It has been a very good week for Arsenal. A good performance against Liverpool (but not the result to match) and a good win against Villa.
Maybe Arsenal deserved a little bit more from the Liverpool game. The team had a really good performance but sometimes in those type of games there are decisive moments like the Odegaard chance and then the Ramsdale mistake. Individual brilliance also wins you games as you see at United a lot of the time which is where Arsenal need to buy into in the summer.
It was just small differences in the boxes and Liverpool took their opportunities which is what Arsenal need to do more of. Scoring a lot of goals is vital, as you can see from the goal differences from all the top teams.
We are now deservedly favourites for the Top Four. Yes, there is still a long way to go, but the way the team are playing it is looking promising if they keep it up. The run of games look more favorable for Spurs, but I am confident that if Arsenal perform the way they have been, then that 4th spot and maybe even a run at 3rd could happen.
There are just ten games to go, and maximizing the points from each game will be vital. I don’t think we can afford to lose any game but the danger fixtures will obviously be against Spurs, United and Chelsea. If we can take 4 points from those 3 games and keep up our form against the teams below us then we will finish in the top 4.
Five of our last six wins have been just by the odd goal. The team now looks like they don’t fold under pressure and they can see out games by solid team defending. Mikel has been able to have the players working for each other and the shape of the team looks really good.
It appears to me that the media are continually expecting Arsenal to slip up. There is always a lot of talk surrounding Arsenal and they have failed to live up to expectations over recent years. Hopefully the club prove everyone wrong this season and more so it will help them believe that they are on track to compete with the best teams.
Saka has asked the referee for protection that never seems to be forthcoming when Arsenal are involved. Saka is a real tricky player to play against and doesn’t stop going at players, which obviously defenders hate to see. We want to encourage our best talents to perform to their maximum capabilities for the fans to enjoy, but if players are not looked after then they will not be able to entertain. On the flip side Xhaka as an example has made some bad tackles and decisions but definitely gets singled out more often than others which is quite blatant to see.
Players will target Saka more often now as he is a big threat in the Arsenal team, but just like all players with that ability, you have to find a way to deal with it and come out on top. I believe he has all the ability and people around him to deal with that pressure.
The team are creating an atmosphere around the club where they’re building that bond with the fans and want to win as much as ever. The more you win, you start to understand the games you should be winning, and the games that are really tricky. The result sometimes means a lot more than just 3 points and that’s why the celebrations are the way they are currently. The team understand that every game right now is more than 3 points. It is another game towards their target and getting the club back into the elite of football. I think its perfectly fine to enjoy it, as long as the players and staff are aware that this is the minimum expectations and we as fans want to be celebrating trophies in the years to come.
Lacazette is doing really well right now and although he is not scoring as many as we would like, he is involved a lot in the build up that ends in goals. He plays for the team, which is extremely important but not only that, he makes the surrounding players better. Goals are very necessary however and I am sure both Arteta and himself are aware of that going forward. As long as he continues to contribute and work for the cause then the club will achieve their goals this season.
If Lacazette is to stay then I would definitely see him as a 2nd striking option. He would be really good to keep with his experience also, especially if we finish in the top 4 and we know the qualities he can bring on the field. The club would do well in persuading him to stay at least another year.
Partey’s recent improvement has been a joy to watch. The spine of the team is looking really strong, and with 10 games to go if all players can stay fit then we have a massive opportunity to finish in them top 4 places. Partey makes Xhaka better and we will need the quality performances all the way until the end and beyond.
As for Piers Morgan, he has always complained no matter who the manager is or was. Some fans are never happy and it stems from the club previously being so successful. Unfortunately you can’t always be victorious ,and hopefully what we are seeing is Arteta bringing that winning mentality and formula back to the club. This is not an easy task as there are other clubs that have the same ambition, but we are on track I’d say.
Kind regards
Michael Thomas