Arsenal, oh Arsenal

 I was a bit confused as to what to put out this week then I remembered how a few people kept laughing at the ‘Arsenal, oh Arsenal’ line from my last post and then Arsenal lost too, so I thought, screw it, time to write on Arsenal.

Arsenal, as we all know is a Club in North London and this club has won several trophies, 13 league titles, a record 14 FA Cups, 2 League Cups amongst other trophies. You can’t discuss Arsenal without mentioning THE INVINCIBLES; The unbeaten season in 2004, a feat no other Premier League club has achieved.

Asides from all of the trophies, one thing stuck when you thought about Arsenal; free-flowing football. Under the tutelage of Monsieur Arsene Wenger, Arsenal played arguably the best football in the league for many years. It was this and of course Nwankwo Kanu and Thierry Henry that led a lot of Nigerians to support the Club.

Years down the line and a few FA Cup and Community Shield titles aside, Arsenal is almost a total opposite of what they used to be. From club structure to style of play, it’s a mess. Five years without Champions League football, back to back 8th place finishes. It’s that bad that it doesn’t even feel right to laugh at their shortcomings.

         A regular sight last season

Arsenal finished 8th last season, Mikel Arteta’s first full season as Manager. A disappointing season by all standards. During the off season, expectations were high as regards signings with a Goalkeeper, Defender, Fullback, Midfielder and the Playmaker position all areas that needed to be strengthened.

With a lot of names mentioned, Arsenal eventually got Ben White (£50m), Albert Lokonga (£17m) Nuno Tavares (£7m), Aaron Ramsdale (£24m) and Martin Odegaard (£34m).

Slots filled yeah? err not exactly. On paper, only one or two of these signings get into the first XI. £132m in spending. Hmm.

Signings aside, there is still the Mikel Arteta factor and a few things he needs to sort out with his team set up. Captain and top Marksman Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang on the left-wing on paper but literally playing left wing-back in the game itself is testament to his style of play. Football Twitter has given this man names that have brought tears to my eyes. His inexperience has come into play and it’s quite clear he is not as good as people thought he was.

Amidst all of this (obvious) negativity this season, there are still some things to be positive about.

Arsenal have a good crop of youngsters. The likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli undoubtedly have talent. Towards the end of last season, they were the ones who carried Arsenal and if given enough chances and freedom from Arteta’s shackles, they’ll prove themselves again.

Another reason for positivity is Granit Xhaka. Xhaka divides opinion among the Arsenal faithful but he’s without a doubt one of the most experienced players at the club. Signing a new contract is nothing but a positive in my opinion. A partnership with Thomas Partey looks solid. Even though it hasn’t reached its expected heights, it’s another season to give it a go.

One glaring thing in Arsenal’s defeat to Brentford was the lack of creativity in the final third. That player who can pick the ball on the half-turn and make something happen. Emile Smith Rowe laboured and ultimately laboured in vain that day. The signing of Martin Odegaard would help in that regard.

I like Odegaard. He had the wonderkid tag while growing up and even though he hasn’t lived up to it at this point, the talent is still there. It’s up to Arteta to utilize the Norwegian to the best of his ability.

Another thing is that the Gunners aren’t involved in European competitions. It’s supposed to be a blessing in disguise. While the other top teams shuffle two games a week, Arsenal gets the luxury of a game a week. It’s an opportunity they can and should use to their advantage.

After Arsenal’s loss to Brentford, hopes are at the lowest and I don't think the new signings lift optimism but what better way to bounce back and kickstart the season than against London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates. A win for Mikel Arteta’s side and he gets some respite. A loss however and the clock begins to tick.

Whatever happens, I look forward to seeing how the Gunners fare this season. Hopefully, they bring some excitement. None of that 8^th placed rubbish.