Arsenal in flux ahead of derby with Chelsea

(AP):

Arsenal is the latest English Premier League team to have signed up for a behind-the-scenes documentary charting the goings-on at the club over the course of a season.

Programme-makers are unlikely to be short of material in August.

Few clubs are in as much flux as Arsenal, whose presence in the ‘Dirty Dozen’ that attempted – somewhat misguidedly – to launch a breakaway Super League belied their status as one of European football’s fallen giants. Indeed, the team from north London hasn’t even qualified for European competition this season, the first time that has happened in 25 years.

Off the field, Arsenal are attempting to reshape their bloated, lopsided and increasingly weak-looking squad in the final weeks of the transfer window for an improbable attempt at getting back in England’s elite. The club announced the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Martin Ødegaard – a playmaker who was on loan at Emirates Stadium last season – and another deal is to be announced for Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for a combined £54.3 million, taking Arsenal’s overall summer outlay close to £129 million.

It is quite the spending spree, coming somewhat away from the spotlight while so much attention is on the prospective transfer of Harry Kane elsewhere in north London, though how strong it leaves Arsenal’s squad is open to question.

That’s because, on the field, Arsenal have started the Premier League season with a humbling 2-0 loss at promoted team Brentford that exposed the familiar failings in Mikel Arteta’s team, not least the flakiness at the heart of the defence. With matches to come against European champions Chelsea – on tomorrow for the headline fixture of the second round – and then English champions Manchester City, there’s a decent chance Arsenal will be in last place heading into the international break ahead of Round 4.

That could make for must-see content for the documentary, though not the kind Arsenal would have envisaged when agreeing to take part.

There have been other concerns.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, arguably Arsenal’s two most high-profile players and certainly their most likely scorers, missed the game against Brentford because, according to Arteta, they were “unwell”.

The fact that the Spaniard added “that’s all I can say” when talking about the forwards’ absences suggested there was more to it. And the club confirmed Thursday that both players had missed the game because they had contracted COVID-19. While Aubameyang could return against Chelsea, Lacazette will miss out again.

Aubameyang is Arsenal’s highest earner whose form dipped dramatically after signing a big new deal with the club at the start of last season. If that sounds familiar, it is because a similar thing happened to Mesut Özil – another big name who eventually became estranged from Arsenal.

Arsenal will hope things turn out differently with the Gabon striker, whose performances could be key for Arsenal as they look to improve on a lowly eighth-place finish last season.

Chelsea’s arrival at the Emirates tomorrow, in that sense, is symbolic. A club from the other side of London, it has just spent a club-record £97.5 million on a striker of proven quality in Belgium international Romelu Lukaku, who could make his debut after arriving from Inter Milan last week. How Arteta would love to be able to call upon a player of such quality.

The nature of the loss to Brentford immediately punctured any optimism Arsenal fans might have had coming into the season.

Arteta is relying on young players, fronted by Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and new £50-million signing Ben White, in this Arsenal rebuild. Brazil forward Gabriel Martinelli and Belgian midfielder Albert Lokonga, both of whom were part of an inexperienced starting line-up against Brentford, are also highly thought of and could be stars of the future.

Whether Arteta is given time to see through the development of these talented youngsters is another question entirely. The visit of Chelsea could highlight just how far Arsenal have fallen.

Today’s fixtures

Liverpool v Burnley 6:30 a.m.

Aston Villa v Newcastle 9 a.m.

Crystal Palace v Brentford 9 a.m.

Leeds v Everton 9 a.m.

Man City v Norwich 9 a.m.

Brighton v Watford 11:30 a.m.

Tomorrow’s fixtures

Southampton v Man Utd 8 a.m.

Wolverhampton v Tottenham 8 a.m.

Arsenal v Chelsea 10:30 a.m.

Monday’s fixtures

West Ham v Leicester 2 p.m.