2. Arsenal's Champions League Place Is In Doubt
Even in the midst of last season's travails, I never once doubted Arsenal's ability to challenge for a spot in the Champions League. The quality, drive, and the belief was present through thick and thin. The chemistry between Van Persie and Alex Song was unbelievable, and every game was a wild roller coaster ride. Arsenal's performances this season suggest that it has hit a brick wall. The players perform as if they know their limits and their place in a league increasingly stratified by clubs' affluence. Thomas Vermaelen is not proving to be the leader that Arsenal need in this time of turmoil, and Arsene Wenger looks frustratingly out of ideas yet afraid to adjust the club's ambitions. Truth be told, Arsenal are no longer a shoe-in for a competition that they have not failed to qualify for 13 consecutive season. That is a frightening prospect, and Arsenal desperately need a hero to emerge to steady the ship and rescue the club and its fans from emotional despair.