Arsenal had better brace themselves for a turbulent February

Arsene Wenger has a trying month ahead of him

Arsenal recently recorded a convincing 4-0 win over Coventry, but the celebrations were short lived when they found out that they were facing Liverpool in the knockout stages of the FA Cup in February. Arsene Wenger’s team now face the Reds twice in February along with Manchester United and Bayern Munich in what promises to be a challenging period for the North London club. The Gunners have surprised everyone this season by showing some brilliant form and now sit at the top of the Premier League table. Critics have questioned whether they are capable of holding on to their lead, and the coming month is a perfect chance to silence all their doubters once and for all.

The chance of proving their critics wrong will come at a cost though and one of them is fatigue. The Gunners are set to face one big club per week, and that will take a heavy toll on the whole team. Arsene Wenger desperately needs to buy a new striker if he wants to maintain his grip on the number 1 spot in the League. It has become crystal clear that Olivier Giroud cannot carry the burden of the club on his own. The Frenchman is an extremely gifted forward and has improved dramatically since his first season, but he needs a partner and not a back up.

Lukas Podolski has also proved that he is no pushover by scoring 5 goals in 4 appearances but if he gets injured once again the whole team will be in jeopardy. Wenger is reportedly pursuing Mario Mandzukic who could change things for his team. The 27-year-old striker hit 22 goals in his first season and was an integral part of Bayern Munich’s Champions League winning team, even scoring the opening goal against Borussia Dortmund in the finals of the competition last year.

Mandzukic will be a great signing if he is captured at the end of the month. The Croatia international will not be able to help Arsenal in the Champions League this year but can definitely be used in the Premier League and other competitions. Mandzukic will be a welcome addition to Arsenal’s striking department as they only have the unreliable Nicklas Bendtner as back-up in case of an injury crisis.

Arsenal have received a major boost with the return of Aaron Ramsey and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain from injury who will be useful in the upcoming games. The midfielders did an extremely good job against Coventry and can be relied upon in the big games. Mesut Ozil is Arsenal’s biggest weapon against the top teams, but the German who has had some moments of pure magic this season is yet to deliver in the big games.

The club’s defence has been rock solid this season so there should be no problems there. Thomas Vermaelen and Carl Jenkinson are good reinforcements and are expected to be used in some games to reduce the chance of fatigue. Fabianski is also a good back-up to the fabulous Wojciech Szczesny, giving Arsene Wenger some good relief.

In spite of the challenges that lie ahead Arsenal can come good if they give it their all. The team has gone 8 games unbeaten since the loss against Manchester City in December which shows just how serious they are in their pursuit of trophies. They were and still are the first team to slam three goals past Manchester City at the Etihad this season which is an incredible achievement. Just a few more signings will make Arsenal the complete team. A storm is coming in February, but Arsenal are capable of withstanding it.