Man City monstered lightweight Arsenal – this is how they strengthen next season
All over the pitch on Wednesday night, in their thrashing by Manchester City, Arsenal’s players found themselves in individual battles with men who were taller, wider and stronger than them. In defence, Gabriel Magalhaes was thrown to the floor by Erling Haaland. In midfield, Martin Odegaard was shoved around by Rodri. On the wing, Bukayo Saka charged at Manuel Akanji with all of the impact of a squirrel running into a brick wall.
This was physical dominance of the highest order and, for Arsenal, it was a reminder of where they need to strengthen, and how much they still need to improve, if they are to one day overthrow Pep Guardiola’s side in the Premier League.
Arsenal have shown this season that, on a footballing level, they are capable of going toe-to-toe with any team in the country. Few sides can outpass them, and only City can consistently produce a similarly slick and dynamic style of play.
Where Mikel Arteta’s side have occasionally fallen short, though, is in the physical department. It has only happened a few times — against City, in their draws with West Ham United and Brentford, and in defeat at Everton — but in the modern Premier League, that is enough to cost you the title.
The sight of their players being bullied by stronger opponents at the Etihad will have been instructive for Arteta and Edu, Arsenal’s sporting director. But it will not have been entirely surprising, as they have already made attempts to address this weakness in their squad. Arsenal lack depth, as has been shown in recent weeks, and they also lack strength.
The good news for Arsenal, which was somewhat lost amid the misery of heavy defeat to their title rivals, is that they have now officially qualified for next season’s Champions League. They have not played in the competition since 2017, and returning to the top table of European football was always their primary objective this season.
Even as the team was cruising at the top of the league in midwinter, looking for all the world like champions-elect, Arsenal’s executives were still preoccupied by thoughts of qualifying for the Champions League. A league title would be extraordinary, yes, but Champions League qualification was absolutely necessary.
The importance of returning to Europe’s premier competition cannot be overstated. Both for the club’s prestige and pulling power, and also for the sheer economic benefit that comes with it. Edu can now accelerate his transfer plans in the knowledge that Arsenal will have considerable financial firepower this summer.
How do we know that they want to beef up their squad by adding more energy and muscle? Just look at their transfer targets. In January they were willing to spend £70 million on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, perhaps the most explosive midfield player in the division, and their top target this summer is Declan Rice.
It will interest supporters of both Arsenal and West Ham to learn that Rice was in the directors’ box at the Emirates Stadium this week. He was there with Mark Noble, West Ham’s sporting director, for the FA Youth Cup final. Edu and Josh Kroenke, Arsenal’s co-chair, were also in attendance.
Arsenal’s hope in January was that they would sign Caicedo for the remainder of this season, and then add Rice in the summer. It was not a case of one or the other. Such players would add a new dimension to Arsenal’s team, and make them a far more formidable outfit. It should also be noted that Arsenal showed interest in Everton’s Amadou Onana, another commanding athlete in midfield, in the January window.
Arsenal’s only current player of this profile is Thomas Partey, who had been exceptional this season until the last few weeks. It is no coincidence that the team’s collapse in form has gone hand-in-hand with a dip in his own performances. When Partey is not dominating the midfield, Arsenal are not the same side. It is little wonder, then, that they are looking to recruit more players of those qualities.
Players of Rice and Caicedo’s calibre would make Arsenal faster, stronger and harder to intimidate. As with City’s players, they are also all technically accomplished. Football is constantly evolving and, as City demonstrated on Wednesday night, the best teams are now those who can dominate all areas of the game: mental, tactical, technical and physical.
Arsenal are not there yet, and Wednesday’s loss was a reminder of what they need to add if they are to reach those levels. Returning to the Champions League is no guarantee that they will be able to do so, but it will certainly help them on that journey. The next phase of Arteta and Edu’s great rebuilding project begins now.
