AP Interview: How Arsenal reconnected with its fans

By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer

LONDON (AP) — Arsenal is one of the most storied teams in English soccer but it has endured some turbulent times since it last won the Premier League title 19 years ago. Now sitting at the top of the table with a young and exciting team it feels unrecognizable to the club that sparked such vocal criticizm from its own fans over that period. Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham tells The Associated Press that “in the 12 years I’ve been here it has never been as hard as it is to get a ticket.” On Wednesday, Arsenal presented eight new banners that will adorn the exterior of its Emirates Stadium, replacing its existing artwork and aiming to “transform the north London skyline and redefine the club’s home as a cultural landmark.”