A pink Arsenal third kit? Has the home kit ran in the wash or something?
Not quite. Adidas are no stranger to pink shirts, having provided Manchester United with one a couple of seasons back – and now Arsenal are the latest of their sides to be given the treatment, following beautiful a home shirt and away shirt release already this summer.
This is the first-ever pink away top in the Gunners' history. And with so many great Premier League kits, European kits, even World Cup jerseys and Women's Euros tops, this one definitely stands out in the crowd.
Despite this being something entirely uncharted for the club, however, there is a throwback to retro Arsenal shirts of the past within the shirt. The iconic Ermine pattern – the little tree-like thing, first seen on the club crest in the late 1940s – is printed all over the top.
The shirt will be completed with navy and clear blue trim, while on the pitch, it'll be combined with navy shorts and pink socks. This is the exact shade that David Beckham-owned outfit Inter Miami wore in their inaugural season – and it's so light that it looks a brilliant white on a sunny day.
"To mark the arrival of our new pink third kit, we’re celebrating our passionate supporters who are doing amazing things to inspire their communities," Arsenal say with the release of this one, following on from a similar message with both the home top and away (though that was launched in the States with the theme being that there are plenty of Gooners abroad who have a slice of north London with them).
Tayshan Hayden-Smith, a semi-professional footballer and community gardener who has initiated the ‘Grenfell Garden of Peace’, following the Grenfell Tower fire, features in this launch – as does DJ Sherelle, who originally hails from near Arsenal's Hale End academy, and who elevates black and LGBTQ+ voices and stories that have been neglected in the dance music scene.
The line-up is completed by recent Glastonbury performer Jelani Blackman, who highlights the issues troubling his community, discussing themes of community, culture, youth, relationships and racial inequality in his music – and Melanin Skate Gals & Pals, a London-based collective that brings representation to skateboarding, and in doing so provides a safe space for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) and a platform for minority voices to be heard.
It's genuinely nice to see such a nice shirt championing such great causes. This one will make its debut in the Premier League opening fixture when the Gunners travel to Crystal Palace.
What do you think – one of the nicest kits of 2022? Let us know on Twitter.
Buy the new pink Arsenal third kit from Adidas.co.uk
