Arsenal: Vulnerable at the top?

Arsenal

At last, after a long time, Arsenal has started the season with flying colours. It is perhaps a start which even Arsene Wenger would not have dreamed of at the beginning of the season. After 11 games, Arsenal is ahead of the pack with a slender two-point lead after another disappointing result at the Old Trafford. At the same time, the fact that the EPL table is one of the most volatile tables in the world cannot be denied. In fact, we have ourselves experienced such roller coaster movements in the table over the past few years.

To be more precise, we the Gooners should just be happy for being the early pace setters of the season, rather than boasting ourselves to be probable title holders. It is time now to come out of the early season euphoria and to look forward to build a good lead at the top of the table. For most people, this might sound like a pessimistic statement. But a look into the past will throw some sense on these lines – that it is too early to decide anything.

For instance, wind back to the 2010-11 season. Chelsea kicked off the Premier League as the defending champion with the likes of the in-form Drogba, Anelka, Lampard and Terry. They did start the league on a high with five wins in a row, a run that began with two consecutive 6-o thrashings. The Wigan game in particular showed their utter dominance in the field. After 10 games, Chelsea was at the top with 25 points. They had lost points due to their only loss at the Etisalat Stadium and a stalemate at the Villa Park. They even managed to hand a clear defeat to a decent Arsenal team with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge. At that moment, it seemed certain that the Blues were going to retain their title ruthlessly without any tussle. Everything went well until the first week of November when Liverpool pulled the trigger by handing them a crushing 2-0 defeat, thanks to a Torres double.

The worst was yet to come. The Blues went through a lean patch without a victory for six consecutive games. To make things worse, Chelsea lost 0-3 to Sunderland and 1-3 to Arsenal. That was probably the worst winter that they had had in recent years. In the January transfer window, Chelsea acquired ace striker Torres and defender David Luiz, hoping to turn things around. However, they recovered slowly and steadily. They managed to have a successful April month with another five victories in a row, to finish second only to the eventual champions Manchester United. But the bottom line is that Carlos Ancelloti was sacked due to a trophy less season and inconsistent performances from the Blues.

The point we are zeroing in here is that if the Blues had managed to avert the lean patch during that winter, they could have been crowned as the champions. They took their games lightly after a successful start to the season, which led to their downfall. At the same time, Manchester United cleverly gained their position over their rivals when Dimitar Berbatov was in his prime form.

Arsenal’s present position is similar to that of 2010-11′s Chelsea. Arsenal’s recent slump at Old Trafford clearly pointed out their shortcomings. When Podolski was out and Giroud had a bad day, there was no one to rescue Arsenal. The Great Dane seems to have lost the magical touch that he once had. There was no one to chip in with a great volley or a crisp header int the late minutes to pull Arsenal out of trouble the way Chicharito does for United and Dzeko for City. This makes you think that maybe Gervinho should not have been sold in a hurry. In the absence of the big German at the back, the defence was not a shadow of their past performance against Dortmund.

There is always the risk of losing momentum by taking the next few opponents lightly. This period, pre mid season, is very vital for a team to gain good momentum. Given the powerhouse midfield of Chelsea with Mourinho’s mind behind it, Chelsea can take a big stride any time soon. The likes of Manchester United and Manchester City cannot be underestimated either. Hence, the Gunners must stick to their game plan and take every game as a big one till they establish themselves at the top with a huge lead. Moreover, Wenger should consider acquiring a good striker and a defender so that there are additional cover players to replace the main players in case of injuries.

To remind us all again, at this stage the title cannot be won; it can only be lost. Hence, without ruling out an opportunity for the Gunners to end their eight-year long trophy drought, I pray that Arsenal will cement their position firmly at the top of the table and persist there till the end.

Come on Arsenal, strive hard…the dawn is just around the corner. A resurgent Arsenal team with hugely talented players like Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere can inspire a whole new generation to play the game “the Arsenal Way”.