Arsenal have topped Manchester United in the Premier League table despite spending less than the Old Trafford Club.
Arsenal currently tops the Premier League table with 37 points, while Manchester United sits 5th with 26 points.
Clearly, the Mikel Arteta-led team has been on fire this season, garnering a massive 37 points from a possible 41 points after 14 games.
While the feat looks sublime and innocuous given the effort of Mikel Arteta and the bunch of young talents he has brought into the team, Manchester United may have to take a look at their drawing board when the finances expended by both teams are juxtaposed.
Reports have shown that Arsenal forks out an incredible £150million less than Manchester United on wages – despite having seasons of contrasting success.
The yearly wages of Arsenal have decreased by £34m in 2021-22 from the previous year, with the number of employees continuously reducing.
One could be forced to conclude that having spent less, the team would have gotten to a relatively low start to the season compared to big spenders in the Premier League.
However, the reverse is the case. The irony has played out with the likes of Manchester United set to recoil from their bizarre spending on big flops that has put the team at a disadvantage.
While this is positive news for Arsenal, it is a pretty negative and sickening one for others. They have to go back to their drawing board.
Examining the stats
Arsenal are currently spending £205,482,000 on staff wages per year compared to the £239,830,000 last season, which made little or no impact, with the team settling for the last Europa League spot on the table last season.
This season, Mikel Arteta’s men have beat the odds and silenced critics, surpassing expectations after 14 games.
Not just big but perfect and sleek summer signings like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have made a significant impact on the side, and Arsenal are still left with a lot of money to save.
Arsenal’s yearly staff wage is even more impressive when compared to their Premier League rivals, Manchester United.
The Red Devils spend £150m a year than Arsenal. Notwithstanding, they have treaded the peripheries of ‘the average Premier League club’ far below the sensational performance of the Gunners this season.
Unlike Arsenal, the emergence of Erik Ten Hag seemed to worsen the situation, with those big-money signings struggling to make it to the starting lineup.
Former legendary striker and the club’s highest-earner Cristiano Ronaldo had to terminate his contract recently after a frustrating spell on the bench.
The move of Cristiano Ronaldo could trigger an exodus, with more high-earners being linked with a move away from Old Trafford – including Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
As well as this, several of United’s biggest earners have not met expectations on the pitch, with England duo Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire on the list.
Is the time frame excuse tenable?
Some Manchester United fans have insisted that a comparison of Manchester United and Arsenal is misplaced and unreasonable, given the gap between Mikel Arteta and Erik Ten Hag since they took over as managers in the respective clubs.
While the validity of the above arguments can not be disputed, how a club utilizes its financial resources to get the best out of its signings is crucial.
On this aspect, it is pretty clear that Manchester United are losing the gear to the Gunners and needs to reverse the trend.
