Even though the current Premier League season, so far anyway, is throwing up signs that Arsene Wenger and the squad are in a batter position to push for the title than usual, we still keep hearing pundits in the football media talking about the same old things when it comes to Arsenal.
Very few of them seem to have changed their minds much, as we keep hearing such doubts like, ‘have Arsenal got the leaders we need to get through the tough times’ and ‘can the Gunners keep it up over the course of the season rather than just a few patches of good performances’?
The most common stick used to beat Arsenal though, is the accusation that we have what is known as a soft centre. So the theory is that, although people accept that our football can be brilliant at times and that we can be a match for just about anyone on our day, Arsenal cannot stand up to adversity or do it when the going gets tough.
Well already this season has shown that we can fight until the end of games, as the late goals against PSG, Southampton and Burnley highlighted. We have also now seen out two games with 10 men without conceding, against PSG and Swansea.
What might surprise you is that this is nothing new. In fact a Metro report reveals that Arsenal have won 30 and lost just 26 games when we have had a man sent off and that makes us the only Premier League club to have a better record of wins than losses with 10 men.
So is it time that the tag of having a soft centre is dropped once and for all?
Bob.