Arsenal fans are the happiest fans come
the end of May every year. They go through a roller coaster ride which is more
gut-churning than any you will find during the course of the season. In a
bizarre turn of events, which seem to unfold every season, Arsenal fade away in
the title race during the festive months of December and January. The
resurgence from mid-table to the top four is what makes the season ending games
that much more thrilling for the fans around the Emirates.
Unsurprisingly though, Arsene Wenger,
one of the most experienced managers in the world, always manages to pull off
the con. When it seems like they are destined to a mid-table finish, gooners
around the world re-adjust their ambitions to a top four finish. Wenger then
comes good on his promise, as he should given his caliber, and steers the club
into the Champions League by the skins of their teeth.
The
fourth place trophy
Arsenal have been tagged the perennial
fourth place finishers by experts and fans in the league this past decade.
While that can be misconstrued as a lack of ambition on the manager’s part, one
does not factor in his parallel achievements. Wenger’s stinginess during the
transfer market has proven to be a two fold blessing for the club. Firstly, it
has resulted in Arsenal having the second highest financial turnover in the
league. This is an impressive achievement considering the current state of the
economy and the debt-ridden stories of fellow premier league clubs. Commercial
revenues have climbed up 67% and Champions league qualification accounting for an
additional £25 million.
Secondly, Wenger’s refusal to splurge
for big players has given the youth a chance to shine on the premier league
stage. The likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin
and Yaya Sanogo have all made their presence significantly felt in Arsenal’s
campaign this year. These youngsters have gone to represent their national
teams with the experience gained in the Premier league. The relatively senior
products of Wenger’s policy such as Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere need no
introduction.
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| Hector Bellerin is one of the many young prospects at Arsenal |
What
Arsenal should do differently
Arsenal fans who have backed the club
passionately do not see the positives mentioned above as true accolades. The FA
cup finally found its way into the cabinet last season but the Premier league
still remains elusive. The current season may seem a lost cause with Chelsea
moving through their fixtures like a machine and Manchester City using their
money-clad warriors to stay close to them. The teams above Arsenal have chinks
in their armor which the gunners can look to exploit in their push for better
fortunes this year.
Arsenal are currently sixth in the
league table with Southampton and West Ham above them. The Saints and Hammers
cannot be considered serious top four contenders, Arsenal should be looking at
Manchester United who are in third, five points clear of the gunners.
Injuries have been the main for the
North London club with Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain missing the better part of this year’s campaign. This has
not deterred the attack in the slightest with Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck
causing problems to the league’s best defenses. The expected return of Ozil,
Walcott and Ramsey will mean Giroud and Welbeck will have the best midfield in
the league servicing him.
Manchester City and Chelsea have shown
exceptional attacking prowess this season but have failed to keep clean sheets
when expected. Even lowly teams have managed to find a way through their
defences. City’s 2-2 draw against QPR and their marginal victories against
teams like Leicester show that they are beatable. Chelsea on the other hand
exposed their frailties in the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. If Alan Pardew can do
it, so can Arsene Wenger. The 13 point gap to the top may seem titanic at this
stage of the season but with 22 games remaining, is it really that big a gap ?
The revival of Arsenal’s midfield along
with the hope of no further injuries will propel the gunners up the table. With
the likes of Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez and Walcott in the midfield, its safe to say
the defenses of City and Chelsea stand no chance. Victories in the fixtures
against the top 3 teams – Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – will
put Arsenal in a good position to make its title assault. The top three teams
are also likely to slip up against other teams in the league in some juicy
upsets which the Premier league never fails to serve up. The experts clearly will blunder if they
write Arsenal off.
(Article written by Vidur Kalive. Twitter: @vidurkalive)
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