The Arsenal squad has improved massively for the 2023/2024 Premier League season compared to the 2022/2023.
The Gunners have signed some of the Premier League-proven players and potential superstars of the future. But are the new additions to the current squad good enough to grant them the title?
Arsenal Squad for 2023/24
Goalkeepers
Aaron Ramsdale, David Raya, Karl Hein
Defenders
William Saliba, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior, Cedric Soares, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Olkesandr Zinchenko
Midfielders
Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard(C), Fabio Vieira, Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho
Forwards
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard,Reiss Nelson, Nicolas Pepe
New Signings
Arsenal owner Kroenke has spent more than £200 on the four new signings for the Gunners. This could help the North London side to challenge in the Premier League and Champions this year.
Declan Rice
The UEFA Europa Conference league-winning midfielder and West Ham captain Rice was Arsenal’s no. 1 transfer target and thankfully has secured the £105 m transfer to the other side of London.
The ex-West Ham captain is a highly-rated player in England and can fill the no.8 position or form a great partnership with Thomas Partey. The England international has had the most interceptions(62) and most possessions(334) in 22/23 which can be crucial for the Gunners to control the game. Declan Rice has settled nicely at the London Colney and has a Community Shield Title.
Kai Havertz
The German International is another high-money signing from the Gunners, who cost a whopping £65m from the London rivals Chelsea. Arteta is one of Havetz’s biggest fans and he can be a missing part of the puzzle for the title. Unfortunately, the no.29 hasn’t had the biggest impact for the Gunners.
Although he had a great game against Man City in the community shield game, he has failed to impress the Arenal fans in the first few games of the new PL season. The 24-year-old may need additional time to settle at his new club to prove his worth to help the Gunners.
Jurrien Timber
The Dutch defender made an impressive debut against Man City in the Community Shield game after switching from Ajax to North Londod. Many fans thought he could be crucial in covering the defence and approaching as an inverted full-back in the current season.
The 22-year-old suffered an ACL injury in the League debut against Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, Timber will be out for most of the season, which may be a significant loss for the Arsenal FC squad, considering they are also in the UCL.
David Raya
The Spaniard had an excellent season for Brentford in the 2022/23. conceding just 41 goals and keeping 12 Clean Sheets before switching to another side of Capital. The keeper was signed for £3m with a £27m option to buy for the next season.
Raya’s arrival can positively impact and increase the competition with fellow keeper Aaron Ramsdale, who had few mistakes in the games at last stages of the season. Nonetheless, he had a great year, a few world-class saves and was a crucial part of the defence for the Gunners.
Outgoings
There have been plenty of incomings as well as outgoings for the Gunners in the summer transfer window. The big miss for the Gunners could be Granit Xhaka, who had an impressive run but has switched to German side Bayer Leverkusen. The club is currently short of the number 8 position in midfield but has plenty of options in the CDM role.
Another permanent outgoing transfer includes Rob Holding, who signed for the Gunners in 2016 from Bolton. The English defender has now signed for London side Crystal Place for £4m. He was the second-highest serving player for the current squad, just behind Elneny.
Another English player who switched the club is Florian Balogun, who has joined Monaco for a fee of around £35. The Striker had 21 goals for French side Reims but could not be a part of the plan for Arteta.
Further, other players not present in the current squad, Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares, have joined Nottingham Forest and Luton Town, respectively. Tierney is another shocking name who has left the club to join Spanish side Real Sociedad on loan for one year.
Current Injuries
The Arsenal team has suffered a lot of injury problems already this year. The ex-Man City duo Jesus and Zinchenko were out a few games and have just made one entire appearance.
On the other hand, according to Arsenal’s official source, Ghanaian International Thomas Partey is also a massive concern for the London club, who is sidelined due to a groin injury. Further, Jurrien Timber injury is also a massive blow for gunners in the title race as other defenders, including Holding and Tierney, have already made a move.
2022/23 Heartbreak for Arsenal Squad
Arsenal fell short of just 5 points to Man City’s treble-winning team of the 2022/23. Despite staying at the top of the table for most of the season, they were down to second in the last part due to long-term injuries to important players and a small squad. Nonetheless, this was an outstanding achievement considering Mikel Arteta Arteta’s young side.
Challenging the Treble-Winners and Top 6
Most fans were satisfied that the Gunners challenged Pep Guardiola’s side, who have won 5 of the last six premierships. Yet, some fans claim Arteta’s team bottled the title even when they were 8 points clear at one stage
The Fan’s claims are reasonable as other top six clubs struggled last season, including Tottenham, Liverpool, and Chelsea. The 2022/23’s heartbreak has led to Edu, the sporting director and Arteta strengthening the squad for the current season.
The Arsenals Premier League new signings will definitely increase the headache of the coach but will also provide plenty of options for different competitions for the 2023/24. .Considering Arsenal’s signings, they will likely have a positive impact. However, winning the Premier League seems even more difficult than last one.
All the competitors, including Manchester United, current Premier League champions Manchester City, London Rivals Tottenham and Chelsea, and Kloopl’s Liverpool, have added value to their squad with few quality signings. Moreover, another includes Eddie Howe’s team, Newcastle, who have also surprised the PL teams after securing a UCL spot.
Arsenal Squad Analysis
The overall Arsenal squad has strengthened when compared to previous years. There have been Quality signings from Goalkeeper to Attacker. However, plenty of outgoings and loans have been used to balance the squad.
Both Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya will have a tough time for Arteta regarding the goalkeeper selection in all the competitions, including PL.. Managing two top keepers in a team could be a headache for Arteta; hence, Raya is still waiting for him to debut. But being a top-tier keeper, Raya will definitely get his opportunity in other competitions or maybe in the Premier League soon. The London club now probably has the best two rotational goalkeepers in world football.
The partnership between Gabriel and Saliba was broken when the young French defender was injured in the RO16 clash against Sporting Club , after which resulted in failing to find form in defending.
To reinforce the squad for an easy swap on full-back and centre-back positions, Arsenal signed Jurrien Timber, who unfortunately is facing a long-term injury and possibly will return in 2024.. Also, other defenders, including Holding and Tierney, have made transfer moves already, meaning they have fewer present defenders than last season.
For 2023/24, Mikel Arteta was playing Thomas Partey as an RB who was playing as an inverted midfielder, ensuring the defence was covered. Unfortunately, he has also suffered an injury, meaning Arteta has to switch to their 2022/23 playing style. Now Zinchenko will switch to his original position of LB, who will also be playing as an inverted midfielder.
Further, Arsenal’s midfield also looks solid with the addition of Declan Rice. However, Havertz is yet to make a significant influence at the front. Havertz is currently taking the Granit Xhaka role, which could be the reason for failing to impress. Arsenal also has another PL proven player in Jorginho, who can be a great leader in the Arsenal squad for Premier League triumph.
Another player that impressed this is youngster Fabio Vieira, who has had a couple of assists in the first few games of the Premier League. Going up front, they haven’t had a shortage of goals.
Arsenal’s captain and attacking Midfielder has the Gunners firing from the start of last season. Other youngsters Martinelli, England International Nketiah and Future Ballon D’or contender Bukayo Saka have also proved their worth by impressing last season. Other attackers, including Jesus and Trossard, also add significant value to the squad.
The Bottom Line
The Arsenal Squad has transformed a lot for this season. The North London side has signed a few quality players and balanced the team wisely. Mikel Arteta now has excellent squad depth and should be challenging for the PL title. Further, they should keep an eye on the Carabao and FA Cup and take a shot at the Champions League.
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