Last season: The Gunners managed to pip Spurs to fourth, securing that important Champions League position on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win at Newcastle.
Arsene Wenger’s team struggled as the previous year’s top scorer, Robin van Persie, left North London for Manchester United and his absence was soon obvious. The team nevertheless managed to win 21 out of 38 games and lost only seven, two of which were against Chelsea.
The Gunners couldn’t beat the the likes of of Manchester United, Man City and Chelsea which brought a lot of frustration among Gunners’ fans as many questioned their ability to perform in the “big matches”.
Theo Walcott was Arsenal’s top scorer with 14 goals, while Santi Cazorla and the returning Jack Wilshere proved to be an important factor in the team’s qualification for the Champions League.
Transfer Ins:
Yaya Sanogo (Auxerre)
Transfer Outs:
Gervinho (Roma)
Andre Santos (Flamengo)
Sebastien Squillaci (Bastia)
Vito Mannone (Sunderland)
Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Marouane Chamakh (Crystal Palace)
Player to watch: Theo Walcott could be the difference for Arsenal this season. The England international scored the goals which led to Wenger offering him a brand new three and a half year contract worth £100,000 a week. He mostly plays on the right wing as the striker position is often filled by either Olivier Giroud or Lukas Podolski, but can play as a centre forward if he has to.
Young player to watch: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has proven he can perform domestically as well as in the Champions League, also lifting his game when representing his country. The 20-year-old midfielder is young and hungry and with the lack of transfers the club has made, Gunners fans might be counting on the likes of Chamberlain to fly the flag this season.
Player needing to improve: The defence in general needs to improve but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny conceded 37 goals last season - almost one goal per game - and that will have to stop if Arsenal have designs on winning some silverware.
Prediction: With the exception of the signing of Yaya Sanogo, Wenger has failed to bring the players and cover the positions that Arsenal had been asking for since last season. After failing to sign Gonzalo Higuain, David Villa and Stevan Jovetic the Gunners are now eyeing United forward Wayne Rooney as well as Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, rumour has it that they are also keeping an eye on Samuel Eto’o as Anji are having budget problems and are looking to sell him. Keep in mind though that if Suarez moves to the Emirates, which looks unlikely after saying that he wants to stay in Liverpool after all, he will not be able to play the first six games of the season.
After spending an entire year together, the team might have learned to work together and improved their game. If that’s so then that could work wonders and we could see a completely different Arsenal this season. However, with the acquisitions and experience that Chelsea, Man City and Manchester United boast, we just can’t see the Gunners competing for the title.
Our prediction: 4th place.
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