Darren Norris
AS A statement of intent it could hardly have been more empathic. The result doesn’t always tell the full story but in the aftermath of Arsenal’s 6-1 demolition of Everton at Goodison Park three things can be said with certainty.
Firstly, Arsenal were utterly sublime; secondly, Everton were woefully abject and, thirdly, anyone who really believes Celtic have any chance of knocking the Gunners out of the Champions League needs their brains tested.
The history of football is littered with opening day false dawns, of course (remember Phil Scolari’s first Premier League game as Chelsea boss, a swashbuckling 4-0 win over Portsmouth anyone?) but if this is a taste of things to come Arsenal could well surprise their critics and indeed their own fans this season.
Six goal and five different goalscorers against a team that finished fifth and reached the FA Cup final last season is impressive enough. That Arsenal achieved it without Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri is remarkable and suggests Arsene Wenger’s seemingly limitless faith in his project might yet be justified.
The Arsenal manager is adamant Arsenal will be celebrating a first title since 2004 come next May and while that looks optimistic the Gunners do look well equipped to mount a far stronger challenge than their injury ravaged team managed last season.
The return of Eduardo to full fitness, Rosicky’s expected return from his latest setback, Andrei Arshavin’s presence in the team from the start of the season, Jack Wilshere’s emergence and the fact that the team is a year older and wiser are grounds for genuine optimism even if the Gunners’ spine still looks vulnerable.
As importantly, the fact that champions Manchester United have lost Cristiano Ronaldo, Liverpool have sold Xabi Alonso and Guus Hiddink has left Chelsea suggests the three teams who finished ahead of Arsenal last season are now significantly weakened.
Yet for all the beguiling brilliance Arsenal can produce this is a team that has yet to earn people’s trust. As magnificent as they were against Everton and as superb as they can be this is a team that has flattered to deceive and been consistently inconsistent over the past three seasons.
Whether they have finally found substance to go with their undoubted style will, of course, ultimately only be discovered over the course of the next nine months but trips to Old Trafford and the City of Manchester Stadium in the next few weeks should give a pretty good indication as whether this side is finally ready to deliver. Come through those matches successfully and maybe, just maybe, people will start to share Wenger’s confidence in this team.
