Arsenal’s rivals next season? by SV
The discussion surrounding RVP and the players who may leave Arsenal is, quite frankly, doing my head in as I just don’t want to imagine the worst case scenario. So, to get my mind off things, I decided to have a look at next season. Specifically, I want to discuss who might be our main competition.
Manchester City:
These are the obvious ones. They won the title last season and will probably only strengthen over the summer. David Silva looks to be on the verge of penning a new deal and they are in the market for yet another striker (ohhh shit). The only player who may be leaving is Yaya Toure, whose agent has been talking him up recently. On the face of it, City have a ridiculous amount of strength in depth and most of the players in their starting XI are world class. However, I have been saying for ages that the talent in your squad is only a small part of actually winning a trophy. Teamwork, spirit and mentality are all crucial factors in a successful team. And this could be City’s downfall, they are not so much a team as a bunch of individual players looking to further their own prospects. I wonder how many City players there are who genuinely love the club. So City are not invulnerable by a long way, that’s all I’m saying.
Chelsea:
You can look at Chelsea as City’s predecessors. They were the first real financial heavyweights in the League before City came along and outspent them. Chelsea had an absolutely mediocre squad last year, with a terrible mentality and questionable manager (for half of it, at least). I think that their ‘successful’ season was nothing more than a fluke. A one in a million. A slap in the face of football. But, unfortunately, the trophies they won (not to mention their wealth) mean that they are attractive to players around the world. They have already signed Hazard (who, despite his many flaws, is still an excellent footballer) and look likely to land Hulk. With those two players in, they could have an attacking unit of Mata in midfield, and Hulk, Torres and Hazard ahead of him. This is a quite formidable line-up.
Manchester United:
Despite how much I dislike them, I must admit I have a huge respect for Manchester United. They are the ONLY other team in England to surpass us for consistency over the past 15 years. They never seem to have the best squad (besides that Tevez/Rooney/Ronaldo one) but yet still somehow manage to either win or almost win the League every year. I am sure that next season will be the same. They have added Kagawa to their ranks, who will significantly bolster their average midfield and they will have Nemanja Vidic back with them. This is massive for them, as I think Vidic is one of the best centre-backs in the League. They will also probably have Fletcher back, while Welbeck is likely to have grown since last season.
Tottenham:
Yes, Tottenham. I’m sorry, but despite how much we despise them, we cannot deny that they gave us a real run for our money last season. They have their main bit of summer business done, with Gareth Bale having signed a new deal and talks with Adebayor also reportedly moving well. As well as this, they look extremely likely to sign Vertonghen, who will be a valuable piece for them in their shaky defence. However, there is good news in that there is a good chance that the yids will lose both Van der Vaart and Modric. If this occurs, they will be a much diminished side next term. Fingers crossed, eh?
And that’s it really. I think that they will be our real competition in the league. Of course, there will be a threat from Liverpool and Newcastle, but I think that Liverpool are just too far off as a whole to be a serious threat, and I don’t think that Newcastle have the financial muscle to improve that much from last season.
But despite everything I’ve said though, it is important to reiterate that the EPL is (again, in my opinion) by far the best league in the world as every team can challenge the top sides. This makes it interesting for the fans but it also means that we cannot be complacent in ANY match during the season. If we can do that, then we have a real chance. Do you think Arsenal will make the Top Four?
COYG!
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