FIVE-POINT PL AN

1 PACK MORE PUNCH

Arsenal’s relatively paltry haul of 55 league goals from last term simply has to increase. Pepe’s improved integration can be a lesson to Martinelli, but both Saka and Smith Rowe can bolster last season’s goal tallies of five and two respectively. Arsenal averaged 12.1 shots per game last season, the 11th- most in the division. That isn’t good enough.

2 PLAY UP TO AUBA

A good way of bothering scoreboards more often would be to build around the strengths of Aubameyang, who managed just eight non- penalty goals in the league last season, in line with a non- penalty xg ( rating the quality of each shot) of 9.1. It was 14.3 and 16.8 in his two previous full campaigns. There are young, mobile attackers around him, so sit Auba in the box and focus on creating chances for him.

3 FOLLOW THE ( NEW) LEADERS

Last summer, Arteta brought in Gabriel ( Magalhaes) and Thomas Partey to strengthen his team’s spine, and they helped the Londoners to leak the league’s fewest goals from set- pieces and third- fewest in total. They’ve had a year to settle, so it’s on them to own their areas. Kieran Tierney has emerged as a leader already – now a new core needs to form.

4 SETTLE ON REGULARS

With no European football, Arsenal can focus on forming a nucleus of 15 to 16 players, rather than the bloated squads of seasons past, which have cost the team valuable cohesion. Arteta may not have two world- class players in each position, as Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel do, but that does at least mean he faces less pressure to rotate.

5 LET TALENT SHINE

One of Arteta’s biggest errors so far has been to over- value experience. He procured players such as Willian and Cedric Soares to bring it to his team, and the club awarded Aubameyang a huge new contract that takes him to his 34th birthday. It was the young players, however, who carried the team in the improved second half of last season. Arteta must prioritise ability over age.