Nuno Tavares, Mikel Arteta and Tijjani Reijnders (Images by Marco Rosi, Justin Setterfield, Angel Martinez/Getty Photos)
With about 25 minutes to go at Southampton on Sunday, it was trying like turning right into a close to good weekend for Arsenal within the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s facet produced their finest efficiency of the season to date on Saturday as they brushed Nottingham Forest apart 3-0 after which they sat again and watched Manchester Metropolis get taken aside by a scientific Spurs on the Etihad.
Southampton’s fightback towards Liverpool at St Mary’s, which noticed them main 2-1 after falling behind early on, regarded like placing the gloss on what had been a superb 24 hours, however then that man Mo Salah carried out his rescue act for Liverpool, albeit with loads of assist from the Saints keeper and defence.
So issues didn’t fairly end up in addition to they might have performed for Arsenal, with Liverpool sustaining their 9 level benefit over them, however to be trustworthy that was anticipated at the beginning of the weekend. Any dropped factors from Liverpool on the south coast would have been a bonus.
For Arsenal the important thing factor now’s to only construct on the end result and efficiency towards Forest, as a result of it was superb. For the primary time in a very long time there was an actual sense of stability within the crew. They regarded rather more just like the Arsenal facet we’ve got turn into accustomed to over the past couple of years and they should construct on that now.
You’ll be able to see the distinction that Martin Odegaard has made, it’s been large. However having Riccardo Calafiori again on the left was essential, as was having Jurrien Timber again taking part in on his extra pure proper hand facet. Each side of the pitch regarded balanced and that’s one thing that has been lacking.
If Mikel Arteta can proceed to have his huge gamers obtainable to him over the approaching weeks then there is no such thing as a purpose why they’ll’t string a powerful successful run collectively. There are six winnable video games within the league between now and New 12 months’s Day, if Arsenal win all six then I’m satisfied they are going to be inside touching distance of Liverpool after they enter 2025 after which it is going to be all to play for.
Liverpool are on a hell of a run, but it surely doesn’t really feel like they’re unbeatable. Issues are going their means a bit and Sunday’s sport at Southampton was a transparent instance of that.
On one hand you take a look at it and say they gained whereas taking part in fairly poorly, which is the signal of a superb crew, however on the opposite you could possibly say they’re having fun with a good bit of luck proper now that has to expire sooner or later.
This weekend will clearly be large. Arsenal have to verify they get the job performed at West Ham after which see what occurs at Anfield when Liverpool host Manchester Metropolis.
Metropolis look a little bit of a multitude in the intervening time. They’re really easy to play by means of and you’ll anticipate Liverpool to make the most of that. However Pep Guardiola’s facet will know they’ll’t actually afford to lose and that could possibly be harmful for Liverpool.
So I don’t suppose the title race is over. It’s too early for that. Liverpool are in an unbelievable place. However I don’t suppose any of their rivals might be waving the white flag simply but.
It’s nice to see Nuno Tavares doing properly at Lazio and hopefully the damage he picked up throughout worldwide obligation doesn’t maintain him out for too lengthy.
However there’s no means you’ll be able to take a look at how he’s performing in Italy and the query whether or not issues may have gone otherwise for him at Arsenal.
It’s not like he didn’t get alternatives. He bought a lot. He was simply very uncooked and didn’t actually profit from these alternatives.
You could possibly see he had expertise and that he had the attributes to be a good participant, however he was – and nonetheless is to be trustworthy – a bit too chaotic a participant for a Mikel Arteta crew.
He does at all times have a tendency to start out brightly at new golf equipment as properly after which tail off a bit. He did it at Arsenal and at Marseille, so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see whether or not he can keep this way with Lazio.
Offering just a few clauses are met, his mortgage might be made everlasting in the summertime and he’ll keep in Italy. Arsenal will get their a refund on him and have a really huge sell-on clause included within the take care of Lazio.
I believe that’s fairly good enterprise to be honest. I actually don’t take a look at what he’s doing and remorse that he was allowed to depart and I can’t think about there might be many individuals at Arsenal who really feel any totally different.
Tijjani Reijnders is a participant who consistently appears to be within the headlines in the intervening time, with golf equipment throughout Europe being linked with him.
Manchester Metropolis, Spurs, Barcelona, Actual Madrid are all stated to be trying on the AC Milan star, and I’ve seen Arsenal being linked now as properly.
It’s not one thing that I’ve heard of myself and the hypothesis doesn’t actually appear to be coming from retailers of a lot substance in relation to Arsenal issues, so I’m a bit sceptical about it.
However he’s clearly doing superb issues for Milan and is a high quality participant, so you’ll anticipate a few of Europe’s high golf equipment might be maintaining a tally of him forward of the January window.
I’m nonetheless not anticipating a lot from Arsenal in relation to January although, the message we’re getting is that the main focus stays on the summer season in relation to any important enterprise.
Clearly which may change ought to a possibility current itself in January that’s deemed too good to show down, however we’ll have to attend and see if that occurs.
If Ruben Amorim didn’t already know the dimensions of the duty dealing with him at Manchester United earlier than Sunday’s sport at Ipswich, then he actually does now.
It’s clear that there’s loads of work to do to show issues round at Outdated Trafford and you’ll suppose that Amorim is underneath no illusions by way of the work that he should do to get them competing once more.
I don’t know him overly properly because the coach, however he’s clearly a really proficient operator and he put collectively a advantageous crew at Sporting, one which knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League after all simply a few years in the past with that penalty shootout success on the Emirates.
I believe he’s an thrilling appointment for United. He’s a younger coach who has a transparent philosophy and the proof suggests that gamers like taking part in underneath him and he can get loads out of them.
Gamers have thrived underneath him in Portugal and United will hope that he can do one thing related within the Premier League. He does have loads of expertise in that squad, however I can’t see him turning issues round rapidly.
Possibly they might win a cup this season, they actually ought to have a superb probability within the Europa League, however within the Premier League it ought to simply be about steadying the ship a bit and constructing in the direction of subsequent season.
If Amorim can actually begin to get his concepts throughout and so they can enhance forward of the summer season, then just a few good signings within the window may put them in a superb place to have a superb crack in 2025/26.
