Calm Down, Arsenal Will Be Fine

Sorry, but I just need to vent.

In multiple articles this week on this site and in other locations Arsenal has been mocked, criticized and just simply made fun of.  As one of our writers put it, “Arsenal is sitting in sixth place in the EPL… and hasn’t looked overly impressive this year.”

Ok, I’ll give you that. Fact, Arsenal is currently sitting in sixth place. Fact, Arsenal has at times not looked impressive.

But hold on for one second. For as poor as Arsenal may have looked at times, where in the table do they sit? That’s right sixth. And how many points out of a top four position are they? ONE POINT! Yep, one single point. 

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So if Arsenal had that one additional point and was sitting in fourth place instead of sixth, would everyone be attacking them? Look who’s ahead of them in the table, Southampton, West Ham United, and Swansea. Does anyone really believe that Arsenal will not overtake those teams?

Everyone needs to calm the heck down. Arsenal will be fine.

What frustrates me is that people making these comments must be watching different soccer matches than I am. Or they aren’t watching at all and are making their comments based on the final score. I admit, Arsenal has not looked impressive at times, but as a whole, they pass the eye test and are a much better team than they were a season ago.

Yes they have leaked stupid goals and given away points when they shouldn’t. But go back and watch Arsenal last year and compare them to this season’s team. There is no doubt in my mind that the team we see in the pitch right now is better than last year’s version.

How can I say something like that? Last year after 11 matches, Arsenal sat at the top of the table. But if we all cast our minds back to last season and remember what it was like when Arsenal was on top, every single EPL pundit knew it would not last. Anyone who watched Arsenal could see that at some point they would fall from their pedestal and come back down the table.

And that is exactly what happened. Soon enough Arsenal relinquished the top spot and was fighting to finish in the top for up until the final week.

We are currently witnessing a Premier League of mediocrity. Who is great? Chelsea. Who is mediocre? The other 19 teams. No one has looked overly impressive. Maybe I am crazy, but in a group of mediocre teams, Arsenal has looked to be one of the best.

The Gunners have yet to put all the pieces together, but when I watch them they pass the eye test. It’s clear to me that once they do get everything figured out and once they get healthy, they will move their way back into the top for a contend with a slew of other mediocre teams for second place (because Chelsea have already won the league).

I am so positive that Arsenal will once again finish in the top four that I am willing to perform whatever embarrassing task is required of me if they do fail to achieve a Champions League spot. You name it, I’ll do it.

How can I be so confident?

Photo Courtesy of Twitter @ArsenalFC

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There you have it. Alexis Sanchez is the main reason I like this year’s Gunners more than last seasons and the reason I am so confident that they will finish top four.

Alexis Sanchez is Luis Suarez version 0.75. He is not quite as good as Suarez, but if you watch him play, his activity without the ball and constant motion makes him a threat for every opposing defense. Even if the ball isn’t played to him, he is attracting the eyes of the defense allowing for Danny Welbeck and others to find open spaces and score.

Arsenal has struggled thus far, but not due to a lack of talent it’s all due to injury. Arsenal has missed Olivier Giroud, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny, and Mathieu Debuchy – that’s almost an entire starting 11 out due to injury.

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Once they get a healthy group of men back, they will start winning on a more consistent basis. Not to mention there are still moves to be made in January, maybe someone like Sami Khedira.

For those of you who thought Arsenal might contend for a title, I admit that they may be a letdown. But for the rest of us who knew Chelsea and only Chelsea were true title contenders, Arsenal is right where I thought they would be – a better team than last year.

So please everyone, calm down. We have only played 11 matches. At this point last year eventual champions Manchester City were sitting in eighth place. It is still much too early to write off a team with as much talent as the Gunners have.

Title contenders? No. But they are still a very talented team and I guarantee they will once again qualify for their 18^th straight Champions League position. You can bet on that.

Phew, ok, I’m done.