Arsenal: Untapped Potential The Root Of All Evil

Thierry Henry has stated that the Arsenal squad can match the success of Chelsea. I agree; their untapped success is the root of all evil for the Gunners.

They say the hope is what kills you. After a dramatic Super Bowl in which the Atlanta Falcons blew a 25-point lead against the New England Patriots, it is fair to say that they devastation they and their fans suffered through would vindicate that statement. Arsenal fans can empathise.

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Arsene Wenger has been a man who has often offered great hope before snatching it away. He builds teams that are capable of such beautifully destructive attacking performances while forgetting that they must be able to defend as well. He assembles squads with great technical prowess before realising that football is won and lost between the ears. He… need I go on?

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It is often a case of untapped potential. After Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea all but ended the Gunners’ title hopes for yet another season, much of the media attention has focused on the squad’s inability to mentally match the best teams in the country, with some sections questioning the competency of Wenger himself moving forward. Record goalscorer Thierry Henry had his say on the game. Henry raised the idea of untapped potential during his assessment:

"“When you look at Chelsea and Arsenal on paper, there is not a huge difference. So that means it’s possible. If Chelsea are leading, Arsenal can do it too. You have to be good at training all the time. You have to get stuck in a little bit from time to time. I think Arsenal players are not aware of what they can achieve. At some point, you have to believe in your chances of winning. It takes self-management, self-discipline in the group.”"

Henry certainly makes a valid point. On paper, at least, Wenger has assembled a squad capable of rivalling that of Conte’s. The likes of Granit Xhaka, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin (for the most part), Lucas Perez and Mohamed Elneny all missed Saturday’s game with a variety of different reasons and the starting XI was still strong and the bench equally as exciting.

And yet, here we stand with Chelsea towering over the rest of the country, with a 12 point lead over Wenger’s side and all-but sealed Premier League title. Meanwhile, after the loss, the North London club are facing the possibility of missing out on the top four for the first time in Wenger’s tenure.

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It is little more of a case of untapped potential. The natural abilities of the players, their technical and physical qualities are capable of winning the Premier League. But each and every year they fall short. This is surely the root of all evil for the Gunners.