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This season has been one of the most surprising seasons in Premier League history. Relegation favourites at the start of the season Leicester City, currently sit top of the league, whilst champions Chelsea are placed 13th. So surely this season would be the year Arsenal finally win the league?
Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, it appears the same errors are being made. The 0-0 draw with Southampton highlighted Arsenal’s lack of killer instinct in front of goal.
Arsene Wenger made the decision not to sign a striker in the summer and January transfer window, and put his faith in Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck. However, is this the clinical strike force that can carry a team to the league title?
Although Giroud has netted 18 goals in all competitions, there are still question marks over whether he can perform when it really matters. As for Walcott, he was dropped from the starting 11 that faced Southampton after a poor run of form, despite captaining the side in the loss against Chelsea. The Englishman has once again struggled with injuries this season, and with just five goals this season, what does he actually bring to this Arsenal side?
The questions are now starting to be asked about whether Arsenal are in the title race. They currently sit five points behind Leicester, which isn’t an impossible gap to close. However, Arsenal have been in this position many times before, and they always seem to crumble when the going gets tough. Of course the players have to take part of the blame, although we have seen this happen too many times under Arsene Wenger. So is it the Frenchman who struggles to see through a title challenge?
The Arsenal boss was always quick to blame the lack of resources to strengthen his side in years gone by. However, recent signings have shown us that Arsenal have the money to spend, especially with the club charging the highest season ticket prices in the country. So why wont they spend? Is it Arsene Wenger’s stubbornness? Or is it the fact that he has so much blind faith in players that are simply not good enough?
With Pep Guardiola joining Manchester City next season, it is hard to see how Arsenal will be able to compete with the big spenders if they fail to win the league this season. In addition to this, Arsenal are also missing out on possible replacements for Wenger. They have already missed out on Klopp and Guardiola, so who else is there that could fill the shoes of Arsene Wenger?
It isn’t impossible for Arsenal to win the league this season, but sadly it seems Arsene Wenger and his players are making the same mistakes that have been made in previous years. If the Gunners fail to win the title this season, will they ever win it again under Arsene Wenger? It’s hard to tell at this moment in time, however, it seems very unlikely.
