3. Arteta needs to rotate
As the season wore on, it became clear that some of the Arsenal players were feeling the effects of the minutes in their legs, particularly Bukayo Saka, who had also started four World Cup games and played in both England’s qualifiers.
Despite this, Arteta was reluctant to rotate, even in games that Arsenal should have won, which led to Saka being heavily criticised for his supposed drop-off, and the team struggling for freshness at a crucial point of the season.
While numbers were an issue when it came to injury, there were also examples of Arteta failing to use squad players such as Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and even Jorginho until Arsenal met Chelsea at the beginning of May. The Spaniard admitted this himself.
Using these players to see games out, or to make minor changes in games where Arsenal were favourites would have kept the squad fresher for the latter part of the season and perhaps reduced the drop-off we saw with Thomas Partey.
Next season will come with greater expectation and intensity with Champions League football returning for the first time in six years, and rotation will be key if Arsenal are going to mount a serious challenge once again.
season with huge strides made ahead of next year.</p>
<h2><em><strong>3 key takeaways from Arsenal’s 2022/23 season</strong></em></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Arsenal have not dropped a point this season when their best XI has been available, winning all six times, but this team haven’t played together since November… 💔 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://t.co/aHs9vaOZdj">pic.twitter.com/aHs9vaOZdj
<p>— Anthony Eri👑 (@AnthonyC_Eri) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://twitter.com/AnthonyC_Eri/status/1651598840489816064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>1. Depth still isn’t strong enough</h2>
<p>The Arsenal first 11, plus Jorginho, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior have shown that they can beat anyone this season, but once you go past those players, the cracks start to show, and it cost them this season.</p>
<p>This may have not been a problem pre-Pep Guardiola, but the machine he’s cultivated at City has meant that any drop in points will be punished, and when Arsenal suffered injuries in key positions, the level dropped significantly.</p>
<p>This would be the case for most teams, except City, who have 18 outfield players who can be called upon at any time without weakening the team, and that is now the bar for Arsenal to reach; we are no longer a club trying to break into the top four.</p>
<p>As the summer approaches, Arteta will very much know his targets, and more specifically the areas where he absolutely has to upgrade, and with <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/16/will-granit-xhaka-remembered-arsenal/">Granit Xhaka</a> leaving, along with some squad players, a busy summer is to be expected.</p>
<p><em>Continued to next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 Saliba and Gabriel are crucial </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-132956" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1472978313.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1472978313.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1472978313-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"></p>
<h2><strong>2. Saliba and Gabriel are crucial</strong></h2>
<p>Arsenal fans had labelled William Saliba the ‘Mbappe of centre-backs’ before he arrived at the club, and after three loan spells and seemingly bad relations between him and Mikel Arteta, there were doubts he would ever play for the club.</p>
<p>But he did, and not only did he play, he exceeded all expectations by bringing a sense of calmness and grace to the Arsenal backline, that was mixed with his 6’4 physical frame, electric pace and dazzling ball skills.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Arsenal have conceded 13 times in the six games that William Saliba has been injured.</p>
<p>Crucial absence. 🤕 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://t.co/shNPoJPCnh">pic.twitter.com/shNPoJPCnh
<p>— 90min (@90min_Football) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://twitter.com/90min_Football/status/1651543032150343681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>His silky style proved to be the perfect foil for Gabriel, whose front-footed, aggressive style required a stable head in the sweeper position. By the time Arsenal stepped out at Crystal Palace on the opening day, they looked like a seasoned partnership and went on to keep 11 clean sheets as a pair.</p>
<p>Defensively, they have become one of the best pairings around, but everything starts with them and <a title="3 unsung heroes during Arsenal’s 2022/23 campaign" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-unsung-arsenal-heroes/" rel="">Aaron Ramsdale</a>, and a huge part of Arsenal’s drop-off came as a result of losing Saliba’s ball-playing ability. Going into next season, adequate cover is a must.</p>
<p><em>Continued to next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 Arteta needs to rotate </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-134834" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1258257471-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1258257471-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1258257471-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1258257471-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1258257471-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"></p>
<h2><strong>3. Arteta needs to rotate</strong></h2>
<p>As the season wore on, it became clear that some of the Arsenal players were feeling the effects of the minutes in their legs, particularly <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/23/3-points-bukayo-saka-new-contract/">Bukayo Saka</a>, who had also started four World Cup games and played in both England’s qualifiers.</p>
<p>Despite this, Arteta was reluctant to rotate, even in games that Arsenal should have won, which led to <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-saka-form/">Saka being heavily criticised for his supposed drop-off, and the team struggling for freshness at a crucial point of the season.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">These two saves of Ramsdale have been nominated for Premier League Save of the Season award. Which one gets your vote? For me it’s the Liverpool game. Being at the Kop end and all, Aaron kept his cool and made that spectacular save.🧤 Incredible. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#COYG</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://t.co/7BS8DMVz4l">pic.twitter.com/7BS8DMVz4l
<p>— The Nomad Post. (@the_nomad_post) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://twitter.com/the_nomad_post/status/1663886032620617729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>While numbers were an issue when it came to injury, there were also examples of Arteta failing to use squad players such as <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/08/jorginho-newcastle/">Kieran Tierney</a>, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and even Jorginho until Arsenal met <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/03/jorginho-arsenal-chelsea/">Chelsea at the beginning of May.<a title="David Ornstein delivers surprising Emile Smith Rowe update" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/01/3-key-takeaways-arsenal-2022-23-season/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/30/smith-rowe-set-stay-arsenal-summer/" rel=""> The Spaniard admitted this himself.</a></p>
<p>Using these players to see games out, or to make minor changes in games where Arsenal were favourites would have kept the squad fresher for the latter part of the season and perhaps reduced the drop-off we saw with Thomas Partey.</p>
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<p>Next season will come with greater expectation and intensity with Champions League football returning for the first time in six years, and rotation will be key if Arsenal are going to mount a serious challenge once again.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
