The Short Fuse - Arsenal Season Previews 2014-15it me, Jeffhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51365/tsf-fav.png2014-08-15T11:59:15-04:00http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/rss/stream/57650482014-08-15T11:59:15-04:002014-08-15T11:59:15-04:00The Short Fuse Premier League Preview 2014-15
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<img alt="we have good opinions of Everton, generally" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NucljleFY3jJ_h0ecmZUN0g9mLY=/410x190:3580x2303/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36964740/489514565.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>we have good opinions of Everton, generally | Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>There's about to be some soccer up in here, y'all.</p> <p>So the Premier League season is about to start, and although Travis <a target="_blank" href="http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/14/6002005/epl-predictions-chelsea-arsenal-liverpool-manchester-united">already went team-by-team</a> and told you precisely who will finish where, you're not here just for him. (Sorry, Travis.) It's time to absorb the full force of the combined soccer wisdom of the Short Fuse team. Or at least everyone who was able to respond to an email in time.</p>
<p>We're going to pick your top four, your automatic Europa League qualifier, and your unlucky relegates. And then we're also going to pick the biggest event yet to come in this dawning season. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_uOgyBK1c">LET'S GET TO ALL THE FOOTBALL.</a></p>
<h3>Qualifiers and Relegates</h3>
<p><b>Phil</b></p>
<p>1. Arsenal<br>2. <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a><br>3. <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> <br>4. <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton</a><br>5. <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a></p>
<p>18. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/west-bromwich-albion" class="sbn-auto-link">West Bromwich Albion</a><br>19. <a href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Leicester City</a><br>20. Burnley</p>
<p><b>Travis</b></p>
<p>1. Chelsea<br>2. Arsenal<br>3. Manchester City<br>4. Everton<br>5. <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a></p>
<p>18. Leicester<br>19. West Brom<br>20. Burnley</p>
<p><b>Aidan</b></p>
<p>1. Manchester City<br>2. Arsenal<br>3. Chelsea<br>4. Manchester United<br>5. Everton</p>
<p>18. West Brom<br>19. <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a><br>20. Burnley</p>
<p><b>Paul</b></p>
<p>1. Manchester City<br>2. Arsenal<br>3. Chelsea<br>4. Liverpool<br>5. Manchester United</p>
<p>18. Aston Villa<br>19. Leicester<br>20. Burnley</p>
<p><b>Ted</b></p>
<p>1. Manchester City<br>2. Chelsea<br>3. Arsenal<br>4. Manchester United<br>5. Everton</p>
<p>18. West Brom<br>19. Burnley<br>20. Leicester</p>
<p><b>FBJ</b></p>
<p>1. Manchester City<br>2. Arsenal<br>3. Chelsea<br>4. Manchester United<br>5. Liverpool</p>
<p>18. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace" class="sbn-auto-link">Crystal Palace</a><br>19. West Brom<br>20. Burnley</p>
<p><b>Thomas</b></p>
<p>1. Manchester City<br>2. Arsenal<br>3. Chelsea<br>4. Everton<br>5. Manchester United</p>
<p>18. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/queens-park-rangers" class="sbn-auto-link">Queens Park Rangers</a><br>19. West Brom<br>20. Burnley</p>
<h3>Predictions, Sane and Otherwise</h3>
<p><b>Aidan</b></p>
<p><span>Yaya Sanogo</span> will become the first choice striker for <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal's</a> 'big games' by December.</p>
<p><b>Paul</b></p>
<p>Instead of making people angry by falling out of contention in February, Arsenal break people's hearts by dropping points to West Brom on the last day of the season.</p>
<p><b>Travis</b></p>
<p><span>Per Mertesacker</span> scores at least five goals this season.</p>
<p><b>FBJ</b></p>
<p>Down 2-0 to Chelsea at halftime, Louis van Gaal drops his pants in an attempt to assert his dominance over a spiraling squad. <span>Phil Jones</span> stands up and drops his too because he thinks it's a team-building exercise.</p>
<p><b>Ted</b></p>
<p>ANTS!</p>
<p><b>Phil</b></p>
<p>Arsenal will land at least one more player in the Spendy Zone™ (over £40m) before the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors" class="sbn-auto-link">summer transfer window</a> closes.</p>
<p><b>Thomas</b></p>
<p>In the Champions League knockouts (yes, I think we'll get into and out of the group), Arsenal will beat a traditional world power after being widely considered underdogs. And Ajax doesn't count.</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/15/6004229/premier-league-preview-2014-15Thomas Wachtel2014-08-15T10:31:08-04:002014-08-15T10:31:08-04:00The Case For Arsenal to Win the League
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<figcaption>Clive Mason</figcaption>
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<p>Arsenal's going to win the Premier League this season. I'm in the minority for saying so. Here's why I'm sticking to it. </p> <p>I woke up this morning, thumbed through the Guardian on my phone (as is my custom most mornings), and came across the NBC Premier League team's predictions for the upcoming season, including the outrageous assertion from Robbie Earle that Arsenal won't win the league <i>or even make the top four</i> because they didn't replace Johan Djourou. (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/14/premier-league-preview-nbc-pundits">Seriously, he said that.</a>)</p>
<p>Most pundits agree that there are six realistic title contenders, with Spurs and Swansea hanging out just below the success zone. Though many are gravitating toward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> as ultimate league winners, some are making the case for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> in the mix because they're too good not to be entirely ignored, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool's</a> in the mix because they came tantalizingly close to winning it all last year.</p>
<p>I'm surprised more experts aren't making the case for Arsenal, including my TSF brethren (though I think, deep down, it's more a case of "We really could win this, but let's not jinx it by saying it out loud"). Here are some points in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> favor, if you're wanting to make a case for them.</p>
<p><b>128 Days: </b>For 128 days last year, Arsenal led the league, and then went 1-4-4 in a miserable nine-game stretch in which key players -- namely, <span>Aaron Ramsey</span>, Mesut Özil, and <span>Theo Walcott</span> -- were conspicuously absent. At Arsenal vs. Red Bulls, Arsene Wenger mentioned 128 days, <span>Mikel Arteta</span> mentioned 128 days -- could this be a wrong they're all conscious of righting this year?</p>
<p><b>Smart New Early Additions:</b> Last year, City did its business early in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a>, and brought in key players who filled in at spots where City was lacking. Arsenal's done the same thing this year -- Alexis Sanchez and <span>Calum Chambers</span>, in particular, look like they're going to contribute immediately (and, if you count the Community Shield, they basically already have).</p>
<p><b>A Good Surprise for You:</b> Despite all the Khedira/Carvalho smoke this summer, I feel like there's one more massive signing on the horizon in this window that will address either the perceived striker or d-mid need, or some other pivotal piece that fits into Wenger's celestial Tetris game. As we know from last year, Wenger's not sitting idly by.</p>
<p>But what of the other five contenders? Let's do this quickly but efficiently.</p>
<p><b>Everton: </b>I love what Martinez is doing, and I think they've built a good overall squad, but I also feel like they're two or three players short of making a full-on title run. Fourth is a realistic goal, and probably vaults them into true contender status for next season.</p>
<p><b>Liverpool: </b>While the transformation of Liverpool post-Suarez isn't as dire as last year's Spurs, who swapped Gareth Bale for the pu-pu platter of Soldado, Lamela, et al., it's still a lot to ask for <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> and <span>Steven Gerrard</span> to lead this team to a title. Plus, they've got Champions League to contend with.</p>
<p><b>Manchester United: </b>New coach, new players -- like Liverpool, they've got a lot of change to contend with at the outset, and they're also facing the crushing expectations of fans who are looking for Louis van Gaal to be the second coming of Sir Alex (since <span>David Moyes</span> was certainly not that). Their core players up front -- Robin van Persie and <span>Wayne Rooney</span> -- are aging rapidly, and they're still a bit thin creatively. The rumored Arturo Vidal signing could transform them into a title contender, but for now, the mountain seems a bit steep.</p>
<p><b>Manchester City:</b> They've certainly loaded up on talent without the splash of a Chelsea, and they look solid most everywhere, but they're still suspect in goal (<span>Willy Caballero</span> didn't impress in the Community Shield match, after all), and with two league titles won in the last three years, they might be putting more focus on Europe this season, since they've underperformed there.</p>
<p><b>Chelsea: </b>On paper, this is the most dangerous team of all -- they've made considerable upgrades at striker and goalie, and they've assembled enough talent elsewhere to jettison David Luiz and <span>Frank Lampard</span> and look better for doing it. However, I feel like Diego Costa's going to have a rough transition into the Prem, Jose Mourinho is going to do rash, loudmouthy Jose Mourinho things that will make for an uncomfortable circus for players, and they'll slip up just enough along the way with defensive lapses and scoreless draws to finish 2nd or 3rd.</p>
<p>Here are some dates to circle on your calendar: August 23 at Everton, Sept. 13 hosting Man City, Sept. 27 hosting Spurs, and Oct. 5 at Chelsea. That makes for a front-loaded first seven weeks of the season, and though last year showed us the importance of not slipping late in the season, the crystal balls will be a whole lot clearer in a mere two months.</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/15/6005659/the-case-for-arsenal-or-really-the-case-against-all-the-otherPhil West2014-08-14T17:37:40-04:002014-08-14T17:37:40-04:00Arsenal Youth: Players to watch in 2014-15
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<figcaption>the avatar of Arsenal youth | Jordan Mansfield</figcaption>
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<p>There's some talent to get excited about coming through the reserve ranks.</p> <p><i><b>EDITOR'S NOTE: </b>As you probably noticed, this is the first post for a brand new writer here at The Short Fuse. We've brought on FBJ0 to cover <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal's</a> men's youth and reserve setups, which is a popular topic of discussion that, to this point, hasn't gotten a ton of coverage here. That's about to change! Please welcome him to the blog, and if you like, check out his Twitter </i><a href="https://twitter.com/fbj0" target="_blank">here</a><i>.</i></p>
<p>I can hardly believe it. The season starts tomorrow! No, I’m not misreading the calendar. Tomorrow, Arsenal U21 goes on the road to open the season at Reading U21 (2pm EST, Arsenal Player).</p>
<p>Arsenal fans have been trained for the past decade or so to take solace in our player development, so let's take a moment to look at the talent in our youth ranks to see if any stand to be this year's Gnabry by breaking through into the first team.</p>
<h3>The Leaders</h3>
<h4><span>Gedion Zelalem</span></h4>
<p>What to say about this fella. Far and away the most hyped of our prospects. He somewhat struggled last year for the youth squads when playing in the Ramsey/box-to-box midfield role. Maybe struggled is the wrong term - he didn’t look awful. He was, however, invisible for large stretches of matches, and rarely played those beautiful balls which caught the eye of every Arsenal fan silly enough to watch those Asian pre-season matches. He's very solid, yet unspectacular deeper on the pitch, at least at this phase of his development. He rarely makes the wrong pass and recycles possession well. I’m not sure if him playing in the B2B role is an indication of where Arsene sees him long-term, or if it was done to round out his overall play by playing him out of position, as AW has done so frequently throughout the years.</p>
<p>I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this kid. Clearly, he’s the most prized prospect in our setup. No way he goes out on loan and even with our suddenly deep side, I’d be surprised if he didn’t feature in the COC. I will be interested to see if he stays in the B2B role or if Wenger moves him over to another position. It's not out of the question that he gets some minutes in the Arteta/deep-lying playmaker role. With the No. 10 position filled by Ozil, Sanchez, et al., his intelligence, poise, and passing ability could be put to more immediate use in an area of greater need.</p>
<h4>Hector Bellerin</h4>
<p>A La Masia product and part of the (first) Cesc transfer saga, Bellerin is an attack-minded right back who has won our hearts this preseason. I’ve liked him for awhile now, but I’m still concerned he lacks the strength to be a contributor at RB for our first team squad right now. As he’s showed these past few weeks, he’s miles more technically proficient than Jenkinson (one of the reasons Jenks is with Big Sam this season). He offers us something we have not had in a while (ever?) at the right back position with his ability to get involved in intricate attacking play. Theo says he’s broken the club sprint record, though while watching him play, I never thought he had that level of elite speed.</p>
<p>He deserves COC playing time and looks poised to take it. It remains to be seen if Bellerin will be Debuchy’s primary deputy (he hasn’t been officially promoted to the first team yet and Wenger hasn’t exactly been consistent on where he sees Chambers playing this season or long-term), but it seems like he’s got a great shot of breaking through and seeing significant first-team action this year.</p>
<h4>Ignasi Miquel</h4>
<p>He isn’t exactly a youth player anymore and average Arsenal fans have had a good chance to evaluate him at the first-team level. I don’t rate him, but considering we only have 2 centerbacks right now with any top-flight experience at that position, he might stick on with the first-team this season.</p>
<h4>Emiliano Martinez</h4>
<p>Martinez is a solid goalkeeping prospect and is officially our no. 3 goalkeeper as of last week. He also, apparently, no longer wants to be referred to as "Damian." He's a talented youngster, but I would be terrified if he got significant playing time this season. Like Viviano last season, it seems unlikely he gets any first-team action.</p>
<h4>Isaac Hayden</h4>
<p>Hayden is an exciting defensive midfield prospect with good size and a good frame. A youngster at 19, he has been a standout performer at all levels of the youth team. He's a good tackler and reads the game fairly well. He’s shown in preseason action that he is comfortable playing at CB as well. He's not as technically skilled as some of the others on this list, but has improved a lot in that area. He looked solid in his first team debut in the League Cup and made the first team bench a few other times.</p>
<p>Improved health for the rest of the squad (hopefully) means he won't be quite as close to the first team, but he definitely looks like he could break through in the next couple of years, especially with Flamini being out of contract in May. There’s an outside shot he could be called into action at DM or CB this season if injuries ravage a fairly thin back line. With our large squad overall, that might be the only way he gets first-team action this year.</p>
<h4>Jon Toral</h4>
<p>Like Bellerin, Toral is a La Masia product, and he's a classy player. He's a very technically skilled attacking midfielder who plays centrally and on the right quite frequently. He’s 19 and out of contract in the summer. He contributed 7 goals and 7 assists for our youth teams last season. Considering his position, he might not ever break through at Arsenal, but I could see him flourishing in La Liga. It will be interesting to see if we give him a new contract. I think he deserves a little more of a look, due to injuries somewhat stifling his development. He’s at that point in his career where he needs to show his ability at the senior level, so a loan would do him good.</p>
<h4>Kristoffer Olsson</h4>
<p>Olsson played last season in the Arteta/DLP role for our youth side. He needs to work on the physical side of his game if he wants to break through. Intelligent and very technically skilled, it's not out of the question he could stick on but this is an extremely important season for him. Another loan candidate, he needs to show Arsene he has what it takes to play for the first-team.</p>
<h3>Next Up</h3>
<p>Just outside of Capital One Cup contention this season are Dan Crowley and Chuba Akpom. Chuba has been impressing in cameos for two straight preseasons. He didn’t do too much on loan last year, but came back and tore it up for our youth teams. I like him a lot. There's no need to rush his development. He would benefit from another loan spell, but could stick on at Arsenal for the U21s.</p>
<p>Crowley looks like Iniesta when playing against youth squads. That's a massive comparison to make for a youngster, but his style of play is clearly modeled off the Spaniard. He stepped up into the U21 team last season and was extremely impressive. He has had a few injuries in his career but if he bulks up and stays healthy, he should definitely be in COC contention come next season. Even if you don't watch the youth team normally, you should make it a point to see this kid play. He might be the best prospect in our set-up (he and Zelalem are the top two), and he's certainly the most exciting.</p>
<h3>The Future</h3>
<p>Two others right below those two are Alex Iwobi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. These two wingers terrorized the flanks for the U-19 team last season (which was far more fun to watch than the U-21). Both are ready for the move up to the U-21s full time and could get their chance if some of the older prospects move on or get sent out on loan. As is the case for many Arsenal players, they can excel at different positions on the pitch. Iwobi has played as a central striker on occasion and Maitland-Niles has featured as a central midfielder frequently.</p>
<p>You may notice that thus far, I've mentioned two defenders. That's because our Youth Team's defense was and is awful. We have a severe lack of talent on the back line in our Academy. Julio Pleguezuelo is a technically skilled CB we pipped from La Masia (can you see the trend?), but he's still at least two seasons away from being able to physically compete at the Premier League level. Semi Ajayi, an older prospect who was previously at Charlton, was signed last September, basically out of desperation. He was very inconsistent in the youth team matches I watched last season, but is a physical specimen. He will need to show more this season to merit a first team look.</p>
<p>Our academy has become stagnant over the past few seasons, but that’s been sorted out by the hiring of Andries Jonker, a former Louis van Gaal lieutenant. We’ve redoubled our efforts to make our academy one of the best in England. Despite our newfound financial prowess, it is important that we have a strong base of talent coming through our ranks, particularly for home-grown player requirements.</p>
<p><i>(As a small personal note, thanks to Thomas for allowing me to join TSF. I look forward to #bantering with you all about the youth team this season.) </i><span> </span></p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/14/6003181/arsenal-youth-players-to-watch-zelalem-bellerin-hayden-crowleyFBJ02014-08-14T17:04:01-04:002014-08-14T17:04:01-04:00The Power Of Narrative (And A League Prediction)
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<img alt="maybe?" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XUP14s4KYIdKpxzuSEQmd_MGJP4=/69x130:2678x1869/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36952446/489564211.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>maybe? | Shaun Botterill</figcaption>
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<p>Let's talk about talking.</p> <p>The Internet has brought us many, many wonderful things. Like what, you ask? Well, in the early days, it was your one stop shop for Star Trek and Monty Python scripts, which a Python obsessive like me was really grateful for. As people started to exploit the utility of an easy, democratic, unfiltered form of communication, the Internet brought us everything, from everywhere - all of a sudden in the late 90's, from my little apartment in Seattle, where I was living at the time, I had access to the whole damn world: I could follow Arsenal online, I could check newspapers in Germany, I could see what the beaches in Cape Town looked like, all from my glorious 28.8 dial up modem. INFORMATION WANTS TO BE FREE.</p>
<p>Now, of course, the Internet is mostly a home for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1k86fWsmRE" target="_blank">adorable cat videos</a>. Another thing the Internet has going for it is that it has done a fantastic job at creating and fostering communities - you like knitting? Go to <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/account/login" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>! how about philately? <a href="http://www.stampcommunity.org/" target="_blank">Stamp Community Family</a> is for you! The Internet let people of like mind but scattered geography get together and talk about things they love, sharing expertise and passion for whatever anyone can think of, and that's awesome.</p>
<p>Sports, of course, was a natural fit for this model - particularly if you were a fan of a team in a city in which you don't live. For the first time, thanks to "chat rooms", you could "hang out" with people who liked your same color of laundry wherever you were - whether you were a Mariners fan in Connecticut (as I was in the early 00's) or an Arsenal fan anywhere in not-Islington, you finally had a tribe.</p>
<p>But there's a downside to this. Without launching into a screed about how the Internet not only promotes but encourages groupthink, the other thing that happens in Internet conversations is that things harden into narrative at breathtaking speed - one person says X, another person reads X and repeats it to their online community, and this fractals out exponentially until the story about a thing is X that the first person said, whether X is true or not, because X has now gained the weight of thousands if not millions of people who accept it because thousands if not millions of other people said it too.</p>
<p>Arsenal, in the Internet/Wenger era, has seen its share of narratives that have taken root this way. In chronological order from Wenger's first full season:</p>
<p>1. Arsene Wenger only buys French players (despite having bought Ljungberg, Overmars, Kanu and any number of not-French people)<br>2. Wenger's teams have no discipline and are a bunch of thugs (Vieira was a hothead, Tony Adams/Martin Keown/Nigel Winterburn well ok sure this one may have legs fine whatever)<br>3. Wenger teams only ever want to walk the ball into the net and never play direct (despite the fact that Wenger has evolved over the years - this one lasted a really, really long time)<br>4. Arsenal always sell off their best players (largely true but with many, many caveats) and only ever panic buy at the summer deadline<br>5. TROPHY DROUGHT</p>
<p>So as you can see, narratives harden, but they also stop being true at some point. The TROPHY DROUGHT narrative was the worst of all - not least because it was started with a grain of truth, that Arsenal hadn't won a trophy in a while. But then people GMO'd that truthy grain to suit whatever agenda they had until the insignificance of that truth was buried under a whole lot of nonsense - on both sides of the ARSENAL HAVEN'T WON A TROPHY SINCE LIKE V-E DAY argument - and the noise outstripped the signal so bad that a lot of people stopped looking for the signal and started bathing in the noise.</p>
<p>Last season, though, a new narrative started to bloom like a daisy in the disused garbage dump labeled TROPHY DROUGHT. Arsenal's revenue streams started being less like a Tucson wash in June and more like a Cascade mountain stream in April, and with that came, last season, the purchase of Mesut Özil, and this season, Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, and David Ospina - all acquired to fit a specific need, all acquired prior to August 1st, and all acquired as part of a master plan that is being executed to perfection this summer.</p>
<p>Now, if you're a believer in narrative, this is the point in the narrative where you say "Everything's in place, money's been spent - ARSENAL WILL BE CHAMPIONS NOW!" Unfortunately, though, it's not that simple. For one thing, there are a few other teams that will have a say in who will be champions, and those teams either got better or stayed good.</p>
<p>Another problem Arsenal have struggled with over the years is health. This is year one of the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2724775/Mesut-Ozil-tweets-delight-Arsenal-signing-Germany-s-fitness-guru-Shad-Forsythe.html" target="_blank">Shad Forsythe era</a>, and it's hoped that his influence and methods will increase Arsenal's ability to stay healthy; I'm not a doctor so I can't say, but it's a hopeful sign that Arsenal realized they had a problem and took steps to address it.</p>
<p>The third, and least quantifiable, problem Arsenal need to overcome is one of confidence. To be generous, Arsenal haven't played well against big teams or in big games for the last few years; they seem to like making up ground in the second leg of CL ties, and they didn't seem to understand that it was OK to show up for games against title rivals.</p>
<p>This August, though, is different than the last few - Arsenal have another FA Cup in their trophy case, and they have a squad which carries several freshly minted World Cup winners. The hope is that the confidence imbued by both of those things will help Arsenal play better in bigger games, but we won't know until Arsenal come into a big game if that's true or not. We can hope, and we can presume, but as the cliche goes, that's why they play the games.</p>
<p>So, all that being said, do I think Arsenal will win the title this year? No, I do not. Until they prove they can win - or at least be competitive - against top four sides, I don't see how they can. I do, however, think they'll finish second, and that they'll be in the title race until the last week of the season. If things go very right, they might win it all; I hope they do, I want them to, but I'm prepared for a second place finish and I'm pretty damn excited by it.</p>
<p>Is it Saturday yet?</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/14/6002847/arsenal-premier-league-preview-the-power-of-narrativepdb2014-08-14T11:47:51-04:002014-08-14T11:47:51-04:00An attempt at a final EPL table prediction
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<figcaption>Alex Livesey</figcaption>
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<p>The majority of these will end up being weapons-grade banter come May 2015, but I'm doing this exercise to see just how bad I am at predicting the final table</p> <p>I'm the person others stay away from in casinos. I'm the infamous Cooler. If I put money down on a bet, which I never do since I don't gamble, it's because I'm comfortable losing that money. That money will be lost. <span>If I say something will happen, it's not a matter of "odds" or "chances" that the exact opposite will occur. It is an absolute certainty. </span></p>
<p>With that said, along with my <a target="_blank" href="http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/13/5998609/arsenal-epl-predictions-ramsey-ozil-oxlade-chamberlain">three bold predictions from yesterday</a> (that, again, will probably not happen because I decided to publicly state them), I still decided it'd be a wise idea to attempt a prediction of where the twenty EPL teams this season will finish. Again, because I'm stating them, please feel free to bet on the exact opposite of every single one of them.</p>
<p><b>20. Burnley</b>. Nope. They seem like a fun crowd, and I kinda dig their kits? But, no. Good job, good effort and all that sort of departing, depressing talk you give to the losers.</p>
<p><b>19. West Brom.</b> They signed Joleon Lescott on a Bosman this summer, which tells you all you need to know about the career of Joleon Lescott and the painful, drawn-out decline of West Brom. Down they go.</p>
<p><b>18. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/">Leicester City</a>.</b> Their first five fixtures of the season are home versus <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> away, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> home, Stoke away, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> home. They won the Championship last season; the good news is that they'll get a shot at winning next season's Championship, too.</p>
<p><b>17. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a>.</b> When your new manager trolls the club on the first day of training <a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/493689458458644480" target="_blank">by tweeting out a picture of an empty pitch</a>, alluding to the summer squad hemorrhaging, it's not exactly the kind of karma one wants to see to start the season.</p>
<p><b>16. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a>.</b> I really want them to be better than they are. They have great support, a fantastic history, and one of the coolest stadiums in the country. They also still have Randy Lerner as an owner, which immediately knocks their predicted table finish down ten spots.</p>
<p><b>15. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/queens-park-rangers">Queens Park Rangers</a>.</b> Hey, 2003 called and wanted to say that <span>Rio Ferdinand</span> still hasn't come in for his drugs test. Oh, they also wanted to tell you that in 11 years' time, signing him because of his name, and name only, is probably a bad transfer policy. Then again, Harry Redknapp is still managing QPR, so be fully prepared and ready when he introduces Mark Viduka in January.</p>
<p><b>14. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>.</b> Words cannot describe how happy it makes me to see what new signing <span>Jack Rodwell</span> had to say to fellow English players <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28722148" target="_blank">who are considering signing for </a><a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a>. Sunderland have brought in Rodwell, but look to be losing <span>Connor Wickham</span> to West Ham. The presence of another former Arsenal keeper, <span>Vito Mannone</span>, alone, might see them higher up the table.</p>
<p><b>13. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a>.</b> You know what? No. I'm not going to say shit about Stoke City. I already have, <a href="http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2012/8/24/3262529/stoke-city-v-arsenal-match-preview" target="_blank">in one of my first-ever posts as a writer for TSF</a>. That's how I felt then, it's how I feel now, and it's how I'll forever feel about that club and their ignorant ass fans.</p>
<p><b>12. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a>.</b> Mike Ashley's managed to alienate the entire fanbase against him, Geordies are punching police horses in their horsey faces, and they still employ <span>Alan Pardew</span>. They lost <span>Mathieu Debuchy</span> to Arsenal (thanks, and by the way, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2724715/Mathieu-Debuchy-says-Arsenal-world-Newcastle-United-12m-defender-reveals-didn-t-hesitate-Emirates-switch.html" target="_blank">he hated his time at your club!</a>), however they seemingly find a way to scrape up a mid-table finish.</p>
<p><b>11. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a>.</b> Does anyone know if West Ham have their own in-house YouTube video series that <span>Carl Jenkinson</span> can star in, killing time before he's due back to Arsenal next summer? I don't want to see that part of his game suffer while away from the club.</p>
<p><b>10. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a>.</b> Yes, I have a <span>Tony Pulis</span> side finishing in the top ten. They finished on a high note last season, killing <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool's</a> title hopes in the process, and they also beat Chelsea at home thanks to a <span>John Terry</span> own-goal <a href="http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/481295797-467613.jpg" target="_blank">that will never cease to be funny</a>. Pulis will keep them disciplined, tactically, while frustrating all neutral observers in the process. But Pulis will get results for his club, regardless.</p>
<p><b>9. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city">Hull City</a>.</b> I probably have them way higher than they deserve, or should be, but whatever. I really don't know much about Hull City, other than what I've seen of them when they've played Arsenal, <span>nor do I really care. They're my dark horse for reasons unknown, and that's why you pay the big bucks for The Short Fuse's premium content.</span></p>
<p><b>8. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/swansea-city">Swansea City</a>.</b> Lukasz Fabianski! I really believe the former Arsenal keeper can produce at a consistent level now that he's got a place to start week-in, week-out. As long as they hold on to their main goal-scoring threat, <span>Wilfried Bony</span>, I believe the Swans have a shot at a fairly-decent finish this season.</p>
<p><b>7. Tottenham.</b></p>
<p><b>6. Manchester United. </b> Sorry, but I'm not buying the radical improvements they've made in the span of three months. I think it's an entirely different story this time next year, but there's been far too much turnover at a club that suffered from a drastic culture change twelve months ago. Plus, they spent £30 million on <span>Luke Shaw</span>, which lol. We'll take <span>Calum Chambers</span>, for half that amount from the same selling club, for the win.</p>
<p><b>5. Liverpool.</b> This prediction could easily change if they land a whale of a center forward before the window closes. But I can't see how they manage to produce enough goals in the league, while now having to focus on Champions League, without Luis Suarez there to provide them production. My Liverpool-supporting buddy might not talk to me for a week now so my apologies ahead of time, Brian.</p>
<p><b>4. Everton.</b> For real, though. This is a strong ass club at the moment. They've lost little in terms of players. They made <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> permanent. They penned <span>Seamus Coleman</span> and <span>Ross Barkley</span> to extensions, along with the guy driving all this positive change, <span>Roberto Martinez</span>. Anyone who doubts their aspirations this year will have few sympathizers when the Toffees beat their favorite side this season.</p>
<p><b>3. Manchester City.</b> They won the title on the backs of finally waking up from their four-month slumber to start the season, but it'll be a tougher challenge this season to duplicate those efforts. Stronger clubs now dominate the EPL, with six clubs believing they have what it takes to win the league title. Any sort of squad mutiny, or yet another slow start to the season, could see City slip down the table.</p>
<p><b>2. Arsenal.</b> I really want to put them on top, especially knowing who the club is that I really believe will win it all, and the manager of said unnamed-yet club. I really want to believe this is the season Arsene Wenger gets all the pieces he needs to win the league title, that this is the season Arsenal stay relatively healthy and can put out their strongest side for most matches. And, yet, because I see the glass half-empty on most occasions, I'm inclined to believe the worst will eventually happen. But, dammit, Arsenal will be really fun to watch, and they now possess enough depth to keep them in the thick of the race most of the season.</p>
<p><b>1. Chelsea.</b> Dammit. I really, really do not want to put them here. There are many reasons to hate this club, starting with Jose Mourinho. They brought in one of the dirtiest players in the game, <span>Diego Costa</span>. They bought Cesc Fabregas. They still have John Terry, and still have Ramires. And, yet, they still win a ton of matches. Losing Frank Lampard might hurt, but his role diminished at the club over the past couple seasons. They've gotten stronger, and there's not a lot that suggests to me they'll finish any lower than first.</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/14/6002005/epl-predictions-chelsea-arsenal-liverpool-manchester-unitedTravis King2014-08-14T02:50:13-04:002014-08-14T02:50:13-04:00A new era is dawning at Arsenal
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<img alt="It's been nine years, but the FA Cup still fits your hands the same." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ndTZlJ3SpXzgAdPi98Ytv97Pp80=/0x360:2730x2180/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36922162/491925941.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>It's been nine years, but the FA Cup still fits your hands the same. | Steve Bardens</figcaption>
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<p>Things are changing at Arsenal. They have been for a while. The rewards are now starting to come.</p> <p>For the first time since I've been an <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal</a> fan of any stature (read: since I started regularly watching games and actually knew what I was talking about), I think the team is significantly better as the new season dawns than it was at the beginning of the preceding season. I have expectations and hopes beyond just "try to stay close to the leaders, get Champions League qualification, get out of our group in Europe, and don't embarrass ourselves in the cups." And it's honestly a weird feeling, that I don't really know how to deal with.</p>
<p>Since <a target="_blank" href="http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/8/16/4628800/arsenal-season-preview-2013-14">the last time I wrote a preview</a> we've added two world-class players (whatever definition you choose to use, if you tell me that Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez do not fit I will laugh at you), <span>Aaron Ramsey</span> has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VANBD3mQFe4">ascended</a>, the transfer record has nearly quadrupled, Arsenal spent almost half the season leading the league (128 days!), and topped it off by winning the FA Cup. A lot of shit has gone down.</p>
<p>And it's all led to an era of (mostly) good feelings that are extending into the new season. Part of it is that the last game was the FA Cup final, which ruled, and then we had the World Cup to basically reduce the offseason to nothingness. But mostly it's that there aren't really major problems in the club or in the squad right now, unless you really hate <span>Olivier Giroud</span> or you're desperate for a defensive midfielder. There are certainly holes, imperfections, whatever you want to call it - but last year I said this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Players can come in, and honestly they should. With a couple of good additions, this team looks a lot different. It looks dangerous. But without them, if the market and the club can't figure out a way to mesh, it's likely to be another nine months or so of chasing the Champions League places.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And that's <i>me</i>, y'all. The guy who would literally jump off a bridge if Arsene Wenger told me I'd survive it. We're so far from that place now, it's crazy. And with the cash reserves we have, and the new income from television and kit deals and stadium naming rights and the fact that 60,361 goddamn people want to watch this team twice a week...this team's ability to Do Things shouldn't take a step back for a while, I'd wager.</p>
<p>Does all this mean we're going to win stuff this year? Does it guarantee silverware? Of course not. The top end of the Premier League is better than it's been in a while, with more teams fighting for Champions League places and for the title. Knockout competitions are unpredictable, and full of good teams. <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11192511">Anything can happen</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://giant.gfycat.com/JampackedSphericalCougar.gif">at any time</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27193338">no matter how good the papers say you are</a>.</p>
<p>What it means is that the era of impotence is over, and an era of possibility has begun. Arsenal can attract and acquire the world's best players. Arsenal can win trophies. <a target="_blank" href="http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/secondary/160109.jpg">We've seen it</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article9660237.ece/alternates/w620/Sanchex%20shield.jpg">there's proof</a>. These are things that only the most optimistic or deluded among us actually believed only a few years ago, as we bled talent and lost to teams like Blackburn and Birmingham City and goddamned Bradford. It's not a guarantee, but nothing's ever guaranteed in sports, no matter how amusing it is to go back months later and make fun of old predictions.</p>
<p>So what's my prediction? What's going to happen this year? The hell if I know. But I think it's going to be fun, and it's going to be fun for years.</p>
<h3>Actual Attenpts at Prediction-type Things</h3>
<h4>First XI</h4>
<p>Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil; Walcott, Giroud, Alexis</p>
<h4>Top reserves</h4>
<p>Ospina, Cazorla, Chambers, Monreal, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Bellerin, Rosicky</p>
<h4>Competitions</h4>
<p>Premier League: 2nd<br>Champions League: Quarterfinals<br>FA Cup: Semifinals<br>League Cup: oh come on like you actually thought I was going to predict the League Cup</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/14/6001135/arsenal-season-preview-2014-15-new-era-ozil-alexisThomas Wachtel2014-08-13T14:59:13-04:002014-08-13T14:59:13-04:00Three bold Arsenal predictions
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<figcaption>Clive Mason</figcaption>
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<p>Before the season kicks off this weekend, I try my hand at looking like a mad genius or a complete clown hat</p> <p>I'm taking the plunge and committing to print three bold predictions surrounding Arsenal for the upcoming season. I don't normally do this, but I figure I might as well give it a good shot and see how awful I end up with these three beliefs.</p>
<p>Let's start this, shall we?</p>
<p><b>Arsenal will finish with their highest league point total since The Invincibles</b></p>
<p>Since the famous 2003/04, where they captured the league and a spot in the history books with zero losses and 90 total points, they've only finished above 80 points twice (in the 2004/05 and 2007/08 seasons, they finished each season at 83 points). I see this season's Arsenal squad easily eclipsing that total this season.</p>
<p>Last season, they finished with 79 points after leading the league for most of the first half of the season. It was only after suffering injuries to damn near everyone, especially <span>Aaron Ramsey</span> and Mesut Ozil, that sealed their fate and place in the league.</p>
<p>It's a big 'if', but if Arsenal can maintain health thanks to new fitness coach Shad Forsythe and quickly integrate new signings Alexis Sanchez and <span>Mathieu Debuchy</span> into the starting XI, and if <span>Calum Chambers</span> can make an impact filling it when needed for <span>Per Mertesacker</span> and <span>Laurent Koscielny</span>, this it shouldn't be a stretch to say this team will see better returns this season.</p>
<p>Of course, there will be the odd draw here and there against inferior opposition, and probably a very frustrating loss or two against a heavy underdog, but this squad is good enough to not remain winless against the top four sides this season. However, making up more than four points on the frustrating end to last season shouldn't be too difficult.</p>
<p><b>Aaron Ramsey will win either the PFA Players' Player of the Year or FWA Footballer of the Year. Both, perhaps.</b></p>
<p>Absent injury, I'm not sure if this is really a bold prediction. Aaron Ramsey is, far-and-away, the most complete midfielder in the EPL at the moment, and I don't believe there's a valid argument to be made stating the opposite. Since discovering his goal-scoring ways early last season, he's added the final, most devastating piece to his arsenal (pun most certainly intended).</p>
<p>He can defend. He can pass. He can shoot from distance. He can make smart runs into space. He does everything you want, and then some. Ozil will have plenty of intelligent options to play alongside with now that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> added Alexis to the mix, but the one that will decide many matches this season will be Welsh Jesus. Luis Suarez is out of the league now, so the main threat to Ramsey's stake as the best player in the league goes to one of Sergio Aguero or <span>Eden Hazard</span>. They are two mighty fine players in their own right, but in the end I feel Ramsey's peers and writers will justly recognize his production.</p>
<p><b><span>Mikel Arteta's</span> eventual replacement will be an internal option who will be groomed throughout the season, but it won't be <span>Jack Wilshere</span> or Calum Chambers</b></p>
<p>It'll be <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span>.</p>
<p>Arsene Wenger's previously commented within the past seven months <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenals-alex-oxlade-chamberlain-can-new-3011309" target="_blank">where Oxlade-Chamberlain's future lies</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He scored that goal against Brazil and had a big impact in that game, especially in central midfield. His future will be there in central midfield, in a deeper role, because he has a good long ball and penetration from deep.</p>
<p>He has good quality to distribute and penetrate individually – very similar to <span>Steven Gerrard</span>.</p>
<p>At the moment he is still in development. It is good for his education to play on the left, right or centrally, but after the age of 23 or 24 he will settle into a position. He will be an Aaron Ramsey type.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now, granted, those quotes from Wenger were from an article about Oxlade-Chamberlain's prospects at replacing Gerrard in the England squad, but you can't help but take a look at those quotes and combine them with Wenger's past actions and comments about the English international. Oxlade-Chamberlain had that memorable match at Milan in the Champions League two seasons ago playing in a central position, and played for a while centrally last season after he came back from injury when others around him were hurt.</p>
<p>Nearly two years younger, at only 20 years of age, and without the same long-term injury concerns due to Wilshere's knack for injuring both feet and ankles, Oxlade-Chamberlain is at the prime point of his maturing career to take the strengths of his game - pace, dribbling, passing - to become, with proper coaching and training, the sort of piece Ramsey can successfully pivot with in the years ahead.</p>
<p>What further tells me this looks to be more of an actual thing than many are currently saying is another quote from Wenger <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140314/wenger-there-s-more-to-come-from-ox" target="_blank">about Oxlade-Chamberlain's intelligence</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He has the sense of positional play and he has the qualities which you want to see in the modern game...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That was in March of this year.</p>
<p>Does that sound familiar? Probably not, unless you're an astute follower of Arsene Wenger and what he says about his players. Back in 2012, during Oxlade-Chamberlain's first season at Arsenal, arsenal.com published a piece <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-alex-will-develop-into-midfield-role" target="_blank">with the following as its first sentence of the post</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Arsène Wenger believes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will grow into a central midfielder.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wenger went on to continue to promote in that piece an idea and vision that Oxlade-Chamberlain will grow into that position at some point in his career.</p>
<p>Ever since Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Arsenal, Wenger has made it a point to go out of his way to claim his future lies centrally. Judging from Wenger's quotes, he's already got the mindset and understanding of where his teammates are on the pitch at any given time, something Wilshere's still in the process of learning.</p>
<p>What's starting to get me around this line of thinking are the growing prospects that Wenger won't be purchasing a Mikel Arteta replacement in this window. There are rumors abound for many different continental holding midfielders, all of which have yet to materialize. Combine the lack of movement on that front with the new Edinson Cavani rumors, and that there are players on the squad - namely Oxlade-Chamberlain - that are young enough, smart enough, and more than capable of dropping back into that role, and you've got a potential situation of internal replacement being the eventual conclusion.</p>
<p>Jack came up through the youth squad playing higher up the pitch, and it shows most of the time when he's out there. His future likely lies in a more advanced position, if he proves to Wenger that he's capable of living up to the hype and promise that surrounded his ascension to the first team four seasons ago. It's the former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a> man, and <span>Kieran Gibbs</span>' body-double, however, that I believe Wenger secretly plans on eventually replacing Mikel Arteta with.</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/13/5998609/arsenal-epl-predictions-ramsey-ozil-oxlade-chamberlainTravis King2014-08-13T11:51:55-04:002014-08-13T11:51:55-04:00What the Community Shield tells us about Arsenal
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4K9yBR9erXZkfYCDfInKFBQx8Cw=/0x20:4000x2687/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36888244/453440170.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Clive Mason</figcaption>
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<p>Analysis of Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester City</p> <p>The results of pre-season fixtures are usually a nonsense. Teams are at varying degrees of readiness, and players are usually absent because of post-international tournament recovery and holidaying. Teams usually experiment with players in different roles and with different formations: Arsenal, for example, played Tomas Rosicky as a false 9 in New York, a move which can safely be suggested will never happen in a real game. Towards the end of pre-season, though, is when matches take on a semblance of interest, with teams closer to the expected first XI playing for a longer period of time together. Thus, while the Community Shield victory over Manchester City shouldn't be taken as evidence for <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal's</a> imminent destruction of all before them, it does show that Arsenal are getting closer to finding their best XI and style ahead of the new season.</p>
<p>While everyone was made aware of <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City's</a> absentees, Arsenal were also missing three key players, in <span>Theo Walcott</span>, recovering from knee surgery, and <span>Per Mertesacker</span> and Mesut Özil, recovering from their World Cup exploits. <span>Lukas Podolski</span> was also absent, of course, with finger strain resulting from lots of picture taking. With Alexis Sánchez making his debut, Walcott's absence was mitigated, but missing Mertesacker and Özil forced the side to readjust a bit, especially Özil, who is crucial to Arsenal's attacking play. Instead of playing <span>Santi Cazorla</span> in the number ten role, or Tomas Rosicky, Arsene Wenger titled Arsenal's midfield triangle, deploying Aaron Ramsey and <span>Jack Wilshere</span> ahead of <span>Mikel Arteta</span> in a 4-3-3.</p>
<p>If played correctly, it allows for Arsenal to have far more fluidity and variation in attack. Ramsey had more space to run into, while Wilshere could probe from deep, his preferred role. There was no set playmaker, though if one had to be assigned, it would be a shared role between Cazorla and Ramsey for their work in the final third. On the right hand side, Alexis came off the line either to stretch play or create himself. Meanwhile, with two midfielders ahead of him, Mikel Arteta was comfortable in his holding role, allowing <span>Mathieu Debuchy</span> and <span>Kieran Gibbs</span> to advance from left back.</p>
<p>Arsenal played a similar system in the beginning of the 2009-10 season, with Alex Song holding between a midfield pairing of either <span>Abou Diaby</span> or Denilson alongside Cesc Fabregas. As the season progressed, Diaby became the clear favourite with Aaron Ramsey also starting a fair amount of games. Fabregas was the main creative player, of course, with the freedom to create from deep as well as moving up the pitch in support of Robin van Persie, with the other midfielder making runs from deep: Ramsey scored 4 times in limited playing time while Diaby scored 7 times in all competitions, while from wide Andrey Arshavin, <span>Samir Nasri</span> and Theo Walcott all contributed heavily. Whether Arsenal use a similar system once Mesut Özil returns remains to be seen: while he can certainly create from a slightly deeper role and has been improving since his arrival at the club, it perhaps slightly takes away some of the freedom he has to drift into space, with a free role behind the main striker giving him the structure to have that freedom.</p>
<p>One change from last season will be the way Arsenal build play from goal kicks. The trend over the past three or four campaigns was to hit the goal kick towards <span>Bacary Sagna</span>, who invariably won the ball against his opposing left back. While Mathieu Debuchy is statistically as capable as Sagna in the air, he seems less so on viewing, and <span>Wojciech Szczesny</span> hit most of his goal kicks towards <span>Yaya Sanogo</span> and then <span>Olivier Giroud</span>, and he'll likely continue to do so as long as one of those two start, as they will with Theo Walcott missing for the opening month of the season. With Debuchy not up the pitch to win goal kicks, Arsenal's full backs have more variation. Certainly, Debuchy gets forward, as does Kieran Gibbs, but both now come forward in supporting roles. Bacary Sagna was at his best when he supported Arsenal's attacking play, and Debuchy's combination play with Alexis was promising.</p>
<p>Once Walcott returns, Arsène Wenger will have options: he can play Alexis through the middle, with Walcott and Cazorla wide, or Theo Walcott could play ahead of a creative three of Alexis, Özil and Cazorla, which would be necessary if Walcott were to play through the middle, as his hold up play is less than that of the other options. Olivier Giroud remains first choice but it would be no surprise to see Sanogo play more. Despite still not scoring in an official match, Sanogo no longer seems the joke that he was 9 months ago, and he offers a lot: the ability to hold play up and pass to on-coming runners, as he did on Sunday for <span>Aaron Ramsey's</span> goal and Alexis' chance, and the ability to run behind and stretch play.</p>
<p>The addition of Alexis, the development of Sanogo and the fitness of Wilshere means that Arsenal have lots of different options in attack, which should help the side improve on its goal-scoring record. Wenger feels that this is the best line-up of attacking options he's had in many years, and it's hard to disagree with him. There are still concerns over midfield and defensive depth that could harm the club's chances of winning the league, but if everyone is fit and available, Arsenal look as if they can compete with the very best in the Premier League and Europe.</p>
<p>Projected lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey; Alexis, Özil, Cazorla; Giroud</p>
<p>Key subs: Ospina, Chambers, Monreal, Wilshere, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Walcott</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2014/8/13/5995541/arsenal-premier-league-predictionAidan Gibson