courage or change your future behaviour. Good on you, Bukayo.
25) ‘What Happened today is f***ing unacceptable’
With two games of the season left, which European competition Arsenal competed in next season was in the club’s hands. There were two missions left to complete. Go to Newcastle and win, and beat Everton at home. It looked quite straight-forward on paper.
In what was probably the club’s poorest performance of the season given what was on the line, Arsenal fell to a 2-0 loss against the Magpies, who were, as Arteta put: ‘10,000 times better’. The loss left the club needing already-relegated Norwich to beat Spurs on the final day to have any chance of returning to the promise-land of UCL football, which, unsurprisingly didn’t end up happening. Mikel Arteta, in one of the best post-game speeches of the series, lay into his team after their pathetic performance, telling them that their performance was ‘f***ing unacceptable’ and that if they do accept that then they ‘live in a different world’. In a silent and quite frankly embarrassed away dressing room, the boss tells the players not to worry because he will face the media again for them, but that ‘…today it is hard to defend you guys, hard. I will take all the sh*t again, no worries.’.
What was your favourite part of the series? Let us know with a comment below or via any major social media platform – @UberAFC.
You can watch ‘All or Nothing: Arsenal’ on Amazon Prime now.
UberArsenal - Blogging about The Arsenal 
Leave a comment