At time of writing I’ve watched the AC Milan sport in full and I noticed the highlights of the Newcastle sport however, already, my thoughts is racing on the prospects for subsequent season. Arsenal have signed six gamers to this point this summer time and that tells you that larger squad depth is necessary this season after 2024-25 was virtually solely destroyed by accidents. Listed below are three issues I’m curious / enthusiastic about for subsequent season.
DIRECTNESS IN ATTACK
These days I discover a variety of soccer evaluation curiously emotionally charged and I’m not certain that I prefer it. Soccer is a sport that provokes feelings, clearly and that’s a part of its enchantment. However when analysing the sport feelings are good servants however unhealthy masters, but there appears to be a transfer in direction of very emotionally charged evaluation.
Arsenal’s assault final season was a bit of laboured and a bit of predictable, this was exacerbated by the long-term absences of Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. I discovered it curious that a lot of the mainstream evaluation of Arsenal appeared to recommend that Arteta needed his workforce to be constrained once they went forwards. I discovered {that a} very emotional take pushed by the private dislike some commentators have for Arteta.
Generally it isn’t simply the gamers that you simply signal however the gamers you attempt to signal that inform you a few supervisor’s true imaginative and prescient. Arteta tried to signal Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023, Benjamin Sesko in 2024 and Ollie Watkins in 2025. It’s apparent that Arteta has needed larger fantasy and unpredictability within the closing third for some time (he and Arsenal will be criticised for a scarcity of execution, after all).
The signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke are, very, very clearly, an try to shift Arsenal’s play within the closing third into one thing extra assertive, chaotic even. From Phil Costa’s participant profile of Madueke ‘per FBRef knowledge, he at the moment sits within the ninety fifth percentile for progressive carries (6.82 per 90) and the 98th percentile for carries into the field (4.12 per 90).
‘Extra impressively, he ranked first amongst all Premier League gamers final season for shot-ending carries per 90 (1.63) and averaged extra pictures per 90 than every other high flight winger (3.64).’ Madueke doesn’t examine his shoulder to verify the defensive porridge is juuuust proper behind him earlier than operating at a full-back. He’s much less prone to examine inside and tuck the ball again to Zubamendi, Rice or Saliba.
As a centre-forward, Gyokeres is equally missing in subtlety. Each clip I’ve seen of the man sees him sprinting over scorching coals to attempt to get a shot at purpose. Typically when he does get a shot off, he hits the ball like its his worst enemy. He performs like an ideal white shark, if he stops shifting forwards he’ll cease respiration.
This piece by Lewis Ambrose consists of some actually fascinating knowledge on Gyokeres. ‘(final season) He took 25 pictures following a profitable take-on. In Europe’s high 5 leagues, solely Lamine Yamal, Vini Jr and Jamie Gittens (all wingers) recorded extra. Of these 25 profitable take-ons, 9 led to a purpose. Probably the most in Europe’s high 5 leagues was six.
‘Gyökeres accomplished 97 (3.11 per 90) carries into the penalty space throughout the league marketing campaign. One other look to Europe’s high 5 leagues and also you’ll see solely Mohamed Salah, Vini Jr and Jeremy Doku managed extra.’ The commonality between Madueke and Gyokeres is that they get to the bloody level and Arsenal might definitely do with that in assault.
DYNAMISM IN MIDFIELD
The bottom of the midfield has, in my opinion, been a slight weak point for Arsenal for a number of seasons now. Jorginho and Thomas Partey might flow into the ball however neither have been probably the most dynamic athletes. Partey was a legal responsibility in defending transition and had extra braindead moments in possession than I cared for.
The signing of Martin Zubimendi seems to me just like the improve extra befitting of a workforce pursuing the Premier League and Champions League titles. Zubimendi has larger athleticism and generally will even push on from his publish and be a part of the press out of possession. With Declan Rice beside him I feel there’s larger potential for the gamers to interrelate greater than Rice might with earlier companions who he usually needed to bail out along with his superhuman athleticism.
I felt Jorginho had a bit of extra panorama along with his passing than Partey, who had a great disguise on his cross however a heavy bias in direction of aspect footed passes to the best. I feel Zubimendi has extra golf equipment in his bag in the case of passing. He’s extra able to a change of play and is robust off each ft.
Once more, per Phil Costa’s profile of the participant, ‘Zubimendi isn’t actually a deep-lying playmaker who makes 110 passes-per-game at 95% completion price, or a destroyer who darts round like an assault canine, snapping into challenges and hoovering up free balls – however extra a hybrid of each…Zubimendi averaged the second-most line breaking passes in LaLiga (141) final season.’
In addition to (hopefully) introducing some 5 alarm chilies in assault, how Arsenal get the ball from C to B ought to vary too. Arteta appears to have moved away from having a rhythm part on the base of the midfield and extra in direction of a virtuoso lead guitarist. Lots of the additions that Arsenal have made this summer time appear to be geared in direction of much less braking and extra accelerating and that appears welcome and thrilling to me.
READ COMING
With Ethan Nwaneri (who should certainly be thought of a late prime veteran in mild of Max Dowman’s emergence) about to signal a brand new contract with Arsenal, a variety of the reporting means that Arteta sees him extra within the Odegaard function than the Saka function to the best of Arsenal’s assault. That reporting has been backed up by what we have now seen in each friendlies to this point.
Nwaneri has began the AC Milan and Newcastle video games in Odegaard’s ‘proper eight’ function. Nonetheless, he has not performed it in the identical approach as Odegaard. I’m not certain what the captain does is actually achievable for an 18-year-old. What has me in these friendlies is that Nwaneri appears to be drifting rather less in direction of the best and a bit of extra in direction of the centre.
Within the AC Milan sport, it felt like Rice and Norgaard shaped extra of a double pivot behind Nwaneri. In build-up, Arsenal usually ended up in a 422 form with Havertz coming quick as a left 10, Nwaneri without any consideration 10 with Rice and Norgaard parallel behind them. Nwaneri’s superpower is his capturing.
Final season, Arsenal actually struggled to entry central places and a few of this, in my opinion, was as a result of the poles between the best and left eights have been too outlined with Havertz additionally dropping into these positions. In the course of the Milan sport, we get Nwaneri’s excellent spin and shot from the sting of the world. Have a look at the place Nwaneri is in when the ball is handed to him earlier than he avails of his superpower, spinning and capturing.
It means that simply because Nwaneri could be requested to play in Odegaard’s place, it doesn’t imply that he can be requested to play just like the Norwegian. Everybody is aware of how Nwaneri likes to shift and shoot on his left foot from the best aspect and through the closing weeks of final season, we noticed groups shutting it down extra successfully.
However he can use that attribute from extra central areas too- it doesn’t at all times must be a shift and shoot into the far nook. He may also help Arsenal entry extra central areas and that may assist him to fireside these rockets. Arsenal took 5 pictures per 90 from exterior the penalty space in 2023-24 and that dropped to three.8 per 90 final season. Trossard additionally tried a stinging shot from vary within the second half of this sport.
With Zubimendi taking over extra dangerous passes, Madueke and Gyokeres taking over extra dangerous dribbles, I might not thoughts betting that Arsenal additionally give attention to taking over extra dangerous pictures. Madueke and Gyokeres may also help with that and so can Nwaneri. Having a run-in-behind striker like Gyokeres may also create the house for a few of that long-range capturing.
Or else if defenders worry the opportunity of a howitzer from distance, they could simply go away their station to attempt to shut down and vacate house behind them for a slipped cross. All in all, I actually assume Arteta and Arsenal try to create larger range and larger unpredictability in the best way they probe and assault groups subsequent season by introducing larger threat of their passing, dribbling and capturing.
