Top of the League

Arsenal kicked off their season in style last Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Gunners dominated the relegation candidates with an impressive display at both ends of the pitch. Arteta handed debuts to Brazilian pair Gabriel and Willian who both repaid the manager’s selection with Gabriel registering a clean sheet and a goal, and Willian providing 2 (and a half) assists. Gabriel was brought in as the middle defender in the back 3 where he looked assured on the ball with a 95% pass accuracy and was a commanding figure in the air from Fulham’s crosses. Willian operated off the right wing, coming in central but also allowing Hector Bellerín to underlap at times. This allowed Bellerín to play the most final third passes on the team (18) with Willian not far behind (15), resulting in Arsenal threatening down the right hand side often.

The goals were scored by Lacazette, Gabriel and Aubameyang. Lacazette’s came from a goal mouth scramble which saw the ball fall to his feet for an easy tap in. As a player who thrives on confidence, any goal is a big boost for Lacazette. Arsenal’s second goal came as a result of Rob Holding winning a corner following a Thierry Henry-esque keepy up sequence. The following corner, delivered by Willian, was met with a commanding header from Gabriel, demonstrating his physical imposition. The final goal of the afternoon summarised the team play that we’re beginning to become accustomed to under Arteta with Arsenal building from the back and eventually finding Aubameyang who finished emphatically.

Lacazette 1-0

Gabriel 2-0

Aubameyang 3-0

(Credit: Arsenal FC)

Arsenal’s opening day victory sees them sit top of the table at the end of a matchweek for the first time since February 2016. Whilst being top of the league at the end of week 1 is trivial, it fits with the mentality Arteta has instilled in this Arsenal team and it’s that mentality which has seen the club be successful since his arrival. Arteta convinced the team they could beat the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool and they did, he convinced the team they could win trophies, and they did. So whilst even the most optimistic Arsenal fans can’t expect to be top of the league next May, Arteta will use this trivial information to further instil belief into the team.

On Tuesday, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announced that he had signed a new contract – committing his future to the club for 3 more years. Arsenal’s star man scored 29 goals in 44 games last season and has an outstanding goal scoring record since he joined in January 2018. Whilst his goal scoring is what earns him most of his plaudits, Aubameyang has developed immensely both on and off the pitch. His mentality and work rate have seen him awarded the captaincy and he has adapted to playing on the left wing despite being typically described as a striker. Aubameyang has revealed that he had several chats with Mikel Arteta prior to signing a new deal and has emphasised the word ‘legacy’ as a key to his decision. The deal sees him become the club’s highest earner and grants him the platform to lead the team to more silverware and cement his legacy at Arsenal.

On Wednesday, fan favourite Emi Martinez sealed a move to Aston Villa for £20 million, bidding a heartfelt goodbye to the Gunners after 10 years with the club. Martinez was Arsenal’s longest serving player but only made 39 first team appearances during his time in North London. He has to wait for his chance and when Bernd Leno got injured in June, Martinez stepped up in a way far beyond what fans expected with a number of magnificent displays which culminated in winning the FA Cup. It’s sad to lose a player that’s been with the club for so long but Martinez has gone out on a high with the admiration of the Arsenal fan base so good luck to him at Aston Villa.

(Credit: Stuart McFarlane/Arsenal FC)

West Ham are Arsenal’s opponents for the first game at Emirates Stadium this season on Saturday at 8:00pm with Arteta’s side looking to build on their strong start at Fulham. There’s been no major team news updates over the last week so it is expected that Arteta will field a similar side. Dani Ceballos came on for an impressive flair filled cameo against Fulham and he looks the most likely player to come in, with Elneny dropping to the bench, should changes be made. Given how woeful West Ham looked against Newcastle, it’s hard to see how Arsenal don’t take the 3 points and put in another convincing performance.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 - 0

Adam Perry - 18/09/2020