When Mikel Arteta signed his new Arsenal contract in September, he was asked what his main goal is for the club. “To win,” he said. “That must be. It must be that goal.”
Arsenal's need to take that next step has followed Arteta throughout the season, one where the Spaniard revealed that he is in part four of a five -step plan for this club – the latter is to “create a dynasty” by winning trophies.
“It generates faith,” he told Sky Sports later in the season. “Experience with being successful helps you with the other.”
Arteta said those words last December, five years after he was appointed Arsenal manager. But although there are dreams of a dynasty, the reality is that he has now gone without a trophy for five years. Only the FA Cup, six months after his term of office, was acquired – and even that was a trophy that came out of nowhere.
The newest blow for the trophy hunt of Arteta came to PSG and the Parc des Princes, the same place where Arteta's professional gaming career started. Among his teammates, Mauricio Pochettino – and parallels between the two are now made.
Pochettin's Tottenham Hotspur side was attractive and ambitious, with several title races that ended in the second and third placed Finishes, plus a final performance of the Champions League. But that Spurs team became notorious because he won nothing. Is Arteta running the risk of being remembered in the same way?
Injury will define the season of Arsenal
Initially the feeling is no, at least not yet. First, it feels like the arsenal of Arteta has another gear to recover.
This season will be considered disappointing, especially the feeling that it is close again but is not close enough. Especially see that Manchester City loses away from dominance and another team that claims the Premier League title.
But there are some mitigating factors to consider. The first is injuries – where Arsenal's Premier League High of 27 is not only almost twice as much as Liverpool champions, but also a Babrie for their competition position. It must be considered in their judgment of the end of the season.
In a campaign where MAN UTD and Spurs – who have passed a similar number of injuries, but still in the lower half of the Premier League, while Man City and Chelsea have settled for top -five fights with their injuries – Arsenal actually succeeded in staying at the same level.
It may not seem like it now, but from Premier League-Tweede and Champions League quart finalists, to the best challengers of Liverpool and reaching semi-final in two competitions can even be seen as an improvement.
Arsenal's injury record is even more impact when it looks at how it has influenced all areas of the field. You can choose a whole Outfield XI from Gunners players who have missed this period for more than half a dozen or more competitions.
Arteta realized that prior to the first match against PSG, when he saw his affected stars on the side of the field. “(Takehiro) Tomiyasu next to him (Riccardo) Calafiori, next to him Gabriel, next to him Thomas Partey, next to him Kai Havertz, next to him Gabriel Jesus, next to him Jorginho,” he said.
“That is a starting line-up. And we don't have them. We have not had them for many, many months.”
Some are likely to say that Arsenal could have tackled their injuries in the January transfer window, especially the Center-Forward-shaped gap in their team that has been around since the beginning of last year.
Arsenal will indicate the unexpected autumn room of EDU Gaspar as sports director destabilizing things of the field – another mitigating factor to consider, one that does not happen every year.
But it will not stop the critics and the investigation. Does the feeling that he is short of, again as progress? Arsenal did not succeed in winning their last four semi -final performances, their longest running without progression to the final.
And with the settles for second place probably for a third consecutive year, Arsenal is in a rut, albeit on the right side of the league table and in the last phases of competitions.
Transfer war box? A big summer ahead …
How do the Gunners come out of that routine? Simply put, there must now be a ruthless lead.
Arsenal has the feeling that they are close by, those in the dressing room have the feeling that they dominate every game. In terms of statistics, they can claim that that was certainly the case against PSG.
The Gunners created for 4.8 in expected goals over the two legs, but could only score once. The first two goals they had admitted by Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz had XG for 0.04 each. As Arteta told the media between the two legs, the margins at this level are small.
That XG -Obalans would indicate a new attacker who comes in, perhaps even a greater renewal of their forward line.
It is worth remembering that the last time Arsenal signed a recognized No. 9 – Gabriel Jesus' £ 45 million arrival from Manchester City – it had a huge lift in the team. Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli both ended the first season of Jesus with 15 league goals each, with Bukayo Saka on 14.
New sports director Andrea Berta – who navigated the title -winning and Champions League Final ERA by Atletico Madrid – has the experience to sign strikers for big money. It is undoubtedly priority no. 1 on his summer list.
Priority no. 2 is to ensure that this Arsenal team remains together. Not only must the Gunners prove that their critics are wrong, they have to convince their big stars that this is the place to be.
The contracts of Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel – important parts of the spine – will expire in two years. That will warn clubs throughout Europe, especially news about the situation of Saliba.
Arsenal of Arteta is now at a crossroads. With rumors about a transfer war box that is available to them and the clock that taps Arteta to deliver a trophy, the months are crucial in the coming months.