Arsenal: 10 Bold Predictions for The Gunners' 2010 EPL Season

2009 was a year of disappointment on the North Side of London, as Arsène Wenger's Arsenal squad once again failed to deliver on its early promise.

A combination of injuries, bad luck, and poor form early in the year cost the Gunners dearly down the stretch and saw them finish third once more.

Will this season be any different?

Will the Gunners hold on to Cesc Fabregas?

Will Theo Walcott finally realize his potential?

Those questions and more will be answered  as I bring you 10 bold predictions about the Gunners' hopes for 2010.

10. The Gunners Will Lead the EPL in Goals Scored This Season

Arsène Wenger's system has always been a strong offensive form, but this team is the closest to his vision he will ever get.

Speed bursts from every conceivable position (including defender) and the Gunners boast enough offensive talent to score against almost anyone.

With Fabregas, Walcott, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, Andrey Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner and Tomas Rosicky able to score from anywhere, opposing goaltenders will dread seeing the Gunners on their schedule. 

2010 has all the makings of a barnburner on the North Side.

9. Vito Mannone Could Supplant Manuel Almunia as Keeper

33-year-old Manuel Almunia has been Wenger’s goalkeeper of choice at Emirates stadium since the team parted ways with Jens Lehmann is 2007, but the marriage has been a rocky one to say the least. 

The Spaniard has been criticised regularly for suspect play, at times deservedly so, much as Lehmann was during his tenure with the club.

Enter Mannone, a 22-year-old Italian who started eight games last season while Almunia was hurt or resting.

Mannone went 6-0-2 and allowed no more than 2 goals in those eight appearances, while looking the part of the Gunners’ keeper of the future.

If Almunia struggles like he did in the second half of last season, perhaps the stubborn Wenger will look to Vito as the team’s keeper.

8. Theo Walcott Makes "The Leap"

Theo Walcott has been marked for greatness since he was picked to play for England’s 2006 World Cup squad at the tender age of 17, just five months after signing with Arsenal.

Now 21, Walcott shows all the ability and pace of an elite forward. Yet he has struggled to live up to the expectations heaped upon his young shoulders, failing to find consistent playing time in the starting XI.

With Emanuel Adebayor departing and forwards Arshavin and Fabregas lining up in the midfield, Walcott should find himself at forward for the Gunners regularly this season, adding even more firepower to their potent young lineup.

If he gets consistent playing time, don’t be surprised to see Theo finally make "the leap" to the elite scorer Arsenal has been waiting for. 

7. Robin Van Persie Will Stay Healthy and Score 20 Goals This Season

Robin van Persie, a 27-year old Dutch forward/midfielder, has long been the heart and soul of Arsenal’s offense.

An excellent playmaker capable of making thrilling runs and scoring from just about anywhere past midfield, van Persie is coming off a solid World Cup performance.

But the Dutchman’s career has been marked by injuries on the pitch and discord off of it, as his temper has been charged with undermining several strong Dutch national teams in recent years.

Last season he appeared to be on track towards a career year, only to be derailed by a serious ankle injury.  

With his place as the primary scorer in the offense still secure, van Persie will return healthy this season and knock in at least 20 goals.

6. Samir Nasri Will Live Up to the Hype

When Wenger signed a 21-year-old Samir Nasri from Marseille in 2008, he was billed as “the new Zidane." But so far, the youngster has failed to deliver on the hype.

He scored 6 goals last season but tallied just 2 assists in 22 games, a major cause of the Gunners' eventual fall from the top of the table.

His talent is undeniable, though, and his pace and skills make him a strong fit for Wenger’s system.  He is now 23, the age that players either make it or don’t, and nothing in Nasri’s skills suggests that he’s a bust.

He won't lead the Premiership in goals or assists, but look for him to announce his presence on the big stage. 

5. Arsenal's Defense Finally Comes Together

For years, the biggest knock on Wenger’s Gunners has been the team's defense.

Wenger has struggled to find the right mixture on his back line, as evidenced by the number of starting defenders used last season.

At first glance, this season appears to have more struggles in store. Gone are the three regulars in back: William Gallas, Sol Campbell, and Mikael Silvestre.

But a closer look reveals that the losses weren’t as damaging as they at first appeared.

With a back line of Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Emmanuel Eboue, and Gael Clichy, Wenger will have continuity all season long, something that can only help young defenders to impove their play together.

While they are undersized (Eboue and Vermaelen are the tallest at 5’10”), they have better speed and agility than their predecessors, which could make all the difference for Wenger’s fast-paced system. 

4. Nicklas Bendtner Becomes a Force

The 22-year-old Bendtner is a star in the making. He scored 11 goals for the Gunners last season and then led his native Denmark to a heroic third-place finish in their World Cup group.

At 6'3", he is the only player with any size on the Arsenal front line, so expect a ton of crosses to come his way in the box. The talented Dane will help quite a few of them find the back of the net.

With the talent around him, 20 goals for Bendtner isn't out of the question. 

3. Cesc Fabregas Will Stay at Arsenal This Year

One of the biggest questions facing the Gunners in the offseason was the status of talented midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Fabregas has been on the radar of every major world club since debuting for Arsenal as a precocious 17-year-old in 2004.  Now 23, Cesc is a talent on par with the best in the world.

Barcelona, his hometown club, coveted Fabregas this offseason for his excellent field vision and knack for finding the back of the net. But Wenger has fended off their charms long enough to keep Fabregas at Emirates Stadium at the start of the year.

Can Wenger continue to hold off Barca while keeping the dynamic Fabregas happy?

Given his success keeping suitors at bay from the likes of Patrick Viera, Thierry Henry, and others, Wenger should be able to keep Cesc on the Gunners' pitch for the duration of the 2010 season.

2. Wenger Finds Success in Europe

While Arsenal has seen its share of domestic success under Wenger, consistently finishing in the top 4, the team's performance on the continent has been lackluster at best.

This season, provided everyone stays healthy, Wenger should make his deepest run into the Champions League yet.

With depth and talent at forward, midfield and keeper, the Gunners have the makings for a lengthy stay on the continent.

No one expects them to win, but the Gunners could be the shock of the tournament.

1. Arsenal Will Win the Premiership in 2010-2011

A bit of a shocker, don't you think?

But if Wenger is going to return to the heights he once reached earlier this millennium, now is as good a time as any to do it.

Last season's champions, Chelsea, looked a bit long in the tooth while being demolished by Manchester United in the Community Shield match earlier this month.

Liverpool is in a state of disarray as co-owner Tom Hicks tries to sell the club with little success and manager Roy Hodgson watches a good deal of top-tier talent walk out the door.

Manchester City is a trendy pick to win it all, but some sort of drama will, as usual, implode their chances at some point.

Manchester United is the only club with Arsenal's talent, but Man U has seen some of its players get older. Few will move with the fluidity and speed that the Gunners will have this season—only the Red Devils' scoring punch will allow them to keep up.

No one is picking Arsenal to win the league this year.

What better time for Wenger and the Gunners to shock everyone and win the whole thing?