Third kits
Pink for the believers
In 2022–23 a young Arsenal team led the league for most of the season. Their third shirt was pale pink, and it became a symbol of a side that had started to believe again.
2022–23 · The Emirates Age · 5 minute read
An unlikely colour
Pink is not a traditional football colour, and certainly not a traditional Arsenal one. Yet the pale pink third shirt of 2022–23 caught on quickly. Paired with navy, it looked fresh, confident and a little playful. For a club often associated with grand tradition, it was a sign that the new generation was comfortable doing things differently.
A team grows up
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal had spent two seasons rebuilding. In 2022–23 it came together. Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, all young, became the core of a team that topped the Premier League table for most of the season. Ødegaard was made captain. Gabriel Jesus arrived and transformed the attack. The football was quick, brave and thrilling.
So close
Manchester City overtook Arsenal in the final weeks, and the title slipped away. It hurt. But the season changed how Arsenal supporters felt about their club. After years of drifting, they had a team that could compete with anyone. The pink shirt, worn in some of those away games, became part of that memory: the year belief came back.
Third shirts as experiments
Third kits are where designers take their risks. Home shirts must respect tradition; away shirts carry their own history of yellow and blue. Third shirts have no such weight. That freedom produces some forgettable designs, but occasionally it produces a shirt that captures the mood of a moment perfectly. This is one of those.
For your collection
Saka 7 and Ødegaard 8 are the obvious printings for this season, and both are widely available. Because the shirt is recent, there are many good-quality fakes. Check the adidas labelling, the heat-pressed details, and the price: if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.