Green shoots at Arsenal bode well for 2022

With Arsenal, there is always the danger of extreme reactions. When Mikel Arteta’s men lost their opening three Premier League games of the season, conceding nine times and scoring none, there was a vilification of the Spaniard and his players.

The Gunners were in the relegation zone after defeats by Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City and the gloom-ridden assessments were unmistakable. 

In a campaign where observers tipped both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea for a top four berth, the North London side’s false start was a portent for a club looking to challenge for a Champions League return. 

Indeed, the improvement since has been striking. Heading into 2022, Arsenal are now favorites for the final CL spot and, on current form, could even set their sights higher and target third spot with Chelsea wobbling. 

The positivity around the club is an upshot of an improvement in performances, with the consistency of those showings something this group can be proud of. 

In truth, they had shown signs of their potential in the autumn but only appeared to play well and control games in fits and starts. The North London derby success over Tottenham Hotspur and wins over Leicester City and Aston Villa demonstrated the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Arteta’s men. 

When they played to their full potential in those matches, they overwhelmed the opponent and looked unstoppable. However, ceding control meant it was mixed feelings for Gooners who were pleased with the results but had reservations over the team’s broader direction. 

A 4-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in November precipitated fresh criticism as doubts about Arteta went into overdrive. Two subsequent defeats by Manchester United and, especially, Everton, who were winless in over two months before that 2-1 win at Goodison Park, exacerbated the opprobrium. 

Even though December began with two defeats, a series of convincing performances and results have seen a turnaround in supporters’ mood, further stressing the fickleness of observers. 

With 19 goals in five games in all competitions, Arsenal are ending 2021 on a high and fans are buoyed by this young group’s prospects heading into 2022. According to Opta, the Gunners have now netted four goals or more in all competitions for three games on the trot for the first time since September 1991. 

The fact there have been 10 different goal scorers in the latest resurgence stresses the general application as opposed to a reliance on any individual. 

Bukayo Saka — the two-goal hero in the 5-0 dismantling of Norwich City on Boxing Day — has netted three times in the last couple of league games, taking his Premier League tally to five for the campaign and matching last season’s personal best domestic haul. 

Five goal involvements in the last four PL games have taken the England international to nine goals plus assists in 2021/22, surpassing the preceding campaign’s return. Having been derided for his paltry raw numbers, the ongoing upswing is beyond gratifying to witness. 

Emile Smith Rowe has been an extremely useful option off the bench in recent weeks, becoming the first Arsenal player to score in four successive games as a substitute after his latest strike against Norwich on Sunday. 

The North London side also appear to be reaping the rewards of Martin Odegaard’s creativity, with the Norwegian setting up three goals either side of Christmas. The underlying numbers show the former Real Madrid man ranks ninth for expected assists (xA) per 90 among players averaging 10 games or higher while he sits in fifth for key passes per 90. 

Admittedly, questions remain over the futures of the rounded Alexander Lacazette, whose contract expires in a few months, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, currently persona non grata at the Arsenal Training Centre after facing disciplinary action, but this should not dampen the current mood. 

While this side’s youth means there will undoubtedly be growing pains, Arteta’s men have capitalized on Man United’s struggles this season to make themselves favorites for fourth halfway into the season. 

Indeed, had this situation been offered to Arsenal after those three losses at the start of the campaign, they would have taken it. 

The reactionary nature of Gooners means they are likely to go Chicken Little if they suffer another defeat by Manchester City in their opening fixture of 2022, but their inclination to swat aside teams they are expected to beat means they will not fall away as they strive to achieve this season’s principal target.

Of course, the next step in this young side’s development is to compete with City and Liverpool but the green shoots bode well for a Champions League return next year after five seasons away. 

Regardless of the expected bumps in the road, a return to Europe’s premier club competition will represent success for the PL’s youngest side and, some might even argue, be a vindication of Arteta’s management.