Mikel Arteta was asked this summer what his long-term plans for Arsenal are. “There is no long,” he replied. “It’s short, it’s now.”
For so long the Spaniard had deemed his tenure as a drawn-out design. ‘Trust the process’ became the slogan around Arsenal – especially in the tougher times. “This project will go bang,” said Arteta in at the start of 2021.
Even last season, Arteta admitted they were in phase four out of his five-phase plan to create a dynasty at the north London club. Process, project, plan – the end goal was always a little further away from view.
Not anymore. Rival fans rejoice in their shortcomings, Arsenal fans are running out of excuses and, as above, even Arteta now recognises one simple thing: the Gunners are now in the endgame when it comes to this era. This season could well define how this Arsenal team is remembered.
“They have to bring trophies next season,” said Gary Neville back in May. “There is no hiding place.” And with Arteta’s Arsenal being compared to Maurico Pochettino’s Spurs or Gareth Southgate’s England – both eras entertaining yet trophyless – there is no more margin for a lack of silverware.
Arsenal have spent three years sitting as one of the top two teams in the country but have nothing to show for it. It has provoked an aggressive transfer window that the club has not seen in the modern era. They even went and signed a striker.
Under new sporting director Andrea Berta, Arsenal made six summer signings overall before the end of their pre-season tour of Asia. Since the Gunners started going on regular, marquee pre-season camps every year – which began in 2010 – it is the most signings they have ever made before the end of their travels.
The only times Arsenal made more than three signings before the end of a tour came three years ago – when they propelled themselves from top-four hopefuls to title contenders – and the summer after Arsene Wenger’s departure, which needed a rebuild.
It could be argued that Arsenal are more prepared than ever before for a new season. That Berta has delivered on the ‘win now’ mentality that many thought he would bring. And if those arguments are fair, it means the excuses are now minimal for Arsenal. If not that, then non-existent.
Arsenal have fixed a depth issue that has plagued them in recent seasons, including the last one. Bukayo Saka was an irreplaceable cog on the right wing but when he picked up a near-four-month injury last season, the Gunners most successful deputy in that position was then-17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.
The teenager was also the only like-for-like back-up to Martin Odegaard when the Arsenal captain picked up a six-week injury last September.
“Let’s be real, last year we hardly had any depth in any areas,” said Declan Rice while on Arsenal’s pre-season tour.
“We played half the season, pretty much, with so many injuries, so to now be able to rotate and push in different competitions with different players is going to be really good. That’s key for us.”
But barring another injury crisis, a Saka setback for Arsenal would now allow Noni Madueke to slot in on the right. Odegaard’s back-up is still Nwaneri – on paper – but a more experienced Nwaneri after last season’s emergence into the first-team.
Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival also means Kai Havertz could also drop into attacking midfield without losing a key cog up front, while Mikel Merino and Declan Rice being exposed to more attacking roles last season means Odegaard has more cover – no matter if a move for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is completed before then.
“Now we’re going to have the capacity as well to decide who is in the best condition to play this game hopefully,” added Arteta on Arsenal’s Asia tour. “Because last year? No.
“Last year the line up was: ‘Give me five players who can finish 90 minutes.’ Those five? Ok, those I have to play. ‘Now give me another five who can do [less] and then…’ and we played like this for seven months.
“We need to get away from that, because those restrictions have limited our capacity to perform and then have the freshness that we need at the end of the season.
“Hopefully this season is going to be very different, and we can decide what is the best team with the best players to play against this opponent. And then if we want to change the game or the team – whatever the context is, winning, drawing or losing – we can change it immediately and have those players that can impact the result.”
Liverpool may have stolen all the transfer window headlines with one of the biggest spending Premier League sprees of all time, Arsenal have had an unprecedented summer themselves.
Not only have they made more signings than ever before but they have addressed what Arteta and the wider football community wanted from them. The Arsenal manager wanted numbers to fill up a “short” squad.
“The manager needs arming with a couple of really good forwards,” said Neville. “If he gets that they’ve got a real chance.” In come Gyokeres and Madueke. “They need someone of high quality to go in that midfield area,” he added. Zubimendi looks a talent in that role.
Arsenal have answered a lot of cries this summer. The only question is whether a summer like no other can bring a season like none of the last 20 years.
