A lesson learned? Arsenal fans sincerely hope so. Under-fire Mikel Arteta answered his critics with actions, not words with an impressive 2-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
There were no more excuses this time, only a clear tactical decision to release the handbrake and grab an impressive, dominating and stylish victory.
Arteta’s attacking gamble paid off handsomely as a bold Arsenal silenced St James’ Park, overwhelming Newcastle with a performance that was both thrilling and effective.
While it may not have been flawless, getting it 90% right was more than enough to show everyone the path forward.Many Arsenal supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief when Mikel Arteta announced his starting lineup for Newcastle away on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners were desperate for a win at St James’ Park after some unimaginative, defensive and confusing tactics and team selections in previous matches.
Many Arsenal fans, pundits and neutrals repeatedly pointed out their opinions on Arteta’s decisions only for the Spaniard to gaslight us all.
The Gunners boss basically told us that we were all wrong and that he had the most attacking goalkeeper and two of the most attacking defenders in the game.
I didn’t know whether to be insulted or amused by his unravelling under the pressure of his shortcomings which resulted in him looking like a bus driver being handed the keys to a Ferrari and told to race Formula 1.
However, against Newcastle, he got it right. Nearly.
The only two mistakes were to start Trossard ahead of Martinelli and Mosquera ahead of Saliba.
Trossard missed a sitter while Mosquera unnecessarily gave away a corner which led to the German Peter Crouch scoring an impressive header for the Toon.
I think that he got these two selections back to front and, had he started Martinelli and Saliba, Arsenal could have won more comfortably.
Those selections aside, Arteta picked an attacking team and deserves credit for finally having a crack at a team by using imaginative, forward-thinking tactics instead of trying to bore teams to death with a defensive midfield and a possession based approach to the game which borders on anti-football.
Arteta’s starting lineup and his substitutions were simply superb demonstrating that he should have a little bit more faith in his team.
The Arsenal boss should play to his squad’s strengths rather than his own insecurity about conceding goals and achieving high possession statistics.
Then he could silence his baffled critics rather than insult them whilst making himself look like somewhat of a muppet.
What a superb result for Arsenal against a strong Newcastle team in one of the most hostile grounds to play at in Europe. Watch out Liverpool.
Surely Arteta won’t go back to his boring style of football and picking negative squads will he? The world hopes not Mikel.
In the end, it was a superb away win for Arsenal after two great headers from Merino and Gabriel helped Arsenal come from behind to beat Newcastle and put them just two points behind league leaders Liverpool.
So, Arteta’s attacking gamble paid off handsomely, proving that this is the Arsenal we have all been waiting for.
The fans, the pundits, and neutrals have seen what this team is capable of when the handbrake is off.
The only question now is for the manager himself: was this a lesson learned or just a one-off?
The world hopes it’s the former, Mikel. If that is the case, then watch out Liverpool.
Arsenal just exploded in attack with a superb performance against Crystal Palace, winning 5-1 at Selhurst Park.
After failing to score in the league for 11 months, injury-prone Brazilian Gabriel Jesus returned to his true potential form by netting two goals within the first 15 minutes.
Jesus opened the score in the sixth minute, then quickly scored a second goal to highlight his clinical finishing. Declan Rice added the fifth goal, so highlighting Arsenal’s attacking ability. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli also helped to shape the scoreline.
Though the outcome was clear-cut, questions surfaced about Bukayo Saka, who was forced off in the 23rd minute with a hamstring injury. Manager Mikel Arteta expressed some serious worry over the degree of the injury when Saka, who had earlier offered an assist, was seen leaving the stadium on crutches.
However, Arsenal showed some vulnerable moments, giving Palace several decent chances, needing some top saves from keeper David Raya.
Sarr was a constant threat for Palace, scoring their only goal and generating several chances to draw attention to areas needing some serious defensive work.
With this epic triumph, Arsenal move to third place in the Premier League closing the gap to leaders Liverpool to three points.
The Gunners’ attacking performance, especially Jesus’s, gives some much-needed hope for the title contest after some frustrating results so far this season. Saka’s possible absence, though, could complicate the crowded fixture calendar ahead.
Arsenal will play Ipswich and Brentford in next few games and will be looking to blow teams like them away.
The squad’s depth will be tested, particularly in case Saka’s injury sidelines him for a potentially long time due to what some are reporting as a serious hamstring injury. To cover the void left by the young winger, Arteta might have to depend on players like Leandro Trossard, who replaced Saka during the game.
Overall, the injury to Bukayo Saka clouds the success even if Arsenal’s strong victory against Crystal Palace highlights our attacking power and improves our league position. I have a good feeling though. If Jesus can stay fit and in form, then the Gunners could go on a serious run to keep the pressure on Liverpool and Chelsea who currently occupy the top 2.
The Arsenal are back – Big time! But, we still need a world-class striker (like Toney) to take us to the next level in my opinion despite bagging five goals against dreadful West Ham.
Arsenal’s Statement of Intent This emphatic win serves as a statement from Arsenal that we can be genuine contenders for a top two finish this season. The confidence and drive the lads showed for the most of last season has been restored thanks to the cooperation between important players like Saka and Ødegaard and a strong defence.
The Gunners have rediscovered our attacking flair, and with the squad regaining fitness, Arteta’s side appears poised to challenge at the top end of the table. Keeping up this momentum will be very important as we get through a busy December which will hopefully include a few Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea slipups.
Much Needed Hope for Us Dreamers If we can go on a run then, despite being so far ahead, Liverpool had better watch out. Arsenal’s display against West Ham was not just about the goals but the manner in which they were scored. The team exhibited creativity, cohesion, and a ruthless edge in front of goal. If we can sustain this level of performance, the title race could become even more intriguing in the weeks to come.
With a 5-2 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium, Arsenal moved into second place in the Premier League. The Gunners scored all five goals in a stunning first half, showing how good they are at attacking. The Hammers were stunned. Arsenal closed the gap on league leaders Liverpool thanks in large part to Bukayo Saka, who scored a goal, set up two others, and won a penalty.
Dominance in the First Half: Arsenal’s Early Attack – The Gunners went into the game wanting to move up the table, and they wasted no time making their dominance clear. From the start, Arsenal had a lot of the ball, which pushed West Ham back and put them under early pressure.
Gabriel’s Goal:The first goal came from Gabriel Magalhães’s header in the 10th minute, after Bukayo Saka had delivered a perfect corner. Gabriel scored his fourth goal of the season, all of which came from set pieces. This shows how dangerous Arsenal can be when the ball is dead.
Trossard Doubles the Lead: Arsenal’s fluid attack kept West Ham on the defensive. The second goal was scored by Leandro Trossard after Saka and Martin Ødegaard played a nice pass. Odegaard’s beautiful lofted pass found Saka inside the box, and the defender kindly squared the ball for Trossard to finish.
Ødegaard from the Spot:The constant pressure led to a penalty when Lucas Paquetá tripped Saka. Saka had the ball at first, but he gave the penalty kick to captain Martin Ødegaard. He calmly put it low into the corner for his first goal of the season.
Havertz Adds a Fourth:The party wasn’t even over yet when Kai Havertz added a fourth. From deep in his own half, Trossard sent a great through ball that got past the West Ham defence. Havertz jumped on it quickly and calmly beat Łukasz Fabiański in goal, ending a remarkable nine-minute stretch in which Arsenal scored three goals.
A short comeback for West Ham – West Ham put up a strong fight right when it looked like Arsenal would easily win.
Wan-Bissaka’s Strike: Aaron Wan-Bissaka got one back for the Hammers by taking advantage of Carlos Soler’s pass that split the defence. Once Wan-Bissaka scored, David Raya had no chance. This gave the home team a small bit of hope.
Emerson’s Free-Kick Mastery: Outclassed West Ham was then given a free kick just outside the Arsenal area. Emerson Palmieri stepped up and hit a beautiful shot into the top corner, giving Raya no chance. When the score changed to 4–2, the London Stadium went crazy, and West Ham briefly had the upper hand.
Before halftime, Arsenal took back control. West Ham didn’t have a chance to make a comeback as the first half came to a close.
Saka converted the second penalty.In extra time, another Saka corner caused chaos in the West Ham box. When Fabiański tried to punch the ball clear, he hit Gabriel in the head instead. The referee pointed to the spot, and this time Saka took the penalty himself. He confidently converted it, making the score 5-2 in favour of Arsenal. This goal was the first time in Premier League history that Arsenal scored two penalties in the first half of a game. Seven goals were scored in the first half, which is only the fourth time in the history of the league that this has happened.
Second Half: Controlling the game and playing strong defence The first half was very fast-paced, but the second half was much slower. Arsenal made changes. Gabriel was replaced by Jakub Kiwior, and Oleksandr Zinchenko came on to make the defence stronger.
Controlled Performance:Both teams had chances, but the Gunners were happy to keep control of the game by keeping possession and stopping West Ham from making any big gains.
West Ham’s Efforts:The home team tried to make a comeback. Michail Antonio missed a goal, and substitute Raheem Sterling occasionally posed a threat. But Arsenal’s defence held strong, and David Raya, the custodian, easily stopped any shots that were on goal.
Important Tekkers: Saka Bright shines Hi, Bukayo Saka. There was a huge effect that Saka had on the game. With his goal and two assists, he has now helped set up 15 goals in just 13 Premier League games this season. He was very creative and clever at making defenders work hard, which is why he was named Player of the Match.
Martin Ødegaard:The captain’s return from injury has given Arsenal’s midfield a new lease on life. His passing and vision, as shown by the high assist to Saka, were very important in breaking down West Ham’s defence.
Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz: Both players made big contributions. Trossard scored and set up another goal, and Havertz scored his second league goal for the club.
Statistical Milestones and Record-Setting Goals: Mighty Arsenal have scored five or more goals in five different away games in all competitions this year, which is the same number of games as Sunderland (1892) and Manchester City (1937).
Saka has 10 assists in 13 league games, putting him in a very small group of players with this many assists. Only Mesut Özil, Cesc Fàbregas, and Harry Kane have scored 10 goals in fewer games.
Set-piece experts:Gabriel’s goal continued Arsenal’s trend of scoring from corners. They have scored 20 corners-based goals since the beginning of last season, which is the most in the league during that time.
What the manager and players thought Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal manager was happy with how his team played, especially how quickly they got going. “We started incredibly well, so positive, so much energy and a lot of quality,” he noted. Arteta also talked about how important it is for the team to have multiple goal-scoring threats, which makes them “much more unpredictable.”
When Saka thought about his own performance: He put the team’s success ahead of his own praise. “I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring but the greatest pleasure is to win,” he said.
Julen Lopetegui: The West Ham manager was angry about defensive mistakes and decisions that were questioned. As he pointed to the first goal, he said that his team wasn’t making good defensive decisions and suggested that there had been a foul in the buildup.
What it means for the Premier League standings With their win, Arsenal moves into second place, six points behind Liverpool in first. With Liverpool facing Manchester City, the Gunners have intensified the pressure on both title rivals. Arsenal has been playing very well lately, with three wins in a row and 13 goals scored. This shows that they want to stay in the title race.
Fixtures Coming Soon Arsenal: Their next Premier League game is at home against Manchester United. Then they play Fulham in another London derby. The busy schedule in December will test their team’s depth and consistency.
Arsenal’s 3-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest begs the question: where has this Arsenal been all season? Dominance, energy, and ruthless efficiency were on display, but fans can’t help but wonder why it’s taken this long to see such a performance. Is this a turning point or just another false dawn?
Should Arteta be putting more faith in young Ethan Nwaneri? I keep saying he should but the Gunners boss seems set on using him only sparingly. THis could have been a great time to start my favourite young Arsenal player.
Mikel Arteta himself seemed relieved with the win and his tactics, saying, “I sensed great energy in the last 48 hours. The team straight away from the beginning.. you know, it was a flow, it was a dominance, it was enthusiasm. This is what I demanded.”
Forest, unbeaten away from home this season, couldn’t match Arsenal’s energy. Arteta acknowledged their threat: “Forest are a really good side. Every time they have the ball, they play direct… That’s why they’ve done what they’ve done. They hadn’t lost away from home, and we were the first to beat them.”
With Liverpool winning yet again, the pressure is on Arsenal to keep this energy going. Can this performance spark the consistency fans have been waiting for? I bloody well hope so.
I am starting to doubt Mikel Arteta. Like many Gooners, I thought controversial Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was onto something, and we were on the way to becoming champions of England and even possibly champions of Europe.
Now, I am not convinced at all after seeing Arteta and his team make mistake after mistake, along with a few dubious refereeing decisions.
After surprising the football world by finishing second behind a seemingly unstoppable Manchester City two seasons ago, Arsenal pushed the champions yet again last season.
Arteta’s impressive team was on the up and could have won the Premier League last season, only to see a few poor results let them down.
Talk in the club was that Arteta and Arsenal’s strategic plan was ahead of schedule. However, this season has raised a few eyebrows as The Gunners’ form is letting them down, giving them only an outside chance of winning the title.
Liverpool look strong, Chelsea seem to be improving, Man City will always be there at the end of the season and even Nottingham Forest, who lured Edu away from his role at Arsenal, has put a cloud over the optimism I had at the start of the season.
Arteta should have brought in a striker like Ivan Toney, and he should have given young Ethan Nwaneri a start against Newcastle and possibly Inter (Everton gave a young Wayne Rooney his chance despite his age) with Arsenal’s creative outlet Martin Ødegaard out injured.
The form table above scares me; even some of our wins weren’t convincing. I hope I am wrong, but I think Arteta is struggling to succeed because of some poor decision-making.
Chelsea away this weekend will be challenging and accurately indicate what Arteta and his team are made of.
As Arsenal’s season hits another huge setback following our terrible performance and defeat at Newcastle, more bad news has hit the greatest club in North London.
I’m getting worried now. Saying that, if we stuff Chelsea at the weekend and go on a winning run then my fickle fears will probably subside. Maybe it was Edu’s fault that we didn’t sign a striker like Ivan Toney in the summer. Who knows?
Edu quit his role at the Gunners in order to move from his position as Sporting Director to begin a similar role at (wait for it – no disrespect to them) Nottingham Forest.
Edu has quit his role at the club he told us he loves so much, in order to move to a team who surely must be seen as way smaller than Arsenal (again, respectfully said).
Edu has been key to Arsenal and Arteta’s success since his role started in 2019 and now it seems that things are no longer great behind the scenes.
Arsenal released a statement on Arsenal.com saying: “We thank Edu for the part he has played in our renewed football strategy and driving the club forward with the values of Arsenal in his heart.”
The former Arsenal and Brazil midfielder said: “This was an incredibly hard decision to make.
“Arsenal has given me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and the chance to be a part of something so special in the club’s history. It has been a special journey and I thank Stan, Josh, Tim and Lord Harris for the support they’ve given me.
“I’ve loved working with so many great colleagues across our men’s, women’s and academy teams, especially Mikel, who has become a great friend.
“Now it is time to pursue a different challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best.”
Top brass Josh Kroenke reacted saying: “We respect Edu’s decision and thank him for his immense contribution and dedication to drive the club forward.
“Everyone at the club wishes him well. We are all so fond of him and the positive energy he brings to everything and everyone.
“Change and evolution is a part of our club. We remain focused on our strategy and winning major trophies. Our succession plan will reflect this continued ambition.”
This is a real worry as Arsenal seem to be slipping this season and fans will be concerned after a disappointing end to the last two seasons, an underwhelming summer transfer window and a poor first quarter of this Premier League season.
The whole world knows that Arsenal are crying out for a perfect goalscoring number nine to complete Arteta’s puzzle of winning the English Premier League. Nearly-man Jesus nearly made it in his first season, but injury ended that. Eddie stepped up but never really showed he was the answer.
Now, Toney went to Saudi on the cheap despite being one of the best strikers in the world, with nobody going in for him from the EPL after the rumours of Arteta’s reported rejection of him after their meeting based on personality rather than potential. What a shame. What a waste. Arteta is amazing at judging characters, but I’m disappointed that he couldn’t see the potential of the recovering gambling addict and back his own man management of the Christian marksman.
Arteta is absolutely correct in only signing players who fit into his and the club’s ethical framework. Rather than sign someone like Spurs’ Solanke, he would rather wait.
Everyone knows how much Ivan Toney wanted to sign for Arsenal and is technically good enough to take on that role. However, Arteta reportedly met with Toney and didn’t fit the club’s vision of a player. Sure, he’s good enough. We all know that. But there must have been something else.
Maybe it was the gambling or the lack of loyalty to Brentford when he made his ambitions to play for a bigger club public. I get that. But he would have done the job for Arsenal without disrupting other players. Maybe this shows Arteta’s lack of confidence in changing players to fit his mould. Perhaps he tried, and that’s why nobody wanted to touch him. I would have had a punt of £50m on an absolute weapon of a striker.
Now, Arsenal relies on Havertz and his colleagues. The stats say they are doing just fine, but imagine if Toney was presented with the chances that Arsenal’s frontline squandered over the last two years.
I’m gutted that we have lost Toney from the EPL. I wish him all the best. I think Arsenal missed out there. Incredibly, Manchester United could have signed him and given itself a natural edge in this challenging era of its history in the shadow of the magnificent Manchester City.
What is happening in North London at the moment? Arsenal have only gone and done the double over fierce rivals Spurs.
North London is often white in recent years but now it’s red, red, red! Arsenal won two-nil at The Tottenham Stadium as Spurs did their usual first-half tragedy again, playing crap and going behind yet again.
How many times they’re being two-nil down this season? Is it four? Is it five? Who knows and, like most Arsenal fans would say, who cares?
There is only one person to blame for these Spurs tactics and it is their super coach Conte and he keeps doing it. Tottenham are quite simply a team of two halves. It’s not just a game of two halves, they showed it again against Arsenal.
Arsenal were brilliant and had an absolutely sensational first half which could have seen them going in at the break three or four nil up. Spurs were lucky to keep it to two.
Arsenal played Tottenham off the park and were worthy winners of this entertaining game.
Tottenham did manage one positive period of play in the second half for about 15 minutes around about the 50-minute mark.It wasn’t enough though as Arsenal did defend exceptionally well.
You have to give it to them, Arsenal are looking solid and what about their goalkeeper? Pre-match many people were saying that Lloris is better than Ramsdale. How wrong they were on this occasion. Ramsdale played a perfect 10.
Another Gunner who for me scored a perfect ten was captain fantastic Martin Odegaard. He controlled the midfield with great positional play, superb passing, and hard work. He even manged to score Arsenal’s second goal from distance. What a player. What a team.
Tottenham were lucky to to finish the the game with 11 men on the pitch as there wwereas some dodgy tackles and an attitude towards the referee coming from Romero. Richarlison looked very frustrated at the end lashing out at Arsenal’s goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale who’s celebrelations wound him right up. Come on Richarlison. Look at how much the Brazilian celebrates when he wins, especially in Brazil.
Anyway, what a game. I worry for Spurs, but luckily for them, Liverpool are slipping more than them. Although they were terrible first half, they were okay second half so there is some hope for Tottenham.
It must be very frustrating being a Spurs fan at the moment and it must be incredible being an Arsenal supporter.
Congratulations to the best team in North London and Arsenal supporters everywhere. Arsenal are back.
Arsenal could be two big signings and a couple of Manchester City slipups from shocking the world and winning the Premier League.
So Arsenal are top of the league. Wow. I Didn’t see that coming. After three games last season, Arsenal were bottom of the league, and many wanted Arteta to be sacked and for the owners (the Kroenkes) to sell the club and move on. There was talk of Spotify buying the club and a new era at Arsenal. How times have changed.
They’ve lost only one game against Man United at OldTrafford, which, to be honest, they could have won, especially if that first goal was allowed. The Martinelli goal looked like a tight call and it was harsh to disallow if you ask me.
But anyway, Arsenal are doing great, and the important thing is, they’re playing really good football. It’s a bit like the Arsenal of old as the way we are playing is just incredible.
And to think about how young that squad is, it’s quite scary, and there was me thinking that maybe Martinelli and Saka were going to struggle this season.
Xhaka, I thought, was going to be rubbish this season and Partey, I thought, was pretty injury prone, but bringing in Jesus and Zinchenko as well as bringing back Saliba, has just made Arsenal a force to be reckoned with.
Man City are obviously favourites for the league. They’ve got the big monster up front in Haaland who is just incredible. Many believe City will win the league. I tend to agree to some extent unless they lose a couple of shocking games. Didn’t they lose to Spurs and draw twice with Southampton last season? Anything is possible.
If City slip up, especially when they’re focused on their elusive Champions League title, and if Arsenal can manage to beat them once or twice, or at least not lose to them, they’ve got a genuine chance of winning the league.
I’m not being deluded here, they’re looking fantastic. I think the problem could be for their Europa League campaign, it’s going to be tough on the squad. If Arsenal get some injuries, which they usually do, they have a shocking injury record, then they are really going to need to strengthen in January.
And They tried to get the fellow from Villa at the last minute, this transfer window, showing Arteta’s feeling on the situation. They need a midfield general in there as backup or to improve what they’ve already got. Better than Xhaka I hope as he (or Partay) might get suspended or injured.
Arteta probably needs another centre half too as Rob Holding is just a lovely bloke, but he’s just not that good. Sorry, Rob. Gabriel is looking a bit shaky too which is surprising me but he’s a great player, so hopefully, he’ll come good.
But if Gabriel or Saliba gets injured or suspended, they’re going to have to pull White in from right back.
Arsenal need a good strong defender, a world-class midfielder. If they can get two players in who are better than what they already have then I really think that they could push Man City all the way.
A lot of people were laying int o Arsenal fans for celebrating their early successes this season. Arsenal fans, quite rightly, were over the moon celebrating two, three, or four victories in a row. They’re like, wow, this is amazing and quite rightly so.
People are giving Gooners crap for celebrating too much but come on, you’re just jealous. Who in their right mind would not want to celebrate their team doing exceptionally well?
Look, where are we now in mid-October and Arsenal are at the top of the league. If they can remain top until the World Cup, I think they’ve just got Chelsea out of the big six coming up, who knows what’s going to happen. It’s going to be fun times though as a Gooner.
In all honesty, for Arsenal, finishing in the top four would be fantastic but remember, the owner has got a lot of money. They have a plan. Their plan wasn’t to qualify for the ChampionsLeague last season, it was just to qualify for the Champions League this season. Just remember that fact. Edu and Arteta said it and I believe their longer-term plan is to win the league and the Champions League and I believe that the owners have the funds to do it as long as we can keep hold of our top young players.
I know we are only a quarter of the season in, but Arsneal looking like they can get the top four and I think they will. They’re already nine points clear of Manchester United in fifth place so it looks like they’re in a very strong position.
If Arsenal strengthen, and they will strengthen, then they’ll make the Champions League next season. If they strengthen substantially, then they can become real title contenders. I’m not being delusional here, they have the money now. Once Arsenal are in the Champions League, they can bring in much better players, a higher calibre of player.
You can say what you want about Man City and their money but I live in Manchester and the weather isn’t great, the city is, there’s a lot to do, but it’s not London. The draw of London along with the nicer weather in than in Manchester and Newcastle and Liverpool could give Arsenal the edge when it comes to recruiting top players.
London is a world city. It’s absolutely bloody amazing and you can fly anywhere in the world from Heathrow.
The owners have heaps of money too so if they spend really wisely, and if Ian Wright is right right, right when he claims we have players waiting to sign for arsenal once they are in the Champions League then the future is bright.
Lets hope that Wrighty isn’t wrong, wrong, wrong.
These could be really exciting times for Arsenal. If you look at Liverpool, they won the league, they didn’t spend that much money, did they? They built it up. They slowly added amazing players. They got Van Dyke in, they got Mane in. They went for the big players, but one at a time. Arsenal can totally afford to do that.
The problem for Arsenal is, how can they attract those players to go to the Emirates Stadium to move to a team that’s not in the Champions League? Well, the answer is to finish in the top four. And if they finish top three or top two, then they’re going to have more of a draw, because players are going to think, hang on, they could challenge Man City for the title. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arsenal in the Champions League final in the next three or four seasons too if they keep going like this with clever recruitment and clear and effective strategy on the pitch.
Can they beat Man City to the league title this season? Yes.Do I think they will? Probably not but possibly they can. Possibly they absolutely can. So let’s see what happens. Well done to Arsenal for such a great start to the season. Oh, my God!
In July of this year, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brought in Gabriel Jesus from Man City to bolster his attacking options after getting rid of Aubameyang and Lacazette.
Arsenal have a plan for the squad to qualify for the Champions League after Arteta’s third season in charge.
Last season they nearly went ahead of schedule, almost qualifying for the Champions League only to blow it at the end of the season with key losses to Spurs and Newcastle.
However, Arsenal had some pretty unlucky injuries to key players and following a dreadful start to the season with three defeats in a row, the North London club surpassed many people’s expectations by finishing in the top five.
This season, Arsenal already look on track for their preplanned attack on the top four as they won their first five EPL matches and sit top of the table despite a somewhat unlucky defeat to an improving Manchester United side at Old Trafford.
Much of the improvement comes as a result of Arsenal’s summer signings and arguably Gabriel Jesus in particular.
The 25-year-old’s stats are pretty impressive with three league goals as well as three assists. It’s not just his goals and assists that are improving Arsenal though; it’s his incredible movement, defender-scattering runs off the ball and his 100% effort during matches that see him already looking like the bargain of the season (arguably apart from Haaland at City).
Gabriel Jesus has appeared in 6 Premier League matches this season, totalling 524 minutes, scoring a very respectable average of 0.52 goals for every 90 minutes he is on the field.
These attacking performances have him ranked 14th out of 214 Premier League players who have played at least three matches, according to FootyStats.org.
The former Man City ace has scored three goals in the league this season, placing him top of the Arsenal squad’s Top Scorers list alongside Odegaard and Martinelli.
What a great start to the season from Arsenal and Gabriel Jesus.
