Why Belief Must Be Strong That Arsenal Can Win the Premier League in 2015/16

Despite a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Swansea on Monday night, something is happening at Arsenal. Prior to that match, Arsene Wenger’s side had lost just one Premier League game since the first day of 2015. Even in that game, against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they initially led.

Chelsea may have been crowned champions, but in the second half of the season Arsenal have been the most impressive team in the country.

Inevitably, that has raised expectations ahead of next season. The Gunners could still finish in second position for the first time in a decade, but for Arsenal fans hungry for major trophies second is not good enough. They crave a serious tilt at the title.

The vital ingredients all appear to be there. Arsenal have a varied and dangerous attack, and by adding David Ospina and Francis Coquelin to their team to complement the back line, they have brought calm, organisation and concentration to the defensive aspect of their game. A lot of talk inevitably surrounds their forthcoming summer transfer activity, but the reality is that Wenger’s biggest challenge will not be recruiting new talent but maintaining their excellent momentum.

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Wenger’s greatest triumphs have often followed summers of stability. When Arsenal went unbeaten on the way to lifting the league title in 2003/04, their only senior signing in the preceding summer was Jens Lehmann. It’s expected that there will be a similarly low turnover in personnel this year, as Wenger seeks to retain the alchemic balance he has achieved with his present squad. 

The Arsenal boss is in no doubt as to how this year’s title was lost. Arsenal had a dreadful start, winning just two of their first eight games, and it proved impossible to recover from. He told Arsenal.com: 

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We were not consistent enough—after eight games we were 11 points behind Chelsea. If we win our game in hand today we are 10 points behind Chelsea. That means in the first eight games we lost our championship and that’s what we have to address next season and start strong.

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There were mitigating circumstances to explain Arsenal’s poor start this year. The squad was recovering from their exertions at the World Cup—three Arsenal players had gone all the way to the final. There were also serious injury problems to key personnel, and a number of new signings to bed in. The result was a team that looked as if it had been hurriedly cobbled together, and it was months before the Gunners found their customary fluidity.

There is no World Cup this year, nor European Championships. Alexis Sanchez will play for hosts Chile in the Copa America but fortunately Arsenal are not short of attacking talent should he miss the start of the season.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

The injury situation seems vastly improved, with new fitness coach Shad Forsythe’s methods finally taking hold. It’s almost unheard of for Arsenal to have so many first-team players available for selection at this stage of a season.

Seven signings have been made over the past calendar year, far more than Wenger would ordinarily authorise, and by the time next season rolls around they’ll all be settled in to London life.

Arsenal have no excuse not to start next season as they have ended this one. If the Gunners can do that, they will create a platform from which they can push on to win the league.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.