Another season has come and gone for Arsenal Football Club. As ever, there were ups and downs, highs and lows. Ultimately, a season that did not promise much glory surpassed the club faithful’s original expectations, but nevertheless ended in disappointment as Mikel Arteta’s men let a golden opportunity to return to the Champions League slip through their fingers. However, the 2021-22 campaign very well could be looked back on as the season the fabled Arsenal project truly began to take shape.
THE STORY OF THE SEASON
A SUMMER OF CHANGE
With Arsenal having once again finished eighth the previous season, the club’s recruitment apparatus set to work on reshaping the squad. Dani Ceballos, who had proven disappointing, returned to Real Madrid after his loan’s conclusion. Maty Ryan returned to Brighton. David Luiz’s contract expired, and the Brazilian decided to move on.
In addition to the more automatic departures, Arsenal shipped out quite a few players as well. Dinos Mavropanos, Matteo Guendouzi, William Saliba, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson, Hector Bellerin, and Alex Runarsson were loaned out all across Europe. After a prodigious run of form by Joe Willock while on loan with Newcastle, Arsenal managed to extract a reported £25 million to make the arrangement permanent. Even more miraculous than that was Willian’s decision to leave millions on the table and terminate his contract with the club by mutual consent.
Along with the mass exodus of players, the club made a number of acquisitions relatively early on in the window. The first of these new signings was Nuno Tavares, who joined from Benfica in mid-July. Sambi Lokonga joined from Anderlecht a week and a half later, while Benjamin White was lured from Brighton less than a fortnight after that for approximately £50 million.
White, much to the confusion of Arsenal fans and the rest of the footballing world, had apparently been a priority for Arteta. With Manchester United securing Raphael Varane, Liverpool signing Ibrahima Konate, and Chelsea close to acquiring Jules Kounde’s services, all for smaller transfer fees, mockery of Arsenal’s purchase ensued on social media. The young English center-back would prove to be the Gunners’ marquee signing of the summer. He would also be the last signing Arsenal made prior to the opening day of the season.
A PERFECTLY BAD START
Arsenal’s first match of the Premier League season went about as disastrously as possible. A COVID outbreak in the Arsenal camp, injuries suffered in preseason, and the Euros having recently ended meant Arteta’s team traveled to Brentford without Thomas Partey, Gabriel, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and Bukayo Saka. With the Gunners missing essentially the spine of their team, newly-promoted Brentford pounced and delivered a big win on the night of their first home game in the Premier League. Brentford supporters, rival fans, and Sky Sports pundits alike reveled in the occasion.
Luckily, Arsenal were far from done in the transfer market. After leaving Emi Buendia for Aston Villa to snap up and refusing to part with a king’s ransom for James Maddison, Arsenal’s waiting game paid off; the stars aligned, Carlo Ancelotti deemed Martin Odegaard surplus to requirements, and the Gunners swooped in. Once again that summer, Arteta had gotten his man.
Announced on the same day as Odegaard was Aaron Ramsdale. The English goalkeeper was unfortunately known for having been relegated with Bournemouth and Sheffield United. Accordingly, when news broke that Arsenal had purchased his services for a reported £30 million including add-ons, the backlash was monstrous. Ramsdale himself had to disable comments on his social media. Despite the vitriol, the majority of the Arsenal faithful took solace in the assumption that he would be second choice behind Leno.
Next up in the league was Chelsea at the Emirates. Odegaard could not be added to the squad in time for the match and White had also contracted COVID-19, meaning most of the starting XI was comprised of bench players. This lineup proved no match for Chelsea, who bullied their way to a 2-0 lead at halftime before cruising for the rest of the game.
Arsenal then dispatched West Brom with ease in the EFL Cup, running out 6-0 winners as Aubameyang secured a hat trick. But it had no tangible effect on their league form, with an away trip to Manchester City resulting in an utterly mortifying 5-0 defeat. Arsenal’s Premier League campaign had gotten off to the most disastrous possible start. The Gunners entered the first international break of the season dead last in the table, on zero points with a goal difference of -9. Spurs, meanwhile, sat in pole position.
But the embarrassment did not end there. To end the month of August, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who had come on as a substitute against City, posted on Instagram that “All I wanted to do is go where I’m wanted & where I’m going to play”, tagging Arsenal as well. The outburst brought yet more unwanted publicity for the club. Arteta eventually consoled the Englishman and gave him more minutes in the next few weeks, but the episode added one more cutout to the collage of chaos many wished to portray the club as in that moment.
The state of Arsenal’s right-back situation prompted them to dip into the market one last time on deadline day. As the window closed, they completed the signing of Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna. As had been the case with some of Arsenal’s other acquisitions, Tomiyasu’s arrival was met with apprehension. The player was relatively unknown by the footballing community, and many wondered how Arteta and Edu viewed him as a solution to Arsenal’s issues at right-back. In a now infamous Sky Sports segment, Kaveh Solhekol rather hilariously stated that his sources had informed him that Tomiyasu was neither a right-back nor a center-back.
As the window closed, the mood among the Arsenal faithful was pessimistic. The club sat in the lowest of the relegation places, and had spent the summer spending approximately £150 million on players who, outside of White and Odegaard, were deemed to be backups by the public. Arsenal’s vaunted defensive solidity had faded, and their attacking play was dull. Arteta and his charges had a mountain to climb if they wished to finish in the top-six.
But Arsenal’s new signings indicated something that they had lacked in the previous few windows: a clear recruitment strategy. Instead of recruiting experienced veterans, Arsenal opted for promising young talent. All six players the club signed were aged 23 or younger. Most of them boasted at least a few years’ worth of experience in notable European leagues. After failing with a pack of expensive post-prime players, Arteta had decided to form a collective of bright-eyed, malleable, high-ceiling talents. It finally felt like the club were moving in a coherent direction.
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA
In Arsenal’s first match after the break, Arteta came out of the blocks with a statement. That statement came in the form of a bold new-look lineup against Norwich that featured five of the summer’s acquisitions. Ramsdale placed Bernd Leno in goal. Tomiyasu relegated Cedric and Calum Chambers to the bench. White retained his place next to Gabriel in the back four. Sambi anchored the midfield in Partey’s absence. Odegaard slotted in behind the front three. In hindsight, this moment represents Arteta going with “his guys” over the ones who had finished in 8th two seasons running.
Arteta’s gamble paid off. Arsenal won their next four matches, defeating Norwich, Burnley, AFC Wimbledon, and Spurs. Brighton and Crystal Palace forced consecutive draws before the Gunners completed another four-game win streak against Aston Villa, Leeds, Leicester, and Watford. Unfortunately, Granit Xhaka suffered an MCL injury during the Spurs match, leaving Sambi to slot in next to Partey. Kieran Tierney missed the Villa and Leicester matches with an ankle problem, and Tavares earned a run of games in the Scotsman’s stead.
The team managed to get by for the next few matches, but the absences eventually took their toll. November and December saw Arsenal suffer their first losses since the opening three fixtures of the season. Away to Liverpool, Klopp’s men cruised to a 4-0 win after exploiting Sambi and Tavares. Following a 2-0 victory at home to Newcastle, Arsenal managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against an utterly lackluster Manchester United at Old Trafford. And if that wasn’t infuriating enough, they followed that loss up with a diabolical performance away to Everton. When they had an opportunity to move above Spurs into fifth, the Gunners handed one of the worst teams in the league their first win in nine games.
The club’s woes didn’t just rack up on the pitch, however. Ahead of Arsenal’s home match against Southampton, Arteta announced that he had omitted Aubameyang from the squad due to “disciplinary reasons”. A few days later, the club announced that the Gabonese striker had been stripped of the captaincy. Aubameyang did not feature again before traveling to the African Cup of Nations. The combination of three losses in four games and the exile of the best striker at the club stirred up the angrier sectors of the Arsenal faithful. “Arteta Out” calls resurfaced online. Piers Morgan embarked on a months-long campaign to reinstate Aubameyang.
However, the squad reacted surprisingly well to Aubameyang’s removal, regaining their form to end the calendar year. To conclude 2021, Arteta’s men secured five consecutive victories in all competitions. Against Southampton, West Ham, Leeds, Sunderland, and Norwich, Arsenal scored a total of 19 goals while conceding only two. The run saw Arsenal finish the holiday season in fourth place, six points ahead of Spurs. Between a slight overperformance by a quickly gelling first team and a sputtering first half of the season for Spurs and United, Artetaball had the Gunners establishing themselves as unexpected favorites for a top four place.
FATEFUL DECISIONS IN JANUARY
Unfortunately, the first month of 2022 was not very kind to the club. On New Year’s Day, Arsenal hosted Manchester City at the Emirates. A practically magical display in the first half saw the home team enter the break 1-0 courtesy of a lovely goal by Saka. But Stuart Atwell seemed committed to giving City the win on the day. After a missed penalty call for Arsenal, a penalty given for City that should have been deemed simulation, a harsh yellow leading to a red card for Gabriel, and a late winner by Pep Guardiola’s men, City left north London as 2-1 winners.
Despite the disappointing scoreline, many Gooners took solace in just how good Arsenal looked against the Premier League champions. However, the next match saw a young and feeble team crash out of the FA Cup. Against a weakened Arsenal side, particularly in midfield, Nottingham Forest edged a 1-0 win.
The results did not get much better from there. Next up were Liverpool in the EFL Cup semifinals. After the Reds had the match postponed due to an improbable number of positive COVID-19 tests that turned out to be false, Jurgen Klopp managed to field a much stronger team against the Gunners in the first leg of the tie. However, ten-man Arsenal pulled off a goalless draw at Anfield. The next week, however, Liverpool inflicted a 2-0 home defeat with Diogo Jota at the double. Only the Premier League remained for Arsenal.
Between the two Liverpool fixtures, Arsenal were originally scheduled to travel to Spurs on January 16. But the absences had piled up for Arteta’s side to a precarious extent. Odegaard had contracted COVID-19. Tomiyasu, Cedric, and Emile Smith Rowe were out injured. Saka also reportedly suffered a knock. Xhaka’s suspension was in effect. Aubameyang, Partey, Mohamed Elneny, and Nicolas Pepe all were away at AFCON. With fewer than 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper available with at least one of those absences being due to COVID, Arsenal met the requirements for applying to the FA to have the Spurs match postponed.
English football’s governing body obliged, and a public relations maelstrom ensued. Spurs put out a melodramatic statement expressing their dismay at the postponement. After watching other teams, including Spurs, get dozens of matches suspended, football media (including journalists and correspondents) and fans alike took exception with Arsenal doing the same just once. Despite simply following the rules, Arsenal were vilified, held to unprecedented standards, and depicted as cheaters. Eventually, the vitriol would subside. But the damage was done; Spurs had become a more sympathetic side.
The Gunners’ final match of January offered little in terms of a respite. With both Xhaka and Partey suspended for Burnley’s visit to the Emirates, Arteta deployed a 4-3-3 with Sambi acting as the six. But the inclusion of all members of the “Fab Four” in the starting XI failed to produce a win. Burnley held frustratingly firm and left north London with a point.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s roster underwent wholesale changes. Maitland-Niles was loaned out to Roma soon after the January transfer window opened. The club canceled Sead Kolasinac’s contract, allowing the Bosnian to join Saliba and Guendouzi at Marseille. Pablo Mari was loaned to Udinese. Chambers rather astonishingly joined Aston Villa on a free transfer. On the final day of the window, Aubameyang sealed a free transfer to Barcelona, capping off a disappointing end to his Arsenal career.
In terms of acquisitions, not much happened. In a move purely meant to establish a relationship between two KSE-owned teams, the club signed Auston Trusty from the Colorado Rapids. Arsenal loaned the American defender back to the MLS side and appear unlikely to seriously consider Trusty in their long-term plans. The club will probably serve as a vehicle for Trusty to end up at another European team. Arsenal also agreed a deal to sign New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner in the summer.
But the biggest story of the window for Arsenal was their pursuit of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic. The 22-year-old striker had established himself as one of the hottest young talents in Europe, scoring 20 goals and assisting another four in 25 appearances for Fiorentina by mid-January. He was a unicorn — 6’3″ in height, strong, quick, technically gifted, and lethal in front of goal. Vlahovic possessed the traits to become a complete center-forward.
Arsenal threw everything they could at acquiring him, reportedly bidding €70 million for the Serbian and prepared to offer by far the highest salary of Vlahovic’s young career. Fiorentina were keen to sell. But in the end, Vlahovic revealed an intention to join Juventus all along. He and his agents snubbed Arsenal for a side that would finish 4th in Serie A. Arsenal saw no worthwhile alternatives in the market, opting not to spend big money on other available strikers like Alexander Isak, and soldiered on with only Lacazette and Nketiah as their senior options at striker.
As the window closed, many of the club faithful criticized the results of the window. No reinforcements had arrived at the Emirates. Edu and Arteta had spent the window chasing a player destined to sign elsewhere. The squad was slashed down to a threadbare 18 total players. While Spurs became stronger during January, Arsenal found themselves weaker after the transfer window despite having the opportunity to push their chips in for a Champions League place.
CLOSE, BUT NO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Almost in response to the doom and gloom following a rather unsuccessful transfer window, Arteta’s men won their next five matches. This run saw Arsenal do the double over a formidable Wolves team on either side of a victorious revenge fixture against Brentford. The second clash with Wolves was particularly exciting, featuring the Gunners’ only come-from-behind win of the season. Arsenal once again defeated Watford, albeit despite some shaky defending. Finally, Arteta’s tricky Reds achieved another 2-0 win over Leicester.
Unfortunately, the effects of exhaustion and injury began to take hold of the Arsenal squad. Tomiyasu suffered a calf injury that kept him sidelined for over two months. Liverpool exploited this significant absence on their way to a 2-0 win at the Emirates. Arsenal would earn a hard-fought victory away to Aston Villa. But during the subsequent international break, the Gunners’ season began to fall apart.
Tierney was called on by Scotland to play the entirety of two friendlies over the break. The meaningless minutes turned out to be his last of the season. The defender discovered a knee issue and upon consultation with a specialist, learned the injury would require surgery to repair. Arsenal began their final stretch of the season missing one of their most reliable players.
The run-in got off to a poor start with a trip to Crystal Palace. Patrick Vieira’s side bullied the his former club off the pitch, running out 3-0 winners at Selhurst Park. A subpar Arsenal failed to climb into the top four. To make matters far worse, Partey sustained yet another thigh injury that forced him to be substituted in the second half. The Ghanaian midfielder would not return for the remainder of the season.
Things did not get better at home to Brighton. Despite comfortably winning the xG battle, Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates. With Lacazette finding himself easily marked out of matches and failing to provide even the slightly overrated buildup play he had come to justify his selections with, Arteta needed to make a change at center-forward.
Away to Southampton, Eddie Nketiah led the line instead of the Frenchman. Arsenal once again finished with a better xG than their opponents, but suffered their third consecutive loss. In the space of two weeks, the Gunners had collected zero points from three of their “easier” remaining fixtures. Meanwhile, an insurgent, freely-scoring Spurs threatened to overtake them. The next four games — Chelsea, United, West Ham, and a rejuvenated Leeds — loomed large.
Remarkably, a double from Nketiah helped propel Arsenal to a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge. Mohamed Elneny relieved Sambi of his duties, and his showing was a pleasant surprise. The win was emphatically sealed when Saka tucked away a penalty kick, his first since Euro 2020. Saka once again slotted home from the spot against United as the Red Devils lost 3-1 at the Emirates. Xhaka, who had helped turn the tide of public opinion in his favor the previous week with a brave Players’ Tribune interview, completed his years-long redemption arc with a thunderbolt that caused the Emirates to erupt in celebration.
Consecutive 2-1 victories against West Ham and Leeds capped off an unlikely win streak for the Gunners. Another double for Nketiah against Leeds saw him finish with four goals in five matches as the starting striker. Elneny had proven more than capable of providing a high level of stability in Arsenal’s midfield. Cedric and Tavares had deputized proficiently. With White also injured, Rob Holding had given a good account of himself in his countryman’s place. Entering the second North London Derby of the season, Arsenal sat in fourth place, five points ahead of Spurs. A win at Tottenham would have guaranteed Champions League football at the Emirates. But then, the Gunners collapsed.
Arsenal started well enough, threatening consistently in the opening 20 minutes. However, Paul Tierney seized his moment to star in one of the biggest fixtures of the season when Heung-min Son made the most of a slight aerial contact with Cedric in the box. Harry Kane scored the awarded penalty. Now playing in their preferred game state, Spurs charged at Arsenal on the counter repeatedly. Cedric disastrously left Holding alone to contend with Son, eventually resulting in the Englishman getting sent off after his own hall of shame performance. A man and a goal down, Arteta’s men eventually succumbed to a 3-0 defeat.
Once again, many members of the English media could not hide their delight over Arsenal’s misfortune. The backlash from the match’s postponement in January resurfaced. Spurs had not been helped by the referee to a comfortable home win, but had instead gotten their much-deserved revenge for Arsenal’s transgressions four months prior. The Gunners still held a two-point lead over their rivals, but the world appeared against them.
A top-four spot remained in Arsenal’s hands. Wins against Newcastle and Everton would guarantee that fate. Despite the slow creep of late-season injuries, Arsenal’s remaining defensive starters made themselves available. But as Arteta’s men arrived at St. James’ Park, they looked scared. The magnitude of the moment overwhelmed a team of young, exhausted talents and overused squad players.
That fear translated to the pitch. Arsenal were thoroughly bullied by a Newcastle side that, despite being one of the most in-form sides in the league, really had nothing to play for. Ramsdale was shaky in goal, as he had been repeatedly in the second half of the season. Tomiyasu, White, and Gabriel all found themselves on the cusp on injury. Xhaka and Elneny were overrun by a quicker, stronger midfield. Nketiah could not compete with Newcastle’s defenders in order to offer a reliable focal point for Ramsdale’s incessant long balls. Arsenal were felled, and Spurs overtook them with a game to go.
Spurs were officially in the driver’s seat. Their final match was a trip to Norwich, while Arsenal hosted Everton. The Toffees had just secured a place in the 2022-23 Premier League the previous matchday, and were pretty much on the beach by the time they arrived in north London. The squad that made the trip excluded big names like Richarlison and Jordan Pickford.
In their final home match of the season, with the pressure mostly off, Arsenal cruised to a 5-1 victory. Gabriel Martinelli smacked home a penalty to cap off something of a breakout campaign for the Brazilian. Nketiah notched another goal to finish as Arsenal’s highest-scoring striker this season. Amazingly, Cedric fired in a long-range effort before assisting for Gabriel. Martin Odegaard slotted home Arsenal’s final goal of the season after displaying some magical skill.
Despite the spectacle the Gunners put on, their efforts proved futile in the end. Against one of the worst sides to ever grace the English top flight, Spurs rampaged to a 5-0 win, cementing their place in the Champions League. In the end, Arsenal finished fifth, quickly returning to European football but once again failing to involve themselves in the premier competition on the continent after being in a great position to do so.
However, in the weeks that have followed, signs have emerged that the Gunners will return stronger in August. Upon the conclusion of his season at Marseille, Saliba announced that he would be returning to Arsenal. Before that, Arteta confirmed that the center-back was a part of his plans moving forward. After an immaculate campaign in Ligue 1, Saliba will hopefully be a valuable asset in Arsenal’s backline.
Additionally, the club have been linked with some impressive names to begin the off-season. Among these players are Gabriel Jesus, Youri Tielemans, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Victor Osimhen, and Raphinha. At the time of writing, the signing of young Portguese starlet Fabio Vieira appears imminent. Reports suggest that deals for Jesus and Tielemans are also in the post.
REASONS FOR CONCERN
THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW
Arsenal made a substantial gamble in January. They shrunk down the squad size, ushered out their best striker, and opted not to sign reinforcements when top four was on the line. Clearly, they were still willing to go after certain players, as evidenced by the Vlahovic saga. But not securing any new recruits while Spurs strengthened significantly proved fatal to the Gunners’ Champions League charge.
The hope is that the multitude of exits frees up the budget for Arsenal to make some substantial moves in the summer window. In particular, the departures of Kolasinac and Aubameyang represent hundreds of thousands of pounds removed from the wage bill every month. These funds could be used to re-sign the likes of Saka and Saliba to bigger contracts. They could be used to entice new players into joining despite no Champions League football on offer.
To be fair, January is a difficult market to do business in. It is difficult to convince clubs to sell their best players midway through a season. And fans would still have voiced criticisms if Arsenal had signed a sub-standard player on high wages just to add a warm body to the squad. So if Arsenal did indeed use January to hedge their bets transfer-wise, perhaps they could be forgiven. But if Edu and Arteta don’t bring in multiple level-raising footballers in the summer, questions need to be asked regarding the technical director’s ability and how much KSE are backing the club.
ARTETA’S LACK OF TRUST IN SQUAD PLAYERS
Arteta’s over-reliance on a small core of players was a major reason behind Arsenal’s late-season collapse. The effects of this policy were twofold: key players were fielded to the point of breakdown, and their replacements normally required more time than available to get up to speed. While a lack of European football meant that there were fewer minutes to around, there were still opportunities to give starters a rest and supporting cast some minutes in their legs. But Arteta usually opted to give as many minutes as possible to a select group.
Naturally, the consistency of these decisions suggested a lack of trust in players further down the bench. The poster boys for this phenomenon were Tavares and Pepe. Tavares actually played a decent number of minutes this season as the backup left-back. But in the closing weeks of the season, when Tierney was out of contention due to his knee injury, Arteta chose to exclude the Portuguese defender in crucial moments. After an unconvincing display against Palace, Tavares found himself out of the circle of trust. Xhaka started in his place against Brighton. Perhaps most damning is the manager’s refusal to deploy him away to Spurs, instead utilizing Tomiyasu at left-back and giving Cedric the assignment of locking down Son. The difficulties that ensued that day were fairly predictable.
With Pepe, Arteta’s doubt was even more evident. Outside of the eight full matches the Ivorian played, Pepe never surpassed 27 minutes on the pitch this season. There were several additional matches in which he could have spelled Saka, but was not called upon. The mere fact that the young Englishman played every Premier League match demonstrates Arteta’s skepticism regarding Pepe’s ability to contribute. Arsenal’s record signing finished with 951 minutes for the club in the 2021-22 season.
Obviously, this tendency to leave players out in the cold is concerning. Pepe was signed before Arteta took the reins, but Arsenal acquired just last summer. Nketiah, whom Arsenal now wish to give a new contract, did not start in the league until April, long after Lacazette’s obsolescence had become painfully obvious. While more quality in the roster will help, Arteta needs to get better about including players more consistently. Otherwise, big injuries and unready understudies will continue to plague Arsenal.
THE DURABILITY OF KEY PLAYERS
Once again, Tierney failed to remain healthy to end a season with Arsenal. Once again, Partey faced difficulties staying consistently fit. For the final quarter of the season, Arteta found himself without those two to call upon. This was a massive blow — without Tierney and Partey the team’s win percentage, goals scored per game, and points per game were effectively cut in half. The team also conceded twice as many goals per game without the duo. The inability of those two key players to stay fit was likely the nail in the coffin for Arsenal’s top four hopes.
Additionally, Tomiyasu demonstrated some durability issues in his first season with the club. The Japanese defender only played twenty-three of a possible forty-one matches for Arsenal in the 2021-22 campaign. This is mostly due to a calf issue that kept Tomiyasu sidelined for almost two months.
If Arsenal are to compete for silverware in the near future or even return to the Champions League, they will need those three crucial players to remain fit more often than they have. Some of this of course comes down to Arteta’s refusal to rely on less trustworthy players in the ensemble. But, without labeling these players as injury-prone, it remains to be seen if they can fully handle a Premier League season. And things will be harder next season with the World Cup happening in the late fall. Tierney, Partey, and Tomiyasu are all greatly talented footballers who make their side better. But even the best players are not of much use if they aren’t available.
THE BUKAYO SAKA SITUATION
Bukayo Saka is a superstar. This past season made that clear. At only 20 years old, he has firmly established himself as the best player at Arsenal.
Naturally, this has come with a fear that Gooners remember all too well from past eras: the fear of the club’s best player departing for better trophy odds with one of the giants of Europe. It is a fate fans have witnessed with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, and Alexis Sanchez. With Saka, rumors of City and Liverpool expressing interest provide the basis for those old concerns to arise again.
Bukayo Saka is THE cornerstone for the current Arsenal project. He is the talisman, the face of the club, the franchise player. But as pride-inducing as it is to have such a player at Arsenal, it is also becoming nerve-wracking. Saka’s meteoric rise has put the Arsenal project on the clock.
A massive item of business this summer will be to sign the young Englishman to a new contract. Any extension will likely see Saka become one of the highest earners at the club. But Arsenal now need to kick things into another gear. Saka has become good enough to feature in the Champions League, and the team must match his growth to get him into it. Yes, “Little Chili” is a Hale End graduate and an Arsenal man. But if Arsenal do not look like challenging for honors within the next few seasons, that and a nice paycheck might not be enough to keep him at the club.
REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
A YOUNG BUT EXPERIENCED CORE
Arsenal’s squad was by far the youngest in the Premier League this season. Between the precocious trio of Saka, Smith Rowe, and Martinelli and the cluster of Odegaard, White, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Tierney, Ramsdale, and Nketiah — all aged 24 or younger — the current Arsenal starting XI is far from its prime age range. The overriding youth of the side tempered the original expectations for the season; at first, this past campaign was about finishing in the top six, as well as developing the squad and acclimating them to Arsenal’s style of play.
But Arteta’s budding army blossomed earlier than anticipated. Despite a decline in goalkeeping performance in the second half of the season, Ramsdale shockingly demonstrated a high-level distribution ability. Tomiyasu provided solidity and security that had long been absent from the right side of the defense. White became key to Arsenal’s buildup from the back and proved an underrated defender. Gabriel has become one of the most reliable center-backs in the Premier League. Tierney is now recognized as an all-action full-back, providing valuable contributions on both offense and defense.
Further up the pitch, Odegaard finished with the second-most chances created from open play in the league. Smith Rowe has shown knacks for goalscoring, security in possession in the final third, and running with the ball. Martinelli’s dynamism and directness threaten to produce one of the most exciting wingers in the league. Saka continued his development into one of the best English players around. The “Fab Four” and Nketiah combined for 46 goals and 22 assists.
On top of the current squad’s clearly high ceiling, this season has added valuable experience. As of the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign, all of Arsenal’s young starters have multiple top flight seasons under their belts. They have competed in a race for top four, and will have lessons to take from the saga. These Arsenal players will enter the next season more seasoned than most other footballers their age.
As the cherry on top, William Saliba finally appears set to feature for Arsenal in a competitive setting. The French center-back has spent the last three seasons on loan at various Ligue 1 clubs. However, the postseason has started with both Arteta and Saliba announcing that the defender is in Arsenal’s plans for the 2022-23 campaign. Of course, there is time for that to change. But if Saliba does integrate into the young core of the squad, the manager can call on a player who has the potential to be one of the best center-backs in football.
TREMENDOUS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON OFFENSE
A common theme of Arteta’s first two seasons in charge was a seeming inability by the Spaniard to build up a robust offensive side. This season represented a step forward in that regard; Odegaard and Saka ranked second and sixth respectively in chances created from open play. Only Bruno Fernandes sported more than Odegaard, while the Norwegian fared better than Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and Bernardo Silva. On most days, it was clear to see that Arsenal had improved in creating goalscoring opportunities.
However, the output from Arsenal’s center-forwards was truly woeful. Before departing, Aubameyang produced four goals in 14 Premier League appearances. Lacazette finished with the same total in 30 league matches, with another two coming from six cup games. Nketiah outdid their league tallies by one in the final seven games of the season, with the Englishman scoring the other half of his goals in the EFL Cup.
Arsenal clocked in 60 goals in the Premier League and 77 in all competitions. Of those 77 goals, only 13 were scored by Aubameyang and Lacazette. It is an immensely mediocre return by two veteran strikers. But with both forwards no longer at the club and players like Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, and Odegaard showing they can supply a significant portion of the team’s goals, Arsenal now have an opportunity to upgrade in a big way.
If they can bring in a center-forward who can score 15 to 20 goals or more a season, Arsenal will surely take the next step toward reaching the pinnacle of English and European football. More goals mean that matches don’t tilt on the margins. Things like poor officiating will doom the side far less often. More goals mean that Arsenal can overcome deficits on a more regular basis. Matches like the home win against Wolves will become less of an anomaly. At the end of the day, more goals obviously mean more points and better odds of finishing higher up the table.
At the time of writing, Arsenal are concretely linked with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus. While he isn’t the most prolific forward, Jesus enjoyed a highly productive end to the season and would fit the Gunners’ attacking play like a glove. If the Brazilian can be acquired, he would likely bring an elite level of contribution to the forward line and build on an already promising base.
ARTETA’S COACHING ABILITY AND VISION
Yes, he made a number of mistakes and questionable decisions this season — relying too much on certain players, not trusting squad players enough, and ushering out the team’s best goalscorer without replacing him, to name the headliners. But something must be said about Arteta’s coaching ability after this season. It cannot be emphasized enough that in perhaps the most competitive iteration of the Premier League ever, the Arsenal manager took the youngest side in the league within touching distance of a top four place. Over the course of a grueling season, that requires true skill in terms of tactical prowess and man management.
Under Arteta, multiple players have grown and added to their respective games. Among others, Martinelli now can visibly shift gears when he runs with the ball, making him a far more unpredictable player, and has also increased his technical ability. Saka has developed physically and added goals to an already extensive skill set. Xhaka has established himself as one of the team’s most important players. The Swiss midfielder, having proven valuable on the left side in the base of midfield, also performed dutifully as a left-sided eight midway through the season. Nketiah is more adept at linkup play, as well as a highly effective presser. Arteta, who famously coached up Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling at City, has employed those skills to maximize the abilities of a very pre-prime side and produce a number of impressive performances.
But the most convincing proof of Arteta’s fitness as Arsenal manager is the methodical way in which he has added pieces to his side. Gabriel is the physically dominant center-back the club have needed for years. Partey has proven a world class six and unlocked the 4-3-3 for Arteta. Arsenal’s acquisitions from last summer brought the team forward leaps and bounds regarding how the manager wishes to play.
Ramsdale and White are critical players who allow Arsenal to play out from the back at a high level. Their strengths in distribution give variety to how Arsenal build play, making the Gunners more difficult to play against. Tomiyasu is essentially tailor-made to slot into a back three when the team has possession, allowing Tierney to bomb forward as almost another winger. Odegaard serves as a connector on the right side of the field, a dynamic mover who protects possession and creates chances after Arsenal has progressed the ball up the pitch. Each of these new signings has come in and played a specific role in Arteta’s side.
Clearly, the manager has a specific plan for the players he wishes to recruit and the abilities in them he wishes to maximize. There are very particular profiles he is after, and very particular roles those players are meant to operate in. So far, following Arteta’s blueprint has worked quite well. Gabriel Jesus and Youri Tielemans, two players who almost perfectly fit in the positions the club need upgrades in, now being linked as priority moves is an indication that Arsenal continue to follow this design. And if he can acquire players like Jesus and Tielemans, Arteta has adequately demonstrated that he can extract performances from them as well.
A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN CLUB AND SUPPORTERS
For the last several years, a rift has seemingly existed between Arsenal and the club faithful. Even at the Emirates, the crowd has never appeared too far from turning on the players. Most have heard the stories about expectant atmospheres in the stadium or the Gunners quietly dreading playing in front of the home crowd. To be fair, the final years under Arsene Wenger and the Unai Emery did not provide much to celebrate.
But this past season has featured a marked difference in the relationship between the club and its fans. From start to finish, the 2021-22 campaign has been one filled with support. The Emirates was regularly loud and raucous, with songs echoing throughout. Fans even adopted “The Angel (North London Forever)” by Louis Dunford as an unofficial club anthem near the end of the season. Fans in the stands made it a point to check their opinions at the door and treat backing the team as priority number one during matches. This encouraging atmosphere likely contributed to Arsenal winning 16 of their 23 home matches this season.
Even on away days, the support was phenomenal. Traveling Gooners often outmatched the locals in volume, helping make other clubs’ stadiums feel like a home away from home for the players. Arsenal’s away support was so passionate that it inspired the rise of the infamous celebration police, sorry online souls who attempted to gatekeep against the club faithful excitedly congratulating their side on a hard-fought victory at another’s ground.
What has inspired this increased connection between the club and supporters? A big reason for it is the previous campaign being the first full season in which fans were allowed back in stadiums since the start of the pandemic. Being away from Arsenal and having to watch closed matches devoid of emotion for an extended period of time undoubtedly took its toll on Gooners. In a way, this season was about cherishing football fandom itself as much it was about cherishing the club.
But perhaps an even more significant basis for this phenomenon is the Arsenal team itself. This squad is young, talented, and full of personality. Several players are English, which always helps. But the most special aspect of this side is that Gooners get to watch them grow into seasoned veterans, and hopefully a team that challenges for honors. Local and online, the vast majority of Arsenal supporters love this team because it is a collection of likable players the fans can rally around.
UNCERTAINTY IN THE TOP SIX LANDSCAPE
One fact has become clear entering the off-season: the landscape among the top six teams in the Premier League is beginning to shift. For instance, Liverpool are finally starting to experience significant turnover in their roster. Sadio Mane looks likely to depart for Bayern Munich according to reports. Liverpool have already acquired Darwin Nunez to match City’s acquisition of Erling Haaland. With Mohamed Salah ending the season in sub-optimal form and the rest of Jurgen Klopp’s squad another year older, it will be interesting to see what they do in the summer.
At Chelsea, the Roman Abramovich era is officially over. The Russian oligarch was effectively forced to sell the club in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last year’s Champions League winners were purchased by a consortium led by American billionaire Todd Boehly. Boehly has pledged to continue where Abramovich left off in terms of club performance, and he has a track record of success in his other sporting endeavors. The Los Angeles Dodgers, which he is a part-owner of, won the World Series as recently as 2020.
However, the canyon-like margin for error that existed under Abramovich is unlikely to last any longer. It is highly improbable that Boehly and his co-investors can splash as much cash on transfers as their predecessor did. Boehly has recently implied as much. That means that clumsy dealings like the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku or the sales of both Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori are no longer affordable. Chelsea will have to act much more shrewdly in the market than they have been recently. While they have a legion of talented youth to soften the blow, Chelsea could have a tricky adjustment period ahead of them.
As for United, it is safe to say a rebuild is in order. The Red Devils finished 11 points behind Arsenal in sixth, having won fewer than half of their league matches in the 2021-22 season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked midway through the season. Ralf Rangnick, bizarrely appointed to serve as temporary manager with a plan to transition to a recruitment consultant at the end of the season, even more bizarrely left both posts after the final matchday. Multiple players got into altercations with fans on camera, and even more flat out seemed to stop caring. Barring a miraculous recovery, Erik ten Hag will require time to bring United back from the brink of mediocrity.
Spurs, unfortunately, are poising themselves to challenge for silverware. Having gotten his team into the Champions League, Antonio Conte is being backed in the summer window. However, Spurs’ position quietly feels precarious. Kane and Son are firmly in the primes of their careers; they are running out of time to win trophies and they know it. They are unlikely to stick around too much longer if the current Spurs project does not pay dividends. Conte himself has proven a loose cannon, and also could walk out if unimpressed with results. With City and Liverpool dominating domestically and the likes of Real Madrid and PSG strengthening abroad, immediate success could prove elusive for Spurs. That could spell trouble relatively soon.
For Arsenal, these tectonic shifts in the top end of the table do not guarantee success. But the uncertainty prevailing among their rivals could provide an opportunity for the Gunners. If their competitors do indeed face the hardships that are very possibly on the horizon, Arsenal could take advantage and squeeze back into the top four in the 2022-23 season. But they will have to be ready and avoid trouble of their own.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF HALE END
Finally, Arsenal’s fortunes in recent seasons have turned on the rise of Saka and Smith Rowe. They are two key pieces of the current side, the former coming into his own as a bona fide superstar and the latter not far behind. Now, Eddie Nketiah appears ready to step onto that level with them. Arsene Wenger once said of Arsenal, “We don’t sign superstars, we make them.” With a slightly faded reputation and a transfer budget that is quite finite, the club will need to prove that adage correct.
Luckily, Hale End appears to be doing just that at the moment. Under the care of Per Mertesacker, the academy has produced some incredibly promising talents in the last couple of seasons. Most notable is probably Folarin Balogun, who admittedly looks to need another season to acclimate to adult football. But there is also Charlie Patino, an 18-year-old midfielder the club is excited enough about to keep in-house to develop alongside the first team.
There is also a crop of tremendous young wide players coming through at Hale End. Omari Hutchinson, a player who wowed Pele at the age of 12 with his skills, made the bench for the senior side 10 times this season. Outside of those experiences, Hutchinson finished with 8 goals and 7 assists in 22 appearances for U23 team. There is also Marcelo Flores, who has appeared three times for the Mexican national team and stands a chance of being selected for the World Cup squad. Perhaps forgotten by the public due to a groin injury, Kido Taylor-Hart also remains highly rated. Laurence Bassini, currently attempting a takeover of Birmingham City, named Taylor-Hart as a player he would like to sign on loan.
Perhaps the name that has most been on fans’ lips in recent weeks is that of Brooke Norton-Cuffy. The 18-year-old right-back enjoyed a stellar second half of the season with Lincoln City. He caught the eye of Gooners with a physicality beyond his years and a propensity for charging runs up the pitch in possession. Norton-Cuffy was so impressive in first stint in senior football that many fans are suggesting he come into the first team as backup for Tomiyasu.
It is doubtful that all of these players will go on to make it at Arsenal. But such is the crop of talent emerging from Hale End that at least a few of them figuring into the side is plausible, particularly with Europa League football on offer in the fall. And if even one of them can go on to follow in Saka’s or Smith Rowe’s footsteps, then the future is bright for Arsenal.
THE STATE OF THE CANNON
The State of the Cannon is not yet strong, but stable. Arsenal have laid the foundation from which they can build a competitive team. A young, intelligent, highly-rated manager in Mikel Arteta has instilled his style of football in a squad filled largely with pre-prime, high-ceiling footballers. The youth academy appears prepared to produce at least a few helpful squad players, and perhaps even another budding star. KSE backed Arteta to the hilt last year, and hopefully will do so again as the club look to add more established talents. As of this season, the large majority of fans have bought in to the Arsenal project. There is a connection between supporters and fans that perhaps has not been seen in the Emirates era.
If Arsenal can harness this togetherness, sign the right players to take the squad to the next level, continue playing high-quality football, and put the pieces together as other top six clubs falter, there very well could be a return to the Champions League awaiting the Gunners this time next year. A lot of moving pieces exist in that equation; only time will tell if they all fall into place. But for the first time in a long time, it feels safe to believe in Arsenal Football Club.
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