Set to be worn in their last game of the season this Sunday, when they will have one final push at getting top four and a Champions League spot, adidas have launched Arsenal’s new home shirt for the 22/23 season.
If Champions League places were allocated based on the quality of a team’s shirt designs, then Arsenal would have been one of the first teams allowed into the competition for the last few years, and this coming campaign would’ve been no different. Alas for Arsenal fans, they are not, and the Gunners instead face a tough challenge when they take on Everton – themselves battling against relegation – while they will still need a huge favour from Norwich to get to the promised land of a top four finish. But they will be going all out at the Emirates in their new home shirt, which sees the return of a collar for the first time since the 17/18 shirt – and that also makes it the first-ever adidas-produced Arsenal shirt to feature one.
And what a way to do it, the German brand once again showing a level of panache that’s been elevating the Gunners’ home shirts since their partnership resumed in 19/20. The collar comes complete with a striking lightning bolt design, building off the 21/22 season’s third shirt, itself bringing back the lightning strike look from the 95/96 season.
The rest of the shirt plays into what is a traditional look for the Gunners, pairing iconic “Arsenal red” in the body with white sleeves and shorts, while a final flourish will come from the white socks, which will have a red lightning bolt running horizontally across them to round off the overall kit design.
Commenting on the new kit, Inigo Turner, design director at adidas, said: “We wanted the new Arsenal home shirt to merge superfan culture, with a classic look. It’s important we create products that truly speak to the core Arsenal fan, and with this design we looked back to old crests and badges used throughout the club’s history.
“The lightning bolt is something that is synonymous with Arsenal, appearing in the crest of the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse, and from when the club was originally formed in Woolwich, London for example. We’re really excited to reimagine it for this year’s home shirt, and hope it will be well received by the fans.”
Pick up the Arsenal 22/23 home shirt at prodirectsoccer.com
