While some of the French players signed by Arsene Wenger have gone on to rewrite
the history books at Arsenal, sadly others have not, and for every Thierry Henry there
is a Jeremie Aliadiere. Plucked from French football as a teenager, he was sadly never
able to deliver on a consistent basis, at least not in the league anyway. Aliadiere made
his debut replacing Jermaine Pennant in the League Cup fourth round tie with Grimsby
at Highbury in November 2001, and developed an affinity with the competition during
his seven years at Arsenal.
His first league appearance would follow three months later as a late replacement for Henry,
who had scored twice in a 4-1 home success against Fulham, and it was the form of the
mercurial Frenchman that ensured that Aliadiere barely got a look in as Arsenal raced
away with their twelfth league title. The following campaign was decimated by injury
for the forward, although he did manage his first and only league goal for the Gunners.
Replacing Wiltord in the 82nd minute, he scored in stoppage time as Arsenal crushed
West Brom 5-2 at Highbury in the third game of the season. A few days later Jeremie
came on for Wiltord again at Chelsea, but injury ensured that he wouldn't feature again
for thirteen months.
When he did play again it was a complete surprise, with Wenger giving him his first ever
league start in a match at Anfield. The match was one of the most important of the Gunners'
season, and after a 2-1 win they famously went on the finish the entire league campaign unbeaten.
Aliadiere would find form in the League Cup again, scoring against Rotherham, Wolves (twice)
and West Brom before Arsenal's semi-final defeat to Middlesbrough. He would feature
in a total of ten league games, earning a championship medal, although he failed to score a goal.
The 2004/05 season was almost over before it had begun for Aliadiere, the Frenchman sustaining
a serious injury after coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 success over Manchester United in the
Community Shield in Cardiff. He had to wait until March 2005 to play again, and featured just
six times all season, all as substitute. Because of his injuries, and the good form of recent signings
Jose Antonio Reyes and Robin Van Persie, Wenger decided to send Aliadiere out on loan for the
2005/06 season, with strange consequences.
He first went to Celtic, where his only games were in both legs of the disastrous Champions League
loss to Slovakian minnows Artmedia Bratislava. When the Glasgow giants cancelled the loan contract
he moved on to West Ham for a brief spell before moving down a division to Wolves, where he
scored just twice in fourteen league games. Back at Arsenal in the summer of 2006, Aliadiere
knew he didn't stand much chance of forcing his way into Wenger's league team, and so once
again found solace in the League Cup.
He spearheaded the attack in all six of the Gunners' games in the competition, and opened his scoring
account with a double in the third round win against West Brom, a team he always seemed to enjoy
facing. He struck the opener in an amazing 6-3 quarter-final success at Anfield; on loan Brazilian
Julio Baptista hitting four. Another goal in the semi-final win over local rivals Tottenham
(the pictures above are during the game) ensured him of his place in the final in Cardiff,
but he was to finish on the losing side as Chelsea's Didier Drogba scored both his team's goals
in a 2-1 win. Jeremie's last appearance for the Gunners came in a goalless draw at Newcastle's
St. James' Park in April 2007, and he signed for Middlesbrough in June for £2m, no doubt wishing
he could have played in the League Cup every week. (Mark Jones)