But the 2023/24 Arsenal version is more complete than last season. The Emirates Stadium team finished the 2023/24 Premier League with 89 points, the second highest score in the history of the north London club’s participation in the highest division of English football. With 28 victories, Arteta ‘s team has achieved even better results than The Invincibles did 20 years ago.
Last year, the Gunners were swept away by Man City in April, but this season, Arsenal are significantly more brave. The home team at Emirates Stadium accumulated 49/54 points in 2024, losing only 1 match.
Of course, the 0-2 defeat to Aston Villa in round 33 was truly disastrous because it caused Arsenal to lose the right to self-determination against Man City, the team also won 51/57 points in 2024. Since Pep Guardiola took the hot seat at Etihad In 2016, the Spanish coach created a new standard for what a champion should look like. After 8 years in England, the 53-year-old strategist has won the crown 6 times with Man City.
There are still many fans who do not recognize The Citizens’ feat because of 115 allegations related to Financial Fair Play law, a point deduction is still hanging over the head of Guardiola’s army.
But with Arsenal, the Gunners do not need non-professional factors to bring down Man City because the Emirates Stadium team’s era of Premier League dominance is approaching .
After the first two years of facing many difficulties due to the process of purifying the squad, Arteta is getting closer to the day of reaping the sweet fruits.
Expected goals index, the key to evaluating a team’s ability to create scoring opportunities, tends to increase in every season Arteta leads Arsenal. Even this season, the Gunners have had good results. better than Man City in this regard. In the last two campaigns, the style of play that Arsenal has played has always made fans excited. Of course there are still some shortcomings, but Arteta is gradually perfecting the winning formula for the north London club.
In addition, the average age of the current Arsenal squad also brings many expectations for the future. This season in the Premier League, the average age in all Arsenal matches is the third youngest in the league, most of the pillars such as William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz or Martin Odegaard are all under 26 years old.
Meanwhile, direct competitors such as Man City or Liverpool are gradually “aging”. With The Citizens, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic have all passed the 30-year-old mark. Liverpool also has many similar cases like Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah.
The personnel recruitment policy of technical director Edu Gaspar and Arteta is effective . In the Premier League at this time, no team has a squad with great development potential like the home team at Emirates Stadium.
But most importantly, the backbone of Arsenal’s remarkable advancement in recent times, Arteta, is a coach who has never been satisfied with reality .
The 42-year-old strategist always wants to find ways to develop the team. Having worked with two of the most talented coaches in the world, Guardiola and Arsene Wenger, the football style that Arteta is building at the Emirates is truly worthy of the title of a big man.
Not only is he obsessed with the philosophy of ball control, the Spanish captain is also willing to ask his players to sit deep in the defensive squad whenever they encounter tough opponents, as Luton Town coach Rob Edwards admitted. commented: “Arsenal can cope with any match.”
The defensive fragility at the end of Wenger’s reign no longer exists. Now, the Gunners overwhelm their opponents with both technique and physicality. Many times this season, opponents cannot even finish accurately every time. when encountering Arteta’s army.
Arsenal is only 2 points away from Man City this season, but that cannot be a reason for Arteta to stop upgrading the squad. The North London club’s dressing room no longer has big egos like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Matteo Guendouzi. Arteta has built a united Gunners team with students ready to fight hard for the goal. logo on chest.
Next summer, Arteta will continue to make changes at the Emirates, but Arsenal fans can rest assured that the 1982-born coach will never stop until he creates a perfect team.