The Big Four; any stronger than last season? Part 2 - Chelsea & Arsenal

The two other clubs who make up the established cartel at the top of the table had something in common this summer in that they both had chances to move on some of their better players to us for tidy sums. Arsenal, not being in the strongest of financial positions, dealt. Chelsea, on the other hand, postured for a bit, just about hung onto their captain, then acted like it was never in any doubt.

In my opinion, Chelsea still have by far the strongest squad in the division. They remain well capable of putting out two good sides, and in every position, barring possibly in goal, they have two real top-drawer players. This summer's signings might've been quite unspectacular, but what they've got is already tried and tested. Any side that could bring Alex in for Terry, or Ivanovic for Bosingwa, Zhirkov for Malouda, or afford to bench John-Obi Mikkel or Nicolas Anelka, well, you'd have to say they were real contenders.

Yuri Zhirkov has always struck me as being a very tidy footballer whenever i've seen him for Russia or at club level in Europe. I guess it could be seen as a bit of an odd signing, given that two of Chelsea's better players last term were Malouda and Ashley Cole, both obviously left-sided. To then pay £18m for another who plays on that flank, well it did initially surprise me. Given Chelsea's strength, though, they could conceivably play over sixty games next year, so they might all get enough action.

What Chelsea will have this year is a manager with a proven track record at an elite European club, and somebody who's won the competition Chelsea see as the Holy Grail both as a player and as a coach. He also seems to be the sort of boss who builds a camaraderie and mutual trust with his players in the same way Jose Mourinho did where his successors perhaps failed. If he gets the spirit in the dressing room right, then i suspect that whoever finishes above them will win the title.

Arsenal, i think, could be dark horses. They're in the peculiar position of having sold two key players for £40m without looking like they've really weakened themselves significantly. I think both Toure and Adebayor will be good signings for us, but that's not to say Arsenal didn't get a good deal, aswell. Toure, seven years at the club, moved on for a hundred times what they paid for him, and Adebayor, whose last season, unfairly in my opinion given he scored a goal every other game, was deemed disappointing.

Most football fans would agree, indeed we've been saying for a few seasons now, that Arsenal lack leadership, perhaps experience, but nothing in the way of ability. Each summer we expect them to sign a commanding central midfielder, and a proven centre-half, yet it never seems to happen. The likes of Song, Diaby & Denilson occasionally look like they're making progress, yet none appear exactly what's needed for them to get the right balance in the middle of the park. A return for Patrick Vieira wouldn't make too much sense, in my opinion, though a player of that ilk, but a few years younger, remains what they probably need.

Attacking-wise, they have a number of options. Eduardo's always looked like a potentially sublime player, van Persie, if he can stay fit more-or-less guarantees a good return, and Arshavin will, i'm sure, prove a tremendous asset. Perhaps Adebayor moving on could even prove a good opportunity for Nicklas Bentdner to push on, though to me he's always looked like a player with no confidence whatsoever, and if i'm honest, two left feet. With a more important role in the first-team, however, perhaps he could prove a useful foil for their other three main attackers.

Wenger has undoubtedly had a huge impact on the club since joining all those years ago. He's perhaps been one of the most key things to happen within the English game in recent times. They're a completely different club from when he took over, not least in style, but the culture around the club in general, aswell as the new stadium. To suggest he'd be under pressure might be being a bit disrespectful to him, but five years without a trophy would probably not be tolerated at any of their three main rivals, and with us showing our intentions over the last year and hopefully aiming to be on their tails, he might have to pull something out of the bag this season.

To sum up, i think good arguments could be made as to why three of the regular top four will be weaker going into the new season, but i think we should be reasonable in our expectations of catching them. We're still, not to be pessimistic about the club i love, a mid-table side, albeit one who've spent heavily on decent and proven players, especially over this summer. I'm sure, however, that all four of those clubs can compensate for losing top players, even their best players, to some degree by having such proven managers.

As it stands, our squad is as good as any apart from Chelsea's, in my opinion. Whether Hughes can hold his own against the elite managers we'll soon see. Talk of us winning the title is extremely optimistic, i think, and even sneaking one of these sides out of the top four positions will prove extremely tough. I think a more realistic target for us this season would be fifth place. We've spent enough money to expect to finish above the likes of Everton, Spurs & Aston Villa, though that in itself won't be easy. Weaker though the 'Big Four' mostly are, they've still been much stronger than us and anybody else year on year. Getting close to them over this coming season would be huge progress, with hopes of a further improvement the season after. As a long-suffering fan, finishing within single points of them would be a big enough statement in itself for now, and a pot of some sort would make it a terrific year.