Last season the club’s season fell apart like a stack of dominoes, fans will hope the same does not happen again against Sunderland.
Arsenal fans will hope their club can reverse a worrying trend which has befallen their club at a crucial part of seasons gone by.
Wenger’s side have often found it difficult to juggle being in several competitions, and each season there seems to be a week of fortnight where it all comes to a head.
Last season was a case in point.
After the Carling Cup Final defeat to Birmingham, the side immediately traveled to Barcelona, where they were eliminated from the Champions League by Pep Guardiola’s side.
Right after that they went to Old Trafford where Manchester United sent them packing from the FA Cup in a routine 2-0 win.
Arsenal will hope they can arrest this season’s decline before it is too late. Failure in the cup against Sunderland could set in a bad run of form which affects their prospects of finishing fourth.
With their next games after this at home to AC Milan and Tottenham, fans will crave a pick-me-up after the sinking feeling experienced in Milan.
Last season was far from the first time such a week was experienced, even in 2003/04 they were dumped out of the Champions League by Wayne Bridge’s goal for Chelsea and days later from the FA Cup by a Paul Scholes strike for Manchester United.
That year they were able to show the mental strength to pick themselves up in the league and maintain their incredible season.
Unfortunately, mental strength is not an asset associated with today’s Arsenal, so it will be up to the players to prove their critics wrong.
Former players such as Emmanuel Petit have been hard-hitting in their criticism of Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat to AC Milan, suggesting several players should face the axe.
A second successive domestic trip to face Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland presents the most testing of challenges, particularly as the Black Cats have had a whole week of rest, compared to Arsenal’s energy-sapping defeat in midweek.
But still, there should be no excuses, Arsenal’s players should be able to handle the pressure that playing for such a huge club brings.
If the players can’t, and lose their only realistic chance of winning a trophy this year, a few of them will have to start preparing to pack their bags.
It is time for this Arsenal team to show their ability and determination that their critics believe they simply do not have.
Do you think Arsenal can avoid defeat?
image: © flawka
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