Last season breathed a new life into Arsenal fans. Buds of genuine hope sprung from an unexpected place, rooted deep in their hearts and matured into, for a while, arrogance. As the season drew on, Arsenal piled on victories in a way that resembled their triumphant eras of old.
They were on course to break the amount of points gathered by the Invincibles, and had a considerable point advantage over Manchester City. For the greater part of the season, a large percentage of Arsenal fans were certain the 2022/2023 Premier League title was theirs. Every game week, thousands of videos emerged on the internet where Arsenal fans rejoiced, praised coach Mikel Arteta’s tactics, criticized other teams’ and recited victory chants.
The conclusion to the season saw Arsenal break down, lose themselves, then lose the league title. They consoled themselves with their club’s Champions League qualification, their first in seven years. This season has started in a similarly impressive form, winning five out of seven games and drawing two. Arsenal fans are hopeful once again, but remain wary of seasons past.
What has Arteta done to ensure last season won’t repeat itself?
Arsenal’s last 10 games unraveled in a way that would expel faith from the strongest believer. They picked up 11 points out of a possible 30, struggling in matches that would have been labelled routine victories weeks before. Manchester City, the eventual winners, performed one of their typical late season wonder runs, seizing 25 points out of a possible 30 and pouncing gratefully on Arsenal’s decline.
Arteta later admitted that his team lacked the consistency and ruthlessness that was required of champions, that which Manchester City had built up in abundance.
Injuries are of an unwelcome but inevitable outcome of football, and a team is meant to be flexible enough to survive injuries to multiple integral team members throughout the season. Arsenal was not, losing considerable momentum with the loss of players as the season progressed. Arteta aimed to improve Arsenal’s squad depth, recruiting Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Jurrien Timber into the North London team. The scars of the previous season seemed to have run deep, they spent the most money than they ever have in a single season to deepen their squad.
It has yielded great results, though. Declan Rice was awarded Arsenal’s player of the month of September after quickly establishing himself in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, ensuring he is a player they can’t do without.
What are Arsenal’s true chances of winning the Premier League?
Building a young squad is a tricky maneuver, especially because a lack of experience usually has a way of exposing itself during games. It is not something many coaches have been successful at. But, Mikel Arteta has done a good job leveraging all the advantages youth has to offer, while maintaining a disciplined side. Arsenal is the 3rd youngest squad in the Premier League and have been unbeaten since the season’s start, sitting at third and one point away from the top.
Truthfully, Arsenal’s (and the rest of the Premier League’s) chances of winning the Premier League are deeply influenced by Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side won 4 of the last 5 Premier League titles and remain favorite’s for this season. Their 2-1 loss to Wolves has began to nurture some doubts, but we are all aware of how consistent they are when they need to be. They have started some title winning seasons on far worse forms.
Pep Guardiola, ever the conquistador, has sworn to reenforce his monopoly on the Premier League, and the world has borne testament to his efforts at doing so. He spent over 241 million euros on signings, the 3rd highest spenders in the Premier League this summer, despite a stellar season that ended with Manchester City achieving the famed treble.
Midfielder Bernardo Silva once remarked that every season, he changes the team’s tactics to prevent other clubs getting too familiar with their playing style. Pep Guardiola clearly has no plans of loosening his grip on the Premier League title.
The season is early, and it still seems like almost anyone has a chance at the 2023/2024 Premier League trophy. But, if Arsenal finishes the season the same manner in which they have started it, the trophy is guaranteed to be theirs. Unfortunately, persistence is a big problem they face. Let’s see if the 235 million euros spent will fix the issues that plagued their title charge last season.
-Julius
*Photo courtesy of Tembela Bohle*
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