By almost every single metric, Arsenal are rightly regarded as an elite superpower.
Only Manchester United and Liverpool boast more league titles. And of course they hold the record for FA Cup wins.
I got to spend a few hours in their stadium first-hand a few weeks ago on the final day of the Premier League season, and you've got to hand it to them, it's a majestic arena.
It holds upwards of 60,000, with those stands rising towards the skies above. And that's not even counting the millions of fans around the world whose attention they hold.
From Fever Pitch to Arsenal Fan TV, the club has also forged its own place as a cultural institution.
Yet unlike the likes of Man United, Liverpool and more recently Chelsea (especially during the Abramovich era), Arsenal's European history is the one area where they don't feel very elite.
Even if they'd avoided that crushing defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League final, it wouldn't necessarily have added much in prestige.
But at least it would've been a start. It's not to say they haven't got any pedigree in Europe. That would be an unfair statement. They have a Cup Winners Cup from 1994 and an Inter-City Fairs Cup 24 years before that. But that's it.
Missed Opportunities
Of course, they've been nearly men on the continent since '94. In the 25 years since, Arsenal have lost a Cup Winners Cup final, two Europa League finals (including the 2000 UEFA Cup final) and a Champions League showpiece.
Apart from Wednesday night's loss in Baku, the other finals were tight affairs. And there have been other memorable European nights like thrashing Inter Milan 5-1 at the San Siro for instance.
The biggest missed opportunity of all came in 2004. The Invincibles have long secured their place in history. But they could have become even more eternal in a season when a victory over Chelsea would have left them favourites in a last-four alongside Monaco, Deportivo de la Coruna and the strongest team but surprise winners, Jose Mourinho's FC Porto.
Needless to say, a Champions League win doesn't insulate against long-term declines. Just think of clubs like Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. They've achieved what Arsenal haven't - albeit in a vastly different European Cup era.
29 May 2019, Azerbaijan, Baku: Soccer: Europa League Final FC Chelsea - FC Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium. Mesut Özil from Arsenal sits disappointed after the defeat on the bench. Photo: Arne Dedert/dpaBut for a club of Arsenal's historic status, the lack of Champions League trophy or even multiple Europa Leagues/UEFA Cups like a Sevilla or Atletico Madrid is something of an aberration for London's most successful club on the domestic front.
Which brings us neatly to Saturday night. Tottenham have a chance to win a Champions League before their North London derby rivals, which would be galling for many Gooners.
Trophy Importance
But from a Spurs point of view, it's about time that this generation capped a strong decade with a trophy. For all of their progress on and off the pitch, there has been nothing tangible achieved on the medal front. Look through the 'Honours' list of their history and for a casual observer, there would be nothing to lead you to believe that they're living through one of their great eras since the 1960s and '80s crops. Maybe for some, a trophy - any trophy - may be overrated in the grand scheme of things but I'd tend towards the more traditional viewpoint that it approaches a be-all-and-end all. Leave your mark on history and hear your name called out on the 'Roll of Honour'.
In an earlier and more equitable era before the billionaire owner and super clubs era, Tottenham would probably have won a trophy or two already over the last decade. But like Napoli of the last two to three years, we have to judge things on how many times they got into the Champions League rather than look at the trophy cabinet.
At least until Saturday in Madrid... maybe!
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
