Arsenal’s recent history is a case study in slow, steady decline. With the club now staring at a long climb back to the top, it is also a warning to other elite teams.
Roy Keane was joking. Probably. Arsenal had just lost at home to Wolves, condemning the club to its worst start to a season in almost 40 years. Mikel Arteta’s team had slumped to 14th in the Premier League. It had won only once, domestically, since early October.