Arsenal’s new home kit for 2021/22 looks set to raise a few eyebrows with Adidas seemingly taking inspiration from a design linked to some pretty harrowing memories.
While the shirt sticks to the traditional red and white colourway, the latter is given much more prominence with panels down the side of the shirt. Looking at the shot shared by Footy Headlines, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an Ajax shirt.
It looks most similar to the Nike home shirt worn by the Gunners in the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons, although on this occasion the blue accent colour is reserved for the trim of the collar, cuffs and brands three stripes.
To us, it brings to mind frustrating European nights at Wembley, Bergkamp’s harrowing penalty miss at Villa Park, shootout exits and Sp*rs failing to do us a favour at Old Trafford. On the plus side, we’re also reminded of Sylvinho.
White panels down the side have been used since the turn of the millennium, Nike included them on the 2008-2010 home shirt that made us look like a knock-off Charlton.
Interestingly, it looks like we’re including a tribute to Arsenal For Everyone by including its badge on the inside neck of the shirt. The initiative strives to celebrate the diversity of the Arsenal community so that everyone can feel an equal sense of pride and belonging in the club.
Having knocked it out of the park with the first couple of home kits, this effort by Adidas looks likely to divide opinion.
We’re still waiting for the first shots of the away and third kits. We know our main change strip will be a pearl citrine custard yellow featuring a retro(ish) badge while there’s talk the blue third could include a lightning motif harking back to the away shirts of the mid-nineties.
It’s a no from me.
that’s a joke, right? please say that’s a joke??
Looks like a very bad Ajax shirt.
Looks as bad as some of the football played this season.
“Ajax” was literally my first thought. Not a fan personally
Considering how we are heavily relying on youth to save our silly season you can forgive Adidas for mistaking us for Ajax
This is so bad….
Dennis coming back to play in it? 😍
Even in his fifties it would have been a joy to bring him on against Liverpool.
There were leaked pictures on here not so long back that looked a lot better than this design. Bit gutted that it seems they were fake, if this is the genuine one. I’m hoping that this isn’t the genuine one as I personally don’t like it.
Have to say I preferred the earlier leak too…
Is That really Sylvinho? – looks more like Thierry pulling a face!
I thought it was Kieran Gibbs.
It’s OX!
This design takes me to the kitchen, it looks like a friggin apron.. memories aside an Arsenal kit should have full red body and white arms, period.
Swap the black stripes for white and it’s fine. But as it is it makes me think Ajax and Utd had an ugly child.
They’re not back, they’re navy blue like the details over at the sides of our badge
A touch better then but still not a fan.
It’s horrible, I also do not see why there has to be a new kit every season or indeed a third kit now. It’s just money grabbing at its worst!
Regarding money-grabbing, on one level, you’re right of course and it’s a big strain on hard-pressed fans – particularly in these times. On another, it’s part of the commercial revenue steam that is becoming increasingly important to the club as other streams (matchday receipts, for example) have been severely reduced through Covid over the last couple of seasons now. We’re still behind most of the other “big” clubs commercially so need to do much more and shirt sales are an element in this. Unfortunately, we don’t have a superstar player to help sell them – when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid… Read more »
I don’t find it a strain at all. I haven’t bought a replica shirt since the redcurrant one – which I sold on eBay after 14 years of wear for the price I paid for it – £40.
This is literally Ajax’s shirt 😂
I like background of the shirt that photos taken on, reminds me of my Nans sofa
It’s okay, we’ve been due a bad Adidas kit. Hopefully our performances will make us remember the kit positively in the future.
Nope
I thought this season would be the last with the “Visit Rwanda” sleeves?
The contract runs out this summer but I guess there may be negotiations to extend. It’s an easy £10 million a year.
You also get preferential rates on flights to Rwanda as an Arsenal ST holder, and given I’d really like to visit Rwanda, I may actually get some joy out of my ticket for the first time in about three years..
Could be worse. At least it’s not “Angry Birds”.
If it helps us finish in the top half of the table next season I’m all for it.
Top quarter…
I like your optimism.
The images of the third kit look great, if I buy a shirt this season it’ll be that one. This home shirt looks horrible, I hope it’s not true, and pale yellow is a bit wishy washy. We’ve had two years of lovely shirts and crap football, I’d gladly swap that for a year of shit shirts and fantastic footie!
The lightning striker one? I like the look of that one.
As a side note, I noticed in searching for that kit that Man U’s next sponsor is Team Viewer. That’s gonna get a lot of traction with all the Man U fans working in scam call centres.
Guess I’m the only one here who quite likes it… being purely objective, I think it’s a pretty shirt. I think it’s a nice break from what we’ve had the last few years.
But don’t take my word for it, I’m a fucking weirdo by anybody’s standards.
I must be a fucking weirdo too then! I like it (and I liked the similar Nike one at the turn of the millennium). Also, thank God we’re going back to yellow as a change kit!
I loved the 1998-00 version (specifically the 1998/99 one, as it had JVC rather than Dreamcast) and had it myself.
For some reason I’m not sold on this one. I think it’s cos there is much more white on the sides of this one, whereas the 1998 version had the navy stripe taking up some of that space. I also don’t really like the collar/shoulder area.
Aye, I also had that one with JVC on it. Long sleeved version too. Splashed out on it cos I got my first job. Not so keen on it anymore but this one is gross in comparison though.
Pros: Arsenal For Everyone Badge, Arsenal badge, mainly red
Cons: everything else.
I love it
I can just picture the discussions between Adidas and the Board.
The Board – “Covid has hit us hard, design us a shirt that will sell like hot cakes and increase the value of future sponsorship deals. Remember we want it to reflect our current ambition and quality”
Adidas “Reflect current quality? We’ve got this”
Looks nice but its an Ajax shirt and not an Arsenal one
Dogshit
Would have preferred an Arsenal For Everyone badge somewhere on the outside, where it could be seen.
pretty cool, reminds me of some of the 80s and 90s kits
“To us, it brings to mind frustrating European nights at Wembley, Bergkamp’s harrowing penalty miss at Villa Park, shootout exits and Sp*rs failing to do us a favour at Old Trafford”…. or as Lionel Hutz the real estate agent would say “this reminds me of Thierry Henry, playing in the Champions League and not being shit”
Really is a shame our first Addidas kit, which was so brilliant was used on a so not brilliant season.
FFS.
That is not an Arsenal shirt.
Ajax? Yes.
Monaco? At a push, yeah, why not.
Arsenal? Fuck off.
How could Adidas do this to us? This has got to be a joke, right?
That isn’t our kit. Even if we sell it in the club shop and our players wear it I still refuse to acknowledge that is our kit. That isn’t our kit.
“the blue third could include a lightning motif harking back to the away shirts of the mid-nineties.” Would be my dream come true! The blue lightning away shirt is still one of the best.
Mock-up of the third kit:
https://www.footyheadlines.com/2020/11/exclusive-arsenal-21-22-third-kit-info.html
The leaked image is lovely, if it’s like that I’ll get one.
Black Adidas and Fly Emirates logo’s would go a long way in making this half decent. Otherwise…Thats pretty guff.
If they release the kits early, why don’t they test the fan response to see if they like it? You know how movies have the test screenings….kinda like that.
Errrm…?
Say it ain’t so
Love it
I think my mum used to use Ajax to clean the toilet, so kind of apt to dress up like it as our season goes down one
“Arsenal for everyone” that can afford the ludicrous cost of a branded piece of cloth
Maybe we get the shirt we deserve 😞
I’m no marketing exec but…
Get a 1970s plain Charlie George shirt, stick an Adidas logo and Emirates name on it –
The shirt would sell zillions.
When it said in the headline that it would divide opinion I thought it would be sponsored by Brexit. This is kind of worse.
Also points towards the previous leaks being fake as this one doesn’t look computer generated (although I hope it is! It’s hideous!).
Its a sH*t kit!! Ah thank ah thankyou very much
Very average. Which suits our current team nicely.
A shirt, as soon as you see it should instantly be associated with the club wearing it. The past two season I instantly think Aresenal when I see the tops. I see this top and instantly think Ajax. Adidas didn’t do a good job on this top
wack
Arsenal: crap shirt, crap season crap owners.
Leaked home kit is disgusting
Why can’t they make the new home kit same as the away kit celebrate 50 years of the double at white Hart Lane 1-0 Red and white with the white cannon badge