Noone believed at the beginning of the season. Bookies wrote them off. Bandwagoneers jumped off even before the whip could come to a full stop. The average age of their full first team squad is 24.2 years old. Their oldest player is 38 years old. In the offseason, while other top teams were spending big loot on wooing high profile players, this team only picked up an obscure, no-name Brazilian-born Croat. Irreverent doubt was casted immediately.

And above all, the great Thierry Henry left to Barcelona.

Noone believed. Expectations were so low they weren’t even set by pundits and critics. But yet, somehow, a surprise materialized.

As of 3/4/07, Arsenal is a clear title contender for the EPL crown for the 07/08 season and, after defeating AC Milan in the Round of 16 knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League, they are proudly marching forward on.

And it hasn’t been a great ride. Beset by injuries to key players and with no talismanic leadership of the same ilk as T.Henry, Arsenal’s young Guns have found a way to fight through its adversity and outperform even the softest of critics’ expectations.

When I watch an Arsenal game, I am amazed by the combination of raw talent, pace, technique, and intelligent maturity. What I see out there is a team. I see players running hard for each other, unafraid of sacrficing life and limb on 50/50 challenges. I see a team hungry for success. I see raw ambition.

Alot of credit should be given to Arsene Wenger and his tactical wizardry. He has perfected the “Arsenal system”, adaptable both in offensive and defensive situations. They can be an offensive siege machine or a fortress in defense. Position players mean players who can play different positions all over the field. Wenger advocates players attacking the free spaces, confusing defenders even of the most experienced kind. Arsenal’s first thought is always pass first, then shoot. Everyone is involved. Hardly will you see one man going for self-possessed glory. Instead you’ll see a player working hard to free up his teammate so he can unselfishly deliver a picture perfect pass for the other player to finish. Glory is shared equally amongst all. Behind every name on the official scoresheet are the names of every player on Arsenal’s line-up and bench. Arsenal’s game is beautiful, attractive, and appealing. It’s fast, efficient, and pure. Arsenal undermines the definition of class.

Arsenal’s weakness is their exact strength. Traditionally, youth is looked upon as a restrictive inhibitor of success, it is the opposite of experience – and experience wins championships. But Wenger has turned their weakness into their main recipe for success. Blended with a disciplined tactical approach and closely-bonded team chemistry, youth can be a devastatingly destructive force.

So the march continues for the Young Guns. With the end of the regular season on the bow and progress into the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League, nothing and noone but themselves can stop them from capturing the most prestigious titles in domestic and continental competitions.