Summer Cull Proves to be a Masterstroke

Less than seven weeks since the knives were out for Arsene Wenger after the opening-day defeat to Aston Villa, the Gunners sit proudly at the top of the Premier League table and have eased to Champions League wins against Napoli and Marseille.
Of course,MesutOzil has arrived to great fanfare from supporters and Betfair pundits but, while the former Real Madrid star’s performances have done much to galvanise the team, has his signing really been the catalyst for the magnificent recent run?

Doubts remain about the squad’s strength in depth, with the fitness of Olivier Giroud a constant source of concern. Giroud has already found the net six times while the renaissance of Aaron Ramsey has been thrilling and the Welshman already has eight goals to his name this season.

Ozil, who is only 24 but has already represented Germany on 49 occasions, scoring 15 times, was of course a brilliant signing but perhaps Wenger’s ability to cull his squad in the summer is his biggest achievement.

With little fanfare, Wenger managed to send Johan Djourou and Francis Coquelin out on loan while also contriving to sell the likes of Denilson, Andrei Arshavin, Vito Mannone, Sebastian Squillaci, Andre Santos, Gervinho, and MarouaneChamakh.

The ability to sell many of these players cannot be under-estimated. Fans on the Betfair forums have suggested that last season’s squad was bloated, with too many high-earning players making little impression on the first team.

The squad now is much smaller but the spirit within the camp appears to be much better and there is the chance for the likes of Ramsey and Serge Gnabry to shine.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, MikelArteta, Theo Walcott, and SantiCazorla remain in the treatment room but it is now difficult to see how they can strengthen a squad that could finally bring some silverware to the club and silence the Gunners’ many critics in the football betting world.