It is currently an incredible time to support the Arsenal Football Club. The team from N5 is five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and has played some wonderful football over the course of the season. Especially since the World Cup, there have been multiple dramatic victories, which are essential to securing important points in the title race. It now seems hard to remember, but this club was in crisis mode for much of 2021. In current manager Mikel Arteta’s first full season, Arsenal suffered through a poor campaign and finished eighth in the Premier League. The 2021-22 season started with three straight losses, which included a defeat to newly promoted Brentford and a 5-0 loss to Manchester City. After the third loss, it seemed that Arteta would not be in his job much longer. Much of the fan base, including myself, wanted him fired and replaced. Thankfully, the Arsenal owners showed more patience than the fans and trusted Arteta and the squad to find solutions. The club righted the ship by the end of the season, and despite missing out on the top four, the signs of improvement were clear for all to witness. This season, the team has exploded into genuine title challengers and one of the most exciting clubs in Europe. While there are many factors that have contributed to Arsenal’s incredible resurgence, much of the credit must go to manager Mikel Arteta. He has revolutionized the way Arsenal plays on a weekly basis and reconnected the fans with the players.

Toward the end of the 2021-22 Premier League season, the ideas behind Arteta’s tactics became increasingly evident as the squad continued to gel and become more accustomed to each other. However, this obviously evident chemistry took some time to build. Arteta took the Arsenal job in December 2019, and of the players featured in his first starting XI, only Granit Xhaka and Reiss Nelson remain regulars at the club. But many of Arteta’s signings since then have become crucial to Arsenal’s current tactical setup. Martin Ødegaard, whom Arsenal signed on a permanent deal after his loan for only 30 million pounds in the summer of 2021, has become the team’s captain and creative hub. One only has to watch his performance away at Tottenham or in the second-half comeback at Aston Villa to realize he has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. His willingness to lead by example and his outstanding work rate have made him an excellent captain, despite not fitting into the traditional mold of passionate leaders who typically captain Premier League sides. Oleksandr Zinchenko, another bargain transfer brought in by Arteta for only 32 million pounds, has been crucial to Arsenal’s play this season. Although Zinchenko is nominally a left back, he drifts into the central midfield when Arsenal are in possession, allowing yet another technically gifted player to be on the ball frequently. His unique player profile means Arsenal are often able to force their opponents into defending for long stretches due to his strength in possession.

The success Arteta has had in the transfer market has allowed Arsenal to truly implement his tactics to their full extent this season. The results have been nothing short of spectacular. Arsenal have accumulated the second-most expected goals and the second-fewest expected goals against, behind only Manchester City in both categories. Their play has also been incredibly entertaining to watch. In possession, the entire Arsenal team besides goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will often be in the opposing half for prolonged stretches of the game. When they lose the ball, Arsenal press in an organized and willing fashion that creates many goal-scoring opportunities by winning the ball back in dangerous areas. This highly aggressive setup has meant that Arsenal average more touches than their opponents in nearly every area of the pitch besides the opposing penalty box. This is a risky style that can leave them susceptible to counterattacks, but center backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, along with defensive midfielder Thomas Partey, often limit such opportunities and provide a solid base for Arsenal to attack once again after they win the ball back.

Perhaps most importantly, Arteta’s tenure has coincided with a notable growth in fans’ connection with the club. The Emirates Stadium, which was formerly prone to accusations of being a soulless bowl, is now incredibly loud and vibrant. A supporter’s group known as the Ashburton Army attends every home game with the effort of making the atmosphere around the Emirates more intimidating, and it is safe to say they and the broader stadium crowds have succeeded. Various chants praising Arteta and the Arsenal players ring out with incredible volume in and around the stadium before, during and after matches. The hype around Arsenal is well and truly back — and approaching a fever pitch as the title run-in begins. Excitingly for fans, the current team is set up to compete in the long term. Arsenal are the second-youngest team in the league based on average age, and numerous key players such as Bukayo Saka and Saliba have signed contract extensions. Even if Arsenal do not go on to win the league this season, the 2022–23 season appears set to be remembered as the one in which Arteta brought Arsenal back to the top.

Theodore Brita is a junior majoring in political science.