Arsenal FC: Why the Gunners Will Finish in the Top 4

Around the end of August, the haterade flowed into North London like the cast of Jersey Shore into a sexual health clinic.

Arsenal had embarrassingly lost 8-2 to Manchester United (air date: Aug. 28) on the third weekend of the season. Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, the club's two best young players, were gone (Cesc off to Barcelona, finally, and Nasri off to Manchester City, suddenly).

Arsene Wenger had been slow to strengthen the squad in the summer. His latest group of kids had failed spectacularly when they had their chance at Old Trafford.

Arsene doesn't know, said the media. Arsene must go, said the fans.

Arsene is…at Salamis, said the New York Times.

Pretentious historical analogies aside, the Arsenal of around that time did look a lot like the version of The Situation who decided to ram his head into that apartment wall that night in Florence (air date: Aug. 28)—dumb, disoriented and doomed to furious irrelevance.

What now, then?

Arsenal's already back to seventh place. They recently fired five past Chelsea at Stamford bridge and they've won their last four league games on the trot. Thomas Vermaelen is back, the defense looks suddenly steady and the goal differential is aboveboard for the first time since Cesc wore red and white.

While that was going on, everybody's favorite ab model was rounding back into form as the in-house instigator towards the end of the fourth season. Once the new year starts, he'll be back for the fifth.

And if we're right, Arsenal will too, so to speak. In other words: no more Salamis, and no more haterade.

Only a run back to the top four.

Why? We've got eight reasons.

1. The crisis already happened.

On Aug. 28, Arsenal had one point from three matches: a scoreless draw at Newcastle on opening day, a 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool and the 8-2 debacle with United. Looking back, the Newcastle draw doesn't seem so bad and the Liverpool scoreline flattered the visitors.

Only the Manchester United loss clearly qualified as crisis-worthy. Defeats at Blackburn and Spurs followed, but the Gunners have now won five or their last six matches while averaging more than three goals per victory.

Every team goes through a crisis of form every season. Arsenal's already happened. It won't get that bad again.

2. Arsenal are still seventh.

After a run that poor to start the season—it was the club's worst in more than half a century—Arsenal is still seventh in the Premier League table.

They're level on points with Liverpool and three behind Tottenham (which has a game in hand) and Chelsea. Newcastle still hasn't lost, but is only six points ahead of Arsenal and its four defeats.

Of those clubs Arsenal is chasing (we're not counting the Manchester duopoly since they're the LSU and Alabama of English football), only Chelsea has gone through anything close to a crisis. Spurs and Liverpool are hardly safe bets, and Newcastle is the Premier League's biggest surprise.

But how long will that last?

3. The defense is looking sorted.

Arsenal's defense at the start of the season wasn't worthy of a championship. That's changed in recent weeks.

The return of Thomas Vermaelen from injury has been like a new signing. His presence has stabilized the defense and he has made everyone around him better.

German giant Per Mertesacker is still adapting to the pace of the Premiership, but he's proven his value in Europe. Laurent Koscielny, meanwhile, is pushing for a first-team spot.

4. The signings are settling.

Especially Mikel Arteta, who could be forming the early stages of a strong central midfield partnership with Alex Song.

Wenger's best Arsenal teams have featured outstanding central midfield pairings: Petit and Vieira; Vieira and Gilberto. Now he needs Arteta and Song to step up.

Gervinho, who signed before deadline day, has looked at times like a genius and other times like a lost soul. He's been exciting and he's be infuriating. With a little more time, though, he could become another of Wenger's diamonds in the rough.

It's still too early to tell about Andre Santos, the fullback who can attack like Sylvinho but defends like the French, and Park Chu-Young, who has so far looked lost. But the first could become a consistent contributor and the second a solid role-player.

5. The team was unsettled at the start of the season.

Cesc had gone to Barcelona. Nasri had gone to Manchester City. As Wenger later said, half the dressing room wanted to leave. The team was unsettled, and whether or not we all blame Wenger for that is beside the point right now.

The point is that the team has come together. Look at how they celebrated with each other after the Chelsea match. That spirit was born during the crisis, and like every us-against-the-world mentality, it's a formidable weapon.

6. Robin van Persie is world class.

No explanation necessary if you've seen him play lately.

He sparks and inspires Arsenal. He frustrates defenses. 

He's one of the best in the world at his position right now, and he plays for Arsenal.

7. Jack Wilshere will eventually come back.

And that will be like another new signing.

Plus, he recently pledged his long-term future to the club.

8. Arsene really does know.

Wenger has won the Premiership three times and the FA Cup four times. And he's done it with a fraction of his competitors' budgets.

He's dealt with crisis before, and he's lost top players before. But he always unearths budding talent and turns starlets into superstars.

Just ask Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri or Thierry Henry.