Football
‘I won four league titles at Arsenal – but I still felt like an imposter at the club’
Lee Dixon may have played over 600 games for Arsenal and won multiple titles, but imposter syndrome haunted him for much of his career.
The former right-back, who made 616 appearances for the Gunners over 15 years, remains one of the club’s most consistent and celebrated defenders.
Despite winning four English league titles—one of them in his first full season—and three FA Cups, Dixon never fully felt like he belonged at a club of Arsenal’s stature.
Before his move to north London in 1988, Dixon had played for Burnley, Chester City, Bury, and Stoke City. The £375,000 transfer from Stoke to Arsenal marked a massive leap in his career.
Yet, even with his success, self-doubt lingered. Speaking on the Seaman Says podcast, Dixon admitted he often felt like an outsider.
Early in his Arsenal journey, he confided in his father, expressing concerns that he wasn’t cut out for top-tier football. His dad encouraged him to focus on short-term goals: one game, then ten, then thirty.
That strategy helped him build confidence gradually, eventually culminating in a stellar 619-game career.
Dixon fondly remembered the support of his father, who passed away 18 months ago. On the eve of his retirement, Dixon told him it would be his final game, to which his dad humorously asked what would happen to game 620.
That moment captured the blink-of-an-eye nature of a career that had once felt overwhelming to start.
His Arsenal journey was shaped by two legendary managers. Under George Graham, Dixon learned the discipline and structure needed to succeed.
Graham, known for his tactical rigor, quickly reset expectations after each success. Even after winning trophies, the team was told to start over, driving a relentless pursuit of improvement.
Dixon credited this tough love for giving him the positional awareness and mental focus that became trademarks of his play. At Highbury, he even used advertising boards as reference points for positioning during goal kicks, knowing precisely where to be without checking on his teammates.
Then came Arsène Wenger, who joined Arsenal in 1996 and transformed the club’s culture. Initially met with skepticism, the Frenchman introduced new training and recovery methods that extended the careers of veteran players.
Dixon, already 32 when Wenger arrived, played until age 38 thanks to the modernizations Wenger implemented. Stretching routines, dietary changes, and a new emphasis on player welfare allowed the squad to thrive longer than expected.
Though asked to choose between Wenger and Graham, Dixon found it difficult. Graham had been his mentor and educator, laying the foundation for his game.
Wenger, on the other hand, brought freedom and trust, allowing Dixon to enjoy the latter years of his career alongside talents like Dennis Bergkamp.
The combination of structure and creativity defined his time at Arsenal, helping build one of English football’s most formidable defensive units.
Today, Dixon works as a pundit, but his reflections reveal the emotional depth and personal battles behind a glittering football career. His story offers insight not only into Arsenal’s golden era but also into the mindset required to overcome doubt and rise to greatness.
Tottenham Hotspur appear to have taken the lead in the race to sign Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, following his match-winning performance in the FA Cup final.
The 26-year-old midfielder sealed a historic 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Wembley, earning Palace their first major trophy and placing himself firmly in the spotlight ahead of the summer transfer window.
Eze has enjoyed a standout season for the South London side, contributing 24 goals and assists in 41 appearances across all competitions. His form has not gone unnoticed, with Spurs, Arsenal, and Manchester City all expressing interest in securing his services.
According to reports from The Sun, Tottenham currently hold a clear advantage over their Premier League rivals. The North London club, managed by Ange Postecoglou, are believed to be pushing strongly for the England international’s signature.
The midfielder is reportedly eager to play Champions League football next season. Spurs could meet that ambition if they clinch victory in their upcoming Europa League final.
Arsenal, though monitoring Eze’s situation, are said to be less aggressive in their pursuit, while Manchester City may also enter the fray as Pep Guardiola searches for a potential successor to Kevin De Bruyne.
Despite interest from top clubs, Crystal Palace remain intent on keeping Eze, who is under contract until 2027. Any deal would likely demand a significant transfer fee.
However, if Eze decides against renewing his contract, Palace could find themselves in a more vulnerable position by the summer of 2026, when he enters the final year of his current deal.
Eze’s football journey began in Arsenal’s youth academy, but he was released at the age of 13—a moment that left a lasting emotional impact.
In a 2020 interview, he recalled the pain of being let go, describing it as a moment that made him cry for a week. He later found new confidence at Fulham before making his professional breakthrough with Queens Park Rangers and eventually joining Palace in 2020.
Since then, Eze has made 165 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 39 goals and providing 28 assists. He also scored his first goal for England earlier this year in a World Cup qualifying win over Latvia. With speculation about his future mounting, the midfielder is expected to take his time before deciding his next move.
Bernardo Silva didn’t hold back after Manchester City’s shock FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace, calling out his teammates and saying, “You learn who you can go to war with.”
The loss means City will finish the season without a trophy for only the second time during Pep Guardiola’s illustrious nine-year tenure at the club.
The Portuguese midfielder was brutally honest in his post-match reaction, accusing some players of lacking commitment and failing to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.
“In the bad moments you learn new things,” said Silva. “Who you can go to war with, first of all, because it’s in the bad moments that you see who the real ones are.
“It’s been a really, really bad season for us. Something has to change next year. I have my opinion, but I’m not going to give it to you. It’s for the big bosses to decide. But definitely, something needs to change when you don’t perform at this level.
“Our standard needs to be very, very high to be champions again – and that’s the level we want to reach again. I’d say it’s a bit of everything, but the season was not good for many reasons.
“But there are a lot of things that were good for us, like not taking things for granted and not lowering our standards. We’ve got people used to winning every year and people demand this team wins every year. But football is a tough sport and it’s not easy to beat these teams, especially in the Premier League.”
Silva also gave credit to Crystal Palace for their disciplined performance and acknowledged they were the better side on the day, with Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal proving decisive.
“They defended really well, they were really patient, they were very organised,” said Silva. “We knew that before the game in terms of being patient and we knew how dangerous they were on the counter, how quick and what very good individuals they were.
“But then also we lacked a bit of quality in the final third to score our chances. But congratulations to them, they’re a very good team.”
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, remained composed in defeat, pointing to fine margins as the deciding factor in the match.
“We played really good. We did everything and created chances, but unfortunately, we couldn’t score. They scored with their first transition. It’s about goals – they scored one, so congratulations to Crystal Palace.
“It wasn’t just possession. We created chances and chances. They didn’t create much, but they defended really well, really deep, like under Roy Hodgson.”
Guardiola was also involved in a tense moment with goalkeeper Dean Henderson at full time after an apparent handball outside the box. However, the City boss declined to weigh in, saying simply: “I’m not the referee!”
Alexander Isak will not be part of Newcastle United’s squad as they face Arsenal this Sunday, with the Swedish striker sidelined by a minor groin injury.
The absence of the club’s top scorer is a setback in their push for Champions League qualification, especially considering Isak’s standout season. He has netted 23 goals in 33 Premier League appearances, trailing only Mohamed Salah in the scoring charts.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has made just one change to the team that triumphed over Chelsea in their last outing, bringing in Callum Wilson to lead the line at the Emirates Stadium. This marks Wilson’s second league start of the campaign, stepping in for Isak at a crucial point in the season.
In an official club statement released ahead of the match, Newcastle confirmed: “Wilson will make just his second league start of the campaign in place of leading goalscorer Alexander Isak, who misses out with a minor groin injury, as the Magpies bid to make sure of Champions League qualification.”
Wilson, who has featured in 16 Premier League games this term, is still searching for his first goal of the season and will be aiming to end that drought against a formidable Arsenal side.
Newcastle also continue to cope without midfielder Joelinton, who is recovering from a knee injury. Howe recently acknowledged that it’s unlikely the Brazilian will return before the season ends.
“He’s working away behind the scenes,” Howe said. “Typical Joe – he’s absolutely foot to the floor trying to get fit because he wants to be involved. The biggest possibility is that we don’t see him again this season and we’ll get him ready for next year.”
Arsenal, currently second in the Premier League table and just two points ahead of Newcastle, welcome back Declan Rice from a hip issue.
The midfielder replaces the suspended Mikel Merino in the starting eleven. Kai Havertz also returns to the matchday squad for the first time since February following a hamstring injury, taking a place on the bench.
Both sides are locked in a tight race near the top of the table, with every point crucial as the season draws to a close.
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