Mesut Ozil believes Arsenal can win the Premier League this season, find out why here…
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has surprisingly claimed that his team are still capable of winning the Premier League title this season, despite the Gunners being 13 points behind leaders Chelsea.
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The German international, who was quoted by the Daily Mail, said: “We have a really strong team. People could see that once again against Stoke. So I don’t see why we shouldn’t finish right at the very top of the table. When you play football you should always have belief in yourself.”
Well sorry Mesut, we just don’t see it happening, and here are ten reasons why not…
10) Points Deficit
Let’s start with the most obvious point – Arsenal are 13 points behind with 17 games remaining. They’re currently in fifth place, behind Manchester United, Southampton, Manchester City and leaders Chelsea. Top four is completely possible, but the title is surely beyond everyone barring the top two.
9) January Signings
The Gunners have been inevitably quiet in the first-half of the January transfer window. A deal for teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik looks close to completion, but he’s purely a name for the future at this stage. Arsenal just don’t make marquee January signings, and there has been no indication this year will be any different.
8) Injuries
Arsenal have had little luck with injuries so far this season, particularly in defence. They have a thin squad in comparison to the likes of Chelsea, City and United, and cannot afford to keep losing players if they are to maintain any sort of form and consistency.
7) Missing A Defender
Arsenal still haven’t properly replaced Thomas Vermaelen, who they sold to Barcelona in the summer. Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy did come in, but it’s worth remembering that they also lost Bacary Sagna to Manchester City. With further question marks over the form of Per Mertesacker, they are definitely a man short.
6) Goalkeeper Troubles
Wojciech Szczesny has become something of a villainous figure at the Emirates Stadium since his smoking debacle. David Ospina impressed on his league debut last weekend, but has yet to be truly tested after enjoying a quiet afternoon against Stoke. The Colombian has also endured plenty of injury issues this year, and might not prove to be a long-term replacement.
5) Arsene Wenger
Arsenal have not won the Premier League title in 11 years, and the Gunners fans are unlikely to let the Frenchman forget it. The criticism continues to reign in on Wenger with every defeat that he suffers, and you have to wonder how long he will put up with the abuse before he decides to call it a day – that is not the sort of situation that surrounds a title winning team.
4) Over-Reliance On Sanchez
The Chilean has scored 12 of Arsenal’s 37 league goals – Olivier Giroud is second with five – and has already picked up 18 goals in all competitions. But ponder this, where would they have been without him this season? Already fifth in the league with him in the team, what would happen if he got injured.
3) Under-performing Ozil
Ozil’s comments come after the German has returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury. But prior to his enforced break, he was hardly lighting up the world stage with his performances. Rather than making promises of success, surely he’d do better to keep his head down and concentrate on rediscovering his own best form, before he beging talking titles.
2) Fighting On Three Fronts
We mentioned earlier that Arsenal had a thin squad, well that squad will also have to content with the Champions League – where they meet Monaco next month – and the FA Cup, which they will be trying to defend after winning last year. Can they cope with both cup competitions and pushing back up the league table? Time will tell.
1) Resurgent Manchester United and Southampton
There’s plenty of competition in the Premier League this year, and plenty of potential slip-ups. In addition to the top two, a resurgent Manchester United and an impressive Southampton side are also targeting Champions League football next year. Tottenham and Liverpool are also showing signs of steady improvement, and a title run will only be made harder by those around them.
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