Can Arsenal end their title drought?

It wasn’t a fairy tale start to the season for Gunners but they are gradually improving and their recent performances have instilled new faith in fans. 8 wins in the last 9 games and things are surely looking very good, but the imminent question still largely looms ahead for Arsene Wenger and his men: can they end their trophy drought ? With their talisman captain Robin Van Persie leading the way, things are looking pretty good for gunners. Last season’s painful memories were somewhat erased by a 3-0 victory against West Brom, for it was the very same team which triggered their downfall. However, there is still a long way to go before they can claim to be a serious contenders to the title.

Needs to continue his good form

The season began with friendlies , then it went downhill from there. Fabregas and Nasri along with Clichy were sold, and it looked like the whole side would crumble under the pressure and Arsene Wenger would leave Emirates with bad blood. Some urgency was shown by the Frenchman and the club underwent major transformation when deadline signings in the form of Arteta, Santos, Mertesacker, Benayoun and Park were made. Players like Gervinho, Chamberlain also bolstered the side. However, the initial results were very poor. Arsenal made their worst start of Arsene Wenger’s reign, then came the major setback – an 8-2 beating at the hands of arch rivals Manchester United, followed by a sloppy 4-3 defeat against Blackburn (I would not like to mention the scoreline of Tottenham’s match for it was the most painful). Things have since changed from bad to good .

Robin Van Persie is at the heart of Arsenal’s revival, scoring 11 goals so far including a hat trick against Chelsea. Words are less to describe the flying Dutchman, such has been his influence that it has been rubbing on others. The team though no match to the past Arsenal sides, is gradually improving and fighting under his leadership. Whenever he is on the pitch, there is every possibility that he will score. When he was not started against Marsille in home leg, the team failed to score. This over dependence on the captain may cause Arsenal severe problems if they do not buy an exceptional striker in the January transfer window. It is only a matter of time that he will suffer from fatigue, but as of now he is the best striker in Premier League and hopefully Arsene will rest him well. Gunners will need the captain to come good this season, and if he continues his blistering form then silverware is sure to come by the end of the season.

Gervinho and Mikel Arteta both have been good, Gervinho in particular has been fantastic. He has made surging runs in the boxes, provided a lot of assists to his team mates and is a constant threat to opponents’ defenses. Though he has played second fiddle to RVP he is shaping up fine with his brilliant passing paving way for the Dutchman’s free scoring. Arteta was brought as a replacement to Fabregas, but it would be unfair to compare him with Cesc. Arteta has his own unique style, he likes to hold the ball , keeps a lot of possession and is good passer. But he will need to improve his free kicks and corners because so far he has been poor in set pieces. If Arteta holds good in midfield then things can get a lot easier for RVP, Walcott and Gervinho.

Arsenal’s major problem till now has been their defense and their ability to convert set pieces. Arsenal have such a fluid style of playing that the gunners are bound to get fouls than any other team. To take advantage of set pieces they need players like RVP, Arteta, Gervinho to take set pieces correctly. They have not impressed so far, in the game against Stoke City which gunners won 2-1, Arsenal had players ranging from Arteta, Santos, RVP try their luck from free kicks. Except RVP, the others wasted their chances carelessly. Though I am not a great fan of Arsenal’s defense, the way they have held the oppositions in past few games has truly been commendable. Mertesacker is still too slow to say the least but he is improving. Koscielny and Vermaelen are getting better with each passing game. But Santos, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Djourou are yet to impress. Santos and Jenkinson are more like midfielders than defenders. Though they create scoring opportunities, they leave the Arsenal defense exposed.

Vermaelen and Koscielny need to perform good this season

Player like Song, Ramsey, Wilshere have impressed but not to their full potential. Arshavin has disappointed to say the least. Another standout performer for the Gunners has been their goalkeeper Szczesny. He has been agile, alert and proved himself to be a quick learner. But still there is scope for improvement(Again flashes of Spurs game …. no please I can’t say it). However, all said and done things are looking good for Arsenal as they continue their revival. Litmus test awaits them when they travel to Manchester City on December 18.

There has been good news for AW, his main defender Vermaelen has signed a new deal, and when young players like Ramsey and Wilshere come out in press and confess all their playing days for Arsenal ,Gooners can surely take it easy and relax. However, one question still remains unanswered when will RVP sign a new deal. Surely no Gooner wants the repeat of Fabregas fiasco. The realistic target for AW in his men would be to secure their Champions league place and bring a piece of silverware home: at least a FA cup or a Carling cup , given their current form they can surely do it. Will they fall again at final hurdle or will they repay the faith of the most fantastic supporters that only time will tell. As of now a trophy looks good.