Mikel Arteta either could not see the positives, or he did not want to. Rarely has the Arsenal manager looked as deflated and defeated as he did on Sunday evening, after his team’s title charge had been fatally derailed by the brilliance of Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton.
Even in the darkest days of his reign, when Arsenal were sliding down the table and he was in real danger of being fired, there was usually fierce defiance from Arteta. “My chest is here, hit me,” he roared in the winter of 2020. “We have to take the bullets.”
On Sunday, though, there was only disappointment and sadness, as his shoulders slumped and his voice weakened. Few predicted that Arsenal would challenge for the title this season but expectations change over the course of a campaign and, having had the race in their control, it clearly hurt Arteta to lose it.
Amid the dejection after the loss, there was also a warning. Invited to say that this season has given him more hope and conviction for the future, Arteta said: “In a sense, yes. But with the level that is required to fight for the Premier League the way we want to fight, and to fight in the way that we have to fight in the Champions League, it is a lot to think about.”
A lot to think about indeed. Where do Arsenal go next? How do they strengthen? Which weaknesses require addressing most urgently? Their executives have been considering these issues for months but with the season effectively over, the time has come to finalise and execute those plans.
The need for depth
In two consecutive seasons, Arsenal have stumbled at the end of the campaign as a result of injuries to key players. This year, it has been the loss of defenders William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu – both injured in the same Europa League match in March – that has destabilised Arteta’s team.
The absence of Saliba, especially, has proved disastrous. Rob Holding and Jakub Kiwior have filled in but they simply do not offer the same security as the Frenchman, and Arsenal’s entire system has suffered as a result.
If Arsenal hope to compete for the Premier League and Champions League next season, they cannot be so reliant on individual players remaining fit. Arteta has made only 36 changes to his starting lineup this season, by far the fewest of any manager in the division, and next season he will need a larger pool of players he truly trusts.
The most obvious difference between the squads of Arsenal and City is that Pep Guardiola has at least 16 or 17 players he can rely on in any situation, against any opponent. If Nathan Ake is injured, for example, Aymeric Laporte plays instead. If Jack Grealish is out, Phil Foden comes in.
At Arsenal, by contrast, there is often a significant drop-off in quality if the first-choice players are out. The injury to Saliba showed that to be the case at centre-back, but it is also true elsewhere: Fabio Vieira is Martin Odegaard‘s deputy, for one. And Reiss Nelson has been the backup to Bukayo Saka. Kieran Tierney cannot offer the same technical quality as Oleksandr Zinchenko in the inverted left-back role.
To challenge City, Arsenal need high-class competition for places in each position on the pitch. This season, they have not had it. Arsenal’s first-choice XI is good enough but their squad, as a whole, is not.
Where do they need to strengthen?
Arsenal’s top priority is central midfield, where Declan Rice is their dream signing. The West Ham United captain would provide an additional level of physicality in the heart of the pitch, and a versatility that means he could operate in a box-to-box role, a more deep-lying position or even at centre-back.
The need for more power was obvious when Arsenal lost to City at the Etihad in April, and also on Sunday. Brighton marked Arsenal man-for-man, creating individual duels all over the pitch, and De Zerbi’s players won many of those battles.
Among the most impressive of Brighton’s players was Moises Caicedo, the subject of a £70 million bid by Arsenal in January. Caicedo has shown in recent weeks – against Manchester United and Arsenal – that he is not just one of the league’s most dynamic midfielders, but also an extremely capable right-back.
Can Arsenal sign both Rice and Caicedo? That remains to be seen, and could depend on whether there is a bidding war for either player. But Caicedo’s newfound ability as a right-back will surely make him even more appealing, as that is another area in which Arsenal need to bolster.
Tomiyasu’s injury is long-term, which means that Ben White has had little support in recent months. More options are required in the full-back position, especially with Tierney expected to leave the club this summer.
At centre-back, too, another high-class defender will be needed as competition for Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, unless White is freed up to move inside by the arrival of another right-back. Marc Guehi, of Crystal Palace, has caught Arsenal’s eye.
Arsenal are also hoping to sign another winger, to reduce the load on Saka. They wanted to buy Raphinha from Leeds United last summer, before he went to Barcelona, and are understood to have shown interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby ahead of this summer’s transfer window. Saka has started all but one league match this season and, unsurprisingly, has looked exhausted in recent weeks.
Another creative midfielder – perhaps Chelsea‘s Mason Mount, if they can win the race for his signature – would also be helpful, especially if Granit Xhaka leaves the club (Bayer Leverkusen are interested).
Is there a need for a Plan B?
Arsenal are not as flexible in their tactics as City, which is no doubt a reflection of the aforementioned lack of depth in their squad. Arteta has been accused at times of being too stubborn but he has hinted that he wants to evolve the team’s style and to add new layers, and new tactical tweaks, in the near future.
The Arsenal manager said last week that his squad is not yet ready for his more ambitious tactical ideas but that might change soon, depending on the club’s business in the transfer window. Could the arrival of a player like Rice, if he signs, allow Arsenal to play with a different structure or style? It is an exciting thought for Arsenal fans.
Some supporters have called for a more physical player up front, where Arsenal do not boast much aerial threat. It is an option they have considered in the past, having previously shown interest in Dusan Vlahovic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Victor Osimhen, and a more powerful striker would certainly add a different dimension in attack.
How much more is there to come?
The most encouraging thought for Arsenal will be that, even if they do absolutely nothing in the transfer window this summer, their current team should be even better next year than it has been this season.
Arteta said last week that “not one” of his players has reached their peak yet and, based on the age of his squad, it is hard to disagree. Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are both 21, Saliba is only 22 and Odegaard is 24. Even Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko, two of the most obvious leaders on the pitch, are only 26.
The average age of Arsenal’s starting lineups this season has been just 25 years and 23 days. Across the entire division, only Southampton (25 years and nine days) have had a younger team. It should not be forgotten, either, that Arteta is among the youngest managers in the league. At the age of 41, he is still developing his own style and still learning the tricks of the trade.
There is no reason to believe, then, that this season’s title challenge was a one-off. Arsenal and Arteta might not have been able to see the wider picture on Sunday, but over the next few days that pain will soften and their perspective will return. This has been a season of significant progress, and Arsenal will expect to be better for it in the years to come.
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