Arsenal quartet well on course for World Cup achievement

The month of February went perfectly for Arsenal. Beyond just the results across the three games and the points being dropped by the teams around them, there have been clear improvements throughout.

Collectively the team are taking huge strides. They’re now far more dominating across longer spells of matches, creating chances with ease and managing to overcome adversity – falling behind to Wolves, decisions going against them, red cards – greater than before.

Arsenal are more than the sum of their parts, although those parts happen to be fantastic individuals footballers. Four of whom are English.

With the next international breaking coming up at the end of March, four of Mikel Arteta’s players will be eyeing their place in Gareth Southgate’s squad: Aaron Ramsdale, Benjamin White, Bukayo Saka, and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal quartet Benjamin White, Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe well on course for World Cup involvement in Qatar

Saka is absolutely nailed on. He can’t not go to the World Cup at the end of the year. No chance. His rise has been so astronomical that he’s now a shoo-in every time the Three Lions play.

Ramsdale isn’t far behind that either. His form of late hasn’t been quite as steady yet there is no England fan – of an Arsenal affiliation or not – who can confidently claim there has been an English goalkeeper performing at a higher level than him this season. Nick Pope’s form has dipped, Sam Johnstone plays in the Championship and does not boast the distribution, while Jordan Pickford continues to be erratic.

The Everton stopper will likely still get the nod as his international exploits have been at a high standard, but Ramsdale will at the very least be involved in the next break and has everything going for him to be number one come the World Cup.

It isn’t as certain for White, but it should be. How he was overlooked in the previous squad was remarkable, and once again, bias aside, has there been an England central defender performing at a higher level than him this season? John Stones doesn’t play; Harry Maguire might as well not play; Tyrone Mings makes mistakes aplenty; and Conor Coady has been superb but isn’t at the technical level for England.

There are shouts for Fikayo Tomori and Ezri Konsa, among others, yet White outshines them all. His leadership, dynamic ball progression, defensive resolve, and in-game intelligence have all been to a excellent standard. He’s been the best English central defender this season. It’s not up for debate.

Someone who may miss out is Smith Rowe, although were that to happen it would be majorly down to the spoil of riches Southgate has in forward areas. Jarrod Bowen has also had an outstanding individual season for West Ham, while Raheem Sterling has been back to his best in the second half of the campaign. They’re just two in a long list.

Battling with Gabriel Martinelli for a starting berth, it’s the lack of minutes that could cost him. Southgate will announce his squad later in the month and it may be more time on the bench for the 21-year-old up until then, meaning the long-term aim of reestablishing himself in Arteta’s Premier League team and then eyeing up Qatar might be the plan.

Yet, his scoring numbers continue to rise and if he’s contributing to the amount of goals he is without being a regular starter then Southgate has to keep him in his thoughts. Of the four it is Smith Rowe who looks most likely to miss out against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast, although with them being friendlies it’s certainly not out of the question.

From having one player who occasionally got a game for England in Danny Welbeck, Arsenal now have four players who are either certainties to play, should be certainties to play, or are well on their way to become certainties to play.

And what an achievement being involved in the World Cup would be for all four of them.