2012/2013: 4th
Player(s) In: Yaya Sanogo (Auxerre, Free), Emiliano Viviano (Palermo, Loan), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid, £42.4 Million)
Player(s) Out: Gervinho (Roma, £8 Million), Andre Santos (Flamengo, Free), Vito Mannone (Hull, £2 Million), Johan Djourou (Hamburg, Loan), Denilson (Sao Paulo, Free), Andrey Arshavin, Sebastien Squillaci (All Released)
Transfers Review:
Comparing Arsenal's signings to my earlier Arsenal season review post, in which I laid out those players who had been considered transfer targets, and who would be expected to leave, we can clearly see that many of Arsenal's transfer targets have either moved on, or have elected to stay with their respective clubs. How many of these were approached by the Gunners is unclear, but certainly a couple were thought to be very much on the Arsenal radar. In terms of outgoings, Arsenal will be glad to have kept key players like Podolski and Sagna, and have got rid of much of the deadwood. However, replacements for all of these have yet to be found, perhaps leaving the squad a little threadbare. Certainly, they cannot afford many injuries as things stand.
In another season in which Arsenal had seemingly failed to spend a large sum, initial moves for firstly Gonzalo Higuain, and more notably, Luis Suarez, to bolster their striking options, had both been unsuccessful. With Higuain now at Napoli, the Suarez affair rumbled on. Arsenal's bid of £40,000,001, designed to trigger a clause in the striker's contract (which the Gunners were ill-informed about), illustrated Wenger's change in position over spending. The usual sense of 'only spend what we bring in' has been abandoned, with the board well aware that a lack of recruits may lead to them missing out on that all-important 4th place this year. The deadline day signing of Mesut Ozil for £42.4 Million further illustrates the change in emphasis. The Real Madrid man will be an excellent signing, but I do question whether another creative midfielder is needed, with both Cazorla and Podolski already on the books. Whether Wenger will go to the figures that Brendan Rodgers is suggesting for Suarez (closer to £100 Million) is doubtful, but Arsenal still need to bring in further reinforcements, especially with the release/sale of several back-up players.
Having said that, the North London club were one of the first to announce a transfer, with the France U21 international Yaya Sanogo coming in on a free transfer from Auxerre. The 20-year-old striker looks a decent prospect, and will provide vital goals in Arsenal's charge for the top 4. However, he is just 20, and he will inevitably take time to adjust to the Premier League. As much as I think he looks a prospect, I would be highly surprised if he scored more than 10 goals this season. In my opinion, a defender, a wide midfielder, and a high profile striker are still all needed to give Arsenal the advantage on the race for the 4th place. As it stands, I fear for Arsene Wenger's long record of providing Champions League football.
Pre-Season:
The Gunners set off on a pre-season tour of Asia at the beginning of July, where they were greeted by enormous crowds wherever they went, indicating Arsenal's impression on the continent. Whilst the results may not be particularly relevant or indicative of the upcoming season, it is always a good opportunity to hand the young players a chance to show themselves. They certainly took that opportunity, demolishing firstly the Indonesia All Stars 7-0, before travelling to Hanoi to win against Vietnam 7-1. The following two matches were certainly a lot closer, but ultimately ended with the same result. The Gunners beat Nagoya Grampus Eight 3-1, before a close fought 2-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds to end their tour. Returning to Europe, Arsenal took part in three (perhaps more relevant) friendly matches, starting at home to Napoli in the annual Emirates Cup. After falling 2-0 down after the first half-hour, the Gunners fought back to secure a promising draw, with late goals from Giroud and Koscielny. In the final, Arsenal faced Galatasaray, and an old adversary came back to haunt them. Didier Drogba, who returned to Europe in January after a brief stint in China, converted a soft penalty to level Theo Walcott's first half strike, before drilling home late on to secure the win for the Turks. After that disappointment, a visit from high-spending Manchester City to finish the Gunners' preparations would have been the last thing they needed. However, Arsenal responded to produce arguably their finest performance of the summer, winning 3-1, and handing themselves the perfect morale-booster before the start of the new Premier League season.
Key Players:
Wenger and Arsenal will have to rely on many of their established names to produce the form that is worthy of Champions League football. This season may well prove to be pivotal in the career of Jack Wilshire. The England midfielder has been beset by injuries for the majority of the last couple of seasons, and will be anxious to find some kind of form. From an English perspective, seeing Wilshire perform regularly will only be beneficial when it comes to the national team.
Secondly, this will have to be the season where we see the best from Santi Cazorla. The diminutive Spaniard looked promising last campaign, but with Arsenal's lack of signings, his input becomes ever more crucial. He now must take the role that Juan Mata performed so outstandingly for Chelsea last year: chief playmaker. How many goals Arsenal score this season could be, in no small part, down to him.
Key Fixture Dates:
01/09/2013: Arsenal vs Tottenham
02/11/2013: Arsenal vs Liverpool
10/11/2013: Manchester United vs Arsenal
14/12/2013: Manchester City vs Arsenal
21/12/2013: Arsenal vs Chelsea
08/02/2014: Liverpool vs Arsenal
11/02/2014: Arsenal vs Manchester United
15/03/2014: Tottenham vs Arsenal
22/03/2014: Chelsea vs Arsenal
29/03/2014: Arsenal vs Manchester City
Top Goalscorer:
This is an area in which Arsenal are going to struggle this campaign. Unless the Luis Suarez affair ends in their favour, bringing the Uruguayan to The Emirates, much of the goalscoring responsibilities will fall onto the shoulders of Olivier Giroud. Arsene Wenger's love of French strikers is obvious, with, at times, spectacular results. I do not think that the former Montpellier man is of the calibre of Thierry Henry, however. Unlike his compatriot, I doubt Giroud's ability to carry this team in the way Henry or Robin van Persie used to do. I do believe that Giroud will finish as Arsenal's top goalscorer, though I do not expect his tally to be particularly high.
Prediction:
Once again, this will be a season in which the Gunners challenge for a place among Europe's elite, rarely threatening the title race, but unlikely to slip down the table dramatically. As things stand, I fear that this season may be the year that their city rivals Tottenham pip them to that final Champions League spot. In my opinion, Arsenal will struggle in the final third, without a proven goalscorer. Whilst they look defensively strong, I expect to see too many draws to claim that 4th place.
Arsenal 2013/2014: 5th
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