Fixture list may have been kind but Mikel Arteta has rebuilt the culture and the squad look ready for a return to the top level
Mikel Arteta has been given the time required to shape a squad over two and a half years. Everyone wants a quick fix in football but sometimes changing a club’s strategy takes time and Arsenal could be about to reap the rewards. We are only two games into the new Premier League season so no one should get too carried away with six points against Crystal Palace and Leicester but the signs are promising. The victories have set the platform for a great start to the campaign, especially with winnable matches against Bournemouth, Fulham and Aston Villa before the month ends. If they get maximum points it will help build momentum and confidence, two incredibly important traits.
Arsenal have had another successful window this summer, adding players with experience of winning the Premier League. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko know what it is like to fight at the top of the league and can lead the team to reach higher levels. Managers always want to add winners to the dressing room, they’re resilient. Arteta signed two players he worked with previously at Manchester City; his methods are not identical to Pep Guardiola’s but they are of the same ilk so both will know what is wanted from them. It was a smooth transition for Zinchenko and Jesus and both wanted to play in this type of football environment.
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