This was definitely not the start that anyone associated with Arsenal Football club thought would happen. Seven games, seven points and already four losses recorded along with a goal difference that is horrific for an attacking team like Arsenal.
Can Arsenal Comeback?
There is no secret that if Arsenal want to finish with a reasonable position in the table and in other competitions in May a lot of work needs to be done. But the biggest question is “can Arsenal recover?” Surely based on results right now it seems impossible to see Arsenal finish in the top half of the table.
If Arsenal can comeback of course they are going to have to get better as a squad, and maybe have to add a few more players in January. In addition however, they are going to need some help from other teams. It remains to be seeing if some of the surprise teams ahead of Arsenal will be able to sustain their start; teams such as newly promoted teams Norwich, Swansea, QPR, or even Newcastle United who currently sit in fourth, or Aston Villa who currently sit seventh. If these teams do end up dropping points at some point in the future, Arsenal are going to have to make sure that they pick up points and force their way up the table to expect a reasonable finish.
Expectations
Given the state and position of the club now what can be considered a reasonable finish. Well I guess the good news is that Arsenal are still in four competitions, for how long that lasts is a mystery.
Carling Cup
The Carling Cup is a competition that Arsenal have used to develop their youngsters into useable first team players. It may not be that different this year either, the only difference being there will be some experienced players mixed into the squad as we have already seen in the Shrewsbury game. It has been a competition that we have gone deep in almost every year, and this season even with this squad should be no different. I think that this competition will be the best option that Arsenal have of winning a trophy and end the trophy drought.
FA Cup
The FA cup is a competition that Arsenal have done average in. However this year I don’t think that Arsenal will be able to compete in it the way they did last year. There is not enough talent and depth in this squad for Wenger to use in all competitions and I believe that the FA cup will be a competition that Arsenal will struggle in and not proceed to far. I think that Arsenal will be ousted from the competition by round 4 and if lucky they may even make the 5th round but after that, it is impossible to see them get past that.
Champions League
Except for 2006 Arsenal haven’t done well in the Champions League, and that was with much, much more quality. Arsenal have always been in the Champions League which is great but for now, the amount of quality in the Arsenal squad is not even close to what is needed to beat some of the big clubs in Europe. Based on what we have seen in the Champions League so far, I think that Arsenal may be able to scrape by in this group and reach the knockout rounds. Arsenal have shown that they can compete within their group and that’s why I think we are still going to see them be part of the first knockout phase, but after that I don’t think that Arsenal will be able to push for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Premier League
After that horrific start which is stated above, Arsenal may struggle to get back into the top 5, which would end their run in the Champions League (barring a miracle). Based on what Arsenal have shown so far, I think that Arsenal will finish in seventh in the table. Of course, that can change if Arsenal go out and spend more money along with some good results but for now, nothing suggests that they can even crack the top ten.
Conclusion
It’s easy to figure out that Arsenal are in a terrible spot right now, and it will take a lot to bring them back from the dead, and be considered a threat once again. Hopefully Arsenal can prove my predictions wrong which would be great, but based on current results, going into the rest of the season looks like a daunting task for this current squad but if the likes of Arteta, Ramsey, RVP and others can put together great runs then there is plenty of time for this season to turn around.
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