Arsenal fans must be screaming with delight, alright, maybe a win over Chelsea in the Community Shield isn’t the greatest of achievements but Arsene Wenger finally getting the better of Jose Mourinho is something that Gunner fans can be happy about.
It wasn’t just the win that was liberating but the way it was achieved, by not playing gun-ho attacking football but being pragmatic and soaking the pressure that Chelsea were trying to assert on the other team from London. An Arsenal side a few years back might have cracked under the pressure but this is a different side, it seems and they could do something big this season.
Back to the top for the Red side of London
Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League since the 2003-04 season, which is extremely long for a club of this size, yet it seems they could be in pole position to get the trophy this season. The Gunners haven’t splurged in the transfer market, as expected but they have bought wisely. Petr Cech should solve one of their greatest fallacies of not having a good goalkeeper, the surprising bit was Jose Mourinho letting go of the former Chelsea number 1, this could come back to bite him, big time.
The other thing that Arsenal need to be sure of is that their players have to remain fit. They have one of the biggest and most talented squads in the league but injuries played their part in a stuttering campaign, at least at the start of last season. We all know how Wilshere, Walcott, Debuchy, Giroud and Arteta, to name a few, missed portions of the season and keeping them fit could be the key to Arsenal winning the trophy.
People might scoff at the fact of us naming Arsenal as the team to beat in the Premier League bit so far they are the only ones making the right noises. Most of their players are 100% fit, Alexis Sanchez would come into the squad after a few more weeks, due to him winning the Copa America with Chile. This rest could be crucial for Alexis and Arsenal as the Chilean seems to be able to do just about anything for the Gunners.
Goal scoring could be an issue with Arsenal relying heavily on Giroud. Welbeck has not clicked for Arsenal as they would have expected and the Gunners would be hoping that their other attackers, especially the now fully fit Theo Walcott can chip in with a few goals.
While the Premier League could be theirs for the taking, especially due to the fact that Chelsea and City have not strengthened that much, a familiar tale could be set for Arsenal in Europe. This season could be make or break for the Gunners in Europe, another exit from the first knockout round wouldn’t be catastrophic but certainly would leave Arsenal fans feeling their team needs to do more.
With the chances of doing well in the Premier League, it could be a sacrifice for the club in the domestic cup competitions, though Arsenal should do well in the FA Cup, the League Cup could be another testing ground for the young blood at the club.
The Premier League crown is there just for a team from London to pick up, Arsenal need to ensure they do not get overwhelmed when playing the top 6. Navigate those tricky games and Arsene could be celebrating another Premier League success come the end of the season.