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 wanting like turning right into a close to good weekend for Arsenal within the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect produced their greatest efficiency of the season thus far 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, seemed like placing the gloss on what had been a wonderful 24 hours, however then that man Mo Salah carried out his rescue act for Liverpool, albeit with a variety of assist from the Saints keeper and defence.
So issues didn’t fairly end up in addition to they might have carried out 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 could be to simply construct on the outcome 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 workforce. They seemed rather more just like the Arsenal aspect we’ve change into accustomed to over the past couple of years and they should construct on that now.
You may see the distinction that Martin Odegaard has made, it’s been huge. 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 aspect. Either side of the pitch seemed balanced and that’s one thing that has been lacking.
If Mikel Arteta can proceed to have his massive gamers accessible to him over the approaching weeks then there is no such thing as a purpose why they’ll’t string a robust successful run collectively. There are six winnable video games within the league between now and New Yr’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, however it doesn’t really feel like they’re unbeatable. Issues are going their manner 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 received whereas taking part in fairly poorly, which is the signal of a very good workforce, however on the opposite you might 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 carried out at West Ham after which see what occurs at Anfield when Liverpool host Manchester Metropolis.
Metropolis look a little bit of a large number in the meanwhile. They’re really easy to play by way of and you’d anticipate Liverpool to benefit from that. However Pep Guardiola’s aspect will know they’ll’t actually afford to lose and that may very well 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 effectively at Lazio and hopefully the harm he picked up throughout worldwide obligation doesn’t hold him out for too lengthy.
However there’s no manner you may 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 obtained a lot. He was simply very uncooked and didn’t actually profit from these alternatives.
You would see he had expertise and that he had the attributes to be an honest participant, however he was – and nonetheless is to be trustworthy – a bit too chaotic a participant for a Mikel Arteta workforce.
He does at all times have a tendency to start out brightly at new golf equipment as effectively after which tail off a bit. He did it at Arsenal and at Marseille, so it is going to be fascinating to see whether or not he can keep this kind 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 reimbursement on him and have a really massive sell-on clause included within the cope with Lazio.
I feel that’s fairly good enterprise to be honest. I definitely don’t take a look at what he’s doing and remorse that he was allowed to go away and I can’t think about there might be many individuals at Arsenal who really feel any completely different.
Tijjani Reijnders is a participant who consistently appears to be within the headlines in the meanwhile, with golf equipment throughout Europe being linked with him.
Manchester Metropolis, Spurs, Barcelona, Actual Madrid are all mentioned to be wanting on the AC Milan star, and I’ve seen Arsenal being linked now as effectively.
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 on the subject of Arsenal issues, so I’m a bit sceptical about it.
However he’s clearly doing superb issues for Milan and is a top quality participant, so you’d anticipate a few of Europe’s prime golf equipment might be keeping track of him forward of the January window.
I’m nonetheless not anticipating a lot from Arsenal on the subject of January although, the message we’re getting is that the main target stays on the summer season on the subject of 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 going through him at Manchester United earlier than Sunday’s sport at Ipswich, then he definitely does now.
It’s clear that there’s loads of work to do to show issues round at Outdated Trafford and you’d suppose that Amorim is beneath no illusions by way of the work that he should do to get them competing once more.
I don’t know him overly effectively because the coach, however he’s clearly a really gifted operator and he put collectively a nice workforce 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 feel 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 beneath him and he can get quite a bit out of them.
Gamers have thrived beneath 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 definitely ought to have a very good likelihood within the Europa League, however within the Premier League it ought to simply be about steadying the ship a bit and constructing in direction of subsequent season.
If Amorim can actually begin to get his concepts throughout they usually can enhance forward of the summer season, then just a few good signings within the window may put them in a very good place to have a very good crack in 2025/26.
