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Arsenal
If there was any doubt about the magnitude of Mikel Arteta’s impact in his first year in charge of Arsenal, the sight of the much-maligned David Luiz delivering two trophy-winning contributions in the space of 29 days should have convinced even the most cynical.
Just two months earlier, Luiz was a laughingstock after an embarrassingly bug-ridden performance against Manchester City.
But Arteta stayed close to the Brazilian center-back and was rewarded with a commanding display when Arsenal beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Further evidence of Arteta’s transformative effect was visible in the tenacious and tactically astute success of Arsenal’s Community Shield against Liverpool on August 29.
Those Wembley wins underscored how effectively the 38-year-old Spaniard has revitalized his team since the canine days of Unai Emery’s grim reign.
Banishing serial underperforming Mesut Ozil and undisciplined Matteo Guendouzi was a masterstroke, as he established the law for the rest of his players.
Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez highlighted Arteta’s impact when he told Marca: “Arteta is a great coach, he changed the structure of Arsenal, he gave us a game plan.
“He’s very smart, in my opinion. He’s going to be one of the best coaches in the world.”
Now Arteta has to maintain the feel-good factor and eliminate the flaws that resulted in a humble eighth place for Arsenal in the Premier League.
He has tried to address those issues by signing Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes and Chelsea winger Willian.
If he can finally persuade captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to sign a contract extension that expires next June, Arteta will be in an even stronger position.
Tottenham
The starring role of José Mourinho in the documentary “Everything or nothing” that he took a look behind the scenes in his first season with Tottenham showed that his star quality remains as strong as ever.
But Mourinho will need more than headline-grabbing jokes to remain relevant for much longer as the 57-year-old enters a decisive campaign for him and his club.
Paralyzed by the injuries of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris, Mourinho was unable to prevent Tottenham from losing a place in the Champions League this season.
It was a severe blow for a club that reached the final in 2019 and, with their trophy drought dating back to 2008, Tottenham cannot afford to stray further from contention this season.
Mourinho’s actions are not at an all-time high either, as he looks to win his first silver medal since the 2017 Europa League at Manchester United.
Signing Wolves right-back Matt Doherty and Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will give Mourinho more options if injuries strike again, but keeping England captain Kane in shape and shooting at full throttle is the key to success. Tottenham.
Leicester
Despite a largely encouraging 2019-2020 campaign, Brendan Rodgers must find a way to lift his side after they blew a golden opportunity to clinch a top-four spot.
Fueled by the goals of Jamie Vardy and the creative quality of James Maddison, Leicester held a 14-point lead over Manchester United in January and seemed likely to bolster Rodgers’ reputation by finishing above a number of more expensive rivals.
But Leicester collapsed after the coronavirus hiatus, taking just nine points from its nine games in a meltdown that culminated in a final-day loss to Manchester United, which ended its bid for the top four in the most painful way.
Rodgers will have to adjust to life without England’s dynamic left-back Ben Chilwell, who has moved to Chelsea. The club recruited Timothy Castagne from Atalanta as a replacement.
Wolves
Buoyed by a pair of seventh places in the past two seasons, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team has the potential to disrupt the established order.
Nuno has proven to be an excellent strategist and motivator, while the Wolves’ invaluable ability to find raw gems in the transfer market has allowed him to build a team capable of competing with the best in the Premier League.
The Wolves finished just seven points behind fourth-ranked Chelsea, and even that was a slight disappointment after they flirted with a challenge in the top four.
Predatory forward Raúl Jiménez is the Wolves’ star man, but Adama Traore, Joao Moutinho and Conor Coady are top performers, while the club’s new record signing, Fabio Silva, acquired from Porto for £ 36 million ($ 47 million) is a teenager. forward with great potential.
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