Team Overview: The Gunners almost lost their “Big Four” status, but Arsene Wenger ensured they stayed one of the best teams in England. The squad has won 13 titles in the top flight and 10 FA Cups, and most have come in the last 20 years. They have also been in the top division for over a century. But, 2009 was a huge disappointment.
Top Performers: Arsenal is so talented, it’s strange they don’t win more. Van Persie (11 goals, 10 assists) was the offensive maestro and fantastic field general. Manuel Almunia was also impenetrable in the net, only giving up a mere 0.81 GAA for the year. Adebayor’s off-year (10 goals, 4 assists) was one reason the Gunners suffered.
Highest Highs: As usual, when Arsenal was hot, they were unbeatable. In fact, they went 21 (of 38) games without losing this year (November 22, 2008 to May 10, 2009). During that span, they won twelve games and tied nine times. Though they finished fourth, it is impressive that Arsenal only lost a single game after November.
Lowest Lows: The Gunners made the UEFA Champions League Semifinal after great performances against Roma and Villarreal, but their loss to Man U in that match would have to be their lowest low. The loss didn’t just hurt in the short term either, as it was simply representative of the fact Man U has been better than Arsenal for the last few years.
Future Outlook: Arsenal must bring in some big names to compete with Liverpool, Chelski and Man U. If they can bolster their defense with Vermaelen, they need to go for it. Moreover, they need another midfielder to help them excel. If they could woo Alonso from Liverpool, they would be a team to be reckoned with in 2010.
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