Arsenal began the month of August with a somewhat lukewarm Emirates Cup campaign that saw them share the spoils with Napoli and lose to a Didier Drogba-inspired Galatasaray. Following an abysmal start to the Premier League, Arsene Wenger’s side has hit top gear and are currently on a five-game winning streak that pans across two competitions.
The month of September has also began on a great note with the Gunners edging out their fierce big-spending rivals, Tottenham, before sealing a late capture of Mesut Ozil and Emiliano Viviano on transfer deadline day.
There are other key milestones that would be achieved in the course of the month but here’s my pick from the pack,
Mesut Ozil’s Debut
After joining the club for a record fee of £42.5m, Arsenal fans will get the chance to see their new No. 11 when he takes to the pitch against Sunderland from the start or from the dugout is another case left to be answered by the manager, but the mere sight of Ozil donning the Red and White will be a source of great joy for the fans.
We can only hope that things will get better from here as the acquisition of Ozil would be that lift that the club, players and fans alike needed to spearhead the Gunners for great things to come.
Arsenal Kicks Off its UEFA Champions League Campaign
Arsenal were seeded in the first Pot for the draws of this season’s UEFA Champions League but they have been placed in a very tough group that includes the likes of last season’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Olympique Marseille.
The Gunners are set to kick off their campaign with a visit to Stade Velodrome in France and the last time they played in this venue, Aaron Ramsey scored a late match winner that gave the Gunners all three points. Arsene Wenger won’t mind a classic case of deja vu.
Seeing Yaya Sanogo and Other Youngsters in the Capital One Cup
In the yesteryear, Arsene Wenger has always considered the Capital One Cup as a breeding ground for his upcoming youngsters and I believe that this season will be no different.
The Gunners visit the Hawthorns to take on a struggling West Brom side in the 3rd Round of the competition and I’m positive that players like Yaya Sanogo, Chuba Akpom, Serge Gnabry and Ryo Miyaichi would be handed some starts. The club’s second-tier squad will also have a chance to strut their stuffs as Wenger would be odds on to rotate his squad.
Thomas Vermaelen’s Return from Injury
After losing his place to Laurent Koscielny in the tail end of last season, a back injury prevented Arsenal’s skipper, Thomas Vermaelen, from enjoying a good preseason campaign.
It’s believed that the captain is set to return to full fitness after the international break and Arsenal fans would be looking forward to seeing their Verminator in action once again, and can only hope that he will improve, because his form last season was appalling to say the least.
Having Vermaelen back is a major plus, as the Gunners are relatively short in numbers in the center back position.
More Improved Performances from Arsenal’s Player of the Month, Aaron Ramsey
After being a lightning rod for vitriol and abuse from his own fans a couple of seasons ago, Aaron Ramsey is now showing the kind of form that was expected of him, as he even won the August Player of the Month award here at Gooner Daily and also in the official site.
Ramsey has been in phenomenal form, scoring three goals in two appearances against Fenerbahce as well as stamping his authority in Arsenal’s midfield as he’s emerging to become an indispensable player to the squad.
Arsenal fans can only hope that his form continues.
More Goals from Olivier Giroud
Arsenal has been in pursuit of a marquee signing in attack all summer long and names like Stevan Jovetic, Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez were mentioned more times than the amount of goals Lionel Messi scores for Barcelona.
However, Arsenal’s alpha-dog in attack, Olivier Giroud, didn’t allow the speculation of a potential competitor affect his game and he went on to have a brilliant preseason campaign with seven goals in his many games. As the season began in earnest, it took Giroud just six minutes to hit the ground running with a goal in the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa. The striker continued his rich vein of goalscoring form with strikes against Fenerbahce, Fulham and that sweet finish against Tottenham.
We can only hope that Giroud continues to bang in the goals and stay fit, because beyond him Arsenal has an unknown French youngster, a Dane with ego issues and a puzzling Korean that isn’t anywhere close to good form or fitness.
Feel free to share more key milestones with your comments.
Sayonara.
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