Friday Take-Away — March 10, 2023
Welcome to Friday Take-Away! In this weekly column, I offer my take on five Arsenal-related topics. These topics be anything from match tactics to transfers to a player’s dancing ability. Hopefully this Take-Away isn’t too spicy for you. Without further ado, let’s tuck in.
1) Reiss Nelson deserves a new contract.
As soon as the new deals for Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are wrapped up, Nelson needs to be next up on the list of players Arsenal extend this season. The Hale End graduate was the star off the show on Saturday against Bournemouth, registering a goal and an assist to help drag the Gunners to what just might be the most iconic wins the Emirates has ever witnessed. It’s his second impressive cameo of the season, with his two goals and assist against Nottingham Forest being the first. Last weekend, with Arsenal thin in attack, Mikel Arteta turned to Nelson. And the 23-year-old reminded us how talented he is. He showed his quickness, his control on the ball, his good decision-making, and especially his nose for goal. In probably the most pressurized moment of his career, he calmly guided a volley into the perfect spot. Nelson has ability that can serve Arsenal for years to come. If he can overcome his injury troubles, he is worth keeping around for a bit longer.
2) Selling Folarin Balogun this summer would probably be a mistake.
Reports came out earlier this week claiming that Newcastle were mulling over a potential bid for Balogun this summer. There has also been another report stating that AC Milan are interested as well. Normally, I’m down to sell an academy product if a decent offer comes in. Iwobi to Everton? Willock to Newcastle? Those are both success stories. But Balogun is different. At one point not too long ago, he was leading Ligue 1 in scoring. He has now been overtaken by Jonathan David, Kylian Mbappe, Wissam Ben Yedder, and Alexandre Lacazette (who is having a great season by the way, good for him), but the point has been made: he’s hanging with the big boys. Balogun could be the real deal, another Saka but at the center forward position. To sell him for £30 million to a future rival or even to a club we could face in the Champions League soon is riskier than it seems at first glance. If he can’t be integrated into the first team next season then he should be loaned out again, but at some point Arsenal need to figure out how to fit him in. Odds are good that what he can provide is worth more than what we would get for him this summer.
3) Jakub Kiwior’s debut was never going to come at a good time.
A player signed in the summer always has something a player signed in January does not: time. Time to get acclimated, time to develop partnerships, time to adjust to a new team and a new style of play. January signings are typically expected to hit the ground running midseason when the matches are tougher and the stakes are a little higher. It was no different for Kiwior, who made his Arsenal debut on Thursday. Odds are that Kiwior’s debut was always going to be tricky, especially when by having to start alongside other rotation players as he did against Sporting. Whether it is in a Europa League knockout match, a trip to Fulham, or a home game against Manchester City, Arsenal are hitting the business end of the season and the fixtures aren’t as kind anymore. On top of that, he is a young defender playing in a team that faces a lot of counterattacks in a team and league that he is very much still adapting to. But a disappointing debut does not undo the fact that he seems to be a really promising player.
4) Arsenal need to tighten up their defense, and quickly.
According to Scott Willis of Cannon Stats, Arsenal conceded 1.16 big chances per match before the World Cup. Since the league has resumed, the Gunners have allowed opponents 2.08 big chances per match. Set pieces have proven especially concerning as Arsenal have gone from conceding 0.18 xG per game from set pieces pre-World Cup to conceding 0.34 xG from set pieces post-World Cup, as reported by James Benge. In recent weeks, Arteta’s men have conceded set piece goals from Manchester City, Everton, Bournemouth, and Sporting. They are also getting hit on the break more often, with that leading to significant opportunities for opponents as well. The bottom line is that Arsenal have been leaking goals of late. And with Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, and Leandro Trossard all out injured, they don’t have as much firepower to consistently overturn deficits. As exciting as it has been to witness, you can’t keep winning games in come-from-behind style the way we have against Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth. Arsenal need to get back to scoring first and to squeezing the life out of games if they want to maintain their lead at the top of the table.
5) Remember to enjoy this season.
Things are going pretty well right now. Arsenal are five points clear in pole position in the Premier League, and also among the favorites to win the Europa League. The club feels more harmonious and connected to the supporters than it has in a very long time. On top of that, Spurs are a mess; their manager is humiliating them on and off the pitch, their club legend looks likely to go in the summer if he wants a shot at any silverware, their big summer signing is already proving toxic, they face an extremely uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League, and they are stuck paying off a £1 billion stadium. Chelsea sit 10th and despite spending an obscene amount of money are in crisis mode. And after talking a big game about being in the title race, United fans had to watch their team lose 7-0 at Anfield to a Liverpool side that has struggled this season. The point is, this has been a terrific season so far. You should enjoy it. Squeeze every last drop of fun out of these next few months. Things change quickly in football, and though things look promising for us, you never know when the ride ends until it does.
And that’s the Take-Away for this week. If it suited your tastes, follow me on Twitter @Shamsdale. Until next time, COYG.
