1. Lack Of European Football Will Mean They Can Put Their Effort Into The League
One side effect of being knocked out of other competitions is being able to concentrate fully on league form, and with the Gunners already out of the League Cup, they have one less tournament to worry about. However, a strategy like this brings its risks, as with less things to win there is more pressure put on the remaining competitions. The Gunners have drawn bitter rivals Spurs in the FA Cup Third Round, and if they dismiss the tie against Bayern, they will have a lot more free match days and will not be playing midweek games in Europe which can only benefit their league form. This is particularly true when considering that the Champions League does not resume until late February, a time where there are only a couple of months to go in the league season, meaning any distractions that can be taken out of the equation would actually be welcomed by the club. Yes it will be disappointing not to be involved in the latter stages of European football, but a league triumph can herald a watershed of success in years to come for the relatively young side. Arsenal's rivals for the title are also involved in the Champions League latter stages, and two of them will look to progress to the Quarter-Finals, with United and Chelsea getting favourable draws in the competition. City drew Barcelona but will still be hopeful of progressing, and this news could be welcomed by Gunners fans with their rivals having to spread their resources more thinly over the coming months. Only the game against Bayern will we be able to see whether Arsenal make a real go of the Champions League this season or not, but if I was Wenger, I'd be more concerned about the tougher test of securing a first league title for the Gunners in 10 years. Do you think Arsenal will win anything this season? Should they be more concerned about the league rather than winning a first European title?
Began writing about football aged 16, I've previously worked for Goal and I'm currently writing for Inside Spanish Football. Specialise in anything linked, connected with or involving football!
