Arsenal’s start to life under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta following his return to the Emirates Stadium turned out to be better than expected and there are no two ways about it.
Mikel Arteta had left no stone unturned in his first season as the manager of the club and ended up winning the prestigious FA Cup. An 8th place finish in the Premier League seems disappointing but given the amount of time he has spent with the squad now, Arteta will be expecting better results in the upcoming season.
But the fans should not be going overboard with expectations following the FA Cup triumph and should approach the new season with cautious optimism.
There is a whole lot of ground for the manager to cover before Arsenal once again begin to challenge for the title. They need to crack the top 4 once again, something which the club seemed to have taken for granted before they were eclipsed by other enterprising sides.
New signing Willian spoke of his desire to win the Champions League with the Gunners and while that statement was met with blanket scepticism, we will look at a few areas Arsenal need to address to even begin to harbour such lofty thoughts.
Five Areas Mikel Arteta Needs To Address At Arsenal
Defensive Reorganization
Arsenal’s defence has been facing immense criticism for a long period of time due to their inconsistency, lack of resilience and the ability to commit inexplicable blunders with frightening regularity. If the Gunners are to challenge for major honours in the coming seasons, Arteta must fix the loopholes at the back this summer and turn his backline into an organized unit.
William Saliba will be available for selection in the upcoming campaign and his presence could play a pivotal role in injecting the much-required mettle into Arsenal’s backline. However, the manager has to find an effective central defensive partner for the French prodigy, failing which Arsenal will be in trouble as usual.
Curb Overreliance On Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The north London based outfit scored a total of 56 goals in the English top-flight during the recently concluded season. Intriguingly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang plundered 22 of those and he was the one to bail his employers out of trouble on most occasions.
It is evident that Arsenal have been over-reliant on the 31-year-old, and this is something which will not work in the long run. Arteta will be aware of the implications if the Gabonese striker fails to replicate his form and devising ways to cajole the best out of his current attacking stars is something which will hold equal importance.
Work On Pressing With More Determination
Big European teams such as Liverpool and Bayern Munich have demonstrated the benefits of pressing relentlessly with purpose, which is why they have been incredibly successful in recent times. By harassing and choking the opposition, they force them into committing mistakes which leads to their dispossession as well as to counterattacks.
The FA Cup winners have perennially advocated the idea of keeping the lion’s share of possession but they must also learn to shut down spaces when their opponents have the ball by toiling with immense energy. Granted, Arsenal pressed well after the appointment of Arteta, but the intensity was nowhere near the other top-quality sides and perfecting the press should be high on the manager’s to-do list.
Restructure The Attacking Philosophy
During the long and illustrious reign of Arsene Wenger, Arsenal were renowned for their inventive and free-flowing gameplay, the intensity of movements and regular creation of genuine goal-scoring chances. The involvement of a number of players in the build-up to a goal was a common sight and something which came to be associated with the Gunners.
Much of this essence has been lost during the painfully long transitional period which the club has been going through following the exit of Wenger. The onus will be on Arteta to reinstate such an offensive philosophy and the Spaniard has to focus on finding a lasting solution to help the cause of his side.
Instilling The Hunger To Succeed
Often, the Red and Whites have been accused of lacking the belly for a fight and being too nice on the pitch. While there is no harm in being decent, the dearth of a strong resolve has reflected badly on the results. For far too long, they have lacked the ruthlessness that other serial winners thrive on, which has been a major reason for their mediocrity. Struggling to keep up with the big guns, the recent Arsenal teams have also failed to put away inferior oppositions, time and again huffing and puffing their way to the finish line in such games.
Mikel Arteta will be tasked with the responsibility of making them play with much more integrity and determination during their outings. Through the training sessions and by taking bold decisions, the former Manchester City assistant manager could instil confidence and build a solid foundation in pursuance of achieving this objective.