This was mainly because Saliba cracked his back, and we were relying on Rob Holding and Nketiah to win us matches whilst Jesus was injured for ages.
3 Likes
22/23 was far better than 23/24.
Especially with the eye test.
22/23 every attack seemed like it could produce a goal.
23/24 latter half, the defence was more solid, we were more clinical and Havertz was in good form at that time.
But the attacking football was not as fluid.
We have to have 22/23 as the blueprint. Hell, even 21/22.
and also, whilst we’ve been defensively resolute for the last 2 years.. the nature of the goals we’ve been conceding over the last 6 months or so have been horrific.
Individual mistakes from the keeper, misplaced passes lost in transition/getting overrun in midfield and tons from corners/set-pieces 
, whilst our own attacking set-piece game has kinda died down.
1 Like
It was going forward but I don’t agree that 22/23 was better, the vast majority of great results came early in the season when the pressure was off.
23/24 we were behind both City and Pool in January and proceeded to put together that 16-1-1 run in the second half of the season. I’d say that’s much more impressive than 22/23 because it showed what we were capable of at the business end of a title run in.
5 Likes
People forget how bad we were in 22-23 in the second half of the season.
-0-0 draw home against Newcastle, created nothing all match.
-1-0 loss away to Everton, badly beaten on XG as well
-1-1 draw with Brentford, also lost on XG
-3-1 loss to City at home
-Needed that crazy Jorginho shot/Emi own goal in the 92 minute to beat Villa
-Needed that crazy Nelson volley at the death to beat Bournemouth at home
-2-2 draw at Liverpool when we gave up 4.84 XG (!!!)
-2-2 draw at West Ham
-3-3 draw at home against Southampton
-4-1 loss at City
So in the span of 17 league matches we had 10 very concerning performances, either deservedly dropping points or escaping at the death against weak sides. And only the last four poor results came after Saliba/Tomi got hurt.
The 22-23 champaign football side that people remember lasted for about three months from mid-August to mid-November 2022 before Jesus got hurt and before other managers figured us out. We were also playing Europa League and rotating heavily in the group stage so that our first XI was well rested in league play. Its was a perfect storm that didn’t last long and isn’t repeatable.
7 Likes
I think there’s a lot of romanticism about that period and it clouds a bit of people’s judgement, they often make it sound like that first part of that season was the entire season and it certainly wasn’t.
5 Likes
People chose to remember some good games from the start of that season
Like @Great-White-Gooner said, our run in 23-24 against City and Pool was far more impressive.
Exactly
2 Likes
The romanticism of 22/23 is easy to understand. It was the turning point we were becoming good again.
We fell apart but it was easily forgiven. Which in context of it’s time it should’ve been.
1 Like
I was at that Barnet game (unless we drew more than one of them 0-0 
). It was dire. Baking hot too. I actually almost fell asleep standing up on a terrace.
2 Likes
I think people also overemphasize how good we actually were in that first half of the season.
Despite topping our group in the EL, our performances were pretty average. The slightest of rotation resulted in the team dropping off significantly.
And then there’s our PL form. Don’t get me wrong we had periods in games where we looked unstoppable but we could never sustain that over a full game.
Plenty of games in that period where we huffed and puffed for those 3 points. Villa(when they hanging above the relegation zone under Gerrard), Fulham, Liverpool(when they were shit), Leeds, Chelsea(when they were also shit).
2 Likes
22/23 was GOAT
Any comments to the contrary should result in 1 week ban.
The results were better in 23/24 and the team overall but the attacking football in 21/22 and 22/23 was better.
Martinelli was better. Jesus in the middle was better than Havertz. There were more threats. ESR was better in the CM role than whoever arsenal had there in 23/24.
We’re were just nicer to watch going forward.
There is work to do I hope Arteta can bring back some of that man.
Stop relying so much on small margins and individual brilliance.
Saw the 22/23 highlights a couple days back. And though there are differences between then and now, mostly due to so much space which was left behind by oppositions back then(which they’ve cut out now), some patterns are same: going wide and whipping it in. The difference is that we had more men in the box back then and so many goals we scored due to first time finishes. Looks like shooting at goal can actually lead to goals being scored!
The biggest thing was Jesus, after we lost him to that injury and he never returned the same we haven’t had that dynamic forward who can do a bit of everything, and he was also getting goals then. The difference in how rigid we are with Havertz up there compared to what we looked like with Jesus is stark, and I say that as someone who likes Havertz up top in certain matches.
1 Like
The romancing Arsenal fans have of 22/23 I just don’t get it.
It was good up to March but thats it. I don’t look back and think what a time this was. Maybe thats just me though
2 Likes
I get it, it was such an unbelievable breakthrough after years of mediocrity.
But yeah, it wasn’t enough and I don’t think we’d win a title returning to that approach.
But I do think we need to risk a bit more and that’s what I think is the other part of some people looking back so fondly on it.
It’s not what a time that was, it is just that they played the best stuff I have seen arsenal play since 2008.
Proper good but purposeful football.
With movement.
1 Like
The January - May of 2023/24 is so much more meaningful and enjoyable for me.
6 Likes
There was genuine pressure and expectation by that point, which does make a huge difference. In 22/23 we kind of got coddled with the continual “they’re doing great but City will catch them”, which served to lower expectations and thus the pressure on the team. Winning 16 of your last 18 in a title run in is much more impressive than having a hot start in the first three months.
3 Likes
Exactly finishing a season poorly always puts a damper on it for me.