It has taken Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta a while to truly get his message across to the players, but having stripped out some deadwood and added other players who better suit the system he wants to play, they have had a great start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
13 matches into what has, and will continue to be, a packed and disrupted season, Arsenal find themselves in first place in the English top flight table and they are clear of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City by two points right now and for those who like a flutter the best betting sites would give incredible odds on them remaining there.
A solid goal difference of 20, with eleven wins from those 13 games will have delighted Arteta so far, even if the season is still very young. It has not all gone to plan though, in midweek they suffered a pretty comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the third round of the EFL Cup, and following the performance, the manager has hinted that he might dip into the transfer market during the January window to add some much needed quality to the depth of the squad. It was a much changed starting XI on Wednesday evening, but despite their control and numerous chances, the quality just was not there and that is obviously worrying for the gaffer.
“That’s the squad that we have. We have to utilise in the best possible way and today we came short, especially because we didn’t do what we have to do in both boxes to win a football match. We paid that price. It’s the same squad as when we win. I said from day one that we have a short squad because at the end we left some players. It’s what we have. If everyone’s available and no one is injured we are OK, but the moment there is, we know what it is. It’s nothing new. I think I said it the first day after the transfer window.”
Asked specifically about January dealings, he went on to add.
“That’s a window that is open and we’ll have to discuss the opportunities that we have, the capacity that we have for any changes and be on the market for opportunities. So it’s a lot of options that are open.”
The speculation, has of course, already begun and one of the latest links to hit the rumour mill is supposed interest in Shaktar Donetsk’s Ukrainian international winger, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and although he reportedly has a £56 million transfer fee hanging over his head, Arsenal are said to be in pole position for the 21 year old’s services. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has previously stated that the club have been tracking the player for a while, and having had ‘positive’ contact over the summer (although no deal obviously materialized) there is still an interest and they are actively ‘following’ him still.
After such a good start to the domestic season, Arsenal fans will be hoping their January business pushes them on further given the unexpected title tilt once again.
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