Is Arsenal just one step away from being the best there is? A top team needs to be strong defensively, in midfield, and in attack.
Amidst all the unconvincing results in the last 8 league games, our Gunners are currently one of the best defensively; they’re strong in midfield, but there’s an issue with the attack.
We lack strength and are not as formidable in the final third. Our attack is not generating anywhere near enough shots, and that has to change. Part of it is tactical; part of it is individual.
Signing a top striker and a left winger could potentially resolve our issues, but it may not be the sole solution. You could replace Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, but the problem would still persist.
In addition to the individual struggles, we need to encourage coach Arteta to be bold in his tactical decisions.
With Thomas Partey in midfield, Arsenal is likely to emerge victorious. Six of our eight league wins have come with the Ghanaian international in midfield; we’re definitely a better team with him there. He plays those incisive passes that Rice doesn’t, contributing to the attack from midfield.
Other than introducing someone like Partey in midfield, it is about time we start shooting more. We’re having a lot of touches in the box, but a lack of shots prevents us from taking advantage of our opponents and ultimately leads to fewer goals.
If you’re not taking those shots, it’s inevitable that you’ll go four games without scoring from open play.
If Arsenal can just find a balance between their attack, midfield, and defence, no one is stopping them. They could be quite unbeatable, which is bad news, but of course not for us.
If the our Arsenal attack clicks, surely this could be our season.
Peter Rix
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You’re spot on about Partey vs Rice in the CDM position. Rice is better defensively, but Partey is better at making incisive passes and playmaking
Arteta also needs to be more adventurous when playing against teams who park the bus at the Emirates, like Everton and maybe Ipswich tonight
If Arsenal can’t score in the first half of the home games, we should’ve played with attacking fullbacks to confuse the opposition
This is why I say certain Gooners are arrogant?
Zero league titles in 2 decades
O trophies in 5 years
Currently 4th , 9.points behind league leaders
Yet an article asking we are one step away from being best there is ?
Let’s try to win a title first before we talk like this
We are not even close to being best in world
Dan
Does that mean when 60k sing week in week out
“And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC!
We’re by far the greatest team
The world has ever seen”
they are all arrogant or disillusioned supporter.
Just joking with you Dan….merry Christmas to you
Unfortunately I can’t agree to the article
In the last 5 years we have been heading up in the right direction of the rankings but We are million miles off being close to no.1 in the
world. That proves how far we had fallen over recent times.
Our back 5 when all fit and firing would match or surpass any of he top teams in the world
Mf and attack still need tampering with
Some fans are obsessed with buying a new striker which is great and if a top calibre striker comes in at January which is highly unlikely but not impossible it would cost us major money and always suspect when teams let their best asset go in January
Strikers win you games but defences wins you leagues and titles
So Let’s get our our players back in first and see what the 2nd half brings us
Pool are still very much catchable. They deserve to be top for now as they play some great stuff up top but still suspect at the back.
We need to hang on in there and keep chipping away
The league is not a sprint but a marathon
Onwards and upwards
striker
Merry Xmas to you as well mate
Allanball08
Agree 100% with your post. Hope you had a happy Christmas?
With Chelsea letting a lead turn into a loss then a win is vital against Ipswich later.
Is it arrogance or over optimistic, Dan?
Arrogance
If Man United finished 2nd next year and then were 9 points off top and said they were close to being the best In the world wouldn’t you say -win the league first
For example what has Arteta done in Europe to suggest we are even close to being the best in the world ?
Dan. Do you always write your headlines? The writer said, the best there is and he referenced throughout his article that a really very good team isn’t far away. Putting it this way, it seemed like a figure of speech to me. It’s arrogance to say we’re the best now, but he didn’t write that. He should have chosen his last paragraph more carefully
Article starts with the question
Is Arsenal just one step away from being the best there is?
I simply answered it
Bear tennis players in last two decades are Nadal , federer and Djokovic because ….they win grandslams
If someone with O grandslams said I’m close to being the best there is
Wouldn’t you say win something first ?
Best
I am not sure anybody wants to be the proverbial bridesmaid and not the bride..
There is clearly a difference in how we both ‘read’ the ‘best there is’ You are referencing history and Peter Rix is (imo) talking about the here and now. Being the best is temporary. It depends on whether you think that Arsenal are close to being near the top in the here and now, or the not in a million years. I don’t think we are far away and with City faltering there are opportunities arising for the present top performing teams who have been previously left in their wake
Yeah to be the best there is means your the ….best there is lol
As in no one is better
Imagine comparing tennis, played by one player competing against another player, with football, 1 team of 11 players competing against another team of 11 players 😂
As Chris Kamara would say, unbelievable Jeff.
Dan,
It beggars belief that anyone could come out with the statement of us being one small change from being the best team in the world.
What a ludicrous statement to make. As listed in your piece, which I totally agree with.
Even if Arsenal went out and brought in the necessary striker or strikers, to back up the claim of being the best side in the world, they need to then back up that statement with major trophies’ on a regular basis.
Looking at our lack of Trophies over the last number of years, to even think let alone put it into writing is an absolute joke of a statement to make.🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Herr Drier,
Why are you mocking Dan on his Tennis analogy. The point he makes is a valid one, one one that doesn’t need to be ridiculed by you in my opinion.
Reading some of your previous comments, I thought you were above those sort of things.
Maybe I’m wrong.🤦♂️
Thank you Dan some articles here are not worth reading let alone commenting,,Arsenal are far behind being the best club in England let alone the world …I think someone high lighted how Man U won have Fa cup,Europa league and league cup yet the owners and the fans are not satisfied but is so unfortunate that some of us celebrate stability with no trophies,,,seeing Liverpool on top after Arsenal challenging city for consecutive two seasons is something I can’t comprehend and it make me feel ashamed…True be told Arteta is not under pressure to win trophies I blame the board for that ,, I am not surprised to see articles like this
Dan,
It beggars belief that anyone could come out with the statement of us being one small change from being the best team in the world.
What a ludicrous statement to make. As listed in your piece, which I totally agree with.
Even if Arsenal went out and brought in the necessary striker or strikers, to back up the claim of being the best side in the world, they need to then back up that statement with major trophies’ on a regular basis.
Looking at our lack of Trophies over the last number of years, to even think let alone put it into writing is an absolute joke of a statement to make.🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
To win the league you must be consistent,something we haven’t been so far.
One reason we’ve blown hot and cold is because of our limited options especially in our forward line. Even Arteta alluded to the fact that our squad is thin which is a big disadvantage in this race against Chelsea and pool.
With Saka injured it will be unfortunate if we don’t get in a player or two in that department.
How I wish we can look at Mbuemo or Semenyo.This two guys have been a joy to watch this season, the energy,the goals and the versatility they possess can make a big difference come may.
Arteta is the reason we are not competing for the league this season or far behind Liverpool for the now ,, if I am correct we are the best defensive team last season,,instead of focusing on a good striker,a deputy for Saka or someone that will compete with Saka ,but he got it wrong ,,Sterling has no business within Arsenal,Merino I reserve my comments let me give him benefit of doubt,,havertz is a waste of transfer funds and Gabriel Jesus can’t take Arsenal to promise land
I get you Mikki.
Quite a number of reasons may come into play. Sometimes am buffled with what I see.
But overall we have a good team with quite a number of quality players. All that needs to be done is to figure how to turn this corner of perennial underachievers.
It’s clear we need to strengthen our forward line. Whether or not it will be done will wait and see.
Yeah you are right
Wow!!!!!!! Just WOW.
At the start of every season for the last 70 odd years, I have always hoped and believed that The Arsenal would win the league.
That’s not arrogance, that’s believing in my club.
Of course, after a few games, realism tells me that this is not going to happen, but, until it’s factually impossible, I still have hope.
In the last two seasons, that’s exactly what Mikel Arteta has given me and only losing by five and two points to city115 has been a tremendous time to support my club.
Are we only one or two players short of becoming champions again?
The last two seasons prove that we’re not far off and, surely, that’s what this article is eluding too?
The club doesn’t have to win anything to believe that’s the case – after all, manure won two domestic cups in successive seasons, yet can anyone say their candidates for the PL title?!
I’m looking forward to the January transfer window and agree with the author totally, as long as MA buys the right players – no arrogance whatsoever, just a belief.
No to be in the conversation for ‘ best there is ‘ you can’t not have a title in 2 decades
Liverpool never won the title in 3 decades, but their fans still thought they were one of the best teams in the world.
Yeah and if they said they were nearly the best there is I would point out how if you have not won a title in 30 years
If you were lucky they would’ve just laughed at you
Dan, but they were the best team in the world as they won the World Club Championship BEFORE winning their last PL Title.
Ken, I’m exactly the same. Every August I believe we can win the League. Even now, I still think we have a good chance.
Some people need to cast their minds back to the 97/98 season. Iirc we were 5th or 6th at this stage of the season after defeats at home and away to clubs people think we should have beaten. We had our top striker, Ian Wright, missing games through injury, Anelka, his replacement, was quite new to England, and Wreh was very much hit or miss. Well we all know how that season ended.
It’s matchday by the way. In some big matchday mood. COYG! 😎
Somebody is saying if this and this are done we could be the best there is, and we are dubbing him arrogant and all that.
He says the team is strong at the back and in the middle and needs to be equally strong upfront to be counted. Is that not what most of us have been saying, including the pundits?
No I have not heard many pundits say we are close to being the best there is
I seem to remember many pundits predicting The Arsenal would win the PL this year Dan – surely you heard that?
Yeah but no one now is saying they are close to being the best there is
They are saying we were poor against Newcastle , cherries and Everton and this will be a chance missed
The damning thing is, they are saying we are not as good as Liverpool. What have Liverpool done to get that accolade?
So were the pundits being arrogant Dan, when they were predicting The Arsenal to win the PL?
Surely, as a fan and following last season, being in a positive mood wasn’t arrogance, rather positivity and expectancy?
Not at all mate and when we win a Prem that’s when we discuss being the best there is,
You don’t say that when we are 6 points behind the leaders who have a game in hand
Yes I want my team to have the best players to give them the best chance of winning trophies.
But this piece says being the best team, well for me while the best teams don’t win Trophies all the time, they do win a good amount of trophies over a period of time.
To even put us in that bracket, while looking at our lack of Trophy success, is at best laughable in my opinion.
Reading through the article one gets the sense that the author is exuberant and trying to be positive rather than arrogant.
Whilst it may be appropriate to point out that we are some way off being the best in the world some of the criticism is also unnecessarily over the top. Sadly, this is not surprising as some of those quick out of the gate are the usual bunch of moaners and complainers.
👍 David. Quick out of the gate because they are the ones whose no doubt superior opinions and narratives are most threatened by the existence of the article.
BB, surely they are just “opinions” of a differing view?
I might not find your views the same as mine, but neither one is “superior” is it?
No ken1945, of course neither one is necessarily “superior” but that is not the attitude of certain commenters on this site as evidenced in these very threads it is unfortunate. Our views actually do coincide quite often but in any case you realize that your views are just that and not necessarily “fact” and are just the opposite of those commenters I refer to in my comment.
It’s more just facts lol
Bruised Banana,
What superior opinions and narratives are most threatened by the existence of the article.
It certainly isn’t Arsenal’s recent success is it.🤦♂️🙄
You tell me. Arsenal’s actual recent success or actual lack thereof has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Because our recent success has not been being the best in England or competing in Europe so therefore you can’t be the best there is ?