Kai Havertz could barely hide his disappointment even as he celebrated a late winner for Arsenal against Everton in their final game of the Premier League. By then, it was clear the Gunners would be edged out by Manchester City in another title race and the German’s solemn expression reflected the mood of an entire fanbase.
In many ways, Arsenal couldn’t have done any more to win its first Premier League title in 20 years. They bettered last season’s points tally by five. They won more matches than last season. They even won more matches than in the famous Invincibles season of 2003/04.
And yet, somehow, the Gunners will have to do more if they are to lift the trophy one day.
Mikel Arteta and his players must take positives from this season, the biggest being they proved last season was no flash in the pan. Arsenal are now at a level where they can sustain a Premier League title challenge and have a squad that will set them up to be contenders at the top of the table for years to come.
Arsenal’s squad is one of the youngest in the Premier League. No player over the age of 30 played over 1,000 minutes for the Gunners this season, with Jorginho the only person to come close to that mark. Indeed, key players like Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Havertz are all 25 or younger.
Under Arteta, this is a group of players that has grown up together and that comes across in the way they perform on the pitch. The Gunners play with a coherent style of play that has been developed over a number of seasons. There is buy-in from the players who have fully committed to Arteta’s project.
“All this is happening because you started believing, you started to be patient, you started to understand what we were trying to do,” Arteta told the Arsenal support after the final day win over Everton. “All the credit has to go to the players and the staff, who are unbelievable. I think now it’s time to have a break, think, reflect, keep pushing, keep inspiring this team. Don’t be satisfied because we want much more than that and we’re going to get it.”
There are areas where Arsenal can improve over the summer. Primarily, many expect the Gunners to move for a new centre forward. Havertz performed the role admirably for parts of this season, but the German isn’t a striker by trade. Leandro Trossard is another wide attacker who was repurposed as a number nine. Arsenal should upgrade in this position.
However, it’s difficult to know which realistic target would fit the bill. Lautaro Martinez and Victor Osimhen might be options, but the former has a reputation for choking in the biggest games and the latter suffered a drop-off in form after firing Napoli to the Serie A title the season before. They also cost close to €100m, maybe more in Osimhen’s case.
Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney might be cheaper options, but would either be of the level Arsenal need to catch Manchester City at the top of the Premier League? After all, City have Erling Haaland as a penalty box presence. It’s difficult to see anyone out there up to the standard of the Norwegian goal-machine.
Arteta could also use some defensive cover to provide a safety net behind the centre back partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba. Arsenal’s title challenge this season was based on a strong defensive foundation – the Gunners need greater depth in this area to combat any injuries or fatigue as they push for trophies across multiple fronts.
Another central midfielder would also bulk out Arsenal’s squad, especially if Thomas Partey is on the way out of the Emirates Stadium this summer as some reports have claimed. The Gunners have conducted some good business in the transfer market in recent years and they likely need to make more shrewd moves to keep moving forward.
It wasn’t so long ago that Arsenal looked to have been cut adrift from the elite level. The Kroenkes frequently faced criticism as owners and many doubted the Gunners would ever return to the top of English and European soccer. Over the last two seasons, though, hope has grown that Arsenal could win titles and trophies again. The final step towards doing so, however, will be the toughest one.
