Yeah, you can just look at the money spent on these guys and tell that they were expected to make real impacts. I also look at it like this: imo, the team right now needs a CF, a creative midfielder and a scoring winger. That’s exactly what we needed last year and bought this summer.
That's the insinuation I don't get why our fans think scoring a set piece goal is lesser than. It's a goal. It terrorizes teams who do everything they can to not give us corners. It's also repeatable. And scoring the first goal forces teams out those low blocks. We don't have elite goal scorers—altho I think Saka could be if Arteta let him sit in the spaces he lets Timber occupy—and our attack is good, but not like Barcelona, Bayern, or prime City or Liverpool. We gotta get in where we can.
That ain't how Arteta wants to play. He wants to play the way we play now and that's fine. Just get the cups, innit
I mean I guess that SOME do, to me it's just funny man. We spent the most money ever and Berta went and got Gyokores who is literally THEE single worst striker I have ever seen. Long as we win who cares. I'll be honest I don't think highly of most of the attackers we have, Sake needs more talent around him which would create peak version Saka.
For me, something that's conspicuously lacking from this discussion about how this season has gone for us, is our nearest rivals. The 2 powerhouses of recent history (Citeh & Pool) both have had major drop-offs this season, and the newbie challenger (Villa) had a sketchy start to their season IIRC. Which has allowed our relative consistency to take us to the top, with a little cushion. And there's emphasis on "relative" because it's not like we've played lights out. As someone somewhere pointed out, we're on pace for an 86-point season, which in several recent years would've put us in 3rd place or so. All that said, to my eye, that doesn't diminish our league-leading season, and even if we maintain similar consistency and win the whole thing. You play the hand you're dealt, and so far we're playing it pretty well.
Gyokeres is pants but we have needed him to be a poor man’s Emile Heskey. Artera doesn’t like wide attackers attacking. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.
https://www.cannonstats.com/p/nottingham-forest-vs-arsenal-the?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web No paywall on this one TL; DR ode was not good this game but we are better with him on the pitch
The guy has scored 2 goals all season, he is beyond atrocious. I cannot wait till he leaves just utter garbage. I think only Sanogo was worse. Yeah Arteta just wants his wide guys being crossing merchants. He has to be telling the wide guys to restrict heir movement to specific things cause man its dire but again just win. I got my eye on that Gabriel long sleeve.
That stretch coincided with Odegaard being out. When we don't depend/rely on Odegaard to not only drive the ball forward but create as well, out attack becomes faster and more varied.
I need a car to get me to work at my minimum wage job. If I spend $275k on a Ferrari, it doesn't make that a good decision just because it is doing what I need it to do. They overspent and made 2 bad transfer decisions. Clubs that win titles often make bad transfer decisions. Dynasties fail when clubs repeated make bad decisions and justify them because they are winning hardware.
I’ve been wondering: can we say that any Prem teams have done well from the summer 2025 window? Sunderland definitely crushed it, but outside of them I can’t think of any other team you could argue did anything that is substantially “above average” in the transfer market. If we’re looking at the traditional “big 6” and even adding Newcastle and Villa, nobody has done especially well (overall) from their summer signings. My point is there may be some overall league patterns here that may be factors. For example, as deep and physical as the league is, do many players (especially attacking players) need more time to adjust before they can make notable impacts?
I was mostly reacting to you saying "the signings have worked and have been quality". If that's not really what you meant, my bad. Not really an excuse for domestic transfer tho, Eze and Madueke at Arsenal or Isak at Liverpool.
Only Gyokeres isn’t quality, imo Eze, Kepa and Noni are jury is still out. The rest range from good to great.
I'm really only being harsh on Gyokeres and Eze Zubimendi - fantastic Mosquera - incredible value for money Kepa/Norgaard - Cheap. Fine. Hincapie - Not looking like good value now but I think he has upside Noni - Like Hincapie but I don't see as much upside. Money could have been better spent Eze - If he cost what Trossard cost he'd be fine. I don't think he's a tactical fit, he needs to be the focal point of a mid-table squad that counters. I'd sell but since Arsenal was his "dream" move it probably won't happen Gyokeres - I think he's bad, not going to get better, and was a huge waste in terms of fee, salary, and opportunity cost
I think Eze has to be reprogrammed but he has a chance now with Leo looking like ass recently and Martinelli only being a CL player. He’s not an 8 and I’d rather see Saka at ten, but one thing Eze does is get shots off. And our best consistent attacking play this year came with him in the XI. Gyokeres is the only one I think is a flop and an outright bad signing. He’s would have thrived in the 2000s PL for a team like Spurs. You need more tek in your game to play in this PL with how strong and fast the CBs are. Even tho I think Sesko is a bish and hasn’t been good at United, I get why he was first choice. Bigger athlete and has a clean first touch and nuance. The Swedish Meatball is Darren Bent.
Just a couple of pages ago, you told me that Gyokeres has been good this season simply because he has been a ‘warm body’ who could play while our others CF have been out. Now, you’re saying that he was a flop. Eze has had more poor games than good games, but I do see a player in there somewhere. But he wasn’t cheap, and I don’t think he is going to replace Martinelli or Troussard this season on the wing. They have earned playing time. I just don’t see where he fits right now. Noni is direct and electric, but I read that he has 0 goals and 0 assists in the league with around ten shots taken. We’re over halfway through the season…. I don’t know, man. The rest have been pretty good. Hincapie is the only one who I still can’t form an opinion of.
This is going to sound harsh because his tenure at Arsenal was a disaster, he was better before and after he left the club, Eze reminds me a bit of Willian. Also a good ball striker but never fit in Arteta's system. Willian was older and didn't seem to want to be in north London, Eze has a much better chance to succeed but I feel like he is hitting the same obstacles. Agree with this. I can see how it could have ended up working with Sesko eventually, I can't see it with Viktor.
That’s not what I said. I’ve called Gyokeres a flop for a while. What I said is he is an actual CF, which we didn’t have last spring. Of course they've earned their time. I don't think he has been a complete dud, but he has to do better. I still say jury is still out because his issues are tactical. jury is still out on him too But giving Saka time to sit isn't bad
Listening to the Arsecast and they mentioned this tweet After 17 Premier League games this season, Eberechi Eze has created eight chances.In 34 Premier League games last season, he created 58.Piece on Eze's season so far - and a problem Mikel Arteta must solve:https://t.co/zKGypufw3b— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) January 18, 2026