Arsenal’s pre-season campaign has come to a close and the Gunners are now braced for a Community Shield clash with Chelsea next weekend, where Arsene Wenger’s side will be looking to secure the first trophy of the new season.
There’s been plenty of headlines surrounding the Gunners during the close season, ranging from excitement due to new signings like Alexandre Lacazette and concerns that Wenger’s men could lose key-players ahead of the new season, with Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain regularly mentioned.
Those reports are unlikely to end any time soon but the Gunners will be focused on their challenges in hand, especially as Arsenal face a stern test to start the season with matches against Leicester City, Stoke City and Liverpool in August.
The North London giants will therefore need to be on top of their game and the potential exit of Alexis Sanchez means that Arsenal may have to find new key-players who can carry the team this season through difficult spells.
Alexis was the stand-out player for Arsenal last term and a new man may have to take the mantle this season and that figure could be Aaron Ramsey, who has developed into a top-class midfielder. Crucially, he should thrive in Arsenal’s new formation.
Ramsey enjoyed an upturn in form towards the back-end of last season following Arsenal’s switch to a three-man defence and it saw him push forward regularly from his midfield role, which is something we’ve seen continue during pre-season.
Wearing the prestigious number eight jersey, Ramsey is now 26 and is approaching the prime-years of his career and there is a genuine chance that he could become the Gunners captain in the coming years, which would cap-off his meteoric rise.
Boasting over 200 Premier League appearances and 29 goals, Ramsey will hope for more consistent performances in front of goal and he can be a real asset for the Gunners if he rekindles the sort of performances he showed for Arsenal a few years ago.
Already a heroic figure at Arsenal following two FA Cup winning goals, Ramsey will need to build on that this season especially as he faces a wealth of competition for his central midfield spot. If Alexis does leave, he could even push further forward and play behind the striker in a more attacking role.