The Highs and Lows for Arsenal in 2015

As the year approaches a close, Arsenal fans will inevitably take some time to reflect on the last 12 months. The change in year coincides with the midpoint of the Premier League season, so it’s an appropriate time to take stock of the Gunners’ recent progress.

For the most part, 2015 has been a positive year. That was the opinion of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who told Matthew Dunn of the Express:

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Overall 2015 was a positive year for us because we were consistent.

If you look from January 1 to December 31 I believe that we were consistent and have improved our results.

The team has grown in stature, is more mature, more reliable and we won the FA Cup, the Community Shield.

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The undoubted highlight has to be a second successive FA Cup win. Arsenal won the trophy in 2014 to end a nine-year wait for silverware, but the final itself was a traumatic, tense affair in which the Gunners were forced to come from behind to beat Hull City in extra time.

The 2015 final against Aston Villa was entirely different. This was an exhibition of football excellence, with Arsenal’s dominance reflected in the 4-0 scoreline. Alexis Sanchez’s goal at Wembley, a stunning long-range strike from 30 yards, would have graced any final.

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The cup triumph also showed that Arsenal are making consistent progress as a club. Two major trophies in the space of a year is a huge step forward for a club who had previously won nothing since 2005.

The club’s Premier League form has also been good. In the course of 2015 they have played 38 matches, winning 25, drawing six and losing seven. That means the Gunners have taken 81 points from a potential 114 available.

It’s not perfect, but there’s no Premier League side who boast a superior record over the same period. Arsenal were able to safely secure automatic qualification for the Champions League at the back end of 2014/15 and close the year at the very top of the table.

There have been some great moments along the way. Arguably, Arsenal’s strong league form can be traced right back to January and a landmark victory over Manchester City. The Gunners went to the Etihad as underdogs and came away with a 2-0 victory that will live long in the memory.

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That was a hugely important day for Wenger’s men. Up until that point, Arsenal appeared to have an inferiority complex when travelling to face major rivals. Oftentimes it felt as if they were beaten before a ball was even kicked. At the Etihad, they came away with more than just three points—they left with a renewed sense of belief.

It also solidified a new-look Arsenal team. Heading into the game, few believed that the Gunners could thrive with a diminutive midfield duo of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin. However, that pairing was outstanding against City. Coquelin was tigerish in the tackle, and Cazorla sparkled in his new role at the base of the midfield. Wenger had seen enough; this performance cemented that partnership at the very core of the Arsenal side for almost the entirety of the year. Only injuries to both players forced Wenger to disrupt that otherwise brilliant partnership.

There were other great days in the Premier League campaign. The 4-1 demolition of Liverpool back in April was enjoyably emphatic, while October’s 3-0 win over Manchester United was another cathartic experience for an Arsenal side who have traditionally struggled against their northern rivals.

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It wasn’t all good news, of course. Arsenal failed to beat Spurs in either of their league encounters in 2015, and will also be hugely frustrated that they never achieved a victory against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Given the Blues’ struggles in the first half of this season, their 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge looks like a rather poor result on reflection.

Despite Arsenal’s impressive showing on the domestic front, they struggled in the Champions League. The 3-1 defeat at home to Monaco in February proved impossible to overturn and saw the Gunners eliminated in the competition’s first knockout phase. Given the standard of the opposition, that was hugely disappointing. They then followed up with poor group form in 2015/16, losing their opening two games to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos. Given their dreadful start, qualifying from the group in any way shape or form has to go down as a significant achievement.

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It would be remiss to reflect on 2015 without talking about the performances of certain players. Mesut Ozil is the man who most warrants inclusion: since returning from injury in January, he has been a player transformed. According to Joe Strange of the Daily Mail, his assist against Bournemouth in Arsenal’s last game of 2015 now makes him a record-breaker:

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The in-form German netted the Gunners' second goal at the Emirates, but it was his corner which set up Gabriel's opener that earned him a place in the history books.

That assist was Ozil's 16th in the top flight this season and his 20th of 2015, making him the player with the most in the Premier League in a calendar year.

The 27-year-old has jumped ahead of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who laid on 19 goals for his team-mates in 2003 as Arsene Wenger's men began their famous Invincibles campaign.

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Ozil has obviously been brilliant, but there are other players who have enjoyed tremendous years. Coquelin cemented his place in the first-team, as did young Spaniard Hector Bellerin. On the other side of the coin, it’s been disappointing that a player like Jack Wilshere has seen such limited action. The Arsenal fans understandably fear that his career could go the same way as that of the unfortunate Abou Diaby. 

Arsenal shouldn’t dwell for too long on their experiences of 2015 in isolation. Football is not measured in calendar years but in seasons, and there is still a good chance that 2015/16 could be a very memorable campaign. The Gunners are in a fantastic position to end their long wait for a Premier League trophy.

After delivering his verdict on Arsenal’s year to the Express, Wenger sounded a warning. After his largely positive assessment, he added:

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In the Premier League we are in a strong position so hopefully 2016 will be better. I’m confident we will fight to stay there.

But it is a long way to go - we are only halfway. Everybody wants to predict who will win it at halfway and that is unfortunately even for the most intelligent people that is impossible.

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Arsenal’s New Year’s resolution must be to make sure that they maintain their 2015 form for the remainder of the season. There is no trophy given for performances in a single year, but if Arsenal carry on like this they could claim a very significant piece of silverware in May.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.