Hello, and welcome back to the Talking Out of My Arsenal blog. The Premier League 25/26 season is on the verge of kicking off. 2hours 45mins from time of writing. For us Arsenal fans, all eyes are firmly on Sunday for the opener against Manchester United in Old Trafford. I am quite rightly excited.
I am also aware that I’ve not held up to my original commitment on post frequency, and that’s resulting from a couple of reasons. A little bit of writer’s block, a little bit of procrastination, and a hell of a busy schedule over the past few weeks. Anyway – I’m back and raring to go for the weekend. Hopefully the players are too…
So, what has happened in the last weeks since my first post after the game against Milan? Well, it’s been a mixed bag. The preseason concluded with wins against Milan, Newcastle and Athletic Club, and honestly, two pretty meek defeats to Spurs and Villareal.
We’ve signed players. Holy shit, we signed a striker!! We signed another Chelsea player.
No, sorry, we signed two…
We have our injured players back (bar the papier-mâché knee-d Gabriel Jesus), and to my knowledge haven’t managed to injure anyone else.
We’re ready, right?
Well, steady on. Here’s a few thoughts before the season officially kicks off with the ‘Pool v Bournemouth tonight.
Over the course of preseason, I’ve tried to stay balanced in all my views, be it related to match performance or transfer speculation. I have really tried to not buy into any of the noise that followed the defeats when Twitter just threw the baby out with the bathwater and called the season over before it had started. Similarly, I made sure not to get too buzzed after the impressive performance against Bilbao.
Side note – that wasn’t completely easy – we looked very, very good.
A first goal for VG14, a ready-made star in Martin Zubimendi, and numerous other positives for us to take away, but there were also evident downsides. We looked vulnerable against the counter. We didn’t look overly convincing in attack until we brought on a 15yr old. And some of the combinations I have to say, I don’t like the (early) look of.
Transfer links, rumours, and ACTUAL transfers also dominated the last weeks. Arsenal have signed x6 players as of the time of writing.
Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke, and Christian Norgaard have all joined the club over the summer.
Overall, I am happy with the signings; they addressed key areas requiring immediate and effective attention, and in my view have upgraded on the departures. So, with all that’s said and done now, there are x3 primary questions that need answering, and I’ll do my best.
Are we ready for the start of the season?
I think we’re well placed to make a strong start. Our injured players are mostly* back. Our new signings should be bedded in. We have no real fitness concerns, and ultimately and most importantly, the core of the team that has performed so well over the course of the last few seasons is still there. No shock departures either, so the big names that we know, and love are still wearing the Arsenal red. It marks a stark contrast from some years ago when we signed muck and our star players were jumping ship each and every summer.
Yes, I think we’re ready, and I’m hoping that we’re more ready than some of our rivals. What I’m particularly pleased about is that the players had a summer off. No international tournaments thankfully, and no inclusion in the Club World Cup meant that players like Saka, Rice, and Havertz, who seem to do nothing but play and play and play, got time to rest! Praise the lord!
Is the squad depth there and have we recruited sufficiently well?
Almost. In a nutshell, I still think that we’re one player short, and that player specifically, wears the red and blue of another London club. He’s also being annoyingly and increasingly linked with Spurs.
From those that we’ve brought in, yes, I am happy if not totally over the moon. I truly believe that barring a serious injury, Martin Zubimendi could well be the PL signing of the season. I just think he’s that good, and I’ve been banging that drum for many a month now. I think he will change the way we play and upgrade our attacking impetus immeasurably. Not bad for a supposed holding midfielder.
I retain my position on VG14. I still harbour some concerns that he’s not the right fit for Arsenal, but I am hopeful that these apprehensions prove unfounded in the coming weeks. He will score goals, I think that’s guaranteed. But will he score enough goals, and the goals that we need when we need them? I think the jury is somewhat out on that.
Madueke, I wasn’t in support of that signing and I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but he’s an Arsenal player now and now he has all my support. My concerns were twofold. Firstly, I had concerns with his attitude and application. We saw it at Chelsea, and I don’t want to see it at my club. Secondly, and perhaps more relevantly, well I just didn’t think he’s all that good… A talented player with a high ceiling, sure! But I’m not fully sold. Come on Noni, prove me wrong. Please!
Norgaard, Mosquera and Kepa all are clever signings that fill gaps that needed filling and I’m happy with all of them. Cristhian Mosquera, well I knew nothing of him before joining the Arsenal but a note to mention here. He looked very good in preseason. First impressions are particularly positive for him.
Is this team now good enough to close out the gap and bring us the silverware we desire so badly?
Well… it links with my comment in the above. I think we’re one short, but regardless, yes, I really do think that we can and should win something this year. Why not? You don’t get to a UCL semi-final (beaten by the best team in the world also), without being good enough to compete and win domestically. We now have a better team than last year. It’s an obvious point to make, but we need a bit of luck with injuries, and we need a hell of a lot of luck with referees. We need the fans to back Arteta, to back the team, and to cheer every kick of the ball. If we can manage a bit of all of that, then yes, Arsenal win this season. What will we win? Come back to me when the window closes.
Thanks for your time, and as always, if you think I’m just talking out of my arse, let me know!
TL;DR – Arsenal’s season kicks off in less than two days and I think we’re ready, despite some evident ups and downs in preseason. A tough opening schedule, starting with Manchester United away, but an opportunity for us to lay down an early marker. The new signings will improve the squad and the team, and our rivals should rightly fear us. Bring it on! I’m an excited man.
Also it’s Friday, it’s sunny, and I’m going to go drink a beer now.
Not bad
Still TL;DR – will win something this year. Maybe.