Futuristic Arsenal get their concoction right

It was a dry spell for Arsenal in the English Premier League as they zoomed into the Champions League. Bagging a victory against Real Madrid and then holding them off for a draw seemed to raise the spirit of the young Gunners. And now even their EPL form seem to be on a high as they challenge Tottenham Hotspur for the fourth spot. It is thus viable to ask have Arsene Wenger’s boys finally got their concoction right? Have they finally gotten over Vieira’s move to Juventes? Are the Gunners finally moving away from being Henry-centric to a team that is capable of winning?

The current Arsenal squad is a blend of youth as well as experience. The earliest signing on the squad was made in 1995 when Dennis Bergkamp was signed in and the most recent signing was that of Emmanuel Adebayor, a forward, in 2006. The youngest players are Francesc Fabregas and Alexandre Song Billong who are 18-years-old and the oldest players are of course Dennis Bergkamp and Jens Lehman who are 36-years-old.

What is interesting to note is Arsene Wenger’s thought process – he has made at least one new signing every year since 1998. In 1998 Fredrik Ljunberg was roped in, in 1999 Thierry Henry, in 2000 we found a midfielder in Robert Pires, and in 2001 defender Sol Campbell made his appearance for Arsenal. Moving on, 2002 was Kolo Toure’s debut for the Gunners, 2003 saw Jens Lehmann (a blessing) and Philippe Senderos, 2004 added a forward and a midfielder to the concoction with Robin van Persie and Mathieu Flamini. In 2005 Wenger included three new signings with Aleksander Hleb, Alexander Song Billong and Emmanuel Eboue. While 2006, saw the promising Adebayor as the fresh face of the year.

As much as Arsenal fans and football fans in general love watching Henry at his best, the recent Charlton defeat was by far the most promising EPL game as Pires, Adebayor and Helb scored - putting up a 3-0 victory. It takes the tension off speculation that Henry might be on his way to Barcelona. As horrible as that would be, at least Arsenal fans know that “we will survive.”

I do believe this is a promising Arsenal side. The drop in form during the tee off this season was largely due to Vieira’s exit and all the new signings. Focusing on one league was probably the only way of some silverware hope this season. However, Arsenal have finally gotten their concoction right and managed to find their ground in this squad.

This season the Champions League, next season the English Premier League? I guess we will have to wait and see…