How Arsenal can emerge stronger
Mikel Arteta needs squad players of the quality of his first-choice XI if team are to avoid another title collapse
The need for depth
In two consecutive seasons, Arsenal have stumbled at the end of the campaign as a result of injuries to key players. This year, it has been the loss of defenders William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu that has destabilised Mikel Arteta’s team.
The absence of Saliba, especially, has proved disastrous. Rob Holding and Jakub Kiwior have filled in but they simply do not offer the same security, and Arsenal’s entire system has suffered as a result.
If Arsenal hope to compete for the Premier League and Champions League next season, they cannot be so reliant on individual players remaining fit. Arteta has made only 36 changes to his starting line-up this season, by far the fewest in the division, and next season he will need a larger pool of players he truly trusts.
The most obvious difference between the squads of Arsenal and Manchester City is that Pep Guardiola has at least 16 or 17 players he can rely on in any situation, against any opponent. If Nathan Ake is injured, for example, Aymeric Laporte plays instead. If Jack Grealish is out, Phil Foden comes in.
At Arsenal, by contrast, there is often a significant drop-off in quality if the first-choice players are out. The injury to Saliba showed that to be the case at centre-back, but it is also true elsewhere: Fabio Vieira is Martin Odegaard’s deputy, for one. Reiss Nelson has been the back-up to Bukayo Saka. Kieran Tierney cannot offer the same technical quality as Oleksandr Zinchenko in the inverted left-back role. To challenge City, Arsenal need high-class competition for places in each position. This season, they have not had it. Arsenal’s first-choice XI are good enough but their squad, as a whole, are not.
Where to strengthen?
Arsenal’s top priority is central midfield, where Declan Rice is their dream signing. The West Ham United captain would provide an additional level of physicality in the heart of the pitch and a versatility that means he could operate in a box-to-box role, a more deep-lying position or even at centre-back.
The need for more power was obvious when Arsenal lost to City at the Etihad last month, and also on Sunday. Brighton marked Arsenal man-for-man, creating individual duels all over the pitch, and Roberto De Zerbi’s players won many of those battles. Among the most impressive of Brighton’s players was Moises Caicedo, the subject of a £70 million bid by Arsenal in January. Caicedo has shown that he is not just one of the league’s most dynamic midfielders, but also an extremely capable full-back.
Can Arsenal sign both Rice and Caicedo? That remains to be seen. But Caicedo’s newfound ability as a right-back will make him even more appealing, as that is another area in which Arsenal need to bolster. Tomiyasu’s injury is long term, which means Ben White has had little support in recent months. More options are required at full-back, especially with Tierney expected to leave the club. At centre-back, too, another high-class defender will be needed as competition for Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, unless White is freed up to move inside by the arrival of another right-back. Marc Guehi, of Crystal Palace, has caught Arsenal’s eye.
Arsenal are also hoping to sign another winger, to reduce the load on Saka. They are understood to have shown interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby ahead of this summer’s transfer window. Another creative midfielder – perhaps Chelsea’s Mason Mount – would also be helpful, especially if Granit Xhaka leaves the club (Bayer Leverkusen are interested).
Is there a need for a Plan B?
Arsenal are not as flexible in their tactics as City, which is no doubt a reflection of the aforementioned lack of depth in their squad. Arteta has been accused at times of being too stubborn, but he has hinted that he wants to evolve the team’s style.
Could the arrival of a player such as Rice allow Arsenal to play with a different structure or style? It is an exciting thought for Arsenal fans. Some have called for a more physical player up front, where Arsenal do not boast much aerial threat. It is an option they have considered in the past, and a more powerful striker would certainly add a different dimension in attack.
How much more is there to come from this group of players?
The most encouraging thought for Arsenal will be that, even if they do absolutely nothing in the transfer window this summer, their current team should be even better next year than it has been this season.
Arteta said last week that “not one” of his players had reached his peak yet and, based on the age of his squad, it is hard to disagree. Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are both 21, Saliba is only 22 and Odegaard is 24. Even Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko, two of the most obvious leaders on the pitch, are only 26.
The average age of Arsenal’s starting line-ups this season has been just 25 years and 23 days. Across the division, only Southampton have had a younger team. It should not be forgotten, either, that Arteta is among the youngest managers in the league. At 41, he is still developing his own style and learning the tricks of the trade.
There is no reason to believe this season’s title challenge is a one-off. Arsenal and Arteta might not have been able to see the wider picture on Sunday, but over the next few days that pain will soften and their perspective will return. This has been a season of significant progress, and Arsenal will expect to be better for it in the years to come.