One of the few redeeming features about the way Arsenal have stuttered, started and stopped so far this season is that, apart from Chelsea, none of our big Premier League rivals were punishing us. So despite being a massive 12 points worse off than we were at this point of last season, the Gunners went into the weekend just a point or two outside of the top four and with the likes of Liverpool, Man United, Everton and Tottenham not really giving us much to worry about.
But although that continues to be true, I am starting to worry about the results if not the performances of United. Louis van Gaal must have a room full of four leafed clovers and rabbits feet at home because they have won the last five games in a row now and they were only the better team in one of them. The Dutchman was happy to admit that they got away with murder again at St. Mary’s.
Last night’s clash with Southampton went along a very similar path to their game at the Emirates a couple of weeks back. They were outplayed and really poor defensively and going forwards. Yet they were gifted an opening goal and somehow came away with all of the points. United’s five game winning run also includes narrow wins over Stoke and Crystal Palace in which their goal was under siege for large periods and their winning goal over Stoke was offside. But De Gea has been on fire and they just seem to be getting the rub of the green.
Meanwhile we have had lots of bad luck and have not got the points we deserved. But they are now five points ahead of us in third place and with their injury problems starting to ease and the January transfer window nearly upon us, and with the confidence these results has given them, United will surely improve.
So should Arsenal fans worry or can we expect their poor performances to start getting the results they deserve?