Can Arsenal avoid another ‘second half of the season down turn’?

What a miss it was for Arsenal to have lost the Premier League title to Leicester City last season despite been on top of the table for almost half of the season. Starting this season on an impressive note as they always do every season, their sport betting odds stand at 13/2, making them the third favourites for the title.

On twenty points in the second place same as table toppers Manchester City and third-placed Liverpool, Arsenal have put their opening day 3-4 loss to Liverpool behind them and are now on a 14 matches unbeaten run.

Clocked twenty years in charge of Arsenal at the start of October, the French coach also believes his side has a better chance of claiming the Premier League title this season than in previous seasons.

The Gunners last experience Premier League glory in 2004 during the era of the invincible that went 49 league matches unbeaten and after the FA Cup triumph in 2005, the club experienced trophy drought for nine years and broke the jinx in 2013/14 season winning the FA Cup and repeating the feat the following season.

The club has not been spared in the Champions League also bowing out at the second round stage in each of the past six seasons.

Last campaign an end to their over ten years wait to win the title looked possible but their usual second half of the season syndrome surfaced again and all efforts to win the title ended in futility as they finished the season a distance ten points behind The Foxes.

Arsene Wenger’s job was between ‘life and death’ for a major part of last season and had to cope with criticism from his own fans, interested stake holders and the media.

Read also: Magnificent Manchester City bounce back to beat Barcelona

The home fans turned against him when they are faced with reality that they will have to make do with the usual ‘top four trophy’. Last season failure was majorly blamed for his inability to buy a player especially a striker as they struggled for goals with Olivier Giroud ‘anointed’ as the main striker of the team was without goals in fifteen straight games.

While in some quarters it was emphasized that injuries to many first team players was Arsenal undoing. Whichever way it went, they were able to finish better (in the second position) than previous season.

This current trend of flying performances is not limited to the Premier League. In Europe, they are also unbeaten so far winning two and drawing one including the 6-0 demolition of Ludo Razgd in their last European match.

Wenger is aware his side must remain consistent beyond December and avoid complacent as well as keeping his players fit if they want the title to elude them this season again. The fans obviously want more than top four trophy this season.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now