Arsenal: Gunners Need to Break Chelsea's Record to End Title Drought

After a summer filled with transfer speculations linking the possible arrival of an experienced goalkeeper (and the exit of Manuel Almunia), Arsenal are left with few options other than to play Almunia between the sticks until the January transfer window opens.

Is Arsene Wenger Planning to Promote Wojciech Szczesny / Vito Mannone? 

Arsene Wenger asserted that the goalkeeper who plays against Liverpool in the season opener will be Arsenal's No. 1 (provided that Arsenal did not sign a goalkeeper). It does seem likely that Almunia will continue to be the No. 1 goalkeeper, though Lukasz Fabianski's position as the backup goalkeeper is far from guaranteed.

But what is interesting is that none of the Arsenal keeper, have been sent out on loan for this season. Szczesny was loaned out to Brentford, where he had an extremely successful stint. Szczesny and Mannone, who was exceptional against Fulham last year, will presumably get their chances in the Carling Cup and in the earlier rounds of the FA cup.

If they do grab their opportunities, then they could push Almunia for a starting spot. Wenger's failure to sign Aussie Mark Schwarzer will provide both of these youngsters with opportunities to showcase their talents on the big stage.

At the moment though, with the error-prone Almunia as the first choice goalkeeper and the unreliable Fabianski as his backup, Arsenal will have to hit their straps and try to break Chelsea's record of 100-plus goals in a season if they have to keep their title aspirations alive.

Arsenal Will Have to Rack Up the Goals, but Who Will Do It for Them?

Arsenal have started off their season in consistent fashion, having won two games, including a tricky fixture against Blackburn at Ewood Park and a draw against Liverpool at Anfield. They will have to avoid having defensive lapses and will have to scrape though to victories even if they are not in great form.

Arsenal play a free-flowing brand of football which is a joy to watch whether you are a neutral football fan or an Arsenal fan. Their attacking style of football will help them create a number of chances against all oppositions, but it is imperative that Arsenal's young talented players make optimum utilisation of them.

Arsenal's defence is not the strongest in the Premier League, but they boast an array of creative attacking players who can split open the best defences in the world. It is up to these players to step up and realise their potential in this season, and any player failing to stand up and be counted will be expected to face criticism from the fans.

Robin van Persie and Other Strikers

Robin van Persie is, undeniably, Arsenal's most potent strike weapon. But his fitness problems have often denied Arsenal his services and has not allowed him to develop into a world-class striker of the brand as that of Fernando Torres or Didier Drogba. He has not had a season bereft of injuries, and this season is no different.

Even with his injury problems, he will remain Arsenal's first choice striker who has great quality, and his talent and fitness will be important to Arsenal scoring a lot of goals. But even if he is not fit, Arsenal need their other striking options to fire.

Nicklas Bendtner, the Danish striker, has come a long way in the last season, but his ongoing groin worries will hamper his development. He will take time to regain his match fitness, and Arsenal fans will not see a sharp and fit Bendtner until the latter half of the season.

The Arsenal youth academy product notched up a number of goals during the later stages of the last season, and when fit, he will be an integral part of the Arsenal strike force.

Marouane Chamakh is the only fit centre forward at present but is not a prolific goal-scorer. Nevertheless, his link-up play will allow wingers to have more space, and he will be a very useful player. Another important thing that he brings to this lightweight lineup is his physical strength and aerial ability. He is a player who has suffered relatively few injuries, and his fitness will be a boost to Arsenal.

Arsenal do not possess great depth in this department following the departure of Eduardo and would do well to reassess their options in January.

Francesc Fabregas and Attacking Midfielders

Cesc Fabregas, the leader in goals and assists tally for the last season, will be Arsenal's most effective and creative midfield option in that area. Arsenal's talismanic captain will lead his troops out to the centre and will be at the heart of their midfield. He is a proven goal scorer who will be instrumental in Arsenal notching up a lot of goals.

Tomas Rosicky has in him to produce dazzling performances, which could prove the difference in many matches. In his cameo performance against Liverpool, he was easily Arsenal's biggest offensive threat, and the fortunate goal was created due to a lovely cross from the "Mozart."

Abou Diaby was amongst the top goal scorers for Arsenal in the previous season. Though he is still inconsistent, he can produce some delicate touches and finish decently. Denilson and Alex Song are not attacking midfielders, but some useful goals can be obtained from the duo. Song has not had a good goal-scoring record, but Denilson is one of the few in this Arsenal team who is capable of long-range strikes.

Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey (who is expected to return by November) have got great vision which will allow them to excel in the near future. This season might be a step too soon, but they have it in them to contribute to Arsenal in an effective way.

Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, and Other Wingers

Arsenal have got very good wingers in Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin, Carlos Vela, and Emmanuel Eboue. Barring Arshavin, who had a decent goals tally, none of the others provided much goal scoring threat in the last season.

Theo Walcott's tally of four goals in three matches is something which Arsenal fans crave. Walcott is someone with exceptional pace and great talent, but he has not realised his potential till now. Wenger has commented that Walcott is not as nervous as before, and his performances in the last two encounters would surely propel his confidence and would provide a thrust to his international career as well.

Samir Nasri was Arsenal's best player during preseason, and it is a shame that he should be the first Arsenal player to be sidelined due to injury. He is one of Arsenal's most improved and valuable players, and being the team player he is, he has the capability to harness Arsenal's attacking prowess in the absence of Fabregas. 

Arsene Wenger broke the bank for signing Andrei Arshavin, which was a record deal for Arsenal, something that Monsieur Wenger has not done too often. Arshavin, when in the mood, can be devastating to any opposition. His pace, guile, and vision are second to none, but his lack of focus and him playing out of position have hampered his performances.

However, he has the ability and experience to shine in big matches and will be crucial if Arsenal are to go a long way in the present season.

Arsenal have other talented midfielders to augment the list of wingers. Eboue has played at right midfield in a lot of games and has been successful in the last season. There are a lot of players who can play on the wing like Rosicky, Wilshere, Bendtner, and Van Persie. They will push each other for places, but it is their goal-scoring threats which will help them form a fearsome attacking force to reckon with.

Arsenal have not had as many goals from the wings as they would have liked to have in the previous season. Walcott has already embarked on a path which would rectify the aforementioned statement. Arshavin is more than capable of finding the net, but his consistency and effort have often come under scrutiny. All said though, he remains a class act and can prove to be the difference with his magic.

Does Racking Up the Goals Ensure Arsenal's Success?

Arsenal beating Blackpool 6-0 at the Emirates is not the most unpredictable or outstanding result. But it was surely a signal of intent from these young Gunners that they are not going to relax until they put the game to bed.

Scoring a number of goals does not always ensure safety, but it is a good thing to do because it uplifts the morale of the players who will be more confident the next time they take the field.

Arsenal need to score a lot of goals because they cannot rely on their high backline, even if it is marshalled by the impressive Thomas Vermaelen. Besides, the unsolved goalkeeping conundrum has left the Gunners with only one option: score goals, break Chelsea's record, and claim the trophy.