Six questions that Arsenal must respond include Jesus' successor

When the Premier League resumes, the Gunners will have the opportunity to accomplish something truly exceptional, but there are still some concerns to be resolved.

Arsenal must respond to six issues regarding Jesus' successor

After the World Cup is over, the focus will shift to the Premier League's comeback. Following their season-opening record-breaking performance, Arsenal will now have the potential to accomplish something truly exceptional.
With 12 victories out of their last 14 league contests, the Gunners are five points ahead at the top of the standings.

Can they now win the Premier League championship for the first time since 2004? Or will Manchester City follow the general consensus and contain Arteta's team in the second half of the season? In what way is Gabriel Jesus replaceable?

In what way is Gabriel Jesus replaceable?

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The main concern for Arsenal when the Premier League resumes is this. Jesus may have only scored five goals for the Gunners before the World Cup break, but he still had a significant influence on his new team as a whole.
Jesus drastically changed the way Mikel Arteta's side attacked, from his pressing skills to his deft movement in and around the penalty. Arsenal must find a method to play without him if they want to keep up with Manchester City at the top of the table, as his probable absence for up to three months would be a major setback.

Can he equal Jesus' amazing output rate? Can he apply the same pressure? Can he open up space for players like Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka with his mobility in the final third? If Arsenal is to keep setting the standard once the Premier League resumes, each of those questions must have a favorable response.

Is Mykhailo Mudryk a good investment?

Of course, there is a second approach to try to replace Jesus, and that is to sign someone when the transfer season opens in January. However, as things stand, the Gunners' first objective for the upcoming winter transfer window is not to buy a central striker. Instead, the emphasis is on trying to take down another wide attacker.

Mudryk, a winger for Shakhtar Donetsk, is wanted, and the Ukrainian star has previously expressed openly his desire to maybe complete a transfer to north London. But as numerous influential Shakhtar members have noted over the past few months, Mudryk won't be cheap.

Is Mykhailo Mudryk a good investment?

The teenage attacker is reportedly worth roughly £90 million ($109 million), according to the football club's director of football, Darijo Srna, who used the transfer costs demanded by players like Jack Grealish and Antony as evidence.

But given that it seems doubtful that Arsenal will bid that much for Mudryk, what price would they be willing to pay to bring in a player who might have a significant impact in the second half of the season?
The 21-year-old attacker, who has made 18 appearances this season and has tallied 10 goals and eight assists, must be evaluated by the Gunners to see if he is worth risking everything for. It's a huge choice for Arsenal, and it might have a significant impact on how the team performs in the second half of the season.

Has Arsenal enough options in the middle of the field?

Regarding their midfield, Arsenal must also make a significant choice. They are aware that the team still has to be strengthened in this area, but they must now decide whether to do so in January or wait until the summer. Whether they can count on Thomas Partey to stay healthy for the rest of the season is the question they will be asking themselves.

While Mohamed Elneny is a reliable squad player, he is well below Partey's quality, and Arsenal would struggle if they had to deploy an Egyptian as their holding midfielder for an extended period of time, according to history, which implies that is unlikely.

Regarding their midfield, Arsenal must also make a significant choice.

Arsenal is aware of this, and they attempted to get Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa last summer to expand their alternatives in the center of the field. Since then, Luiz has signed a new deal and is no longer a target, although Youri Tielemans remains a goal for the long term, and Arsenal has also looked at talented Brazilian midfielder Danilo at Palmeiras. If the price is good, both may be available in January, therefore Arsenal must choose whether to make a move or not.

To sell or not to sell?

Arsenal must also decide whether to permit any players to go in January, which is a crucial decision. Although the Arsenal team is not very large, there are still a few unimportant individuals that might draw some interest once the transfer market opens. One is the Portuguese international Cedric Soares, who has Fulham lurking in the background, and another is the young Brazilian Marquinhos. Although Arteta is not a manager who would prevent a player from leaving if a good chance presented itself, he is not endowed with a large pool of players to draw from.

Should Arsenal sell Cedric Soares?

And with so many games coming up after the World Cup break, including the knockout rounds of the Europa League, Arsenal must decide if it would be a good idea to allow squad members to depart.
Even though Cedric has had trouble getting into games this season, he is still an important team player and is capable of filling a variety of roles when necessary. So it won't be simple to decide to let him go if an offer comes in. Arsenal will need to give it significant thought.

Does Arsenal treat the FA Cup with any seriousness?

When Arsenal visited Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round last year, Arteta made a tonne of adjustments. The end consequence was a pitiful effort and an expensive 1-0 loss, which the management deemed unacceptable. What will Arteta do this time is one of the major issues on his mind as the third-round trip to Oxford United in January draws near.

Does Arsenal treat the FA Cup with any seriousness?

Does he support his team members, follow the same course as last year, and hope for a different result? Or does he put some of his seasoned Premier League starting XI in danger on January 9 at the Kassam Stadium?
Whatever he decides might still have a major impact on the Gunners' season because of the matches against Tottenham and Manchester United that come just after the trip to Oxford.

Can Arsenal arrange important contracts?

Before leaving for the World Cup, Arsenal hoped to have completed contract negotiations with several of its key stars. But since Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and William Saliba's futures were still up in the air, it didn't happen.

With Arteta anxious to prevent any form of distractions that may hurt their prospects in the Premier League this season, it is understandable that Arsenal wants all three moves completed as quickly as possible. Once everyone has settled after their adventures in Qatar, the Gunners will work hard to try to bring a successful and prompt finish to the ongoing contract discussions.

Arsenal hoped to have completed contract negotiations with several of their key stars

How rapidly are they able to complete tasks? Every single team in European football would want Saka, Saliba, and Martinelli on their books, and Arsenal does not want any form of rumor to interfere with the recent work they have done in assembling their roster. They will thus be keen to bind all three to lengthy stays in north London.

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