Aguero trains with Manchester City, Arsene Wenger announces possible Alexis Sanchez return

One of the favourite topics for football fans up and down the country is the question of whether Arsenal can actually, this year, finally, at last, win the league. Then Monaco came into the Emirates and slapped us around to the tune of 3-1. Maybe they feel well-placed to cackle at Arsenal’s apparent misfortune at drawing Barca while they face far easier assignments. “But I believe in Arsenal for this game, yes”. Yes, that is something to be excited about.

Arsenal are dealing with a massive injury blow as Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere have been confirmed out until February, having failed to recover from their respective knocks. “You can tell he really understands football and to play alongside him is something special”. “He respects all the decisions I make and that is what I want from him”.

Welbeck has not been able to help Arsenal’s campaign at all this season due to injury and will be keen to return as quickly as possible to boost Wenger’s options. Their poor record on that front was criticised by goalkeeper Tim Howard recently after they slumped to a third draw on the bounce, with set pieces being to blame on each occasion. “If they made a film of my life, I think they should get George Clooney to play me”, he said.

One of the offshoots of this conversation is the question of whether their strike force is realistically good enough to win the league.

“I know how special he is as a manager”.

However, what is different about this year is that nobody seems to have grabbed it by the scruff of its neck (Arsenal included). Most of those remarkable things have been done with a mass of injury problems. That is the situation Arsenal have been in, yet they have done nothing but improve. If you look at Real Madrid, there is always speculation.

Manchester United were the last team to win the league with 80 points back in 2011 but Chelsea needed 87 points to lift the trophy last season. This gives cause to optimism, despite it not being a very factual statistic (for example, we played Liverpool home twice in this calendar year, whereas in a normal season we would play them home and away).