Premier League preview 2024-25: Can Arsenal finally bring home a silverware?

New Delhi: Arsenal ended their previous Premier League campaign as runners-up for the second consecutive time. Finishing the competition without the trophy was heartbreaking, considering the number of club records made in the season, including a total of 35 wins from 52 matches, 28 of which were in the Premier League itself.

Arsenal as a team set a bar quite high in particular last season. Yet they were unable to get the silverware, which ultimately matters. In a decent show throughout the season, they were second in the Premier League, reached the third round in the FA Cup, fourth round in the League Cup, and quarter-finals in the Champions League. Mikel Arteta is often quoted as saying the “fine margins” that win trophies at this level and will hope his team can look at the disappointment as an opportunity to succeed in winning their first Premier League trophy since 2004. 

They have started this season by making their defence from the previous season even better with the addition of Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian defender will be able to solve the left-back issue Arteta faced the previous season. There is, of course, a need to make the Gunner’s midfield combination strong, with Declan Rice’s record signing for a more advanced role. They are looking to add Mikel Merino to make the area strong. Kai Havertz has been impressive as Arsenal’s striker last season, however, the club could still be looking to strengthen their attack. Arsenal should look for a reserve player for the overworked Bukayo Saka. Last season, Saka played a total of nearly 60 games for his club and country.

What went wrong for the Gunners in the 2023/24 season?

One of Arsenal’s biggest reasons for missing out on a title win was their lack of natural goal-scorers. Though they were the second-highest-scoring side in the league, their inefficiency in finishing chances could have cost them the season. The Gunners failed to win ten games during the season. Their draws and losses were marred by their inability to finish chances despite being favourites to win the duel.

In four games Arsenal played during the Christmas period, they scored just thrice from 81 shots taken. Though this was a short spell of bad form, it proved to be the difference between them and the title. Every club struggles, but with the form in which Manchester City is, Arsenal can’t have many such days. They were unable to pick up points in games where they were favourites too.

Breakout star: Jurrien Timber

Jurrien Timber suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut in the Premier League. The Dutchman has been trying to impress at every chance he gets. Timber can be of big value to the club if he remains fit. The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can play in the full-back, central defence, and even as a midfield pivot.

Timber’s return reminded everyone what Arsenal had missed since August last year and how the story could have been different. Arteta himself has shown trust in Timber’s capabilities and gone on to say that Timber can play both positions in the back line. He was impressive against both Bournemouth and Manchester United. There will also be hope for academy graduates like Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Salah-Eddine to break into the team. 

Tactical analysis

A few seasons ago, winning a league seemed an unimaginable proposition for the club to winning a league. Arteta has just designed the team to get better and better each season. He has been good at identifying the right person for the right job. This will be his fifth season at the helm of Arsenal.

Despite having a great rapport with his players, Arteta can make ruthless calls to take the club in the right direction. Emile Smith Rowe was deemed unrequired in the Arsenal set-up and, hence, finds himself in Fulham this season. His tactical vision has been the difference in Arsenal’s approach to the competition in the last few seasons. Now, his biggest task will be to dethrone City as the reigning champions. 

Arteta was happy with the result of the US tour as the squad bonded well during their time in the US. The tour also got them to improve on their fitness. Calafiori’s arrival has helped the side immensely.

What was evident in the US tour is that Arsenal is a little short in the midfield, especially with Rowe not with the club. They are comparatively slow in the area. Their front line could benefit from a proper striker though Havertz has been good for the Gunners. He is still less of a player who pins defenders but someone who can create pockets of space that he or his teammates can use. With the likes of Gabriel Jesus not impressing during the US tour, it will be the German forward who will have the most responsibility in the team.

In the US, Ethan Nwaneri was quite impressive having made his debut back in 2022 as a 16-year-old. Nwaneri created two chances for his teammates in the opener and was good at drifting past the opposition. Dominic Solanke was in good shape in the US. He was a brilliant addition to Arsenal in the backline and made a great impact throughout his 64 minutes on the pitch creating good chances. There will be some issues that need to be solved. One of the biggest will be where will Calafiori and Timber feature in the backline.

Transfer window

In the transfer season, the biggest purchase for Arsenal has been Riccardo Calafiori. He was on Arteta’s radar for a while. After an impressive season with Bologna, the defender has now made his move to the Premier League. They were also able to get David Reya having already been on loan from Brentford last season. Reya impressed everyone with his game in Arsenal and has been bought by the Gunners for the season. Their next target this summer transfer window is Mikel Merino.

 Having already been the runners up in Premier League in the last two season, can Arsenal repeat their ‘invincible’ days and bring home the trophy after 20 years?  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today