In what is supposedly Arsenal’s best chance at winning the Premier League since the Invincibles in 2014, they are doing a pretty good job at letting their fans down.
After allowing a 5 point gap to appear between themselves and the unlikely leaders, Leicester City, the Gunners once again face an uphill battle in the final stages. If Arsene Wenger fails to steer this team back on course to victory, is it time for someone else to take the reins?
You might say, why is this campaign any different than the others? Why should Wenger be expected to win it this season? Well, if you were to look at the top four teams in the league over the last few years and see how they were doing this year, Arsenal would be winning. The teams above them now have been surprise packages, and teams that Wenger’s men really should be sweeping aside. The problem is, they just can’t seem to cut it when the pressure is on.
Although the Gunners have gone so long without claiming a Premier League title, the Frenchman remains popular at the Emirates. This is because his coaching style breeds such an exciting and beautiful form of attractive, attacking football ensuring that Arsenal tickets remain a hot commodity. When Arsenal are good, they are very good. Wenger’s weakness lies in his stubbornness, his inability to heed advice. Towards the end of last season fans and pundits alike were screaming out for him to make some moves in the transfer market. The team required a new goalkeeper, a defensive midfielder, and a world class striker. He only filled one of those positions.
Choosing to rely on his current crop of players was the wrong decision, in that the team were once again faced with dire injury problems, and Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott both proved to be inconsistent in spearheading the attack.
These problems were still evident in January, yet Wenger still didn’t go into the market for a new striker. It is frustrating for fans, and will be even more infuriating if the team fail to win the league, because the feeling is there that something could have been done about it.
But now is not the time to lose faith. There is still time to turn this situation around and push for that elusive title. In the final race to the finish line, the Gunners have shown that they can push on and put a good winning streak together in the past. Their rivals are sure to drop points as well, so Arsenal can close the gap. Leicester will feel the pressure soon, and Tottenham Hotspur may fall victim to fatigue due to the amount of fixtures they face. Arsenal still have the opportunity to capitalise on these factors.
If the Gunners fail though, it may be time for the board to concede that they need to try something new. A change of manager could be the difference that brings the title home.