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By Tony Attwood
This start to the season feels to me like a really positive opening – yes, there has been a defeat, but that was to Liverpool away, and the goal difference is +8, and as I write this on saturday afternoon Arsenal are shown as top of the league. Of course there are matches to come through the weekend, but even so we can compare Arsenal this year with the opening of past seasons.
Here’s the table after four games…
| Pos | Year | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | 2024 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | 2023 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1 | 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 16 | 2021 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 3 |
So, not the best of starts because of that defeat to Liverpool, and yet it feels to me, very positive. Even if it is not the best goal difference, either.
Perhaps it is also the awareness that the defeat came in what is likely to be seen by next summer as just about the toughest game of the season. But of course in that regard, we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
Although Tottenham seem in the table to be our nearest rivals, I doubt that will continue (but of course I am often known to be wrong) because of their results so far. They have beaten Burnley, Manchester City, and West Ham, losing to Bournemouth. The one big thing shining out for them is their goal difference of 8-1, but just consider these teams they have beaten. Burnley and West Ham are going nowhere except down, while ManC are in a state of collapse.
As of this morning, Burnley are 17th, Manchester City are 16th and only Bournemouth are doing ok, being fourth, and Tottenham lost to them. Each of the teams have played one of the big clubs, but in Tottenham’s case they have played the utterly defeated and lost-looking Manchester City who are currently 16th.
Now the media are not overly keen on talking about Manchester City at the moment, both because they all predicted a top-four finish again for the club, and because they have constantly excused the club’s use of money, suggesting that all those league wins they had were somehow legitimate. Now that they don’t dare spend the fortunes as they have done in the past, they are sliding, which shows how much of a fake side they were when winning the league whlie being celebrated endlessly by the media.
The top and bottom of the Premier League table as it stands now ahead of today’s games…
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | AFC Bournemouth | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 16 | Manchester City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 17 | Burnley | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 2 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 0 |
What is particularly interesting about Tottenham, as we look at the bottom five above, is that Tottenham’s three wins have come against those clubs – 3-0 against Burnley, 0-2 against ManC and 0-2 against West Ham. We can only speculate why the fixtures committee (laughingly known as the “computer” but computers don’t do fixture lists like this) have given Tottenham such an easy ride to help them get going. And indeed they have also had journalists failing to make any serious comment about an odd fixture list. Why was that?
Liverpool are playing Burnley today and should easily saunter past them thus ensuring more media praise and ensuring that Arsenal end this round of matches in second.
But of course, the fixtures are not getting easier. Next up we have Athletic Club – whom we have often called Athletic Bilbao, but it seems that they are demanding to be known by what they call their “real name”. They are currently third in the Spanish League, having exactly the same record as Arsenal – won three, and lost one.
However, while Arsenal’s goal difference is nine goals for and one against, Athletic Club’s difference is six for and four against. Athletic Club lost yesterday 0-1 at home to Alaves, which suggests that maybe they are already being distracted by forthcoming events.
We know of course, that Jesus, Saka and Havertz are ruled out for the next game, but of the other injuries, we have to wait and see how things go. But then, on the other hand, with a squad like this one, injuries become an opportunity for other players to get a game or two rather than a time for the gnashing of the teeth.
