The victory over Chelsea at Wembley was a terrific day for Arsenal fans, and the subsequent euphoria has allowed Wenger's extension to pass without the protests that seemed ubiquitous just a matter of weeks ago. However, lifting the FA Cup does not necessarily indicate a team on the up. Let's not forget that Wigan won the competition in the same season as their relegation from the English top flight.

Arsenal suffered a relegation of their own this season when they failed to qualify for the Champions League. For the first time in Wenger's reign, the team are playing catch-up with the Premier League's top four. Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool are all likely to invest heavily in strengthening their squads this summer. City's swift acquisition of Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva, for example, was a powerful statement of intent. Manchester United are also likely to spend big money again, and unlike Arsenal they can offer the allure of Champions League football.

Arsenal fans demand positive change. The decision to give Wenger a new contract seems like a worrying move to maintain the status quo, and supporters will need to see the club behave in a manner that suggests they know this season was simply not good enough. The team must be improved.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez teamed up to give Reading trouble on Saturday. Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

The problem for Wenger is that there's a very real risk that Arsenal will severely weaken their team before they can make steps to strengthen it. The two biggest signings in the club's history, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, are both a little over a year from being able to walk away on a free transfer. Wenger is publicly bullish, insisting that if they refuse to sign new contracts, they will be held to their existing agreements. The history books suggest such talk is cheap: Similar claims were made about the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie before they were sold to ensure the club recouped some cash for their prized assets.

It's difficult to overestimate how important Alexis and Ozil are to Arsenal. The Chilean was particularly sensational form throughout 2016-17 -- his goal in the FA Cup Final was his 30th of the season, meaning he is now the first Arsenal player to reach that milestone since Van Persie in 2012.

As for Ozil, he managed to redeem his midseason dip with some outstanding displays in the run-in. Somewhat surprisingly, the German was one of the main players to benefit from Wenger's switch to a 3-4-2-1 system. Moving him out of the centre of midfield absolved him of some defensive responsibilities and gave him a new lease on life, exploiting space by cutting in from the right flank on to his preferred left foot. When Ozil was forced wide in Arsenal's 4-2-3-1 formation, he looked lost. In this system, he is playing as well as he ever has for Arsenal.

However, the reality is that Arsenal stand a very real chance of losing both Ozil and Alexis. That would send shockwaves through the club and plunge them into the kind of crisis not experienced since Nasri and Fabregas left in 2011. Not only would it effectively take the team back to the drawing board in a tactical sense, but it would also raise questions over Arsenal's status in the football world. When your best players want away, it's hard to attract top new talent.

That, after all, is what Wenger needs. For much of this season it has been said that Arsenal had a talented squad who might fare better with another coach. If the coach is to remain the same, then Arsenal will need a superior squad. Wenger may have won a new contract, but there is still a huge fight ahead.