Introduction

In the week ahead of the season opener at home to Liverpool, a seven part Arsenal Audit review examined last season in the much wider context of the Arsenal Chief Executive’s assertion that whilst Leicester had beaten the Club to the 12 year elusive Premier League title by 10 points, there had been clear progress, change, challenge and development. This two part review of the opening month of the season starts with a new theme of pre-season preparation before it again picks up injuries, the Captaincy, the preparedness for opening matches, tactical approaches, and then revisits the progress of the British core. In part 2, we turn to the traditionally thorny subject of recruitment, together with the resultant dissent, exits and remains, and following its closure, the more positive ending to the summer transfer window this time. Finally, an Arsenal Audit view of Arsenal’s prospects in terms of trophy success for the remaining season is offered.

Pre-season preparation

In 2011 Monsieur Wenger rightly accepted forgoing the pre-season Austrian training camps and Continental pre-season fixtures for the inevitable global commercial necessities of matches further afield in South East Asia and the United States.

This year, after a short hop to France, Arsenal headed to the United States for two matches before another pair in Scandinavia. The initial draw at RC Lens was followed by four wins against mixed opposition. The highlight of which was the final match and a 3-2 win against a Manchester City only starting to get to grips with the Pep Guardiola revolution. In short, on the pitch Arsenal looked bright offensively especially with the many available midfield options. Mohamed Elneny was perhaps the pick of a much rotated bunch. Up front Chuba Akpom papered over the cracks without ever suggesting he was ready to be a regular starter and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain repeated his good form of the last pre-season. Defensively Arsenal looked less convincing. Gabriel looked no better defensively or in possession before his injury than he did last season. Despite some encouraging signs from the England under 21 new signing Rob Holding, the defence shorn of Laurent Koscielny, resting after his exertions as the bedrock of the French defence and a Euros finalist, looked decidedly shaky. Yet another goal from Didier Drogba (for MLS All-Stars), now 38, added insult to injuries.

Since travelling much further afield pre-season, Monsieur Wenger has struggled to prepare the team adequately for the start of the new season. In the six opening Premier League fixtures up to 2010, when Arsenal were based in Austria, Arsenal won four and drew two. The last two fixtures were on Merseyside and resulted in a 6-1 win at Goodison Park and a creditable draw at Anfield (in which Jack Wilshere made his Premier League debut for Arsenal). The opening home defeat to Liverpool meant that the last six - all at home - have resulted in four defeats, a draw and just one win (a stoppage time winner against Crystal Palace, 2014). The defeat can be attributed to an all too familiar cocktail of not recruiting a competitive squad and / or recruiting late in the transfer window, injuries and players not being fit.

Injuries

Carl Jenkinson (knee) remains injured having returned injured from his loan spell at West Ham. Danny Welbeck (knee) picked up a serious long-term injury on 8 May. Arsenal wasted little time in replenishing the treatment room. Pre-season casualties Per Mertesacker (knee) and Gabriel (ankle) were soon joined by Alex Iwobi (thigh) and Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) as they went off within two minutes of each other in the season opener (14 August). Koscielny was, by Monsieur Wenger's own admission, risked in starting the second match, but survived unscathed.

Captaincy

The new Captain was finally announced the day before the opening match against Liverpool and the de facto incumbent Per Mertesacker appointed as the “natural” choice for Captain despite being injured pre-season and likely to be out for four or five months and having not been a guaranteed starter the previous season due to loss of form. Along with Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta he forms a successive triumvirate of absentee Captains appointed / retained despite injuries and loss of form.

The opportunity to shake things up with the spikier and more demonstrative leadership skills of the newly acquired and much younger Granit Xhaka was missed. The mantra of leaders all over the pitch seemed to be retained. Goalkeeper Petr Cech assumed the acting Captaincy for the first match before handing over to Laurent Koscienly upon his return to the team. Santi Cazorla was also named as a potential ‘assistant captain’ in Mertesacker’s lengthy absence. There was again scant evidence of across the board leadership at home in the opening match.

Preparedness for opening matches

The not unwelcome desire, given the long history of injuries, to fully rest players after the Euros resulted in Laurent Koscielny being held back and Calum Chambers and Rob Holding’s young and inexperienced partnership being left badly exposed in the Liverpool match. Pundits castigated the resting of Koscielny and said the player should have demanded to play. Perhaps they were unaware of the recent history or risking players when not fit and paying a heavy price – not least Alexis Sanchez. Many Arsenal fans, and certainly Arsenal Audit, were rather more circumspect. Nevertheless, having claimed after the Manchester City friendly win that “physically, we look ready”’, Monsieur Wenger had been swiftly disabused of the idea which left him admitting “some players are not ready physically to compete at this level”.

Whereas returnees from their post-Euros holidays Mezut Ozil and Olivier Giroud, returned on the bench away at Champions Leicester, Laurent Koscielny was rushed back and risked despite Monsieur Wenger admitting him having had “big back problems” the day before the match and being taking out of training.

And after the three goal first half blitz at Watford, Monsieur Wenger continued the theme, “in the second half we still created many chances but we missed something in the final ball, like we did at Leicester. We are not capable at the end to maintain completely for 90 minutes exactly the same intensity physically.”

Key rivals the Manchester clubs and Chelsea all had to cope not just with the players being ready after the Euros, but all had new managers arriving and, for Chelsea, a manager arriving after managing Italy to the Euros quarter-finals. Certainly in the case of the new Manchester managers, they had very different ideals to their predecessors and considerable change to manage – not least in introducing completely new tactical approaches and integrating many new players. The Manchester clubs also faced disruption during their China tour and City also had to negotiate two Champions League qualifying matches. Nevertheless, the new managers each won their first three matches and it took just two matches played for Arsenal to already be five points behind the better prepared leaders.

Tactical approaches

Having retired, Mikel Arteta followed a plethora of players and former players to join Manchester City and Pep Guardiola’s revolution as there were no vacancies at Arsenal and the operational team remained unchanged. As did the customary 4-2-3-1 formation.

Against Liverpool, Arsenal seemed set up to compensate for the centre-back injuries, lack of remedial recruitment, and the resultant total inexperience of the debutant young centre-back pairing at Premier League level. Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny formed the ‘two’. In the first half, Arsenal mounted a highly effective Guggenpresse of their own and maintained a good shape and positional discipline that shielded them well. But, once again, the press didn't last the 90 minutes and, the shape and discipline disappeared in the second half as Arsenal were torn apart. Coasting at 1-0 and in control, much like at West Ham in April, Arsenal conceded just before half-time and Liverpool came out for the second half a different team. The four goals conceded in 19 minutes were an unfortunate reminder of the 2014 Anfield debacle and days that had seemed to have gone. Jurgen Klopp’s half-time team talk would have been buoyed by the goal and, as usual, he passionately and proactively managed the match from the sidelines. Whilst he warned that the 4th goal celebration with his players may have brought about complacency, Monsieur Wenger by comparison was only noticeable for flailing his arms in frustration. Two goals in a ‘Champions League style second leg almost fightback’ didn't prevent boos ringing round the stadium once again. In short, ‘the chickens of indecision and prevarication came home to roost’ and Arsenal were three points behind their three Premier League key rivals, after just one home match.

Whilst the curious decision to leave Granit Xhaka on the bench was unexplained, the selection of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny did offer some hope that against key rivals away and in difficult European ties, Monsieur Wenger may consider setting the team up with both defensive midfield players, Xhaka and Coquelin, and maybe even rotate the richness of midfield resources to good tactical, and also crucial medical effect.