Its Chelsea's to lose - the Premiership title

It has to be said and what better time than now. Yes, I think Arsenal will miss out on the Championship this season.

The signs have been there all the time but we, lifelong fans of the red and white, failed to see them or had the wool pull over our eyes by the Gunners seemingly endless run of victories.

Truth be said that we were leaking goals right from the start. Everybody remembers Boro’s 3 against us at Highbury in August, Spurs 4 goals, 3 months later and the 2 conceded to ManYoo that fateful night in October. But even bottom of the table teams like Southampton (2), West Brom and Norwhich scored against us. Come to think of it the Gunners did not keep a clean sheet for more than 1 match until the Christmas period matches.

But the club officials, players and the supporters did not blink an eye. We were winning won’t we? We were riding on the momentum of the longest unbeaten run in modern football. We scored more goals than we let in, thanks to the ever-reliable Titi and also the early season form of Reyes.

Andy Gray, football pundit, a couple of months ago, in an article in Football365 titled“Its hard to know you are not invincible” said, “While you're winning every game you go out onto the pitch thinking that not only are you going to play well, but that every little decision will go your way and the ball will always bounce in exactly the right direction. You never doubt that this will be your day, and tomorrow will be as well.”

Then it happened. Teams played 5 in midfield against you and got physical too. The Gunners found it harder to score goals. Points were dropped and the opposing teams confidence grew and even the relegation zone teams felt they had a chance against you.

It did not help that key players got injured and/or suspended. Others lost their “championship” form – skipper Vieira, Pires and Lehmann. And worst, the rivalry with ManYoo went out of hand and aversely distracted Wenger and the team.

Quoting Andy Gay again, “When you eventually lose, it feels like luck has turned against you, the referees have turned against you and everything that was falling in your path before is now falling in the path of your opponents. And in turn, they are buoyed with the knowledge that they can beat you too, just as someone else did.”

Andy was correct. From leading the Premier League, Arsenal is now in the chasing pack, with 10 points to make up and a difference of 12 goals to narrow down.

Of course, the die-hards among us, the Gooners supporters, will defiantly said we have done it before, in 1998 and even last year, that is coming from behind to triumph in May of the respective years.

But to me conceding 25 goals after just 24 games is not championship form. It’s more reflective of a mid-table club. Compare this with Chelsea’s 8 and ManYoo 14.

It will do well for the Gunners to just concentrate on winning one of the other trophies available to be won this season. After that we can “re-group” and mount another attack on the Premiership title next year.

Glen Hoddle and Wolves, beware.