Lessons learnt from Arsenal

Photo Credit: www.arsenal.com

In seasons past, Arsenal have overwhelmingly underachieved. Their star had plummeted to mediocre levels. They no longer won trophies but prided in finishing fourth much to the dismay of their long-suffering fans.

At first it was enjoyable for Manutd fans like myself, but over time it became sad. The days of kati ya Manu na Arsenali were a distant memory. The high-profile clash had lost its glamour. It was no longer a question of who was better but by how much would Utd win.

The Gunners were easy on the eye against smaller teams but against Utd, Chelsea, Man city, Stoke they capitulated ever so meekly. They would be frustrating to watch at times. You could tell that simply from watching Arsene Wenger kicking or throwing a water bottle for the umpteenth time. Fans longed for the Arsenal of old, the title contender, the feared opposition, the team to beat; and it seemed that we would never get a glimpse of that team  with Wenger still in charge. All that changed last year against Hull City.

Arsenal were in a cup final at last. Their previous final had ended in crushing heartbreak against Birmingham in the Carling Cup, a team they were expected to dismantle. Surely lighting couldn’t strike twice. Trust Arsenal to disprove the pre-match expectations. After a frenetic start to the game, barely 3 minutes in and James Chester had put Hull one up. Unbelievably, five minutes later it was 2-0, with Curtis Davies finishing from close range. The Gunners were clearly rattled and it could have been 3 had Kieran Gibbs not cleared the ball of the line. It looked for all the world they would choke yet again at the final hurdle but alas, Arsenal had reformed. A stunning strike from Santi Cazorla reduced the arrears going into the break. They came back fighting in the second half and eventually equalized through Koscielny before Aaron Ramsey scored the decisive goal in extra time to end their nine year trophy drought. It was a relief. Had they lost, Wenger surely would have been on his way out and Mourinho’s ‘specialist in failure' jibe would have been vindicated. The win would ultimately provide the springboard for more change and success the following season.

For one, the summer transfer window did not involve the loss of yet another key player.  Sure they lost their captain as usual in Vermaelen but his absence was not felt because he was so used to being....well....absent. Arsene then did something unlike Arsene by actually spending money!!!

He splurged the cash to acquire the services of Alexis Sanchez and the Chilean certainly proved it was money well spent bagging a hatful of goals , undoubtedly Arsenal’s player of the season.

After the FA CUP final win, the psychological deficiencies that had dogged Arsenal in the past were eradicated. No longer did they fear the big teams. There was a win at Old Trafford for the first time since Kenya gained independence. Then incredulously, they beat Man city at the Etihad while keeping the citizens quiet. They ditched their silky football for a more solid, defensive approach that caught many pundits by surprise. They would have registered a double over Liverpool had it not been for Martin Skrtel's late header.

Then who could fail to notice that come the end of April, when trail blazers Chelsea came calling at the Emirates, Arsenal were the only team with a realistic chance of catching them. It has been customary for the gunners to be chasing fourth place at this point in the season but this time they were trying to catch the league leaders. Eventually they would finish the season 3^rd and automatically qualify for the Champions League for once, handing Manutd their only silverware of the season in the process; fourth place.

Lastly, they won a trophy, AGAIN!!! Mourinho must be livid. They didn’t just win but won convincingly, and could have racked up a cricket score line were it not for Shay Given in the Villa goal. What was telling was the stunning goal of Alexis. Previously, the Gunners preferred walking the ball into the net and leaving such strikes to Rosicky but their approach has changed. You just have to remember some of the goals of last season. Chamberlain against Monaco, Giroud against Utd, Alexis against Southampton, Wilshere against West brom and off course, Ramsey against Galatasaray have seen the gunners deploy a ‘shoot on sight’ mentality which has reaped dividends.

The change has been phenomenal and indeed was long overdue.   I thought it would require a 5th place finish or a new man at the helm, but Arsenal have proved otherwise. As much as change is inevitable in people I wonder why we refuse to believe a person is capable of change especially from wrong doing. We would rather think that they are  incorrigible,  incapable of turning over a new leaf but like Arsenal have shown; people  do change and like the Bible has illustrated, God is at the centre of it.

Change in some people may be termed a miracle but when you really encounter Christ, no matter who you are, change is imminent. When Christ is accepted as one’s saviour and allowed to reign as Lord; a good change is a natural consequence. Take a look at the following biblical characters.

Zacchaeus was the tax collector who swindled people,  he met Jesus and became the tax-collector who paid people back 4 times over. The Samaritan woman  known to be in the news for the wrong  reasons  became the woman telling the right news  the whole town longed to hear. She was no longer the amorous woman who hid from people but the bold witness telling people about Jesus.

Peter was the fearful disciple, who denied Jesus 3 times but after receiving the Spirit of Jesus, he openly defied men who had arrested  him previously, boldly saying  he preferred to obey God rather than men.(Acts 5:29). Jesus had changed him from fearful to courageous.

Who can forget Paul. He hated Jesus, he opposed the gospel  and he despised the apostles so much that he actually thought he was doing God a favour by killing them. He encounters Jesus and is changed to one who loves Jesus and preaches his name even if it meant  flogging or stoning. He cared  for the apostles abundantly and prison didn’t deter him from showing that concern and affection in his letters to them. He had come to the point of saying, “To live is Christ and to die is gain,”(Philippians 1:21) and humbly admitting that he was the worst of all sinners, whom Christ saved to serve as an example of God’s unlimited patience.(1 Timothy 1:15)

All these people proved that nobody was beyond salvation. Nobody was beyond the change brought by Jesus. Swindler, adulterer, liar, murderer were all saved. So too can prostitute, drug addict, alcoholic, thief and so many others be changed. Some people live in shame and guilt, haunted by the past sins but don’t know of God’s grace.  He forgives if you confess. Whereas the devil knows your name and calls you by your sin,  God knows your sin, and calls you by your name.  Jesus cares for you and me, showing it on the cross by offering himself as an atoning sacrifice to pave they way for change as children of God if only we would accept him.

Don’t look down on that brother or sister who is struggling with sin.  Don’t judge them because they sin differently.Don't resign them to a doomed fate. Jesus changed people who were worse off and he can produce a similar change in them.