Arsenal Analysis – Where we went wrong and what we need to improve next season

Admin Pat

3 years ago

Leaps and bounds, but a level below

Arsenal have made great strides but fall short at the last hurdle by Vuyo Mataka

You don’t realise how easy it is to lose a title until you do. You think you can afford to lose games, but when you’re the one that just misses out, you scrutinise all the mistakes that cost you the title. This has been a promising season but it’s not the fairy-tale ending we wanted, and we’re heartbroken at how we lost it. However, next season we know what we are capable of. This club has come a long way, surpassing all expectation but short of true victory. The world finally sees what the club is capable of, now it time to push for real silverware.

Arsenal had a great start to the season, with noteworthy performances against Tottenham and Liverpool, and continued their form after the end of the World Cup. With great business being done, Arsenal look set to continue their charge to the title. With them dropping points to Everton and Brentford and suffering a devastating loss to Manchester City, you could see them falter in their charge to the title. Momentum seemed to be re-established after the Aston Villa match. However, it was evident that individual errors crept in and affected their overall performance. It was most evident when Arsenal played Bournemouth.

Arsenal continued their good form until April, their most difficult part of the season. With the Gunners getting an impressive draw at Anfield, it looked like Arsenal were steps away from winning the title. Disappointing draws to West Ham and Southampton drove us to despair, and it looked like Arsenal’s title hopes were dependent on a win against Man City at the Etihad. A thrashing from City brought Arsenal’s promising season to a bittersweet end.

With Arsenal looking unlikely to win the league, the club can focus on winning the remaining games to keep the pressure on City. Maybe Arsenal’s fortunes can change but let’s not hold our breath.

We can use the time to look at how far the team has come, how well they have played and how they can improve. It’s been a season of improvement for the team and for individuals. Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli showing their brilliance. Xhaka having one of his best seasons ever with Jesus and Zinchenko integrating seamlessly into the squad.

So many players doing well, it’s difficult to see who needs to be replaced for Arsenal to improve. The main focus is the midfield for Arsenal, specifically the defensive midfield and the box-to-box 8 position. Once those issues are sorted, striker, right wing, centre back and right back are secondary issues. For the striker position, a target man that can grow with the team. With the other positions, reinforcement is needed, players that are first team ready that can compete for positions. Another aspect that the manager can fix is rotation, with Arsenal back in the Champions league, Arteta needs to trust in the other squad members to play more often.

Arsenal having a constant 11 will fatigue players that have been playing too much football already. We need to see the likes of Kiwior and Vieira play more games so others can recover, and the squad can be more prepared for the business end of the season. The club knows what must be done for next season, tough decisions will be made.

The most important thing is to strengthen – because the rest of the league will.

Vuyo Mataka

Video – Mikel Arteta talks about the reasons Arsenal have dropped from the top, and addresses the question if we “bottled it”