Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsenal to make two more signings before the transfer deadline to complete their squad, naming a new centre forward and competition for Christos Tzolis as essential additions. The former Gunners midfielder believes that without these reinforcements, Mikel Arteta's side risk being exposed in key positions during a long season.
Arsenal's strong start and modest summer spending
Arsenal underlined their status as favourites to retain their Premier League title on Friday night with a routine 3-0 win over Coventry, which came hot on the heels of an equally convincing victory against Manchester City in the Community Shield. The Gunners have spent relatively modestly in the transfer market so far this summer, replacing Leandro Trossard with Christos Tzolis as well as adding Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes to their already formidable defensive and midfield options.
Despite Arteta being able to boast an abundance of riches, Petit believes a new centre forward and competition for Tzolis would be the icing on the cake for the Arsenal manager. The champions are still monitoring Julian Alvarez's situation at Atletico Madrid after he was jeered by his own fans during Sunday's draw against Villarreal.
Petit's verdict on Arsenal's midfield and defence
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Petit praised the club's midfield depth but expressed concern about the central defensive positions and the lack of cover on the left wing. 'Look at the midfield players at Arsenal, Merino and Zubimendi are World and European Champions,' Petit said. 'Then you have Bruno Guimaraes, who is for me one of the best midfield players in the Premier League.'
'Look at Martin Odegaard; he is playing with the same quality I saw during the World Cup. I hope he avoids injury, but you have so many great players with that same style of football. You can also add Declan Rice to that list of great midfield players, so I'm not worried about that area. I have no doubt that Arteta will find the perfect solution for rotation.'
'They have so many games to play that everyone will be happy and get their chance. My only concern for Arsenal is the central defensive positions.'
Striker and left winger needed to secure back-to-back titles
Petit highlighted the need for a new striker and a left winger to provide cover for Tzolis. 'I also think we should add a striker and perhaps one more left winger. If Tzolis is injured, who else can play there? Trossard is no longer at the club and Martinelli is going to leave, so who takes that spot?'
'If Tzolis were to be sidelined you would be missing a key player. I believe adding at least two or three more players would be good for Arsenal. If they do that, I think they can achieve back-to-back success, much like Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.'
Confidence and squad stability fuel title belief
Petit believes Arsenal's confidence and squad stability from last season will be crucial in their pursuit of another title. 'They have the confidence and they now know they can win trophies, having already won the Premier League. They reached the Champions League final and know they have the quality to compete against the top teams in Europe.'
'That confidence and happiness is very important. When I watched the Community Shield, they looked really happy to be playing together, which is something that can be very difficult to establish at the start of a season. The core squad and the spine of the team remain the same from last season, so I truly believe Arsenal will win the title again.'
