Arsenal produced the standout moment of the Premier League weekend with a stunning 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners have become somewhat notorious for their failure to pick up results away to their biggest domestic rivals but Sunday’s performance was unlike anything we have seen from Arsenal in many years.
Arsene Wenger produced the type of managerial performance that saw him make his name as one of the best in the business with Manuel Pellegrini and his team of superstars unable to produce any sort of answers to their more defensive approach.
Whilst a title challenge is surely out of the question this season, the race for the top four looks set to go in their favour whilst there is still a chance of a trophy in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
The Gunners still hold perhaps the most divided fanbase in English football with those against Wenger keen to remind everyone that this is only one match and just three points.
Those in favour of the Frenchman staying are keen to point to Sunday’s result as a sign Wenger is the right man to seal a title for the Gunners in the future.
Here we have identified five reasons why the latter could prove correct.
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Click on Arsene Wenger to reveal the 5 reasons why Wenger is still the man to seal a title for Arsenal.
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Finally – he’s adapting accordingly
Arsenal’s problem away to the top teams in recent years has been their attempts to go toe-to-toe and they have often been brutally punished on too many occasions. It cost them the title last season with their results against the smaller teams in fact very good.
But Wenger showed he is willing to adapt to the situation on Sunday at last, playing on the counter attack and in a more defensive formation.
Attack-minded midfielders such as Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla were asked to play more defensive and they even sacrificed having the ball with just 35 per cent of the possession.
This sort of set-up in the future will earn more points against their title rivals which would have proved the difference last season.
He has big money to spend
Arsenal have the funds there to go out and buy anyone they feel they require. Whilst Wenger has never been a big spender – often choosing to keep faith with younger players at his disposal – the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent years have proven he is perhaps changing his ways slightly.
Arsenal have the finances to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United whilst the summer signing of Sanchez proved they are still an attractive destination for the top players in Europe.
The feeling amongst Arsenal fans is that the current squad is a top centre back and holding midfielder away from being title challengers, not to mention experiencing better luck encompassing injuries. If Wenger can get those signings right, anything could be possible.
They have big players with more to offer
Arsene Wenger is a man who often keeps faith with his players – sometimes for too long. But in Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, he has two players who have barely contributed due to injuries and poor form that are now coming back into the picture.
If Wenger can get these two back to their best form, it will be like adding two top class new additions to the squad.
Ozil is proven quality from his time at Real Madrid and with the German national team, and has time on his side to find that sort of form in London.
Theo Walcott was looking like a top class forward before his injury and is another with years on his side to prove that once more under Wenger’s guidance.
He still has the passion and desire to win trophies
Having managed Arsenal for more than 1000 matches, Wenger still has not lost any of that passion and desire that became his trademark during his ealier spell in England.
His celebration of the FA Cup success last term was testament to that whilst his touchline clash with Jose Mourinho earlier in the season proved he was not afraid to defend his club against his major rivals.
For all his mistakes in recent times, it cannot be argued how much Wenger cares for the club and that has transmitted to the players who want to succeed for him.
He has done it before – three times
It is as simple as that. Wenger is a three-time Premier League winner. And whilst his last success came in 2004, Arsenal would be hard-pushed to find a replacement manager that has the experience of how difficult it is to win the English title.
They almost capitalised on Chelsea and Manchester City’s appointment of new managers last term and had they managed better results away from home to the big sides they could well have done it.
The important thing from Sunday’s game and what should give Arsenal hope for the future is that Wenger looks as though he may be finally learning from some of his mistakes.
