Arsenal feel at a crucial point under the leadership of manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu.
Regardless of the way in which the Gunners collapsed late last season, a fifth-place finish represented significant improvement and the youth in the squad offer a foundation for future growth. But at the moment, it is only a foundation.
The next phase for Arsenal will be determined not only by how the starlets develop in the coming months and years, but by the recruitment done this summer. The Gunners already have ground to make up on the top four and those sides above them are unlikely to stand still.
