Arsenal Season Preview: Exciting transfer business has Gunners ready to roll with big boys again

Arsenal have rediscovered their appetite for winning trophies

Does the addition of Alexis Sanchez enable the Community Shield winners to target the title? Michael Lintorn investigates...

Last season

Arsenal finished fourth for the sixth time in nine years, but it was a far more positive campaign than that implies. They signed a ready-made world-class player for the first time in an eternity in Mesut Ozil - paying an un-Arsenal 42.4 million for the privilege - achieved their best points haul (79) since the very near title miss in 2007/08 and halted their nine-year trophy drought with the FA Cup.

There were a few concerns of course. Having finally nailed their getaway to such an extent that they were five points clear after ten games and still top after 24, they were sunk by a run of two wins in nine. Big-match chokes are as prominent an issue as ever: the Gunners won just one Premier League clash out of eight against top-five foes, losing the four away ones by an aggregate scoreline of 4-20.

Ins and outs

The days when Arsenal's transfer strategy was a punchline have passed. This summer saw them spend 35 million on Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez in what could prove the signing of the season. His arrival was supplemented by those of David Ospina, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy. They now appear well-represented in all areas, bar perhaps requiring one more centre-back option.

Bacary Sagna was the sole starter to depart and has been replaced by the right back who plays ahead of him for France (Debuchy). Also leaving were Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), unneeded skipper Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona) and Johan Djourou (Hamburg), while Nicklas Bendtner and Park Chu-Young were released and Carl Jenkinson joined West Ham on loan.

The manager

Despite being scalded following last term's opening-day defeat to Aston Villa and as their latest title bid faded, the Premier League's most immovable figure Arsene Wenger is the securest he has been for a while due to the FA Cup triumph, and is a 55.054/1 outsider in the next manager to leave market.

The 18-year capital mainstay was helped as much by the investment in Ozil and Alexis as by ending the wait for silverware though, as it assuaged worries that he had become too idyllic in his approach (or, to use the favoured Emirates parlance, that he was unwilling to spend some f****** money).

Expectations

As impressive as Arsenal's transfer campaign has been, Man City and Chelsea have conducted similarly eye-catching maintenance to squads that started in stronger shape, and Man United will pose a far greater threat, so leaping from fourth to first seems too ambitious a target.

Structuring a more complete challenge - earning 80-plus points, performing consistently rather than veering from hot to cold streak and not making it so easy for foes to pillage them for points - should be an aspiration, and would set them up for 2015/16 even if top spot in 2014/15 is beyond them.

Best Bet

Arsenal to finish in the top four @ 1.538/15 - Unfortunately, you've already missed the optimum time for this bet, with the north Londoners available to back at 2.021/1 before revealing their transfer hand. However, the current price is still a handsome one for a bet that has paid out in each of Wenger's 18 seasons in charge, including those in which they possessed far feebler squads than this 2014/15 crop.

Value Bet

Arsenal to be top at Christmas @ 7.06/1 - The Gunners missed out on this honour on goal difference alone in 2013/14 after being frustrated by a Jose Mourinho bus-parking masterclass at the Emirates on December 23. Another reasonably kind early fixture sequence coupled with a trickier start for reigning winter champions Liverpool should enhance their chances.