It’s all quiet on the Arsenal front, as you’d expect given the time of the year, so I decided this morning to have a poke around the official website and see what’s been cooking. And wouldn’t you just know it, I missed the noises about Martin Odegaard being awarded our player of the season.

And what a season he has had. Especially towards the business end of it, I thought that his performances at times were absolutely sensational. That home game against Chelsea is one that stands out, where he ran the show picked up two assists and absolutely bossed the middle of the park. His ball to Havertz to get his first against Chelsea was sumptuous and I recall him just running Chelsea pretty ragged all night. I must admit though, there were so many players who could have had a shout for player of the season. Remember the dark old days when we used to wonder if anyone was worthy of it? Not any more. Now you could argue the case for most of the team:

  • William Saliba was imperious at times and has forged one of the best (if not THE best) defensive partnerships in the league
  • Gabriel: arguably had a better season than Saliba and was an absolute man mountain after the initial shaky start due to the Middle Eastern cashola that temporarily turned his head
  • Ben White: Is absolutely brilliant. I think he might be the best right back in the country. He’s also so reliable, he’s adaptable to different positions and his swagger is just the cherry on the cake
  • Declan Rice: the fact we sing “we got him half price” says it all really. Along with Gabriel and Saliba I think that trio has made us so hard to beat defensively and the discipline and strength he has shown is immense. He’s also adaptable; the man looked just as good in left eight as he did in the six and he’s even got a great corner on him.
  • Kai Havertz: talk about a redemption arc! He finished the season with us all wondering if we really do need a striker after all. He had his best goal contribution in England since he came over from Germany and he’s even followed up his form by scoring on Friday night for Der Mannschaft on Friday night.
  • Leandro Trossard: Another one who’s form has been brilliant towards the end of the season. So much so that he kept our Brazilian darling Martinelli out of the side.
  • Bukayo Saka: Last but by DEFINITELY not least, our Starboy. The kid had just dropped a season of 34 goal contributions, was our leading scorer and has once again improved. On the ‘One in, one out, one bangs’ show that we did last week, one of the guys suggested he was the one to ‘bang’ next season, which was in reference to the fact that we could get him going supernova next season. Just look how he’s improved season after season, this kid, if he does improve on this season’s tally, could be talking Mo Salah levels here if he is able to stay fit after all the kicking he repeatedly gets every game. I can’t wait to see if it happens.

So for Martin to get the nod really does show how our captain has gone from strength-to-strength and I for one am quite excited to see what next season holds. It’s good to go in to the summer transfer window hopeful of improving, but also knowing we already have such a brilliant squad that is already able to compete at the highest level.

And that highest level will also include the Champions League in it’s new format. I have to say I don’t like it, but what it might do is make the games towards the end a little more meaningful. Our excellent form in the Champions League group stage last season meant that by the final game we were already qualified at the top of the group. If I look at the new format, which the club outline on the official website here, based on last season where we got 13 points, under this new approach the combined table would have looked like:

  1. 115 Charges FC = 18
  2. Real Madrid = 18
  3. Bayern = 16
  4. Atletico Madrid = 14
  5. Arsenal = 13
  6. Barcelona = 12
  7. Porto = 12
  8. Real Sociedad = 12

Those would have been the teams to automatically qualify, as it’s the top eight with the highest points who go through. Then there are 16 teams who play for the remaining eight places. It’s difficult to look at who would have finished in those spots because there are so many more teams, plus there are two extra games to be played. But usually speaking under the old format, if you got to 10 points you were usually through to the next round. I suspect that might be upped to a threshold of around 13 points given the extra two games, because it means you’ve won four, drawn one and lost the rest. So basically win all of your home games and pick up some points on the road.

We’ll face two of the ‘big’ teams (Pot 1), two from the next level down (Pot 2), then two from the next level (Pot 3), then the final level (Pot 4). We don’t know all the Pot 3 and 4 entries so far, but the Pot 1 and 2 are more clear and looking at what is in that, you’d have to say you’d probably want one of the big ties at home and one away. I’m not sure if it is completely random as to whether it’s home or away, or you do one home and one away from each Pot. That’s what I’d want to see because the last thing you want is two Pot 1 games away and then two Pot 2 games away and you play all of the so-called ‘easier’ teams at home. You want a mix and I suspect that’s what they’ll do. With that in mind I’d take Barcelona at home, where I’d want revenge for many years of hurt, then maybe a PSG away. Could do Paris Eurostar and be back in the same night.

In Pot 2 I think I’d want to see Benfica at home and Club Brugge away, which would be less travel for the team and if that came out as our fixtures for Pot 2 you’d be thinking 9 – 10 points right there would be a great return. You get that and then pick up two or three wins against the lower seeded teams and you’re definitely talking getting in to the automatic qualification spaces. And that could be really important because two less games in an already congested calendar could be very important come the crunch end of the season post Christmas.

It’s all ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ though so I think I’ll probably leave it there on the Champions League stuff until we know our fate at the end of August. For today, I’m going to wake The Management up and hope that we can get out and about and do a walk around and see if I can get some exercise to this slightly hungover human being that I am today.

Hope you enjoy your Saturday.