It’s been an encouraging start to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal career. While the results are still largely unsatisfactory, there has been some seriously encouraging performances, most notably at home to Manchester United and away to Chelsea. In his 9 games in charge, Arteta has overseen 3 wins, 5 draws and 1 defeat. Considering where we were and the state we were I think it would have been unfair to expect a dramatic upturn in results and while the most recent game away to Burnley was arguably the worst performance under the Spaniard, things are beginning to take some form of shape on the field. We have seen a considerable improvement defensively with 8 goals conceded in Mikels first 9 games compared to 16 conceded in the 9 games before his arrival. We’re clearly making a concerted effort to concede fewer shots and fewer chances and that is being reflected in our defensive record.
There is more structure to the way we play although there is a lot of work to be done in this regard. We lost much of our shape when Granit Xhaka moved to left back in the Burnley away game and so clearly any structure we do have is pretty fragile. The Manchester United game at the Emirates in particular was evidence that Arsenal can put together solid defensive displays with the Xhaka-Torreira midfield doing an excellent job of shielding the back four. Our pressing game has also improved and while we still struggle to keep it up for the entirety of games, the first 45 minutes against Chelsea (at home) and Manchester United were hugely encouraging.
The thing that has impressed me most about Arteta has been his ability to adapt. It’s obvious that we are a long way from where we should be and the appointment of Arteta is part of a long term project that should coincide with investment in the squad. One would hope that the players who we do invest in going forward will be players that suit the system and style that Arteta wants to play. In the meantime, he’s managed to get players playing in some form of committed system as opposed to the chaotic drivel that we seen under Emery. He’s had to compromise on his ideals but I think it’s a good thing that he’s willing to do that. We haven’t been able to dominate games in the way I think he’d want us to but we at least have a plan and players appear to be buying into what he’s trying to do.
It may a sound a little repetitive as I discussed in this in one of my earlier blog posts but I think it’s fair to say that individuals have benefited significantly as a result of the work that Arteta has done. David Luiz has looked far more secure defensively, Bukaya Saka has been a revelation at left back while Lucas Torreria looks so much better in his natural position. There definitely seems to be a much better mood around the camp despite the results and the position in the league table. The rise of Martinelli and Saka also instil some much needed feel good factor and provide some optimism going forward. The two have been bright sparks in a pretty dire campaign with the former taking some of the pressure of Aubamayang in terms of scoring goals.
It’s not exactly clear how much of a say Arteta has when it comes to signings but Arsenal have brought two players in since his arrival and I think he’ll definitely be judged on their success to some extent. The signings of Mari and Cedric aren’t the most exciting signings in the world but they seem like relatively low risk smart ones. While the 4 million being quoted seems quite steep for a loan fee, the Portuguese international Cedric will be available for free in the Summer so if he works out, we could have a dependable full back in our squad. With Hector Bellerin only just starting to regain his from after long term injury and Maitland Niles saying that he doesn’t see himself as a right back, this could a very useful signing. I can’t say that i’ve ever seen Mari play but he seems like the sort of ball playing center back that would suit an ideal Arteta system. His arrival from the Brazilian league might not have fans breathing a sigh of relief but he deserves a chance to prove his worth. I think we have to be realistic and acknowledge that this is a long road ahead. There will be bad results and bad performances and there’ll be times where are patience is tested. The ownership and hierarchy of the club are a concern but I think its very important that we stick by Arteta. This project will take significant time and investment and while we’ve seen some worrying trends in the way we’re bringing in players, there’s an equal measure of hope and optimism in the way that Arteta has come in and transformed this side
Image Credit-Fourfourtwo
TheGoonerStation 