As the world prepares for the return of the English Premier League this Friday, a question lingers in my mind: Is Arsenal’s attack ready to fire the club’s cannon to success?
On the surface, one might think that Arsenal Football Club is well-equipped in terms of goal-scoring, but a keen eye would suggest otherwise. Arsenal cruised through the last sixteen games of last season, yet the reality remains that they still need a proper goal scorer—or at least sharper options—if their pre-season preparations are anything to go by.
Throughout their pre-season games, Arsenal were dominant in their performances, but the goals didn’t always reflect that dominance. The Gunners faced Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lyon. The only game where their dominance was fully supported by the result was against Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium, where they won 4-1 with goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz.
In their match against Manchester United, Arsenal faced some challenges getting into the rhythm of the game but eventually found their feet and secured a 2-1 victory. Against Liverpool, they fell behind and couldn’t recover due to missed chances and the tactical adjustments made by Arne Slot after Liverpool scored twice. Mikel Arteta’s team struggled to break down Liverpool’s defense.
Arsenal’s game against Lyon highlighted their set-piece prowess—a weapon they have perfected under the guidance of their set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
Mikel Arteta, Edu, and the club’s owners have also strengthened Arsenal’s left-sided defense by bringing in Ricardo Calafiori ahead of the new season. This was one of the problem areas last season, especially after Jurrien Timber’s injury and Zinchenko’s inconsistent performances.
However, there’s still a sense that Arsenal’s attack needs reinforcement, or that existing players like Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Eddie Nketiah, and Gabriel Martinelli must step up and deliver more than they did last season.
While the team collectively looks formidable, individually, these players still have new levels to reach if Arsenal is to become a truly dominant side capable of consistently winning major trophies.
