If you ask an English football fan which side will likely win the Premier League, you will not hear Arsenal as the top-of-mind option. The final years of Arsene Wenger’s reign with the Gunners have been marked by consistent disappointment, missing out on the top trophy of the league year in and year out.
However, North London is buzzing with excitement for the coming season. A new man heads the touchline for the coming Premier League season, and he promises winning football to a proud club that badly needs it. Alongside his arrival are big signings that provide much-needed reinforcements to the first team.
How will the league (and the SBOBET football page) be affected by this new-look Arsenal? Will they see the Gunners at the top of the table once again? Or will the Premier League 2018 results show the Gunners struggle with growing pains for another season?
Key Strengths
The biggest changes Unai Emery will bring to the side is the formation and philosophy changes. He will most likely field four-in-the-back formations with the full-backs bringing the width to the formation. This means that the driving force of the formation would be the midfield.
They showed fans what they can expect out of the club once football season formally makes a return in the weekend. Their ICC victory over Chelsea was a unique take for fans used to the somewhat unsure brand of football shown by Arsene’s Arsenal. Every pass had a purpose, and their attacks came from all over the place.
The formations and attacking philosophies will maximise the talents of the men manning the midfield. The Gunners have that in spades with Mesut Ozil most likely taking the central role in the formation, making the big passes that connect the backline and the attackers from the middle of the pitch.
The Gunners should also have no problems shooting for goals with the two strong forwards they have. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are two of the strongest attackers in Europe and should be able to provide the Spaniard manager with easy goals.
Their defence also got a bit of an upgrade in the offseason. Petr Cech will be competing for game time with Bernd Leno, a quality keeper from the Bundesliga. Sokratis joins the former Leverkusen man in the switch to the Premier League to take Per Mertesacker’s place.
Major Weaknesses and Concerns
I still think that the Gunners still have an issue with attack despite having rich options up front. They are still reeling from losing Alexis Sanchez last season, and none of the current wingers on Emery’s payroll is able to fill the dynamic explosiveness provided by the Chilean from the wings.
The squad is also still adjusting to the high defensive line that is a part of the aggressive possession football Emery is aiming for at Arsenal. Several ICC matches have shown the vulnerability of the Gunners against speedy opponents that try to catch them off with long passes that test their offside traps.
Putting the players and the supporters into the right mentality would also be a proper challenge for Emery. Arsenal have disappointed time and time again over the past five years, with their closest Premier League challenge being the year Leicester shocked everyone and won the title.
It will be quite challenging for him to face an incredibly strong Tottenham side and come out of it with the motivation still intact among the players, the fans and the board.
Key Players to Watch
Of course, much expectation is still placed on Ozil’s shoulders. This season will be especially testing for the midfielder who recently announced his retirement from international football. He is an important presence to the side, but fans berate his non-necessary work rate. It will be interesting to see how Ozil works under Emery’s new system.
Lacazette and Aubameyang are also must-watch players for the Gunners. Both players have played well while donning the Gunners kit, but assessing their performance under Emery will be a different experience altogether. Whether they find harmony on the pitch together or with one on the bench remains to be seen.
Finally, Matteo Guendouzi is the most electrifying youngster that should become an integral part of the Gunners in the future. His impressive work rate, tackling skills, and passing vision have ensured that the France Under-20 midfielder is cherished among the Arsenal faithful.
Fearless Forecast
Arsenal are currently ranked sixth most likely to win the Premier League, with SBOBET’s Premier League 2018 betting page giving the Gunners 17.20 outright odds to win the league. Bitter rivals Tottenham are placed just higher at 12.00.
Everything will still depend on how much of Emery’s strategy was understood by the Gunners. There will be a lot of adjustments to be made, and there will be growing pains as the players try to fully incorporate his high-pressing football into their very being.
With that being said, Arsenal will NOT WIN the Premier League this year!
However, if Emery’s Arsenal played an attractive brand of football, you will see me horning them in as favourites to win the league in the 2019/20 season.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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