There were really only five or six really good victories this past season. Many of the wins were labored affairs where we struggled to beat inferior opposition.
1. Home to Manchester United 3-0.
Our finest win of the year. In just one half we destroyed Manchester United, put Louis van Gaal’s job under pressure, and halted the constant chatter about Anthony Martial of United.
Alexis scored twice, Ozil scored, Ramsey should’ve scored … it was our best half of the year and Arsenal fans were given the impression of having an offensive powerhouse that would sweep to the title.
October would be our best month of the season, but this match came on the heels of our disgraceful showing against Olympiakos a few days earlier. They atoned for that abomination in style.
2. Home to Bayern Munich 2-0.
With Champions League second round qualification in jeopardy, this was a must win match against one of Europe’s great teams. We would play a great game.
We had to weather a number of dangerous Bayern attacks and their dominant possession. Then we struck late, a free-kick and Olivier Giroud deflected the ball home.
Ozil would add the finishing touches to a Bellerin shot and the ball would cross the line and the celebrations started. Our Champions League hopes were alive.
3. Away at Leicester 5-2.
Little did we know that Leicester would win the title. At that time they were unbeaten and we would inflict their first defeat.
Vardy put Leicester ahead, but Arsenal powered back and battered a defence that would be lauded as the league’s best by the end of the season.
Alexis would score a hat-trick, Walcott and Giroud added a goal each and Arsenal would score five times, the only time the entire season they managed to score that many goals. Our inability to score would be a major problem the entire season.
4. Home to Leicester 2-1.
Arsenal won this game in dramatic fashion, scoring on the last play of the game. At the time we were in the chase for the title and the win looked like it would spur us on to bigger and better things. It didn’t.
Leicester would take the lead through Vardy earning a somewhat controversial penalty. Arsenal then fought back, with the pressure of the entire season on their backs.
Walcott would tie the game and then came the last minute of extra-time and the free-kick. Danny Welbeck, making his first appearance in almost ten months, managed to head home Ozil’s free-kick, a storybook return to action.
5. Home to Manchester City 2-1.
Arsenal won a dramatic game with heavyweight Manchester City in a match that oozed tension and chances. Arsenal would pounce in the first half with goals from Walcott and Giroud, where they converted their chances and City didn’t.
Arsenal played more conservatively in the second half and were coasting to victory until Yaya Toure scored a stunning goal and suddenly City had some momentum.
City created several good chances late, but couldn’t convert them and Arsenal had a big win under their belt.
6. Away to Olympiakos 3-0.
This was a match with a lot of pressure as qualification for the second round of the Champions League was the reward for the evening. Olympiakos actually started the match creating the better chances and having most of the possession.
All would change when Giroud scored shortly before half-time. Suddenly the pressure started to get to the Greeks.
Giroud would score from a lovely Campbell pass and would complete his hat-trick with a penalty kick following a handball. Arsenal had erased a large deficit in points in the group stage and had advanced to the second round.
7. Away to Everton 2-0.
This would be the coming of age game for Alex Iwobi. He had already impressed against Barcelona, but this time he had a dramatic impact on the match.
Welbeck started the scoring with a well worked goal with interplay between Ozil and Alexis. Just before half-time Iwobi would latch onto a Bellerin through pass and score his first goal for the Gunners.
Iwobi’s emergence was the feel good story of the year for Arsenal and he managed to eclipse the likes of Walcott, Campbell, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, who might all be moving this summer.
8. Away to Tottenham 2-1.
This Capital One Cup match featured a lineup that featured a number of our bench players combined with some first-teamers. That the night would belong to Matthieu Flamini, would be a big surprise.
Flamini was not supposed to feature that often this past season, but he would because of injuries to Arteta and Coquelin. On this night he would be a goal scorer as well.
Any win at White Hart Lane is memorable, but this one was won with perhaps our best goal of the season, Flamini’s volley into the top corner. It was not an easy shot, but his concentration was superb and his finish a thing of beauty. Combined with his other goal, Arsenal would advance to the next round.
9. Away to Swansea 3-0.
This might have been Arsenal’s best away game of the season. It was hard fought and the scoreline was a little generous in the end.
Gomis, long a scourge, would be played in alone in the first half, but Cech forced him a little wide and Bellerin raced in and poked the ball away.
Finally we struck in the second half. Giroud headed home a corner, Koscielny pounced on a Fabianski error, and Campbell scored a fine third goal, giving us a hard fought victory.
10. At Wembley against Chelsea 1-0.
Yes, I’m including the Community Shield. Chelsea were still trying for Jose Mourinho and we were coming off a solid pre-season. The match seemed to preview two powerhouses preparing for the ultimate season ahead.
It would end up being an interesting and entertaining match and Arsenal would win with a fine goal from Oxlade-Chamberlain. It falsely promised that this season would be his, that he would finally takeoff and become the star we expected.
Instead, he would stay on the bench, make odd appearances and soon have more own goals than goals. Just when he got his chance to start, he got injured. He came back and finally managed to get back into the starting lineup, only to injure himself against Barcelona. Not a good year.