Every season it is inevitable that a side will have high and low points of the campaign. Bar from the few exceptions, most notably Arsenal’s unbeaten side, it’s unlikely that a Premier League side will go a full campaign without having a spell of bad form.
Arsenal have arguably had two bad spells so far this season, the usual period in November and the current hiccup the side are in right now. Two defeats on the trot and a rather uninspiring performance against Hull City means that once again we went into battle with Bayern Munich, one of the biggest matches of our season, out of form. After that enormous defeat our confidence will be even lower!
Of course managing a side is far more easily said than done. Whether or not you still have faith in Arsene Wenger, at the current moment in time, he is in the position to pick the best team more than anyone else. He has a whole host of talent to choose from when the squad is fully fit; and although it may be a rarity to see nobody on the treatment tables, he still has a lot to go by even with the current numbers we have out.
Simply looking at the names available in this squad and you know that on paper we have an extremely good side that should realistically be challenging for the title every season.
In goal we have a Champions League winner and multiple Premier League medal holder Petr Cech. Cech’s current form may not be the best, but he’s a world class figure and one of the best keepers in the Premier League.
In defence we have recognised world class centre backs in Koscielny and Mustafi. Koscielny is recognised as one of the best in Europe and World Cup winner Mustafi has also developed a strong defensive record with the Gunners since his move in the summer. In the full back positions, we have two Spaniard’s who are heavily underrated on an international level, but of course for Bellerin he still has plenty of time to become an key member of his national team. Both very very good talents and so our back line on paper should again be strong defensively in our title challenge.
In midfield, Arsene Wenger has so many choices that not all of the talents we have available at the club could fit into the starting line up. Xhaka was a big money name to move to the club this summer and although he has mixed reviews about him so far, I’m sure that he’s going to be a real dominant character for the club. He has a reputation that could be vital in any title challenge. In addition to this we also have Santi Cazorla, our creative magician who of course is unfortunately struggling with injuries in the latter few years of his career at the top. If Cazorla was fit however, we all know that he’d be one of the first names on the weekly teamsheet. Mesut Ozil of course also hits this list of big name players, but again, his let down is not always being able to be on-song, especially when it comes to the biggest fixtures.
In attack is where we really struggle for world class talents and big name players. Of course we have Alexis Sanchez, who doesn’t need any explanation. But besides Alexis, we struggle to pick anyone who outshines the other up front. Giroud and Welbeck seem very much on the same level, whilst our wingers are highly inconsistent. With Alexis however we can be confident in knowing we have yet another big name talent in our squad, it’s how Wenger utilises the player’s ability is what is key here.
Of course, there is likely to be a bit of bias in this. We all think that our own respective clubs often have the best players or recognise them as bigger talents then they actually are. However in all honesty, we do actually have a number of very talented players as individuals, it just seems that Wenger’s biggest issue is getting them to all gel and be at their best together. When he finds that spot, then perhaps the time will come where we push confidently for the title once again.
By AH