3 minute read
17/2/2022 | 07:10pm
Ben White. Takehiro Tomiyasu. Aaron Ramsdale.
All three of Arsenal’s main summer signings have played a major role this season, despite their spending spree being questioned by many around the game before a ball was kicked.
The Gunners’ backline now looks vastly different to last season and these bold moves have paid serious dividends as the north London giants finally find themselves back in the race for a top-four finish.
With three games in hand, Arsenal are merely four points outside of a Champions League qualification spot, which only goes to show the phenomenal work that manager Mikel Arteta and the club’s recruitment team have done, on and off the pitch.
Only four teams have conceded fewer goals than the Gunners (25), who are letting in 1.13 goals per game this term.
The three summer additions rank amongst Arteta’s five best performers of all the players to have started 15 or more games, only going to show how influential they have been this campaign, via WhoScored.
Who has been Arsenal’s signing of the season?
WHITE
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RAMSDALE
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TOMIYASU
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ODEGAARD
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Gabriel and Bukayo Saka are the other two.
However, whilst the likes of White and Tomiyasu have been game-changers in the backline, it could be the influence of another summer arrival that has made the most impact.
Arteta managed to poach set-piece guru Nicolas Jover from Manchester City during the off-season and he’s made a considerable effect in such a short space of time.
Defending corners was a particularly concerning issue under the tenure of Unai Emery and during pre-season, they were regularly leaking goals to set-pieces, putting instant pressure on the Frenchman to make his mark.
They also struggled to score from set-pieces last season.
But now, the Gunners rank amongst top four teams for goals scored from set-pieces (nine), whilst they have only conceded three goals from set-pieces (12% of their total), as per WhoScored.
Soon after his appointment, Arteta described Jover as “someone whose expertise can be incredibly useful and valuable for us.” “It’s a crucial part of the game nowadays,” he added. “It’s something you have to dominate and master and we are in that process,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mads Buttgereit, another set-piece coach who works with the German national team, dubbed the Gunners man a “genius.”
“Nicolas is a genius in the way he thinks and the way he creates the plans. Sitting with him and discussing different set-plays, you feel everything has an exact thought behind it. There are no coincidences at any point in any routine,” he told Sky Sports.
“There are a few set-piece coaches who I know personally but, in my mind, I think Nicolas is the best. He is fantastic.”
Therefore, it’s fair to suggest that Jover has been one of, if not, the best signing that Arteta made this summer.
AND in other news, Forget Patino: Arteta could discover Arsenal’s next Saka in “phenomenal” Hale End gem…
https://www.footballfancast.com/arsenal-transfer-rumours/nicolas-jover-arsenal-transfers-signings-mikel-arteta-gunners-premier-league-gossip-opinion
