Arsenal’s Quest for Premier League Glory: What Needs to Change?
Sunday was supposed to be a defining moment for Arsenal, a chance to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool and snatch the Premier League title from their grasp. Instead, the Gunners will find themselves forming a guard of honor at Anfield, applauding their rivals onto the pitch. This moment of humility should spark some serious reflection on where things went awry for Arsenal this season.
Arsenal began the campaign with high hopes of clinching their first league championship in two decades. Now, they are scrambling to secure second place, which would mark their third consecutive runner-up finish. This situation raises questions about manager Mikel Arteta’s ability to translate five years of progress into the silverware that Arsenal fans are yearning for.
In a recent conversation with ESPN, Arteta shared his vision for the future, stating, “We’re very clear about what we need to do to improve. First, what is in our hands to improve and what we can do with the squad we have, and then the improvements the team will need in terms of methodology, in terms of coaching staff, in terms of departments, in terms of players and, once again, to be better.”
So, what exactly needs to change for Arsenal to overtake Liverpool and finally claim that elusive title next season?
Sign a Striker
While Liverpool’s attacking lineup isn’t without its flaws, they are reportedly looking to transfer Darwin Núñez and bolster their forward line. However, the reality is that their current attacking options are superior to Arsenal’s. Players like Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, and Núñez offer more firepower than Arsenal’s options, which include Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, and loanee Raheem Sterling. While there’s hope that Ethan Nwaneri could develop into a top-class talent, Arsenal needs immediate reinforcements in the transfer market this summer.
Last year, Arsenal passed on signing a center forward when Benjamin Sesko renewed his contract with RB Leipzig, and again in January when they had the chance to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. In hindsight, it’s clear that Arsenal left themselves short in attack last summer and failed to address the issue midseason. They can’t afford to make the same mistake again.
Several forwards are on Arsenal’s radar, including Sesko and Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP. Alexander Isak might be out of reach, but if Liverpool makes a move for him from Newcastle United, Arsenal must join the race if they are serious about reaching the next level.
Injuries have been a challenge for Arsenal, and the absence of Havertz and Jesus exposed a significant weakness in the squad. On several occasions, they had to deploy midfielder Mikel Merino up front. While the Spain international performed admirably and scored crucial goals, Arsenal clearly needs a more permanent solution.
Arteta commented on Merino’s versatility, saying, “A player having several uses is a bonus and this year, towards the end, with the amount of injuries we’ve had, we’ve had to adapt players. And I thought Mikel could do that because he has an intuition and timing in the area that few players have. And when I spoke to him and explained, respecting his qualities, without asking him to be Havertz or [Erling] Haaland or anyone else tomorrow, respecting what he, Mikel, is and his qualities, how he could help the team a lot and how I believe we could put his qualities more at the team’s disposal, he accepted and I think it’s gone well.”
Saka to Reach Salah Levels
It appears that the league’s top goal scorer will be a player from the title-winning team for only the third time in the past decade. However, if Salah secures the Golden Boot, it will mark the third consecutive year this has happened. This raises the question of whether top clubs need a standout player to post exceptional numbers to make the difference.
Arteta would likely point out that Arsenal scored a club-record 89 league goals last season, with contributions from across the squad. Yet, they still fell short. No Arsenal player has reached 25 league goals in a single season since Thierry Henry in 2004-05. Salah has delivered nine match-winning goals, and Arsenal needs a game-changer of their own.
The most promising candidate is Saka, who has emerged as one of Europe’s top wingers. He outshone Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo during Arsenal’s Champions League quarterfinal tie and scored in the semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain. However, his season was disrupted by a four-month absence following hamstring surgery. The 23-year-old needs to pick up where he left off and continue his upward trajectory. This season, he became the fourth-youngest player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements, following in the footsteps of Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, and Robbie Fowler. A fully fit campaign from Saka will be crucial in helping Arsenal close the gap next season.
Keep Key Players Fit for Longer
When asked about Liverpool beating his side to the title, Arteta acknowledged, “You have to accept that there is an opponent who was better than you in terms of results and who had the whole squad available. And in a competition, the Premier [League], [this opponent] was better than us and we have to think about improving and what has hurt us a lot this year, which is the number of injuries we’ve had to top players.”
Arteta isn’t one to publicly dissect his disappointments, but he has consistently emphasized the need for Arsenal to improve player availability. He often references a moment before the first leg against PSG when he walked into the locker room and saw, all sat in a line, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhães, Thomas Partey, Havertz, Jesus, and Jorginho all unavailable.
Arteta has a valid point: Arsenal has had to contend with injuries in a way that Liverpool largely avoided. Only two outfield players have played all 3,150 minutes of the Premier League season to date: Brentford‘s Nathan Collins and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. Next is Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo on 3,145, followed by Salah on 3,107. Arsenal’s most used player is William Saliba (2,906), but their Salah equivalent, Saka, is down at 1,544.
Club captain Martin Ødegaard, who suffered an ankle injury in September, is at 2,134 minutes—a figure too low for a midfielder who is the heartbeat of the team. Ben White was sidelined for three months with a knee problem, while Havertz and Jesus have missed the entire run-in and won’t return until next season. While most teams have struggled with another frenetic campaign, Liverpool managed it better than Arsenal.
Arteta acknowledged Liverpool’s consistency, saying, “I think they’ve been very consistent, they definitely deserved to win the championship. They had the whole squad available [without injuries], with the top players performing well and they won a lot of games individually.”
Maintain Discipline Better
This is a contentious area for Arteta. He has hinted that Arsenal was unfairly punished at the start of the season as referees adjusted to new rules, particularly those related to delaying the restart of play. Declan Rice and Trossard were sent off against Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City, respectively, for kicking the ball away.
While these decisions were technically correct, the accusation is that the rule was not consistently enforced. There may be some truth to this, but Arsenal has had the most players sent off this season, tied with Ipswich Town at five. In the cases of Rice and Trossard, they gave the referee a decision to make when they didn’t have to, and that part is on them. The same could be said of Saliba’s red card at AFC Bournemouth in October. Myles Lewis-Skelly was dismissed at Wolves following a decision later overturned on appeal, but there was no reprieve when he was sent off again against West Ham United in February.
Arsenal dropped 10 points in those five games where they were at a numerical disadvantage. Liverpool, on the other hand, has received only two red cards this season—one for Andrew Robertson against Fulham in December and Curtis Jones after the full-time whistle at Everton in February.
Strength in Depth
Last month, Arteta was asked what Arsenal needs to compete at the business end in all four competitions. He replied, “Squad quality and availability. Without those two, we cannot compete in four competitions. At this level, especially in this country, it’s impossible.”
Arsenal’s summer plans don’t solely hinge on signing a striker. Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal is expected to complete a €60 million move for Martín Zubimendi, a deal that would be an early blow to Liverpool, given their previous interest in the Real Sociedad midfielder. Zubimendi opted to stay in Spain last summer but has been swayed by Arteta and Arsenal. This move will strengthen an area where they are set to lose Jorginho on a free transfer to Flamengo. Partey is out of contract, and while there are talks of an extension, his departure cannot be ruled out.
Additionally, Arsenal needs to sign a backup goalkeeper when Neto‘s loan from Bournemouth ends. Espanyol‘s Joan García is the preferred choice. A winger would also add further dynamism to the attack, with Nico Williams of Athletic Club on their radar.
When asked about potential changes to the squad in the summer, Arteta said, “We’ll see at the end [of the season], it will depend on what happens with a lot of the players.”
Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as their sporting director in March, hoping the Italian can help transform the Gunners from nearly men to winners. The time is now.
Originally Written by: James Olley
