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It’s never nice to lose to Chelsea but if I am being honest with you I am not that bothered about us exiting this competition. Sure, I would have liked us to progress and win the competition but it’s actually a little bit of a relief not having to play these extra games.
Arsenal spent a lot of time this summer moving on players they felt were detrimental to the club and this left us with a very streamlined squad. Some like to call it “light” or “thin” but I don’t really subscribe to that.
We are a little short on numbers at the moment due to injuries but our matchday squad for Premier League and Champions League matches looks pretty decent and we still have a few top players out.
Our uncluttered squad isn’t big enough to compete on four fronts and there comes a time when you have to prioritise and luckily, in a sense, Arsenal won’t have to make that decision come February where we have often seen ourselves drop out of all four races as we attempt to fight all fights rather than pick our battles.
Dennis Bergkamp said in his book that a title winning squad is about numbers 12-16 and 12-21. He believes that every team in the league can make a good first XI but having the right players in the squad, ready to step up when needed, is key to being successful. Arsenal have this.
Some argue that we are light in areas such as striker and centre-back and ask what we would do if Giroud got injured etc. I say, why worry about something before it happens as it may never come to pass.
Be happy, enjoy where Arsenal are at the moment. We have a chance to extend our lead at the top of the table against an early title rival on Saturday and some are griping about the League Cup? Sorry, but I’d much rather we used our squad’s energy reserves on a real assault on the title than the least important trophy on offer.
I also think it is pointless moaning about what will happen if we lose X player because we won’t know that we don’t have an answer until it is too late and by then no amount of hindsight will help. Every team has players they are reliant on and all teams lose a crucial player at some point in the season and most teams find an answer.
Gooners know that our season so far has depended on a few key players but we are not the only ones. A cool new website has been created which would make even the toughest manager want to swathe his top guys in cotton wool if he saw how much his team relied on a certain player or players..
Using the League Of Your Own table generator created by bwin, fans can hypothesise on potential scenarios unfolding in the Premier League and see how they affect the table.
Heaven forbid you’d want to see what the table would look like if we took out the goals and assists contributed by Ramsey and Giroud in the 2013/14 season so far – but here it is. Just goes to show what a talented pair they are! What is important to remember though is that those players are here and they did score. We already have those points and are already top.
The trouble with being at the top is that the only way is down; but with League Of Your Own you can also find out other teams’ strengths and weaknesses, ready for the next time you’re faced with the usual accusations from your mates – find out their teams’ Achilles heel using our league table generator and move in for the kill!
Yeah, so maybe we’d do worse without Giroud and Ramsey, but trust me – you do not want to know where Man United would be in the table if games finished after half an hour!
With the ability to change the game by taking out penalties, cutting out tap-ins or even reducing the length of the match, League Of Your Own allows you to speculate to your heart’s content about what gives each Premier League team its best chance of topping the table; much better to be an Arsenal fan in that situation than, say, Sunderland!
Head over to the League Of Your Own website and start experimenting; you never know, you might even be able to prove the case for having an even bigger lead!
Things are looking good at the moment and a loss in a second-rate knock-out competition isn’t going to do too much damage. In fact, it could be a blessing in disguise.
