During my time around Arsenal’s camp in the United States, it was hard to ignore the sense of unity within the club.
On the training ground and during matches, the intensity was palpable; however, manager Mikel Arteta appeared at ease off the pitch—quite different from the sometimes irritable demeanor seen during games. Technical director Edu seemed confident and in charge of his responsibilities.
Edu’s current role involves navigating through a multitude of agents seeking to pitch players to Arsenal. He strikes as a focused individual, one who won’t be swayed by enticing offers that lack depth.
While results can conceal many issues within football clubs, there’s a palpable sense of direction at Arsenal—along with an unusual goodwill towards the ownership, which is impressive given the backlash they faced during the Super League controversy.
Their objective remains clear: to enhance and to win. This is a challenging task, especially since they have achieved 84 and 89 points in the last two seasons, finishing second in the Premier League. The only club that surpassed them is Manchester City.
When asked ahead of the Bournemouth game in Los Angeles if it was feasible to improve after two nearly flawless seasons, Arteta’s response was definitive: “We have to.”
Internally, the approach to this improvement has been likened to a software update. Arsenal is working on fixing the flaws and deficiencies that have been recognized. This effort isn’t about minor adjustments; it’s a complete system overhaul.
“We aim to improve in all areas,” Arteta stated. “Attacking metrics, defensive metrics, restarts, set-pieces.”
Arsenal is ready to embrace the challenge of surpassing his former club, City.
