How Arteta has transformed Arsenal into title contenders

 

Arsenal ended up missing out on a top four finish last season by two points, wasting a position of strength heading into the business end of the campaign. The season concluded, however, and Bukayo Saka was crowned Arsenal’s player of the season for the second year running. He played a direct hand in 18 goals in the Premier League. There could be no complaints.

 

Arsenal have provided Saka with the perfect environment to flourish. After missing a decisive penalty in the Euro 2020 final, Arsenal welcomed him back with open arms and made him feel comfortable again. His influence in the side was huge. He was arguably relied upon too much, as the Gunners narrowly missed out on a return to the Champions League.

 

The Hale End graduate appeared in all 38 Premier League games last season – the first Arsenal player to do so since Granit Xhaka in 2017/18. In fact, the only competitive matches Saka missed last season were against Leeds and Sunderland in the Carabao Cup. He was still an option on the bench in both fixtures.

 

Assessing the contributions of his team-mates last season, it’s easy to see why Mikel Arteta leaned on Saka so much despite the fact he missed all of pre-season due to Euro 2020. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah only scored 13 league goals between them last season, just two more than Saka managed on his own. Saka was Arsenal’s top scorer in the league and finished level with Lacazette for assists (7).

 

Arsenal let Lacazette go in the summer and signed Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City. In eight Premier League games this season, Jesus has already scored more times (5) than Lacazette across his 30 appearances in 2020/21 (4). Arsenal have improved significantly with Jesus in the side and not just because of the impact he is having in the penalty area. His all-round style is benefitting those around him.

 

Gabriel Martinelli was another of Arsenal’s attacking options. The Brazilian winger directly contributed to 12 league goals last season, though it is fair to say his full influence wasn’t yet realised. He only started 21 league games last season. The 21-year-old has started all nine matches for Arsenal this season and has directly contributed to four goals.

 

Martinelli is not only working well with Jesus but is also finding space easier to come by with Oleksandr Zinchenko, another summer signing from City, and Granit Xhaka taking up new advanced positions on his side. Arsenal’s basic formation hasn’t changed much from last season, but the roles have. Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares were Arsenal’s left-backs last season. They are generally more traditional in their approach play, staying wide and progressing down the flanks to create chances. Zinchenko, meanwhile, will come inside and help Arsenal overload the midfield area to give Xhaka the license to get forward and join the attack.

 

This new role for Xhaka has seen him take up unusual advanced positions. He has remarkably registered more touches in the opposition penalty area (30) than Son Heung-Min (27) in the Premier League this season and has as many goal involvements as Mo Salah (5). With Zinchenko sweeping up behind him, it also frees Xhaka from the sort of defensive work that he can slip up with.

 

 

Arsenal are no longer as reliant on Saka as before. In fact, he arguably has to work even harder for his chances as he doesn’t have the luxury like Martinelli of an offensively minded full-back behind him. Ben White has been moved to right-back this season, but Saka has still weighed in with one goal and four assists in eight league games.

 

Seven wins from eight has catapulted Arsenal to top of the league. They have made all-round improvements with William Saliba in defence but it’s in attack where they have kicked on most. Goals per game are up from 1.6 to 2.5 in the Premier League this season. Their tally of 61 goals scored last season was 38 fewer than champions City, but at current pace they are due to end up on around 95 this term. City still lead them in the goalscoring charts but that is inevitable with Erling Haaland in the side.

 

Returning to the Champions League would have been the objective for Arsenal this season but with Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United all floundering, there is now a sense they could do even better than that. The arrivals of Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira also gives Arteta added squad depth in attacking positions to keep players fresh ahead of a gruelling season with a World Cup dropped in the middle. Arsenal have come a long way since starting last season with three straight defeats. At one point it didn’t seem Arteta would survive, now he has Arsenal dreaming of a Premier League title.

How Arteta has transformed Arsenal into title contenders