History is against Arsenal and they would be wise to focus on Thursday nights in their search for success

Thursday night football | Arsenal will compete in the Europa League next season
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
John Dillon15 June 2017

It is 41 years since an English club won the league title and a version of the Europa League in the same season.

This is why things will be tangled for Arsenal from the start because whether they like it or not, it is the mid-week cup competition which offers them their best chance of winning something in the 2017-18 season.

Liverpool last pulled off that "double" in 1976 - having done the same in 1973. Whatever plans Arsene Wenger has now that he signed his new two-year contract, his team is no Liverpool of the Shankly and Paisley era.

What is sure, though, now that the fixture computer has handed them an opening day date against Leicester City is that Arsenal have to start well.

The protests and disquiet among the supporters which marked last season will soon re-surface otherwise. Anti-Wenger demos would begin again. The club simply cannot afford any more unrest.

Wenger's side face only two of the teams considered among the elite, Liverpool and Chelsea, during the opening two months. As much as the schedule can help, that is encouraging in terms of a potential good start. If they begin well, it could also help attract late transfer targets.

But they must get used to the new Thursday-Sunday Europa League routine. And if they don't take that competition seriously, well, no club is more prone to the seeping doubt of inconsistency which regular setbacks in Europe might create.

Arsenal transfer targets for summer 2017

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Alternatively, a good spell in Europe could make winning a habit the following weekend. Already, things look complex for Wenger. Dare we say it, but some Gunners fans even fancy winning the Europa League? They should have a real go.

ARSENAL'S FIXTURES IN FULL

12/08/2017 Leicester City (h) 15:00
19/08/2017 Stoke City (a) 15:00
26/08/2017 Liverpool (a) 15:00
09/09/2017 Bournemouth (h) 15:00
16/09/2017 Chelsea (a) 15:00
23/09/2017 West Bromwich Albion (h) 15:00
30/09/2017 Brighton and Hove Albion (h) 15:00
14/10/2017 Watford (a) 15:00
21/10/2017 Everton (a) 15:00
28/10/2017 Swansea City (h) 15:00
04/11/2017 Manchester City (a) 15:00
18/11/2017 Tottenham Hotspur (h) 15:00
25/11/2017 Burnley (a) 15:00
28/11/2017 Huddersfield Town (h) 19:45
02/12/2017 Manchester United (h) 15:00
09/12/2017 Southampton (a) 15:00
12/12/2017 West Ham United (a) 19:45
16/12/2017 Newcastle United (h) 15:00
23/12/2017 Liverpool (h) 15:00
26/12/2017 Crystal Palace (a) 15:00
30/12/2017 West Bromwich Albion (a) 15:00
01/01/2018 Chelsea (h) 15:00
13/01/2018 Bournemouth (a) 15:00
20/01/2018 Crystal Palace (h) 15:00
30/01/2018 Swansea City (a) 19:45
03/02/2018 Everton (h) 15:00
10/02/2018 Tottenham Hotspur (a) 15:00
24/02/2018 Manchester City (h) 15:00
03/03/2018 Brighton and Hove Albion (a) 15:00
10/03/2018 Watford (h) 15:00
17/03/2018 Leicester City (a) 15:00
31/03/2018 Stoke City (h) 15:00
07/04/2018 Southampton (h) 15:00
14/04/2018 Newcastle United (a) 15:00
21/04/2018 West Ham United (h) 15:00
28/04/2018 Manchester United (a) 15:00
05/05/2018 Burnley (h) 15:00
13/05/2018 Huddersfield Town (a) 15:00

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