Arsenal under Mikel Arteta are taking on an aura akin to one that is novel and thrilling. The 2-0 defeat over Burnley was not just a three point addition to the standings, but another display of superiority, another nail to the statement that this form of Arsenal had finally come to a 22-year old victory in the Premier League.
Five matches in a row seven clean sheets in a row and a feeling of control in all its games – Arsenal stands an aura of being a complete team. It is not merely form, it is structure, mentality and trust. I do not see a weakness, announced Alan Shearer on BBC Sport and that view appears to reverberate more than loud speakers across both pundits and fans.
To begin with the figures speak it all. Arsenal have won at Turf Moor and is seven points ahead of the top after playing one extra match than some of its competitors. But the more remarkable thing then is that they are winning. It is against Burnley having a reputation of being a team that is very well disciplined in defence that Arsenal resorted to set-pieces an arsenal that has now become synonymous with them this season. They opened their opener in a corner, their eighth goal of the campaign the most that any side had in their first ten league games.
Their 12 out of 18 goals in the Premier League have been a result of dead ball positions the highest per goal situation by a team in a single season. It is strategic development in the hands of Mikel Arteta crafted plan, smart execution and physical domination. Alan Shearer has praised the strategy of Arteta putting Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber in higher positions to open the set-pieces but said, “They are making overloads and is ever devising to threaten.
But out of the objectives there is the strongest asset of Arsenal their defense. Their last concession came on September 28 with Newcastle, and that is an unbroken run of seven clean sheets in all competitions the best in the club since 1999. When they are able to close Slavia Prague in a week, they will have equalled a record in existence since 1903.
Even a late free-kick that Marcus Edwards (Burnley) hit against the post almost ended that run did not strengthen the defensive character of Arsenal. They have only had a single shot on target in their four most recent league matches which is an unbelievable demonstration of control and focus.
The physicality of Arsenal may be seen as the main feature of the change the chain has made under Mikel Arteta. This is a team that a couple of seasons ago had been accused to be soft-centered. Now, they thrive on the fight. It is best explained by former City defender Nedum Onuoha: “Everybody knows, we need a fight, it will be a fight. Should it be a footballing game, it can be a footballing game. They are not artists anymore, delicate artists, Arsenal have become disciplined warriors.
This investment in the squad by Arteta has been significant. Last summer Arsenal had to spend approximately PS250 million to create depth and it already comes in handy. However, though Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke were injured, their replacements have performed perfectly well. Men such as Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice have risen to the occasion so there is no drop in the level of intensity.
It is the depth which they contain, when one of them falls the one on top comes up, as Onuoha expressed it. This is what is making them be classified as favourites they are made to last.
Liverpool, who had made a good start suffered four match defeats before recovering against Aston Villa. Manchester City have already been strangely found to take three losses through defeats. Arsenal on the other hand have proven today to be reliable a term that could not be used to describe them during the last ten years.
Gary Neville, the former captain of United, is of the opinion that the title is within reach. “Arsenal are reliable. You can trust them,” he said. “This is your title, Arsenal. It is so young and yet it is really through to it.
What is even more, this Arsenal team has an atmosphere of composure and dominance that can be attributed to maturity. They can answer whether it is the technical circus or the gutter warfare. They are not merely playing Arteta ball they are actually playing it.
And lastly, this team confidence is a thing that could not be touched. You feel faith in every move by the players. The starvation of this season of tea-time escapes has been flung into a focus instead of a frustration. Arsenal do not lack desperation, they are focused.
So, is this Arsenal’s time? All the signs point that way. This may be the very year when promise becomes proof with Mikel Arteta at the helm of the club with a tactically astute, defensively sound, and emotionally intelligent coach.
The lines of Shearer still echo I can not find a flaw. Perhaps, perhaps not even the rest of the Premier League.
Follow us on Zeroto30s social channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeroto30s
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s