With Mesut Özil reportedly set to leave Arsenal imminently, almost every player in Arsene Wenger’s 2015 FA Cup-winning squad will have left the club. Hector Bellerin will become the longest-serving senior player. It’s safe to say that the last few years have been frenetic for every Arsenal fan.
Whilst we haven’t won the Premier League since that famous Invincibles season of 2003-04, much of our footballing identity under Wenger remained the same – neat passing moves with a plethora of players looking to make runs and stretch opposition defences.
Wenger’s team usually relied on free-floating creative playmakers in the middle of the park who had quick feet and an outstanding eye for a pass – the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, and Mesut Özil just to name a few.
Fast forward a few years and we have lost every single one of them due to different reasons – in some instances, the players themselves wanted to leave and in the others, we failed to tie them down to a new contract and lost them for free. This has been further exacerbated by the fact that we haven’t brought in proper replacements, leaving a gaping hole in terms of creativity in midfield – a huge factor in Arsenal’s decline since 2015.
Although Mikel Arteta’s first year in charge was somewhat up and down in terms of results and performances, his team surprised me last year with the FA Cup win. The Gunners have looked somewhat defensively stable in recent times and that Bukayo Saka goal against West Bromwich Albion was a classic Arsenal goal from the bygone era.
Having said that, Arteta has already been the manager of the club for more than a year and is yet to strike the right balance. He had a tough task on hand as he inherited several underperforming players – the COVID pandemic has only made life harder for him as pre-season was shortened and the transfer market was a difficult one to operate in from a financial point of view.
After a winless run of seven Premier League games this season, things seem to be returning to some semblance of normalcy. The win against Chelsea changed the mood around the club, which was followed up with 2 crucial away wins – kudos to the youngsters!
Arteta’s tactics heavily depend on each player working hard both defensively and offensively. Constant pressing, playing out from the back (even though it involves taking huge risks at times) and incessant crossing into the box are just a few of the tactical quirks that come to mind when you think about Arteta’s Arsenal.
Another interesting aspect is how our players change positions in relation to situations – for example, fullbacks taking midfield positions, midfielders offering cover for attacking fullbacks and so on – there is a huge emphasis on maintaining good shape and structure at all times.
While there is plenty to admire about Arsenal’s squad this season, the midfield still lacks the much-needed steel. Thomas Partey looks promising in this regard but has been struck with the classic Arsenal injury curse.
The Ghanaian international has only completed 90 minutes twice in the Premier League, with one of those appearances coming in that famous away win to Manchester United where he was adjudged the man of the match award. Hopefully, his return to the team can inspire us to a better league finish this year.
The coming months will be really important for this Gen-X Arsenal squad – let’s hope we get our mojo back in 2021!