Aston Villa take on their second title contender in two matches in the form of Arsenal. Unai Emery will be keen to get the better of his old club and claim the three points at Villa Park.
I spoke to an Arsenal fan to find out more about Arsenal’s season so far.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Arsenal have dropped eight points in their last three games and have let Manchester City back into the title race. What has gone wrong for Arsenal? Is this just a drop of form in what has been a near perfect season?
“I think that every team will struggle to hold the form we have had in the first part of the season. You talk about Manchester City being back in it, they also had a drop off in form not long ago. The absence of Thomas Partey in the Man City game didn’t help either. I’m not too worried about the drop in form in all honesty”.
This season Saka and Partey have been two of the most influential players for Arsenal according to the media. Who else has impressed you this season that does not get as much media attention?
“Aaron Ramsdale has been an absolute unit this season. Ever since he has taken the number one spot, he has been consistently excellent. It’s an absolute disgrace that Ramsdale isn’t the number one for England”.
Manchester City now sit top of the Premier League table after Arsenal had dominated for so much of this season. Having said that, both teams still have a lot of football to play. How confident are you that Arsenal can recapture their form and secure their first league title in almost 20 years?
“You’ve said it yourself. There is still a lot of football to still be played. There will be a lot more twists and turns in the league. I strongly believe that this will be the most interesting title race in a long long time. Hopefully, it will be Arsenal lifting that trophy in a few months’ time”.
Finally, what is your score prediction?
“We will be hungry and will be desperate for three points. You’re coming off a rough patch of form. If the stars align, we will run out 4-1 winners”.
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OPPOSITION FOCUS | ARSENAL STRUGGLING?
Arsenal’s season up until the last few weeks could have been looked at as perfect. It seemed like Arteta had fulfilled his potential and finally captured Arsenal their first title in 19 years. In reality, the student, Arteta, could still beat the teacher, Guardiola, but if he is to do it, Arsenal need to get back to winning ways.
During this article, I will be looking at why Arsenal haven’t managed to win any of their last four games in all competitions. I will be looking both on and off the pitch at all the negatives surrounding Arsenal.
Let’s start at the start of the issues, the transfer window. The transfer window wasn’t dreadful for Arsenal; in fact, some might have seen it as very good. Arsenal strengthened their attack and weakened Brighton’s with the acquisition of Trossard. They added youthful experience to their squad when 22-year-old Polish international Jakub Kiwior signed. Finally, they added a player who knows what it takes to win the league when they signed Jorginho from Chelsea.
So why am I talking about Arsenal’s transfer window when I’m trying to find out why Arsenal are dropping points? As good as Arsenal’s transfer window looks, there is no escaping the fact that they missed their main target. The Gunner’s London rivals, Chelsea, beat Arsenal to the signing of 22-year-old Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk.
This was important as Arsenal are now lacking a talisman following Gabriel Jesus’s injury. Mudryk would have been the perfect solution to Arsenal’s lack of clinical finishing. Instead, Nketiah has stepped up. Although he has managed four goals this season, Arsenal don’t look as good with him leading the line.
Another player that Arsenal seem to heavily rely on is Thomas Partey. When Partey is on his game, there is very little that can stop Arsenal. This means that when he is not there, it is very noticeable. Whilst Arsenal have recognised this with their signing of experienced winner Jorginho, Partey’s role is so important that I am not sure Jorginho can fill it.
There are a plethora of issues surrounding Arsenal that show that things might not be as perfect as first thought. Having said that, this is by no means a crisis for Arsenal. I believe that Arsenal haven’t yet “bottled” the league. This is just a poor run of form that even Manchester City have been on this season.
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MY PREDICTION
This is going to be an interesting game for a variety of reasons. Both teams desperately need points, with Emery welcoming his old club and the whole effect it could have on the table. While I believe that on our day, Villa have the capability of beating Arsenal, on Saturday we will be facing an angry Arsenal. For that reason, I believe Arsenal will come out 2-1 winners.
AUTHOR | ELLIS BURNETT
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