It is a bad period for Arsenal but there is still time to turn things around.
Yesterday I wrote an article and said that Arsenal fans should lower their expectations such is the state of the team right now.
However, there is another side and for the sake of balance, it is worth exploring that viewpoint.
Arsenal is basically into the knock out stages of the Europa League. Only a ridiculous collapse against Standard Liege would prevent their progress. In effect a loss by a five-goal margin.
The knockout stages do not take place until late February next year, that is a lifetime in football and more than enough time for Arsenal to be a totally different team then. I mean, there could be a world-class manager and fantastic new signings brought in. Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos could have found their feet and Kieran Tierney firmly established on the left flank.
Now, let’s look at the Premier League. Arsenal is eighth and seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. That is far from being insurmountable.
Tottenham now sits fifth, just ten days ago they were 14th, a couple of wins and they have shot up the table. That shows how quickly a few wins can turn things around.
Every team in a rut is always one good result away from turning their entire season around. History is littered with such turnarounds in fortunes.
It generally happens when there is a significant change at a club, well, Arsenal are in the process of such a change.
There was an improvement against Norwich City, Arsenal had as many chances as the home side, which is a stark difference to the games previously.
Of course, Arsenal was still poor, they could have easily have lost the game if it was not for the combined efforts of Bernd Leno and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But I am comparing to recent form and not any other time.
So, all is not lost, seven points in the league are easily overcome and the Europa League remains a very viable opportunity.
I acknowledge that there has to be far more improvement than what we saw at Carrow Road and yes, the defence is horrendous and the midfield poor.
But all is not lost, not yet, the evidence before our eyes may say that it is an almost impossible task but this is, on paper, a better team than what went on a 22 game unbeaten run last season. So, however slight, it is still very possible to finish top-four and win the Europa League.