It has taken its time, but Arsenal are now starting to flourish under Mikel Arteta.
It hasn’t been easy for the former midfielder, who was dropped in from the cold at Manchester City, and into the absolute mess of Arsenal.
Some big changes have been made, including getting rid of players who haven’t been deemed good enough for the badge.
Dean Saunders thinks Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe are three players who were a ‘waste of money’ for Arsenal, as he told talkSPORT (13/03/24 at 6:10 am).
When it comes to Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, you would say, on paper, they enjoyed themselves a lot more at the Emirates than Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivory Coast star, who is now playing in Turkey, wasn’t helped by the fact that he was Arsenal’s club-record transfer, at the time.
As someone like Antony is finding out at Manchester United, that price tag over your head just doesn’t help matters and makes everything worse.
That’s why, in the end, his contract was ripped up, with Alexandre Lacazette also leaving on a free and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy, and then booted out.
After Arsenal secured their ticket to the quarter-final of the Champions League on Tuesday night, Dean Saunders was keen to mention the changes that have been made at the club.
Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal
“I think he has the right formula now Arteta,” said Saunders. “You have seen the players he has signed, they are playing their part and they are all coming off.
“He has got rid of the deadwood. He has got rid of Lacazette, Aubameyang and Pepe. Is Pepe still there? He has gone, hasn’t he?!
“They wasted some money on players who didn’t have the right character.
“Now they can play in a game like that and grind their way to a win. I know penalties can go either way, but a lot of the signings are coming off and he is doing a great job, for me.”
Arsenal on the right track
In Arteta’s first season at Arsenal, he won the FA Cup, which very much helped matters because it allowed him more time in the dugout.
Fans are now starting to see the results of that because the team are ever-so-close to winning a major trophy again.
You feel they are closer to winning the Premier League title, but they have a fight on their hands with Manchester City and Liverpool also gunning for the same prize.
But don’t rule out the Champions League, yes Arsenal needed penalties to beat the third-best team in Portugal, but they showcased fight and togetherness.
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