This time last year, you probably would have been carted away by men in white coats for suggesting that Arsenal would be in a title race. Having just missed out on Champions League qualification for the seventh season in a row, few thought that the Gunners would even be capable of getting back in the Premier League's top four, let alone being top of the of competition as a whole.
Included in those doubters was the club's sporting director, Edu, who admits that he was pleasantly surprised by a start to the season that saw Arsenal go into the World Cup break with a five-point lead at the top of the table. "We started the season wanting to do our best," the Brazilian told ESPN Brasil. "We had a great transfer window at the beginning of the season, we signed players who met our needs. And leading the Premier League was a great surprise. But because of our performance and the way we were playing, it stopped being such a surprise. Instead, it became a reality to us and to me personally.
"Based on how we were performing and playing, the results we were achieving, then it was expected that we would be where we were. We thought, 'let's continue doing what we’re doing and see if we can achieve the best possible result'. We had a great start to the season, we put on great performances, like I said. That made us feel like we should continue doing what we were doing."
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Ultimately the season would end in disappointment for Arsenal. A run of just three wins from their final nine matches was their undoing as the inevitable looming presence of Manchester City proved too strong to resist. Many have suggested that the Gunners ultimately 'bottled' the league title as a result. Edu though, views things differently.
"I think people need to analyse a bit more thoroughly," the Brazilian said. "I think my role here obligates me to analyse the season as a whole. We had a drop in performance in our last five matches. What helped us be title contenders was the fact that our performance was consistent. Our performance deteriorated, so we have to understand why that happened. We already understand the reason here. I wouldn’t say that Arsenal cracked under the pressure, but we are responsible for our own frustration. No one expected that we were going to be title contenders.
"So since we created the expectation that we could win it, but then we failed to clinch it, we were responsible for getting our expectations high and then for our frustration as well. I think that, and I say this as respectfully as possible, this could be a positive thing.
"Being frustrated for not winning a title means there’s been a shift in our mentality. It means our goals are different. And that’s something I’ve wanted since I’ve arrived. I want us to aim to win titles, I want us to be at the top of the table. That’s what we want. So feeling that frustration – again, I mean this respectfully – it could be considered to be a positive thing considering our recent history. We used to celebrate finishing the Premier League in fourth place or third place. Now we’re frustrated that we came in second. So that makes me think that the work that we’re doing here at the club is positive.
"We can’t forget that we play in the Premier League and that we haven’t played in the Champions League for the past seven years. You know the teams we have to play against, clubs that have a lot of historical power in financial terms and in terms of matches. And still we were title contenders, and we put Arsenal where it deserves."
Now the next challenge for Arsenal is to achieve that lofty aim. Closing the gap to the behemoth that is Manchester City will not be easy, and by Mikel Arteta's own admission, this summer is going to be a "crucial" one. The responsibility falls largely on the shoulders of Edu and he revealed that conversations have already taken place over how to raise the level of the squad.
"We need to identify how we can improve," he said. "If we have to improve specific, individual positions, individuals, final turn, midfielders, our defence. We already know what it is because our style of play with Mikel Arteta is very clear. When you see Arsenal play now, you know it’s our style.
"Now we have to understand how to enhance our athletes so the team can improve and reach a new level in terms of performance. I think there is a level above. Mikel and I talked, and we believe we can raise our performance to a new level. Now we have to do good work in the transfer window, we have to understand what we need, get the right athletes, the right traits, and the right athlete mentality so we can raise our squad’s level again."
The work is already underway with Granit Xhaka set to be the first of several departures as Arsenal look to overhaul their squad once again. Players like Mason Mount, Moises Caicedo, Marc Guehi and, of course, Declan Rice, are firmly on the radar to help improve the Gunners as they seek to achieve something they have not managed for 20 years.
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