Mikel Arteta is not the first manager to unleash a furious outburst at the Premier League fixture schedule. "Thank you so much to the Premier League to do that," the Spaniard sarcastically said after Arsenal ’s 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
“And they've done it again for when we have to play Chelsea and Manchester United. So if they want to give them any advantage I say today, thank you so much for doing that."
Arsenal’s absence from all European competitions and their early FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest has often afforded Arteta and his side at least five days recovery time per match. However, the Gunners' backlog of postponed matches has finally caught up with them as they now face the ominous prospect of playing their third league match in six days.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp have also taken aim at the individuals behind their congested fixture schedules. Except, their protestations have often concerned their involvements in the Champions League, a competition in which all three coaches are still competing.
The Gunners came into their crucial contest against Liverpool having played 34 matches across the whole season, while the Merseysiders had contested 45 games across the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Champions League.
Many have sighted Arsenal’s lack of European football as an advantageous factor in their impressive season. But European qualification, whether it is the Champions League, Europa League, or the Europa Conference League will only bring more matches and more long-haul journeys to Arsenal’s campaign.
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The Gunners have amassed an extremely talented first team and a reliable cohort of impact substitutions who have the perfect blend of technical excellence, tactical nous, and immense energy. Arteta has raised the games of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith-Rowe, and Martin Odegaard.
However, his clever summer transfer haul that brought Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Odegaard, Albert Sambi-Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, and Takehiro Tomiyasu to the Emirates Stadium is what has really turned the Gunners into a force to be reckoned with. However, another similar haul may be needed if Arteta wants to jostle his way into title contention.
Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah’s pending departures will demand a new influx of strikers, while there are still questions about Arsenal’s strength in depth in the defensive and midfield areas. Their long and painful pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic, who eventually swapped Fiorentina for Juventus, may have ended in disappointment, but Arsenal’s problems would not have all been solved by the Serbian’s arrival.
Arteta has repeatedly stressed that his side is still a project with the wheels in motion, rather than a finished product that’s ready to compete. The Spaniard and director Edu will do well to remain grounded, even if performances have resembled those of a top European team.
The the Gunners’ overhauling of their transfer blueprint, which aimed to target promising players under the age of 23, has yielded very promising results and performances. If they can repeat the same transfer tricks in the next transfer window, when they could have more money to spend and a Champions League place to pitch to potential new signings; Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City will be looking over their shoulders even more.
