Arsenal
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‘New season, same old Arsenal.’ It’s an adage almost as old as time. Always so close, yet never quite there. The London-based team seem to be finding it harder with each passing season to break away from the disappointing repetition they suffer. It’s the true definition of insanity.
It’s the usual suspects that come back to haunt Arsene Wenger and his men as they push for the title, only to fall away and settle for a top-four position. Yet this season it appears that even this may be a stretch too far for them.
A recurring theme for Arsenal’s title run is that they start the season strongly, building a head of steam before their annual dip in quality at the turn of the year. They're usually able to overcome such trepidations but it is always too late to be able to actually win the Premier League.
The mentality and confidence of their players often dampens their belief, leaving them short of the optimism that teams such as Chelsea possess. Once they have lost they don’t appear to be able to pick themselves back up and dust off their failures.
Loss acts as a disease that takes time to heal, often spreading throughout the players and fans alike before they are finally able to rid themselves of it. This coupled with the fact that no-one but Arsene Wenger currently knows if he will be in charge of Arsenal next season will only hinder the players’ recovery process and that sense of uncertainty does not help them as they wonder upon their own futures at the club.
This isn’t helped by their unfortunate injury woes. Players such as Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey often seem to miss more games than they play as niggling problem exacerbate themselves into month long injuries. Furthermore, the loss of vital members for the remainder of the season such as Santi Cazorla can only bring more misery upon them.
Though even at the darkest of times there are rays of hope in Arsenal’s progress. Recent additions to the squad have been made to add a sense of steel to their ranks. Shkodran Mustafi has excelled at the back for Arsenal this season and though he is not immune from occasional lapses, he will only improve with time.
The same can be said of Granit Xhaka whose aggressive style of play is uncharacteristic of the Arsenal we have seen for a number of years, but all the better for it. With the creative genius of Mesut Ozil and the relentless Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal have nearly all the ingredients to return to their past glories.
It is now down to Arsenal to deliberate on who can best serve the team as their manager. Be that Arsene Wenger himself or someone else, they should soon find themselves back amongst title contention.
Chances of a top four finish - 6/10
