Mikel Arteta is looking to guide Arsenal to their first Premier League title in more than 20 yearsMikel Arteta is looking to guide Arsenal to their first Premier League title in more than 20 years (Image: PA)
Arteta’s era
For a while, it felt like Arsenal’s best days were behind them. Having become the first team to lift the Premier League title with an unbeaten season back in 2003/04, they subsequently regressed.
Towards the end of Arsene Wenger's time in charge, the objective was no longer to win the division, but instead to finish in the top four. There were some seasons where they ended up in the Europa League. In 2020/21, they missed out on a place in Europe all together.
A few of those bad moments came under Mikel Arteta, who was appointed manager in 2019 to replace Unai Emery. He knew that things would have to get worse before they got better, and so it proved, leading to a title charge in 2022/23.
Despite boasting an impressive lead at the summit entering the run-in, the Gunners slipped up and finished second behind Manchester City. That being said, there was a positive vibe in the red half of North London. It felt like the tide was turning and that the club was getting back to where they believed they should be.
There was a fear factor at the Emirates Stadium. They put teams to the sword, they had lots of young and hungry talent at their disposal, and they played an attractive brand of football that proved to be successful.
They just needed a major trophy to show for it.
The Gunners finished two points behind champions Manchester City last seasonThe Gunners finished two points behind champions Manchester City last season (Image: PA)
Narrowly missing out
Arteta had won the 2019/20 FA Cup with Arsenal but was clearly hungry for more. Ultimately, managers at the top level are judged by the trophies that they win. That’s why the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have been held in such high regard in English football.
Having fallen short in the previous campaign, Arsenal entered the 2023/24 campaign with genuine title aspirations from the start. They kept their key players while adding real quality in the form of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, paying just shy of £200 million for the trio.
A strong start put them in a good position, but they had a dip around Christmas before recovering. A long unbeaten stretch helped them keep up with Man City, but they failed to beat Pep Guadiola’s side at the Emirates Stadium and were downed by Aston Villa a few weeks later. It put the Cityzens in pole position.
Despite winning their last six matches, including a 5-0 demolition of London rivals Chelsea, they missed out yet again. This time, they took it to the final day of the season, where they beat Everton on home soil. However, Man City’s win against West Ham saw them secure a fourth successive league title.
It felt like a near-perfect season for Arsenal, but they missed out by just two points. Their fans were wondering what more they could do to end their barren run.
Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 5-1 after back-to-back draws in the Premier LeagueArsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 5-1 after back-to-back draws in the Premier League (Image: PA)
The season so far
Adding Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling, Arsenal were ready to go again. For many, they were the title favourites going into this season, especially with question marks over Guardiola’s future at Man City. Liverpool and Chelsea were expected to have a period of transition under new managers while Manchester United and Tottenham weren’t expected to be real contenders.
Some of those things came to fruition, other bits didn’t. The door hasn’t been wide open for the Gunners to walk to the title, but they haven’t helped themselves either.
2-0 wins against Wolves and Aston Villa preceded a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Brighton, but they followed it up with a big win at arch-rivals Tottenham before suffering a late sucker punch in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Man City.
They had to fight hard to beat Leicester City and Southampton but fell to their first defeat of the season away at Bournemouth. Liverpool then earned a 2-2 draw in North London before Arteta’s side were beaten up at Newcastle.
The feeling was all too familiar. Supporters sensed that their season was starting to collapse again.
A draw at Chelsea did little to allay those fears, but Arsenal comfortably dispatched Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Man United before drawing Fulham and Everton. At risk of falling out of the picture again, however, they came back with a 5-1 win at Crystal Palace, leaving them six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
There’s a bit of a mountain to climb but a long way to go. Arsenal are undoubtedly in this title race.
Bukayo Saka is set to miss a number of weeks through injuryBukayo Saka is set to miss a number of weeks through injury (Image: PA)
Saka’s situation
Arteta has often highlighted Arsenal’s injury issues, which has been met with little in the way of sympathy due to the money that they have spent and the quality that they have at their disposal. He does have a point, however. They have been without some key players for a while, trying to compete in four different competitions over the course of the season.
Now, they find themselves without their star man. Bukayo Saka is one of the biggest talents in English football and a crucial part of the Gunners’ team. He has five goals and 10 assists to his name in just 16 games, but he won’t be able to add to that tally for a number of weeks.
That’s because he suffered a hamstring injury in the win at Crystal Palace, forcing him to be withdrawn after just 24 minutes. There were early concerns that it would be a significant knock and Arteta has since confirmed that the 23-year-old is facing a long spell on the sidelines.
"It's not looking good," he told the media. "He's going to be out for many weeks.
"It is what it is. He's injured, we cannot change it. We're going to use this time now to help him."
It remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for, but some sources have suggested that it’ll be at least two months. That, of course, will rule him out of the game against Ipswich.
In his absence, Leandro Trossard is expected to fill in on the right, playing alongside Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli in attack. They aren’t bad options for any team to have, but the Gunners are lacking attacking quality on the bench as a result.
Riccardo Calafiori could return to Arsenal's starting lineup against IpswichRiccardo Calafiori could return to Arsenal's starting lineup to face Ipswich (Image: PA)
Team news
Alongside Saka, fellow attacker Sterling is also set to miss the game with a knock.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is also a doubt, while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are long-term absentees after suffering knee injuries earlier in the season.
Calafiori returned to the bench for the Crystal Palace game after recovering from a groin injury while Rice is also available once again, although Arteta is looking to manage their fitness levels during a hectic run of fixtures.
However, while Ipswich have a two-day turnaround before facing Chelsea at Portman Road, Arsenal have a longer break between games, with their trip to Brentford scheduled for New Year’s Day.
That should mean that rotation will be limited for their game against Town.
Possible XI: 4-3-3: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Trossard, Jesus, Martinelli