The summer of 2021 was a massive one for Arsenal football club.
It laid the foundations for what would become a season where the youngest side in the league has competed for a top-four place.
Arsenal added six players all under the age of 23 with Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale, in particular, making the breakthrough in the market that had been ignored since arguably Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain in 2011.
Signing players who were regular starts for a Premier League side.
Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard all joined and have added significant quality and depth to the team.
All have played their part and had a positive impact at stages or throughout the season.
CHECK THIS OUT
One acquisition in July has gained a cult following at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has now confirmed that they will be continuing on with him after his new contract extension was confirmed.
Nicolas Jover joined the club from Manchester City as a set-piece specialist and it cannot be denied the massive impact his arrival has had on the team.
Arsenal are still yet to concede from a corner and their threat in the opposition box has also improved.
Their three points earned against West Ham can be directly credited to this.
Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes scored headers with the chances being created initially from a set-piece.
Mikel Arteta, in response to signing his new deal, was asked about his staff.
He, to the Arsenal fans‘ delight, confirmed that they would be continuing with him.
“They will continue with me, and I am extremely proud and grateful for what they are doing for the club, all the support that they give me and they are constantly challenging me and making me a better coach and a better person, so Mikel by himself, he could not do anything. I am more clear than water about that, that you need the best people and the best professionals around you to do what you want to achieve,” said Arteta.
Arsenal were notorious for being weak from dead ball situations.
Constant debates over zonal and man-marking were had whenever the team conceded a corner or set-piece.
Jover has put to bed those worried about the club’s defensive record from these scenarios.
It is inevitable that the Gunners will concede from one eventually.
Across an entire Premier League season, this has certainly given Arsenal a serious push in the right direction.
Made more impressive considering that White in particular was criticised for his lack of aerial proficiency by many upon his arrival.
Winning more aerial duels than Gabriel this season has silenced that debate.
Arsenal’s first team full-backs Kieran Tierney and Tomiyasu have been missing for extended periods.
Jover’s coaching has evidently bled through beyond just the first team regulars as the replacements have continued the side’s fine record.
Jover is proving to be as important an acquisition as the outfield players.
Arteta’s admission upon his contract renewal is a more than welcome one.