The thing about dishing it out, is you’ve got to be able to take it back.
This weekend the Werder Bremen social media team took the chance to aim a jab at Arsenal after Germany’s 8-0 win over San Marino on Friday night.
One man looked particularly impressive in Die Mannschaft’s thumping of the 2018 World Cup qualifying Group C minnows, as Serge Gnabry lashed in a hat-trick.
Gnabry is already beginning to look like the one that got away, as far as Arsenal are concerned.
The German winger made his debut for the Gunners not long after his 17th birthday, and scored his first goal for the club at the age of 18.
But Gnabry’s progress was stalled by injury, and last season he was unable to make his mark during a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion.
That led to the 21-year-old opting to return to the country of his birth, joining Werder Bremen in a cut-price deal despite Arsene Wenger reportedly being keen to keep him in North London, and he is already showing the club what they are missing.
Gnabry top-scored at the Olympic Games as Germany’s Under-23 team won the silver medal, and some strong early-season form in Bremen earned him his first full international call-up.
He made his debut away at San Marino, and didn’t just score – he became the first German to score a hat-trick on their full international debut since Dieter Müller in 1976,
And Bremen reacted thus:
1. 🇩🇪 debut ✔️
2. Hat-trick ✔️
3. 8-0 win ✔️
4. @Arsenal 😉 pic.twitter.com/CicrQ2hT2k— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) November 11, 2016
But not to be outdone, Arsenal hit straight back with this:
On the subject of hat-tricks, remember this? pic.twitter.com/AUsckp5kqs
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 11, 2016
So what is more embarrassing – losing out on a promising young player? Or letting Ray Parlour score a hat-trick against you in a UEFA Cup tie in 2000?
Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live here:
