The Top Flight
Fansided

Arsenal set sights on a Top Four Finish in the 2022/23 EPL Season

By Marvin Walters

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus (back) celebrates with Gabriel Martinelli after scoring his team's fifth goal during a club-friendly against Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus (back) celebrates with Gabriel Martinelli after scoring his team's fifth goal during a club-friendly against Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal's English midfielder Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s English midfielder Bukayo Saka (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images) /

The magical duo of Saka and Odegaard

The midfield duo of Odegaard and Saka was instrumental last season. This combination contributed 34% of Arsenal’s expected assist value and created the same proportion of their team’s chances.

Their interplay on the right flank was the Gunners’ most consistent route to goal and they travelled in that direction a lot. Saka played in every match of the season, logging nearly 3000 minutes, while, barring a brief period in the autumn, Odegaard was Arteta’s on-field general. It came as no surprise as he has been handed the Arsenal armband and will be the youngest Arsenal captain since Cesc Fabregas.

Take either of those out of the side last season and the damage may have been sizeable. The smart addition of Fabio Vieira, viewed as one of the most outstanding young prospects in the Portuguese game, could ease Arsenal’s reliance on those two for midfield creativity. So too could Zinchenko, if his performances with the Ukraine national team are anything to use as merit.

Since the departure of Arsenal’s most prolific striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the question of who will stick the ball in the net consistently swirled over the Emirates stadium a lot. Emile Smith Rowe did so more than anyone early in the season but his hot streak in front of goal quickly cooled and he will be out of contention for the opening game due to injury. Saka’s 11-goal return in the Premier League feels like it should be a baseline for future seasons, such is the talent of the player.

Eddie Nketiah is one of the players to watch this season, being one of the standout players during the recent pre-season tour of USA. He will be among the goals if he sees the pitch regularly Another player to keep your eyes on this season for the Gunners is Gabriel Martinelli, who ranked in the Premier League’s top 25 for non-penalty goal per 90 last season.

His lightning pace and his ability to get behind defence lines would not be unreasonable for him to target twice as many goals as the six he registered in 2021-22.

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