Jamie Carragher has delivered a stern warning to that they must seize their chance and win the Premier League title this season, or else face the prospect of going another 10 years without it.
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Arsene Wenger is adamant his Arsenal players have the required characteristics to remain top of the Barclays Premier League table and claim the title.
And a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday meant they finished 2015 on top of the table that matters, alongside surprise package Leicester City.
“I believe that we are mature enough and that we have the requested quality to fight and compete”. Even the manager isn’t happy that it’s been more than a decade since the EPL trophy was in Gunners’ hands; more than a decade since the invincible gave us that unforgettable season. Over the years, no one works within a football club who doesn’t want it to be better, so we want to keep getting better and we are trying to do that behind the scenes.
‘I will remind you that only one team won the league without losing a game.
Arsenal will try to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League this afternoon, at home to Newcastle United, with help from a relaxed and refreshed Mesut Ozil.
Arsenal FC have last won the league in the 2003-04 season, but have since endured a hard period as the club rebuilt itself, having lost the competitive edge due to funds being redirected towards the building of the Emirates Stadium.
If that seems an unnecessarily downbeat note on which to start the new year, then the statistics are hardly in Newcastle’s favour.
“At the moment he doesn’t practice a lot, we rest him a lot between the games”.
“Being top on goal difference doesn’t make a big difference, it is just down to how well you play”, Wenger said.
“I play him in training with Koscielny, with Mertesacker, we have three central defenders (and) that will be needed, but how I rotate them I haven’t decided yet”.
“I don’t believe that at all”, the Frenchman said in response to a suggestion that Wilshere was doubtful for the Euro 2016 tournament in France. I guess it’s fair for opposition fans to call us pacesetters because we were in this exact spot two years ago but I trust that the man I love to hate has a plan this time around.
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“I always think: ‘OK it’s true that he hasn’t played many games in recent years.’ I hope at some stage that will stop because he is young and I hope I’m right”. We can not wait for the next year. We have a chance.
