After just missing out on the top four in the Premier League last season, Arsenal have been busy in the summer transfer market as they look to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.
The Gunners have already got a couple of key signings to improve their attack and are working on more deals to beef up their depth.
But as things stand, here is how SBOTOP expects Mikel Arteta to line up his Arsenal squad for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Goalkeeper – Aaron Ramsdale
Arsenal came under some criticism last season for spending big money on Ramsdale, a goalkeeper who had been relegated in consecutive seasons with Bournemouth and Sheffield United.
But the 24-year-old quickly proved his critics wrong as he put up some impressive performances that placed him among the big surprise packages of the season.
Ramsdale has now fully ensconced himself as the Gunners’ No 1 goalkeeper moving forward, and barring a precipitous dip in form or a serious injury, he figures to be the undisputed starter this season.
Right-back – Takehiro Tomiyasu
Like Ramsdale, Tomiyasu came over last summer and quickly established his spot as the club’s regular at right-back. The Japanese international settled into the side surprisingly quickly, so much so that he won the club’s Player of the Month award for September.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Tomiyasu to just 21 appearances in his Premier League debut. But when fit, Tomiyasu should be the Gunners’ first choice in right full-back this season.
Centre-back – Ben White
Arsenal splurged a massive £50 million to sign Ben White, who became the Gunners’ most expensive defender in club history. And while the 24-year-old was not overly outstanding in his debut season, he was arguably the most consistent defender in the side and should continue to be one of the first names on Arteta’s team sheet this upcoming season.
Centre-back – Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel had the most appearances out of any Arsenal defender last season with 35 and was surprisingly one of the team’s leading scorers with five goals – outscoring even centre-forward Alexandre Lacazette, who only had four.
However, there has been some speculation that the 24-year-old Brazilian could be on the move. He has been linked with Juventus this summer, while Arsenal have been heavily linked with Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez.
But as things stand at the moment, Gabriel looks to be the very clear top choice to partner White in the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
Left-back – Kieran Tierney
Tierney has the talent to be one of the top left-backs in the Premier League and should be Arsenal’s undisputed starting left-back. But as has been the case for most of his career, the young Scot keeps picking up injuries. He was limited to just 22 Premier League appearances last season as a knee injury shortened his campaign.
With young Nuno Tavares nowhere near ready to be a regular starter, Arteta will be hoping that Tierney can stay healthy for most of the upcoming season to help boost their Premier League 2022 odds.
Central midfield – Thomas Partey
Like Tierney, Partey was also limited to just 24 appearances amid injury issues. The 29-year-old has now appeared in 24 games in each of his first two Premier League seasons, which was not ideal considering the Gunners spent £45 million to make him the anchor of their midfield.
Young Albert Sambi Lokonga showed promise while deputising for Partey. But when fit, the Ghanaian remains the clear top choice in that defensive midfield role.
Central midfield – Granit Xhaka
Despite his frustrating penchant for making rash challenges – he picked up a team-leading 10 yellow cards and another red last season – Granit Xhaka remains a pivotal part of Arsenal’s side. He’s still the best passer on the team, so unless he’s hurt or suspended, he will most likely continue to find himself in the first XI in most weeks.
Right attacking midfielder – Bukayo Saka
Saka was the only Arsenal player to play in every Premier League game last season while making a team-high 36 starts, and he was by far their most productive forward with 11 goals and 7 assists. By those numbers, it’s quite clear that the 20-year-old is supremely valuable to the Gunners, and that right-sided spot will be his for some time.
Central attacking midfielder – Martin Odegaard
Odegaard had a stellar first full season at Arsenal as he had 7 goals and 4 assists in 36 games, most of which he played in central attacking midfield. Although, he now faces a bit more competition for that position with the signing of Fabio Vieira.
Both players can play deeper in midfield, which should add a bit more flexibility to Arteta’s formations. But when it comes to the No 10 role, Odegaard is likely to remain the first choice heading into the new season.
Left attacking midfielder – Gabriel Martinelli
The left-sided attacking spot figures to be the most uncertain position in the Arsenal side, with both Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe expected to compete for the role. The two both started 21 games last year, although they can also play centrally when Odegaard is pushed deeper.
Arteta is likely to change things up a lot on the left depending on the opposition, but Martinelli could just have the edge due to his pace and creativity.
Centre-forward – Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus looks to be Arsenal’s marquee signing this summer, and despite playing wide on the right for most of last season at Manchester City, the Brazilian is widely tipped to replace the departed Alexandre Lacazette as the Gunners’ first-choice centre-forward.
Jesus’s goalscoring record while playing as the top striker is not the best, but unless Eddie Nketiah can prove the Premier League 2022 highlights he produced at the end of last season was no fluke, Arsenal will have to go with Gabriel Jesus to lead the line.
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