Despite Arsene Wenger's Words, Catching Chelsea Looks Impossible for Arsenal

Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign this weekend still reeling from their midweek collapse against Anderlecht. The infuriating thing for Gunners fans is that for an hour, their team looked to be in good form. They established a 3-0 lead that appeared insurmountable.

If it is the mark of champions to win while playing badly, it doesn’t bode well for Arsenal that they failed to win from such a commanding position. At the present moment, Arsene Wenger’s team look a long way from mounting a title challenge.

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It’s a frustrating state of affairs. Arsenal led the Premier League table for longer than any other team last season. With their confidence boosted by lifting the FA Cup, the expectation was that they would mount a more sustained challenge in 2014/15. 

However, just over a quarter of the way in to the league season, that looks improbable. A clutch of new signings have impressed as individuals but struggled to jell as a group. Defensive deficiencies remain unaddressed. Arsenal have won just four of their opening 10 games. That’s not a ratio one associates with a title-winning side.

Chelsea, the current leaders, have won eight from 10—including a comfortable victory over the Gunners. In that game, it became clear that the gap between the two sides is bigger than a few points. Chelsea are a slick, established outfit. In recruiting Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, Jose Mourinho has added the missing pieces to the jigsaw.

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Arsenal’s best XI is a puzzle that Wenger is still trying to solve. He thought he’d found a modicum of balance after consecutive clean sheets against Sunderland and Burnley. However, the Champions League capitulation has cast fresh doubts. Chelsea are a complete team; Arsenal are one still very much in development.

It's difficult to imagine Chelsea surrendering a lead as Arsenal did against Anderlecht. Moreover, it's difficult to imagine them surrendering their place at the summit of the Premier League having established an advantage.

Wenger remains bullish about the prospect of catching Mourinho. Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Swansea City, he said, per Nick Lustig of the Daily Star: "Of course. We have just got to win the next game to achieve that. In our job you always get taught lessons by people after the games. But before the games we only have one target and that is to win the next game."

He’s bound to say that publicly. To admit that Arsenal won’t catch Chelsea now would be indiscreet. He needs to keep his players in the fight for two reasons: firstly, so they capitalise on any Chelsea blip; secondly, to ensure they hold on to that precious top-four place.

He’s right about one thing: Arsenal need wins. Ordinarily, a point away to Swansea would be a decent result. However, having drawn five games already this season, the Gunners cannot afford to let those two extra points slip on many more occasions.

Wenger’s slim hopes of entering the title fight are depending on putting together a strong run of consecutive victories. That quest begins against sixth-place Swansea on Sunday. Anything less than three points will be another significant blow.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and has been nominated as the best Established Football Blogger at the Football Blog Awards. Click here to vote for him.