Jacko Jones argues that a new golden era is about to dawn.

Even if you have had your eyes closed for the past week you must surely know that Arsene Wenger has managed Arsenal for 1000 games.

And if you have dug any deeper into the statistics which Arsenal.com have been helpfully providing you’ll also know that year on year Arsene’s success rate in terms of the percentage of matches won, has gone up and up and up.

However as we all know, the early triumphs in terms of league and cup wins has not been maintained.
The obvious reason for this is that the opposition has got stronger. Not in general but with specific clubs where expenditure is not an issue. Clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City where millions have been thrown at the team in the attempt to win endless championships. With Manchester United where the gamble on Van Persie’s fitness (taken at the expense of a four year contract on a very high salary) paid off for one year, and with Liverpool, who have lost around £50m a year for three years running in order to get that most sought after top four spot.

And so the papers find it impossible to write any article at all about Arsenal and Wenger without mentioning the length of time with a trophy. No mention is made of when Liverpool last won the league, or Tottenham (that supposedly great FA Cup team) last actually won the FA Cup. But with Arsenal, its de rigour.

So, as the journalist motto goes, never let facts get in the way of a headline, and thus the Wenger bashing goes on and on. Even as the manager was celebrating his 1000th game, the supposedly serious papers were delighted to be running articles about his worst transfers, and his worst team.

However, to return to the issue of trophies, when will Arsenal actually make it happen?

Clearly the best chance is the FA Cup, where the draw has been unkind (we’ve mostly played top teams) and kind (we’ve played at home). And in theory the draw for the semi-final, and indeed the final if Arsenal get through, looks kinder still.

Except… the League Cup final against Birmingham should have been a doddle. As should the cup game against Bradford. As should… well you know the rest.

In essence no top team should ever lose to a lower league team – but they do. Herbert Chapman only won the cup once with Arsenal not least because even when he was in the midst of winning the league, he got the team wrong and Arsenal lost to Walsall.

And it’s not just Arsenal. Manchester United managed to lose to Exeter City in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Liverpool lost to Northampton Town in 2010. It happens.

So Arsenal have to avoid the pitfalls that can befall any big team when it comes to playing a smaller side – and this season I think they will do it.

The reason is that the club has a maturity about it. The players have the sort of international distinction that brings with it a knowledge of exactly what playing underdogs is like. Sagna, Mertersacker, Koscielny, Flamini, Cazorla… these are guys who have been there, seen it, done it.
They know what it is all about, and they know how to cope.

What’s more I am hopeful that we won’t get any more horrific injuries by the semi final and final, and that we will have Ramsey and Ozil back playing. Those two on their own could make a sensational difference.

So, I’d go for this year’s FA Cup to be the end of the drought. But then I’d go further. I think the team is now strong enough, and the money available is large enough, for us to go on to start winning the league, Doubles and even the European Cup.

Now that might sound daft after all these years, but let me explain why.

The one thing that has held us back over and over again has been the injuries. There are many reasons why such injuries happen, and I won’t try and cover the debate here, but the fact is Arsenal gets injuries – including a much higher level of injuries caused by fouls than any other team.
The only way to cope with this is through a bigger squad which is constantly rotated. There are, after all, four competitions to play in so why not have a larger first team squad?

Obviously this will make it tougher for youngsters to break through, but the loan system is there, and clubs across the continent have made it quite clear that they love taking on Arsenal loanees when they get the chance.

So that’s how I see it. An FA Cup win this season, further trophies in the years to come, and with an ever growing squad size with much greater rotation.

And yes I do know about the 25 player rule that the Premier League has in place – but I also know that Arsenal has never once got near nominating 25 over age players to fill those places. Next autumn I think we might.