These are strange times for Arsenal fans. Good, but nevertheless strange. Many ended last season, the best finish for seven years and only the second time in eighteen years that the club finished in the top two, gutted. Many of those have, after a period of reflection, been able to appreciate what an incredible effort it was, and more importantly what progress has been made at the club.
That word is crucial: progress. If last season was merely a flash in the pan, a one off, then that disappointment is justified. But you have to think that last season was the start of a journey, not the whole journey. A quick look at the Premier League betting for the forthcoming season, shows bookmakers are in agreement, with Arsenal firmly second favourites for the title.
The question for Arsenal fans now however is what is the (realistic) goal this season? Yes, obviously everyone will be hoping to go one better and clinch that 14th league title. But should we be focussing purely on closing the gap on Manchester City, or is it more important at this stage to ensure we maintain at least second place and stay ahead of the chasing pack? That pack next season looks like it will be larger and more competitive than the season just gone. Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and even perhaps Chelsea will all have their eyes on those top two spots. Aston Villa and Brighton may be slightly off the pace of the top four, but on their day they are certainly capable of giving any team in the division a bloody nose.
This season has the added spice of Champions League football (with the drawer for the group stages taking place on the 31st of August). Success in that competition would take the focus off the need for domestic success. That is another reason that Arteta had to go out and spend big this summer. I don’t think anyone knew just how big that spend would be, and there is the argument that with the most expensively assembled squad in the world settling for second place isn’t an option.
Any Arsenal fan who lived through the Wenger years should be craving more than a short term fix for the years of scarcity. In Arteta, the club has a man in his former manager’s mould. Someone who builds a club for long term success, with a clear vision and philosophy that pervades through every aspect of the club. If that is what is achieved, then looking back in four, five, ten years’ time, what happened last season can really be seen as the first step on the journey to achieving it. That said, football is more than just a process. There does need to be silverware along the way.
The acquisition of Rice showed a huge statement of the club’s intent. That, maybe more than the weeks they spent at the top of the table indicates that Arsenal are once more a real force to be reckoned with at the very top of not just English football, but world football.
There is little doubt the England star is a world class player, and will not only fit straight into the Arsenal midfield but was exactly the type of player the team were lacking in down the home straight last season. The signing of Havertz was met with less uniform acclaim, but you have to believe that, and there shouldn’t be many Gunners who don’t concede the Spaniard has enough credit in the bank for a few what on the face of it may appear left field decisions.
Don’t forget the German was played out of position in his much less preferred number nine role at Chelsea. At The Emirates he will form part of a potentially devasting midfield trio, with more back-up likely to join the squad before too long.
A mark of how far the club has come in just one season, is that it is almost unthinkable now that they will finish outside the top four. In recent years, that has been the ambition, not the minimum requirement. If the club can carry on on that trajectory, it is very hard not to think that they are on their way to achieving something special, no matter what happens over the next few months.