The Hype

Arsenal produced one of the most dominant 45 minute displays in recent memory this past weekend. Their first half performance allowed them to coast after the interval where constant substitutions and lying in much deeper positions let them see out a comfortable win. There were a variety of encouraging signs including Arsenal bossing the midfield, some scrappy yet hard nosed defending (epitomized by Santi Cazorla sprinting back across the field to block almost a sure goal from Jovetic) and some good hold up play and direct runs from the forwards. Every Arsenal fan had more to be exited about that simply the 3-0 scoreline because of the way they achieved the result. For good periods of the match Arsenal truly looked like a world class team capable of going toe to toe with the Premier League's best. However they aren't there quite yet.

The most apparent reason for this was Manchester City's makeshift back-line. Kompany, Demichelis, Zabaletta and Sagna could do little from the stands as they watched their team get torn apart at Wembley. Boyata, although a tremendous athlete, likely won't see nearly as much time as his more experienced counterparts this season, and while Natasic has tremendous potential, he produced one of his worst performances against the Gunners. Clichy, a true left back, was moved to the right and Kolarov has always be know for his attacking prowess rather than defending. This was evident as he was caught in between on a variety of situations as Alexis Sanchez drifted inside. With Kompany back, the addition of Mangala, and Fernandinho likely starting over Fernando, expect a much different look from City once the season rolls around.

Last pre-season saw the emergence of Aaron Ramsey and some solid performances by the whole team during the Asia tour and early friendlies. The midfield was firing on all cylinders, the defense had started to look solid, and Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott were both in top form. All this culminated in a 2-0 win against Manchester City in Finland shortly before the season started. Sound familiar? This pre-season has had more ups and downs as Arsenal looked lethargic against New York Red Bulls and AS Monaco while running Benfica and Manchester City out of the stadium. The performances have been encouraging but the Gunners still haven't shown the required consistency needed to win major trophies. Arsene Wenger was always the first to point out that Arsenal had gained more points that any other team during the 2013 year. Unfortunately for him, good form from January to December doesn't mean you're going to win a title as Arsenal fizzled out towards the end of the season.

In the case of Arsenal in recent seasons, history was bound to repeat itself. As more and more stars (and captians) were sold, Arsenal had difficulty putting together a complete campaign and cycled back and fourth between third and fourth place in the final standings. Some will consider their continuous stay in the top four a success due to their limited spending power since the stadium move. Last season and this one have had quite a different feel though. Fewer big names have left and they've been boosted by big name signings to give fans some early optimism. A seven point gap isn't nearly as big as it seems because if Arsenal didn't shy away against the top half of the table (only winning a single game away from home against the top eight teams last year) it becomes a six point swing against a close rival if they're able to get a win. Arsenal are unquestionably a better squad than they were last season. But getting the big signatures and having numerous attacking options doesn't translate directly into success. That being said, I'm exited for Arsenal to prove the critics wrong this season.