As is custom, I’ll use the ultimate column earlier than the beginning of the season to have a look at three gamers for whom the upcoming marketing campaign represents one thing of a crossroads. It’s going to be a giant 2024-25 for…
Fabio Vieira
The sale of Emile Smith Rowe, in my opinion, places loads of further stress on Fabio Vieira to ship in his third season on the membership. Even when his wage is probably going modest in comparison with his teammates, he got here with a switch payment in extra of £30m, he’s not within the Lokonga and Tavares ‘price a punt’ class of prospect signings.
Arsenal followers appreciated Emile Smith Rowe loads and, rightly or wrongly, Vieira’s performances will now be considered in that gentle. I don’t contemplate that to be an issue, if you wish to succeed at a membership like Arsenal you need to ship beneath stress and if Vieira doesn’t do this this season, he’ll possible be moved on in any case. The stress is already on no matter that context.
The upside for Vieira is that the ‘left eight’ space of the crew is unquestionably the one which presents probably the most alternative. Smith Rowe has been eliminated as a competitor for the position and Havertz will clearly be used upfront on loads of events. It is without doubt one of the least crowded areas of the squad and on the age of 24, Vieira is just not a callow youth- particularly on this crew.
Vieira can also be a really completely different profile to the opposite midfielders within the squad and if Arteta needs to construct additional unpredictability, on the very least, the Portuguese ought to grow to be an choice in midfield. Towards relegation threatened opponents final season, Arteta tended in the direction of a extra artistic choice in midfield.
Vieira began away at Everton in September, Smith Rowe began at Nottingham Forest and at residence to Luton. There are additionally two additional Champions League group video games this season and, probably, a few further knockout video games too so rotation goes to must grow to be much more commonplace. And in the end, if Vieira doesn’t ship, Ethan Nwaneri is arising on the tracks behind him now…
Gabriel Martinelli
Very similar to his compatriot and namesake Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli beneath delivered in 2023-24 in comparison with 2022-23. Martinelli had 0.45 targets contributions per 90 final season, in comparison with 0.65 per 90 in 2022-23. As I wrote earlier in the summertime, I believe there are a couple of causes for that.
Wider dysfunction (comparatively talking) on the left aspect of the Arsenal crew and damage had an influence. I’m certain Jesus and Martinelli, who mix very nicely as a result of Jesus likes to float vast greater than Havertz does, missed each other. However like Jesus, Martinelli’s contribution was not missed as a lot in absentia as a result of type of Leandro Trossard on the finish of final season.
My very own view is that the fortunes of Jesus and Martinelli are most likely linked. They type a superb, fluid partnership. Whereas I believe Trossard actually advantages from enjoying off Havertz as a striker as a result of he likes to reach late onto the ball. So for me, it’s more likely to be a query of which pairing wins out- Havertz and Trossard or Jesus and Martinelli?
Objectively, within the long-term it will most likely be higher for Arsenal if Jesus and Martinelli might rekindle their partnership and Havertz might grow to be the agency ‘left eight’ selection as Arteta most likely meant, with Trossard shifting again into extra of a Sylvain Wiltord model ‘first again up for a number of ahead positions’ choice. Time will inform whether or not that occurs and Martinelli can not grow to be a Goldilocks participant who wants the porridge to be good to carry out constantly.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
One of many main variations between the Arteta period and late Wenger Arsenal is that the supervisor doesn’t anticipate gamers. When Tierney suffered one too many accidents, Zinchenko was introduced in. When Thomas Partey’s health points turned a blocker to Arsenal’s progress, Jorginho was introduced in.
A combination of the supervisor’s ruthlessness and the competitors for locations implies that gamers will be forgotten shortly. Zinchenko and Jesus have each seen their primacy cut back (at the very least so far) as a result of they have been injured and different gamers got here in and took their locations. Now each are attempting to struggle their method again up the Arsenal ladder.
The identical is true of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was the beginning right-back when he first signed in 2021. His bodily points opened the door for Ben White at right-back and William Saliba at centre-half and Tomiyasu has now grow to be a excessive stage rotation choice. The shift in model in the course of the second half of final season noticed Tomiyasu most well-liked to Zinchenko at left-back.
When Tomiyasu signed a brand new contract lately, the phrases, we’re informed, don’t differ enormously from his preliminary phrases and his deal was solely prolonged by two seasons. Each of these items inform us the membership primarily have him on trial pending his potential to remain match. So his newest damage, whereas not extremely critical in isolation, is especially poorly timed.
Firstly, July might be the worst time to undergo an damage for a participant, even when the affliction is comparatively minor. It mainly prices you the primary couple of months of your season as you slip out of synch with the remainder of the squad. I believe that timeline is exacerbated for squad gamers, who will naturally take longer to tune up with much less common minutes.
Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have been added to the again line this season and that represents even larger competitors for Tomiyasu. However he can solely compete for them if he’s obtainable. He mainly gained’t be capable of do this in any critical method till the autumn, on the earliest. It already seems like this might be a make or break season for Tomiyasu’s Arsenal future.
He is a superb defender and choice however that hardly issues if he’s injured. If he can’t be obtainable typically sufficient, he will certainly slip behind Timber and Calafiori within the pecking order and Zinchenko is just not going away both, whereas Ben White has firmly made the right-back place his. The left-back door is now additionally a narrower one to attempt to move by means of.
