The Litmus Test

Can't wait for tomorrow morning's Champions League clash between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. There's another big game at the same time between AC Milan and Barcelona, but this takes the cake for me. You just have to talk about Arsenal, don't you? In my mind, they are currently the favourites for the Premiership. What a team! They are currently unbeaten in their last 12 matches in all competitions (winning 10 and drawing 2); they are topping a highly-competitive Barclays Premier League; they are topping a super-tough Champions League group; and they're in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup (where they're taking on Chelsea in a mouth-watering clash next week). They're the hottest team on the planet!!

And all this after crashing at home to Aston Villa 3-1 on the opening day of the league season. I still remember everyone writing their obituary then, saying how it was going to be yet another hopeless season for them, how they have failed to purchase any fruitful signings, how their 8-year trophyless drought was sure to be extended, how Arsene Wenger was in danger of being sacked. Well, looks like the so-called 'experts' don't know very much, do they??

Since then, Arsenal have signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid (who has proven to be an IMPACT player), Aaron Ramsey is in the form of his life and can't stop scoring from midfield, Olivier Giroud is turning everything he touches into goal (he's now more or less a cert in the French starting line-up) and the whole team has gelled together like an inexorable, smooth-oiled machine. And they've got Santiago Cazorla to come back from injury as well.

But tomorrow morning is the Litmus Test. They are facing one of the best teams in the world: Germany's Borussia Dortmund. A team that was runners-up in the Champions League last season. A team that is second only to Bayern Munich in this season's Bundesliga. A well-integrated, passionate group of savvy footballers. A team boasting the likes of German internationals Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, Armenian standout Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski. A team well-renowned throughout Planet Football. If Arsenal can win this game, they will be deemed automatic favourites to win the BPL and one of the core contenders for this season's Champions League. If they lose, then perhaps we will see there is a gap between them and the very best Europe has to offer. A lot riding on this match, and the world is waiting.