Is the Arsenal squad strong enough to compete in PL and CL in the second half of the season?
After last season’s disappointment, Arsenal came into the 2023/24 campaign knowing they needed to make amends for their capitulation during the title run-in.
The Gunners had led the Premier League table for over 200 days before losing some crucial matches, allowing Manchester City to overtake and pip them to the title.
Arsenal refocused their attention on the new campaign, but they now had to prove their mettle on two fronts – the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s troops will fancy their chances of a deep run in Europe’s most prestigious tournament and you can catch all the live action by purchasing Champions League tickets from Seatsnet.com at enticing rates.
The North Londoners have not been imperious in the title race but have managed to stay within touching distance of the PL summit.
They were in danger of drifting away towards the end of December after successive losses against West Ham United and Fulham.
It did not help that Liverpool sent Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup a few days later, and the alarm bells started ringing. However, nothing silences the noise like good results in this results-based business and the Londoners delivered.
They secured a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, thrashing the Eagles at the Emirates Stadium before a slim-margin win over Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal beat Forest 2-1, and while there were still lingering doubts about their credentials, they re-established themselves as league contenders with a 3-1 win over Liverpool.
The Gunners matched Jurgen Klopp’s army man-for-man and came out on top. Arteta’s side spoiled the German’s farewell tour, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to two points.
City (49 points with a game in hand), Liverpool (51 points), and Arsenal (49 points) are now the main contenders for the league title.
The Gunners were back in the Champions League after a six-year hiatus and knew they had to make a statement. They announced their return to Europe’s premier competition with a 4-0 win over Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal ran riot against the Eredivisie table-toppers and took firm control of their group before stumbling in the second round as they lost to Ligue 1 side Lens.
Arteta’s side then picked up consecutive wins against struggling Sevilla in England and Spain before taking revenge against Lens.
The Gunners claimed a major scalp against the Ligue 1 side, thrashing them 6-0 before drawing their final group game against PSV.
Arsenal have booked their place in the round of 16, with FC Porto standing in their way. The Premier League side will be desperate for their first CL quarter-final appearance since 2011.
The burning question remains – can Arsenal’s squad handle the demands of both competitions?
Is Arteta’s squad strong enough to navigate a challenge for the double?
Arsenal have had their fair share of injuries since the season began, with Jurrien Timber suffering an early setback that has sidelined him for most of the season.
The Dutchman arrived over the summer and showed initial promise before limping off on his Premier League debut against Forest.
Ben White has been a mainstay at right-back, but there is the fear of fatigue with the Englishman who has played in 22 out of 23 possible Premier League games (20 starts).
White has gotten some respite in the Champions League, starting only three out of six games (he did play all six games), but there is the fear of the defender burning out without any proper backup.
Backup right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu has been in and out of the treatment room. Also, he was away with Japan at the Asian Cup until they were knocked out by Iran in the quarter-final.
Arteta needs to find a way to manage White and avoid overloading him in the coming weeks. He may need to bring Cedric Soares into the fray. The Portuguese right-back has not made a single PL appearance but could be used to give White a needed breather.
Arteta will hope to have Tomiyasu back from international duty soon.
In midfield, Thomas Partey’s persistent injury concerns have become a worry for the North London club. The Ghanaian international midfielder is one of the best operators in the centre of the park on his day, but those days are far few.
Partey has spent most of the season in the treatment room. His last appearance for the Gunners was in October against City. Before that, he had missed the entirety of September on the sidelines.
Most fans would have loved to see midfield reinforcement come through the door in January. However, Arsenal had a quiet window, opting to trust Jorginho, Declan Rice, and Mohamed Elneny to handle matters at the base of midfield.
Rice and Jorginho are strong, but can they stay fit for the rest of a very demanding campaign? It could cost them points/games if one of their midfield stars has a below-par game or suffers an injury without adequate cover.
Partey’s persistent injuries leave a hole in central midfield.
There is another gaping hole at full-back where Oleksandr Zinchenko stands as the only recognised left-back in the squad, and if we are being pedantic, he is not even a left-back by trade.
Zinchenko is Arteta’s first-choice left-back, but he has no other option to turn to if the Ukrainian suffers a knock or a more serious setback.
Tomiyasu can operate as a left-back, but the absence of another recognised left-footed, left-sided defender could hamper Arsenal’s campaign down the road.
Fans had hoped that the top brass would bring in another left-back during the winter window, but they did not even consider any targets.
Arteta will cross his fingers for Zinchenko to stay fit for this title run-in. He relies on the former Manchester City to implement important tactical roles within his set-up, and he will be pivotal in whatever the Gunners achieve.
Up top, Gabriel Jesus is becoming a worry for the Gunners. The Brazilian missed the 3-1 win over Liverpool.
The 26-year-old notched a goal and an assist as they beat Forest 2-1 but was missing from the squad five days later, having struggled with fluid in his knee.
While the issue is not expected to keep him out for the long term, these niggling injury problems keep sidelining him for crucial fixtures.
Jesus is Arsenal’s first-choice striker but has only started 13 of 22 games available in the Premier League. His issues raise concerns about his reliability as the first-choice striker.
There are already debates about his profligacy in front of goal and whether he is the man to spearhead Arsenal’s attack to titles. Those groans could grow louder if his unavailability makes him a liability.
With the title race finely balanced and the Champions League knockout stages approaching, Arsenal face a defining period.
Managing their squad effectively, mitigating injuries, and finding solutions for key positions will be crucial in determining if their ambition translates into silverware.
