As the 2013/2014 Premier League season draws to a close, Arsenal may look back wonderful what could have been after a campaign that promised so much faltered at the crucial stages. The Gunners are in pole position to finish fourth and secure a Champions League qualifying berth ahead of Everton, but it could have been so much better for Arsene Wenger’s men. They enjoyed an extensive spell at the Premier League summit which took everyone by surprise and looked to be mounting a serious title challenge, only to fall away between February and March – a period which also resulted in a Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. Arsenal could end the season with their first trophy in 9 years with an FA Cup Final against Hull City to look forward to, but as Arsenal were leading charge in Europe and in the Premier League, it may only be scant consolation if they are victorious at Wembley and be left wondering what could have been.
Premier League
Although Arsenal have asserted their position in the top four over the years, they were not widely backed to win the 2013/2014 Premier League title due to the presence and considerable wealth of Chelsea and Manchester City. The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United created uncertainty that the title holders would ever be the same force again, but it also opened the door for Arsenal to exert themselves and challenge at the top.
 A shock opening day defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates did little to suggest that Arsenal would be able to be in the mix for the Premier League title, but the result served as a major wake-up call. Arsene Wenger signed Mesut Ozil in a multi-million pound deal which injected fresh impetus and creativity into the side. Arsenal hit a superb run of form throughout the first half of the season, with Aaron Ramsey hitting superb goal-scoring form and the defence remaining extremely solid as the Gunners asserted an element of dominance at the top of the table. Losing to Manchester United and Manchester City away from home were the only blotches during their impressive run, although both results would ultimately prove to be their Achilles heel further down the line. A serious injury to Aaron Ramsey on Boxing Day at West Ham would also turn out to be a monumental blow.
The start of 2014 promised much of the same as Arsenal went unbeaten throughout the month of January – it was then that many fans and pundit believed that they could go all the way and lift the Premier League title for the first time in 10 years. However, the failure to add a much-needed striker in the January transfer window and only signing Kim Kallstrom on loan, despite the Swedish midfielder admitting he was carrying a serious injury, proved to be a major mistake. Arsenal began to falter, with performance levels dropping and key players Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud suffering a serious loss in form and confidence. Heavy defeats at Liverpool (5-1), Chelsea (6-0) and Everton (3-0) illustrated clear deficiencies when coming up against teams around them away from home, with the Chelsea and Everton results sandwiched either side of draws against Swansea and Manchester City at the Emirates which ultimately ended their title challenge. It also pushed them behind Everton in the race for fourth spot, although three consecutive wins, combined with Roberto Martinez’s men faltering at the wrong time of the season, has put Arsenal 4 points clear with 2 games left.
Arsenal could not only secure their own destiny in the final fixtures, but also have a serious effect in the fight for relegation. Games against West Brom and Norwich should allow the Gunners to secure a place in the Champions League next season, but after topping the table for so long, it is fair to say that Arsenal faltered when it mattered in the crucial games against the top four.
Champions League
Overcoming a tough qualifying tie against Fenerbahce in superb fashion provided considerable hope that Arsenal could go a long way in the Champions League. The Group draw was not particularly kind to them either, with Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille providing tough Group F opponents. Strong performances in Marseille and Napoli provided invaluable wins that started Arsenal’s Champions League campaign in the best possible manner; it was particularly essential before the Gunners faced Borussia Dortmund in the traditional mid-way double header.
The Germans controlled the game at the Emirates and left with a deserved 2-1 victory as Arsenal never really delivered, but they more than made up with it with a superbly resolute performance in Dortmund and won 1-0 thanks to a smash-and-grab goal from man of the moment Aaron Ramsey. An easy 2-0 win against Group F whipping boys Marseille put Arsenal on the brink of the knockout stages, but the final group game away at Napoli offered a serious test of their credentials. Arsenal were comprehensively outplayed in Naples as they struggled to prevent Rafael Benitez’s side from pouring forward through waves of attack; the 2-0 defeat not only resulted in Arsenal finishing second in the group, but also meant they were just one goal away from exiting the competition and going into the Europa League.
The second round draw followed a similar trend for Arsenal as they were put up against defending champions Bayern Munich who, at the time, were in formidable form in the Bundesliga. Arsenal approached the tie as their Premier League season began to falter, with the heavy defeat at Liverpool and a home draw against a struggling Manchester United side not the best form to be going into a crunch Champions League tie at home.
The tie was always likely to be tight and be decided by small moments of brilliance or a mistake; the saved penalty by Manuel Neuer from Mesut Ozil after just 8 minutes may be a moment Arsenal will look on as their chance to gain control lost. Despite David Alaba having a penalty saved later on in the first half, the incident resulted in Wojciech Szczesny being sent off. It was always likely to be an uphill task from there, and Bayern Munich asserted their one-man advantage with goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller providing Arsenal with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Germany. A 1-1 draw in the Allianz Arena was not enough for Arsenal to overturn the deficit, and never looked like doing so as Bayern Munich completely controlled the game; the scoreline would have been worse for Arsene Wenger if not for yet another penalty save which denied Thomas Muller in injury time.
It was always likely to be difficult for Arsenal to go all the way in the Champions League this season, but as they are likely to return to Europe’s most prestigious domestic tournament in 2014/2015, the Gunners will look to fare better.
