Arsenal have had a whirlwind year since last Christmas, as they spent the festive season in 2022 on top of the Premier League, albeit having...
Arsenal have had a whirlwind year since last Christmas, as they spent the festive season in 2022 on top of the Premier League, albeit having played less games due to the World Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s side were flying at the start of last season, and quickly transitioned from top-four hopefuls to title challengers.
By Christmas, there was real belief that Arsenal could go all the way, but the World Cup had ended with Gabriel Jesus picking up a long-term injury.
Arsenal would go on to collapse in the title run-in, but after a strong summer window, they are challenging again, and there has been a lot of changes in the last 12 months.
Granit Xhaka departed Arsenal in U-turn
One significant change since last Christmas has been the departure of Granit Xhaka. Xhaka spent seven years at Arsenal, in a period which had high peaks but low troughs.
Xhaka had his best season in an Arsenal shirt last season, and he became one of the most popular players at the club, with many expecting that he was set to be a mainstay in the side for the next few years.
The midfielder was fully loving life at Arsenal, but a change of heart saw him push for a move to Bayer Leverkusen, ending his long spell at the Emirates, and he is currently thriving under Xabi Alonso.
Arsenal broke the £100m mark
Arsenal’s record signing this time last year was Nicolas Pepe, but he was usurped this summer by Declan Rice, who joined for around £105m from West Ham.
It is a testament to how good Rice has been, that his price tag has hardly been mentioned, but even before his outstanding performances, his signing was a significant moment for Arsenal this year.
A club which had struggled financially during the Stadium move from Highbury to the Emirates under Arsene Wenger, had broken the British transfer record and spent over £100m on one player, something which may not have been seen as plausible as recently as last Christmas.
Arsenal gained depth
Arsenal have significantly better squad depth than they did last Christmas. Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho and Leandro Trossard all arrived in the January transfer window, and all three have proven to be very useful rotational options.
Rice and Kai Havertz were also added to the squad, whilst Emile Smith Rowe has returned from the injury which kept him sidelined for most of last season.
The likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Rob Holding have departed on loan or permanently, as Arteta has raised the level of quality required to be part of the Arsenal squad even as a backup.
Arsenal have changed style
The first half of last season saw Arsenal play free-flowing attacking football, and were involved in some chaotic games at both ends of the pitch.
Arsenal have since become a side aiming to add more control to their games, and they now have the best defence in the Premier League.
Whilst it might not be as entertaining, Arsenal have gone into this Christmas period as a more defensively resolute and professional side than they were during the last one.