Alan Hansen isn’t too far off his assessment of Arsenal. The problem, like with most, it that it’s laced with the hope of failure, hatred even, and resentment at the idea that the pieces could finally fall into place for Arsenal.

I don’t expect Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season. The squad isn’t strong enough. But there is a difference between winning the title and being in contention. At this stage, Arsenal are contenders for the Premier League title. Why wouldn’t they be? They’re top. If the excuse that they’ve only played the “weak” sides of the league is wheeled out, then what exactly is the point of those teams? Dock points off Arsenal because they’ve had an “easy run.” Yet funnily Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham have all lost to one of the “weak” teams so far.

Hansen’s criticism is based on the fact that Arsenal aren’t as good without the ball as they are with it. Yes, that is true. But again, people like to ignore the progress that’s being made at the club this season. The pieces are in fact coming into place. Clubs like Arsenal have to pace themselves in their building, either through choice or necessity. The team may not be a title-winning team now, but why couldn’t they be next season or the season following? In any case, Arsenal aren’t a team who finished seventh, or ninth or even lower; they finished in the top four, as they have done in all the years of Arsene Wenger’s reign. Why is it so absurd that a fourth-placed team could win the title?

The club have made a massive improvement from what they were last season. The midfield is stronger in terms of numbers, while most are capable of carrying out the style of football fans want to see on a weekly basis. The defence, too, doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves. But then I wouldn’t be overly worried. Those who criticise Laurent Koscielny for not being strong enough and Per Mertesacker for being too slow are the same who say David Luiz is a terrible centre-back.

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My own criticism of Arsenal, as it has been for the whole of the season thus far, is that the squad isn’t deep enough. But everyone knows that. The problems Hansen is highlighting are correct. The team don’t defend as well as Borussia Dortmund, for example, whose pressing game alleviates the need for an out-and-out “destroyer” in the middle of the pitch – Hansen alluded to Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, citing their leadership, but his true intention was clear. Dortmund press from the front and win the ball high up the field. Arsenal simply don’t do that. Dortmund are a good example but Barcelona – at least the Barcelona under Pep Guardiola – are even better. They worked tirelessly to win the ball back as a unit so individuals wouldn’t be exposed.

This is where Arsene Wenger’s tactical shortcomings come into play. When discussing the best tacticians in the game, Wenger doesn’t belong. He’s tactically inflexible, forcing his own methodology on every situation. When you’re not as good as Barcelona, you simply can’t do that. And if there is a suggestion that Barcelona only did it when faced against Spanish opposition, they twice made Manchester United look well, well, well, below average.

But where is the credit? Nobody plays football as well as Arsenal do in the league. Manchester City, Chelsea and even Manchester United – the three teams who Hansen states will finish above Arsenal this season, though failing to state how or why – all have fantastic footballers but collectively don’t move the ball about as well as Arsenal. Some teams are ok with that; others want to maintain or even rediscover the ideals of their club.

Arsenal blew away Napoli in the Champions League, they spun Norwich in circles and even looked good in spells against Dortmund. But where is the acknowledgement of the football on display? Santi Cazorla is so good that it isn’t sensationalism to say he could have easily played for Barcelona during the Guardiola era; Mesut Ozil actually came from Real Madrid and was considered their most important player by Cristiano Ronaldo. Why are we not celebrating the football that’s on display at the Emirates?

Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is desperate to see Arsenal fail. If Arsenal do eventually finish fourth, there won’t be any comment about the good football that was played this season, the fact that the club obliterated their transfer record or the improvements of players like Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud. Instead, everyone will point the finger and say “I told you so, they simply weren’t good enough.”

That’s why, while Hansen’s criticism may not be far off the mark, it’s a little hard to take. The compliments seem forced, as if he reluctantly obliged to tip his cap to the team so far but held absolutely no sincerity in anything he said.

In their current state, I don’t believe Arsenal will see out the season and finish top. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that they deserve to be where they are now.

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Is Alan Hansen right?

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Fulham looked weak, stunned, out of their depth, and far from the team who put four past Crystal Palace only a few games prior. That was predominantly due to the quality displayed by Manchester United, who had put themselves three-nil up inside 22 minutes.

You can discuss the shortcomings of teams and even managers, but when they’re so ruthlessly exposed by an opposing team, you acknowledge their ability – in this case United – for turning on the style in such a fashion.

How much should we extract from United’s last three or four games? Well a lot, because if we’re going to be quick on the draw when David Moyes looks lost at sea, it’s only fitting to praise a team who look to be navigating out of that particularly rough spell.

The margin of victory against Real Sociedad could have been bigger had it not been for the heroic performance of Claudio Bravo in goal for the Basque club. On the night, United, and Wayne Rooney in particular, looked energised and focused on the job at hand.

The turnaround against Stoke could and probably will hold far more significance than simply beating a team who are below United in terms of quality and resources. Yes, losing to Mark Hughes’ side could have prolonged this difficult start to the domestic campaign for Moyes, but the new manager’s celebrations were evidently laced with an understanding of the long-term effects that win would have.

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How far should we support the line that anyone can beat anyone in the Premier League? League-leaders Arsenal struggled against Crystal Palace but came through unscathed, while Manchester City lost to Cardiff and United themselves picked up a loss against West Brom. So the win at Craven Cottage on the weekend was notably thrilling, while accepting the premise that even the “underdogs” are capable of having their day.

Alex Ferguson’s teams were not always the most impressive, but the Scot forced a level of performance from his players that was often unmatched across the league. For all the shortcomings of a host of players, there was an inevitability about results: a knock-on effect of fear generated from the manager to his players that eventually washed over the opposition.

It’s not that the fear-factor has been lost from this United team under Moyes, but rather that it had to be rediscovered. Very few thought that the transition would be smooth, and naturally there was a period of bedding in that may not be complete.

But the players themselves know the culture of the club and the manner of performance that’s expected of them. Good players don’t always combine for football that can at times be described as merciless. The van Persie-Rooney duo looked like a renewed force that could legitimately claim the title of best strike partnership in the league. They’ve been there and done it, and why shouldn’t they have enough about them to alone guide United up the league and force a stay at the top?

It needed a decent run of results, but domestic teams are now seeing the combined ability of United’s front two. With Javier Hernandez waiting in the wings – and having scored in the League Cup – there is plenty of firepower to genuinely frighten opposition backlines.

United had a way about them under Ferguson, an attack that relentlessly pummelled the last line of opposition defence until the wall fell. Going three-nil up within 22 minutes is evidence that the intensity hasn’t deserted United just yet. It’s a level of play that forces mistakes in defenders, once again stemming from a fear that the wave after wave of attacks will continue for much of the ninety.

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There is still much to do. Moyes needs to retain defensive stability while also utilising an ever-increasing array of attacking options. But fortunately the locker still holds one of United’s most valued weapons. There aren’t too many teams around Europe who genuinely strike fear into the opposition in the way United can.

Will United’s fear factor help guide them up the table?

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It’s another year that Arsene Wenger won’t get his hands on the Champions League trophy. Last night, Arsenal were defeated 2-0 at home to Bayern Munich in a game which was overshadowed by two interesting decisions.

After Mesut Ozil’s lazy seventh minute penalty was saved, Arsenal’s night turned into a living nightmare. Wojciech Szczęsny’s 37th minute red card (the second of his career) after the Pole had fouled Arjen Robben in the box, led to a Bayern Munich penalty kick. Up stepped David Alaba, but his penalty (which was 10 times better than Ozil’s) crashed against the post and Arsenal went into the break, full of optimism that they could grind out a result against the current Champions League holders.

However, Arsenal were chasing shadows for much of the second half, and since the Gunners had used two substitutes (Kieran Gibbs came off injured) in the first half, Arsenal had one throw of the dice left to try and outsmart their opponents.

But it wasn’t to be, as goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller gave the holders a well deserved 2-0 lead to take back to Germany.

Arsenal looked tired, dejected and fed up by the final whistle, as the red card obviously put a massive dent in Arsenal’s game plan. However, there was a shock before the game that might of affected Arsenal’s plan.

The surprise inclusion of Yaya Sanogo starting ahead of Olivier Giroud AND Lukas Poldolski was a main talking point. The 21-year-old Frenchman had only played three games for Arsenal before the clash with Bayern, with his only start being against Liverpool a few days before. Some might say that with Olivier Giroud’s private life being plastered in the papers, starting Sanogo was a wise move by Wenger. However, after Szczęsny was dismissed, you can obviously tell that by 75 minutes, the youngster was tired to the core after putting a shift in for his team. But, why didn’t Wenger take Sanogo off for Fabiasnki?

Arsenal, who were playing with one striker, should have played defensively by taking off Sanogo when the red card happened. The move would have benefited the Gunners as they didn’t need to attack, which would have frustrated their German counterparts. Taking a 0-0 draw to Bavaria would have been the dream result, as one goal for Arsenal in Germany would swing the entire tie in Arsenal’s favor and could have potentially knocked Bayern out of the competition.

I believe Sanogo had a great opportunity to show Europe what he could do, however, in a game of such magnitude, shouldn’t you have played a striker who has experience in the competition against similar players? Lukas Podolski would have been the perfect striker to play yesterday. He’s tenacious, he knows how the Germans play and he knows his international team mates’ weaknesses. He would have been the ideal striker to start last night, and yet Wenger went for inexperience to try and knock out the current holders of the competition. Of course, you need to experiment, but do that after Sanogo has got a few games under his belt. The more experience he gets, the better he would have coped in a match like last night. Yes, the red card ruined Arsenal’s gameplan completely, but I still believe Wenger should have gone with Podolski instead of Yaya Sanogo.

This result could also derail an Arsenal season full of promise. In the 2007/08, 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, the Gunners had promising campaigns, where winning trophies was a massive possibility. Arsenal were winning games against the teams around them convincingly, and looked liked a side that was going to be winning trophies at the end of those seasons. However, one bad result (strangely, all of the games were against Birmingham City) ruined Arsenal’s seasons, as a bad run of form cost Arsenal matches, results and more importantly, first team players.

Wenger has been in the game long enough to know what could happen in the upcoming weeks. Games against Sunderland, Stoke, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton (twice), Chelsea and Bayern Munich all await the Gunners in the next few weeks, games that can defy Arsenal’s over- expected season.

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Arsenal HAVE got the quality in their squad to win the majority of these fixtures and win trophies on paper, but, will their minds and morale be strong enough to end  this horrific run of not winning silverware? We’ll soon see, but one thing I guarantee you is that Arsenal fans will not be sitting easily in the next few weeks.

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“My mind’s telling me no. But my body, My body is telling me yeah.”

Ok, so let’s ignore the real meaning behind R Kelly’s ‘Bump N’ Grind’ and relate it back to football. Because, let’s be honest, everything can be related back to football. While we dismiss the song’s sexual connotations Jack Wilshere should take heed to the words it speaks. When the Arsenal midfielder went down under a 50-50 challenge with Daniel Agger in England’s Wednesday night showdown with Denmark the look on his face told the story. It should have told the England medical staff, it should have told the players, but most of all it should have told Jack himself.

A hairline fracture and a six-week lay-off later and hopefully he has finally got the message. Jack Wilshere needs to start taking the signs his body is giving him seriously. His absence at such a crucial stage of the season is a potential detriment to not only the success of Arsenal’s already stuttering season, but for England too. Wilshere has proven himself to be a big game player. Back at just the tender age of 19 he famously took the game to Barcelona’s dream-team as he, as many liked to comment at the time, had Xavi ‘in his pocket’.

Similarly for England, Wilshere had one of his best career performances when playing for the national side, against Brazil, at Wembley. Forget the fact it was a friendly, any game at Wembley comes heaped with pressure. Add in Brazil to the equation and it increases tenfold. International friendlies aren’t pre-season friendlies for your club. You haven’t been off partying in Vegas, or Ibiza, or wherever hell footballers spend their summer down time. You don’t play against Barnet or the Malaysian All-Star XI. They tend to be bang in the middle of important periods of the season when players should be at their sharpest and most determined.

Wilshere’s all-action style is always going to come at some cost. The way in which he plays, driving at players and hurtling himself into tackles will always produce risk. He’s not the kind to shy away from a challenge and rightly so. He’s not touted as a future Arsenal and England captain for nothing. But there comes a point when he needs to take notice of the signals his body is sending him.

He missed the best part of 18 crucial months of development as a footballer due to the fact he played through a whole previous season with a recurrent ankle injury. He approached it with great fortitude but it ultimately cost him, and Arsenal. At a time where the Gunners lost two absolutely pivotal players in Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, the time had come for young Jack to step up to the plate. But such was the extent of his ankle complaint, he was nowhere to be found.

If a six-week week absence just nine weeks before the announcement of the provisional World Cup squad isn’t enough to send a message to him, then I don’t know what is. Wilshere’s desire to play every minute of every game is admirable, but he now faces an anxious wait. Hodgson has admitted he won’t risk a player who isn’t 100 per cent fit when he has so many options to choose from. With the emergence of Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ross Barkley as seriously viable options for a central role, Wilshere can no longer be guaranteed his place in the side.

It would be a huge shame and a real blow to everyone involved if Jack Wilshere doesn’t recover in time to make the World Cup. With the qualities he has there is no doubt in my mind that he deserves his place. What he can bring to the side, nobody else can. But his body can only take so much. Wilshere has the potential to become indispensable, but he isn’t giving himself the chance. If Hodgson isn’t going to take unnecessary risks, then neither should Jack. It can be best for a boxer to stay grounded once he is grounded and the same can apply to Jack. It’s time he opens his mind to what his body is trying to say.

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Luis Suarez has confirmed via Liverpool’s official website that he is heading to Barcelona.

The Uruguayan striker fired the Reds to Champions League qualification last term after penning a new contract, and looked on course to be staying at Anfield until a few weeks ago.

Since a controversial biting incident at the World Cup it has become apparent that the 27-year-old was heading out away from Merseyside, and it has now been confirmed by the player himself that he’ll be a Barca star for 2014/15:

“It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain. Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club and with the city.

“But most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans. You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it, we will always be Liverpool supporters.

“I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision. This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife’s family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.

“I wish Brendan Rodgers and the team well for the future. The club is in great hands and I’m sure will be successful again next season.

“I am very proud I have played my part in helping to return Liverpool to the elite of the Premier League and in particular back into the Champions League.

“Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

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Liverpool are set to pocket upwards of £60m for Suarez, who developed into their star man over the course of his spell at the club.

‘El Pistolero’ signed for the Reds from Ajax in 2011, netting 69 goals in 110 outings

DespiteÂbeing unquestionably the most competitive second tier in world football, the Championship is overlooked more and more as a recruitment pool for the Premier League.Newcastle spent £6million on Nottingham Forest pair Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles this summer – with their moves delayed until 2015 – but such deals were the exception rather than the norm.Which is incredibly surprising because the Championship has some great players to offer the top flight. And just to prove it, here’s a list of FIVE thatÂhave enjoyed Âfantastic form in the early part of the season.Could they become the next Championship stars to make the move to St. James’ Park?

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON CALLUM MCMANAMAN TO REVEAL ALL

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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…

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TOM CAIRNEY

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Tom Cairney won the Player of the Year award at Ewood park last season and has started the current campaign in a similar vein, finding two goals and three assists as an ever-present member of his side’s promotion push.

That includes this absolute banger against Norwich:

As well as this more cultured effort against Cardiff City:

The 23 year-old has been one of the Championship’s most creative forces this season, with his 2.9 key passes per match ranking in fifth throughout the division:

Likewise, in terms of pass completion rate, the former Scotland U21 makes it into the top ten:

Should Rovers return to the top flight this season, Cairney will undoubtedly play a major role.

Blackburn demonstrated a staunch public resistance to selling Jordan Rhodes during last transfer window, so if Newcastle wish to snap up the in-form midfielder, they’ll likely have to wait until next summer.

NATHAN REDMOND

Norwich City hotshot Nathan Redmond is no stranger to the top flight. He impressed last season despite the Canaries plummeting out of the Premier League, and was linked to the likes of Stoke City and Southampton during the summer:

Looking at the 20 year-old’s form so far this season, it’s easy to see why. He’s ranked third in the Championship for key passes, as viewable below:

And for accurate crosses:

Whilst he comes in joint-top for successful dribbles:

That’s seen the touchline-hugging winger claim two assists in nine Championship outings this season. He’s making considerable progress in the England set-up too, with four goals and 16 caps for the U21s – that includes this clinical strike against Wales:

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Having also impressed in the second-tier with boyhood club Birmingham City, Redmond is clearly destined for the Premier League.

Furthermore, Newcastle’s squad could certainly do with some added quality out wide, but Norwich will be reluctant to sell whilst they’re still on course to bounce straight back to the top flight.

CALLUM MCMANAMAN

Another promising young Championship winger who already boasts some experience in the top flight is Wigan Athletic’s Callum McManaman, infamous to Newcastle fans for this horror tackle on Massadio Haidara back in March 2013:

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But the 23 year-old has done a lot of growing up since then. And after struggling to adapt to the second-tier last season, has emerged as a key player for the Latics to find four goals in eight Championship appearances. This solo effort against Charlton Athletic particularly stood out:

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He’s also one of the division’s most proficient dribblers, as viewable below:

Of course, McManaman is best known for his vital role in Wigan’s FA Cup haul back in 2013, netting three times en route to the Wembley final where he was named as Man of the Match against Manchester City. Here’s a look at his highlights from that historic afternoon:

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A move back to the Premier League could unlock that kind of form on a more consistent basis, but having rejected a bid from Celtic in the summer, Wigan appear in no mood to sell.

IGOR VETOKELE

Charlton Athletic striker Igor Vetokele arrived at the Valley this summer and didn’t take long to make his impact felt, picking up the Championship’s Player of the Month award for August.

Indeed, the 22 year-old claimed five goals, one assist and two Man of the Match awards in his first five appearances for the Addicks as the spearhead of Bob Peeters’ mini-revolution in south-east London – including this brace in during a 2-2 draw with Brighton:

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That currently leaves him joint-third in the Championship’s scoring charts:

That may seem like a bit of a flash in the pan, considering the Angola international hasn’t found the net in his last four Championship outings.

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But Vetokele was sourced from FC Copenhagen this summer, where he netted 16 goals in 43 league appearances and also sporadically featured in the Champions League, underlining his pedigree.

Having only just joined the Addicks, Newcastle won’t be striking a deal for the 5 foot 8 poacher any time soon. But Vetokele’s Championship career has started magnificently; the Magpies would be wise to monitor his progress from afar.

Michail Antonio

Nottingham Forest summer signing Michail Antonio is arguably the Championship’s most in-form player right now, proving incredibly proficient in a supporting role to the division’s top scorer, Britt Assombalonga. Here’s a look at his stats from the campaign:

The 24 year-old can operate anywhere in the attacking third, including as an out-and-out striker, but his predominant position for Forest this season has been on the left wing.

Antonio has been doing the rounds in the Football League for some time, having turned out for Reading, Cheltenham, Southampton, Colchester and Sheffield Wednesday – whom Forest bought him from for £1.5million this summer – after making a name for himself at non-league side Tooting and Mitcham United.

Former non-leaguers reaching the top flight has become a bit of a theme over the last few years – Rickie Lambert, Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin to name a few – and the 5 foot 9 winger has enough about him to maintain that trend. Take this Dennis-Bergkamp-esque strike against Fulham for example:

Once again, it’s unlikely Stuart Pearce’s side will sell any time soon, but Antonio remains one to watch for the future.

Steve Claridge believes Leicester City’s opening run of fixtures will not give a clear reflection of how they’ll do in the Premier League this season.

Nigel Pearson’s side appeared to have drawn the short straw when the fixtures were announced, with meetings against Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United in their first six games.

But after drawing 2-2 with Everton and losing 2-0 to second half goals away to Chelsea, Claridge believes the Foxes cannot be judged too soon.

WANT MORE? >> Leicester City transfer news | Latest transfer news

He told FootballFanCast: “The games that have come up early are tough games.

“The problem with the initial run that they have got is that it skews your view of the Premier League doesn’t it?  These are not the teams that they are going to be up against.

“Is that true reflection of their chances in the Premier League? Well probably not. Let’s see what they’re like after around 12 games, when they’ve played six top teams and then six teams who will be around them. Then we’ll have a better idea.”

And Claridge insists that he seen enough from their opening two games to believe Pearson has a good enough squad to avoid the drop back in to the Championship.

“You get the feeling they’ll be alright,” he admitted.

“They’ll give a lot of teams a good game this season.”

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Steve Claridge was speaking at the Portsmouth Flagship Barclays Spaces for Sports site, Bransbury Park, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Barclays Spaces for Sports programme.

The programme is a partnership between Barclays and the Football Foundation and has developed 200 community sports sites across the UK, supporting more than 40 different sports, since it was launched in 2004.

Spaces for Sports is part of Barclays’ commitment to change five million young futures – Barclays’ goal to build the next generation of global achievers by enabling them to develop enterprise, employability and financial skills.

Arsene Wenger has compared his star forward Alexis Sanchez to former Liverpool hero Luis Saurez, highlighting how much harder South Americans have to work from a younger age to be noticed in football and earn themselves their dream career.

Wenger noted the difference between the success of the South American players compared to those from other countries, stating that it seems that in Europe the approach is more relaxed when training the youngsters. This perhaps explains why there are far more successful South American players practising their trade around Europe than there are other nationalities.

‘Look across Europe and where are the strikers from? Many of them, at least 80 per cent, are from South America,’ Wenger said. ‘Maybe it’s because in Europe, street football has gone. In street football when you’re 10-years-old, you want to play with 15-year-olds. Then you have to prove you’re good, you have to fight and win impossible balls.’

‘When it’s all a bit more formalised, it’s less about developing your individual skill and fighting attitude. We’ve lost that a bit. Not every South American has that, but if you go back 30 or 40 years in England, life was tougher.’

‘Society has changed. We’re much more protective than we were 20 or 30 years ago. We have all become a bit softer.’

The really talented players that are cut from the same sort of cloth as other big names such as Lionel Messi, for example, come from a street football background where they have to fight hard and compete with other kids who are usually older than them. The beautiful game is massive over there, even more so than it is over in England, hitting almost fever pitch in some parts of Latin America.

Wenger was asked in a recent interview if he thought Sanchez and Suarez are alike and he said: ‘Exactly. When Suarez gives the ball to an opponent, he wins it back straight away.

‘Sanchez is the same; there is no time between the offence and defence. The transition is very quick. And they are very quick as well.’

Arsenal are at a point this season where they could do with some of the magic that Suarez gave Liverpool during his time at Anfield – he was the catalyst behind every great performance of last season when they came perilously close to winning the title.

Suarez  showed the world of football why his previous roots had helped him become such a good player, his skill was mesmerizing, his ability unmatched. He can pick out any pass he wants, read the game, take on opponents and score all sorts of goals. All those things are honed and perfected from his street football days as a youth, quite similarly to Arsenal’s South American star Alexis Sanchez who looks like he could be every bit as good as Suarez.

Suarez has already bagged eight goals in his first fifteen appearances since joining the Gunners, and his manager has been impressed with how easily the striker has adapted to life in the Premier League.

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Wenger will be hoping that the background of his super star comes from will help him become Arsenal’s Luis Saurez, and go a long way towards helping his side win the title and some more cups to add to last season’s silverware.

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The more hear, read and subsequently think about Arsenal’s summer transfer window, the more it  genuinely perplexes me – and I like to think I’m a relatively unperplexable guy.

Fuelled by the ‘accelerated financial firepower’ of a new sponsorship deal with Puma and directly following the club’s FA Cup triumph in May, breaking their nine-year silverware baron, it was meant to be the transfer window that awakened the Gunners from their dormant state in the Premier League title race, witnessing the largest collective transfer spend in Arsenal history.

Despite splashing out a club-record £82million however, it feels as if Arsenal have almost moved backwards from last season, where they spent 128 days at the top of the Premier League table. A current league standing of fifth, 13 points behind table toppers Chelsea, pretty much says it all; the only accomplishments the fans can realistically hope for this season are the retention of the FA Cup and of course, another annual notch to the bedpost of Arsenal’s 18-year involvement in the Champions League under Arsene Wenger.

Money was certainly spent, but clearly in the wrong areas. I doubt many Arsenal fans would actively suggest the £35million signing of Alexis Sanchez was a mistake, yet it strengthened an area of the squad already well-endowed, whilst other departments were allowed to further wither.

The heart of defence is the obvious example; a simple mathematical sum (2-3=-1)  was all the information Wenger needed to anticipate Arsenal squandering points through their lack of defensive depth this season, with Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen and Carl Jenkinson leaving the club and only Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers coming in. Yet somehow, he allowed the Gunners to enter the season one body short, resulting in eleven of Arsenal’s 19 Premier League fixtures thus far featuring either Nacho Monreal or Mathieu Debuchy, two full-backs better famed for their contributions going forward who measure in at 5 foot 11 or under, at centre-half.

But what I find most confusing is the situation in defensive midfield, especially following claims from Alex Song this week that he wanted to return to Arsenal but the club (or more specifically, Wenger) turned him down. The Cameroon international, who made 227 appearances for the Gunners before leaving for Barcelona two summers ago, told reporters; “I would have loved to have gone back, but they didn’t want to do it. That’s life. I don’t blame them. “

Now, re-signing a former player is hardly a traditional hallmark of progress, but it’s not as if Song has somehow declined from spending two years with arguably the most talented club side in the history of football. In terms of height, power and defensive awareness he represents precisely what Arsenal currently lack – a midfield monolith that can physically duel with the likes of Yaya Toure and Nemanja Matic – and the eternal absence of such a figure undoubtedly correlates to the Gunners’ poor record against top teams.

Instead, Mathieu Flamini continues to poorly impersonate the Mathieu Flamini of his original Arsenal tenure, aimlessly flip-flopping around, committing fouls and misplacing passes, whilst Song has been allowed to significantly strengthen one of the Gunners’ leading competitors for fourth spot in West Ham. The 27 year-old’s influence at Upton Park cannot be overstated; unsurprisingly, the Hammers look like a completely different side with a Champions League-standard footballer at the heart of their midfield.

I’m not suggesting Alex Song is the answer to all of Arsenal’s problems – if that were the case, the Gunners wouldn’t have sold him in the first place. But clearly in search of a new home after struggling to break into the first team at the Nou Camp and so desperate to return to the capital that he joined a London-based side that finished just seven points clear of relegation last season, a loan deal until Wenger’s desired choice of holding midfielder, namely, William Carvalho, became available, would have been a very astute move.

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It’s a similar situation with Cesc Fabregas; yes, Arsenal are already overloaded in that department and understandably, Wenger would prefer not to look for solutions to present problems in Arsenal’s past. But the consequence of not re-signing the former Gunners captain is a Chelsea team, already blessed with enormous quality throughout, headed by the most productive playmaker in the Premier League. And let’s be honest here – are the north Londoners really in a position to turn down world-class midfielders at £30million a time?

I’ve rarely understood Wenger’s attitude in the transfer market and at this point, it’s unlikely I ever will. But in regards to the summer window alone, considering how much Arsenal spent and the many opportunities since reported as available to them, Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas particularly, I find myself disappointingly underwhelmed. If Arsenal plan to continue spending as lavishly as possible, with the Puma funds continuing for the next few years, perhaps its time control over transfer policy began moving away from Arsene Wenger.

Although Wilfried Bony is signing for a team with a host of talent up front, Manchester City’s new signing will provide the goals to push Chelsea all the way in the title race this season.

His £28 million fee may seem like a lot of money but there is no doubt that Bony will find the back of net, especially when star forward Sergio Aguero is out injured. Although the Argentinian has returned to first team action, Bony is an excellent second option for City if Aguero picks up further injuries between now until the end of the campaign.

One of the top scorers in 2014, Bony (20 goals) joins Aguero (17), Yaya Toure (18) and Edin Dzeko (14), meaning City now have four of the top five goalscorers in 2014. This clearly shows that Manchester City will have a wealth of attacking options, with Bony providing something slightly different to the array of talent at the Etihad. Bony is incredibly dangerous in the air and is one of the best finishers in the league. He is also very strong, meaning he can often play the role of the target man, bringing midfielders into the game, similar to the Sigurdsson partnership that was very dangerous at Swansea City.

It’s fair to suggest that Wilfried Bony was hot property in January and his presence in the City squad will only strengthen their team. The Champions League will be a great opportunity for Bony to showcase his talent on Europe’s biggest stage. However, Manchester City’s Champions League squad is full so it will be interesting to see whether a player makes way for Bony or whether the Ivorian will be saved for the Premier League. If he is played solely in the Premier League, there is no doubt that he will thrive off the service that he will be given at Manchester City.

Chelsea also boast a wealth of talent up front but if Diego Costa picks up an injury, there is not a striker of Bony’s class waiting in reserve. It almost seems wrong to determine the winners of the Premier League through the quality of reserve striker but the importance of squad depth cannot be underestimated. Chelsea have an excellent squad of players but if weaknesses are possible to find, it could be in the striking position. Manchester City now have some of the best strikers in the league at their disposal, all battling for a starting berth. Competition for places will always bring the best out of top players which is only good news for the Citizens.

The potential for a new striking partnership is also something that Manchester City should be excited about. In fairness, City have struggled to find a regular attacking duo as a result of Aguero’s brilliant form in a lone role up front. But the prospect of Aguero and Bony forming a partnership is sure to get City fans excited. This will mean that a player in City’s excellent midfield has to be sacrificed but it does mean that Pellegrini has given himself a plan B, another advantage resulting from Bony’s signing.

Although Chelsea have more than enough quality to win the league, they should be weary of the Champions and their strengthened strike force.  Bony has arrived at the perfect time to provide a timely boost to City’s attack, who had actually coped rather well in the absence of a recognised striker. Bony will be hungry to play games and prove himself and he should not be overlooked as a squad signing.

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If Bony gets a run in the Manchester City team, it could be difficult for other players, including Aguero, to get into the side. Either way, it is a welcoming problem for Manuel Pellegrini, who has added further quality to a squad that was already capable of challenging Chelsea all the way for the Premier League title.

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