After another fourth-placed finish in 2012/13, the pressure will again be on Arsene Wenger to start delivering trophies to the Emirates.
What happened last season
The plan was to spread the load after the exit of Robin van Persie, and that’s precisely what happened.
Arsene Wenger brought in three players – Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud – to replace one and for a while, it looked like they were doing the job asked of them.
That was until the inevitable mid-season stumble, which quickly turned into a mid-season crisis.
Arsenal’s stumble began in October and carried through to the Capital One Cup, where a full-strength side was humiliated by fourth-tier Bradford City.
Fortunately, there were eight wins in the last 10 games, so all that unpredictability and inconsistency that came beforehand was neatly patched over as they claimed fourth place, a UEFA Champions League qualifier spot and the opportunity to do it all again this season.
What happened in the off-season
Not much in terms of action. The only in is underwhelming – 20-year-old Yaya Sanogo, who comes on a free transfer from French club Auxerre.
But despite a number of gaping holes in the squad, that is it.
Arsenal has made a lot of noise in its pursuit of trouble magnet Luis Suarez, even prompting this hilarious tweet at the peak of the saga from Liverpool owner John W Henry: “What do you think they’re smoking over there at Emirates?”
Despite an offer that would have broken the club’s transfer record it appears Suarez is now going to stay at Liverpool – the devotion of his fans, he says, convinced him – and so it’s back to square one for Arsenal.
They’ve also just missed out on the signature of Bayern Munich’s Luis Gustavo, who looks set to join Wolfsburg instead. The fans are getting restless.
Why Arsenal fans should be excited about the 2013/14 season
Until there’s a big signing, not much, but here goes – the Gunners finished last season in style and will be keen to transfer that form into the start of the new campaign, which is pretty easy.
The only top-draw team Arsenal faces in the first three months is rivals Tottenham Hotspur, before starting November at home to Liverpool and away to Manchester United.
Not that Liverpool are a top-draw team, but, you know.
There’s an opportunity, especially given the managerial change at the ‘big three’, that Arsenal’s continuity (and soft start to the season) could see them Bradbury their way to a decent position by the end of the year.
The main man that can carry Arsenal’s 2013/14 hopes
Santi Cazorla was a revelation last term, quickly becoming a favourite even for opposition fans who admired his guile in the final third.
So you can imagine how Gunners diehards felt earlier in the off-season when he was linked to a move to Atletico Madrid.
It didn’t happen, obviously, and Cazorla remains arguably Arsenal’s most important player. But he’s not Arsenal’s only weapon.
The Spaniard scored 12 goals and laid on 11 assists in 2012-13 but was one of four players from the club to break double figures in the former category – the others were Oliver Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott.
Verdict – Fighting for Europe
Arsenal will aim high but realistically appears little chance of breaking into a top four of United, City, Chelsea and Spurs, unless something changes drastically in the transfer market.
Every one of them either has spent big or intends to, and it doesn’t look like Arsenal will follow suit – so the gap will grow wider.
Suarez would have given the club some much-needed swagger and perhaps enough ammunition to go for a finish in the four, but that will not happen.
How Arsenal starts this season will set the tone – if it’s a disaster, there will be a near-mutiny in the stands.
Fortunately, the filtering gods have been kind. First up it’s Aston Villa (home), then Fulham (away), Spurs (home), Sunderland (away), Stoke (home) and Swansea (away). Five wins from six is far from impossible.
Santi Cazorla was a revelation in his first season for Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger is again under pressure to deliver.
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