DEFENDERS

Oleksandr Zinchenko

December 15, 1996/Ukraine

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Jersey Express, New England Revolution, Richmond Kickers (loan)

15

February 15, 2000/Poland

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Updating...

12

March 24, 2001/France

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Saint-Etienne, Nice (loan)

18

November 5, 1998/Japan

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Avispa Fukuoka, Sint-Truiden, Bologna

Arsenal should have one of the better defenses in the Premier League for the 2022-23 season. The first choice defense (from last season) of Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu is quite good. In the 10 matches they started together, they conceded 0.8 goals per game. Over the course of a full season, that’s 30.4 goals conceded, which would have been tied for the third-best in the Premier League.

October 8, 1997/Poole

Clearly, the biggest concern for the Gunners defense is availability. With one or more of that quartet missing, Arsenal conceded 1.4 goals per game. That’s a seasonlong pace of 53.2, which would have been tied for 10th in the PL, two spots lower than Arsenal actually finished in terms of goals against. YOU CANNOT HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON WITH YOUR FIRST-CHOICE BACKLINE ONLY STARTING 10 MATCHES TOGETHER.

December 19, 1997/Brazil

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Avai, Lille, Troyes (loan), Dinamo Zagreb (loan)

Kieran Tierney has missed chunks of multiple seasons and cannot be counted on to stay healthy. Takehiro Tomiyasu suffered back-to-back calf injuries that kept him out for most of the spring. Both missed all the preseason matches through injury and may or may not be available on Matchday 1.

Another “ PROBLEM” facing Mikel Arteta is selection, at least when (if) everybody is fit. To that returning core of Tierney, Gabriel, White, and Tomiyasu , Arsenal added Oleksandr Zinchenko , who played primarily left back for Manchester City, and William Saliba , a RCB. Both have looked fantastic in preseason action. What Arteta’s preferred defense will look like this season is an open question.

I’ve not included Hector Bellerin or Pablo Mari on this list because neither are likely to be with the club this season, even though they are currently listed on the club website. Bellerin is likely to cancel his contract and move to Real Betis on a free transfer. Mari is almost certainly heading somewhere in Serie A. Nuno Tavares is on loan to Marseille.

September 20, 1995/Tameside

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Bolton Wanderers, Bury (loan)

June 5, 1997/Isle of Man

Granit Xhaka

September 27, 1992/Switzerland

PREVIOUS CLUBS : FC Basel, Borussia Monchengladbach

December 20, 1991/Italy

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Verona, Napoli (loan), Chelsea (loan)

June 13, 1993/Ghana

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Atletico Madrid, Mallorca (loan), Almeria (loan)

July 28, 2000/Croydon

PREVIOUS CLUBS : Red Bull Leipzig (loan), Huddersfield Town (loan)

by football.london

Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta’s side have shot to the top of the Premier League table and have 10 different goal scorers that have contributed to their 33 goals this season. Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table to five points after Manchester City’s shock defeat at home to Brentford. A second half brace from Martin Odegaard, which made him Arsenal’s top scorer so far this season on six goals, secured the victory, along with a seventh clean sheet for Aaron Ramsdale and the Gunners defence.

“It’s great to be where we are and we are enjoying that moment,” Arteta said. “Now we have a big break and we have to reflect on what we’re doing and be prepared for after the World Cup.”

December 17, 1998/Norway

Arsenal have had a number of great performers this season, in fact it could easily be argued that all 12 of the core starters this season could have reasonable claims to being the Gunners best performer. Where it appears Arsenal have struck gold though is with their midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Odegaard. While the latter is deployed further forward, he often drops deep in search of the ball which has allowed Xhaka to break into the box more often and contribute significantly to seven goals this season. The Gunners captain becoming top scorer for the season will also likely provide justification for Arteta in regards to signing Odegaard permanently after a decent loan spell from Real Madrid in the second half of the 2020/21 season. After scoring just once in his first spell in north London, Odegaard is already one goal away from matching his total for Premier League goals from last season (7) with the Gunners still needing to play 22 games. In fact, that impressive statistic also showcases how Arsenal’s goal-scoring midfielders could prove crucial to their title challenge. In the 2020/2021 season, there were three goals from central midfielders, the stat improved slightly the following season where ten goals were scored, but already the current trio have surpassed that, finding the back of the net a combined total of 12 in 14 games so far, as per The Telegraph. While Arsenal don’t have a clear goal scorer, with 10 other Premier League players having higher scoring tally’s than any Gunners star, they carry a significant attacking threat from midfield, showing goals could come from anywhere and that could be a key factor in their pursuit of the title.

“Our aim is to play better as a team every day, to have better tools to do what we want to do. I can say it’s been phenomenal to work with these players and staff.”

I think no one here is the main man. Everyone is together. When I got injured, we were sure Eddie could go there and help us – and he did it. Trossard came in and did it as well. So everyone is together. To be champions of this big, big competition we need not only 11 players

“Gabriel Jesus”