Are Arsenal realistic title challengers?

Manchester United on the other hand have had a mixed start to the season. Wins over Liverpool and Tottenham suggested they have the capability to challenge for the league this season, however the defeat to Arsenal suggested otherwise. Their defence was all over the place in the first 20 minutes of the game and their midfield was cut open far too easily by Arsenal’s creative players. Not only were they poor defensively, but their attackers also failed to perform. Rooney, Mata and Depay all struggling to make an impact on the game, the only player who had a relatively positive performance was teenage sensation Anthony Martial. United will most likely fall short in the title race this season, purely down to their lack of options upfront and their lack of organisation at the back.

With current champions Chelsea struggling to find their form, Arsenal have a brilliant chance to win the title. The pace they have upfront is deadly, and this was proven against United. If The0 Walcott is able to adapt to the central role and can build on his relationships with Alexis Sanchez, then there’s nothing stopping Arsenal from winning the league. Their defence looks more stable with the addition of Petr Cech in goal and is clearly having an impact on the dressing room with all the knowledge and experience he possesses. The only worry for Arsenal is injuries. If Francis Coquelin suffers a long term injury the season for Arsenal could turn out to be a disaster, without the commanding Frenchman in midfield Arsenal are weak and are vulnerable to counterattacks.

If Arsenal have an injury free season anything is possible. We could see the same old Arsenal who fall short at the end, or we could see an Arsenal side who have learnt from their mistakes in the past and are ready to finally win the title.

As well as keeping their players fit, Arsenal need their world class players to perform when it matters most. Sant Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott have all been fantastic in recent victories, but when the going gets tough these key figures in the squad tend to underperform and certainly need to change that to compete this season.

Arsene Wenger seems convinced that his squad is good enough to go all the way this season, but it is down to the Arsenal boss and his players to convince the rest of us that they are the finished article.