What’s next for Arsenal after their FA Cup victory? | OneFootball

Icon: Tribal Football

Tribal Football

·6 August 2020

What’s next for Arsenal after their FA Cup victory?

Article image:What’s next for Arsenal after their FA Cup victory?

- the following is a sponsored article

A little over two seasons ago, Arsenal were contemplating an exciting post-Arsene Wenger future. A revamped recruitment strategy and the promise of a new direction had enabled Arsenal fans to dream of once more challenging for the Premier League title and making their mark in Europe.


OneFootball Videos


Heading into the 2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea, the reality had fallen way short of expectations. Two seasons on, the club had just recorded their worst Premier League finish since the 1994-95 campaign, finishing eighth in the table. They came two places and three points behind bitter rivals Tottenham, and only two points ahead of Burnley and Sheffield United. A misfiring campaign produced three managers and a humiliating exit from the Europa League, leaving the FA Cup as their last hope.

The stakes ahead of Saturday's Wembley clash with Chelsea could hardly have been higher. Given their shaky season, it was no surprise to see that Arsenal had been priced as the underdog according to most online bookies. Chelsea, after all, had managed to secure a top four spot under Frank Lampard; an achievement that appears way beyond the Gunners right now.

The game itself was a rematch of last season's Europa League final in Baku. On that occasion, the prize at stake was a place in the Champions League, but a limp Gunners performance provided only disappointment for the thousands of Arsenal fans who made the arduous trip.

This time around, things went a whole lot better. An early opener for Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea the lead, but this only seemed to spark the Gunners into life. The long ball was on for captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang time and again, and Chelsea couldn't find a way to deal with it. Having earned then converted a penalty after 28 minutes, Aubameyang once again got loose in the 67th minute, and scored a beautiful left-footed chip shot for the winner. Chelsea fans were left frustrated by both injuries and refereeing decisions, but few could argue that Arsenal didn't deserve to win.

And so, against all the odds, Arsenal's long and troubled season ended in triumph. Crucially, European football has been secured for another year. The question now, of course, is where can they take things from here?

Arsenal fans can only dream of their club making the type of investment we've already seen from Chelsea. The Blues have already been active in the transfer market this summer, and still seem to have the resources to strengthen further, although manager Frank Lampard wanted to want to wait for further transfers until the FA Cup final had been played.

Failing to win the FA Cup, and thus missing out on the Europa League altogether, may well have proved disastrous for the Gunners. As it is, the situation that Arsenal find themselves in remains hard to fathom.

On the face of it they should be financially strong, as they have an owner with deep pockets, but the team is lacking in budget. Manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his frustration at the financial constraints at the club on occasion this season, and failure to secure European football would have added further to those limitations, while also making it harder for the club to attract the sort of talent that they need to improve their fortunes.

There were also some worrying signs during the recent shutdown. Despite their billionaire owners, Arsenal took the unusual step of releasing a number of scouts, and players were asked to take a pay cut for the period when no football was being played. Although the Gunners have a greater reliance than some other top clubs on their matchday income, these were still cause for some alarm.

In his defence, owner Stan Kroenke could point to the £118 million net spend last summer as evidence of a willingness to invest in the playing side of the club. But that money was spent by the previous manager Unai Emery, and Arteta, who has a very different approach, is entitled to expect a similar level of backing. On top of that, of course, with Liverpool and Manchester City so far ahead of the rest at the top of the Premier League, even a doubling of the 2019 transfer budget may not enable the Gunners to close the gap.

Frustratingly, there are plenty of options out there for top teams with cash to spend. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish is finally set to leave the Birmingham club this summer, and there have been rumours that Philippe Coutinho - who is clearly surplus to requirements at Barcelona - could be an option for the Gunners. There is also the question of tying down key striker Aubameyang to a new deal. Arsenal will be keen to avoid a repeat of the Alexis Sanchez saga, which dragged on for many months before the player eventually left, and Aubameyang is clearly a big part of Arteta's plans.

Another intriguing option could be one of Chelsea's stalwarts, Willian. The Brazilian has been one of the bigger performers for Chelsea this year and his skill and experience could prove invaluable to Arteta, if the Gunners could capture his signature. It's highly doubtful he would have signed without European football being on the table for next season. Now that it is, might the veteran winger be tempted?

For many years, Arsene Wenger was criticised for failing to do better than a top four Premier League finish. Nowadays, based on the two seasons since he left, even this would be a massive achievement for the Gunners. The advances that have been made under Arteta, however, culminating in the FA Cup victory, may well provide the platform for Arsenal to kick on and reclaim their spot in the Champions League. For this hope to become reality, however, they'll almost certainly need to spend widely and wisely this summer.

View publisher imprint