Arsenal Has Shown They Are Title Challengers This Season – Before the 2022/23 Premier League began, Manchester City and its rival Liverpool were expected to be fighting it out for the title again, just like they have for the last few years.
However, after 10 games of the new campaign, Arsenal has shown they are worthy challengers this season. The Gunners have won nine and lost just once in that period, an excellent return for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal was successful against Liverpool and Tottenham already this season. They scored three goals in both of those games, which shows their attack can fire against some of the best teams in the league.
It is not just going forward where the North London club has impressed, they have finished with four clean sheets from those 10 Premier League games, while in the Europa League, they have conceded just one goal from their opening three matches.
Thank you all for the warm welcome, I feel very honoured and happy to be back.
Now let’s get to work @arsenal pic.twitter.com/ybmGulCw5L— Mikel Arteta (@m8arteta) December 21, 2019
Arteta has built a squad that is not only balanced, but it has healthy competition for places. That will be important for the Spaniard if his side is to keep up their excellent form throughout the campaign. With the addition of the two domestic cups, Arsenal is going to be playing in four competitions.
Summer Transfer Business Has Given Arsenal A Boost
It was a big summer transfer window for Arsenal, as they were able to add some real quality to their squad. One of the players they signed was Gabriel Jesus from champions Manchester City. He has scored five goals through the opening 10 Premier League games, but his impact is more than just goals.
Jesus is set to be trusted for his national team Brazil at the World Cup later this year in Qatar. As of the 18th of October, the South American side is the +450 favorite in outright FIFA World Cup betting odds. Given how much attacking talented Brazil have, it says a lot about how reliable the 25-year-old can be.
New season, New challenge! 2022/2023 ?⚪️???? pic.twitter.com/s3OYtR4eg6
— Gabriel Jesus (@gabrieljesus9) August 2, 2022
Arsenal has been missing a player of Jesus’ quality in the number nine position since they lost Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in January. At £45 million, it could prove to be one of the best pieces of business done by any Premier League club last summer.
Another player Arteta was able to tempt away from Manchester City was Oleksandr Zinchenko. He has a lot of European and international experience and can play several positions across the defense or midfield.
The former City players have won a lot of trophies at City, so they have arrived at the Emirates Stadium with a winning mentality. Arteta also worked with the pair when he spent three years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager before moving to Arsenal.
Board Stuck by Arteta Through Tough Period
The success Arteta and Arsenal are having this season justifies the decision made by the board to stick with their manager through multiple difficult periods over the last few years. They remained confident that the best person was in charge of the team.
One of the most notable instances where the club backed the manager was during the Aubameyang row. The then-Arsenal captain was one of the best assets in the playing squad, however, due to disagreements, Arteta made it clear that there was no place for the Gabon international in his team. The club opted to terminate the player’s contract, pathing the way for him to sign for Barcelona on a free transfer.
In his three seasons at the club now, Arsenal has failed to finish a campaign in the top four, so this year is an important one for Arteta. Last season, they went into the final few games of the season in the Champions League placings, but they failed to get the results they needed to secure a top-four finish.
Since Arsene Wenger was sacked by Arsenal in 2018, Arteta is the second manager the Gunners have had. The club has wanted a period of stability, so even though there were calls for the Spaniard to be let go last season, they chose to give him the resources he needed in the summer to turn the results around.
There is a long way to go in the 2022/23 Premier League, especially with an enforced break this season due to the FIFA World Cup. However, Arsenal has given themselves a good base to build upon with their positive start.
