Arsenal FC: Up up and away

Aaron Ramsey

It is that rare time of the season when even Troll Football admins have gone into hiding. Arsenal top of the table? No jokes to crack about them? Ramsey scoring and it not “killing” anybody? They have surely dropped their “favourite team” off their radar at least for some time. Though it’s not just about them, every Arsenal hater seems to have disappeared now.

A week back the taunts were that the gunners have not faced tough opposition yet and that’s why they are at the top, that too temporarily. However, with yesterday’s defeats at the hands of Aston Villa and West Brom, City and United fans have decided to just keep mum. As for the North London club faithful, it truly feels all dreamy now.

Looking down at all the clubs in the Premier League, Tottenham as usual in their shadow, topping the Group of death and through to Round four of the Capital One Cup, we surely are on the right track. What makes this sound even better is the fact that majority of the first team players like Chamberlain, Podolski, Cazorla and Rosicky have not been part of the action. People who have criticised Wenger for relying on the youth brigade were answered yesterday when the 18 year old Serge Gnabry fielded in place of an injured Walcott, got on to the scoresheet. It would be unfair to say that the boss doesn’t deserve most of the credit as he has been able to use the resources he has to the maximum without too much fuss.

Around a month ago, losing the first game of the season, the almost-invisible tag of title contenders presumably vanished. Also, having bought just one player, that too a free transfer, in front of the likes of Manchester City who seem to have almost swapped their squad for a new one, the world continued to mock. However, since then Arsenal picked up ex-Gunner boy Flamini for a second spell, again being ridiculed for it being a free transfer , until finally the arrival of Mesut Ozil on D-day kept everyone quiet.After their opening day defeat, it’s only been up and away for the team who haven’t lost a single game since and all their wins have been deserving ones with the new boys getting into the thick of the action very smoothly.

As many still feel, probably a striker is what we needed in case Giroud gets injured, but seeing the commitment and drive the players are showing, it does not feel it would be too much of a problem, though Wenger would need to take a look at that in the winter window. It would’ve probably been perfect had Demba Ba’s loan move been finalized. However Mourinho felt it silly to sell to a title contender while getting agitated why United were not selling him Rooney. “Special” logic indeed.

Arsene Wenger would be pleased with how his squad are doing at the moment. It could have been a month to forget considering the injuries but all the players he stood by have proved themselves while the first teamers are just a game or two away from returning. He would have a tough job at hand once that happens. Choosing a three man midfield amongst Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky, Ozil, Cazorla and Flamini is like choosing between good food and good food. At the same time, he has to hold on to his players by playing them time to time and giving them an extended opportunity if they do well in training as well as on the pitch.

Arsene Wenger

This is now Wenger’s battle to win. He has the resources, he has the opportunity. 8 points ahead of last season’s winners and 5 ahead of the winners the season before, he just needs to capitalize on the opportunity. Another blessing in disguise could be facing all the top teams in one go at a later point. A good month there, would ensure how serious this Arsenal squad’s ambitions are.

But wait, this club doesn’t have ambition, says the man who hears voices from the boy inside him. So no ambition alright. Also, the club can’t win a trophy after not winning anything for eight years because in the end, your performance in one season depends only on how you did in the last few seasons. So no trophy all right. And most of the players would be leaving this summer as the contracts they just signed would expire. So no players too. Also, stingy Arsenal wouldn’t sign any top player because people like Ozil are pretty average. Well there we are again. No trophy, no ambition, no good players.

Coming back to reality, the Arsenal boss does have an edge over all other managers. The time that Pellegrini, Mourinho and Moyes have taken to get used to their new clubs, Wenger has used to his advantage. Now all that counts is, keeping this form running and not letting it dip. Saying we will win the title is a bit farfetched as it’s hardly been a month and a bad patch can damage it all. It’s about taking each game one at a time and not getting wobbly. Injuries or not, this squad is talented enough to face any opposition, all that matters is the commitment that the eleven players picked show on the pitch week in, week out.The stage is set, the ball is in our court, stay tuned to the action, you wouldn’t want to miss what’s coming.