Arsenal have started the current season in top form, but will a weakness be exposed?
It is hard to divulge where things will go wrong, especially when things are going so right, but all teams endure a blip during the season.
While we could nitpick the odd injury which could hamper us slightly, we actually have enough depth to cover any single injury.
The fact that an argument could be made for 5+ players to be considered our most important player tells you a lot about our dynamics.
While Bukayo Saka is the current Arsenal Player of the Year, I’d insist that all of Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli have been at least as impressive so far this term.
We more than dealt with the absence of Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney earlier in the term, and I’m now coming to realise that the entire squad is pushing each other to reach new levels of consistency.
When you have a unit as strong as ours, it feels as though one or two changes will take almost nothing away from the dynamic, and that the mentality being blood into the squad is hiding any weaknesses at present, but are there any to be unearthed?
Patrick
Only Man City has a better starting eleven team than Arsenal in my opinion.
But Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all have a more mighty assemble squad than Arsenal on paper, getting those three squad functioning as a cohesive unit is another matter, hence why I say only Man City has a better starting eleven.
Our weakness is if Partey and Jesus should pick up a knock, that’s where our problem is in my opinion.
I agree. Nketiah and Lokonga has not reached the level of Partey and Jesus yet. But I think I am tempted to move Zichenko to middle if Partey is injured or even Ben White.
If Jesus is injured, We need ESR back so Nketiah/Martinelli will be upfront.
When Partey is injured, we have to slightly alter the side. Sambi Lokonga is a decent player but cannot do what Partey does, Xhaka has to play deeper.
Its all about unity and togetherness at arsenal.
Only weakness i can see is players like Partey ,Jesus, are difficult to replace in case of injuries or cards.
But its been long since ivdid not feel joy in watching my team play.
Hope arsenal continue to make the dream become true.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Gabriel at left-center back is our weak link. He has made plenty of shaky plays this season and is adequate at best. Reminds me of David Luis. Has great plays in him, but is one step away from a complete bonehead mistake. If I can upgrade one position on the pitch, it would be LCB.
Agree. And unfortunately he is our only left footed central back. That’s why he is always a starter.
Gabriel a weak link!
Because Xhaka refuse to clear the ball and Gabriel tried correcting the error? Or because of Fulham game? Such things happen when you are trying to play out from the back. He’s a solid defender and I’m always confident on him in one-on-one situations.
I feel this is our best defence sin Toni Adam group
If we had Daglous Luiz in our team there would be no weaker area coz nketiah is close to Jesus in terms of shooting and Nelson is a better material than martinelli if given time
Nketia is close to Jesus and Nelson is a better material to Martineli, people like you shouldn’t be watching football.
What? Nelson better that Martinelli?
That will be great any day. But for now it’s Martinelli.
Any team who loses there best players will of course be weakened no matter what team you are.
Our squad is far more deeper then past seasons and we are bringing in players who so far seem to fit in to the system.
The thing we are riding high on is confidence. All the past scrappy wins where some fans actually lambasted the team and manager
For poor games but forgot about the win have to realise wins breads confidence and then gives us the spring board to go out on the field and be more offensive.
The team will no doubt hit a rough patch at some point of the season and then questions will be asked about weakness but the team seem to be developing the character to overcome bad moments.
I for one have been happy with the progression. The team are bonding and becoming a tight unit so may it long continue
Onwards and upwards
Our starting line-up is very strong, but I wish we had:
– A taller CF with Jesus’ dribbling skills and intensity
– A more skilled left mezzala with Xhaka’s physicality, work rate, positional play, leadership and passion, who can make sharp turns in tight spaces
– An RW with Martinelli’s dribbling ability and pace. Maybe Marquinhos can play like that if he keeps playing in cup matches
In my own observation, the one area of weakness that I can see exist now in the current Arsenal first team squad of this season’s summer campaign, is the inability or should I say the failure of the club to not fill the void which Elneny’s injury has left in the team.
For, a new top quality capacity holding midfielder e.g. Douglas Luiz or Danilo ought to have been signed just before or on the last summer transfer deadline day to fill that void.
Nevertheless, our hopes as Gooners are Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Vieira and Lokonga in the Arsenal midfield will remain solid on their feet and in-form for Arsenal throughout the summer campaign. After which if it’s necessary to this void, the club will address filling the void next Jan window.
In January we will want a squad like this…
Ramsdale…….. Turner
Tomi……………….. White
Saliba……………..white
Gabby…. New lcb
Tierney…. Zinc
Partey….. Luiz
Odegarrd….. Viera
Xakai…………… Esr
Saka. … . Marq
Jesus…. Nekitha
Martinelle…. Nelson
Please write their names correctly or check if you’re not sure. It’s Nketiah not Nekitha and Matinelli, Vieira, Xaka etc.
I’m probably not the best judge of our deficiencies but I’d say that United exposed the weakness’ of a high defensive line…twice.
I think we generally have very good squad depth now with the exception of Partey’s position. This is well known and it seems likely we will try to address this again in January.
What makes me more excited is that so many of the players, including starters like Saka, martinelli, odegaard, saliba and even white at RB are doing very well, but you can see that they are improving with time. You can say the same of Vieira and Nketiah, and who knows, maybe even Gabriel jesus is still trending upwards. That’s fantastic for the first team and the squad going forwards – we don’t only need to buy players to improve, we will see improvement through the progression of many, if not all of these players, I’m sure.
On Nketiah – I see him as a solid player to replace jesus when needed, I’m no longer concerned about him at all. He’s not as good as GJ, but not many are, and we couldn’t have a second player of Jesus’ quality sitting on the bench, it just doesn’t work. Eddie works hard, holds the ball up and links play well, and is bright and finds ways to score goals – what more could you ask for?
What would make me more comfortable would be if one or two of the wingers were capable of playing the centre forward position. If GJ or EN did pick up an injury, it would be important to have another option so that we weren’t relying on just one player for every single game. I know martinelli has played there in the past, but it doesn’t seem to be a focus of his now, so I’m not sure who or third striker would be if the situation arose, or how the team would play.
We have a left footed cb ripping up the championship in Austin trusty
I believe our clubs weakest area is STILL a small section of our fanbase. WE are all a key part of our club; a club which is rapidly going places but is sometimes held back by doubting fans who refuse to see or credit the full progresS made and who hesitate to come on board the speeding ahead train, with we who fully support OUR CLUB.
We supporters, as with all clubs, are the glue and lifeblood that binds and keeps a club alive. We have a duty to SUPPORT and not to constantly criticise the two men, MA and EDU, who ARE transforming our club.
Other than that matter, of course we , like all clubs, have areas in which, ideally, we would LIKE to strengthen. But that is so common everywhere as to not be particularly noteworthy about our club alone!
Our main weakness is likely to be the distribution of Turner. Yes, he is a good stopper but he scares me with his decision-making and distribution at times.
An experienced ball-paying GK and Elneny injury cover e.g bring forward a Moises Caicedo summer transfer.