When coach Mikel Arteta took over Arsenal, he built a 5-step plan to bring the team back to the top. After completing the first 4 goals, Arsenal won the Premier League title.
Now, Arteta is aiming for the next step: to build a period of dominance and do what Arsene Wenger has never done, which is to help Arsenal successfully defend the championship.
The Gunners" just won the Premier League last season. Before that, they had never won the league for two consecutive seasons since 1935. Even the unbeaten team under Wenger could not defend the throne in the following season.
Therefore, Arteta can turn this historic goal into motivation for his students in the 9-month journey ahead. Arsenal is highly rated in the championship race, but last season's championship also pointed out some issues they need to improve.
One of them is the ability to attack from live ball situations. Arsenal possesses a solid defense and is especially dangerous in set pieces, but the ability to create opportunities and score from live ball is not commensurate with the championship status.
This was clearly shown in the Champions League final last season. Arsenal did not have a single shot on target in 114 minutes after being led by Paris Saint-Germain. That defeat shows that Arteta's team may still have difficulty finding a way to penetrate a well-organized defense.
This is also a problem that appeared throughout last season. The Gunners achieved good results thanks to their defensive ability and set pieces, but sometimes lacked diversity in attacking situations from live balls.
The 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield may bring positive signals. Arsenal scored all 3 goals from live ball situations and did not create significant opportunities from set pieces. The way they controlled the match and continuously put pressure on Man City showed that their attacking ability could be improved.
However, transfer activities raise some questions about the depth of the attack. Morgan Rogers was once considered the top target before Chelsea spent £117 million to recruit this player from Aston Villa. After that, Arsenal switched direction to Vinicius Junior, but the plan failed when the Brazilian player decided to continue to stick with Real Madrid.
Christos Tzolis is a noteworthy attacking signing for Arsenal in the summer. This player was brought in to replace Leandro Trossard and bring youth to the attack. However, apart from Tzolis, Arsenal still possesses an attacking framework relatively similar to last season.
Arteta still has time to add personnel before the transfer window closes. Arsenal have shown that late-completed deals can still have a big impact, like the case of Eberechi Eze last season.
However, the early season schedule will quickly test Arsenal's quality. Aston Villa and Chelsea are among the opponents they have to face in the first 3 matches. Therefore, the "Gunners" will be greatly watched from the first rounds.
Arteta has brought Arsenal back to the position of a champion. The next challenge is not only to defend the title but also to prove they are capable of maintaining success for many seasons. If they improve their live ball attacking ability and maintain stability, Arsenal can begin writing the next chapter in the Arteta era.
