Arsenal's Edu-led evolution is set to come to a head in the 2022-23 season, with the technical director stating publicly this week that a top-four finish is the target.
Inconsistency throughout last season, culminating in a poor run of form at the end of the campaign, saw Arsenal's absence from the Champions League extend to five years.
With Mikel Arteta at the helm and Edu leading the recruitment, the Gunners now believe this is their time and, with the Brazilian's comments in pre-season about this being the season for success in the long-term plan, the pressure is on.
Arsenal have brought in the likes of Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale in recent times, while they have also cemented the futures of young players like Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe.
One major piece of the puzzle was missing last season, however, with no striker to take the mantle of leading the line until Nketiah's purple patch – but the London club are hoping that will change with the capture of Gabriel Jesus.
Signed following a trophy-laden spell at Manchester City, the fact that Arsenal managed to land Jesus, in a World Cup year no less, is a feather in Edu's cap, but the real question is, can he end Arsenal's number nine curse?
Staggeringly, no number nine has hit 15 goals for the club in a Premier League season since the 1998-99 campaign, when Nicolas Anelka found the back of the net 17 times.
Since then, Davor Sukor, Francis Jeffers, Jose Antonio Reyes, Julio Baptista, Eduardo, Park Chu Young, Lukas Podolski and Lucas Perez have all graced the number nine shirt with varying, but largely disappointing, returns.
Alexandre Lacazette came closest with a 14-goal haul in his first Premier League season but, with just four top-flight goals last year, it was clear the Gunners needed a significant upgrade on the Frenchman.
Jesus has also fallen short of the 15-goal mark in his Premier League career, with a season-high of 14 in the 2019-20 campaign – though it is worth mentioning his City career has seen him be a member of the supporting cast, rather than the leading man.
He will be first choice through the middle at Arsenal and his numbers are encouraging compared to those who have recently had that role.
In Lacazette, Arsenal had a forward who scored 78 Premier League goals at a rate of 0.5 per 90 minutes, totalling just over 14,000 minutes in the competition– a record that Jesus easily beats.
Jesus has scored 95 Premier League goals at a rate of 0.6 per 90 minutes, playing just over 100 minutes more than the Frenchman – and his return is comparable to what Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang achieved during his stint at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal's former captain outscored both with 104 career Premier League goals, a rate of 0.65 per 90 minutes, but he played over 300 minutes more than Jesus did for City.
Again, his role for City was different, playing alongside the likes of Sergio Aguero and, when his fellow South American departed, Pep Guardiola elected to mainly utilise him in a wider area – limiting his opportunities in front of goal.
Through the middle, Jesus' task will be to improve the return in the final third where, during the 2021-22 season, Arsenal netted 39 goals in open play compared to an xG of 48.2.
A number of missed opportunities were high xG chances that, over the course of the season, could have made a significant difference in the battle for Champions League football.
What Arsenal lacked in a recognised striker, however, they made up for in other areas, with a further 21 goals over the course of the season coming from set-pieces.
Other areas where Arsenal shone included the goals they scored on the counter-attack, netting a joint league-high of six, which Jesus should be able to improve. Arsenal also hit the woodwork on 18 occasions, so they will be looking for the Brazilian to make them more clinical.
Pre-season has also been encouraging for the early part of Jesus' career in the capital, scoring four goals in as many games – including a well-taken chipped finish in the 4-0 Florida Cup drubbing of London rivals Chelsea.
Jesus should get support from Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, who both hit double figures for goals last season, while Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Nketiah and Gabriel Magalhaes all scored at least five.
That ought to also help Jesus' assists return, with the 25-year-old providing 29 during his time at City – including eight last season, enough to be joint-top of the Premier League champions' assist charts alongside Kevin de Bruyne.
According to the numbers, Jesus is more than capable of being the man Arsenal have needed ever since Aubameyang's fall from grace – but he cannot do it alone and the Gunners need to be firing on all cylinders.
Steve Clarke aware Norway have ‘a lot of good players’ as well as Erling Haaland
Steve Clarke insisted there is more to Norway than Erling Haaland after naming his squad for the resumption of Scotland’s European Championship qualification campaign in Oslo.
The Scots, who began their Euro 2024 qualifiers in March with impressive home wins over Cyprus and Spain, travel to Norway for their June 17 clash before hosting Georgia at Hampden Park three days later.
Clarke’s side face the daunting task, in the first match of the double-header, of trying to stop 22-year-old Manchester City striker Haaland, who has scored a staggering 58 goals in all competitions so far this season.
Speaking in Glasgow’s George Square at the McDonald’s Fun Football Festival, which is part of the Scottish Football Association’s week of football, he said: “There are a lot of good players in the Norway side that we have to deal with as well as Haaland, who has obviously had an outstanding season.
“He is a top quality player. We need to make sure we are organised and make sure we play well and don’t make too many mistakes.
“We respect everybody, we respect our opponents all the time and we will give Norway and Georgia our full attention.”
Asked if he was wary of the focus being too much on Haaland, he replied: “I am wary of the fact that you are going to go down the line of Haaland, Haaland, Haaland.
“There are lots of other players that we need to deal with as well.”
Rangers centre-back John Souttar is one player who could be asked to shackle the Norway goal machine.
The 26-year-old, who returned to the Rangers side at the back end of the season after missing much of the campaign through injury, has not played for the national team since last summer’s Nations League defeat in Ireland.
Souttar takes the place of Norwich centre-back Grant Hanley, who has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since early April.
Clarke said: “When you lose players of the quality of Grant Hanley, whom we have lost for a considerable period of time, which is unfortunate for Grant, it is nice to have someone like John come back into the squad and hopefully he can show the form that he showed before any time I picked him for his country.”
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and his Hibernian forward Kevin Nisbet have been included in place of Stoke’s Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the Championship season with a hamstring issue, and Southampton’s Che Adams, who recently suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury he sustained in Scotland’s win over Cyprus.
Shankland, who previously made four appearances between October 2019 and November 2020, was recalled for the Spain game in March and has kept his place at the end of a campaign in which he has scored 28 goals for Hearts.
Nisbet, who won all of his 10 caps in 2021, is included for the first time since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2022. The 26-year-old has scored 12 goals for Hibs since returning to action in December.
Asked about the absence of Adams, Clarke said: “It is always disappointing when you lose key players, but you tend to get used to it.
“You normally name a squad and you lose key players all the time so, disappointing for Che, disappointing end to the season getting relegated with his club.
“He tried to come back and probably aggravated his injury trying to help his club so disappointing for Che but a chance for Kevin Nisbet to come back into the squad.
“Kevin is a goalscorer, we know the qualities he brings us. He has been in the squad before.
“Lawrence is in the squad, same qualities, he can score goals and don’t forget we have Lyndon (Dykes) as well.
“I thought he was really good in the game against Spain. We have enough quality up front.”
Clarke is looking to build on the fine start to the campaign which has brought six points from six.
He said: “When you are playing in a five-team group, eight games to qualify, every game is important.
“Every point that we can get over the summer is going to help us to the ultimate target, which is to qualify for Germany.”
Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton must build stronger squad for European challenge
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi admits the Seagulls will need to spend ahead of their European debut.
They have qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Brighton had already wrapped up sixth spot before Sunday’s final day 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa and De Zerbi knows they will need to expand their squad to cope with the demands of European competition.
“We are not ready to play three games in a row, three games per week. We are not used to playing three games in a row,” he said.
“We have to work in the transfer market, we have to build a stronger squad, with more players and then we have to improve.
“The result we achieved this year was incredible, Tony (Bloom), me and Paul Barber, we have the dream to improve this result.
“The season is finished which is bad news for me – it’s difficult without football. I will go to Italy and will work with Tony Bloom and the club to improve the squad.
“This season was fantastic and we have to try and repeat it.”
Deniz Undav’s goal was not enough to rescue a point after Brighton fell 2-0 down inside 30 minutes at Villa following strikes from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins.
Victory earned Villa seventh in the Premier League and a Europa Conference League play-off spot, returning to Europe for the first time in 13 years.
Boss Unai Emery said: “It’s important because we’re going to be one step ahead in our objective to be in Europe. To play in the Conference League is very important.
“We’re adding the possibility of another trophy because it’s very difficult in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Our objective and ambitions will be to try and always be a candidate to get a trophy.
“To play in Europe for the club and the coaches, because I was playing 15 years in a row in Europe, so to get that again next year is fantastic for me individually and I’m very happy playing in Europe.”
‘We will be back’ says Leicester chairman following relegation
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has dismissed calls from some supporters to sell the relegated club and promised the Foxes will soon return to the Premier League.
Despite beating West Ham 2-1 on Sunday, Leicester dropped into the Sky Bet Championship seven years after being crowned champions of England and two seasons since winning the FA Cup.
It is a remarkable fall from grace and one that Leicester chairman Srivaddhanaprabha says has led to him receiving offensive messages, some of which have been “outright abusive”.
“I have received a massive number of messages from our fans – both positive and negative,” Srivaddhanaprabha said in a statement published on the Leicester website.
“Some want me to sell the club, some using offensive and thoughtless words, and some have been outright abusive.
“But for every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity – both remotely and from people I have met anonymously in public, who always come to say hello to me and to my family. It means a lot to us.”
Srivaddhanaprabha’s father Vichai and his family bought the club in 2010 and took Leicester into the Premier League four years later. Leicester produced possibly English football’s greatest underdog story by winning the title in 2016.
Club chairman Khun Vichai was killed in a helicopter accident at Leicester’s King Power Stadium in October 2018.
“It was the most painful experience for me and for my family, but the support and love we received from our Leicester City family made our bond even stronger,” Srivaddhanaprabha said of the accident.
“I made a commitment, as chairman, to continuing to pursue the ambition my father and I shared for the club, to ensure that the realisation of his vision for Leicester City would ultimately become his legacy.
“We want to thank you and let you know that we still have the same ambition for Leicester City that we had 13 years ago.
“The incredible support we had in our stadium yesterday, the positive messages we have received from our fans and the constructive comments we must take on-board – we will gather all this support and use it to power our recovery.
“Power to justify our fans’ belief in their club. Power to take us back to the Premier League.
“Next season is going to be tough, but it will be a year for collaboration and unity. We will come together and fight to return to the Premier League.”
Leicester finished fifth twice as well as eighth during manager Brendan Rodgers’ three full seasons in charge.
But Srivaddhanaprabha acknowledged the impact of Covid had a serious effect on the club’s finances, with summer cutbacks meaning that Rodgers was unable to significantly strengthen his squad.
The departures of long-serving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Nice and defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea also had a detrimental effect on the squad.
Rodgers left at the end of April with Leicester in the bottom three, and his replacement Dean Smith was unable to prevent relegation after taking charge for the final eight games.
Srivaddhanaprabha said: “Relegation is a consequence of 38 games and over that period, we haven’t been good enough.
“Over the coming days and weeks, we need to reflect on the processes and decisions that have brought us to this point.
“What we learn from this experience must convert into action that makes us stronger and prevents this happening to us again in the future.
“We took Leicester City into the UEFA Champions League, giving our supporters those amazing Wednesday nights, under the lights in Porto, Brugge, Copenhagen, Seville and Madrid.
“We used the fruits of that success to keep reinvesting in the club, strengthening our squad, improving the experience for our fans and starting plans for major projects like Seagrave and a stadium expansion that would give us long-term strength and growth.
“Of course, these milestones place our situation today into quite stark context, but I reference them to highlight the progress we have made as a club in the last 13 years, which gives me confidence that we will build again.
“Relegation is undeniably a significant setback, but it will not define us. Today we share the loss and the pain together. But we will be back.
“This responsibility that I continue to live is one of the greatest responsibilities in my life and I will continue to put everything into it – my passion, that of my family and the entire King Power community.”
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