Arsenal's Dream of Winning Silverware Is Hanging by a Thread

Arsenal have beaten Wolves in the last few minutes of the game, courtesy of a Nicklas Bendtner header, and just when you thought it was all over, Arsenal are somehow still in the hunt for the title.

However, Arsenal are barely alive in both the Champions League and the EPL, and in a few days time, the Gunners will probably face an exit from Europe.

That doesn't mean that Arsenal aren't good enough for Barcelona, quite the contrary, a half-injured Arsenal side came back from behind to stun a fully fit Barcelona side.

However, Arsenal are without the majority of their star players, and while the players at hand have a few aces up their sleeves, Arsenal barely have 11 players to field in the Nou Camp.

Barcelona's luck is high yet again; the only players who might miss are Ibrahimovic and the two first-choice centre backs, while the rest of their squad are still available.

Arsenal are likely to play Rosicky in place of Arshavin, and Nasri in place of Fabregas, Song will replace Gallas in defence, and Diaby will replace Song in the midfield.

Arsenal are barely able to improvise, which begs the question, who will replace Rosicky or Nasir should they get injured?

Merida! But then again, there aren't enough players fit in the squad. Silvestre is playing as a Left back whenever Clichy is missing, and Eboue is already filling the midfield. Should Sagna get injured, another hole in the midfield will be left.

While Chelsea have Ivanovic to replace Bosingwa, and Ferriera to replace Ivanovic, Arsenal are swapping positions to survive the season.

One has to wonder, how did Chelsea not win the previous seasons with the squad at hand?

The main reason all these assumptions are being made, is because with Arsenal, injuries tend to happen on a regular basis. The few survivors in the squad have to be applauded for their efforts, and the likes of Silvestre and Campell have to be admired for filling in admirably when called upon.

But it's hard to picture the inexperienced and sometimes frustrating Denilson taking control of the ball in the middle of the park in the Nou Camp.

While Barcelona have the luck to field an almost full strength squad, Arsenal are a few steps away from fielding the reserves.

In fact, if Wilshere was still with the team, he would've probably been on the bench at the start of the game next Tuesday.

Also, Arsenal are to play against Manchester City and Spurs in the weeks to come, and they need to have players leaving the medical room, rather than entering it, the only hope Arsenal have in winning the league is to gain more points than their rivals.

Goal difference is out of the question, seeing how Chelsea are more than 10 goals ahead of Arsenal, courtesy of mediocre Aston Villa and Sunderland performances to ensure that Chelsea have the upper hand in the goals department.

Arsenal are expected to have Van Persie and Arshavin in three weeks, if by some miracle Arsenal get past Barcelona, the team will have reasons to rejoice.

But as things stand, Arsenal chances of beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp look very slim, and all a fan can ask of this squad is to play to their limits, and play the game of their careers.

There are five games to go in the league, Arsenal need to get all 15 points, no room for error, and even then, that might still be not enough to get Arsenal the EPL trophy, but the Gunners must never give up.

Their determination is to be admired, and their heart have won them fans from all around the world this season, but Arsenal need to prove that they are indeed, one of the greatest teams on the planet.

Many players have sacrificed themselves for Arsenal this season, Gallas and Fabregas played knowing that they face a great risk of missing the rest of the season, and maybe even the World Cup, while Ramsey broke his leg against Stoke.

These players have shown that they were indeed dedicated to the cause, and that they placed Arsenal above all else, something Arsenal have missed in recent seasons. Hleb, Adebayour and Flamini come to mind.

These players are to be thanked for their passion and dedication. Winning a trophy this season would be a great reward for them, and for the fans.

But the fans need to acknowledge the fact that Arsenal's chances of winning silverware this season look very slim, not because the Gunners aren't good enough, but simply because the Gunners don't have luck on their side at the moment.

No mater how the season ends, this Arsenal squad deserves to be admired for what they've achieved already.

Arsenal winning a trophy this season!

I don't know; stranger things have happened.