16 August 2024 - 1:06 PM
Photo
IMAGO | Rasmus Højlund of Manchester United moves away from Declan Rice of Arsenal during a Premier League match at Old Trafford.
Profile: Richard Garlick, Omar Berrada and the task of toppling Man City’s dominance
- Arsenal and Manchester United, once the titans of the EPL, are under new off the pitch leadership for the 2024/25 campaign, fighting to reclaim their past glories.
- The newly appointed top executives are both charged with bridging the gap between commercial success and on-field performance. However, their starting points differ significantly, and the financial challenges they face are not comparable.
- Why it matters: Arsenal and United once had the defining top of the table rivalry, but 17 years, hundreds of millions of transfer spending, dozens of off the pitch leaders have passed since it was a meaningful top of the table rivalry.
- The perspective: Unlike their finance-focussed predecessors, both Garlick and Berrada have significant football operations pedigree. Could this be the missing link to regaining former glories?
Even at the time, Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in February 2008 felt significant, though few could have predicted it would signal the beginning of the end for the Premier League’s most enduring top-of-the-table rivalry.
For most of the previous decade, Arsenal and Manchester United had dominated the top two spots in the EPL. This dominance was challenged when Russian-backed Chelsea emerged as a conten
Get instant access by signing up for a 7-day free trial
No credit card, no commitments, and it will expire automatically.
You will receive a link that activates your trial in an email.
