The opening weekend of the Premier League was strange for a number of reasons, but chiefly for Arsenal fans it was strange because of the absence of Arsene Wenger. The sight of the Frenchman stalking the touchline at The Emirates is a familiar one for Gunners fans, but now Unai Emery has taken his place and the future for Arsenal is finally exciting once again.

So what does the new season hold for Arsenal? A top four finish Europa League success? Whatever happens, it’s guaranteed not to be another merry go-round of Wenger’s Groundhog Day. In this article we take a look at how the 2018/2019 season might look for the Gunners.

The League

Arsenal finished in a lowly sixth position last year, just ahead of Burnley – and for a club the size of Arsenal that is not acceptable. Having slipped behind Spurs as the best side in North London, something needs to happen, and quick. St. Totteringham’s day must return this season to give the long-suffering fans something to cheer about.

Arsenal have clearly struggled over the last five years as a result of under-coaching, and the prolific video watching, tactic obsessed Emery should be just what the Arsenal players need. The bookmakers have Arsenal to finish outside of the top four, but a top four – perhaps top three – finish does not seem out of the realms of possibility.

Also, they can look forward to a fired up Mesut Ozil, who certainly has a point to prove following his and Germany’s disappointing World Cup, it’s safe to say there weren’t many English football fans who were expecting him to be back with the Gunners so soon.

The Cups

Arsene Wenger had an impressive record in domestic cup competitions during his time in Islington. The iconic Frenchman won the FA Cup seven times whilst Arsenal manager, that’s just one less FA Cup than Tottenham have managed in their entire history.

Winning a league title seems highly unlikely for Unai Emery, as Manchester City look set to embark on a period of English league dominance. The gulf between Arsenal and Manchester City on the opening day of the season was clear for everyone to see.

The former Sevilla and PSG coach, Emery will be looking to the cup competitions early on as a way to prove his worth to Kroenke, Gazidis and co.

Europe

Much has been made of the importance of qualifying for the Champions League at Arsenal, and Kroenke will be eager for Emery to take Arsenal to the top four in order to reap the financial benefits of the UEFA tournament, especially after purchasing Alisher Usmanov’s shares recently.

The best way for Arsenal might be through the Europa League, a tournament which Emery has a strong affinity with. The 46-year-old coach won three consecutive Europa League’s with Sevilla from 2014 – 2016, beating Benfica, Dnipro and Liverpool in the finals.

Gunners fans can expect a long European adventure, regardless of whether it ends up in glory or not.

Predictions

Premier League: 3rd
Europa League: Winners
FA Cup: Fifth Round
League Cup: Winners