If Arsenal keep playing the way he have been doing in the last three games, with 11 goals and some very impressive football in the last three games, then the international break coming up will be even more unwelcome than usual. Before the Gunners join up with their respective national sides there is a Champions League game at home to Basel and then a trip to Burnley in the Premier League.
The way Arsenal are looking at the minute you would expect us to win both those matches and if we do then things will really start looking good for the season ahead. Not many of us agreed with Arsene Wenger’s comments earlier in the season about this Arsenal squad being the best for years and having the tools and the balance to compete with the best.
Right now, though, you would not get too many Gooners arguing that the prof was right all along and seems to have finally got it just right, as he suggested in the post match comments on the Arsenal website after the pasting of Chelsea.
He said, “I feel, especially in the first half, we wanted to play with high pace, put them under pressure, play at a very high collective connection and speed of passing – it worked quite well. It’s one of those moments in your life as a manager where you think ‘today is a great day’. In the first half, I think it was nearly perfect. In the second half it was a bit in-and-out but in the first half, we have shown great quality. We played with style, with pace, with movement – and that’s the kind of football we want to play.
“I felt that in the last three weeks, our team was on the way up. Today was a good test for us to see if that’s real, if we could continue to move upwards. Would Chelsea stop our progression? Overall the quality of our performance today confirmed that we are on the way up. From the goalkeeper to the centre forward, today you cannot fault any performance. Now let’s continue to improve. There’s still room for improvement. Let’s show as well that we can defend together the style of football we want to play.
“Coming out straight after the game, I’d be tempted to say yes, because it’s one of the games where what we wanted to do worked very well. Yes, it’s one of the best performances in recent years.
“I’m hungrier[than 20 years ago]. Because I know I have not 20 years in front of me. As well because I feel more the responsibility, you’re not 20 years somewhere and you don’t care about things. I’m more conscious of what Arsenal is all about, so I think the weight of keeping people happy and making people happy is heavier than when I arrived.
“It [ending the winless streak against Chelsea] was relevant for us because it helps us to win a big game. Between winning a big game and winning the Premier League is a long way to go. At the moment Man City looks to be well in front, but if we can maintain our performances and the quality of our performances and be consistent we might have a chance.”
We are currently in third place and one point behind Tottenham and five behind Man City but next weekend sees those two meet at White Hart Lane and a draw would be ideal for us. Then after the international break sees Arsenal play seven games in just 24 days and this could prove to be a vital period for our chances of a major trophy.
Two games against Ludogorets should see us top of our Champions League group and a win over Reading will put us into the quarter-final of the EFL cup. The four Premier League games are; Swansea at home, Middlesborough at home, Sunderland away and then the first north London derby with the spuds coming to the Emirates.
So if Wenger really has got it right and got Arsenal in top form, is it the perfect time for us to take control of the season?
Bob.