Mature Arsenal Show The Resilience Of Champions

If you look at Arsenal’s past few seasons it would be hard to see how they could mount a realistic title challenge this time round.

Top players were being sold to rivals and being replaced with players who most would deem not quite up to the standard of the outgoing players. Throw in the fact Manchester City were still signing world class players in the summer, Mourinho coming back to Chelsea and Moyes tipped to continue the success of Fergie (or so we thought!), it was difficult to see what part Arsenal would play in the title race this season, if any at all.

Seeing the Arsenal class of 2013/14 has restored confidence in Arsenal fans, reminiscent of the glory days. What has been so refreshing about this season is Arsenal are showing fight and passion, which has lacked in recent years.

There were games last year, particularly at the Emirates, where the Gunners would brush aside teams and score goals for fun, to see them net 4 or 5 goals was not uncommon. Then other games where they were probably expected to win and they’d go on to dropped points.  

This year, interestingly, most games Arsenal have only scored 2 or 3 goals and games have been just that little bit tighter, a nightmare for fans and there has probably been times where you Gunner fans have left games with no finger nails left at all!  

Last night’s game against Aston Villa is a great example of how Arsenal have matured as a team and are defending bravely. In previous seasons I believe Arsenal would have gone on to drop points and drawn a game similar to last night, but so many times this year Arsenal have overcome the challenge and held on for 3 points.

 Wins where you thrash a team are great but I’ve been more encouraged by the resilience shown, where maybe they haven’t played as well as they can but have still taken 3 points from the game, that is a sign of champions.

Dan Price