NFL
By: Ty Reeves
After what proved to be a fruitful month of September, Arsenal has shaken off their rough start to the 2021-2022 season and has climbed up the table to 11th place. Undefeated in their last four matches and silencing Spurs at the Emirates in the first North London Derby of the season, the Gunners are in a good spot coming out of the international break.
Getting Back to Business:
After drawing 0-0 against Brighton on October 2nd, the Gunners got a well-needed break from Premier League play. Multiple players went out on international duty and a plethora of those players got their names on the scoresheet over this two-week span. Thomas Partey scored two goals for Ghana, while Saka, Smith-Rowe, Pepe, Aubameyang, and Tavares all scored for their countries during the break. Hopefully, these goals during the international break will transfer over to the EPL for the rest of the season.
The Arsenal players were on 🔥🔥 during the international break!
Do you think they'll bring this for back to the Prem? 🙏#Arsenal #AFC #England pic.twitter.com/QhlHQbBzcX
— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) October 13, 2021
Rumours Start to Circle as January Approaches:
During the summer transfer window, the club broke out its checkbook, spending the most money out of any Premier League team. After the first two months of the season, you can finally see the way Arteta wants his squad to play. As good as the team has been over the past four games, there are still areas where the team needs to improve. One of those areas seems to be the holding midfielder position.
Thomas Partey is clearly the number one option in that specific position. But with his recent track record of injuries and the possibility of losing him in January due to the African Cup of Nations, is this a clear indicator for Arsenal to bring in another midfielder similar to Partey?
On top of losing Partey, Mo Elneny, who represents Egypt, is also a possibility to miss time in the Arsenal squad due to the tournament. Elneny’s contract with Arsenal also expires at the end of the season and it’s reported that Turkish club Galatasaray is interested in his services. Granit Xhaka is also recovering from an injury that he picked up against Tottenham and he’s expected to miss up to 8 weeks. With that being said the two options for the deeper role of the midfield would be Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
I’m a supporter of both players. I think they’re both talented and offer different things on the pitch, but if we want to compete for the top four. We need to pursue someone in the transfer window. The name that has been tossed around by the media is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return to London. After growing frustrated with his lack of game time at Liverpool, apparently, Arsenal are interested in his services.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is frustrated at his lack of playing time at Liverpool, Arsenal are reportedly interested. 🗞️
The Gunners want an initial six-month loan with the option of a permanent deal. 👀
If true, would you like Oxlade-Chamberlain back at the club? 🤔#Arsenal #AFC pic.twitter.com/9sdLVA19xc
— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) October 11, 2021
Personally, I don’t think Ox will help bolster the squad even on a short-term basis. He was good for the club before he left. But there is really no reason to bring him back into the squad that is clearly being built for the future. The area the Gunners need to add in the midfield is strength and physicality. When I think of those two things I think currently of Wilfred Ndidi and Franck Kessie.
Wilfred Ndidi is an experienced defensive midfielder who has thrived at Leicester City. The Nigerian international has recently been unsettled with the Foxes but has been a consistent player in Brendan Rodgers’s side. It has been reported that Manchester United is interested in bolstering their midfield play but with the current market, it might be tough for the Red Devils to make a move. Hence why it would be perfect for Arsenal to hijack his signature.
The other viable option is Franck Kessie. Kessie has been a name that has been talked about over the past couple of years. His play over the past year at AC Milan has improved and has caught the attention of many big-name clubs around Europe. Barcelona is currently one of the major teams monitoring the Ivory Coast international as his contract with Milan is set to expire this year, and contract talks have stalled. Arsenal would need to offer European football if they hope to sign either of these players.
No Return:
One player that was always expected to leave during the summer was Hector Bellerin. The club was only able to get him a season loan move to Real Betis in La Liga, but it sounds as though Bellerin’s career as a Gunner is over.
Bellerin recently said that he wouldn’t have joined Betis if he didn’t have a long-term goal in mind. “If I didn’t want to be here next year, I wouldn’t have come. There are many things to be decided, what has to happen will happen.”
Now even though these comments aren’t too shocking, it’s surprising at how early they are coming out. It was made known by Bellerin that he has the desire to start a new journey away from London. But with the Gunners improved form you think it would add some incentive to stay. Looks like the Spaniard has his mind made up.
Looking Ahead:
Arsenal is back in action on Monday, October 18th at home as they take on Crystal Palace, who are managed by Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira’s. The hype around the game is the return of Vieira, but for Arsenal, these three points would put the Gunners one point outside the top five. After their bout at Palace, Arsenal will welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates on Friday. It seems to be a weekly theme but these games are crucial for the rest of the season. If Arsenal hopes to keep their top-four dreams alive.
