In an action-packed season, full to the brim with goals galore, frustration, disappointment, relief and eventual happiness, Arsenal supporters have had a lot to shout about.
Back-to-back FA Cup trophies is no easy achievement, and although the critics as well as rival fans do not like to admit it, the Gunners are gradually improving year-upon-year, and starting to show some promise for what is to come in the not-too-distant future. A third placed finish in the Premier League, especially when you take into account the sheer number of injuries sustained to key players throughout the campaign, and having a late title battle with newly-crowned champions Chelsea; who finished only twelve points ahead of Arséne Wenger's men in the table, and you'll realise how far they've come.
Without further ado, here are Arsenal's top five fixtures from last season:
Five: Everton 2-2 Arsenal, 23rd of August 2014.
The one and only match in the top five, that did not result in a win for Wenger's men. With their first match out of the way, a nervy 2-1 home victory at the expense of a valiant and unlucky Crystal Palace side, Arsenal travelled to Merseyside in search of a decent result against The Toffees, who have troubled the Gunners on a number of occasions over the past few years.
With ten minutes left to play, Roberto Martinez's men were two-goals to the good. Seamus Coleman and Steven Naismith had got their names on the scoresheet, and the visitors were virtually down-and-out with the clock ticking against them. Aaron Ramsey halved the deficit with seven minutes to go, and for all of their intense pressure, Arsenal made up for a lethargic first-half display. An inviting delivery into the box was fed through by Nacho Monreal from the left, and Olivier Giroud pounced on the opportunity in some style to head beyond Tim Howard with just a minute left to play at Goodison.
It wasn't a stellar performance, albeit a disappointing one as they were consequently punished for a characteristically poor start. Despite this though, they dug deep and found two goals in quick succession, when everyone was expecting them to concede defeat.
Four: Arsenal 5-0 Aston Villa, 1st of February 2015.
A five-star performance from the Gunners at home to start off the month of February, in which they only lost one Premier League match - against rivals Tottenham. It was a flawless display as they picked off the Villans from start-to-finish, and it could have easily been double figures if it was not for the goalkeeping heroics of Brad Guzan, who had to be alert to deny the likes of Alexis Sánchez and Olivier Giroud on a number of occasions.
Santi Cazorla was impressive in a holding midfield role, playing as the orchestrator and being allowed to roam free in the middle of the park. His mazy dribbling, quick feet, close-control dribbling and low centre of gravity were all amongst the strengths on display from the talented Spaniard, who was just one of the many Arsenal players who performed well on the first day of a new month.
Three: Arsenal 4-1 West Brom, 24th of May 2015.
What better way to keep the spirits high before a cup final, than to comfortably thump a tough side in-front of all your adoring supporters in the final fixture of the Premier League season? A well-taken hat-trick from Theo Walcott, oh did he need it, as well as a stunning strike which rifled into the net from Jack Wilshere, gave the Gunners a lot to cheer about, just days before they aimed to retain their FA Cup crown against Tim Sherwood's rejuvenuated Villa side. Thankfully for the sanctity of many, Wenger's men managed to win at Wembley - securing back-to-back triumphs in two seasons, finishing their season with another piece of silverware.
Two: Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool, 4th of April 2015.
After their rather abysmal first-half display at Anfield, back in 2014, Arsenal were up against the Reds with redemption in their sights. Liverpool had humiliated them and utilised the threats posed by Daniel Sturridge, Luis Súarez and Raheem Sterling to good use. Counter-attacking football, to devastating effect. Fast forward a year, and it was Brendan Rodgers' men who were those being humiliated. Having made the trip up to north London, they were always going to be second-favourites against an Arsenal side who always traditionally end the season well. They started slowly, and had Simon Mignolet to thank that they were not three-goals down after just ten minutes. The Gunners were rampant with their attacking style of play, and eventually the Liverpool resistance was broken. Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil and Hector Bellerín were the scorers as Wenger's men comfortably saw off a rather limp Liverpool side at the Emirates. Sweet vengeance.
One: Manchester City 0-2 Arsenal, 18th of January 2015.
In a match where no-one expected them to get a result out of, Arsenal did exactly that - in efficient and effective fashion. They travelled to Manchester against the then-defending champions with critics already writing off their chances of winning the game itself. However, from the get-go, the game plan was easy to spot. Francis Coquelin; who had been impressive in the previous games he was involved with after his emergency recall, was to sit in-front of the back-four and provide protection with Per Mertesacker having looked shaky at times. A tough enforcer, this match would be an intriguing barometer to see whether he could impose his physicality in a match against a big opponent, one that The Gunners have struggled to cope with in the past few years.
After their enthralling 2-2 draw in the early weeks of the new campaign, it proved that anything could happen if Arsenal started well, which they managed to do. They started quickly and the midfield area was jam-packed with battles between players, which the north Londoners frequently came out on top in. Arsenal took the lead after pouncing on City's well-known defensive frailties, and won a penalty which was cooly slotted into the net by Santi Cazorla. The Citzens were eager to come straight back, but Wenger's men sat back and frustrated them with an impressive defensive display - something that has been relatively unknown to supporters over the past few years it must be said. Olivier Giroud got his name on the scoresheet at the end of a lovely pass-and-move exchange, his well-taken finish beat Joe Hart at his far post, to double Arsenal's lead despite all of City's intensifying pressure on-goal.
Proving their doubters wrong - they can win dirty
This performance alone has given the side some new-found confidence that they can in-fact beat the bigger sides, as long as they start matches quickly and take their goal-scoring opportunities effectively. Notable absences to the list, include Arsenal's 2-1 victories over West Ham (28th of December 2014) and Leicester City (10th of February 2015) as well as their 1-1 draw with Manchester United (17th of May 2015).
The main reasons for this, is because although the first two fixtures stated do not seem like fantastic wins, every point counts in the league season. West Ham were at home, just a few days after Christmas, and looked impressive with all their danger men looking to ruin their London rivals in-front of goal. Despite going two-goals ahead, Arsenal conceded soon after the half-time interval and needed to keep their defensive shape if they were going to take all three points from Upton Park. They were efficient in doing so, and held out for an important win that in previous years, they probably would have thrown away.
This is the same case, with their win over Leicester City. Nigel Pearson's men had nothing to lose, and went to the Emirates with the "underdog" title - they wanted to prove their worth, and ultimately stake their claim against one of the best sides in the league. Riyad Mahrez was instrumental in helping the Foxes get back into the contest, and looked dangerous as they were in search of sealing a late equaliser. However, Arsenal kept their nerve, and held on against a tough side that secured a 1-1 draw with them at the King Power Stadium earlier on in the campaign and have been known to frustrate the bigger sides without actually recording many victories against them.
Lastly, with ten minutes to go at Old Trafford, Arsenal came out of nowhere and secured a draw courtesy of Theo Walcott's deflected strike off Tyler Blackett confusing Victor Váldes in the United goal. It was an end-to-end affair in Manchester, and although United seemed more than likely to secure all three points, Wenger's men dug deep for an important strike, one which effectively ended United's hopes of leapfrogging the Gunners into third place; avoiding a Champions League play-off in August.