Five reasons why Arsenal are finally ready to overthrow Man City in Premier League title race
Arsenal have unearthed a centre-forward gem in Kai Havertz and sorted out a back-up for Bukayo Saka. These are two reasons why they can topple Premier League champions Manchester City this season.
Bukayo Saka back-ups
Load management does not apply to Bukayo Saka, who has played a ridiculous amount of football since making his Premier League debut in January 2019 when he was just 17 years old. That was his only appearance in the Premier League that season but his numbers from 2019/20 are worth a deeper dive.
Interestingly, Saka has the fifth-most minutes played of every Premier League forward in 2023/24, 2022/23 and 2021/22. The only consistent names above him are Mohamed Salah, Jarrod Bowen and Heung-min Son, so we have compared the Arsenal man to that trio, starting from matchday one of the 19/20 campaign.
Saka has played 13,958 minutes in the Premier League since that day, featuring in 177 matches. He played 26 times in 19/20 with 1,753 minutes at the age of 18 (he was 17 before September 5). Since the start of that season, Salah has played 15,144, Son 14,867 and Bowen 13,320 Premier League minutes, placing Saka third in that list.
That perhaps plays down just how many minutes Saka has played for Arsenal, but it is still extraordinary, especially when you consider his age. As a teenager, he played 4,271 minutes of top-flight football. Salah logged 2,690, Son 1,940 and Bowen 684. Just a smidgen more then…
To throw some more numbers at you, since the start of 20/21 – for club and country across all competitions – Saka has played 18,090 minutes in 235 matches. That is one more game than Salah, who has 801 more minutes, 18 more than Son, and 26 more than Bowen. That is unprecedented reliance on such a young player.
The potential of Saka burn-out has scared the Arsenal fanbase for years, with Mikel Arteta massively dependent on the England winger, as was ex-Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate.
Playing through injury after getting kicked about the pitch every week didn’t help their anxiety levels and with Arteta reluctant to spend money on a back-up right-winger when there are so many left-backs out there for him to buy, Arsenal fans were pretty much waiting on a serious injury ruling him out for months. Jack Wilshere PTSD was also a factor.
Having a deputy for Saka reduces the risk of injury and means he can contribute for the entire campaign, as opposed to going missing in run-in fixtures, which he has done a few times in the last two seasons.
A fit Saka gives the Gunners the best chance possible and the signing of Raheem Sterling – a four-time Premier League winner – is not just wise in regards to keeping the 23-year-old healthy, but adds more winning experience and quality to Arteta’s attack. It was a win-win of a signing.
Defensive depth
Another summer signing who will prove crucial this season is Riccardo Calafiori, who has already shown his capabilities as a ball-playing defender at left-back for the Gunners.
Arteta has used a plethora of left-backs during his time as manager and Oleksandr Zinchenko looked like being the long-term option there – instead of Kieran Tierney – when signed from Manchester City for £32million in the summer of 2022. Jakub Kiwior was then signed as a centre-back with left-back possibilities, but has only really featured in that position. Then you have Takehiro Tomiyasu, who can play as a right and left-back and is usually a solid seven out of ten when fit.
Calafiori’s arrival addresses a position Arteta desperately needed to strengthen. Zinchenko does not have the requisite defensive ability with the Spanish manager now using a back four consisting of four natural central defenders, Tomiyasu is too unreliable and does not strike us as someone who can reach an elite level, and Kiwior is simply not at the level required.
Calafiori is fantastic with the ball at his feet and looks like a natural full-back with a centre-back’s build. He is a big guy that makes the best defence in the country even better and is another addition to the starting XI that proves Arteta is still learning from his former boss, Pep Guardiola.
On top of Calafiori’s arrival, Arsenal have the biggest Like A New Signing in the league following Jurrien Timber’s return from an ACL injury. Again, the Gunners’ imperious defence has managed to get stronger.
Kai Havertz
It was a huge talking point when Arsenal paid £60m to sign Havertz from London rivals Chelsea. This was a player who was not very highly rated by Premier League fans. Nobody knew where his best position was. He cost Chelsea a lot of money and failed to live up to his price tag, living off one goal – which was a pretty big f***ing goal, to be fair to him.
Arsenal fans were not convinced but Arteta had earned the opportunity to take some risks with Stan Kroenke’s money. He did just that with Havertz and looking back, the Emirates faithful were very naive to doubt the man who had proved them wrong about Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Granit Xhaka and more.
Havertz’s start in midfield was stuttering at best. He needed a sympathy penalty to open his account for the club and did not look like a good fit in Arteta’s system. He scored four goals and provided an assist from midfield in the Premier League in 2023/24, which was very disappointing. That absolutely does not matter now, with Havertz becoming an incredible option up front for Arteta.
Solving the Havertz conundrum is a huge boost for the Gunners manager, who was able to save money in the summer by not signing a new No. 9 and can stop experimenting with the German and play him in the position he belongs. As a striker in the second half of last season, Havertz scored nine and assisted six in 11 Premier League matches. He has started this season with five goal contributions in seven.
His form has been unexpected and brilliant. Moving him back to midfield is no longer an option for Arteta.
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Increased set-piece nous
We have discussed Calafiori and Sterling, but there has been no mention of another summer signing: Mikel Merino. The Spanish Euro 2024 winner is a giant of a man, which will make Arsenal’s midfield more physically imposing and makes them an even bigger threat from set-pieces.
The Gunners were known for their ability to score from free-kicks and corners last season and that ability has not waned whatsoever; they have already scored crucial set-piece goals away to Manchester City and Tottenham.
A title contender having such a weapon in their arsenal is unusual; it is normally reserved for those struggling down at the bottom of the table. Traditionally, teams fighting relegation would play for set-pieces to try and nick something against one of the big boys, but Arsenal can now do that against deep blocks, using it as a get-out-of-jail-free card when they can’t break them down in open play.
Nicolas Jover has arguably been Arsenal’s best signing in the Arteta era, making this team abnormally strong in an aspect of the game you wouldn’t expect.
Long gone are the days of Arsenal being labelled a soft touch. They used to cave against the Stokes of this world but are now making light work of them and becoming the bullies themselves. Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Calafiori would all thrive on a cold windy night against Tony Pulis’ side at the Brittania when Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny would cower in terror.
Past shortcomings
The best way to learn is through the mistakes you make and Arsenal have made a few since becoming title challengers. Those mistakes mainly came in their first bid to dethrone Manchester City two seasons ago, caving in the run-in after an incredible first half of the season. They played electrifying attacking football but were vulnerable defensively.
That vulnerability disappeared last season and the Gunners were near-perfect in the run-in against serial winners City. Their one blemish came against Aston Villa at home – a match in which Havertz was played in midfield. That result was on Arteta and his team selection.
Arsenal will be better for their past shortcomings and could use their experiences to ensure it is third time lucky. If not now, then when?
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