What do Arsenal NEED to win the league? by JH
This question seems to divide our entire fanbase.
Some say that in order to win the premier league, we must buy a 30 goal striker, while others say the need for a center back to replace the BFG is greater. I disagree with both. I believe this squad, IF we can keep our side fit, has more than enough goals to win the league.
Last season Chelsea won the league at a canter, they finished with 73 goals but they scored just two times more than we did.
Now think back to what we missed last year:
Aaron Ramsey missed 9 games through injury
Olivier Giroud missed 11 games through injury
Mesut Ozil missed 16 games through injury
Jack Wilshere missed 24 games through injury
Theo Walcott also missed 24 games through injury.
How many more goals could we have scored without longterm injuries. When you have so many goals in your team, you do not NEED a 30 goal striker.
Next to the defence, last season Arsenal had the third best defence in the league. Chelsea won the league conceding just 4 goals less than Arsenal. Let me tell you if you have the first best defence in the league, you do not NEED a new cb.
Last season Arsenal missed Lauren Koscielny for 11 games through injury. We also missed Francis Coquelin for 16 games, due in large to our own inability to recognise his quality-
Last season Arsenal didn’t know who our Number one was with Szcezney and Ospina having 17 and 18 games respectively. This season we know our Number One, he makes very few mistakes, and just happens to be (debatably) the best Premier League keeper of all time.
If we had Koscielny and Coquelin in our first team all season last season I am sure we would have cut our Goals Conceded column down a lot.
Last season Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal played 8 games as a center back last year. This Cannot Happen Again!!
I have said this for a couple of seasons now, Injuries is all that separates us from winning the league.
I am grateful to see that Arsene Wenger is finally addressing this, with the hiring of Shad Forsythe, which seemed to come into play in the second half of the season. This year we have hired Barry Solan.
It also seems that AW is actually listening to the advice of our new fitness expert in terms of allowing players time to work into fitness, as opposed to the way we used to just throw them back into the starting XI as soon as they are no longer injured, then all were surprised when they break down injured again 3 games into their comeback.
The fact is, which I think Jose Mourinho fully recognises, IF Arsenal can keep our main players fit throughout the season, we WILL win the league.
The addition of Cech and Coquelin for a full season will add a new defensive solidity throughout the season.
Fans will see an Alexis Sanchez that is now used to the premier league, scorer of 16 in the league in his first year, I think we can expect 20-24 if we keep him and Ozil fit.
A young Hector Bellerin, who now knows what to expect in the EPL-
A stronger, Fitter Mesut Ozil, off the back of his first pre-season with the club.
Fans will also see our new striker, Theo Walcott- Keep him fit and he will score 15+ easily.
And by the end of the season, IF we can keep our main players fit, we will once again see Arsene Wenger, wearing his magic hat, Lifting the Premier League Title for the first time in a decade.
THIS IS OUR SEASON.
(all stats supplied from Whoscored.com)
By JonnHirons