The acquisition of Eberechi Eze this week appeared to be an ideal move for Arsenal. Securing him from the grasp of Spurs, for whom his signing would have been a major play, was merely the icing on the cake.
Eze’s joining, finalized on Friday, was more than just a coup over fierce local competitors. It signified what seemed to be the last puzzle piece in the structure Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has been constructing, meticulously, since his arrival at the Emirates in December 2019.
This felt like a culmination. After an effective summer transfer season, which included the eagerly awaited addition of striker Viktor Gyokeres and the acquisition of the highly sought-after Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi, the inclusion of a remarkable attacking talent like Eze sent out a clear message that Arsenal is truly prepared.
Arteta has significantly improved Arsenal since his takeover. He has steered the club away from the stagnation of Arsene Wenger’s later years and the subsequent identity loss, guiding them back towards prosperity.
However, after finishing second in the Premier League for three consecutive years and five years since Arteta’s last trophy—the FA Cup in 2020—the time has come for Arsenal’s manager. This season is pivotal, and he must make progress. This is the year he must secure a trophy.
Arsenal have become genuine title contenders under Mikel Arteta
But the Spaniard’s only major trophy as Arsenal boss remains the FA Cup he won in 2020
Eberechi Eze will strengthen the attacking riches at Arteta’s disposal
At one point, almost reaching success was a comforting improvement for Arsenal over previous struggles, but that period has ended. The difficulties of Wenger’s decline are now just a faint recollection. It is now critical for Arteta to achieve tangible success.
The club cannot be accused of failing to back him in any way. The projected £67.5m signing of Eze will take Arsenal’s spending on player signings under Arteta to more than £900m. It is, by a big margin, the most any current manager in the game has spent since last winning a major trophy.
Since Arteta took over as Arsenal boss, Manchester City are the only club to have spent more but in that same period, Pep Guardiola has won the Champions League once, four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups. If Arteta does not join the party this season, he will come under intense pressure and rightly so.
He has done an outstanding job so far but the lack of a trophy since that lone FA Cup triumph five years ago is a glaring omission in his resume. Until now, progress has been enough. This season, with all the elements in place on the pitch, there needs to be finite proof of that progress.
Ideally, that means a first Premier League title for Arsenal. Their squad is the third most expensive group of players in world football. The last step is for Arteta to get the best out of it. He has been building and building and he has been given patience but this season represents his biggest test.
This is the season when he has to deliver or face the reality that if he cannot lead Arsenal to a trophy this time, with a richness in playing resources that is the envy of most managers in the game, then maybe it is never going to happen.
Arsenal were unable to keep pace with Liverpool last season, finishing 10 points behind the eventual champions
Arteta knows the pressure is on to deliver silverware this season – even if that’s the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup
Winning the Premier League, or the Champions League, is within reach but if those trophies slip away again, the bare minimum requirement for Arteta is the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup. There has to be something that shows that Arsenal have regained a winning mentality.
For all the improvements Arteta has fashioned, Arsenal are still vulnerable to the accusation, widely levelled at them, that they have a soft mentality when it comes to crunch moments. They have to banish that. They have to win something that can act as a catalyst for greater trophies to come.
Winning the league is a tough ask, as it always is, but there are some signs that title-holders Liverpool might need a season to assimilate their raft of new signings before they can get back to their best. Manchester City appear to be past their worst of their uncertainties last season but not, perhaps, quite yet the winning machine they once were.
The chance is there. Arteta has to seize it. I have never believed the idea that Arsenal have ‘bottled’ their title pursuits in the past. They have just been beaten by better teams with deeper squads. This year, there are no excuses.
