Whatever happened to the young Gunners side that beat Sheffield United 6-0?
Turn back the clock eight years and Arsenal had just beaten Sheffield United 6-0 in the third round of the League Cup.
The Gunners beating a Championship team by such a scoreline was notable in itself but it was the team that Arsene Wenger had sent out that made the result all the more remarkable.
The Frenchman had elected to send out a team made up fully of the club’s young stars, with the average age of the team just 19 years old.
They ended up reaching the fifth round that year, sparking big hope of them all becoming first-team stars in the future.
Things did not work out quite that way, with only four of that team still at the Emirates. So whatever happened to Arsenal’s bright young things?
Lukasz Fabianski – The Polish goalkeeper left Arsenal for Swansea City in 2014, having made just 32 league appearances in a seven-year spell at the Emirates. Since then he has established himself as a reliable Premier League stopper with the Swans.
Gavin Hoyte –After four loan spells Hoyte eventually left Arsenal on a permanent basis in 2012 when he joined Dagenham and Redbridge. He now plays for Barnet in League Two.
Johan Djourou – One of the more successful of this bunch, Djourou made 86 league appearances for Arsenal before joining Hamburg in 2014. He has established himself in Germany and is a regular in the Switzerland squad.
Kieran Gibbs – One of the four still at the Emirates, Gibbs has struggled with injuries over the years. He currently plays second fiddle to Nacho Monreal and was linked with an exit this summer.
Fran Merida – Merida joined Atletico Madrid in 2010 after just six league appearances for Arsenal. It did not work out in Madrid and he has since had spells with several Spanish teams. He currently plies his trade with Osasuna.
Mark Randall – Randall managed just two league appearances for Arsenal and left permanently in 2011. Since then he has bounced around the lower leagues and is currently on the books of League Two side Newport County.
Alex Song – Song left the Emirates for Barcelona in 2012 but it didn’t work out at the Nou Camp. He spent the last two years on loan with West Ham before joining Rubin Kazan this summer after becoming a free agent.
Jack Wilshere – The biggest name on this list by far, Wilshere was once seen as the bright future of English football. Things have not turned out that way though as injuries have held back his career. He joined Bournemouth on loan this summer in an attempt to not only find his fitness but also prove he has a future at Arsenal.
Carlos Vela – Vela joined Real Sociedad in 2012 after five loan spells away from Arsenal during his seven years at the club. He has impressed in La Liga, scoring 56 goals in 173 league games. He also has 15 international goals for Mexico.
Nicklas Bendtner – Bendtner left Arsenal when his contract expired in 2014, departing with 24 goals in 108 league appearances for the club. He later joined Wolfsburg, where he managed just three goals in 31 league games. This summer he joined Nottingham Forest on a free transfer and played against Arsenal in the League Cup on Tuesday evening.
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