I sit here on a Wednesday evening full of nerves and excitement thinking about Arsenal’s first game of the season on Saturday and the season ahead. The club’s last 2 seasons have felt incredible to part of. Not only have we secured Champions League football in back to seasons, we have also been part of two inclinedly tight title races with arguably the best side in the world at the moment Manchester City. As we all know, last season went down to the final day.
For the first time in my lifetime, I woke up knowing that a win for Arsenal against Everton and a draw or loss for Man City against West Ham would see the Premier League title return to North London for the first time since the 03/04 season. I do remember our Invincible season but the title was wrapped up before the final day. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way but the fact we were in that position shows how far we’ve come over the last few seasons. Here are some of my thoughts on what I would like to see from Arsenal in the upcoming campaign.
Premier League
I really do feel that Arsenal are so close to pulling off something special in the league. We’ve knocked on the door over the last 2 seasons and we’ve only narrowly missed out both times. Despite still only being a young team, the experience the players have gained over the past 2 years is really starting to show and Arsenal are starting to establish themselves as one of the best and exciting teams in Europe. I don’t know if you can ever consider yourself favourite to win the league while Pep is manager of Man City, If the Cityzens do stumble, I would fully expect Arsenal to get over the line and win the Premier League.
Read More: https://flyinghighbury.com/2024/08/arsenal-have-had-a-strong-start-to-the-window-but-we-need-more-this-summer/
Champions League
The Champions League has a new format this season. Arsenal will play a minimum of 8 games instead of the usual 6. Additionally, the club will be competing in a new league table system. I would like to see the team finish in the top 8 as this would mean avoiding an extra two-legged tie in an already congested fixture list. Arsenal made it to the quarter-final last time out losing to Bayern Munich 3-2 on aggregate.
The team lacked Champions League experience during the last campaign. Hardly anyone had featured in the competition prior to last season. Hopefully, the players can draw upon last season’s experience and go further this time around. If the team manages to get to the semi-final, I think we’d have had a really strong run and would show clear progression.
The club have never won the trophy, I don’t think any club can really expect to win the Champions League, it is arguably the pinnacle of club football. I’m still recovering from our loss to Barcelona in the 2006 final. The competition is so fierce and is full of the best teams around Europe. Especially the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona to name a few. I would absolutely love to win it one day and I believe that we can but as I say I don’t think any team can ‘expect’ to win it.
As with every team, Arsenal’s run in the competition likely to come down to draws and may change expectations. If the team gets drawn against Real Madrid early in the knockout rounds it becomes a lot harder to progress. At that point, the best we can hope for is the team put on a competitive performance across both legs and hope we have enough to go through.
Domestic Cups
Arsenal’s last major domestic trophy win was in 2020 when Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side secured the FA cup. The last time Arsenal won the League cup was in the 92/93 season. If Arteta were to win it, the Spaniard would add a trophy that alluded legendary Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger throughout his career.
Arsenal have had some poor runs in English cup competitions over the past few seasons. Most recently going out of the FA cup at home to Liverpool in the 3rd round and losing to West Ham away in the round of 16 of the League Cup. Obviously, there are many reasons for this, Liverpool are a tough side to beat in any game and West Ham away is a tricky fixture. The cups are also seen as a good time to give squad players minutes and a lot of rotation is usually involved in the earlier rounds.
Having said this, winning trophies is important for any side. It helps build a winning mentality, invigorates a loyal fanbase and keeps spirits high. It makes the club more attractive for future transfers, grows the reputation of the club and adds to the club’s history. Most importantly, it is the best way to show the progress of the team and how far we’ve come. The payoff for this long-term project has to be winning trophies.
I’m not saying that if we don’t win one of the domestic cups this year and finish just short of the Premier League title this season that Arteta’s job should be on the line and the season would be a failure. I don’t think that at all. I believe Mikel has done a tremendous job so far and I fully believe he will win big things with Arsenal. However, winning a trophy alongside being in the title race would show clear progression in my opinion. It would be an indicator that the project is starting to pay off. The players, the manager, the fans, the owners and everyone around Arsenal would begin to reap the rewards of this long-term Arsenal project.
Final thoughts
I think the big area for me this season is not seeing regression in the Premier League. I will be very disappointed if with a month to go Arsenal have fallen away and the title isn’t within our reach. As I said previously, I don’t think you can consider yourself favorites while Pep is at City. If Arteta misses out on the title again by a win, I’m certainly not going to be calling for him to be sacked. We do however have to maintain the level and the standards we have shown over the past couple of seasons.
It would be an absolute dream for me to see Arsenal win their very first Champions League title at some point during my lifetime. I’d love to just get back into another final. As I said earlier, I don’t think it’s a competition you can ever expect to win but if this manager and this generation of players manage to pull it off they would all be club legends in my eyes.
If you asked me if I would rather win the FA Cup, the League Cup or be a point clear at the top of the Premier League going into the last game of the season. I would take being a point clear. Having said that, I do think adding any silverware is important for the now and the future of the club. It would be a clear indication that Arsenal are heading in the right direction and if you want to prove you’re the best you have to win trophies.
It’s such an exciting time to be an Arsenal fan right now. I really feel like we’re on the verge of doing something really special. I think we’re the team most likely to beat City to the title. We’re still a young side with so much potential and we’ve slowly become one of the most exciting projects in all of football. I can’t help but feel the future is really bright at the club. We’re just one push away from brining the title back to North London, bring it home boys!
COYG!
For more opinions on Arsenal follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/FlyingHighbury
