But the Predators are quite a different team today.

Despite an unconvincing victory last week over Babylon, a win over Arsenal, and a United Serbs loss, would ascend the Predators to fourth place in the standings.

But a not so surprising 3-1 loss to Arsenal all but assured the Predators a lower tier finish this season, serving a bitter reminder of how badly they have stumbled from a year ago.

The Predators, now 2-4, entered the match reeling from arguably their most disturbing victory in their most recent history�a 2-1 slugfest that resulted in the indefinite expulsion of one of their players from the league. That match exposed further the cavernous fissures in the Predators side, from tactical issues to interdisciplinary concerns.

From the start, the same problems that bedeviled the Predators in previous matches surfaced again. Fittingly, the Predators started the match two men down but were at full strength 10 minutes into the match.

It was not the start the Predators had in mind, but that statement might be the understatement of the season.

Arsenal, now 1-3 all-time against the Predators, took the lead in the 36th minutes of the match. They never looked back. They scored twice more in the second period as they all but control both tempo and time of possession.

The Predators narrowly escaped a shutout when Chris Kane snuck a shot past the keeper at the near post. It was a good goal as he beat the Arsenal keeper who was in position to contest the shot.

Sunday�s match was a further illustration that the Predators are clearly on the decline. The chasm between mediocrity and excellence is measured in terms of preparation and organization, not individual talent�which the Predators possess in abundance.

One of the most interesting transformations in the league this season is the progressive shift from rogue futbol to a more disciplined and systemic approach. Teams are no longer willing to leave victory to chance�a character trait the Predators are unwilling to discard.

With two matches remaining the regular season, the Predators have next week off. They then face United Serbs, a squad coming off dramatic losses against the top two teams in the league.

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