2. Only hope
Let’s face it, Arsenal aren’t going to win the Premier League. This will be a race between Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea. It will be a miracle if the Gunners find some way to sneak in. In fact, they’ll face another hard time reaching the top four, even with an altered approach.
That said, they may need to put all their eggs in the Europa League basket early on, which of course is not a bad thing. If Unai Emery can locate this as a chance to make the season a success, then he will have time to implement a strict philosophy which will get the best out of the competition.
Of course, winning the Europa League guarantees a place in the following season’s Champions League. This is why Manchester United were competing in the prestigious competition last season, because they had won the UEL in the season prior.
As a fan, winning the Europa League is a much more rewarding qualification technique than finishing in the top four, as you have a trophy to brag about. Say what you want about Arsenal, but they certainly have what it takes to win trophies – something they’ve demonstrated in recent history.
The fans mustn’t be down on the competition, but I don’t see why they would be. It was a difficult transition period last time out, but the Gunners have familiarized themselves with the competition and realizes that actually, it’s a lot more challenging than it seems at first glance.