What Mikel Arteta must do to improve fading Arsenal, as Man City readies to take EPL crown
Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal side is progressing ahead of schedule, despite seemingly losing its grip on the EPL title. GARY JACOB looks at how the Gunners can reach the next level.
When Mikel Arteta was interviewed for the Arsenal job, he presented the club’s owner with a blueprint of the five phases that the squad would have to go through to become consistently successful. The 41-year-old manager has not revealed what those phases are, or the timescale for their completion, but three and a half years into the job he insists that his players are at the third stage, and ahead of schedule.
It is unknown whether phase three is being in a position to challenge for the Premier League – an ambition that took a dent when their 4-1 defeat by Manchester City handed the advantage to Pep Guardiola’s team on Wednesday – but what is certain is that they will return the club to Champions League next season, after a seven-year absence, which will help them to attract top-class players.
Adding strength in depth
Arteta is planning a busy summer in the transfer market to address the lack of strength in depth that has prevented him from rotating his players in the way that Guardiola has. The City manager has started fewer players than Arteta but used them more often. Having the resources to be able to rotate will be paramount, given the additional demands of playing in the Champions League. Based on their Uefa ranking, they are likely to be in pot three in the seeding system.
Arsenal are confident of beating their rivals to the signature of Declan Rice, the West Ham United midfielder valued at more than £80 million, and they plan to bring in two defenders, another midfielder and at least one attacking player, depending on outgoings. Rice was in the directors’ box at the Emirates Stadium alongside Mark Noble, the West Ham sporting director, for the FA Youth Cup final. Edu, the Arsenal sporting director, and Josh Kroenke, the Arsenal co-chairman, were also in attendance.
Greater physicality
It is clear they need greater physicality, which was particularly apparent on Wednesday when they were outmuscled and intimated by Erling Haaland and Rodri. A similar weakness was evident against West Ham, Brentford and even Everton.
The only Arsenal player to exude that quality is Thomas Partey, although his form has dipped. To provide more ballast in midfield, they could renew their interest in the combative Moises Caicedo, having failed to land the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder with a £70 million bid in the January transfer window. Two cheaper options would be the energetic Amadou Onana, 21, especially if Everton are relegated, or his Belgium teammate Romeo Lavia, 19, although the Southampton player is highly sought after.
Balancing the books
It is unclear how much Arteta will be given to spend this summer. He has racked up a net spend of about £330 million since taking charge in December 2019, including about £50 million in January, and the club recognise that they need to return to a self-sustaining model. Arsenal owe about pounds 180 million on past transfers, according to company accounts submitted recently.
However, for the first time in recent seasons, they could generate significant funds from selling players, including Kieran Tierney, probably to Newcastle United, and perhaps Emile Smith Rowe, who may be unhappy with his limited game time since returning from a groin injury. Most of the players on loan could be sold, including Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Folarin Balogun, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric Soares.
Tying down his top stars
Arsenal have yet to tie down William Saliba and Bukayo Saka to new contracts, little more than a year before their deals expire. Saka reached a verbal agreement in February over an improved five-year deal, which would treble his wages to more than £200,000 a week. Arsenal are in talks with Saliba and want the defender to follow Gabriel Martinelli, who signed a contract in February.
The success Arsenal have enjoyed this season means that some of their leading players, such as Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White, are likely to push for improved deals this summer. Partey and Gabriel Jesus, who each earn between £150,000 and £200,000 a week, have been Arsenal’s top earners after the club worked hard to reduce the wage bill from the days of paying Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang each about £350,000 a week.
Coping with pressure
Since the turn of the year Arsenal have collected 32 points from 17 games, which is four fewer than Aston Villa and five fewer than City, who have played two fewer league matches. Arteta said they needed to deliver a faultless performance to have a chance of beating City, but Ramsdale was beaten at his near post for the second time in three matches.
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Ramsdale has had a mixed few weeks, with good stops against Liverpool and City but a mistake against Southampton. This season only four teams have made more errors leading to a goal than Arsenal, playing into Arteta’s recent complaints that the best teams remain focused. Fatigue may be a factor as Saka and Martinelli, both 21, and Gabriel, 25, have each made 43 appearances across all competitions.
Arsenal have conceded 38 times and only three times have a club won the Premier League by letting in more goals – Manchester United in 1997, 2000 and 2013. On the plus side, Arsenal have scored 78 goals, their best total since 2009-10, when they managed 83.
Originally published as What Mikel Arteta must do to improve fading Arsenal, as Man City readies to take EPL crown
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