6. It Wasn't All Robin, Per Se
On August 17th 2012, the final nail in Arséne Wenger's coffin was hammered squarely home when he failed to prevent the sale of Robin van Persie to Manchester United. At least, that's what the papers said. Initially the sale of RVP appeared devastating and the players brought into to fill his boots-- namely Podolski and Giroud-- unsubstantial. Yet Arsenal finished the 2012-13 season with 3 points more than they amassed in 2011-12 and with only 2 goals less. In addition, the £22M that Arsenal amassed for the sale of the 29-year-old van Persie immediately cancelled out
the £20M they had coughed up for Santi Cazorla not yet two weeks before. One would be forgiven for wondering quite how the 14 league goals of Theo Walcott last season and 10 thus far this season from Giroud could quite equal the tally of 30 that RVP gave Arsenal in his final season with them but the answer to such a question lies at the heart of why selling RVP was one of the best decisions Wenger has ever made. 17 different players have scored for Arsenal this season, in all competitions, with 10 of those scoring more than once and 7 at least five times. Of the first team only the goalkeepers, Monreal, Koscielny, Vermaelen and Jenkinson- all defenders- have failed to find the net. When you then factor in that Arsenal's 3rd highest league scorer of Santi Cazorla, with a mere 4, is enough to propel them to the summit of the league, it's clear to see how the entire squad has stepped up to fill the massive boots left by RVP. This leaves Arsenal in the enviable position of managing to win games when a given player is missing or having an off day- something the likes of a Manchester United have struggled with this season. In addition, the breathing space left by van Persie's departure from Arsenal has allowed the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott to grow as football players, driven by the need of the team to pick up the slack. It's a completely moot point to try and make but one wonders quite whether the likes of these men would be the players they are today had the demand of RVP still been a factor in the first team.