The pandemic-hit world in which we live means that time has had the curious ability of moving incredibly slowly while simultaneously feeling like it's going quicker than ever before. The relative similarity of the day-to-day means the world feels like is spinning at a frenetic pace, and yet the sheer amount of things that have happened over the past two years mean that so many things seem like a lifetime ago. This is perhaps why the start of last season for Arsenal feels a lot longer than 18 months ago.
Back then the Gunners were unsure of themselves. Success in the FA Cup had showed embryonic signs of promise, but constant changes in formation and strange signings like that of Willian, mean they didn't quite seem sure of what they wanted to grow into under Mikel Arteta. How things have changed.
A defined summer recruitment strategy of building for the future with the acquisitions of Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Martin Odegaard combined with a clear tactical philosophy have seen Arsenal develop quickly into a side that now looks on course for Champions League qualification. But while things around the Emirates Stadium have progressed in general since August 2020, for Ainsley Maitland-Niles they have almost done the opposite.
