Where are they now? The last Arsenal side to win at Old Trafford in the PL

Quick Reads

Planet Football
7th December 2018

On September 17, 2006, Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 in what remains their last Premier League victory at Old Trafford.

Emmanuel Adebayor scored the game’s only goal four minutes from time, while Gilberto Silva had a penalty saved by Tomasz Kuszczak on his United debut.

The Gunners have since won at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, but their wait to take three points away from the red half of Manchester continues.

Jens Lehmann

The German lunatic came to Arsenal’s rescue that day with a brilliant late save to stop Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from equalising, but he would leave the Gunners at the end of the following season – albeit making a brief return in 2011.

Lehmann returned to north London once again as assistant manager in 2017, only to leave after one season when Unai Emery was appointed. Perhaps he can now return to acting, after ‘starring’ as football coach Big John Jacobs in the 2010 film Themba.

READ: Jens Lehmann: The last of the maverick keepers and the maddest of the lot

Emmanuel Eboue

Often a figure of fun and hilarity, Eboue has endured a period of personal turmoil in recent years, struggling with depression after being banned from football for a year for failing to pay a former agent.

A return to football with Turkish Cypriot team Türk Ocağı Limasol was scuppered by abnormal blood test results and he later found himself homeless following a divorce.

In July the former Ivory Coast international was arrested in London on suspicion of arson and ‘malicious communications’. No further action was taken over the claims of arson, but he faces an investigation over the latter.

Johan Djourou

If feels wrong that Djourou was still on Arsenal’s books until 2014 before permanent spells at Hamburg and Antalyaspor.

The centre-back left the Turkish outfit in acrimonious circumstances in the summer having gone unpaid for a number of months, joining Serie A side SPAL, where he has struggled to break into the starting XI.

Kolo Toure

The man, the myth, the legend. In 2017, Toure called time on a career which involved slide tackling Arsene Wenger and pretending to be a car salesman named Francois during an affair.

Since then, the two-time Invincible has coached Ivory Coast’s Under-23 side and has been appointed technical assistant as part of Brendan Rodgers’ coaching staff at Celtic.

READ: A celebration of Kolo Touré: Likeable, hilarious, and also very, very good

William Gallas

A difficult character, shall we say, since retiring after a short spell with Perth Glory in 2013, Gallas has made a nice habit of making entertaining and controversial comments in a host of media appearances.

He most recently made headlines by revealing Philippe Senderos used to “genuinely panic” before facing Didier Drogba. We’ve still not forgiven him for wearing the No.10.

Tomas Rosicky

“If you love football, you love Tomas Rosicky,” Arsene Wenger famously said of the Czech midfielder.

It is now a year since Rosicky retired as a professional footballer following a spell back at Sparta Prague, and we still miss him.

READ: Tomáš Rosický, Arsenal’s big-game hero who could have been even more

Freddie Ljungberg

Ljungberg returned to Arsenal in 2013 as an ambassador before becoming youth coach two years later.

After a brief spell as assistant manager at Wolfsburg, the former Sweden international was appointed Under-23 coach at the Gunners.

Sadly he doesn’t have the red hair anymore.

Gilberto Silva

Any excuse to dig this one out: the Brazilian has helped set up a players’ union in his home country and also had a giant anteater, Gilberto, named in his honour at London Zoo, which means he is now our favourite footballer.

We recently discovered Gilberto secured a transfer to Colchester Zoo, where he fathered a son named Silva.

Any excuse to dig this photo out 😅

When @GilbertoSilva met Gilberto the anteater at @ColchesterZoo pic.twitter.com/OMk1mhSXQd

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) October 7, 2017

Cesc Fabregas

Disappeared into obscurity.

Alexander Hleb

Still playing and now onto his sixth separate spell with BATE Borisov, Hleb still regrets the day he left Arsenal, telling us he cried over his decision to join Barcelona.

READ: Alexander Hleb: I cried over Arsenal exit; most players regret leaving

Emmanuel Adebayor

Arsenal’s hero at Old Trafford, it’s safe to say Adebayor is no longer a favourite in north London.

In January 2018, Adebayor – who infamously clashed with Gunners’ players and fans at Manchester City and Tottenham – branded Arsene Wenger “fake” and admitted he has a “hate” for Arsenal.

The striker is still banging the goals in for Istanbul Basaksehir.