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Premier League 2015-16 season preview: Arsenal

Sports Mole previews the upcoming 2015-16 Premier League season from an Arsenal perspective.

It is now some 11 years since Arsenal were last crowned the champions of English football.

But, following a strong end to last season and their successful defence of the FA Cup, there is a real feeling at the Emirates Stadium that a genuine title challenge can be mounted this time around.

Here, Sports Mole assesses whether or not the North Londoners have what it takes to win a 14th league title.


In

Petr Cech (Chelsea)

Out

Ryo Miyaichi (St Pauli), Semi Ajayi (Cardiff City), Abou Diaby (Marseille), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Ipswich Town, season-long loan), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham United, season-long loan) Wojciech Szczesny (Roma, season-long loan), George Dobson (West Ham United), Chuba Akpom (Hull City, season-long loan)

Last season - 3rd



Manager - Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger poses proudly with his Manager of the Month award for March 2015

Has the penny finally dropped for Monsieur Wenger? If the second half of last season is anything to go by, perhaps it has. His side looked to have a much better balance, which in turn saw them collect some useful points from tough away trips. The recent Community Shield clash with Chelsea was also an indicator that he is prepared for his side to surrender some possession in favour of launching counter-attacks.

Of course, Wenger is no stranger to the Premier League title, having won it on three occasions. The last of those was in 2004, although the winning feeling has returned of late courtesy of the FA Cup. He has compiled his best squad since 'The Invincibles', so could a fourth title be in the offing?


Key Player - Petr Cech

If a side is going to win a league title, they must have a goalkeeper of high calibre. Ever since the days of David Seaman and Jens Lehmann came to an end, it's a position in which the Gunners have been lacking. While last term neither Wojciech Szczesny nor David Ospina made a string of poor errors, they did not exude confidence.

That will all change courtesy of the arrival of Cech, who has won all that there is to win in club football. Providing that he can remain fit, his former Chelsea teammate John Terry believes that the keeper could be worth 15 points for Arsenal - they were 13 short of the Blues last term. While the onus will be on the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil in the final third, at the other end of the pitch Cech could prove himself to be one of Wenger's smartest ever acquisitions.

Petr Cech of Arsenal shouts instructions during the Emirates Cup match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at the Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2015© Getty Images


Possible starting lineup

Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Sanchez; Giroud

First game: West Ham United (H), Full fixture list

Sports Mole says

Having lost just two matches after the halfway stage, Arsenal were the Premier League's form side as the 2014-15 campaign came to a close. Yet, they must now show that they have kicked the naivety that has hampered them in recent seasons into touch. It's all well and good playing free flowing football when the title is out of reach - they need to do it from the off.

The signing of Cech should go down as one of the best pieces of business this summer, but you cannot help but feel that if they are to really push Chelsea, a couple more additions are required. While Francis Coquelin's form over the last six months was both surprising and positive in equal measure, is he really the holding midfielder that Arsenal need? Also, as Thierry Henry has previously said, it is unlikely that Olivier Giroud will score enough goals as the main centre-forward. They will be closer, but as it stands, will still fall short of the main prize.

Prediction - 2nd

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2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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