Looking back
The 21/22 season was the first in living memory in which Arsenal wasnʻt competing in Europe. The club had found itself in disarray after the departure of Arséne Wenger, enduring a chaotic spell under Unai Emery, shades of mismanagement during the Sanllehi era, and then a period of Covid-induced disruption and economic upheaval which coincided with the appointment of a rookie manager, Mikel Arteta.
With only weekend football, the Gunners hoped to focus on their Premier League and earn a place at Europe’s top table: the Champions League. It seemed a tall order, with England’s other top teams enjoying periods of stability and success, and a disastrous start to the season piled more pressure onto the team. With aging stars Aubameyang and Lacazette unable to find the net, Arteta turned to his Hale End wonderkids, Saka and Smith-Rowe, to lead the lines alongside youngsters Martinelli, Nketiah, and Odegaard.
Arsenal showed flashes of inspiration but lacked consistency – with a Top Four place firmly in hand, crashed out of competition with a devastating loss in the final North London Derby and a disappointing loss to Newcastle a few days later.
They ended the season in 5th place – a single point behind gloating rivals Spurs.
No Time Like The Present
Now perched at the top of the Premier League table, looking down on perennial favourites, Manchester City, and having convincingly dispatched Liverpool and Tottenham, Arsenal look to break the last year’s top 5 streaming interest.
Image Credit: ExpressVPN.com
It is a well-known fact that Gooners dominate social media: their online presence gives them a larger-than-life presence as one of the world’s top clubs. However – as the linked article shows – a Google Trends study shows that Liverpool dominated last season’s search for live football streams, overshadowing City, United, Chelsea, and Spurs.
On the back of a fine pre-season, Arsenal acquired proven title-winners Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from City, promising young playmaker Fabio Vieira from Porto, Team USA shot-stopper Matt Turner and young Brazilian winger Marquinhos. But possibly the best ‘like-a-new-signing’ was the incorporation of young center-back William Saliba, whom they had signed in 2019.
Building on last season’s successful signings, Odegaard, White, Ramsdale, and Tomiyasu, and shifting expensive, older players Aubameyang, Lacazette, Bellerin, and Pepe meant that Arteta now had a young, hungry squad that could fulfill his vision on the pitch. Results have been almost miraculous: the Gunners have eight wins out of 9 games in the Premier League and three out of three wins in the Europa League, making them likely winners of Group A.
A fine future
Even if it’s unlikely that this young team will win the League – they don’t lack motivation and positivity. The stadium is alive, fans are energized, players are united behind their brilliant young Spanish coach, and once again, the future looks bright.
League Champions? Probably not, but all indications are that Arsenal may well be a title contender, which means people will want to stream their games.
Streaming Champions? Time will tell.
Gunners Town is a premier Arsenal blogging platform for passionate and knowledgeable Gooners. Established in 2012, the site has garnered over 5 million views.
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