EPL 2012-13 Season Preview: Can Arsenal end their Trophy Drought?

SO KON PO, HONG KONG – JULY 29: Players of Arsenal FC celebrates with trophy at the end of the pre-season Asian Tour friendly match between Kitchee FC and Arsenal at Hong Kong Stadium on July 29, 2012 in Hong Kong.

There is a British adage which goes ‘keep calm and carry on’. While the phrase in itself is very simple, following it is easier said than done. But the Premier League’s most successful foreign manager has followed this philosophy time and time again, and while it may not have reaped immediately tangible results, it ensures that Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal never finish outside the Champions League spots.

However, to every rule there is an exception. Coming off the back of their worst ever start in the Premier League which included a 0-2 loss at home to Liverpool and the 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford, Arsenal unveiled five new players in a span of three days, three of whom were signed on transfer deadline day.

Being forced to create their chemistry on the go, due to the much-protracted transfer sagas of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, Arsenal finished the season in very respectable third place, after they were hovering one place above the relegation zone at the end of August.

The call for Wenger to face the axe has been growing over the past few years, but the volume in which is it screamed out still remains rather muted. Arsenal fans still have immense respect for the Frenchman, who is not only their longest serving manager, but their most successful as well. He remains steadfast in his principles and will be looking to see if his charges can better last year’s final position. Third place hadn’t been confirmed until Matchday 38, where Arsenal beat West Brom 3-2 at the Hawthorns with goals from Yossi Benayoun, Andre Santos and Laurent Koscielny proving enough to ensure Arsenal Champions League football this season.

The season that was

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Yossi Benayoun of Arsenal celebrates after scoring during the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns on May 13, 2012 in West Bromwich, England.

It was evident for quite some time that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri wanted to leave the Club because their ambitions of winning trophies with Arsenal were not being fulfilled. Both players were integral to the side and their departure left a gaping void in central midfield. Gael Clichy had also expressed his desire to move on, and his move to the Etihad Stadium meant the last of the Invincibles had left Ashburton Grove.

Although Arsene Wenger was urged to spend, he could do naught until his side had secured passage through to the Champions League proper, which explained why he acted so late during last season’s transfer window. The loss of Fabregas and Nasri, coupled with injuries and suspension saw a much weakened Arsenal side mercilessly decimated at Old Trafford, as the Red Devils slaughtered the Gunners 8-2.

It was evident, then, that Wenger needed experience to lead his youth, and Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos, Yossi Benayoun (loan) and Mikel Arteta, alongwith Gervinho, Ju Young Park and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Gunners.

All of these players would have a very significant role in helping the Gunners recover from what had been an awful August, and led by newly-appointed skipped Robin van Persie – who scored 37 goals in all competitions last season – the results began to pile up in Arsenal’s favour. But come January and their tryst with injury meant Wenger was without his fullbacks for a significant part of the new year. Bakary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Andre Santos and Kieran Gibbs were all out injured. So were Per Mertesacker and Johan Djourou, while Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho had gone to represent their countries at the African Cup of Nations.

This saw Wenger spring for a loan move for Club legend Thierry Henry, and he galvanised the Gunners immediately, scoring on his return against Leeds United in the FA Cup. He also grabbed a crucial winner against Sunderland, which helped Arsenal reduce the distance between themselves and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspurs, who had been in control of third place for a significant part of the season.

Some may choose to remember the season for the wrong reasons. But there were plenty of memorable games: Henry’s return, 5-3 at Stamford Bridge, 5-2 against Spurs at the Grove, 2-1 at Anfield, 3-0 against AC Milan, and many more which will live long in the memory of any Gooner.

Transfers so far

WARSAW, POLAND – JUNE 27: Lukas Podolski, Manuel Neuer and head coach Joachim Loew of Germany attend a training session ahead of their UEFA EURO 2012 semi-final match against Italy, at the Municipal Stadium on June 27, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland.

Arsenal have gone about their business early this season, conducting transfers in their usual hush-hush approach as they’ve signed three world-class players. Germany striker Lukas Podolski’s signing was confirmed midway through the second half of last season, Ligue 1′s top scorer Olivier Giroud joins the Emirates after winning the title with unfancied Montpellier Herault SC, and Spain’s Santiago Cazorla has left financially wobbly Malaga to add silk and steel in midfield.

All of these players were bought for a cumulative total of below £33 million, which is far less than what Liverpool paid for Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll, and slightly below what Chelsea paid for Eden Hazard (£35 mn)

But one player who may not be playing in an Arsenal shirt come September is Robin van Persie. The Gunners talisman expressed his intent to not renew his contract on the fourth of July this season, and Manchester United seem to be in pole position to sign him, after a £22 million fee was agreed for the Dutchman, once personal conversations between Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson had allegedly taken place.

The Gunners seem intent on expanding their armoury, with Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin and Stade Rennais’ Yann M’Vila both in sight, but these deals have gone on for quite a while now, with no apparent end in sight.

Arsenal, therefore, seem quite well-equipped in all areas of the pitch. Lukas Fabianski has expressed his desire to work even harder this season, and so should provide competition to Wojciech Szczesny, while Steve Bould’s arrival as Assistant Coach will see the defence up their game.

What to expect

SO KON PO, HONG KONG – JULY 29: Alex Song of Arsenal FC reacts during the pre-season Asian Tour friendly match between Kitchee FC and Arsenal at Hong Kong Stadium on July 29, 2012 in Hong Kong.

Every year, Arsenal fans harbour hopes of their team finally breaking their seven-year trophy drought which seems to hang like a metaphorical rock from the Gunners’ necks. Gooners who confidently state that their team can win something over the course of a season are roundly laughed at by Chelsea and Manchester United fans.

This season, however, with or without van Persie, who at the time of writing seems set to go to Manchester, Arsenal do have what it takes to win some silverware. A trophy in the cabinet is not out of the reckoning whatsoever, as this team now has a good melange of proven internationals and Youth Academy graduates.

The talisman

BEIJING, CHINA – JULY 27: Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal FC walk out to the pitch before the pre-season Asian Tour friendly match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Birds Nest Stadium on July 27, 2012 in Beijing, China.

With Robin van Persie set to depart, the onus will fall on two people to lead the Gunners forward.

The first will be new signing Lukas Podolski, who looked positively brilliant against his former club Cologne. He scored two goals in Germany, one from the penalty spot, the other a stunning volley from inside the box, having orchestrated the move himself. At 27 years of age, Podolski has the experience and maturity to play a pivotal role for Arsenal, for whom the German’s versatility will be an added bonus.

The second player is Thomas Vermaelen. Having been an integral cog of the Arsenal machine last season, the man they call the Verminator could be handed the captain’s armband once van Persie has moved up north. He is defensively very solid, extremely agile, and technically skilled. In possession of a left foot capable of bludgeoning a football, the Belgium centre-back has come up with crucial goals at precisely the right time, and will be the rock on which Arsenal construct their foundations.

Formation

Arsenal’s new-look lineup?

Given the fluid football Wenger expects from his team, Arsenal usually map themselves out in a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 formation, wherein a number of players can swap positions. The system is based on the Dutch Totaalvoetball (Total Football) of the Johann Cruyff era of the 1970s and has been in use by the Gunners for some time now.

The formation rarely changes, even when substitutions are introduced.

Targets

Arsenal’s Thierry Henry (L) and Robert Pires pose with the Barclays Premier League trophy. The Gunners won the 2003-04 Premier League after going the entire season unbeaten: a record that stands to this date.

With every Premier League side strengthening before the start of the campaign, the season looks to be more gruelling than ever, but Arsenal should once again finish in the Champions League spots, if nothing more. But should Arsenal win, this team will be spoken of with nearly the same breath – if not the same – as the same wistful one in which the Invincibles are talked about.

Here are my predictions for the Gunners:

League Position: 2nd

FA Cup: Winners

Capital One League Cup: Winners

Champions League: Semi-finals

At this point, pundits and ‘experts’ alike will criticise Wenger. But no silences them better than Roy Keane:

There was a debate about Wenger on Sky and how crazy is that? People are actually getting interviewed saying he shouldn’t be doing this.

“What that man’s done for English football is amazing and will be remembered in 25, 50, 100 years’ time. Will those on telly yesterday be remembered for what they’ve achieved? None whatsoever.

“I wouldn’t trust them to walk my dog. There are ex-players and ex-referees being given air-time who I wouldn’t listen to in a pub. OK, there will be one or two who’ve done something in the game whose opinion you would take on board, but I’m on about every Tom, Dick and Harry.”

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