New signing shines and Europa League delight: The season so far in red and white

It goes without saying that Arsenal have proven a lot of things already this season, whether that be the improvement in the defence, the creativity shown in midfield or that new signings can make such a difference.

But, there are still improvements to be made and it is becoming clearer for Arteta on how his January and also summer transfer window will pan out for the Gunners.

As of now, the Gunner’s form in the league is four wins, four losses and one draw, the latter being the most recent game against newly-promoted Leeds United.

Arsenal started the campaign comfortably, with wins over Fulham and West Ham. The first game of the season ended well for new signing Gabriel Magalhaes who scored on his debut and also for new signing Willian who grabbed two assists against the Cottagers. This started as a very promising sign for Mikel Arteta, who seemed to have got his team selection right within the first couple of games.

Against the “Big Six” so far this season, Arsenal lost narrowly to Manchester City after having plenty of shots on goal, but on the other hand, have also had a well-deserved 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, which hasn’t happened since 2006.

The Gunners had to play last years title champions, Liverpool, twice in four days, in the league and the Carabao Cup. Arsenal lost 3-1 in the league after going ahead through Alexandre Lacazette, but costly errors allowed Liverpool to capitalise and get the three points.

A very different game occurred four days later in the Carabao Cup, as both teams shared the possession equally, but neither teams could capitalise on chances, which meant it went to penalties, where the Gunners were able to seal a victory, with Joe Willock calmly scoring the crucial penalty after Leno made two important saves. Weeks like this show that Arsenal can bounce back and with the right mentality going into a game, they can produce the results they deserve.

As far as the Europa League goes, Arsenal are currently top of group B, with wins over Dunlak, Molde and Rapid Wien. Stand out performances have come from Joe Willock who has impressed Arteta immensely in these games. Willock has two goals and two assists in three Europa League games this season, which Arsenal are known for allowing youngsters to be given game time and to impress, which is certainly what Willock has done.

He’s showing confidence on the ball and can hold it very well in midfield, which prompted Arteta to give him a Premier League start in their most recent game against Leeds United which ended in a 0-0 draw. Willock proved his place in the starting line up and he certainly will start to become a very crucial player in the first team. 

Defensively this season, Arsenal have seen a huge positive change in their games, with Arteta suggesting “I think we’ve been working really good defensively” in his most recent post-match press conference. A noticeable change in the backline has been new signing Gabriel, who won Arsenal’s player of the month in September.

Gabriel’s ability to hold the ball is certainly of a high standard and he has a lot of confidence when on the ball. He has been making a lot of crucial clearances and interceptions, as well as winning aerial duels with conviction; his 6ft3 frame coming in very handy.

As well as scoring on his debut for the Gunners, he has completed the most passes out of anyone in the squad and sits fifth in the Premier League pass standings. He’s also second behind Federico Fernandez of Newcastle in terms of blocks, with ten blocks so far. Kieran Tierney has also been a shining light in the defence, using his pace down the left in games to threaten the opposition. He also has the ability to cut inside and make important passes in the final third. He’s certainly a fan favourite.

In the midfield, the Gunners have plenty of options, but as much as Arsenal possess creativity, they still lack a genuine playmaker in attacking midfield. Dani Ceballos has shown this season that he can make an important impact with his creativity in the midfield, working very well alongside Granit Xhaka in front of the defence, possibly because they are both very different players (Xhaka being a more defensive player than Ceballos).

Xhaka is the physical defensive player in the duo, with Ceballos being the intricate player who can dribble well with the ball. In the January transfer window, Arteta should be looking at securing a young and experienced attacking midfielder, for example, Houssem Aouar, who the Gunners looked like they were going to sign in the summer, could still be a possibility for January or maybe even the summer window.

Another new signing who has made an impression in his first few games is Ghanaian Thomas Partey. His debut in the Europa League against Rapid Wien earned himself a man of the match, completing 87 passes in the first half alone. He holds the ball superbly well and can completely change the game, which was seen in the Gunners 1-0 win over Manchester United as well as being able to make accurate passes into the final third. Partey is currently injured, but after his first few games in red and white, he’s certainly made his mark in the first team and Arsenal fans are anticipating his return.

One of the most talked-about points with Arsenal this season is the performances of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. So far this season, Aubameyang has only scored two goals and has grabbed one assist in nine appearances. His goalscoring form is the worst it has been since he joined the North London club in January 2018.

Fans have questioned whether it has been Arteta’s choice to play him down the left instead of through the middle which has maybe limited his chances on goal. However, Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg, who was interim manager before Arteta joined and left as Arteta’s assistant in August stated that other teams may have managed to figure him out and deny him the space to produce finishes. 

Alexandre Lacazette is currently top goalscorer for the Gunners, with three goals in seven appearances. Lacazette needs the right balls into the box to capitalise on chances, from wingers like Nicholas Pepe and Bukayo Saka. He holds the ball well as a striker and when he’s in the right position he can produce clinical finishes, but he hasn’t yet produced any standout performances up front this season. 

The team as a whole are certainly improving and the games up until the end of the year will be a chance for Arteta to show what this team can really do when they have the right mindset. The team are always up for a challenge and although they can struggle, they have proved, especially in their 0-0 draw against Leeds United, that they can keep focus for the full 90 minutes.

The team are showing resilience and creativity is certainly shining through in individual players, so there’s certainly many positives to take forward carrying on in the season and hopefully, Arteta can address issues and the team can continue to flourish.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt