2007/08 was a massively disappointing season for both Arsenal and Derby County. The Rams made a return to the Premier League after a five year absence and were hoping to solidify their stay in the top flight. Arsenal, on the other hand, were about to embark on their first season without their all time leading top goal scorer, Thierry Henry, after his summer transfer to FC Barcelona. It was an inspired Emmanuel Adebayor who took up the mantle and almost led Arsenal to their first league title since 2004, scoring 30 goals along the way.
The season ended in heartbreak for both clubs as Derby were to finish with the lowest ever points tally in Premier League history, with only 11 points, and equalled the 108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win. Arsenal, who had led the Premier League for much of the season, had lost their momentum heading into business end of the season following Eduardo’s broken leg which seemed to drain any hope and fight from the team. Arsenal’s 2-6 win away at Derby was one of the last highlights from a disappointing season for the Gunners, but where is that starting eleven now?
Łukasz Fabiański:
The Polish shot-stopper never managed to secure a spot in Arsenal’s starting eleven in the Premier League, with either Manuel Almunia or Wojciech Szczęsny always ahead of him in that aspect. This was Fabiański’s first Premier League appearance for the Gunners, yet he would only go on to make 31 more in the league in six years. His biggest highlight with the club was his FA Cup heroics in the 2014 semi-final in which he saved not one, but two penalties in the shootout which sent Arsenal through to the final. Fabiański would go on to make his final appearance for the club at Wembley, earning himself an FA Cup winners medal. He joined Swansea in the summer of 2014 on a free transfer and has become a key player in Gary Monk’s side, who currently sit eight in the league, just one point off a Europa League spot.
Kolo Touré:
Kolo Touré was one of many Arsenal players to leave the club in 2009 to join the Manchester City revolution. Part of the Invincible squad, Toure was a favourite with the fans. However, following a bust up with club captain William Gallas, the Ivorian felt he was being pushed out of the squad. The defender went on to enjoy much success with Manchester City, winning the Premier League and FA Cup while making over 100 appearances. Toure eventually left The Citzens to join Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2013, yet he could not keep up the kind of performances he showed while at Arsenal and has seen his chances in the squad limited with only 28 appearances over his two seasons on Merseyside. He was only ever expected to be a utility player, and that is exactly what he has been.
William Gallas:
William Gallas had a controversial time at Arsenal; whether it was refusing to leave the Birmingham City pitch in 2008, or his dressing room bust up with Kolo Touré, it was never easy for Gallas to have the respect of his team-mates, despite being the captain of the side. The Frenchman went on to join arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur to permanently tarnish his Arsenal career. The defender made 61 appearances for Spurs in the Premier League over a three year period that was marred by injury, keeping him sidelined for much of the 11-12 season. He was eventually let go by Tottenham and spent his final season in football in Australia with Perth Glory before retiring in October 2014.
Alex Song:
Described as the player Arsenal are missing by former legendary striker and new Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry, Alex Song surprisingly left the club in 2012 to join Barcelona for a reported transfer fee of £15million pounds. However, following a less than satisfactory career at the Nou Camp, the defensive midfielder has since joined West Ham United on loan, in which he has become a mainstay in their squad receiving widespread praise from pundits and professionals alike.
Gaël Clichy:
Noted as the natural replacement for Ashley Cole, Clichy would go on to make 264 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, winning both the Premier League and FA Cup in 2004 and 2005 respectively. After securing the left back spot at Arsenal for five years, he surprisingly made the switch to Manchester City with the fee believed to be around £7 million, joining the likes of Adebayor and Nasri who made the change to the blue half of Manchester in the same transfer window. He has since gone on to make almost 100 league appearances for City, winning the Premier League twice, the League Cup once, and the Community Shield once. His place in the side has been under scrutiny lately following a string of low key performances, including a red card against Barcelona in the Champions League.
Emmanuel Eboue:
The cult hero of Arsenal fans, Eboue would go on to make a total of 132 appearances in the Premier League for the club, becoming a regular right-back for Arsene Wenger's team. The Ivorian joined Galatasaray in the summer of 2011 after his Arsenal squad number was given to then new signing Gervinho while he was still at the club. Eboue has gone on to win five trophies in Turkey, winning two league titles, one Turkish cup and two Turkish Super cups.
Cesc Fabregas:
Fabregas was the fan favourite of every Gunners fan, earning the captains armband in 2008 at the age of 21, which showed his dedication to the club. However, that dedication did not last much longer as the Spanish midfielder rejoined his boyhood team Barcelona after one of the longest and most protracted transfers in history. Fabregas bought out his contract with the North London club to force a move to Spain, a transfer that earned Arsenal £35 million. Despite winning countless trophies with Barcelona, including the UEFA Super Cup in his first month with the club, Fabregas felt he could never hold down a starting spot in the team with the likes of Xavi and Iniesta in central midfield.
Allegedly turned down by Arsene Wenger, Cesc returned to the Premier League with Chelsea and has once again become one of the top midfielders in the country. Fabregas won his first trophy with Chelsea in the League Cup and assisted Diego Costa’s goal to seal the tie. Follwoing Sundays 0-0 draw at the Emirates, Fabregas’ Chelsea are one step closer to claiming the Premier League title which eluded him all his career at Arsenal.
Denílson:
Denílson officially spent seven years on the books at Arsenal and was often criticised for his lack of defensive qualities, constantly slowing down attacks and a lack of a quality passing ability. With the rise of Jack Wilshere and persistent injuries, Denílson's playing time was limited and eventually he departed the club. He returned to Brazil initially on a two-year loan deal to his first club, São Paulo, and in 2013 Arsenal had agreed to cancel his contract with the club as São Paulo initially had no interest in signing the player permanently until his contract was cancelled. He has since signed a four-year deal with the Brazilian club and has made only 17 appearances in the league since returning on a permanent basis. His most memorable moment in a São Paulo shirt came when he labeled the fans as 'very, very annoying', this unsurprisingly caused outrage with the São Paulo faithful, which lead to them demanding he never play for the club again.
Theo Walcott:
When Theo joined Arsenal in January 2006, he was heralded as the next big thing in British football. For a fee of £5 million, rising to £12 million depending on appearances for club and country, Theo was even brought to the 2006 World Cup at the age of 17 by then manager Sven-Göran Eriksson; however he failed to make a single appearance. Walcott’s Arsenal career has been hit and miss in the eyes of some Arsenal fans and pundits, with injury and bad form always preventing the Englishman to fulfil a full season at the Emirates. Walcott has made almost 300 appearances for Arsenal since 2006, scoring only 72 goals, and is the only surviving player from the squad that played Derby.
Robin van Persie:
Robin van Persie's career with Arsenal will always be remember as being spotted, in eight years at Arsenal the Dutchman only made 194 appearances in the league in a career that was plagued by injury. Following his only fully fit season with the club in which he scored 37 goals, van Persie turned down a new contract with the Gunners to join Manchester United. The Dutch striker went on to win the Premier League title in his first season in Manchester becoming the golden boot winner in the process. However, after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, "RVP" has failed to follow up the form he showed in his first season and has even stated himself that he is unsure where his future lies.
Nicklas Bendtner:
When Bendtner joined Arsenal in 2005, he formed a prolific partnership in the youth squads with Arturo Lupoli, which only made the hype surrounding the young striker even greater. His debut for the club is what will be remembered most for his time at the Emirates, he came on as a substitute to score the winner in the North London derby with his first touch. His career after however never lived up to expectations, with only glimpses of what he could do, including a hat-trick against FC Porto in the Champions League, being few and far between.
Multiple loan deals to Sunderland and then Juventus ended in disappointment for the Dane as he returned to Arsenal hoping to secure a permanent move away from the club. A final season in North London, which included winning goals against Cardiff and Hull City, ended in disgrace as the striker was involved in incidents in night clubs and was accused of threatening a taxi driver while intoxicated. The striker joined Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on a free transfer in the summer of 2014, however he has failed to deliver up front and has only scored three goals in 19 appearances in all competitions.