EPL Season Preview and Prediction - Arsenal

ARSENAL
 
Last Season - 5th (75 points, 23 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses) 
 
Manager - Arsene Wenger
 
Notable Gains - Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon) 
 
Notable Losses - None
 
Prediction - 6th
 
Arsenal are just too flaky a side for me to fall into anymore. The key negative for me this year with Arsenal is they will be playing Thursday night football regularly in the form of the Europa League, and that is often a terrible recipe for Premier League success. You saw last year the impact it had on Manchester United's campaign - the travel factor as well as the fact that the Europa League is nowhere near as prestigious as the Champions League and can be mentally draining on players. Constantly playing on Sundays in the EPL after a Thursday game is very difficult as you’re often playing catch-up with your opposition who have played the day before. 
 
You could argue that Arsenal are stronger than last season, having added Lacazette up front and held on to Alexis Sanchez. I actually applaud Arsenal for holding on to Sanchez so far, despite the obvious noises he has made about wanting to depart the Club. I think it's good for Arsenal that they didn't just roll over and allow their best player to go to a rival side, even if it means they lose him for nothing next season. Once Sanchez gets on the field he is the ultimate competitor, and will still be a vital asset for Arsenal. 
 
However, I still believe gloom hangs around this Club in the form of Arsene Wenger, and a talented but brittle side. Wenger has not managed to win the Premier League since 2004 and, despite the odd challenge here and there, Arsenal have never really looked like returning to the winner’s circle. Their seasons often start well and finish well, but are defined by terrible slumps in the big games in and around January and February when the whips are cracking. This is a squad for me without leaders and strong characters, and you need a few of those to ride the bumps of a long and arduous 38-game season. Indeed, I believe Arsenal are, in general, a mentally weak team that can't cope when things are not going well for them. When Chelsea hit a slump in their Title seasons, you could always rely on a Drogba, Lampard or Terry to rally the troops and get everyone together. With Wenger and Arsenal, I look around and I don’t see anyone who is strong enough to inspire this side to be mentally tough and win those crucial games on the road against big opponents. 
 
One thing about Wenger’s teams is they have plenty of depth to their squad. For instance, they have good cover in several key positions, particularly in midfield and in wider areas. However, it's their shaky defence, for me, that often lets them down and I still don't think that has been sufficiently reinforced in the transfer window. While there is no doubt Arsenal look as good as anyone on their day, they often drop points both at home and on the road that they shouldn't, as well as lacking that big game mentality. 
 
I just think, overall, it was a good time for Wenger to bow out last season, and once Arsenal lose a couple of games the same old rumbling will be coming from their supporters, which always makes for a toxic atmosphere. This is a team, year in and year out, that display similar traits, and I expect them to be no different this season. They can beat anyone on their day, but for me they are not mentally tough enough, and the added dread of the Europa League will see them slip another place to 6th this season.