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Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger gestures during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates stadium in North London on August 17, 2013. Aston Villa won 3-1. (GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal started their highly anticipated Premier League campaign in exactly the opposite fashion of what they would have wanted, amidst a host of failed signings.
If the wound of having missed out on his top targets this summer wasn’t enough for the Frenchman, Wenger would be distraught with three goals, a red card and injuries aplenty that have piled up on his already enormous summer misery.
Wenger started with his tried and tested backline of Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Gibbs ahead of Szczesny between the sticks, in what looked a formidable defensive line-up – one that got Arsenal to a fairy-tale ten match unbeaten run at the end of last season, sealing a top four berth in the process.
Despite an injury to Mikel Arteta, the midfield boasted of Wilshere and Ramsey in central midfield with Rosicky in an advanced midfield role. Ox and Walcott occupied the wide spots while Giroud led the lines.
The line-up looked sturdy and a strong one for Aston Villa and Arsenal went in as clear favourites. Although the start was decent and the Gunners looked set to be on their way, as it panned out, it was all doom for Arsenal, with four of their players in Gibbs, Sagna, Chamberlain and Ramsey injured, while their best centre-back in Koscielny was handed a red following two yellow cards.
People would argue it’s just a loss on a day when Arsenal were dealt with blows owing to poor refereeing. That it was one of those bad days that creep into everybody’s campaign at some point of time. Why make a mockery if it happened on the first day? Manchester United went down to Everton in their opening game of the last campaign and the rest is history.
But with Arsenal’s loss, there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
Arsenal have been poor in the transfer market for a long time now, having sold star players to their Premier League rivals and then wishing for magic to hand them a title. If the loss of Nasri to Manchester City wasn’t the worst, the transfer of Robin van Persie to the red half of Manchester wasn’t the shrewdest pieces of business one would expect.
After managing a top four spot in the last campaign and having preserved money in the winter transfer window to splash the cash cometh the summer, Arsenal fans went into the transfer season this summer in awe of some marquee signings set to bolster their squad. They expected a team once known as the ‘Invincibles’ to be back at it again and vying for a trophy after a lean patch of eight years.
But as it stands, just 12 days to the end of the transfer window, Arsenal have just one signing to their credit, that too free, with a host of names moving away elsewhere. Fans are livid with their beloved boss Arsene Wenger, and if all wasn’t bad, the loss has just parked it up further to go with the ever increasing injury list.
Arsenal find themselves in a position where even a player like Stewart Downing would bolster their squad.
A point must be noted here – Arsenal are yet to confirm their Champions League spot, the spot with which the London side tried to sway Luis Suarez from Merseyside. Arsenal play a formidable Fenerbahce side in midweek to confirm a spot in the season’s Champions League. With the squad at his disposal, Arsene would have his task cut out to get the better of the Turkish outfit and put his side in the Champions League for the season.
Losing the spot to Fenerbahce won’t only mean missing the Champions League spot, but would spell doom for both Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
Even if Arsenal get through, how they deal with the Premier League, FA Cup, Capital One Cup and the Champions League with the amount of injuries they have in their squad will be keenly watched.
Luiz Gustavo is the latest player Arsenal have missed out on. (Photo by Bob Thomas/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
What is even more worrying is Arsene Wenger still not moving in the transfer market with an estimated €150 million all to him. The laid back and lethargic approach of the club has seen them miss out on five big names already – Bernard, Jovetic, Suarez, Higuain and of late, Luiz Gustavo – when the team is in desperate need of reinforcements, especially in the holding role to accompany Arteta, who himself is out injured.
Fans were hopeful of landing at least one of these, and were visibly frustrated and understandably so, asking, “Bernard, Higuain, Suarez and now Gustavo…when will Arsenal sign?”
The fans have gone to the extent of penning a letter to the Arsenal management, asking for an explanation and prompting them to move and move quickly in the market that slams shut on the midnight of September 1.
Arsene seems too stubborn on silverware without any new additions, which seems far from realistic. Wenger was quoted by Mirror as saying: “We still have a strong squad but we are there on the market to try to strengthen our team. With or without additions we can be title challengers next season.”
This shows, despite him being aware of the side needing additions, the Frenchman seems to be taking a backseat while sealing transfers and is set to go ahead with a similar outfit this season.
Last year, Giroud and Podolski were earmarked as key transfer targets at very early stages. This summer, it feels as though Arsenal are loosely working within the confines of a slack, general idea of what they would like, despite a dire need for fresh signings.
Wenger’s approach baffles common sense and a day doesn’t seem far when Arsenal would be looking to replace their long-serving and legendary manager.
Though not enough big names are available in the market, let us take a look at the possible scalps still:
Julio Cesar: If previous meetings weren’t enough to raise doubts, the Aston Villa game certainly proved Arsenal are in desperate need of a top goalkeeper if they are to challenge for trophies this season. Who better than Cesar? He had a good spell with the relegated QPR, and with the club now in the Championship, the Brazilian would jump at a possible move to London.
Christopher Samba: Another QPR connection in Samba can help Arsenal solve their defensive woes, with Vermaelen injured and Koscielny red carded. Samba has a huge experience of the Premier League behind his back, being an old hero for Blackburn Rovers.
Strong, tall and astute in his approach, Samba would be a great addition. Samba was offloaded to QPR by Anzhi for a fee of £12 million and was transferred back to the Russian outfit when QPR got relegated. But with Anzhi having put up their entire squad for sale, Samba could be a big scalp for Arsenal, who once enjoyed the luxury of top English defenders in their squad.
Lars Bender: The German has been long linked with Arsenal, to fit in alongside Arteta for the holding role. The Leverkusen man is also adept at playing at left-back, an area certainly requiring reinforcements with Monreal and Gibbs both injured.
The German international had a £19 million bid from Arsenal rejected, which was followed by an increased bid from the Londoners, but even that doesn’t seem to tempt the German outfit into letting their prized asset leave.
Arsenal need to pump in more to sign the few available midfielders in a position where Arsenal are craving for additions, with Jack Wilshere still looking some distance away from full match fitness.
Edin Dzeko: With Manchester City already having added Negredo and Jovetic to the front-line to go with the already present Aguero, they might be tempted to listen to offers for Dzeko if a good one came their way. Though it is unlikely, even the player might want to force a move, with regular game-time at City difficult for the Bosnian.
Stephen Kießling: One of the more underrated players, the German striker is a great option up front, and given clubs haven’t moved for the 29-year-old, he could be a good option for Arsenal to lead the line alongside Giroud, and would complement his play well too.
