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Are Arsenal The Real Title Contenders? Gunners have been impressive this season as compared to the previous. Arsenal used to fight for the top four spot in the past few years but they are different this season, sitting at the top of the table. Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are the top players for Arsenal so far this campaign.

The Gunners sit at top of the Barclays premier league with 4 points clear from Chelsea and 9 clear from the defending champions Manchester United. This is an unfamiliar sight as Arsene Wenger’s side have been fighting for a fourth place finish over the last years.


The £42.5 million deadline day signing Mesut Özil has definitely helped the Gunners topping the assists column with 6 assists despite not having played all the 13 Premier League encounters. The German quickly settled in at Arsenal and started in red hot form but the North Londoners have seen that form dwindle of late, however Mesut notched two assists in the last game.

Arsenal has found a new talisman in Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey who has been inspirational to say the least to their campaign so far. The number 16 has bagged 8 goals and 4 assists on his way to being arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier league thus far.

Arsenal top goal scorer

The Wales captain has not seemed to fade away still covering every blade of grass on the pitch week in week out. Despite sitting at the summit of England’s finest Arsenal have faced only a handful of the upper table teams but their nearest challengers, The Blues, have faced nearly all of them. So coming up against these sides will provide a stern test for Arsenal. In December Arsenal face among others Everton(H), Manchester City(A), Chelsea(H) who will be chomping at the bit to play against and defeat the Gunners.

Arsenal have been said to lack depth in their squad but those critics were brutally silenced in November as the Gunners marched on to win every game but one at Old Trafford. The North London side did this without the services winger/forward Theo Walcott, 5th all-time German top scorer Lukas Podolski and young prodigy Alex Oxlade-Chamaberlain who were all out injured to name just a few. These players missing were key in last season’s campaign. They stayed aloft of the Premier League with only French Gunman, Olivier Giroud, as a recognised striker.

The difference between Arsenal and the rest of the usual title contenders has been that Arsenal have not underestimated the so called “minnows” and treated them with the respect that they deserve i.e. being quality opposition.

This is evidenced by:
Cardiff City 3 – 2 Manchester City
Cardiff City 2 – 2 Manchester United
Cardiff City 0 – 3 Arsenal

This season Arsenal have a new hunger, desire and tenacity couple that with great team morale and chemistry and you have a winning combination. Recently the Gunners have been linked with a move for Brazil and Spain strikers Alexandre Pato and Alvaro Morata (Reportedly he will join Arsenal in Januray) but their performances so far has convinced me that they need no new forward.

Having said all this I think the North London outfit will be near if not at the top of the pile come May 2014, mainly because of their hunger, desire, team spirit and young talent. Arsenal’s post-Christmas form has been second to none during recent years and should they continue that the trophy cabinet at the Emirates will be dusted out.


Tanaka Makamure                                           
Follow him on Twitter, Facebook.

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