Although we probably should be doing a bit better through coaching alone, we have some clear deficiencies forward of the defence. Partey's off form and has been struggling with niggles, and his midfield partners are not exceptional. Our forwards are also in their twilight.
When the comparisons are to Liverpool, City and Chelsea that has to be considered regardless of what you make of Arteta. Drop De Bruyne, Lukaku and Salah into our side and we'd be looking good. Also people are making jokes about "spending half a billion on players" but … that's pretty much how these rivals got to where they are.
We need the whole shebang—a manager who is tactically brilliant, and continued massive investment in our squad—if we want to get to the summit of this league.
It does not matter how long it took or how much it cost to get to this point. From here it will still take a while longer and cost a lot more. That's the league.
One of the big issues of the Wenger decline was the prolonged fantasy we could do it without spending followed by an undisciplined and inexperienced approach to working at the top end of the market.
Sure it may be tempting to pretend Palace, West Ham et al—even Spurs—can be yardsticks, but they're not. All fade after their moment in the sun. Their successes are transitory.
And while spending hugely on the squad shouldn't allow Arteta to escape scrutiny, it's not like Klopp, Tuchel and Guardiola would be pulling up trees without the cash behind them.
