Why the time is now for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal

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The time is now, Arsène. While all eyes have been on Leicester City, the Gunners have endured mixed fortunes in their faltering title tilt. But form is temporary and Arsenal might just be the classiest team left in the title race. In truth, the Frenchman must recognise that his team are perfectly placed to pounce for silverware.

Years have gone by. Years in which a stadium rebuild and tight pursestrings at The Emirates have stunted the Gunners’ progress. Big names have been sold: Robin Van Persie relinquished to top dogs Manchester United, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy gifted to big spenders Manchester City, and Cesc Fabregas sold to Barcelona before switching to big London rivals Chelsea.

In the mean time, Arsenal have clung onto their place in English football’s elite group, often needed a final day decider to secure fourth, or a European battle to be considered one of the top 16 clubs in the continent.

Now is different. Now they must pursue domination.

“It is because of the quality and the intensity of the competition and the improvement of other teams,” Wenger said of the open title race this season. But he will know his troops possess the most quality.

Leicester City deserve enormous credit for their incredible consistency so far this season, but Danny Welbeck’s winner on Sunday might have finally taken the wind out of their sails.

Tottenham are having an incredible season, but their inferiority complex could soon haunt them. Can Kane, Alli, Eriksen and co keep it going? Unlikely.

Many will argue Manchester City’s bank of multi-million-pound stars are still the clear frontrunners for the title, but they lack the resilience of Wenger’s men. They have tended to fold at crucial moments. Last week’s 2-1 defeat to Spurs proved the Sky Blues are still uneasy about assuming a permanent position at the summit of the English game. They will wait for Pep Guardiola to pursue perfection.

After years of stylish, slick, sumptuous football, the Gunners have rediscovered their backbone under Wenger. Their wingers whipped in cross after cross to undo the Foxes on Sunday, eventually finding a way the through the towering Robert Huth and Wes Morgan.

They are now able to spend a fortune on their own superstars – Özil and Sanchez are certainly world class – and are willing to scrap for every ball, anchored by the superb Francis Coquelin and Laurent Koscielny. After potentially damaging defeats, Arsenal always bounce back. Christ, they can even play on the counter nowadays!

The 2-1 win over red-hot Leicester at the Emirates Stadium saw a rejuvenated Arsenal. Thanks to the renaissance of Danny Welbeck and the bludgeoning power of Oliver Giroud, the Gunners hit Leicester at the death. They hauled down the cheeky upstarts. They dodged and weaved and then counterpunched, but can they knock Leicester off their perch?

In a footballing world where all was well, if United, City and Chelsea were punching their weight, Arsenal would be struggling, possibly playing fourth fiddle as usual. But the reluctance of those sides to take the bull by the horns, opens the door wide for Arsenal’s band of busy, burgeoning troops. It’s now or never.

This is not an advert for Arsenal. This is signifier that it is time for the unrewarded men of North London to stake their claim for the prize that has eluded them for more than a decade.

The real question is: have Arsenal got enough in the tank? Will Wenger revert to the substance-over-style methods that etched his name in Premier League history with the ‘Invincibles’ in 2004? There is no invincible team in the league this season, but as long as Arsenal can win back a few of their injury-hit contingent and remain battle-hardened and resilient, their skill and style could win the league.

Failure will allow Manchester City – followed by a resurgent United and Chelsea who will come back stronger next year – to forge further ahead next season. Arsenal must act and take the trophy nobody wants to win. Leicester and Tottenham are inexperienced, City are inconsistent. The time is now, for Arsenal.

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