a strong challenge for a domestic cup.

5. Arsenal

For my money, 2011-12 could be a bit of a watershed season for Arsenal and Arsene. A hugely promising season, up until February, was blown away in a matter of weeks, with defeats to Barcelona, Birmingham and Manchester United in three cup competitions, and various poor results in the league (all of which started with that 4-4 draw against Newcastle).

It’s perfectly apparent to all, bar, it would seem, Mr Wenger, that Arsenal require at least two of the following: a top-class goalkeeper; a strong centre-back to play alongside Vermaelen and to lead the defence should he become injured again, and a strong defensive central midfielder.

Thus far in this summer transfer window, with 2 weeks remaining till the start of the season,their forward line. They probably have among the strongest midfields in the league – the likes of Modric, Aaron Lennon, big Tom Huddlestone and the effervescent Rafael Van der Vaart will lay goals on a plate for the right kind of striker all season (particularly if Lennon can work on his final ball into the area). Spurs do not have that striker at the moment. Jermaine Defoe had a great 2009-10 season – his 2010-11 season was, by comparison, approaching an unmitigated disaster. Peter Crouch is the perennial plan B for Redknapp (i.e. hump it to his big gangly head), while Pavlyuchenko, for some reason is about as popular as a nursery school closure. A player like Edinson Cavani or Giuseppe Rossi would be ideal to lead the