With the Premier League’s start just a month away as per the latest reports, I have with me 5 rival accounts who will discuss about who they think is the most important midfielder at Arsenal currently, Pepe’s season so far, a player they would prefer from the Invincibles team to start for their team , VAR and a lot more. People’s Twitter handles are linked to their names where they’ve given their justifications, so feel free to shout at them directly.
Q1) Do you think Emery was let go at the right time ? How do you sum up his reign?
Naveen (Manchester United Fan): I think it was the right time to let Unai Emery leave. Emery himself has admitted he left ‘alone’ at Arsenal, which possibly could be an indication he had lost the dressing room in the final weeks of his reign at the Emirates.
Had Arsenal won the Europa League final last season, things could have been different, not only for Emery, but for Arsenal as well.
Luke(Manchester City Fan): I think Emery was sacked at the right time although it was always going to hard to replace Wenger there was no signs of improvement and I think it was clear that he lost the dressing room in the end.
Scarface(Liverpool Fan): Emery was sacked at the right time. His reign was a disaster unfortunately. I feel he isn’t capable of handling a top team with big player.
Sam(Spurs Fan): Yes, I do. For a period at the very beginning of his tenure, things were looking good, but ultimately deteriorated. I would say his time was underwhelming at the very least.
Kailash (Chelsea Fan): Yes. After losing the dressing room, it becomes extremely difficult for any manager to be in the job. So the decision to let him go was the right one. His reign had its moments. Unbeaten run at the start of his tenure, reaching the finals of Europa, etc. So would term it as underwhelming.
Q2) Who is think is Arsenal’s most important midfielder and what do you like about him ?
Naveen: From the present squad, I would say Xhaka. He is vital to Arteta’s system. I liked the manner in which he has bounced back after the incident with the supporters in October, which says a lot about his character. Credit also needs to be given to Mikel Arteta as Xhaka has admitted good talks with the manager convinced him to stay at Arsenal. Else, he could have left Arsenal in January.
Luke: I think Granit Xhaka. He has improved tremendously under Arteta, not that he was bad before. He has every trait of a good captain too. I like his as a player overall.
Scarface: In my opinion Lucas Torreira is arsenal most important player. I like the way he is aggressive in midfield & has very good footballing awareness.
Sam: Difficult to pick because Arsenal’s midfield is the weakest link but I am going with Mesut Özil. He looks to be back to his best under the new manager. His pedigree speaks for itself.
Kailash: It’s Xhaka for me. A good midfielder who was dead certain to leave after public fallout with the fans, he managed to redeem himself under Arteta and become a lynchpin in the midfield for Gunners. That shows his mentality and his attitude.
Q3) Which player from your youth team do you rate the highest/most? What do you like about him? When do you think he will feature regularly ?
Naveen: Hannibal Mejbri. I like his confidence and vision. He could do well if he gets opportunities to train with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba (if Pogba stays) in the first team. I guess he would feature in the first team in the next two seasons and I would expect him to start featuring regularly in three years.
Luke: It has to be Jayden Braaf. He’s a 17 year-old Dutch winger who has been doing amazingly well for our youth team. He has the ability to dribble through the opposition and score great goals. Unfortunately I can’t see Pep giving him a chance and I think he’ll pull a Sancho and probably go to the Bundesliga (many German teams are interested in him).
Scarface: Curtis Jones. I feel he has all the tools to make it to the top and under Klopp he will improve and improve. I personally feel he will be a regular feature next season for Liverpool.
Sam: There are two I’m particularly excited about, Troy Parrott and Oliver Skipp. Troy has shown promise and I like the way Skipp has a calm head and is usually progressive in play. I’m not sure when we’ll see them fully in the first team but hopefully soon enough.
Kailash: Billy Gilmour from Chelsea. Already on the periphery of the first team squad, he shows extreme maturity & calmness whenever given opportunities. Doesn’t look out of depth, good passing and vision, and also does not shy away from dirty work. Top prospect, real excited to see him develop. Reckon 2-3 seasons, he is still 18 mind you, he has all the time in the world.
Q4) Arsenal’s most exciting talent ? Where do you think he needs to improve ?
Naveen: I would pick two players; Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. These two have great potential and can be a great asset for Arsenal, if they manage to stay injury free and don’t leave the club.
Saka has really impressed with his versatility and has done well regularly in every position he’s played.
Luke: I’d say Martinelli. He’s a good player and Arteta will work with him like he did with Sterling and Sane when he was at Man City and help Martinelli reach his potential. I think he has all the qualities to become a very good player.
Scarface: I would say Gabriel Martinelli. He is one of the best talent to come out of Arsenal for a long time and if he keeps working hard, he will go very far.
Sam: Bukayo Saka without a doubt. He’s a very good player. With young players like him, most need to improve their in-game decision making, and that comes with experience, but Bukayo seems to have already developed a decent amount. I see no glaring weaknesses in his game.
Kailash: Hard to choose between Saka and Martinelli. Martinelli looks like a proper star under construction. Saka looks very promising. They need to be grounded and believe in themselves, keep grinding. Everything else will fall in place then.
Q5) One player from the invincibles team you would take and who does he replace in your starting line up?
Naveen: That Arsenal squad really had great players. Picking one may not do justice to other great players, but since I’m asked to pick one, my choice would be Thierry Henry. Henry could replace Martial in Manchester United’s XI.
Luke: It’s got to be Henry who I think is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to grace the Premier League. For me he’d replace Sterling in the starting line up and would help us win more games with the help of his goals and assists.
Scarface: Thierry Henry. I would put him up front as a striker with Firmino right behind him. We would dominate in very competition with him in our side.
Sam: Patrick Vieira. A strong and competitive presence in midfield would fill the void in ours. He’d replace Dier/Winks at the base of midfield.
Kailash: I know this may come as a surprise but Ashley Cole. Cole literally walks into the left back slot at Chelsea currently, any Chelsea fan would agree. Our LB position will be set for years, just like it happened in reality back in 2006.
Q6) What are your thoughts on Pepe so far ? And how much do you rate him?
Naveen: Pepe did well for Lille last season. There’s a lot of difference between the Ligue 1 and the Premier League, and it’s natural he’s taking time to adjust to the needs of English football. I am of the belief he would do well next season, if he’s given regular chances. I would rate 5.5/10 based on the season so far.
Luke: Pepe was always going to have a tough time to impress, given his price tag but he’s shown in glimpses that he’s an amazing player with a potential to become world class with proper guidance. Like I mentioned above, Arteta will help improve him, like he did with Sterling and Sane making him one of the best wingers in the League. I would rate 6.5/10 based on the season so far.
Scarface: You have to remember it’s his first season in a new country. He is settling down. He has all the tools to make it at Arsenal and I expect to see the best of him, next season. I would give him 7/10 based on this season so far.
Sam: Everyone expected more of him and expected Pepe to score and assist from the word go, because of his price tag, but he is new to the league and he needs time to settle. He has been decent enough this season though but I expect him to shine next season. I would rate 7/10 based on the season so far.
Kailash: Pepe is a good buy for Arsenal. Obviously first season in PL is never easy for most of the foreign players so not surprised to see him struggle. Once the settling period is done with, I expect him to come good for Gunners. I would rate 7/10 based on the season so far.
Q7) Which player from the rival team would you take and why ?
Naveen: Harry Kane. He is one of the best forwards in football right now and would be a great addition to any team including Manchester United.
Luke: I would take Saka who is definitely England’s best left-back right now. Given his quality and City having problems in the very position he plays currently, he would be perfect. I think it’s important for Arsenal to tie him down to a new contract before someone tries to turn his head.
Scarface: Kevin De Bruyne. He would be a perfect player under Klopp’s system. He is the best midfielder in the world currently.
Sam: Virgil van Dijk in a heartbeat. We need a stable presence in defence and Van Dijk’s calm and effective style of play would be vital.
Kailash: Virgil van Dijk. Why? Just look at the centre backs Chelsea have currently. He starts for us or for most teams in the world for that matter.
Q8) Unbiased thoughts on Arteta’s reign so far.
Naveen: To be honest, it’s too early to give any verdict on Arteta. He needs to be given time to implement his philosophy and also sign the players of his choice.
Luke: Arteta’s has been decent so far. He has had his ups, like being unbeaten in 2020 in the league and downs, like getting knocked out of the Europa League. He’ll need time to get Arsenal playing the way he wants them to and will need backing and patience from the board and the fans like Pep had at City.
Scarface: Arteta has had a decent start. He has had his ups and downs. He needs time to implement his style at Arsenal so patience is key.
Sam: He has been very good, barring a few performances. He’s got an effective style of play and good tactical nous and, with time, will develop a very good team.
Kailash: Has been a good start for Arteta at Arsenal. Tactically he looks sound. Hopefully he is given time and shown patience to work his magic. Also needs the owners to spend some cash to help him buy players. With right conditions, he could take Arsenal to the next level.
Q9) What are your views on VAR? Do you think we need to keep it or scrap it next season in the Premier League ?
Naveen: So far, so good. Don’t think we should scrap it. Need minor fixes though.
Luke: This season VAR has been inconsistent. Missing obvious red cards and disallowing goals for unintentional handballs which didn’t have an effect on the goal. I think we need to keep it but with a few changes like the handball rule and give the refs the power to have a look at the incident via replays on ground and make a decision.
Scarface: VAR is the best thing to happen to football for a long time but in England, it’s not implemented properly like in Spain and Germany for example where they are using it properly with the help of on-field VAR screen. You need to give the on-field referee the power to make a decision.
Sam: VAR is a good thing. The problem is with the officiating. You can’t blame the technology for how it is used by the officials. I think we should keep it, but revise the scenarios in which it should be put to use.
Kailash: I think it’s a good technology which helps the ref and the game to be played in a fair way. We have seen its application used in continental competitions, BuLi, etc without any hiccups. It has caused issues in Premier League only because each and every ref read it differently and have their own interpretation which isn’t consistent on weekly basis. Easier way would be to do what other leagues have done, implement a set ground of rules, when and where the VAR is to be used during the game and all the refs/VAR staff to follow the guidelines, not change it according to their rules and mood. No need to scrap it next season.
I would like to thank all the panelists for giving me their time and answering the questions. Thanks you all for spending your valuable time on reading this. You can find me on Twitter. Take care, stay safe.
