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Arsenal was on top of the league for 128 days last term and a major cause of their decline could be attributed to their performances against the top three clubs and a host of injury concerns. Unfortunately the Gunners had to settle with the final spot for the Champions League, finishing fourth in the EPL behind Manchester City, Liverpool & Chelsea.The disappointment among the Arsenal supporters is understandable as they looked so promising to win the league title for a major part of the season. The Gunners however managed to win their first trophy after a 9 year wait; the FA Cup was the last title they won at Highbury and the FA Cup is now the first title they won at the Emirates. The 2013-14 season did end the jokes about not winning a trophy, but the League title is what is required to silence all critics.The season of 2014-15lookspromising for the Gunners.Heres why:
#1 Ozil would have settled to the pace of the EPL
Last term Ozil announced his entry to the EPL as the most expensive signing for the Gunners and a host of brilliant performances and assists, but come midway of the season he seemed to have run out of gas. Having already spent a season at the club, he would now be much better suited to the conditions and play according to the needs of the team.
Ozil, however, would be under a certain amount of pressure to perform this season as Wenger has put his faith in the German international and refused to sign former club captain Fabregas when he had the opportunity to do so.
Ozil would be looking to better his record in the coming season as the assist leader, a quality of his which was only witnessed occasionally.
#2 Development of Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey was once the man who would bring bad news to the world every time he scored, but in the previous season he emerged as the second top scorer for the club behind Giroud in all competitions and was adjudged the Arsenal Player of the Season despite missing a considerable amount of the season. Gooners across the globe would be hoping for Ramsey to carry on from where he left in the previous season.
#3 100 Million Transfer War Chest
Early in the window Arsenal has already been linked with various top level players and Arsene Wenger has been scouting for talents at the World Cup too. Adding to the war chest, the Gunners earned a significant amount from the transfer of Fabregas to Chelsea and Arsenal would also earn 12 million pounds after passing on Vela’s buyback. Some of the players who have been linked with Arsenal so far are: Mario Mandzukic, Mario Balotelli, Matthieu Debuchy, Sami Khedira, Loic Remy, Guillermo Ochoa & Alexis Sanchez.
New players may take some time to settle in but the depth they will add to the squad sure puts Arsenal as a top contender.
#4 Learning from the Past
Arsenal had been in good form throughout last season, but there were three fixtures where they lost in the worst way possible. The Gunners conceding 6 goals against Manchester City at The Etihad, 5 Goals against Liverpool at Anfield and another 6 goals against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge; making a total of 17 goals conceded in just three matches out of a total of 41 goals conceded throughout the season.
This is the kind of record that absolutely does not suit to a team calling themselves title contenders. The Gunners would be smart enough to avoid a repeat of such dismal performances against the top teams this season.
#5 FA Cup win
Arsenal started in the worst possible way in the final against Hull going 2-0 down in the opening 10 minutes and it could have been game over right there. However, that was not to be as the team showed some real fighting spirit and displayed one of the most memorable comebacks for the fans to witness, winning the game 3-2 in extra time.
The FA Cup win would put Arsenal in the Community Shield against Manchester City, thus, a possible addition to the trophy cabinet could be on the cards for the Gunners in August. The trophies would add to the confidence and morale of the players, bringing back the winning ways at the club.
