Arsenal is now exactly one week from kicking-off the 2021/2022 Premier League season.
Why do I have so many butterflies about the match at Brentford? Well, there are several reasons, and not in any particular order…
- Bukayo Saka is just back into his Arsenal training routine. Hopefully, he has cleared his head of the pain and negativity that ended his Euro 2020 adventure.
- It looks like Thomas Partey will be on the sidelines for this one, as will Gabriel Magalhaes. These are important players in the Gunners spine.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is yet to score a goal this preseason. Maybe that will change on Sunday. We will need his goal scoring talents on full display beginning next Friday.
- Mikel Arteta’s squad is not yet set for the season. Per usual, the Gunners are waiting until the very late stages of the transfer market to finalize their squad. With the importance of this season looking them right down the barrel, I think this is a mistake.
- Who is our midfield? Granit Xhaka is a lock, but who fills the other two positions in a 4-3-3? We have a big cast to chose from, however, two guys need to step up quickly to answer the bell on the 13th.
- Are we really set at goalkeeper? Is Bernd Leno the main #1 this season?
- This will mark the very first match appearance by Brentford in the Premier League, plus it will be played on their home pitch, and in front of their home supporters. They will be jacked-up and the noice will be loud, and very one-sided.
A win would be a terrific way for the Gunners to start the season, however, I fear a draw or a one-goal defeat is in the cards. But, those are my butterflies talking.
For Arteta, the next few months will be key to his tenure at the Emirates. A slow start, sloppy play and underachieving players will not bode well with the Arsenal supporters. And remember, stadiums will be full for this season’s matches, so the boo-birds and the naysayers will be loud and clear, and Arteta will hear their wrath up close and personal.
Now, the same holds true if the Gunners get off to a good start this season. The fans will be chanting his name, and urging the boys on as if they were on the pitch themselves.
Let’s hope for the latter.
As the week goes by, I hope my butterflies go by as well.
Cheers.
Gunner1953
The Gunners defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Wednesday to win both matches in this season’s North London Derby. With the win Arsenal moves back into 2nd place on the Premier League table.
According to The Mail, Arsenal, is in advanced talks to sign Real Sociedad Martin Zubimendi at the end of this season for a reported $61.2-million (USD).
Takehiro Tomiyasu has returned to full training with the first team after recovering from a knee injury. 
Martin Odegaard, “We need to be sharper in the key moments to make sure we get the results we’ve worked for. We have to keep going and keep improving. There is no choice for us now.”
Your butterflies are unlikely to go away. The upcoming Arsenal season has the makings of 20/21 redux. Arsenal have made four signings, none of which address a significant need. The player most likely to make an impact is Nuno Tavares, who is a direct replacement for Sead Kolasinac, but he is a member of the reserve squad, not a first XI player.
Albert Sambi Lokonga does not address an immediate need, of which Arsenal had three. Ben White, while a fine player, does not address an immediate need.
The club need a goalkeeper good enough to challenge for the #1 jersey and replace Leno in the case of injury. The club need a #10 who can score and provide assists. Even if the team expect Emile Smith-Rowe to play this role, his record of 2 goals and 4 assists in 20 league games does not inspire confidence that he can carry that burden alone. The club need a central midfielder who can score and provide assists. Granit Xhaka, while a fine player, is not and never has been a scorer. Lokonga has not shown the ability to provide that kind of presence in the middle of the park either.
While James Maddison would fit nicely into this team, expecting Leicester to part with him at this point in the window is a stretch. There are other options, like James Ward-Prowse and Marcel Sabitzer as two examples, but Arsenal have shown zero interest. It really feels like Maddison or bust. Leicester have shown a remarkable tenacity in retaining their players.
So far, Arsenal have improved a defense that was already third-best in the league, but done nothing to adress the teams three most serious needs. An injury to Leno (which happened once and can always happen) could be disastrous.
Without players how can provide goals and assists from midfield, Arsenal look very much like the same team that finished in 8th place two seasons in a row.