2022–23 Arsenal FC Season Preview

Arsenal look like a genuine threat to the Premier League in 2022–23. Here, I will give an extensive (if not in-depth) preview of the team.

I’ve sprinkled some twitter resources throughout if you’d like to learn more about certain subjects.

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta has been an undoubtedly controversial figure in N5 (and wherever the Twitter servers are located) for the last two-and-a-half years. Results-wise, there have been ups (the 2019–20 FA Cup win in his first year) and downs (back-to-back 8th-placed finishes). Doubts too have arised over in-game decisions (hooking Nuno Tavares before half against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, along with numerous instances of too-late substitutions early in his tenure) and personnel flexibility (the system he tried against Southampton away after several injuries was not *it*). However, what cannot be doubted is Arteta’s effect on the culture and atmosphere around the club.

Players, coaches, and staff alike have praised Arteta’s effect on the dressing room (an example among many: Emile Smith Rowe stated recently that Arteta has created a “family” atmosphere around the club), while incoming signings seemed convinced of his quality, or at least the quality of the project he leads (here are Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira saying as much). Their excitement and belief have infected the (matchgoing) fans as well, as a new chant for ‘Mik’ Arteta started to ring around Arsenal games, home and away, halfway through last season.

System

I’m no tactical genius (or even much of an enthusiast), but any idiot with eyes who's watched Arsenal’s preseason matches can see that we’re playing with a 4-2-3-1 press, a classic juego de posición 4-3-3 / 2-3-5 in possession, and a flexible 4- or 5-at-the-back mid-block depending on what the opponent does. There are rotations between the three players in the left and right half-spaces and wings (RB, RCM, RW; LB, LCM, LW), though most the time fullbacks will invert, 8s will occupy the halfspaces, and wingers will hug the touchline.

It’s a baby-Man City system that has worked for us in that beautiful December 2021 to March 2022 stretch of games, wherein (except for those cup performances and Burnley away (*shakes fists* damn you Lacazette)) we won matches consistently.

The problem last year was not the system: when Tomiyasu and Tierney were injured, we broke under the weight of not-sharp backups. Moreover, we would sometimes freak out in the buildup phase and either lose the ball or hoof it long, resulting in losing control of the game.

This year, though, we've added personnel who will hopefully provide the quality needed to propel us to the next level, one that the system has shown the potential to reach.

More analysis on our system can be found mostly at @nonewthing and @EBL2017.

Transfer window

William Saliba

The most serious-looking Frenchman since Eric Cantona is back in an Arsenal shirt, and he’s good. He’s physically imposing and a good defender both in a high line and in the box. Looks like his impressive year at Marseille (see: Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and most passes by a player ever in a single season) has bolstered his already strong confidence and calmness on the ball with a good sense of where his opponents are and strong technical consistency.

Fábio Vieira

Personally, I’ve only watched him in comps, but from those, he looks like Ødegaard if the Norwegian had more speed, angles, and decisiveness. Seems like a player ideal for our higher up RCM role, where he can make decisive passes and, on occasion, use his ballstriking to finish off moves. I’m (as I’m sure most Arsenal fans are) very excited to watch him play.

Gabriel Jesus

Finally, a 9. Thousands of words have been said, written, and read on this man. His preseason performances have been phenomenal. His movement, his energy, his personality, his ability to function properly as a football player has been missing from our team since Aubameyang went bad. Will bang. Not to mention, a massive bargain in a striker market where unproven talents like Alexander Isak are going for £76 million.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

I didn’t expect us to sign him, but I’m very happy he did. Great competition for Tierney, amazing technical ability (that will certainly help us deal with our commonly mentioned buildup composure issues), solid personality. That switch of play to Saka (0:36 in this video) from his debut against Chelsea has me salivating. Another bargain, too. Thanks, City.

Players to watch

(I feel like I may have included too many players here, but screw it.)

Gabriel Martinelli

Sylvain Wiltord. Andre Santos. Gabriel Martinelli. Based mostly on vibes, I think this will be #11’s year. He came in with speed, finishing, and that dawg in him, and he’s since developed 1v1 ability, crossing, and (some) pausa. He had double digit output last season, and I feel like he’ll develop enough to get 20 G/A this year. Forget “Gakpo” and “Lang.” Give Doginelli the keys at LW.

Eddie Nketiah

Wearing a number with a more illustrious legacy than Martinelli, Eddie has a lot of pressure to be a worthy successor to the likes of Martin Keown. Most of that pressure, though, will likely be self-imposed. Eddie looks, trains, and plays with a chip on his shoulder (as though he’s been rejected at some point in his career…), and this motivation has helped him become a physical beast, on top of his beyond sound fundamentals. Will be interesting, though, how he’ll fit into the squad, with the acquisition of Gabriel Jesus at 9 and the competition of Martinelli and ESR at LW.

Al8ert Sam8i Lokon8a

Preseason has proved that LCM is, as of now, Sambi’s best position. Nothing to say that’s not already been retweeted thousands of times, other than the fact that Sambi could be a part of the answer to our question of goals from midfield.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

He’s so good. Young, quick, two-footed, unpressable, good in the air, solid in defence, underrated going forward. Came in guns blazing to win Arsenal’s September Player of the Month. I rewatched the one minute of his return against United at home many, many times (especially this clip). The man needs to stay fit. Please. I mean, who needs to be subbed because of injury in his team’s home, away, and third kit in his debut season?

With Saliba coming back, Benny Blanco is an increasingly solid option at RB. There’s a certain youngster knocking at the door of the RB spot, too.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy

Coming off a brilliant loan spell in League One with Lincoln City, where he displayed great physical ability and block-breaking dribbling, BNC will need to prove that he has the mature decision making to breakout early in the Premier League. Interestingly, he hasn’t been loaned out, which suggests that he may be in the club’s plans for the season (or that the club is waiting until he returns from his late summer break after winning the U19 Euros with England before making a decision). Either way, being only 18 (!!!), BNC has massive potential.

Reuell Walters

Who the fuck is this kid? Why did Arteta take him to America over Charlie Patino, Marcelo Flores, and Folarin Balogun? I’m so intrigued. Carabao Cup and Europa League can be good character building opportunities; excited to see if he can do it on a cold, rainy Thursday night in Cyprus.

Martin Ødegaard

O captain! My captain! Please start showing up in big games! Especially! If! You’re! Wearing! The! Armband!

In all seriousness (not that his ghosting in several crucial matches isn’t serious), Ødegaard is phenomenal at some things (mainly combining with Saka, but also circulating in the final third in general), but I feel like he can be limited by his occasional slowness in both burst and decision making. Works hard though, and clearly trusted by Arteta. I’m one of those endorsing a move deeper into the more second-phase heavy LCM role, but he’ll need to develop his duel-winning skills to truly succeed there.

Loan watch

The four less relevant ones

Now, I don’t watch the MLS, the Academy, or the Championship very much, so please look to other accounts for more information on these guys. (@jeorgebird is a great resource for the academy)

Nikolaj Moller is at FC Den Bosch in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. I haven’t heard from him since his partnership with Balogun made the rounds in 2020–21, and people proclaimed him the second coming of Zlatan. Hoping he kicks on this year after spending the latter half of last year and preseason this year with the same club.

Mika Biereth is at RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivise. Don’t know much about him or the club, but hopefully will be a good loan in a league kind to young attackers, though I worry that it might still be too big of a jump from U23s football.

Marcelo Flores is at Real Oviedo in the Spanish Segunda División. He’s been known as one of the stars of the academy for the last year. Don’t know much about him either, but Oviedo are apparently a favourite for promotion, so he has a chance to play in a good, top flight-adjacent team.

Auston Trusty is at Birmingham City in the Championship. What I originally thought was a Stan-money-laundering purchase has turned, at least according to one Birmingham City fan (@1875cal), into an intriguing investment.

Folarin Balogun

Flo had a decent, if slightly underwhelming loan spell with Chris Wilder’s Middlesbrough last year, and I thought a return to the Championship would’ve been his best option for this year. However, a move to Ligue 1’s Stade de Reims is far more interesting. He has big, Hugo Ekitike-sized shoes to fill for Reims. This will likely be a crucial year for his development.

Charlie Patino

Patino looked phenomenal in preseason against Nürnberg, effortlessly slotting into the LCM spot with his agility, pass selection, and physicality. His debut goal last season proves he has good attacking positional sense, too. Patino isn’t short of talent, and the Championship is a great place for talent to mature and develop. Hopefully former Lincoln City manager Michael Appleton (who coached BNC last year) can help develop him (and his knee-sliding skills) at Blackpool.

Nuno Tavares

I am firmly onboard the “Nuno Tavares is an Amazing Physical and Technical Talent” train. He needs to develop his concentration and consistency (almost as much as Tomiyasu needs to stay fit), after which he can be one of the best fullbacks in the world. Marseille and Ligue 1 is a good place to do this, as long as he has consistent gametime.

Conclusion

CW: mentions of sexual assault

As I’ve detailed in the last 1700+ words, Arsenal fans have great reason to be excited for the coming season.

There is, however, an unavoidable #5-shaped cloud pissing all over my excitement. The evidence is abundant: #5 is a vile human being. The reaction of Arsenal fans defending #5 aren’t surprising, though despicable and blood-boiling nonetheless. It’s gotten so bad that the fucking Met Police had to issue a Twitter statement all but confirming that #5’s guilt so that people would stop abusing the victim for coming out.

What affects me the most, though, is Arsenal’s decision to keep playing #5. We’ve had this information for almost a year. Nothing. This man is a serial rapist. Nothing. He’s probably going to start against Palace.

I love Arsenal Football Club. I’ve been through the ups and downs of this football club since I started following it when I was 8. Being from Southeast Asia, I’ve woken up at 3AM to watch us play like shit and lose to Aston Villa, and I still loved the club. It’s helped me through times of tough mental health, been the thing I looked forward to every week, even in the shit times.

I understand that the decision is probably best for business, but a football club is more than a business. I don’t know what to make of Mikel Arteta for continuing to pick #5. I don’t know what to make of Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, all these people who are supposed to be looked up to and supported, for playing with him and celebrating with him as though everything was normal. I don’t know if I’ll tune in on Friday (or 2AM Saturday my time).

I hope the club does the right thing (and there is an obvious right thing). Above all else, I hope all the women who’ve been hurt by him (we don’t even know if there are more) get their justice. I hope they get their closure.