Arsenal will be hoping that this season will not end in the same somber way like the previous four did. The club have not tasted any champagne success since their FA Cup triumph back in 2005, and the purpose of bringing experienced defender Sol Campbell back for his second stint at the Gunners was to relive those very fond memories.
But on Sunday, The Gunners lost 3-1 to an efficient Stoke outfit motivated by the occasion and the prospect of a strong run in the competition, knowing that Premier League safety is a likely prospect for yet another season given their reliable form at home.
Arsenal were at times poor in possession for a team with such telling talent. With the ball at their feet, Arsenal were unable to pose a serious threat to a gargantuan Stoke rearguard. There was no striker looking to get in behind the Stoke defence, and the end product was sparse with Theo Walcott often holding accountable for his poor crossing.
Arsenal were at war against Stoke, and on this evidence Arsenal have a lot to prove if they can consistently beat physically imposing sides in the Premiership away. Away matches against Blackburn and Birmingham for example, are on the horizon in the kind of fixtures that can keep a team in the title race, or fizzle away from contention.
It was surely The Gunners' best chance of bagging the FA Cup this season, with formidable cup outfits Liverpool and Manchester United knocked out the previous round.
So the team will again look at the Premier League and Champions League as their only sources for major honours this season. Arsenal fans can only pray over the next couple of months that their side's hopes do not fizzle out a while before the club football season draws to a close.
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