Arsenal Can Still End The Season As Champions Of England

Arsenal have won nothing for the last five years and the defeat to Barcelona last week has left the Gunners with only a faint hope of stealing the Premier League crown.

However, it is not an impossible task looking at the fixture list, compared to Manchester United and Chelsea.

        Arsenal                      Chelsea             Manchester United

    Tottenham (A)               Bolton (H)               Blackburn (A)

       Wigan (A)                Tottenham (A)            Man City (A)

     Man City (H)                  Stoke (H)              Tottenham (H)

     Blackburn (A)               Liverpool (A)            Sunderland (A)

      Fulham (H)                   Wigan (H)                Stoke (H)

Manchester United are currently drawing 0-0 with Blackburn at half time, but most expect the Red Devils to win this game. Looking at the remaining fixtures above, you can see Arsenal have a favourable run in. Initially all three teams have to win all five but I am expecting the smaller teams to play their part and cause a few upsets.

Tottenham have it in their power to beat or draw all three teams and Spurs are fighting for that fourth spot, I am expecting them to really have a go. However, following their Champions League defeat, Arsenal will want a reaction and this derby is bound to be feisty. The Gunners have also rested since Tuesday and do not play again until Wednesday whereas Spurs play Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Sunday 11 April 2010.

I believe Arsenal will win all five games but may struggle against Manchester City. Chelsea will be severely tested against Spurs, Liverpool and Stoke who could potentially snatch a point from the Blues. Manchester United may drop points against Spurs and Manchester City, leaving the way clear for Arsenal to win a first trophy in five years.

The key man for Arsenal:

This will be no easy task, Arsenal do depend strongly on the other results and must pray for results to go their way, but the following are the key men who have to step up for the Gunners to have any chance of winning.

Nicklas Bendtner:

Not everyone's favourite forward but the Dane is quickly proving himself as a genuine talented striker. Having been on a scoring spree lately, his goals for Arsenal will be more crucial now than ever before.

Why should Arsenal fans like the player? well he is over 6ft tall, holds the ball up and scores with his head. He is Arsenal's plan B.....against Wolves at the Emirates, last ditch cross headed in be Bendtner to ensure a win for the Gunners.

Samir Nasri:

With Fabregas out for the season, time for Nasri to really showcase his talent as a central attacking midfielder. He needs to rekindle the sort of play we all saw against Porto at the Emirates, where the Frenchman pulled the strings together for the Gunners. His performance is vital for Arsenal to keep pressure on the other title contenders.

Manual Almunia:

We boo him, we love him, we boo him, we love him and we boo him and love him again! The Spanish goalkeeper has been inconsistent for Arsenal and needs to be commanding especially in the big games such as Spurs and Man City. A good defence is always strong when the goalkeeper is right. Almunia could also be playing for his future.

Robin Van Persie:

Back from injury at the most crucial time, this is a major boost for Arsenal. Although I would not solely depend on Van Persie, he has been out for a long time. However any contribution from the Dutch striker is a welcoming one for all Gooner fans!

In conclusion, Arsenal may end a season empty handed but this season has been much stronger from the Gunners than any previous ones. Every time they have had setbacks, Arsene Wenger's men responded strongly. However, no trophies may mean a summer tinkering from the boss.