The Arsenal legend Martin Keown thinks that the Gunners have finally assembled a squad capable of winning the Premier League, and will mount a real challenge to Chelsea next season. “Chelsea will win it now but if you ask them next season they won’t fear anyone – but they will be aware of Arsenal,” Keown said.
“They will want to challenge next season and they will want to start well next year.
“They need to strengthen in one or two positions but I’m not talking about wholesale changes which some others may have to make if they want to compete.”
Arsenal won their first FA Cup for nine years last season and finished Fourth (as usual!) ut Kepwn sees things progressing nicely his time around. “It has to represent progress if you’re finishing two positions higher and still in the FA Cup,”
“They look more convincing as a team than they did last year. The players look together.
“The squad is better equipped now, Gabriel is putting (Per) Mertesacker under huge pressure and (Francis) Coquelin is in midfield instead of (Mikel) Arteta and (Mathieu) Flamini who are maybe coming to the end of their careers.
“They have a whole array of players who can play off the front and (Olivier) Giroud and (Danny) Welbeck are vying for the centre forward position. The competition for places creates intensity.”
So Keown reckons Wenger is nearly there, but don’t we hear the “one or two changes” mantra every season? I think they only thing hat stopped us winning the title this season is that we had so many injuries in the first six months. If we had all our players fit, why would we need to buy anybody else?