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Freepik.
Morning all.
Football throws up strange results over a season, after all, who’d have thought Arsenal, with a number of injuries, would have beaten Real Madrid as comfortably as they did? Who’d have thought Man Utd and Totts are set to finish nearer the bottom of the league table than the top, or indeed, Liverpool winning the title in Slot’s first season in England? Totts v Man Utd being in the Europe’s League Cup final wasn’t something I saw coming, even less so bearing in mind how bad they’ve been domestically but as said, football is seldom predictable.
What was pretty predicable was Arsenal being hit by injuries and not just because of last seasons hectic schedule but because we started the campaign not only with a small squad, but one lacking in depth as well as strength. In addition to that, the officials were always likely to ruin things for us. Perhaps another “predictable” was the way we play the game and the struggle to score goals.
January came and went without adding to an injury hit squad despite all the positive spin from Mikel Arteta and the alleged offer for Watkins very late in the transfer window. More injuries followed, our Premier League results suffered and yet somehow, we’re more than likely to finish second in the league. Don’t get me wrong, finishing second is nothing to celebrate but the money it brings into the club is crucial The same can be said of the Champions League really as every penny counts.
Domestically, I think Arsenal have been underwhelming. Too many draws have cost us too many points and mostly, we’ve been the orchestrators of our own downfall. Sloppy moments at both ends of the pitch, especially in attack. Actually, we’ve not always been brilliant in the creative department either. But, it’s hard to be the best when a number of our best players aren’t on the pitch.
Injuries are part of the game though, not having the squad depth to cope with them has been our problem. Something which Mikel Arteta has been open and honest about.
The rise of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly has been one of the highlights of the season in my opinion. Both were exciting prospects but now they’ve proved they have what it takes to play at this level. The form of Declan Rice has been amazing, his goals against Real Madrid just brilliant.
Thomas Partey being present for the entire season has been a bonus too, if not a miracle and despite his concentration levels seeming to dip in the last couple of months, his body must be knackered. Likewise, William Saliba who has hardly missed a game. Ten months of football must take its toll, especially for Partey who hasn’t managed to achieve that for a couple of years now. Is anyone really surprised that Saliba is our latest injury casualty?
Another surprise has been Jakub Kiwior who for so long, has been sat in the bench, probably wondering why he’s seldom been used to give Gabriel a rest. Yes, he had a little run at left back last season but I even his harsh critics would now agree that he’s an excellent central defender. Had it not been for Gabriel suffering a long term injury, I’m pretty sure the “sell him” comments would be all over the internet right now. The only question in my mind though is why on earth didn’t Mikel Arteta see what we’re all seeing now? Gabriel is a terrific defender, of course he is, but he’s not the bionic man and just like every player, his body needs a break every now and then.
As written above, the breakthrough of Lewis-Skelly has been great for him and the team but what surprises me is just how much football this young player has played. Kieran Tierney is a really good left back and I’m amazed he’s not played more during the second half of the season.
Whilst I know that when injuries occur it gives other players a chance but surely it’s better all round if those players are given a chance before others get injured. Heck, it might even prevent the injuries in the first place, especially as most of the injuries have been hamstrings. We can talk about Mikel Arteta not having squad depth all we like but surely, if the players are good enough to be in the squad or on the bench, they’re good enough to be on the pitch from the start?
The tactical side of Arsenal’s football I’ll leave to those who actually know something about it but when it comes to squad rotation, I think it’s obvious that next season, Arteta needs to be better at it.
Catch up in the comments.