Summer Window Update

What a brilliant performance that was from the Arsenal against Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Everything I wanted to see from Arsenal I saw in that game. There was fight, tenacity, intensity and most of all passion. These players were playing for the badge and for each other. Something we’ve not seen for a very long time. Even after going 1-0 down, their heads did not drop, the press was still there and the fight was ever present. Mikel Arteta has shown us what he can do in a very short span of time with a very average Arsenal side (let’s be honest here). It’s a very positive first step for Arteta and for the process that we are in.

However, let’s not paper over the cracks here, finishing 8^th is nowhere near good enough for a club like Arsenal. It has been an absolutely awful season for the Gunners. From the Unai Emery sacking to the Xhaka fiasco to the Covid-19 lockdown, it has been a long and torturous season for all Arsenal fans. But now is the time for us to rebuild. We need to get our transfers spot on from here on out. We’ll need to strengthen certain key areas (more on that in a minute) and most importantly get rid of the deadwood. We know certain players are not good enough and are surplus to requirements. We’ll have to move out the likes of Mkhitaryan, Elneny and Sokratis in order to raise funds. The club have said that we will not have a significant transfer budget for this window. Money is tight and has always been tight at Arsenal even more so now with no revenue coming in from matchday tickets. Therefore, we’ll have to be smart in the structuring of certain deals.

Now the first deal that should be done by now is the Aubameyang extension. Before we even look at bringing new players in, we’ve got to tie our talisman down to a new deal. Reports have it that its already been agreed to although I don’t know how much of that is true. I’ve been a Gooner long enough to know nothing is confirmed or official until I’ve seen an official statement from the club. If it hasn’t been agreed to, there should be absolute uproar. I wont be venting on this just yet.

Now on to the first official deal of the window, Willian. I am mixed on this one because of the fact that Chelsea wanted to keep him but on the other hand I have heard from Chelsea fans that he goes missing a lot and can be inconsistent, something we Arsenal fans are all too familiar with. Do we really need another wide player with the likes of Aubameyang, Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nelson who can all play in that position? Or does Arteta want to deploy him in a more central position at the tip of the midfield? We cannot deny his ball carrying ability which is something we currently lack in midfield. I will only judge him once I’ve seen him on that field for us, till then I shall remain neutral.

Moving on to the “unofficial” done deal of the window, Gabriel Magalhaes. Now he is a young lad this one, at only 22 years of age. I won’t say I’ve watched much of French football but from the clips and reviews I’ve read of him it certainly looks promising. With clubs like Napoli and Manchester United circling around he should be of quality. With a new centre back in I would now like to see two additional signings this window, a Thomas Partey and a certain Philipe Coutinho. Partey will provide good cover for the backline as we were exposed too easily many a times last season. He’ll also give us that presence in midfield that we’ve lacked since Viera left. As for Coutinho, we need a creative spark in the side, an Ozil replacement if you will. Being able to play on the counter against teams like Liverpool and Man City is great but once we come up against a Burnley or a Crystal Palace who are just going to have two banks of four and wait for us to break them down, we have lacked ideas and drive from midfield. Coutinho will also pitch in with goals, something we’ve heavily relied on Aubameyang for last season.

If we are to get the Partey and Coutinho deals done, I reckon we could be back in the top four this coming season. I`m liking the Arteta project so far but we have to back him in the transfer market or we will only fall further behind. More updates to come before the window shuts!

FA Cup Final Preview: Arsenal vs Chelsea

It has been a season to forget for Arsenal fans having seen the team finish 8th in the league, the lowest finish since the 94/95 season. Needless to say its been a disastrous season for the Gunners. However, the players have a chance of ending the season on a high by winning the FA Cup. 

We go up against Frank Lampard's men who have already secured European football for next season. Its not only a chance for Arsenal to win a piece of silverware but its also our only pathway into the Europa League. Its not Europa League football that interests me but rather the financial compensation that we will receive from it. With the club unlikely to have a massive budget for the upcoming transfer window every little bit counts. 

There is a lot ridding on this game for Arsenal which could be a double edged sword in my opinion. It could spur the players on with the thought of potential European football on their minds or it could be added pressure on their shoulders. We absolutely need to win this, as it will be a good springboard for Arteta. It'll be his first trophy in his managerial career and one that could signal the beginning of a new dawn for Arsenal. 

Needles to say, I really hope the players turn up for this game. I`m sure Arsenal fans all over the world will still remember what happened in Baku not too long ago but then again we have never done well in Europe. However, we tend to do much better in domestic cups and I hope this is one of those times. The players shouldn't need a whole lot of motivating because this is after all a cup final. The team that turns up and wants it more will win it. Every player needs to put in a performance, we cannot afford to have any passengers. We know what Chelsea are capable of with the likes of Mount, Kovacic and Pulisic. We will need stop those crosses from coming in and if they do come in we have to deal with them convincingly. Both teams have shaky defences and I believe the team that defends better on the day will win it. We do have enough fire power upfront that can cause Chelsea problems.

My predicted starting XI: Martinez, Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney, Saka, Xhaka, Ceballos, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette

I do believe Arteta will go with a back 5 as we have been more solid defensively with this setup. 

 

My predictions for the game: 2-1 to the Arsenal. Its a cup final so form goes out the window. Come On You Gunners!

3 Things Arteta has helped us improve on

Things seemed to have been on the up for Arsenal since Mikel Arteta's arrival as we have yet to be beaten in the league this year. It is unfortunate for that run to have been interrupted by this pandemic. With all the saddening news around, I hope I can take your mind of it for a bit even if its for a couple of minutes. In this article, I`ll address the 3 things that we've improved on since Arteta has been at the helm.

1) Steel and mental strength of the players
Without a shadow of a doubt this has been the standout key area in which Arteta has helped us improve on as a team at least in my opinion. All that's needed for proof is to look at the Chelsea game away at the Bridge. If we were back in the Emery or even late Wenger era and were a man down, we would have most likely capitulated and gone into our shells waiting for the final whistle. We've seen that many a times in the past where we go to huge away grounds and get absolutely annihilated even with 11 men! We were all fearing the worst when Luiz saw red but what followed suit was a great display of steel and mental strength from every Arsenal player on the field. Going down twice with 10 men and to come out of the game with a point is impressive. Having been branded a mentally soft team in the past, its definitely refreshing to see that the players have it in them to dig deep and never give up even when the odds are stacked against them.

2) Defensive shape and solidity
Defensive frailties is the area that has proven to be Arsenal's achilles heel for as long as I can remember. The improvement in defensive solidity has been immense. Even a player like Mustafi looks like a completely new player under Arteta's guidance. Watching the team defensively does not worry me as much as it used to anymore and that is really reassuring. The players look more confident playing out from the back. We all know that if we can get our defence sorted we can be right up there challenging for silverware as we have no issues going forward. Having said that, I would still like to see us get an imposing central defender when the window reopens.

3) A clear style of play
Since Arteta learned from one of the best managers of this generation, we Arsenal fans were crying out for a clear and exciting style of play as for most of the season we looked absolutely clueless. We were a shambles at the back and had no creativity going forward. With Arteta's arrival we've looked much better at the back and shown more promise going forward. He clearly loves using his wider players when in attack which has benefited the likes of Saka and Aubameyang. Saka has had an outstanding breakout season with countless number of assists while also showing us he can step up and do a job at left back when needed. I will publish a separate write up on that lad, so do stay tuned for that. We seem to have an idea playing out from the back now as opposed to doing it just for the sake of it. He seems to have also found a system that suits Granit Xhaka which has led to the revival of his Arsenal career. Xhaka seems to slip into that left back area when we're in  possession which allows him the time and space he needs to pick out a pass.

Overall, there have been some very positive signs since Arteta's appointment and he has also won the fans over with some decent displays from the team. I am looking forward to football coming back soon BUT only when its safe to do so. Thank you to all health workers who are putting their lives on the line for us. Stay safe and healthy.

Post Match Analysis: Arsenal (1) - West Ham (0)

Arsenal managed a 1-0 victory over West Ham. The Hammers were very much unlucky to not have even gotten a point at the Emirates thanks to the heroics of Bernd Leno and some poor finishing.

The Gunners were poor throughout the game as it was sloppy and slow. It reminded me of the end of the Emery era. We struggled to deal with the pace of Antonio at times. The team selection has been a little baffling of late with the exclusions of Maitland-Niles and Gabriel Martinelli. The need to rest Bellerin is understandable having only recently returned from a long term injury but why is Sokratis ahead of Maitland-Niles in the pecking order? Does Arteta not see him as a capable right back or has he not seen enough from him in training? Sokratis offers nothing going forward. With Arteta preferring to play through the wings, that only leaves the left hand side with any sort of attacking threat. Even on the left hand side there are problems as we all know Aubameyang has been deployed out wide. That is not where Auba thrives, he’s at his most potent self through the middle. I would much rather see Martinelli out on the left as he gives you directness and defensive cover. He had some chemistry going with Saka before he was dropped. At the end of the day, Auba is not a winger. Also in the West Ham game Ozil and Pepe were occupying a similar area in the attacking third which left the midfield vulnerable. You can now see where the problems lie. 

I would like to see Auba being played upfront and someone who is comfortable in the right back position against Man City on Wednesday. To sum the West Ham game up it was a smash and grab. Be sure to stay tuned for the Man City preview which will be out either later today or tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Match Preview: Arsenal vs West Ham

Arsenal take on West Ham this Saturday at the Emirates on the back of an FA Cup win against Portsmouth. Although the Gunners were very much uncomfortable for most of the first half in that game, they got the job done comfortably in the end. West Ham are fresh off a victory over Southampton.

We know how David Moyes sets up his teams, he'll have a team that is well drilled and organized. So, we'll have to look to break them down. We cannot take them likely as we know what they're very much capable off by just looking at the performance at Anfield. They could have very much gotten away with at least a point or even a win if it wasnt for the Fabianski howler. We do have to watch out for the likes of Antonio and Declan Rice.

For this game, I would like to see us get both halves right. In many games this season, we seem to get one half right and the other completely wrong. I want to see us be on the front foot for the whole 90 minutes by moving the ball around quickly. It will be interesting to see what sort of a team Arteta puts out there now that the Man City game has been rescheduled to Wednesday, March 11. Will he rest key players for the City game or will he put a strong side out there to get the job done early and then look to rest players? Personally I feel it should be a mix of both. 3-1 to the Arsenal. Come on you Gunners.

My predicted XI: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Luiz, Saka, Xhaka, Ceballos,Ozil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Nketiah