Considering that Mikel Arteta having a very unconvincing season so far with his team of youngsters and unknown new recruits, it is interesting that we currently have the best home record of any Premier League team this season. We have won 9 and drawn 1 of our last 10 home games, with the latest 2-0 win over West Ham also being our 5th clean sheet in a row at the Emirates.
Away from home is a different story completely and we have lost our last three on the bounce. Granit Xhaka is very clear that the Gunners need to up their game on their travels if they are going to have a chance of staying in the Top Four in the second half of the season. ‘We are looking much much better at home but if you want to be in the top four you have to win and you have to also take the points away from home,’ Xhaka told Stadium Astro.
‘Hopefully this can start against Saturday against Leeds. But yes, we have to improve away we have to be more clever, more solid.
‘We can’t play every time the same game at home and away. We have to be more clever and start from the experienced players to the young guys.’
We could certainly improve our record in our next 3 as have Leeds and Norwich away in the League, and then Nottm Forest in the FA Cup, and I am sure there will be further calls for Arteta’s head if we fail to win all three.
Personally I think we certainly do have the quality and confidence to do it, but the players just need to learn to ignore the intimidating atmosphere at away matches, and the points will come….