English Premier League preview: Arsenal
One of the English Premier League’s traditional ‘Big Four’ teams, Arsenal will be ‘gunning’ for glory once again as the 2010-11 campaign kicks-off. Manager Arsene Wenger has brought league titles to the North London club in the past and is determined to win silverware after a five-year trophy drought.
Wenger has won the league title three times after building a squad which largely focuses on youth, with a few older heads to guide the youngsters as they dip their toes into the big EPL waters. One of the players he has successfully brought through his youth academy could be vital to his club’s chances of success this season – if he stays at Arsenal. That man’s name is Cesc Fabregas.
The Gunners captain has been at the middle of this summer’s biggest transfer story. Since Fabregas claimed that the only club he would leave Arsenal for is his former side Barcelona, barely a day has gone by without some kind of comment or update on the 22-year-old midfielder’s long-mooted move back to the La Liga giants. Whether it be a Barca player weighing in over the situation, Arsenal players sniping back, Wenger claiming the player is going nowhere or chiefs at the Catalan club airing their frustration that Arsenal are continuing to refuse to do business, the subject has rarely been out of the newspapers or the headlines on sport websites.
The Spanish champions made an official offer for the 2010 Fifa World Cup winner back in June, but the English side dismissed the £29m offer out of hand. Wenger has continued to insist Fabregas will remain at the club and has challenged his skipper to lead his team to championship glory. However, should Barca find a way to come up with some substantial funds and make an astronomical offer for the Spaniard, Arsenal may find it difficult to resist.
Crucical player
Fabregas has been crucial for Arsenal over the past few seasons. Despite not winning any competitions, they have come close to capturing the big prizes. Not least when they were only a few points off the pace at the top of the league before losses to Tottenham Hotspur, Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers meant they finished the season in third place. At this time, Fabregas was out with a broken leg.
The future of Fabregas aside, Arsenal’s main obstacle preventing them from winning the league could be their failure to keep all their big players healthy. Key to their hopes this season is the fitness of striker Robin Van Persie. The Holland international missed five months of the last campaign with ankle ligament damage. In the 20 games he played in total for the club last season, he highlighted his importance to Arsenal’s ambitions by scoring ten goals and setting up another eight.
Electric pace
An important weapon in the team’s ‘Arsenal’ over the last few years has been winger Theo Walcott’s electric pace. The young England international has often been criticised for his poor final balls into the box, but if he harnesses this side of his game he can be a vital part in Arsenal’s bid for the league title.
Wenger’s squad does not appear to be fully-formed for the new season. He is still in need of a goalkeeper to replace the inconsistent Manuel Almunia and solid central defensive cover after losing William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikaël Silvestre.
If they have a fully-fit squad, Arsenal are capable of beating anyone. With the talents of Andrei Arshavin, Samir Nasri and new signing Marouane Chamakh also on the books, this is a side able to unlock the sternest of defences with their outstanding passing play and will be among the sides ending the season at the top of the table.
Prediction: Fifth
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