What Arsenal fans can take away from yesterday
It does not come as a shock to many at all that Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League by current holders Bayern Munich. After losing the first leg at the Emirates, Arsenal had the near impossible task of going to the Allianz Arena and reversing the result. The Gunners did not play poorly by any means and some would say were unlucky to not bag more than the single goal that they did on the night, but by the end of the 90-minutes it was Bayern that was through to the quarter finals and it would be Arsenal heading back to London. This has been the fourth straight season that the London side have been knocked out in the round of 16, but this was the thing the club needed at the current movement. Let’s take a look at why Gunners fans should be positive moving forward for the rest of the season.
Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain
With star winger Theo Walcott out for the rest of the season, Arsenal have been begging for some pace on the wings. Chamberlain performed quite well last night in Munich, always threatening both in wide areas and tucking in centrally. His movement both on and off the ball combined with his pace is something that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needs to rely on as the Gunners push for both the FA Cup and the league title. Rather than opting to play three attacking midfielders behind Olivier Giroud, Chamberlain must be given the chance to start regularly – it gives the Gunners an extra added dimension that can help break the opposition down rather than having to rely on the same tactics going forward each time they get into the final third.
How crucial Kieran Gibbs is
Do not get me wrong, Thomas Vermaelen deputized last night and did well enough – he did feature as a left back for former club Ajax on numerous occasions. However, Vermaelen is more of a stay-at-home style player usually and that is one aspect where Gibbs shines. Beyond his strong worth ethic and the pace he has, Gibbs loves to get forward and has become a crucial piece in the Arsenal attack going forward. It allows Arsenal the ability to keep interchanging in the attack as they know Gibbs will surely be making a forward run to either deliver service or take a crack at goal. They missed his forward runs greatly and will hope he stays fit for the remainder of the campaign as that will be needed.
Less distractions
With their elimination from Continental competition, Arsenal can now fully concentrate on both the FA Cup and their league standing. It is presumed that Chelsea will reach at least the quarterfinals as long as they do not capitulate at Stamford Bridge, that gives Arsenal an advantage over their London rivals when it comes to squad freshness for the final leg of the campaign. Arsenal will also be able to juggle their squad more efficiently for FA Cup matches without having to worry about midweek European fixtures. They still will not hold said advantage over Man City unless they come up with a masterclass performance to oust Bayern, but at least they will have one leg up on Chelsea for now. Wenger’s priority must at least be to win the FA Cup and given the potential match-ups in the final, he must go all guns blazing to end the clubs trophy drought.
To be realistic, Arsenal are just not at the level of being able to challenge in the Champions League. Getting knocked out in the round of 16 or at best the quarter finals are all that Gunners fans can expect right now in truth, but there is still plenty of hope on the domestic front. Despite their recent loss to Stoke City, the Gunners over all domestic form is strong and they have a real chance to left the FA Cup. Right now, this season must be looked at as a baby step – winning the FA Cup is a must, coupled with a top four finish may keep Gunners fans happy enough to see what develops at the Emirates over the summer in regards to the transfer market. Should the FA Cup come back to London and they finish in the top four again, Wenger will have no excuses to not invest heavily in the squad, giving it the required depth and quality in all areas so that it may challenge on all fronts for the following campaign.