Just Arsenal News

Why Arsenal can mount a serious title challenge next season? by AH

Now the title may seem to be a bit ridiculous to you and you may be thinking I need a reality check but in fact it’s not as far off as you may think. Before you read this, it’s important to bear in mind that I’m simply saying with these assumptions Arsenal could realistically challenge alongside Man United, Man City and Chelsea for the title and in no way am I saying that under these assumptions that our team would have to win the Premier League once again. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal have always been slated for their spending and financial status. Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest and most valued clubs, every year Arsenal fail to bring in the big name players that everyone is desperate for, in order to make our team great once again.

Arsenal have managed to consistently compete at the highest level on a relatively low spending budget. It was recently announced that In English Premier League History Arsenal have spent £406,690,000 on incoming transfers, which may seem a lot to you but when you think that it’s over the entire course of the premier league era, it’s a very long time and in comparison to other clubs we are 6th in the spending table, behind Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, United and Spurs. (They are actually ahead of us in a final table for once!) .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis yesterday gave his usual rousing speech about Arsenal aiming to win trophies next season, not simply aim for the Top Four. He has vowed to back Arsene Wenger in the transfer market to give the Gunners the toools to win trophies.

With the renewals of season tickets set to begin today, Gazidis said: “It is important to reiterate that for everyone at the Club, qualification for the Champions League is not our ultimate ambition. Our majority owner Mr Kroenke has made it clear that while it’s an achievement to make the Champions League our ultimate objective is to win the major trophies. We all share that clear ambition and will be driving the Club forward to achieve it. Arsène and I have already been planning what we need to do to strengthen so we are better placed next season. .......Read the full article here

There has been much talk of Arsenal’s record amount of funds in the transfer kitty this summer, but with the current squad ending the season with a brilliant ten-game unbeaten run Wenger seemed to hint that there is not much need for reinforcements to be brought in.

“In the last three months, I believe we have been remarkably consistent.” Wenger said: “We won every away game so it’s a good springboard for next season, to transfer that belief into the start of next season. That means we need stability and to strengthen our group if possible. There are many clubs out there with a lot of money so the competition is very hard. There’s not as much talent as money today in football.” .......Read the full article here

Arsenal fans should be used to having our hearts in our mouths towards the end of just about every game since Christmas, but with so much at stake yesterday’s game at Newcastle was even nervier than most. Laurent Koscielny’s goal calmed us all a little, but we still had to suffer right to the end of the 90 minutes.

Wenger was obviously relieved, but was proud that his team stood up and fought the nerves as well as our opponents. The manager was asked after the game if he was “happy and relieved”. “Yes I am.” he replied. “We knew before the game that we had to win and any other result could kick us out of the potential Champions League group stage. We were right because Tottenham and Chelsea won and we had the big disadvantage to play away from home. .......Read the full article here

Jack Wilshere is heading for a small operation in the summer to remove a pin from his ankle, but is still expected to play some part in today’s game against Newcastle due to the injury to Mikel Arteta.

He admits that this game is so crucial that there may be a few nerves amongst the Arsenal players, but says they just have to calm and professional to make sure of the three points, no matter what happens in the Tottenham game.

“The mood has got to be one of excitement because we know that if we win, we’re going to be playing in the Champions League or the Champions League qualifier at the beginning of next season,” Wilshere said on Arsenal.com. .......Read the full article here

5 Reasons Why Arsenal Might Expect Help From Sunderland by FD

So now it’s down to the final match and all Arsenal have to do is beat Newcastle United on Sunday to secure a place in the Champions League for the 16th consecutive season. It’s not a task that should be beyond an in-form and confident Arsenal team who brushed aside the challenge of Wigan at the Emirates last night. But nerves can affect anyone, and it’s possible that the importance of the occasion could serve to stifle our game. So it would be comforting to think that the spuds might not have it all their own way when they face a Sunderland side, now no longer under threat of relegation, in a match that, at least potentially, has important implications for the Gunners. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal must beat Wigan – but a win would help our rivals by FD

It does your head in. You’ve got twenty clubs each playing 38 matches over the course of a long Premier League season, and yet we always seem to arrive at the final stages of the campaign with the remaining fixtures contriving to throw up a set of possible permutations only an evil and twisted mastermind could have devised. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal have only one man to fear tonight, and he doesn’t play for Wigan by DG

We Arsenal fans have almost every reason to be buoyant at our remaining fixtures over the next week. A home tie against a Wigan team that has underperformed all year and who will most likely be suffering from a cup final hangover, followed by an away game against a Newcastle side who simply don’t care anymore. Two teams in the bottom 6, and all we have to do is get the 6 points to secure our top 4 spot. The fixtures couldn’t have been much kinder, regardless of Wigan’s recent good form. So what could possibly go wrong? Oh, by the way…did I mention who’s refereeing the Wigan game? .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger thinks that he has now achieved a good balance in the Arsenal team, and if they can carry their (already nine-game) unbeaten run through to the beginning of next season, they will definitely be challenging for the title.

He said: “Last year we made 70 points and finished third. This year, we can make 73 points and finish fourth, so what you want to do is have a consistency and fight for the Premier League,”

“Finishing fourth is the minimum required. You could see that when Chelsea’s Champions League position was under threat, they came out quickly and said ‘no, what is most important for us is to be in the Champions League next year’. .......Read the full article here

Fate in our hands – Arsenal players must step up by DG

There is an aura of concern and hesitation amongst many Arsenal fans following Spurs’ victory over a Stoke team that already have their minds on their summer holidays. We face a home game against newly crowned FA Cup winners and Man City slayers Wigan on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Newcastle at the weekend. Win both games and we guarantee ourselves a top four finish, so why the pessimism? We are Arsenal – top 4 is what we do. .......Read the full article here

So in the end, as our goalkeeping seer Wojciech Szczesny predicted, the Spuds didn’t have the quality to overcome a Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 23 years – although a few Arsenal hearts must have been beating extra fast when Bale, who had been kept quiet for most of the match, lined up to take that edge-of-the-box free kick deep into injury time. But there was to be no late Bale-Out on this occasion.

The result puts Arsenal’s fate back into our own hands with only two games remaining, but realistically rules out any chance of snatching third spot, barring a Chelsea collapse. .......Read the full article here