Why Arsenal will finally take a step forward in the Champions League

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For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, something feels a bit different this season.

Two months into the campaign,

the Gunners are very much in the title race in England and have not shot themselves in the foot in Europe. A 6-0 destruction of Ludogorets in the Champions League on Wednesday has Arsenal level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Group A, but the remaining head-to-head fixture against the French champions will take place at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsene Wenger’s men can and, based on their play so far, should win that game.

A victory over PSG would almost certainly secure the top spot in Group A, and thus, Arsenal would be on the verge of breaking one of the most infamous streaks in club history. Although the Gunners have advanced to 19 straight Champions League group stages, they have been eliminated in the round of 16 in each of their previous six showings.

Finishing second in the group and drawing teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona multiple times has been a factor in those round-of-16 exits. But this season, Arsenal doesn’t appear to be a team on pace for a second-place finish in the group stage. The Gunners aren’t somnambulating to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and a round-of-16 exit in the Champions League.

Yes, something is different.

For starters, the team is not at all reliant on Olivier Giroud. In European football’s version of “small ball,” Alexis Sanchez has taken over as the lead front man for the French striker, who has only featured four times as a substitute. Add in the pace of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott and the cunning, silky style of Mesut Ozil, and Arsenal’s front four is difficult to stop due to pace, chemistry and quality.

Sanchez’s electric speed and energy in place of Giroud’s stationary aerial ability provides the Gunners with a far more fluid attack that mixes better with Wenger’s emphasis on passing, pressing, possession and movement. The Chilean has four goals and three assists in the Premier League to go along with two goals and two assists in the Champions League, hinting that his vision is as vital as his finishing.

Walcott has regained his reputation as one of the top wingers in the Premier League. The 27-year-old has scored seven goals in his last six appearances across all competitions after returning to the wing on a full-time basis, a move that has assisted Arsenal’s transition away from Giroud. Oxlade-Chamberlain is the preferred opposite winger, but Alex Iwobi has also displayed promise in the young season.

With pace all around him, Ozil is the master conductor of the attack. His second-half hat trick on Wednesday served as a reminder that he can fill dangerous spaces and finish chances when they fall to his feet. It was no coincidence that the front quartet combined for all six of Arsenal’s goals against Ludogorets on Wednesday.

As much as Giroud has been improperly scapegoated in previous seasons, the move away from relying on him has been the key to the Gunners getting their fans back on their side. Whereas the Emirates Stadium often lacked intensity and atmosphere, the current campaign has offered a lively contribution from the supporters, particularly heard during the 3-0 drubbing of Chelsea in the recent London derby.

The other major moves that brought the fans back to life in North London came via the transfer market. Arsenal spent in the summer and actually filled needs, as they didn’t simply buy yet another attacking midfielder.

When Francis Coquelin was not available early in the season, Granit Xhaka showed his quality in the middle of the park. As the Swiss international serves a suspension, Coquelin is sure to return the favor. Arsenal suddenly has quality cover in the holding midfielder position, which was a spot that could not even boast a single capable body only a couple years earlier.

In the back, the Gunners added Shkodran Mustafi, and Arsenal has yet to lose a match with the German international in the side. When Per Mertesacker returns from injury, Arsenal will have further cover at the back, but for now, the combination of Laurent Koscielny and Mustafi seems to be a winning tandem.