Arsene Wenger sure Arsenal will challenge for Premier League title, despite sorry start to season 

Arsene Wenger can see a path towards the Premier League title, despite Arsenal's sorry start to the season 
Arsene Wenger can see a path towards the Premier League title, even after Arsenal's 4-0 humbling at Liverpool  Credit: Mike Egerton /PA

Arsene Wenger has declared himself “convinced” that this Arsenal team will be challenging for the Premier League title next May, despite falling already to 33-1 rank outsiders with some bookmakers.

Arsenal have begun the season with consecutive away defeats, including the 4-0 drubbing at Liverpool, but Wenger backed the assessment of chief executive Ivan Gazidis that this squad does have sufficient strength to end what will be a 14-year wait to win the Premier League.

Their optimism is founded on the belief that there is greater first-team strength following the summer buys of Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac but appears to overlook the impact of such uncertainty over so many key players, as well as the extreme inconsistency in performances throughout 2017.

Arsenal play Bournemouth at the Emirates on Saturday and Wenger was asked whether he was convinced his team would finally sustain a Premier League title challenge this season until May. “Yes,” he said. “I think we are strong enough.”

Asked if the team was stronger than last season, which had actually begun well before collapsing and then again being partially revived, Wenger replied: “I think it depends on what period of the season. We had contrasting periods of the season last year. We have to show that you can improve the team by being together and improving together. Last year we made 75 points, we won the FA Cup and this year we have to do better.”

Arsenal looked like a side very much out of sorts during their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool 
Arsenal looked like a side very much out of sorts during their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool  Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images 

That 75-point tally has only actually been bettered by seven previous Arsenal teams in the entire Premier League era – all of them under Wenger – but still only added up to a final position of fifth, which was the first time he has finished outside of the top four.

That was due largely to the added strength in depth at the top end of the league, with Arsenal currently sixth favourites for the title behind Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. 

Wenger believes that the reaction to Arsenal’s start to the season has lacked perspective and pointed out that his team had already played twice away from home. “Some teams who are the new favourites, they are not in a better position than us,” said Wenger. “OK, we lost at Liverpool but we can redress the situation very well and very quickly.” 

 

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