Arsenal are a team I can’t help but like. Back in the days of Arsène Wenger when they played fluent, two touch football it was simply beautiful to watch. Ever since then, I kept an eye on them even when Wenger left, just to see how they would fare.
After a few seasons bouncing around the Europa League spots, last season Arsenal were serious challengers for the final Champions League place. They narrowly missed out on the final day, but the signs were there that they had the potential to at least somewhat reach the heights of the early 2000’s.
So today I plan to talk about each position at Arsenal, and why over recent seasons it looks like they are building towards something that may finally come to fruition for this upcoming season.
Goalkeeper
For me the main problem with Arsenal early last season was the lack of a clear number one.
Leno was signed for big money back in 2018, but he never really looked at home in the role of the Arsenal keeper. When you looked at Brazilians Alisson and Ederson, they looked like beasts, and owned their role. Whereas I always felt Leno didn’t have anywhere close to that aura. He was a good shot stopper, sure. But he never had the command of his defence like Alisson and Ederson did, and his distribution was considered comparatively poor.
To combat this, The Gunners signed an able deputy in Aaron Ramsdale who came to the Emirates with a huge reputation. The problem was, Leno was their number one, even though the stars were aligning for Ramsdale to be the natural successor.
Whenever Ramsdale started, it felt strange since Leno was their big money signing. there seemed to be an element of uncertainty as to who was now their first choice goalkeeper, or if there even was one.
Now that Leno has signed for neighbours Fulham, it is clear that Ramsdale is their first choice keeper, and he can focus on his role with confidence knowing the manager has complete faith in him.
Defence
All eyes were on William Saliba on the first day of the season. The jokes were flying around about the Frenchman signing for a hefty price tag, only for him to not even play a single game in his first three seasons at the club.
He soon silenced his critics though with a phenomenal performance on the opening day against Crystal Palace. Astonishingly, Saliba is only 21. So if he continues this run of form then he can hope to have a long partnership with many defenders in and around the Arsenal first team, and gel with many young but capable players who can play in the back four such as Tomiyasu (aged 23), White (24), Gabriel (24) and Tierney (25).
One of the most intimidating factors about Arsenal during their glory days was their rock solid defence, which was a close knit team that knew each other inside out. These defenders have time on their side, so if they continue to play together and become a team, they could pose a real problem for a lot of clubs in the Premier League.
Midfield
When Ødegaard signed for Arsenal, I was not convinced at all. He seemed a bit overpriced for what he could offer, and I had a feeling that we would not be able to live up to his colossal reputation.
Arsenal fans must be very happy that I was wrong about this one.
Ødegaard did OK when he was on loan at the north London club, but as a permanent signing he stepped up to another level. His attacking prowess and positive mindset gives Arsenal a real boost, which has led to him earning the captain’s armband at the age of only 23.
Additionally, Oleksandr Zinchenko for me could prove to be one of the signings of the season. The versatile player looks just as comfortable at left back as he does on the left of midfield, and having a top quality player who can slip into different positions when needed could be the difference between a title push and another year of chasing the European places.
In the centre of the park, now that Xhaka has been pushed up to a more attacking role, I feel that if they could add one more solid player to their ranks, the midfield could be solid enough to mount a serious challenge. Personally, I think Tielemans would be a great addition to their squad. Then if they get any injuries in the defensive midfielder position they have enough elite level players to play where needed. This is a strategy that has been deployed effectively by the blue side of Manchester over the last few seasons.
Attack
It was confusing to me why people were concerned that both Aubameyang and Lacazette were inevitably going to leave the club at the end of the season, other than the fact they were going to leave for nothing.
Sure, there is no denying that they both are two top players. But ultimately, if they didn’t want to be there, then there was no point in doing anything you can to keep them.
Once it was established that they were going to leave, the fringe players were getting excited. They knew they would finally get more game time to prove themselves.
Luckily for Arsenal the fringe players consisted of Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah and Smith-Rowe. Four squad players who proved last season that they can hang with the best. Saka is now one of the first names on the team sheet, while both Martinelli and Smith-Rowe look like real exciting prospects that can have long and successful careers at the Gunners if they choose to.
Nketiah impressed as well when he received his opportunities. He played 21 times last season, thirteen of which were substitute appearances, but he still managed to score five goals. Not a massive return, but something that can be built on, and he gives Arsenal an extra threat as a potential supersub.
Of course, the one player I have not mentioned yet is the eye-catching coup of Gabriel Jesus. Why Manchester City got rid of him I’ll never know, but now Arsenal have a world-class striker in Jesus, and with those young, talented and hungry attack-minded players around him I expect Jesus to thrive in his new role. After scoring twice in his first two games, things already look promising for The Gunners.
With only two games in the season completed it is impossible to know how Arsenal will fare. But they look sharp, and look like they want it far more than they have in previous seasons. Let’s see where they are in the table at the end of September, and if they keep going on an upward trajectory maybe they can dare to dream.
Do I think they can win the league this season? It’ll be tough; as it may be too early for them. But I’d love to be wrong and see an exhilarating four way race for the title this year including themselves, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea.
