2020 hasn’t quite been the year Arsenal fans would have hoped it would be.
The Gunners finished eighth in the Premier League in 2019/20, and while an FA Cup win made up for their poor league form, the back end of last season wasn’t the most thrilling time to be a Gooner.
However, that is nothing compared to the start of this campaign.
Indeed, we’re 14 games in and Arsenal are being spoken about as relegation candidates in the Premier League, and that’s nothing short of embarrassing for a club of their stature.
However, we’re only a week or so away from a new year, and there is reason for Arsenal fans to be positive heading into the new year. Well, there’s at least three reasons, and we’re about to give them to you.
1) The FA Cup
It’s not unreasonable to say that Arsenal should now be writing off any aspirations they had of winning the Premier League this season.
However, after just 14 games, it may also be time to write off any notion of qualifying for Europe through a top seven finish, with the Gunners already 10 points adrift and not looking like closing that gap anytime soon.
However, Arsenal still have a very viable route into Europe next season via the FA Cup.
Indeed, the Gunners may not look like one of the top teams in the country at the moment, but their record in this competition speaks for itself, winning it four times in the last seven years.
The FA Cup is a fresh start for Mikel Arteta’s side, and if they can win that title for the second year in a row it will certainly soften the blow of being so poor in the league.
2) The January transfer window
A new year may mean resolutions and a really bad hangover for most people, but every football fan knows that the best part of a new year is the transfer window re-opening.
The Gunners certainly need reinforcements in January, and it seems as though they’re going to get them, with David Ornstein recently claiming that the London outfit are going to try and recruit a centre-back and a creative midfielder in the winter.
A new January signing can completely transform a team, just look at what Bruno Fernandes has done for Manchester United since joining, and if Arsenal can land the right player, they could quickly shoot up the league table.
3) The youngsters
An underperforming first-team often leads to chances being given to the U23s, and at Arsenal there are plenty of young players just crying out for a chance.
Emile Smith-Rowe and Folarin Balogun have earnt all sorts of praise from the fanbase in recent weeks, while Gabriel Martinelli got an assist against Manchester City this week.
Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah may also get further opportunities to cement themselves in the first-team, and that’s before we’ve even mentioned £30 million man William Saliba.
The present may be bleak at the Emirates, but the future talents coming through certainly look bright.
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