A season that will surely stay in the memory of a lot of Arsenal fans, the season when they competed for the title against Manchester City and pushed them all the way. Not many clubs had the ability to push this formidable side all the way, only Liverpool, and they always came out second best at the end of match week 38. Arsenal, for some, had a brilliant season, but for some, they under-achieved.
We are here to set the record straight and understand exactly what the real expectations were and what is on the horizon for them next season. Make sure to follow us on the LV BET Sports Blog for more information and interesting articles. We are doing a series of articles going through most of the Premier League clubs and reviewing their seasons; if you haven’t checked out Tottenham Hotspurs, make sure to give it a read.
SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS
Since Mikel Arteta took over at Arsenal, the club has had an uplift, and to turn the side that he inherited into one that could compete at the highest level in English football takes some doing. The method was simple: bring in young players who are willing to learn and give them time to actualise their potential. In the meantime, the board, whose objective where aligned with that of the manager, moved on a couple of players who weren’t fit for the challenge ahead. Sokratis, Torreira, David Luiz and eventually Mesut Ozil.
Removing such players from the wage bill has helped Arsenal bring in Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale, who all have been influential towards the great season they had. The tactical makeup of the team and the way that Arteta instilled his methods have worked wonders, especially for his wingers when receiving the ball. Arsenal ripped up the script and redefined what is expected from this Arsenal side, from a team that was fighting for the top four last year to mounting a title challenge against Manchester City.
It wouldn’t be fair to say that they failed to win the title this season – the intention was never to do so. The fact that they recorded their best-ever start to the Premier League campaign did not help the narrative, gaining 50 points from the first 19 games. Along the way, they produced some magical football, and players came of age in front of the fans’ eyes. Tough-earned victories and late winners became the norm for the Gunners, and that continued to fuel the idea that this was Arsenal’s time.
The squad depth issue eventually caught up to them, and they dropped 15 points over the final nine games.
PEAK ARSENAL
One has to say that the turnaround against Bournemouth on March 4th was the peak point for Arsenal. Going 1-0 down in the first seconds of the game, 2-0 down in the second half, but still manage to overcome the deficit and win. Reiss Nelson’s 97th-minute winner sent the Emirates into raptures. After the game, fans had the feeling that it might be it and they could potentially fight off the Man City threat.
The years of suffering and disgruntlement seems to be well behind them, but eventually it all came crumbling down and Champions League qualification was earned, which was their primary target in the first place.
STRUGGLES
The defeat against Man City at the Etihad could well be the low point as it eliminated any jeopardy Pep’s team had at that point. Apart from the result, the meaning of that defeat was big, from that point onwards it was all psychological warfare. That is where Arsenal came up short, young players who never experienced anything like that where up against a team that has fought hard and won the previous two titles.
The other stand out game where Arsenal looked off it was against Southampton. A side destined to play second-tier football next season gave the Premier League leaders a tough challenge, more than expected at least. A late rally, resulting in two goals from the home side salvaged a draw, keeping Arsenal within a shot at the title, but that was a good sign of things to come.
WAYS TO IMPROVE
Now that they enjoyed a successful season and they showed the world what they can do, many players would again, love the idea to play for Arsenal. That is where the secret sauce lies, more players giving Mikel Arteta more options going forward and at the back. Squad depth cannot be achieved in a summer, during the January transfer window, Arsenal brought in Trossard and Jorginho, two very reliable players who could do their job without much fuss. Adding another centre-back could give Saliba a breather, with like-for-like wingers a possibility to rest both Saka and Martinelli.
Rumours are circling around the future of Granit Xhaka, whilst he did a pretty good job this season, the prospect of having Moises Caicedo or Decland Rice would offer a better chance of challenging Man City next season. The recruitment has been brilliant, getting players in who are versatile and have proven track records such as Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, has worked wonders for the team.
PLAYERS TO MOVE ON
Whenever there is a team such as Arsenal, who are building a bigger and better nest, they might let an egg or two astray. Those eggs represent players who are not at the same level as the team should be. For many fans, the scapegoat for the poor defensive displays late in the season was Rob Holding. It is cruel to single him out as Ramsdale, Gabriel, Zinchenko and Partey all made more direct mistakes that led to goals than the English centre-back.
Another player that looked devoid of confidence was Fabio Vieira who endured a disappointing debut season. It might boil down to him adjusting to the country and its little quirks – we will see what Mikel Arteta decides during the upcoming months.