Arsenal Strikes Back

The new big boys on the block…

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They were once the envy of those amongst the highest powers in European football, boasting the talents of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Viera, intricately fashioned by one of the great managers to grace the English game. Indeed, they remain the only team to go a whole season unbeaten in the Premier League. Since ‘The Invincibles’ of 2004, however, Arsenal have only a solitary trophy to their name, and anyone who follows Piers Morgan on Twitter can tell you that it is now over eight years since the Gunners last won a major competition.

Supporters from the red side of North London might have been forgiven for thinking that this season was heading towards the annual struggle to squeeze into the last Champions League place. Of course, it was just over a month ago that The Gunners lost their opening game of the season at home to Aston Villa. This coupled with a significant lack of transfer activity left pundits itching to write off Arsenal’s chances of challenging at the top end of the table.

Since then, however, the North Londoners have won ten out of their last eleven competitive fixtures, extending an impressive run of form from last season which has seen them lose just one of their previous twenty-three games.

Not only are they top of the Premier League for the first time since 2010, but Arsenal now possess statistically one of the top midfielders in Europe in the shape of Mesut Özil. Indeed, the technically gifted German represents more than just a marquee signing for The Gunners; it is a sure statement that Arsène Wenger’s side is ready to challenge for major honours once again.

There has undoubtedly been a change of mentality to accompany the signing of Özil. The Emirates has been transformed into a hub of confidence which is spreading contagiously throughout the club. In Aaron Ramsey the North Londoners possess this season’s standout performer, while Olivier Giroud’s masterful ability to get in front of defenders promises goals for a club that demands, and is well overdue, success.

Few would have predicted Arsenal’s resilient start to the season, but even fewer could have foreseen the initial setbacks that the Gunner’s main rivals have experienced. David Moyes is yet to settle at Man United, with the Champions making their worst start to a league campaign in twenty-four years, while the blue half of Manchester is struggling to maintain consistency under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini.  Meanwhile, ‘The Special One’ is coming to terms with an inherited Chelsea squad that simply doesn’t possess the physicality associated with a Mourinho side.

Of course, Arsenal have shown early signs of promise in the past. Back in 2007/08, The Gunners led the Premier League after twenty-nine games, only to finish third behind Manchester United and Chelsea, while few will forget their Carling Cup final humiliation at the hands of Birmingham.

One problem that Wenger does have is a squad lacking in depth. With Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already joined by Bacary Sagna on the casualty list, an injury crisis could seriously hinder the club’s chances of mounting a serious title challenge.

What Arsenal do provide, however, is an element of stability amid a period of significant transition for the Premier League. Wenger has restored a winning feeling within the club, but must work even harder to ensure that this is more than just another false dawn. The Gunners will not have a better chance to end their barren spell without a trophy, and it is surely time for the North Londoners to re-establish themselves as a genuine power at the peak of the English game.

Image courtesey of allsports.com