Arsenal supporters were brought crashing back down to Earth on Monday evening after Swansea City completed a good old-fashioned smash and grab raid at The Emirates with Bafetimbi Gomis scoring a late winner for the Welsh side.
Prior to the game Arsenal were enjoying a period of excellent form, winning nine of their previous ten games, and were contemplating the prospect of finishing in second place in the Premier League this season, an excellent achievement considering the competition. Arsene Wenger had even alluded to the fact that he felt Arsenal could challenge for the title next season. It’s a bold statement, especially seeing as The Gunners have not been Champions of England since the 2003/04 season and, in truth, have fallen well short over recent years.
However, Arsenal have shown that on their day they can compete with anyone and their performances this season have given their supporters hope for the future. So how can Arsenal win the Premier League next season?
First of all they need to be clear on which areas of the team they need to strengthen, and target the best possible players available. The news that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is probably available in the summer should alert Wenger and many other managers across Europe. He is one of the best strikers in Europe and Wenger needs more firepower, particularly if there are injuries to the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud. Goals win matches and, ultimately, will win you titles so this is an important area of his team.
At the heart of every successful team there is a world-class goalkeeper, so the news that Petr Cech is available for transfer should be an interesting option for Arsenal. Cech has all the qualities and experience that Arsenal will require throughout a title-winning season and is a proven winner himself. He is also settled in London so may prefer to prolong his stay in the capital with Arsenal.
Central defence looks to be a fairly solid area of the team with World Cup winner Per Mertesacker partnering the ever-improving Laurent Koscielny. However, more strength in the full-back areas, particularly right-back is required.
There is no doubt that Arsenal have the pace in wide areas, but the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain need to be more consistent in both form and fitness. If Arsenal can call upon injury-prone Jack Wilshere on a regular basis then they will possess a very strong midfield. Could Wenger be tempted to make a sensational move for want-away Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure. A refreshed and committed Toure could be a huge boost for his squad but it’s doubtful City will sell to one of their top four rivals.
The team also needs to develop a cutting edge and ruthlessness like never before. There is no doubt that an in-form Arsenal is one of the most watchable sides in the league, but they perhaps need to look across London at Mourinho and Chelsea as they know how to win games and don’t care how pretty they look in the process. The key to next season, and mounting a title bid, will be consistency throughout the season; they do not have to be the most entertaining team in the league to win it.
My view is that Arsenal, if they do the above, can make a title challenge, but other clubs will also not stand still so they will need to hit the ground running when the season commences in August. Do you believe that Wenger’s opinion that Arsenal can challenge for the title is a justified one or is it a little premature?
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