
The new season is here, and we have a main event matchup on opening day at Old Trafford. Manchester United face old rivals Arsenal, who visit from the capital with title ambitions.
In preparation for the big day, we exchanged questions with sister site The Short Fuse and their editor in chief, Aaron Lerner. We talk about expectations for the Gunners, big summer signings and of course the matchup in a Q&A below.
Thanks to Aaron for taking part, and be on the look out for our exchange at The Short Fuse.
What’s the feeling in North London now after a strong summer? What are the expectations for the season ahead?
People are excited for the season to get underway. We’re ready for a palate cleanser to wash away the bitter taste of last year. The last two or three months of last season, even with the Champions League semifinal, felt as if they dragged on forever.
There was little to get excited about in the Premier League. We knew Arsenal weren’t going to win the title and we knew that it was injuries that had killed the season. And I get it, injuries are part of the game and everybody deals with them. But Arsenal were particularly hard hit by the injury bug, and we had to watch an older Liverpool side make it through an entire season relatively unscathed.
It’s not really a question of fairness, but it felt unfair, if that makes sense. It felt like we were robbed of an opportunity and it wasn’t our fault. Watching a closer-to-full-strength Arsenal battle it out with Liverpool would have been a lot of fun too, and we all missed out on that. It just kinda sucked!
I don’t really want to say the expectation is that Arsenal win a trophy, even though I’m sure plenty of people would tell you that. Mikel Arteta and the players included, I think. Although they’d phrase it more in terms of their own goals for the season and placing the highest expectations on themselves as an exercise in standard-setting. It’s a subtle difference, but an important one, I think.
What is the trust level in Arteta among fans in your opinion? Is there a wariness at all given the clear high ceiling of the team but a lack of silverware (so far)?
There is an annoying vocal minority that wants Mikel Arteta kicked to the curb. They all happen to be very loud and very online. They are mostly clout-chasing idiots and I try my hardest to ignore them.
The majority are more reasonable. They recognize that Arteta has taken this club from it’s lowest point in the Premier League era (seriously, look back at some of the lineups from the Emery tenure – it was DIRE) and turned them into one of the best teams in Europe.
I would take issue with anyone categorizing Arsenal as having a “clear ceiling” of 2nd place. Three seasons ago was found money. I don’t think anybody at the club, Arteta included, thought they’d finish that high. Two seasons ago stings, especially given the still unresolved 115 charges. People have this idea that Arsenal fell apart. They didn’t. They went something like 15-2-1 to close the season. The problem is that Manchester City went 17 or 18 matches unbeaten – an historic run from a roster likely assembled by shredding the financial rules to use as toilet paper. Last year was an injury (and weird red cards) write-off, and they still finished second.
It may seem a bit contradictory, but this team is more than capable of winning trophies. Multiple trophies, even. But they just…haven’t yet. I don’t think it’s evidence of an inherent problem with the team or the manager. It is just a painful reminder that winning trophies is really difficult.
That said, people are ready for Arsenal to win something, and however ready the supporters are, I’m 100% certain the players and staff are even hungrier. I think the fans understand that. They understand that this bunch are committed and will fight until the last second. And that has earned Mikel Arteta and the roster affection, trust, and patience. The patience is starting to wear thin for some.
Is there a particular signing you’re most excited about?
Martin Zubimendi. He’s an incredible footballer and a transformative player. If Arsenal win things this season, he will be a big part of the reason why. In many ways, he’s like Sergio Busquets. You don’t always notice the things he’s doing, but when you look at the stats and you watch the match back, you realize “oh my goodness, he did everything.”
One of the biggest differences Zubimendi will make is that he wants to get the ball up the pitch quickly. You’re going to see more quick-strike, direct attacks from the Gunners this season. Zubimendi is going to get the ball to Ødegaard, Saka, and Marintelli more quickly, and as a result, those guys are going to be running at single defenders rather than the two and three they often faced when Arsenal played at a slower pace.
Is there a signing you’re skeptical of?
If you made me answer the question, I’d say Viktor Gyokeres. That’s only because banging in goals in the Portuguese League hasn’t always translated to Premier League success, see e.g. Darwin Nunez. The Swede isn’t going to put up league-leading goal numbers. I’d be surprised if he hits 20 goals, honestly. For what it’s worth, if you had a crystal ball and told me he’d get 20, I’d make my plans to attend the trophy parade through North London.
But pushing for the Premier League lead in goals isn’t what will make him valuable to Arsenal. He should get 15+ but the more important part will be the space he creates for the guys around him. You could already see it in the preseason matches. Gyokeres wants to run in behind. He occupies defenders and his movement forces them back. That created more space for the technicians like Saka and Ødegaard to work. Gyokeres also seemed to be forming a nice little understanding on the left with Martinelli, which would be excellent if it continued because Arsenal have been so right-side heavy on attack. Gyokeres changes the equation and the look the Gunners give and that variation alone will make the team much harder to defend.
With some change in personnel, how do you see the team setting up this season?
I don’t think all that much will change tactically / structurally. There will be new wrinkles. For example, in the first ten minutes of one of the preseason matches, I saw Declan Rice drop deep next to Zubimendi as a double-pivot-ish in possession. The next time Arsenal had the ball, the left back inverted to that double-pivot and Rice pushed further up the field. A little bit later, it was Martin Ødegaard dropping deep to receive the ball.
Arsenal play sort of an evolved total football. It’s more about occupying zones of the field and creating overloads / mismatches to exploit. If Riccardo Calafiori stays healthy and is playing, he loves to charge into the box. He’s nominally a left back. If it’s Myles Lewis-Skelly at LB, you’ll see him more in the role that Oleksandr Zinchenko debuted for Arsenal a couple seasons ago.
As I alluded to when it talked about Gyokeres, the biggest changes will come on attack. To borrow a phrase from bad NFL announcers, they’ll be more multiple this season. You’ll see quicker, more direct attacks. Where the Swede likes to run in behind and push the back line, Kai Havertz drops deep and makes late runs. Mikel Arteta will have to get it right — to pick and choose the right combinations to attack opponents where they are weakest.
The other attacking change you’ll see is I think Arsenal will be a little bit less conservative with the ball. Gyokeres loves to shoot. Noni Madueke was one of the best in the Premier League last season in take-ons ending in a shot. Martin Ødegaard has been trying riskier passes. Mikel Arteta loves control and often Arsenal played with a bit too much of it. They need to create a bit more chaos and I think the reins will be loosened this year.
How do you see this game unfolding?
It’ll be the same old for Arsenal, I think. A bunch of control with the opponent looking to counter. At least to start the match, I don’t think United are going to be that open. I think that Amorim is smarter than that and knows his side will run the risk of getting overrun.
Last year’s formula to get results against the Gunners was to pack in the defensive third and slow the game down. Force Arsenal wide, minimize the spaces in the middle, and make the Gunners unlock the defense with individual brilliance / creativity. That worked with Ødegaard out, then Saka out, then Havertz out. With all three healthy, either Martinelli or Madueke on the left, and Gyokeres at some point, I’m not sure it will.
The first goal will matter. Of course, it always matters. But if Arsenal get the first goal and United have to open up, things could spiral. If United score first and can sit back, maybe Arsenal can’t find a way through.
What has to happen for Arsenal to win?
Arsenal need to play their game to win. At the risk of sounding like an overconfident dick, Arsenal are really good. I think people have forgotten that because last year, especially down the stretch, wasn’t pretty. But the Gunners are physically imposing, close down time and space all over the pitch and particularly on the press and in the middle third, and have the high-end talent to score goals in bunches when things are going well.
Liverpool stun and dazzle with attacking flair. Arsenal grind you down with control and relentless, quick-trigger pressure. When at their best, the ball goes over and Arsenal win it back within 5-10 seconds. They suffocate the middle third and stop attacks before they even start. They don’t let teams progress the ball.
What has to happen for United to win?
For United to win, they need to catch Arsenal over-extended and hit them on the break or capitalize on an error. Maybe score a Bruno Fernandes free kick. Then they need to defend like heck. If United are to win, it’ll be a 1-0.
What’s your prediction?
The pessimist / fan who has been hurt too many times thinks Arsenal will drop points somehow because it’s Old Trafford, Manchester United, and the first game of the season, but the realist thinks it’s an Arsenal win. 2-0.