Manager: Arsene Wenger
Last season: 4th
Major signings: Mathieu Debuchy (Undisclosed, Newcastle), Alexis Sanchez (Undisclosed, Barcelona), David Ospina (Nice)
Players out: Nicklas Bendtner (released), Lukasz Fabianski (free, Swansea), Park Chu-young (released), Bacary Sagna (free, Manchester City), Carlos Vela (Undisclosed, Real Sociedad)
Expectations? Higher than in many a year
If you happen to follow the fortunes of Arsenal, you should be more positive than ever ahead of the new season. Three of the team, Podolski, Mertesacker and Ozil, became World Champions over the summer and should return to London brimming with confidence.
New signings Alexis Sanchez (main pic), Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina improve the squad significantly and the malingering corpse of a former player that is Nicklas Bendtner has finally been shown the door.
Arsene Wenger now has some genuine selection dilemmas and the battle for places, especially in the middle third of the pitch but before Gunners fans strat ordering Champions 2015 shirts, there are still questions to be asked.
Mikel Arteta’s hair remains immaculate but his legs are going and he simply can’t be asked to carry the defensive midfield role all season. Jack Wilshere may be shunted in there but his abilities seem better utilised closer to goal and let’s not even talk about the now ravaged Abou Diaby. A signing in this zone would be a massive boost to Arsenal’s chances.
Defensively they may also be a bit light, but the signing of Ospina and impending move for Calum Chambers gives some reassurance in this regard. Overcoming the now dreadfully familiar February fade is the big challenge for Wenger.
Irish angle… The hope for Arsenal fans was that Séamus Coleman might come in from Everton as a more than hady replacement for Sagna, but that never materialised as the Donegal man signed a new deal at Goodison Park. With Liam Brady departed from the Academy, there’s a notable lack of Irish accents around London Colney these days.
If they were a fictional character… they’d be Batman, heading to another reboot but hopes are high this is a Christian Bale season and not a George Clooney one.
Where will they end up? Falling just short of the title after a very, very strong challenge. Comfortably top four once again.
