An era always comes to an end! This statement held true in the Premier League when Sir Alex Ferguson retired from Manchester United or Arsene Wenger bid farewell to the Emirates Stadium. However, for Pep Guardiola, neither does the statement hold true nor does anyone come close to challenging the Spaniard.
The 52-year-old has finally cemented himself as the Premier League’s best manager of all time, proving all the pundits supporting Sir Alex Ferguson wrong.
Winning three consecutive Premier League titles, five titles in six seasons, the continental treble, and securing a trophy every year during his tenure for the past six seasons, Pep Guardiola has truly turned everything he touches into gold. The metaphorical irony lies in the fact that he has gifted his Arab Owners gold, who are literal exporters of this rare jewel.
Manchester City are virtually unbeatable by any force in Europe. Premier League clubs, despite their talent, have been unable to overcome City, and even money-laden clubs like Paris Saint Germain or experienced champions Real Madrid have failed to get the better of the Blues of Manchester.
While Pep Guardiola has already begun his preparations for the next season, let us ponder how Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal can outwit Man City, although it seems unlikely.
What went wrong for Arsenal & Manchester United this season?
At the start of the 2022/23 season, it seemed like the Ferguson-Wenger era was back. Amidst the focus on Manchester City and Liverpool to engage in another title fight, Manchester United and Arsenal quietly collected points and maintained the top two spots for a decent period. Arsenal even held the top spot for almost 80% of the Premier League, but eventually succumbed following William Saliba’s injury.
Manchester City relentlessly chased down the Gunners, surpassing them convincingly and securing the title with four games to spare. Manchester United, on the other hand, relinquished their title aspirations much earlier than Arsenal. Despite a commanding start to the season, their lack of a reliable attacking support for academy graduate Marcus Rashford resulted in Erik Ten Hag’s squad dropping points against lesser opponents.
How can Ten Hag & Arteta revive their clubs’ lost glory?
Arsenal were on track to win their first Premier League title since the Invincibles of 2004. However, they faltered in the later stages of the season, surrendering crucial points and providing a valuable lesson to learn from.
Mikel Arteta has been brilliant in instilling designated roles and confidence in his players to play fearlessly. Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saliba, and Xhaka have excelled this season, and with the departure of the latter, Arsenal can still bounce back strongly.
Arteta’s team lost and drew just one more game each than City, which could have been avoided with Saliba or Tomiyasu in the starting lineup. Arsenal should focus on building bench depth, and if successful in this transfer window, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Manchester United, with shades of Alex Ferguson’s style, welcomed Erik Ten Hag as a long-term candidate. The former Ajax coach is a seasoned winner who knows what it takes to build a championship-winning squad.
Upon his arrival, Old Trafford witnessed determination in the players’ eyes, zeal in their legs, and clarity in their mindset. Manchester United finished third, primarily due to a lack of depth and a quality center forward. If they can address these areas, along with Arsenal, they will be a tough nut for Guardiola to crack.
These two clubs hold the baton to revive competitiveness in the Premier League and end the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Can they bring back the glory days of Arsenal and Manchester United? Seems likely but heavily dependent on this season’s transfer window.