To some, Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland felt more like a defeat, two points dropped rather than one gained.
The Gunners were expected to dispatch the Premier League newcomers with relative ease, but they could not. Brian Brobbey’s acrobatic last-minute equaliser denied them what would have been a perfect comeback.
Still top of the table with a healthy four-point lead, the real test of this Arsenal side’s title credentials now lies in how they respond to the setback at the Stadium of Light.
Will they bounce back, or will this result derail their momentum?
Judging by the post-match reflections of Gabriel Magalhães and Declan Rice, it does not look like the result has knocked the wind out of them.
Gabriel and Rice’s rallying call
“Perspective. An unbelievable month,” Rice wrote on his Instagram story on Sunday. “Unlucky not to win yesterday, but that’s football sometimes. More than ready to go after the break.”
Echoing that sentiment, Gabriel posted: “See you soon Gunners. We’ll be back stronger. Thanks for the support.”
If Arsenal are to bounce back, there’s no sweeter way to do it than against their fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. After the international break, the boys in red and white welcome their noisy neighbours to the Emirates on Sunday the 23rd November.
With key absentees such as Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke expected to return from injury after the break, Arsenal could be well placed to get back to winning ways.
North London Derby: a pivotal clash
Arsenal cannot afford to drop more points, especially with Manchester City closing the gap after their 3-0 win over Liverpool. City are now just four points behind in the league standings. At the very least, the Gunners need to maintain or stretch that advantage.
A win over Spurs would not only restore momentum but also send a powerful statement. And they will need that momentum, with one of their toughest Champions League tests looming – a home tie against Bayern Munich at the Emirates shortly after the North London clash.
What are your thoughts Gooners? Let us know n the comments
Daniel O
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Said it all.
Arsenal cannot afford. to drop any point going forward. Beat Spurs , beat Bayern , beat Chelsea and great respect. will be established . We can !!!
Neither can city115, Bayern, pool etc etc afford to lose or drop points…. so what’s the difference between them and us?
We still struggle in big moments and have not quite figured out how to capitalize on these moments.
Our 2 closest competitors, either one or both could have dropped points, and we fail to grab 3 points.
Opportunities like that we have to seize, and the work is harder now because City is 2 points closer.
A difficult set of matches now until Christmas, two London derbies back to back and we play Villa twice in December. I don’t think City play any team in the top half of the table in that same period.
It is the English Premier League!
Nothing is given until you own it, and It is not going to get easy if you don’t find a way. For me, not that I am Mikel fan, not really, BUT for 3 seasons consecutively, he had a way to being the manager to lose the title, I give kind regards to that.
I only hope he would find a way to make those talented young players in the team ready, when the older ones are tired, or injured, whether they are going to be two or three in vital positions on the field at the same time on not. Because if the club will be in three competitions throughout the season, then the time would come when older players are going to be tired and numb and slow.
I believe we will bounce back from this, I can see how some fans see this almost as a loss because we did not win all three points, and I partly see it that way as well, but I can understand that there will be days like this. Our team feels different this season and different in a good way, what we have done so far this season is not a fluke and that will give us hope that we can go all the way or we can go on such a run. The players are ready for this I believe. The goal is clear. That Sunderland game for me came at the right time, it showed that we cannot afford to relax, that a win is never guaranteed, that a lapse in concentration could be detrimental to our game, that if we are to win the league this season then we have to constantly improve or grow and show that we deserve to be in the conversation of league winners. We cannot afford to rest on a laurels.