With it being over a decade since their last title, Arsenal are desperate to find success once again and fans will be hoping that this is their year.
Arsenal Legends coach Arsene Wenger
Despite two FA Cup successes in the last few years, the trophy that Arsenal fans have been longing for their club to capture once again is the Premier League. Under the leadership of Arsene Wenger they’ve had many highs, but recently a good deal more lows. With four competitions to contend for this season, there’s alot at stake for the club and their veteran manager.
Premier League
A shaky start to their league campaign has seen questions arise already in regards to Wenger’s capabilities as manager. Despite the many achievements the club have had during his tenure, some fans believe he’s well past his prime and that a new, young manager needs to be brought in to steer the Gunners in a new direction.
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka
Regardless of how they feel it seems likely that the Frenchman will remain at the helm for this season atleast, and the additions of Granit Xhaka, Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi could prove to be crucial for them. With the strength of the sides around them a title challenge seems unlikely, with the prospect of yet another 4th place finish looming.
Prediction: 4th
Champions League
Their second place finish in the league last year guaranteed Arsenal a place in the group stages of Europe’s top competition, where they will come up against PSG, Basel and Ludogorets. The scale of the task at hand is evident, with PSG and Basel both having experience at this level meanwhile Ludogorets are a plucky side who gave Liverpool a run for their money last year.
The Champions League trophy before the game
Although it’s going to be difficult, the club should be aiming to qualify from the group and make it into the knockout stages. With so much talk surrounding the fact that they haven’t gone past the round of 16 in a few years, Wenger and company will be determined to make it at least one step further this time round. It’s hard to say if they’ll achieve that, however, given that they’ll likely play a group winner.
Prediction: Round of 16
F.A Cup
With two FA Cup successes in the last three years it’s no secret that Arsenal are a strong favourite to go the distance once again this year. With a strong youth system in place and a group of players who know how to show up in the domestic cups, the squad seems ready to make another run at winning the tournament.
Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin, David Ospina, Santi Cazorla and Gabriel Paulista celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Cup Final
Obviously there’s no way to predict who they’ll encounter in any of the round draws, but if they play their cards right they should be looking at another trip or two back to Wembley come next April. Provided they avoid each other in the stages prior, an Arsenal vs Chelsea showdown would be a fantastic final for England’s oldest club competition.
Prediction: Runners-up
League Cup
Arsenal are renowned for playing their youngsters in games such as these and that will likely be the case when they face Nottingham Forest in the third round. The League Cup is an odd tournament as it doesn’t quite have the prestige that the FA Cup does, but it does throw up some big upsets here and there.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Whether or not the Gunners will be a victim of one of those upsets remains to be seen, but with so many other things to focus on it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to see them bow out around the quarter-final stage to a team who just want the win more.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
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