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> Monday, September 26th, 2011 > Sports > Fanshawe FC: Not the end of the world for Arsenal Fanshawe FC: Not the end of the world for Arsenal Marty Thompson Interrobang Click here to read more Interrobang articles written by Marty Thompson Published: Monday, September 26th, 2011  The last couple weeks have not been good to Arsenal. After a series of stunning defeats, Arsène Wenger and his men sit a point from the relegation zone. Is this team 'too good' to continue this slump? It has to be said: their results have been brutal so far. The 1-0 win against recently – promoted Swansea – the only goal coming from a brutal mess-up by Swansea keeper Michel Vorm – has supplied the team with three of their lowly four points. However, Gunners fans need to stay positive in these times. Regardless of who left in the offseason, Arsenal has picked up some proven signings. Mikel Arteta will surely help kick-start an offense that has mustered six goals this season. His presence in the midfield will hopefully draw players in and make even more room for other midfielders. Yossi Benayoun, another creative force, should provide good service this year, as well as pocket some goals for himself. With a creative player like Benayoun, new striker Park Chu- Young will also be able to find space up the pitch. Known for his explosive pace from dead balls in Monaco, Chu-Young should also help bolster the offense for his own account. However, there are still huge question marks about the defense. A team that has conceded more goals than any other club in the Premiership, they didn't necessarily hold the fort against Blackburn. In this already famous game, Arsenal gave up two own-goals in a 4-3 loss to Steve Kean's men, right after the fans had been chanting for Kean's sacking. However, they do seem to be addressing the issue of defense. New addition Per Mertesacker is like a statue in the defense, in every sense of the word. Known for his mammoth appearance and strong build, Mertesacker's critics say he's too quiet in the centre of the defense and can sometimes be caught standing still. August signing André Santos is a modern fullback, with a tendency to come up and help the attack. His defensive prowess is nothing to look out for. Regardless, Arsenal is a great team. Early table positions are not the greatest tool to judge a team, due to the small sample size – it isn't a long enough time to find a mean. Besides, they have only played five games, three of which were to top four contenders (Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle [Hey, they're in fourth at the moment]). Gunner fans need a little more patience with this side, as this squad has the potential to bounce back from this slump and still salvage the season. Other stories: I highly recommend watching some Toronto FC in the next couple weeks; you won't be disappointed. The Dutch 'Total Football' that they have been playing is finally starting to work for the Reds. With Europe in full swing, there are plenty of games to watch out for; Bayern at Manchester City and Marseille at Dortmund will both prove to be exciting contests.
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