Arsenal’s £118m foundation can lead them to top four

When a team has four exciting attacking players aged 23 or under, two of whom are just 20 years old, they will understandably take many of the plaudits. Arsenal are blessed in forward areas.

While the striker department will be refurbished in the summer to add some much needed goals through the centre of the pitch, and a new midfielder is being eyed to play in the advanced No. 8 slot that Granit Xhaka is capably filling in for, one area of the pitch isn’t in need of a major overhaul.

It’s been mentioned that a new right-back could be on the cards to provide some depth and competition, although Cedric’s form might put an end to that, with the rest of the defence to be left untouched.

The reasons for that is because it’s already been heavily invested in. Brilliantly so. Around £118m has been spent on Kieran Tierney, Gabriel, Benjamin White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, with Aaron Ramsdale taking that figure closer to £150m. It’s some of the best money Arsenal have parted with, even if there hasn’t been much competition of late.

Arsenal’s £118m foundation can lead them to top four with White, Gabriel, Tierney and co part of an increasingly solid defensive unit

Keeping Aston Villa at bay in their most recent outing took Arsenal’s clean sheet tally to 13 in 28 games, the third most in the Premier League. Building a trustworthy defensive foundation was one of Mikel Arteta’s primary tasks at the beginning of his appointment, and they are principles he’s centred much of his tenure around.

Investing in defensive players and building his team’s shape and approach from the back to front is the pragmatic guidelines all managers should follow upon starting a new role, but never before has he had a foundation as solid as this one.

The defence do not take all the plaudits as Arsenal’s entire team structure is well-devised to reduce opposition threat, while their improved domination of the ball restricts the opposition further. But in the starting four defenders there is a wonderful blend of resilience, intelligence, progression and poise. It’s the strongest Arsenal have been at the back in years.

In eight of the past 13 matches they have kept their opponents to shots worth less than 1 xG combined. While goals from an effervescent forward line are securing the points in a literal sense, the solidity in defence is ensuring their safety. Continued improvements at set pieces also play their part.

Still well in the mix for top four football this season with ten matches to go, it will require further resolute defensive showings from this side to achieve their goals. All of White, Gabriel, Tierney and Cedric had to chip in with some last-ditch moments at Villa Park – they’ve all added this welcome trait to their repertoires – and it certainly won’t be the last time.

A fluent attacking force is nothing without its supporting cast. But, with this Arsenal team, it’s almost the other way around: a tremendous defence supported by a flowing forward line.

With the weekly performances of a defensive unit who feed off of clean sheets, the Gunners have the tools to bring Champions League football back to north London.