Gunning For A Title

It's no secret that Arsenal has had their struggles in recent years. The last trophy for the Gunners came in May 2005 when the North London club hoisted the FA Cup.

It can be argued that the current Arsenal squad now can field the most talented squad since the "Invincibles" of the 2003-2004 Premier League campaigns. Now in their fourth year of a trophy drought, Arsene Wenger's men have no more excuses if they come up empty-handed again. While youthful, the Gunners boast depth at many positions (including the forwards), where the youth policy of Wenger has started to pay dividends: being able to call 20-year-old Theo Walcott a seasoned player does have its advantages.

It's players such as Robin Van Persie that have Arsenal's young team in contention for a title this season. Currently in third, the Gunners are five points behind table leaders Chelsea with a game in-hand.

Van Persie, who was signed from Dutch side Feyenoord in 2004, has had his share of problems since joining the Gunners. Injuries and various off-field incidents have taken away some of the positives the Dutchman has provided on the pitch. This year Van Persie seems to have been free of such issues and has produced a prolific campaign so far: seven goals and six assists in just 10 games.

ESPN Soccernet has a great article about Wenger's praise for the striker. Soccernet also has another that quotes Van Persie talking about the Gunners title aspirations for this year.

So far so good for Arsenal. The beautiful football the team is known for is hitting on all cylinders. If the team can avoid the injury bug and keep its form on target, Gunners fans can expect a trophy at the end of the season.