Gunnerism: Making Sense of Arsenal

Part I — Why Arsenal are winning, and why we’ll continue to win…

First off, the obvious reason:

Monsieur Wenger signed a new contract.

(Everybody is saying the deal was forged through cooperation with the Board, but my guess is that Wenger didn't want to disappoint the Queen, who just happens to be an Arsenal fan.)

Okay, maybe that wasn’t so obvious. In any event, here are a couple more reasons Aresnal fans could be celebrating at the end of the season:

1. Henry — The Greatest Irony

We all know who Henry is, and what his impact at Arsenal was, so I won't delve into it.

(Just for the record—he was the best to grace English football, ever).

What I will do, though, is explain the irony of his leaving.

Don’t believe what anyone else says—Henry left Arsenal because he wasn’t sure of the future of the club.

Now, with the power of hindsight, I can say this: Little did we all—Henry included—know that the one man preventing Arsenal from finally realizing their true potential was none other than Henry himself.

The star's overwhelming presence undermined the talents of such quality players as Adebayor, Fabregas, Walcott, and even Bendtner. Free from his shadow, our resurgent youngsters are finally living up to their hype.

As the results from this season have proven, Aresenal are definitely better off without Henry. Good luck to him, and congratulations to Arsenal/Arsene for having the courage to say goodbye.

 

2. The Bet

Last season, with our two star strikers injured, goals were hard to come by. Our midfield in particular seemed afraid to pull the trigger, let alone hit the target.

This season, things have changed.

Rosicky, Hleb, and Fabregas have a small bet amongst them as to who can score the most goals this season. That explains a lot of things, doesn’t it?

For one, we're no longer frustrated by too much passing when a clear shot presents itself. Our midfield isn't afraid to take those chances, and the results speak for themselves.

Last season, Arsenal was no different than a seminude model—they were fun to watch, but they left you unsatisfied.

This season, all the clothes might just...you know what I mean.

As for the bet, Hleb and Rosicky will probably be duking it out for second place (Pires and Overmars? Hmm…), which brings me to point number three...

3. Fabregas

Yes, yes, enough has already been said about him—but his talent is so vital to Arsenal that I can't not mention it.

Fabregas is the single most important factor in Arsenal’s quest for glory. So long as he doesn't wear out or succumb to injury, we're in good shape.

Take Cesc out of the equation, and our chances of finishing top of the table would probably be halved.

4. “Underdogs”

After the drama surrounding Dein’s exit, people might have been getting the false impression that things were unstable in the dressing room.

Add to that the departures of Henry and Ljungberg, and suddenly it seems as though Arsenal are seriously lacking in talent.

Evidently, we're the underdogs now—with some critics even going so far as to rank us below Tottenham and Everton.

The good news? The pressure's off, which means there's room for all of the following:

[Creativity + Chances + Exhilarating Football] * [Fabregas – Henry + Wenger] = Wins + EPL Trophy

"Experience" is neither a sufficient nor necessary condition for EPL success—and I believe we're out to prove this truism once and for all.

Hmm...undefeated season, anyone?