3 big questions surrounding Mikel Arteta and Arsenal

Arsenal are still unbeaten at this early stage of the 2023/24 campaign, but a few poor displays have raised serious questions about the club’s long-term trajectory.

A frustrating 2-2 draw against Sp*rs marked just our latest lacklustre effort and saw the Gunners concede more ground in the Premier League title race, even if there remains ample time to set things straight.

Yet Mikel Arteta insisted post-match that his side “have to improve” such are the narrow margins at this level and, as our rivals continue to rack up points, we must issue a quick and emphatic response.

3 questions facing Arsenal as they try to get their Premier League season back on track

Many fans harbour doubts about what Arsenal can achieve this year, and here are three of the biggest questions currently facing the team.

1. Do Arsenal have the depth to compete for trophies?

It is a concern that seems to have defined much of Arteta’s tenure.

Arsenal earned great acclaim for their years-long rebuilding project and have always tried to add options/competition in several key areas, most recently exemplified by the arrival of David Raya.

However, the team is still heavily reliant on certain individuals (such as William Saliba and Bukayo Saka) and looks worryingly unsteady when injuries force Arteta to rotate, with backup names like Kai Havertz and Fabio Vieira failing to consistently set the world alight so far.

For the most part, we have enough depth to cover our ever-growing list of absentees and will (hopefully) be in much better shape injury-wise in just a couple of weeks when Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey all return.

But while we might have the numbers in reserve, there are qualms about their ability to regularly deliver on the pitch and our big-trophy dreams will not accommodate any passengers.

Continued on the next slide…