What To Expect From Arsenal This Season

A club with what is, on paper, one of the strongest starting elevens in the Premier League, Arsenal should be expecting to get into the top four comfortably. However, amid signs in recent years that Arsene Wenger has been losing his managerial genius (most effectively used in the early 2000s), Arsenal fans and football fans alike have witnessed the painful transition from title challengers to Champions' League play-off participants.

This isn't intended as a jab at Arsenal, it's just the harsh reality of their situation. Last season's fourth place placement for The Gunners was only just achieved by a slight points margin in front of Tottenham, when in theory they should be easily getting into the top four. Quality players like Podolski, Wilshere (although he is regularly injured), Walcott, Arteta and Cazorla should have all but ensured Arsenal's automatic qualification for a group stage place in the Champions' League, so what went wrong?

For me, Arsenal's problems lie in two main areas, the defence and the sub's bench. With a first choice back four of Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny and Gibbs, Arsenal can't realistically expect anything better than a fourth place finish this season. The only notable names on Arsenal's substitute bench are Aaron Ramsey and possibly Per Mertesacker, neither of which are quality players. In a League where teams like Chelsea can have a player of Juan Mata's quality on the bench and still play well, and where Manchester City can leave a player like Aguero or Silva out and play well, it is essential to have a strong bench.

So what will Arsenal be expecting from this season? Sadly, it'll be the same as always in recent years - snatching fourth place. Even this early in the season, it doesn't take a genius to realise that Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea will most likely take up the top three. That leaves Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool to battle for one place. 

I think that although Arsenal do have a good starting team, they are not progressing as fast as their Premier League rivals and that will mean that they will fall behind in the race for fourth place. It's my opinion that Arsenal just don't have what it takes to get fourth this season, but I hope they prove me wrong and start getting back to their old ways. However, how many of us can really see that happening?