Is it Arsenal's best chance to win the Premier League this season?

Arsenal are in a good position to mount a title challenge this season

If you ever have a romantic sort of relationship with the game of football, then Arsenal Football Club would definitely be amongst the clubs you love to see in action. A manager, who believes in playing a certain way and winning a certain way, with players who love to play expansive, attacking football with heavy emphasis on technique. And for all the excitement and joy that they provide to those watching, the one critique over the years has been their inability to translate that into trophies at the end of a season.

And that’s why as Arsenal sit second in the Premier League table, second to Manchester City only on goal difference in just mid-November, those winds that whisper “Arsenal” and “title” in the same sentence have started whirling around once again.

Could this be their season? Could two back-to-back triumphs in the FA Cup lead up to a triumph in their domestic league, after more than a decade since the illustrious ‘Invincibles’ season. The players have changed, but the man at the helm is still the same. Could Arsene Wenger be poised to have his moment in the sun come May?

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher recently said that this is Arsenal’s golden chance to win the title or wait another decade for the same.

The opposition is scattered

The defending champions have had a dreadful start to their season

While the decade-long wait in his assessment is certainly nothing but conjecture, he is right about the huge opportunity that lies in front of Arsene Wenger and his charges this season.

Fuelling these notions primarily is the fact that the opposition this time is largely scattered and not in a position to post any sort of challenge, barring City. Pellegrini’s team have been the only side that have looked like being title contenders of the lot, though their run too has been anything but stellar.

Defending champions Chelsea have embarked on a downward spiral that has left them in 16th place with just 11 points from 12 games, having already suffered seven losses, including three at home.

Manchester United are facing problems in personnel (read Wayne Rooney), philosophy (read Louis van Gaal) and performances (read the entire team) and have lacked the cutting edge that seems to stymie any hopes they may have of mounting a serious challenge.

Liverpool have parted with the manager who they started the season with and brought in Jurgen Klopp, but he’s going to need time to find his feet in the league and establish his ideal team.

North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have looked the best of the lot, having not lost since the opening day, but despite Mauricio Pochettino’s dogged advancements, the side looks to be a year away from becoming a true force to reckon with.

That leaves Arsenal in quite the race for the top, as they’ve been able to keep pace with the leaders.

Continuity

Arsene Wenger has stuck by his system and style of play season after season

One of the reasons Arsenal have actually managed that is due to the continuity. There is a well-entrenched culture at Arsenal, put in place by Wenger that allows the team to be consistent every year. Which is why, even when Arsenal were hopefully out of the races for a place in the top four, you wouldn’t hesitate to bank on them to finish there in the end.

It’s the reason that, with changes in personnel and slight tweak in tactics, Wenger manages to achieve a whole lot more with his squad as there is a method to how they play every season. The other teams are going through changes, in some cases one too many, which does act as a deterrent to a club putting forth its best efforts.

This system has ensured that Arsenal finish the season strong every season, and usually they’ve had to play catch up. This season, they’re already at the top, level on points and if they finish as strongly as they usually do, the team in front of them will be in for a duel.

Ozil and Sanchez

Many were quick to dismiss Arsenal as a one-man team last year due to the stratospheric levels of Alexis Sanchez’s performance. The truth, in fact, could not have been farther from that. Elements such as Nacho Monreal being a defensive rock behind Sanchez at left-back and the shining performances of Francis Coquelin and the midfield allowed Sanchez to thrive and do what he does best – hang opposition defenders out to dry.

This season he’s coming off winning the Copa America with Chile and after a slow start looks to have rediscovered the form of last year. However, with one player alone shining through, no team is going to be able to pull off a title heist.

Ozil is having his best season in an Arsenal shirt

Enter Mesut Ozil.

The German playmaker is enjoying one of his finest starts since he joined Arsenal from Real Madrid two seasons ago. The man who is among Europe’s best chance creators, has come good for the Gunners. In the 12 games of this Premier League season (out of which, he’s played 11), Ozil has 10 assists and 44 key passes. To lend some perspective, he had 5 assists and 65 key passes all of last season, where he played 22 games out of 38.

His performances have been sprightly and it has been deeply satisfying to see the World Cup winner rediscover his touch. Besides, he’s also added a few nuances to his game, such as playing more long balls, to take advantage of Olivier Giroud’s strengths – heading and holding up the ball as opposed to finishing. An adjustment he’s had to make with the injuries to Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck meaning Giroud getting more game time.

UEFA Champions League

The losses in the UCL have been the only blip in Arsenal's season

Following a chastening 1-5 drubbing away at the hands of Bayern Munich, Arsenal are in a bit of a spot as far as the Champions League is concerned. Wenger’s side now need to win both of their remaining games in order to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition.

And there’s absolutely no doubt that that is doable, but this could be one season where an early exit here helps them in the league much like absence of European competition helped Liverpool two seasons ago in that campaign.

Of course, Wenger and Arsenal are not going to play poorly to achieve that, but in the eventuality that they do bow out of the competition early, it could provide an unexpected boost elsewhere.

A new mental toughness?

The source of constant amusement and troll from all quarters in years past, could Arsenal be turning a corner in this regard? Last year, in the win at Manchester City, in the beating of Bayern at home in the first game, and in come-from-behind wins in the league this year, Arsenal have shown a new mental toughness seemingly alien to them.

How many times have we witnessed Arsenal build up momentum only to see it come crashing down with their penchant for going AWOL in big games. And how many times have we seen them fail to adapt to cope with a particular opponent? Numerous.

Yet in some of those above displays, they’ve seemed to buck the trend.

Despite all of these factors flowing their way, there are the usual Arsenal-induced obstacles that stand in their way. Like injuries (a long-time bedfellow, one who in fact makes Jack Wilshere’s bed). And like a lack of defensive midfielders and below-par central defenders.

Yet despite that, and thanks to the progress they’ve made and the circumstantial factors playing in their favour, this season does represent a real good chance for the Gunners to break their Premier League trophy drought.