Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal players had to give it their all towards the end of last season, and to be fair to them we did win our last five Premier League games but unfortunately it was not quite enough as Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool pipped us to the final Champions League spot by a single point.
That left us without a place at Europe’s elite table but still having to cope with the extra burden of European games and we would have been in the Europa League even had we finished lower because of the FA cup trophy the Gunners beat Chelsea to at Wembley.
So unlike the last two EPL champions Chelsea and Leicester City, Arsenal must try to win the title while having the strain of midweek games to cope with, so Wenger has already suggested he will rest his big players and play a much changed line-up in the Europa League and this could be very good news for certain Gunners trying to get back into the first team picture.
Most notable of these in my opinion is Jack Wilshere, who we know has the talent but has not had the opportunity to progress and develop. Wenger has put the 25-year old England international into his Europa League squad and I think he will play him, perhaps as soon as the first match at home to the German club Cologne.
Could this be the route back to the Arsenal first team that Wilshere is looking for and that many Arsenal fans would love to see?
Bob.