Arsenal kit launch: What does it say about Alexis Sanchez?
Chilean superstar models the new Gunners strip, but his number appears to have gone to Danny Welbeck
Arsenal have released their new kit for next season, but fans and commentators appeared more interested in the oddities of the launch rather than the tops themselves.
First of all, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, the club's two biggest stars, were chosen to model the new uniforms - although they're both tipped to leave the Emirates this summer.
"The pair's presence in the promotional material for the new kit will give Arsenal fans renewed hope that they will both extend their contracts with the club," says the Daily Telegraph.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, the paper also notes that when fans were given the chance to pre-order shirts, Sanchez's number seven was listed as belonging to Danny Welbeck.
Olivier Giroud and Hector Bellerin, another two players presumed to be heading for the exit, also featured in the photoshoot, which was made to look as though it had been filmed in a suburban house.
In addition, club legends Robert Pires and Martin Keown took part in an event at King's Cross which the club described as an "activation", where fans could look at the strip and have their picture taken alongside the FA Cup.
Then there was the matter of the "bizarre" press release that accompanied the kits, which "included a strange poem cum mission statement with some baffling lines and an odd stress on the definitive article", according to the Daily Mail.
Apparently designed to accentuate the fact the club is known as "the" Arsenal, it featured a series of statements such as: "We are THE ones riding our motorbikes with Petr Cech's helmet."
However, the London Evening Standard reports there was also praise for the kit itself. "The shirt has gone down well with fans on Twitter, with Puma getting praise for a smart collar and curved chest panel," it says.
"The German sports company have also ditched the darker red stripe that ran down the centre of last season's home shirt, and moved away from the black collar and sleeve piping seen on the old kit."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?
feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
By Mike Starling Published
-
Tottenham vs. Arsenal predictions: race for the Premier League top four
feature Expect a ‘seismic’ north London derby with Champions League qualification on the line
By Mike Starling Published
-
Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal exile: footballing reasons or political?
In Depth German playmaker questions the club’s loyalty after omission from the Premier League squad
By Mike Starling Published
-
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Arsenal seal their biggest signing in years
In Depth Gunners fans and club legends celebrate the skipper’s new three-year deal
By Mike Starling Published
-
Why everyone’s talking about the Arsenal redundancies
In Depth FA Cup winners’s plan to axe 55 jobs angers players, fans and former stars
By Mike Starling Published