It has been years since the Premier League title seemed as close to Arsenal’s grasp as the 2015-16 season. With Petr Cech proving to be everything he was advertised to be as a big summer transfer, plus solid play from the defence, the Gunners have one of the best backlines in England.
There have been encouraging signs in attack, with Mesut Ozil proving to be an excellent creative influence.
But there are several players who have either played well, but not well enough such as Olivier Giroud and Joel Campbell, along with a supporting cast who have looked very poor in the time they’ve had on the pitch.
For Arsenal to beat Manchester City, Man United and the other contenders, they need these five players to really up their game over the next few months.
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Here are the five players that need to step it up for Arsenal if they want to win the Premier League:
5. Mathieu Debuchy
The aging defender is on the wrong side of 30 and he’s played like it, earning only a handful of starts this season. When Arsenal needs a replacement, Debuchy better be ready or the team could get into serious trouble.
4. Joel Campbell
After finally earning his opportunity to play for the first team, Campbell scored a goal in his first start. However, his form in other competitions has been shaky, which Wenger will need to get straightened out in his young star very soon.
3. Alexis Sanchez
Looking at Sanchez’s goal total this season and it looks like he’s been having a great year. But considering that three of his six BPL goals all came in one match against a porous Leicester City defence and his year looks much less impressive after the first quarter mark.
2. David Ospina
Sooner or later Petr Cech is going to miss a Premier League start and someone will need to fill the void. Ospina has struggled mightily as the stopper in competitions this year, but he needs to be able to come in and make the big saves – key points might depend on it.
1. Olivier Giroud
It’s time for the boisterous Frenchman to start playing 90 minutes the same way he plays as a substitute. Arsenal can’t rely on a sub to play the part of finished forever – especially if the team finds themselves playing from behind.