Arsenal have had an eventful start to 2023 and there have been a lot of ups and downs already. That is the beauty of any team that is fighting for the title and the fans are slowly starting to realise it. The alarm bells started ringing when the Gunners lost to Everton. That reached a crescendo when there was a home loss to Manchester City, one that took the Cityzens to the top of the table.
But as we have seen since then, there are many more chapters waiting to be written this season. Take the Aston Villa game for example, until the 93rd minute, it looked like two points have been lost. With City expected to get past Nottingham Forest easily, things did not look good. Then came six minutes of utter madness and now the Gunners again appear to be in a strong position. All of this has to do with the squad quality that a team has. Let us have a look at it.
Jorginho
The Villa game was a perfect encapsulation of what the Italian midfielder brings to the pitch. On the ball, there are only a few in the league who are better at picking a pass. He also makes it a point to choose the right pass which immensely benefits the north Londoners when they attack.
But off the ball, there are certain obvious flaws that need to be looked after during a game. If you rewatch the first goal that Villa score, it doesn’t happen because of a Jorginho mistake but one can’t help but wonder if Thomas Partey would have prevented that counter. Matty Cash found it far too easy to glide past the former Chelsea man to set up Ollie Watkins.
As the game went on, you understood why Mikel Arteta was so keen on bringing in the Italy international. His quality on the ball, ability to progress play along with Martin Odegaard set the foundation for a stirring second half performance. And all of this was capped off by a wonderful moment. Deep into injury time, Jorginho received the ball outside the box and thumped in a superb shot. He was unlucky that it hit the cross bar but in a bit of delicious irony, hit the back of Emi Martinez’s head to go into the net.
Kieran Tierney
With the arrival of Alex Zinchenko and the change in how the Gunners approach the game, the Scot has become a slightly forgotten figure at the Emirates. It needs to be remembered that not too long ago, he was one of the team’s best attacking outlets. But what can he contribute, particularly in the context of this season?
We do not know if Tierney will still be with the club come June but one thing is for certain. He is without a doubt, the best backup full back in the league and that is a blessing for Arsenal to have. The quality he possesses on the ball and his willingness to defend make him the ideal candidate to see out games.
Apart from that, you have a readymade replacement, if and when Zinchenko is not available. If the former Celtic man had stayed fit last season, there was a good chance that the north Londoners would have qualified for the Champions League. Whether he starts or not, there is a lot to come from the Scotsman and Arteta will be quite aware of just what his player is capable of.
Gabriel Jesus
One of the most impressive aspects of Arsenal this season is that they have managed to sustain their title challenge despite the absence of Jesus. Once he arrived from Manchester City, the striker looked like he was on a mission. From pre-season, it was clear to see that this was a player who had something to prove. And as the season started, it became obvious why Arteta was so keen on him.
While Eddie Nketiah has done well to deputise, there are certain aspects of the game that the Englishman just cannot do. For example, Jesus has the ability to elevate the levels of those around him. The best cases of this being Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli. Now, the Arsenal attack looks a bit lopsided with too much focus on the left.
When the Brazilian got injured at the World Cup, it looked like the title challenge of the north Londoners was done and dusted. But thanks to the whole squad contributing here and there, the challenge has been moving along. Getting the Brazil international back is going to feel like a new signing and one that can make the decisive impact.
Emile Smith Rowe
There is a particular weakness with the Arsenal midfield these days. Granit Xhaka for all his qualities, on and off the ball is unable to do one specific thing. Turn and run with the ball and if possible, beat a few players. It has hindered the team on a few occasions and resulted in the loss of crucial points. While the club might fix this in the summer with the arrival of Declan Rice or any other midfielder, there is a solution waiting at home.
Emile Smith Rowe’s best attributes are his ability to run with the ball and shooting. He can be used in the way City tend to use Bernardo Silva. Now, the Englishman is not as refined as Silva on the ball, but he has the capacity to disrupt a defence. And when teams start camping in their own half, you need a player that can run at the opposition to confuse them.
It is understandable that fans are starting to get a little impatient as the youngster is being integrated slowly into the team. But you need to remember that this is someone who is recovering from surgery, and it is better to be cautious. The hope is that England international gets on to the field soon and remind people as to what he can do. Him, Saka and others are the kind of exciting talents that make people throng the stadiums. And if you are looking to go the Emirates and cheer on the team, head on over to seatsnet.com.
Conclusion
On paper, Arsenal do not have the strongest squad in the league and it maynot even be in the top 3. But as we have seen with other clubs, it is what is done on the pitch that counts. You can spend hundreds of millions and still find it difficult to get a win. But this bunch of players the Gunners have, are displaying resilience and belief worthy of champions. Fans should be proud of how the players are doing as it is a great sign of things to come.
Arsenal will surely have further setbacks as the season goes on but what matters is how you respond. Having a squad filled with talent that contribute here and there is so essential. How great is to have an experienced talent like Jorginho come in and offer something different. So, it would be good to appreciate each of them for their individual brilliance that ends up leading to collective joy. No matter what happens at the end of this campaign, the manager, coaches and especially the whole squad can be happy with their efforts.
