Crystal Palace, West Ham, Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield. The Gunners keep trampling over any opponents they face as they chase the Premier League title this season, in an attempt to become the champions of England for the first time since their unforgettable 2003/04 “Invincibles” season. The quality of this Arsenal squad is poles apart from the one we saw play just two seasons ago.
Arsene Wenger’s departure from Arsenal at the end of the 2017/18 Premier League season after his 22-year tenure as club manager left an unfillable void in the club. Some fans were excited when current Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery took control of the Gunners in the 2018/19 season. However, his second season in charge was nothing short of utter disappointment and disbelief. The club finished eighth in the league with 56 points, one of their worst seasons in recent history. In December 2019, former club captain Mikel Arteta was appointed as head coach.
The appointment of such a young coach with no former managing experience raised doubts in the minds of many, as Arteta had only worked as an Assistant Coach at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola before this. Arteta managed to somehow salvage the season, winning the Gunners’ 14th FA Cup trophy. The following year was no better than the last, however, as Arsenal once again finished 8th in the league, with only 61 points. Many fans were disheartened to see their club miss out on playing in European competitions for two years in a row and called for “Arteta out!” But the board kept their faith in Arteta.
One of the first things Arteta did as Arsenal coach was address the club’s disciplinary issues. Due to disciplinary issues, he ousted Mesut Ozil, one of the best playmakers in recent times, from the team. Soon after, he did the same to team captain Aubameyang. Although these unexpected moves sent shockwaves throughout the club and the whole fanbase, it sent one clear message: Discipline was of the utmost necessity in Arteta’s team. Moreover, Arteta’s decision also helped improve the club’s financial situation, as these players cost the club millions of pounds a month in wages.
Unfortunately, the results did not improve much; many fans still wanted to see Arteta sacked. The 2021/22 season was better than the previous one, as the Gunners managed to somehow place 5th in the league after putting up a very tough fight, qualifying them for the Europa League.
Fans weren’t satisfied at all. They wanted to see their beloved players in red play in the Champions League and put up a fight for the league title like they did back in the old glory days. Confidence in Arteta’s ability to bring the Gunners out of their poor form was at an all-time low, and there was a time when every single Arsenal fan in the world wanted to see Arteta gone. During that time, in a talk show with OneFootball, host Matt Frohlich said “I think Arsenal are never going to get out of their disastrous situation if they keep going around in a merry-go-round of firing coaches and signing new ones. They just need to trust Arteta and trust the process, and just see where it goes.” Boy, was he right!
It sent one clear message: Discipline was of the utmost necessity in Arteta’s team
During the two years in which Arsenal did not play in any international competitions, Arteta used the time to renew the entire Arsenal squad. Instead of relying on funds from the board and signing expensive players, Arteta promoted the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe from the club academy, along with signing contracts with promising youngsters such as Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli. In 2022, Arteta signed players such as Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, players who were practically unheard of before. Everybody mocked his signings; Arsenal fans were left speechless.
But the Spaniard had a plan. He used the time in hand to build a completely new Arsenal team from the grassroots, making the players put in several hours of rigorous training, doing team-building exercises, and building chemistry amongst the new players. Soon enough, all of the aforementioned players grew to be key players of the new Arsenal. The gears were set in place and were well oiled.
The Gunners started off the 2022/23 season with a bang, winning multiple matches in a row, which far exceeded the expectations of fans for the season. The signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City was a crucial decision by Arteta, as the Ukrainian took up a leadership role at the club, and motivated his teammates to not only fight for a position in the top four, but to fight for the title as well. After a long and tedious year, however, the Gunners had slipped-up at the end of the season, giving up their lead to Man City, and coming 2nd by just five points. Although fans’ hopes of seeing the Premier League trophy embroidered in Arsenal’s red ribbons were left unfulfilled, the season was nothing short of spectacular, as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal announced to the world that they were back to fight for the crown jewel.
Currently, midway through the 2023/24 season, the Gunners are back on top, tied in points with Liverpool at 64 points. Arsenal have scored 26 goals in their last six matches; quite the string of performances compared to what we saw just two years ago. Mikel Arteta looks as determined as ever to have his team crowned champions of England for the first time in 20 years. Moreover, he was promoted to Club Manager in September 2023, highlighting the trust and confidence he has deservedly gained from the club directors.
I’m not hoping to jinx it, but it is safe to say seeing Arsenal play the last two years has been nothing short of spectacular. While watching Arteta and his Arsenal team lift the trophy is on every fan’s wishlist, we can still feel a great deal of pride in what they have achieved.
Come on you Gunners!
Maheem Niam Ahmed is a student at Sunbeams School.
