Can Mikel Arteta and Arsenal win the league this season?

 Mikel Arteta's reign at Arsenal has been marred by near misses in the league and frustrations in cup competitions. Arsenal have finished second in the league for three seasons in a row and have not won any silverware since the FA Cup in 2020. There have been numerous criticisms of this Arsenal team over the past years. The team is too reliant for goals on Bukayo Saka and there is increasing criticism over their style of play. But the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and now Victor Gyokeres has made Arsenal look like a complete team on paper. So now the question is - Can Arsenal reached the promised land?

From Contenders to Cautious

Arsenal for the last three seasons have consistently hit 75 points and above but they always fall short of the title. One could argue that their luck usually runs out late in the season. The William Saliba injury derailed their title ambitions in 2023 while poor form during Christmas along with some surprising defeats made them fall sort of Manchester City by two points in 2024. But they did regress during last season.

Arsenal had a disappointing campaign last season

Failure to sign a world class winger and striker made their attack dependent on Bukayo Saka and injury to Kai Havertz or Martin Odegaard's poor form did not help. The squad started playing more negatively due to the failure of star power which also was not popular among fans. Mikel Arteta can sometimes be naive. Sales of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson only added to their squad depth issues. But this season also saw the rise of two young prodigies in Myles Lewis Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. Those two are the best to come from Hale End in recent years and along with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and the two centre backs Saliba and Gabriel form a core as good as any other team in the world.

A Silent Playmaker

Martin Odegaard was the talk of the football world when he trained with the senior Real Madrid squad at the age of 16. His career at the Bernabeu never took off but he found his feet at Arsenal. Signed in 2021 after a successful 6 months on loan at the Emirates, he quickly became the fan favourite and was named as the club captain in 2022. What followed was two spectacular seasons by the Norwegian. He won the Arsenal player of the season two seasons in a row and was named in the PFA team of the year. But last season it all went downhill. 

The Arsenal captain has faced criticism in recent times

Arsenal fans have started to criticize their captain. Often times this season, when Arsenal were on the counter attack Odegaard slowed the game down unnecessarily. Arsenal fans wanted to see the team being more direct and fast. Odegaard slowed that down. His goals also dried up this season. He scored 15 goals in 2022/23 from 9xG which is insane overachieving. It was clear he wouldn't be able to continue that form in front of goal. You see the best Number 10's in the league in De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes and then Odegaard looks like a level below them.

But that's the thing. Martin Odegaard was never a number 10. He is a brilliant number 8. The solution for Arsenal to unlock Odegaard is simple. Play him like Guardiola plays Bernardo Silva for City. Martin Odegaard is still a world class player. You don't train with the Real senior squad at 16 unless you are special. Mikel Arteta had problems this season with the profiling of players but if he fixes it starting with Odegaard, Arsenal become a much better team.

A Squad Complete, A Legacy on the Line

Arsenal seem to be finally building a team to challenge for the title. Their final third has always been overly dependent on Saka but the additions of Madueke and potentially Gyokeres they add a certain lethal angle to their attack. Victor Gyokeres guarantees goals and Madueke's profile is very similar to Saka - which means even if Saka is injured or has to be rested, Madueke can do the job. The addition of Martin Zubimendi brings more physicality into the midfield alongside Declan Rice in a league where physicality is prevailing for the last few years. Christian Norgaard is also a smart signing and an upgrade on Thomas Partey. Arsenal have had one of the best transfer windows under Mikel Arteta so far.

The signings are there. The question remains if Arsenal finally win trophies.

There are concerns with some players but if Arteta can bring out the best of the squad then it's jackpot for Arsenal. Arteta does build good team environment for his players to succeed. If he can unlock potential of players like Madueke, Norgaard and Martinelli while nurturing MLS and Nwaneri well enough then the ceiling of this Arsenal team is limitless. The team is complete now. The core of team is incredible. Arteta has done a great job building this team but now there are no excuses. Another trophyless season and questions have to asked. Only time will tell if Arteta has built something destined for greatness or it's 7 years wasted for Arsenal. 

By Parth Gokhale