Ok then, here we go with the traditional Arseblog season preview. As ever it’s presented with the caveat that this assesses where we are right now, bearing in mind the transfer window is still open and we haven’t yet signed Benzema, Reus and that other DM that we’re gonna spend £50m on.

So, without further ado, let’s get it on.

Goalkeepers

Last season’s verdict: My expectation is that Szczesny will continue to develop and will maintain his position as the number 1. How comfortable Ospina will be with that remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt the goalkeeping position is as healthy as its been in a long time.

Oops. Szczesny did almost the complete opposite and after some iffy performances and a not-so-crafty smoke in the showers at Southampton he lost his place to David Ospina. The Colombian did well overall, he contributed to a much calmer Arsenal rearguard, but remained unconvincing to some. One of which, you have to imagine, was Arsene Wenger who went out and spent £11m on Petr Cech.

Having spent £4m on Ospina the season before, it means Wenger has spent more on goalkeepers in the last 12 months than in the 18 previous seasons combined (possibly).

Verdict: Cech is obviously the first choice now, bringing a wealth of experience and quality. He seems to have settled in quickly, and looks comfortable. Ospina provides decent back up while Emi Martinez adds depth (assuming he doesn’t go out on loan). As long as the former Chelsea man stays fit and in form, it will make us better back there.

Defence

Last season’s verdict: The full back options are good, but I think trying to get through a season with just three central defenders would be bordering on mad. We more or less got away with it last year, but this time expectations are greater; so too is our need for a signing.

Sadly that was a bit more accurate than the goalkeeping prediction, and in the opening half of the season the lack of options at centre-half proved costly. Laurent Koscielny was hampered by injury, Per Mertesacker had a World Cup hangover and lost form, we were forced into playing full backs in there for cover, and it meant that there was little stability in the back four. That cost us goals and points.

This time around though, it looks much better in terms of numbers and options. After Hector Bellerin’s exiting emergence, there are two excellent full-backs on the left and the right, at centre-half Mertesacker and Koscielny will be backed up by the January signing Gabriel, and Calum Chambers will be developed in there. If we have problems, it won’t be because we’re short of personnel.

Verdict: The battles for the full-back positions should bring out the best of Gibbs, Monreal, Debuchy and Bellerin, while Gabriel will want to force himself into contention more often. Not an easy task given what a good partnership Mertescienly make, but overall a far healthier situation than we went into last season with.

Midfield

Last season’s verdict: If Ramsey can maintain his level, if Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain develop further, and Ozil starts to enjoy the fruits of playing with speed-merchants like Alexis and Walcott ahead of him, our midfield riches could well be the envy of many. I’m not convinced we’ll make another signing here, as any new arrival would surely have to be balanced with a departure. If the manager did push the boat out and buy that fabled SUPER-DM, it would display a ruthlessness that speaks volumes about his intention to really go for it, but I’m doubtful it will happen.

The SUPER-DM arrived, but kinda by accident. Anyone who wasn’t utterly gobsmacked by what Francis Coquelin did last season is telling fibs. To be recalled from the wilderness and to then establish himself so firmly in the team, and have such an impact on it, was incredible.

Unfortunately there’s a familiarity to some of this season’s aspirations. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere were hit with injury, Wilshere is already missing the opening weeks with yet another problem, and this ‘If he can stay fit caveat’ applies to too many, too often.

On the other hand, Cazorla was fantastic, Ozil looked much more comfortable and settled when he returned from injury, Ramsey got into double figures again, so there were positives in the midfield too. Hopefully Arsene Wenger’s belief that Mesut Ozil could reach Player of the Year status is reflected in how he performs, because if he even comes close to that level it’ll kick us on loads.

Verdict: The big worry is that we don’t have the right cover for Coquelin. I still believe Arteta can do a job for us, but I understand why people have reservations because of his injury problems last season. In terms of numbers we’re fine, even with Wilshere’s injury, and I think (IHCSF) the Ox is going to be massive this season. There’s creativity, solidity, goals and guts in this Arsenal midfield line-up, but hopefully the decision to let Schneiderlin go to United doesn’t come back to haunt us.

Strikers

Last season’s verdict: Alexis may not be the striker everyone wanted, or the one many people think we need, but he certainly adds a lot to us as an attacking force. And maybe not having to play Giroud in almost every game will help him too. The Frenchman is a solid option and capable of goals but really needs to get a few against the best teams to make progress, that’s the challenge for him. Theo Walcott’s imminent return will be a boost too, and it’ll be interesting to see how peripheral players like Sanogo and Campbell are used.

Well, Sanogo and Campbell weren’t really used at all before being loaned out. Podolski was benched, even after Giroud’s injury, and Danny Welbeck was signed on deadline day. Theo Walcott’s season only really began on the final day, so there was a lot of weight on Alexis and Giroud, when he got fit again.

The Chilean’s first season was sensational, but it seemed to take the rest of the team some time to figure out how best to play with someone whose team ethic is often combined with an individualistic streak. The shakiness of the first half of the season didn’t help either, so hopefully when he is back in about 10 days time it’ll be a much more balanced Arsenal attack.

Giroud went on a hot-streak before hitting something of a rut, while Welbeck’s promising start petered out because of injury. While the manager’s desire to add 10-15 goals this season might well be best served by players like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott contributing more, there’s still a sense we could be more efficient up front.

Verdict: Giroud remains the only real centre-forward option. Welbeck combines some of those qualities with those of Theo Walcott, while Wenger’s use of Theo up top might be as much about making space on the right for Oxlade-Chamberlain as much as anything else. Walcott still has a bit to prove as a central striker, and it’s hard to see him used there against the best defences.

There exists a desire to see Arsene Wenger make a move for a ‘world class’ striker, but those are scarce, both in terms of numbers and availability. If a signing did happen, it would almost certainly require a move away for one of the current line-up, which would require a measure of genuine ruthlessness on the manager’s behalf – but as he showed with the capture of Cech, if the player is there he seems prepared to do it.

Overall

Last season’s verdict: I think the experience of being top of the league for so long last season, along with winning the FA Cup and having three World Cup winners in our squad will stand us in good stead. The ‘no trophies for X years’ thing is now a burden we no longer have to carry, and I expect this team to challenge for the title this season, and to maintain that challenge for longer than they did last time.

I think we saw in the second half of the season that there’s no reason why this team can’t challenge for the title, but the stuttering start meant that Chelsea were out of sight before we even got going. The challenge now is to combine the opening part of the 2013-14 season, with our post January 1st form in 2015.

The defence is solid, the midfield functions better than it has done in years, we’ve got good forward options and we’re not reliant on any single player for the goalscoring. Alexis, Ozil, Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere (when fit etc etc) provide a variety that few other team possess – and even without another striker signing that could be the key.

Having won two very enjoyable FA Cups in a row, it’s telling that key players like Per Mertesacker and Santi Cazorla insist that this team must take the next step and that’s the Premier League title. As with any season there will be things you can’t legislate for, things that will challenge us and surprise us, but anything less than a genuine challenge for the league will be hugely disappointing.

I think this is a team capable of having a really good go, the balance of experience and youth is right, we don’t have any obvious deficiencies in terms of numbers (e.g – lack of a centre-half last summer), and it feels like the players are very focused on improvement.

I think it’s the best squad we’ve had in a long, long time, the key is consistency. If we can find that, I think we’ll be there or thereabouts in May.

Famous last words, I know, but fingers crossed.