Arsenal 2021/22 season review: Young team make progress but just miss UCL | OneFootball

It started horribly and then ended with disappointment too, but 2021/22 offered plenty of hope for Arsenal fans.

Competition breakdown

Premier League – 5th

Having finished eighth last season and lost their opening three games, things looked grim for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as September rolled around.

That changed quickly, though, as new signings bedded in well and the Gunners looked like surprise top four contenders by Christmas. From 1 September to 1 April, Arsenal picked up 54 points from 25 matches, more than anyone other than the top two.

With that they were in the driving seat heading into the final 10 games but an inconsistent end to the season and gut-wrenching defeats at Spurs and Newcastle meant it was fifth place as they beat Everton on the final day.

FA Cup – Third round

Just like in 2018, Arsenal went to Nottingham Forest in the third round and didn’t make it any further. With AFCON, injuries and COVID all having an impact, it was an early exit for the Gunners.

EFL Cup – Semi-finals

Arsenal eased past West Brom, Wimbledon, Leeds and Sunderland, scoring 16 goals and conceding just once on their way to the semi-finals. There they met Liverpool and held on for a 0-0 draw at Anfield despite playing more than half the game with 10 men before losing the return leg 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Player of the season: Bukayo Saka

The true standout option here has to be Bukayo Saka, even if Martin Ødegaard’s fantastic first full season at the club does also deserve a mention.

Saka, though, has been the picture of both quality and consistency even as Arsenal’s attack sometimes struggled to get going.

The Englishman ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer with 12 in all competitions, 11 of those coming in the Premier League, and assisted more goals than any of his team-mates. In fact, he scored more and assisted more in the Premier League than any other player under the age of 21.

Game of the season: Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal

Arsenal had a few impressive games this season but none more than the win at Stamford Bridge.

After three defeats in a row, Arsenal made the trip across London with the fear their season could descend into disaster. But there was a superb rallying from Mikel Arteta’s team, who twice took the lead in a chaotic first half before taking it again after the break.

That time they held onto it and Chelsea never looked like getting back into the match. This was Arsenal’s second win in a row at Stamford Bridge but their most convincing away from home against a top side for a very long time.

Top goalscorer: Bukayo Saka

With 12 goals all competitions, 11 in the league, Saka was firing for Arsenal when the strikers weren’t.

That cut inside from the right has become a trademark of sorts and he has added penalties to his repertoire as well at the end of the campaign.

A sterling season from the England man and there is surely a lot more to come.

Rising star: Emile Smith Rowe

Now established as a crucial player, with the number 10 on his back, giving the ball to Smith Rowe is akin to stepping on the accelerator. When the ball arrives with him, the game speeds up.

Smith Rowe adds gears Arsenal have longed for in recent seasons and chipped in with crucial goals as well.

The ever-reliable Takehiro Tomiyasu receives an honourable mention.

What comes next?

A striker! Arsenal had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and then Alexandre Lacazette lead the line before Eddie Nketiah got a run in the team late in the campaign. Results were mixed with all three.

Signing a forward good for 20 or more goals a season could be transformative for the club, with more depth in midfield and at the back also needed now they are back in the Europa League after a year without continental football.