Arsenal FC: Is Elimination by AC Milan a Blessing in Disguise?

As referee Damir Skomina blew the final whistle on Tuesday at the Emirates, every Arsenal fan was bitterly disappointed that the Gunners could not produce the fourth goal to send the match to extra-time.

Maybe it was worse that the North London side were so agonizingly close to pulling level with the Italian giants, rather than being thumped once again.

Maybe it was worse that the fans got their hopes up for nothing, as a 3-0 scoreline at halftime led Gooners into believing that their team would equalize in the second 45 minutes.

Maybe it was worse that Robin van Persie had a golden opportunity to break even with Milan, because that will surely be the moment over which fans—as well as the striker himself—will be pulling their hair out.

But how bad is it, really, that Arsenal didn't advance?

Some may be thinking that elimination from the Champions League leaves only the Premier League remaining, therein ruling out all possibility of a trophy this season. 

Let's be honest, with the Gunners' chances of winning the Champions League are very slim had they managed to edge Milan. And, with their luck of the UEFA's draws, it's not highly unlikely that they would have drawn Barcelona or Real Madrid.

The point is that even though the optimistic Arsenal fans believe that they are a team who are fully capable of winning the Champions League, they aren't in the same league as the top Spanish teams, no matter what a 2-1 win over Barcelona at home says. 

Already handicapped by injuries, the squad had some who were not at their best due to playing far too many matches. Heading into Saturday's clash with Liverpool, the starting spots of Thomas Vermaelen and Robin van Persie—arguably Arsenal's two best players—were in jeopardy because of midweek internationals.

Less matches significantly decreases the probability of injuries to a player; proof of this is something former Gunner Cesc Fabregas's said about a year and a half ago:

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"Understand that I am 23 years old and I’ve played many, many games...Soon I will play my 200th Premier League game, as well as nearly 60 for the national team and 60 in the Champions League...So that’s a lot of games for my age and I have to take care of myself.”

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The implication being that playing constantly is the principal cause of injury, and looking at this one is left wondering whether this is the case in Jack Wilshere's ongoing injury.

Yesterday against Milan, both Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were brought off because of possibly injuries, leaving Gooners praying for the fitness of the essential English wingers.

Not only will it help with the injuries, but Arsene Wenger can focus more on the Premier League, in which finishing outside the top four is a catastrophe. Upcoming fixtures against Newcastle, Manchester City and Chelsea—which are, fortunately for le Professeur, all at home—loom large and will play key roles in the race for fourth.

Some Arsenal fans will even dream about finishing in third place ahead of Tottenham, who are falling apart and are, shockingly, just four points ahead of the Gunners.

But the reason that this display could seem perfect is not only because Wenger won't have Champions League on his hands, but is rather because Arsenal have proved to themselves that they can tear apart a quality defense like that of Milan.

Tuesday's offensive performance was brilliant; scoring three goals on the second-best defense in the Serie A is no joke.

Such a great performance will undoubtedly boost their confidence. And, as Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie tweeted, they were both "very proud" to be Gunners. Even Fabregas considers himself an Arsenal man on a night like Tuesday.

So, contrary to what one probably thought at first glance, maybe it was the best of both worlds after all—Arsenal don't have to deal with the physical and mental struggles of being in two major competitions, and they have shown quality, passion and self-belief.

For Arsenal, it would surely have been nice to advance to the round of eight and pull off one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history.

But this way, it's not so bad.