The importance of next season and what it entails for Arsenal cannot be overemphasized. For the first time in two decades, the North London giants will battle, not to remain in the top four but to get back into it, thanks to a series of disappointing performances midway into last season.
As much as we may fancy the idea of a European trophy in the form of Europa league (this is still deep within the spheres of fantasy projections), the club wouldn’t want to be in the competition again for the foreseeable future.
Indeed the aim will be to challenge for the League title this coming season. How realistic that goal actually is, remains to be seen. But for it to be considered serious, the team performances must improve tremendously.
With some new signings coming in, and no real first team player leaving, the idea of improved performances will come from existing players stepping up their game to give us that extra push. Here are some players who we believe will have to up their games.
DAVID OSPINA: Szczesny completing his move to Juventus is no longer news. What this means is that David Ospina is the undisputed assistant to Petr Cech. In typical Wenger style, he will be in goal for Cup games and also when Cech experiences any dip in form. Last season, The Colombian was on several occasions found wanting when called upon to deputize.
At some point, Cech had to be drafted in to play in some Cup games due to Ospina’s shortcomings. For a formidable team, all departments must be adequate including the bench. Cech is not getting any younger and Ospina must step up in order to provide some much needed cover as well as replace him in the long run.
SHKODRAN MUSTAFI: There was great joy at the Emirates when Mustafi was signed from Valencia last season for a reported £35million pounds. The player, upon arrival, hit the ground running with some scintillating performances. However, the perennial mid-season curse descended and we saw the German defender struggle. The credentials of the player cannot be debated, it is however necessary that he prepares for next season and give his best.
He showed last season that adapting to the Premier League was not a big issue for him, but for a team that aims to challenge for the title, the defence must be ruthless and Mustafi must get ready for the worst. His compatriot, Per Matersacker is almost done as a player so much is expected from our confederation cup winner.
GRANIT XHAKA: Xhaka’s first season in England can best be described as inconsistent. The energetic midfielder was kind of disastrous in his initial games. His passes were bad, his tackles reckless and his disciplinary record did not help in any way. However, as the season progressed, Xhaka became more and more integral to the team and contributed in no small fashion to our strong finish to the season.
In the newly adopted formation, Xhaka will have to be more consistent as he will serve as a fulcrum of the midfield. We all hope that his Arsenal career will be a massive success and he must start to prove doubters wrong from the coming season.
AARON RAMSEY: It was tempting to exclude Ramsey from this list. The midfielder who on several occasions has contributed massively to our little recent successes has always been an object of controversy. Ramsey is highly rated by Arsene Wenger and many think it is an unmerited favour.
He seems like an embodiment of great talents but his inconsistent performances coupled with injury concerns have prevented him from achieving full potential. We know that as long as Wenger remains in charge of Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey will keep playing and we can only hope that his ups his game and lend credence to our title challenge (if we truly believe that).
ALEX OXLADE CHAMBERLAIN: The Ox has been touted to be on his way out of the Emirates club this season. But as Wenger has declared that he will play for us next season, we have to draft him into the list of players that must step up. Since he joined us from Southampton, he has developed rather slowly. Last season, the Englishman flourished for a while in the right wing-back position when Hector Bellerin was not up to the feat.
He even did well in the left wing-back position. His versatility is well known as he is equally capable of playing anywhere in the midfield and attack. This versatility is much needed if the Gunners want to mount a serious challenge for the title. On his part, Chamberlain will have to be more consistent and direct in his approach.
