THE VITALS:

Team: Arsenal

Brand: Puma

Era: 2014-15 (Used for the 2015 FA Cup Final match)

Name/Number: Alexis #17

CONDITION: GOOD

Unfortunately, this shirt has seen better days as the Fly Emirates sponsor decal has faded and the material is bobbling in parts, meanwhile there is also fraying to the Premier League badges on the sleeves and some cracking to name and numbering print.

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Small

Pit to Pit Measurement: 18.5 inches

Shirt Length: 26.5 inches 

Made by Puma in the ‘Dry Cell’ range of shirts that they introduced ahead of the 2014-15 season; this is as fitted a Puma shirt as one would expect and would also fit someone who wears a size XS.

DESCRIPTION:

After 20 years of their shirts being made by Nike; the 2014-15 campaign signalled the beginning of the Puma era, a timely beginning of a new era given that they came into new season having won the FA Cup; their first title for 9 years. Puma would take the baton from Nike by also employing a yellow away shirt for ‘The Gunners’; albeit with the inclusion of navy sleeves – making it in-fact, the perfect successor to the away shirt used in the 2008-09 season. Like the home shirt, tis shirt uses a plastic heat applied crest instead of a conventional embroidered emblem. This shirt has its place in the club’s history as it was worn in the 2015 FA Cup Final match when Arsenal successfully retained the FA Cup when they beat Aston Villa 4-0 to become the most successful team in the history of the competition with their twelfth triumph! The yellow change strip would also be worn in the 3-0 win over Villa in the league and fellow away wins over: Sunderland, West Ham, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Burnley, Galatasaray and Brighton and Hove Albion, and it was also worn in the draws away against Liverpool and Manchester United. Arsenal would also add the FA Community Shield when they beat Manchester City 3-0 in the English curtain raiser and would enjoy an incredible spell between 21^st January – 4^th May when the club won 12/14 games and would end the season in 3^rd place and just four points adrift of runners-up – Manchester City.

THE SEASON:

After nine long years without a trophy; Arsenal lifted the FA Cup in 2014 after a dramatic come from behind win over Hull City in the final. Meanwhile, although ‘The Gunners’ would finish 4^th for a third season in a row; they would lead the way in 19/20 rounds between Match-Day 5 and 24 and were firmly in the title race until Match-Day 31 – ending with 79 points, making it their best return since the 2007-08 season.

After Mesut Ozil’s blockbuster transfer in the summer of 2014; Chilean hot-shot - Alexis Sanchez became the next high profile signing to arrive at the Emirates Stadium following his £35,000,000.00 transfer from Barcelona, and there were also arrivals of Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina, Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck who arrived from Manchester United on Transfer Deadline Day!

Arsenal came into the 2014-15 Premier League season having won their last five games of the previous season and they extended their streak to six wins when they beat Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season. Wins were few and far between however in the 2014 segment of the season as they won just one of their next seven games, and then would split three wins and three defeats in the six games that followed – culminating with the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at home on 22^nd November. That defeat would signal a huge upturn in form as Arsenal won five of their remaining seven games of the year in the league and also came within seconds of defeating Liverpool at Anfield on 21^st December. Following their strong end to the year, Arsenal would go into 2015 in 5^th place with 33 points on the board and just three points behind Manchester United who occupied 3^rd place.

A clash between 4^th place – Southampton and 5^th placed Arsenal took place on New Year's Day of 2015 and Arsenal missed the chance to move into 4^th place when they were beaten 2-0 at St Mary’s. This defeat would set the stage for an incredible run of form where the team won twelve of their next fourteen games including wins over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and a 4-1 win over Liverpool on 4^th April. On 26^th April, Arsenal would champions-elect; Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium having won their last eight league matches and the two sides would battle to a draw keeping Arsenal in 2^nd place. Although their form was patchy in the remaining five games of the season – the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 17^th May would all but sure they finished 3^rd for the first time since the 2011-12 season; and the league season would end with a brilliant 4-1 win over West Brom on the last day of the season.

Optimism could not have been higher for Arsenal at the start of the season as they brushed Manchester City aside 3-0 to win the 2014 FA Community Shield on 10^th August 2014. The League Cup however represented a huge disappointment as they were eliminated in the 3^rd Round by Southampton.

A brilliant 2015 portion of the season would be embodied by a brilliant FA Cup campaign that saw Arsene Wenger’s side successfully defend the title to become the outfight most successful team in the history of the competition!

The 3^rd Round would yield a rematch of the 2014 Final against Hull City, and Arsenal would make sure the match was won in 90 minutes when they won 2-0 at the Emirates. Arsenal would avoid a replay in the 4^th Round after their 3-2 win over Brighton and then a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough set up a quarter-final clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Danny Welbeck would score against his former club to earn Arsenal their first win over United since May 2011, and their win over them at Old Trafford since September 2006! Extra Time would be called on in the 2-1 semi-final win over Reading to set up a final against Aston Villa.

On the 30^th May finale at Wembley Stadium – Arsenal would put a show on in their final game of the 2014-15 season by defeating the challengers 4-0!

For the second season running; Turkish opposition would stand between ‘The Gunners’ at the Group Stage in the UEFA Champions League and Alexis Sanchez’ first goal for the club would prove the difference in the 2^nd Leg to win the tie 1-0 on aggregate over Besiktas.

They would meet further Turkish opposition – Galatasaray in the Group Stage as well play against Borussia Dortmund for the third season out of the last four. After being beaten 2-0 away against Dortmund on Match-Day 1; they would win four and draw once to finish 2^nd to the German side on goal difference. Arsenal would avoid the likes of – Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona as they drew AS Monaco in the Last 16. Arsenal’s quest to end their run of four seasons of Last 16 exits were dealt a huge blow when they were beaten 3-1 at home in the 1^st Leg. A valiant effort was made in the Principality on 15^th March when they won 2-0, however, they would be resigned to an exit from the competition on away goals.

The notable players that season were:

Alexis Sanchez, Lukas Podolski, Danny Welbeck, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Gabriel, Nacho Monreal, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Hector Bellerin, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina, Wojciech Szczesny