Arsenal FC: Gunning for Glory

[TheMaestro]

Arsenal FC: Rejuvenating the Gunners

It has been a long few seasons for Arsenal now. As they prepare to go again in real life for the 2021/22 Premier League season, let's wind the clock back to this time last year on Football Manager 2021. It's time to take over and revive Arsenal and get them back to their best. They are struggling to the point where it is difficult to see them finishing in the Top Six, given the ever improving quality of top half sides such as Leicester City. Whilst it will not be easy, the process starts here.

As for a manager, I chose somewhat of an Arsenal legend to lead the club forward, an appointment in a similar vein to that of Mikel Arteta:

The club welcomes with open arms the appointment of football pundit turned manager Ian Wright. The 56-year-old has spoken out about the situation at Arsenal for a while now and seems to have some interesting ideas to take the club forward. It's early days, but it seems an exciting appointment and it will remain to be seen whether Arsenal legend Ian Wright is able to take Arsenal back to their glory days.​

 

[TheMaestro]

Arsenal FC Team Overview

Arsenal have a decent squad on paper. It's not incredible, but there's a reasonable amount of potential for players to grow and develop. Let's delve a little deeper into the squad:

The Key Three

Our obvious talisman is striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Whilst he had a terrible season in 2020/21, there is no denying that he had been one of the most lethal forwards in the league for the previous couple of seasons. And, he still is capable. He has great stats and could notch a solid number of goals if we can get the best out of him. He'll be crucial if we are to be successful this year.

Next up is central/attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard, who is only on loan from Real Madrid, but appears to be a top, top player at the age of just 21. He has quite considerable talent and if that talent can come to fruition then we have one terrific player on our hands. If he does perform though, Real Madrid will likely demand a hefty fee should we try and acquire him permanently next season.

Our third and final key player is the man alongside Odegaard, in the form of combative midfielder Thomas Partey. He does all of the dirty work alongside Odegaard and will be as important as anyone in making our team tick. He'll drive forward, work tirelessly on and off the ball and his natural work rate and stamina will be vital to us throughout a long season which encompasses many different competitions.

The Young Gun

Whilst we have a number of talented youngsters, there is an obvious one that stands out from the rest, winger Bukayo Saka. At just 18, he already has significant experience for Arsenal, and has already proved to be an important first team player. His versatility could come in handy as well, with his ability to play either wing, or even deputise at left back should Kieran Tierney pick up an injury or suspension.

Transfer Listed

For now, the only player on the transfer list is central midfielder Mohamed Elneny. I wanted to transfer list David Luiz, but as he is a team leader, it was best for me not to unsettle the squad at this early stage. I also wanted to sell Willian, but with a budget of 0, and not a lot of depth on the right wing, it seemed logical to keep him around as back-up for now. ​

 

[TheMaestro]

Arsenal FC Season Preview

To be honest, it all seems a bit of an unknown quantity as to what the side can achieve this season. With a young squad, it all depends on how the players develop and mould into the system. But we have a lot of games this season with Europa League football on the agenda, and we're sure to at least try our best.

Community Shield

Our first competitive game will have silverware at stake, but it will not be easy to find our way past Liverpool. I do not expect us to win it, and whilst it is not a priority, it still would be a nice trophy to win at the least. It would also give us a certain amount of momentum heading into the start of the Premier League season.

Premier League

The media are predicting a 6th placed finish for us this season, and, honestly, it's my aim as well. It's not overly ambitious, but rather realistic. Top four would be amazing, but it's more hopeful than probable. With the strength of other sides in the division as well, a Top 6 finish should be where we look to finish and anything above that will be an achievement.

Carabao Cup

Again, similar to the Community Shield, it's not a priority but it is silverware. Moreover, the Carabao Cup seems like the best opportunity we will have to give game time to youngsters such as Emile Smith-Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah. If a youngster begins to blossom and shine through, they'll have a greater chance of playing for us regularly. All in all, this competition is all about developing the young players for us this season.

FA Cup

The FA Cup is obviously quite a prestigious trophy in England, and one that Arsenal are famed for winning. For those two reasons, we will divert a certain amount of attention to seeing how far we can go in it this season. In the earlier rounds, though, it presents another opportunity for us to play the youngsters, provided we don't get handed too difficult a draw.

Europa League

Alongside the Premier League, the Europa League will be our other main competition to focus on. The reason for this is simple; it presents us with our best opportunity of qualifying for the Champions League. It is, admittedly, unlikely, but the return of Champions League nights to Arsenal is our first real goal before we kick on and achieve further accolades.

Without further ado, let's prepare for the beginning of the season!​