A new season beckons and the same old challenge for the Premier League title hopefuls…to somehow knock Manchester City off the perch they have sat on for four consecutive years.
The team best equipped to beat the Sky Blues is Arsenal. The Gunners finished second last season, just two points behind Pep Guardiola’s champions and with an identical goal difference. So, having taken his team almost all the way, Guardiola’s former apprentice, Mikel Arteta is well placed to plan a renewed attack on his old boss.
The signing of midfield anchor Declan Rice and the rapid progress of William Saliba, who has developed into one of the best centre backs in the world transformed the Gunners from easy on the eye also rans to serious contenders; and the early Premier League 2024 betting odds pitch the Gunners as very clear second favourites, with Liverpool making up the top three.
Arteta has been in the Premier League 2024 news this week, claiming that the league’s recently tightened Profit and Sustainability Rules have been partly to blame for the slow start to the transfer window, as well as the Euros and the Copa America. But all eyes are back on domestic matters and when the Arsenal boss looks at the Sky Blues squad, he can see two world class players in every position.
Arteta needs to strengthen, so here is the SBOTOP pick of the three players we believe can help Arsenal compete with Manchester City.
Ivan Toney
One player who has been on the Arsenal radar for months, if not a year, is Brentford striker Ivan Toney, a prolific goal scorer; something the Gunners have missed in recent seasons. With 67 goals in 128 appearances for the Bees Toney has adapted to life in the Premier League impressively, his career temporarily stalled by an eight months ban for betting breaches. But his troubles are behind him; and Toney is one of the hottest properties in football, and arguably the best penalty taker on the planet. He has a 94 per cent conversion ratio across his career and a unique style, where he places his shot with unerring accuracy without looking at the ball.
Rice and Toney have been in England’s Euro 2024 group and have apparently been getting on like a house on fire. In a recent interview the Gunners midfielder said: “With Ivan, I think we have just clicked. Ever since he got in the squad we just got on. From his time at Brentford, we have always got on and we are really close now.”
It seems to me that Toney is likely to switch West London for North London in the coming weeks.
Riccardo Calafiori
22 year old Italy centre back Calafiori came to prominence in Serie A as a key player in Bologna’s stunning third placed finish last term. He can play in the middle of defence or as a left back and Calafiori caught the eye at Euro 2024 with his headline grabbing displays, not always for the right reasons. He scored an own goal in the 1-0 defeat to Spain; then made the assist for Mattia Zaccagni’s stoppage time equaliser against Croatia but he picked up a second yellow card which kept him out of the Azzurri’s Round of 16 loss to Switzerland.
An aggressive defender with superb anticipation and an array of passing skills Calafiori would be at home in the Premier League.
Joao Felix
Arsenal have some of the best wide men and creative midfielders in the Premier League, with Gabriel Martinelli on one flank and Bukayo Saka on the other, but they are light in terms of competition for places, and the Spanish press have just reported that the Gunners have entered the race to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix. Now 24 years old, he spent last season on loan at Barcelona but Felix has struggled to cope with the massive £126m price tag which took him from Benfica to Madrid and made him the second most expensive teenager in history, behind Kylian Mbappe. There’s clearly a top class player in there and he has already made 41 appearances for Portugal, one of the most fluid nations in world football. He needs a new home and Felix would be a superb fit for Arsenal.
The Gunners have started their pre-season warm-ups in the south of Spain and later this month Arteta will take his team out to the USA where they will play against Bournemouth, Liverpool and Manchester United. The Red Devils have been the most active of the Premier League big guns and are close to getting some deals over the line. Now is the time for Arsenal to pick up some momentum in the market.
If they can land Toney, Calafiori and Felix then the Gunners won’t be far away.
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