By Tony Attwood
Technical notes: Well, we have managed to get the site back up and running, but at the cost of losing a number of posts. But let’s see if we can keep this one up and dated in the right way!
There was a run of Arsenal matches last season which most commentators choose to ignore, in which, in seven consecutive league games Arsenal not only won all seven but also scored 31 goals. And it is an interesting run because it was a mix of home (three games) and away (four matches) and included games against both the bigger teams (Liverpool, Newcastle) as well as clubs on the way up (Nottingham Forest) and ultimately relegated teams (Burnley, Sheffield United). It was in fact a run of seven games suitable of potential champions. Part of a run of the last 18 games of the season in which Arsenal won 16, drew one and lost one (as a result of which at least one person wrote to Untold setting out the view that Arteta should be sacked.)
This season the criticism continues of course, as that is an essential part of life in Premier League football. For today Arsenal are ONLY are third in the league, and of course as we all know, have played one more game that Chelseea and two more than Liverpool, but the same number as the four clubs below us.
Arsenal is also the second highest scoring team in the league and has the second best defence in the league. Furthermore the top three teams all have the same goal difference of +18.
Of course that is not enough for some who demand that Arsenal should be top, as if somehow either we should never have any dips or the other clubs should have a few more dips. What’s more there is the old argument that individual statistics don’t mean a thing. After all the mighty Tottenham Hots have a goal difference only one worse than Arsenal and a game in hand to make that better. The only problem is that they have ten points fewer than Arsenal.
My point here is that this is of course not a perfect season thus far, but it is not too bad, and much more to the point it is improving all the while.
But the point is that just as there are dips in clubs’ results such as two wins, one draw and three defeats between 19 October and 6 November in all competitions, including a defeat to Bournemouth, so there are good runs, and most of the time the aim is to extend the good runs and reduce the dips.
Of course ideally we don’t want any dips – as with Liverpool this season, with one defeat (at home to Nottingham Forest) but on the other hand two draws in the last three games (away to Newcastle and at home to Fulham, – and indeed with a win by just one goal against the almighty Girona in the Champions League) while not a “dip” in the most fulsome definition of the word, can still bring us hope.
Yes Arsenal are still six points behind where we were after 17 games last season, but the scores scored and conceded each only differ by one in each case.
And it is also true that the top three in the league are also the top three if we look at the “last six games” table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 16 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 14 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 14 |
But here’s a thought, in those last six games Arsenal have outscored Libverpool and have conceded two fewer goals that Liverpool. And yes of course I am aware that in what really matters – the points – Chelsea have gained two more than Arsenal and Liverpool, but I think the signs of recovery to last season’s form are all there.
Of course we need for Chelsea and Liverpool not to power on ahead, winning their games in hand and virtually every other game – there is no escaping the fact that we are three points behind Liverpool and they have two games in hand, but two draws in the last two Liverpool league games,
And yes Chelsea have won their last five league games but even so, there is still hope for Arsenal. If the club really has recovered the form and scoring power that we saw from late January onward, this could still be a very interesting season.
Also, it still has to be remembered that Liverpools opening fixtures have been relatively easy, especially when it comes to their away fixtures.
Firstly they have only played 7 away matches. Okay their return from those 7 matches is 17 points from a possible 21, which on the face of it is brilliant, but isn’t actually that impressive when you look a little closer.
Secondly within those 7 matches only 2 were against top 10 sides and only 1 against top 4, (Newcastle in 7th and Arsenal in 3rd) and tellingly they dropped points in both of those matches.
Thirdly, 3, that’s nearly half, of their 7 away fixtures are in the bottom 3.
This is who they have played and where they currently sit, and the result:
3: Arsenal D
7: Newcastle D
And lets not forget, neither Arsenal nor Newcastle were playing as well as they are now.
13: Man Utd
15: C. Palace
18: Ipswich
19: Wolves
20: Soton
And it’s worth noting, although beating the bottom 3 they haven’t exactly blown them away achieving an aggregate margin of just 7 – 3.
Measure that against what Arsenal have faced away from home.
For a start we have played 9 away fixtures.
Only 3 of those are in the bottom half, let alone the bottom 3, and one of those is Spurs in 11th.
We have had to play 2 of them with 10 men thanks to severe interpretations of the laws of the game.
We have only played 3 teams in the bottom half, let alone the bottom 3, and yet our aggregate score against them is 11 -3.
All this data must be taken into account if a fair and balanced comparison between the 2 teams is to be made.
There is no denying Liverpool have had it relatively easy so far, at least in comparison to Arsenal, though you’ll never hear anything about that from the media of course.
Only time will tell if they continue in the same winning vein once they start visiting some tougher opponents, and todays match away at Spurs will be a tougher test.
Although Spurs are actually in the bottom half so it is arguable they are not even a top team. Just saying.