While Arsenal were making our way to another Wembley FA cup final yesterday, Chelsea were being pummelled by Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, despite Jose Mourinho claiming that the game went perfectly according to plan. What did go for the smug one, however, was all the luck and the 1-0 result.
That puts Chelsea 10 points ahead of Arsenal with the same number of games to play. Even if we beat them at the Emirates stadium next weekend, we would still have seven points to make up in just five games and only the most optimistic Gooner still thinks we have got a real chance.
So what can Arsenal hope for from the rest of the season? For me, I still think our next game is massive, even though it won’t help us to the title. Ending Wenger’s wait for a win over Mourinho will remove a big mental block and also plant the seeds of doubt in Chelsea minds.
We also need the points as we are still in a race with Man United and Man City for second and third spot. With a shortened summer break and an early start next season, avoiding the Champions League play-offs could be crucial and an improvement on our usual fourth spot would be good for confidence as well.
The Gunners need to keep up our form for that reason but also to go into the FA cup final firing on all cylinders so this is no time for us to take our foot off the gas, while Alexis Sanchez still has a good chance of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if he keeps playing well and scoring.
What do you guys expect from the next six weeks from Arsenal?