By Tony Attwood
This summer we have had pretty much everything thrown at Arsenal. Not signing players, not signing the right players, not signing enough players, not having new tactics, having to face a reborn Manchester City who will never be happy with second place… well you can go on and on and on. Each point being a reason why Arsenal would simply not, under any circumstances, be able even to challenge for the top spot, let alone get it.
And what do we get – a rather jolly Community Shield against supposedly one of our main challengers, and we didn’t even notice they were there.
Of course some of the opposition will wake up to the fact that Arsenal have new players and new tricks in this campaign, but I rather fancy this club can continue to win things no matter what. And as for Mikel Arteta saying he doesn’t worry about getting a new contract, it is because he has seen what we just began to see yesterday – the latest edition of the club.
After all, Arsenal are favourites to win the league again, and which club wouldn’t give a new contract to an ex-player who knows how to handle a club as well as Arteta, and who has the confidence of the supporters.
Arsenal have not won the league twice running since the days of Herbert Chapman, whose run starting in 1931 was 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, and I would be rather pleased with a run like that being repeated. Although maybe we can just cut out the runners’ up spot in the second season.
Of course I am told not to get overconfident, but I really don’t think that my opinion matters that much. Arsenal have won three in a row before, so can do it again – and obviously time will tell. But I must say I do start this season with a much lighter heart than I had after the three runners-up finishes, and there was talk of kicking Arteta out. It’s funny how quiet some people have gone.
Which brings me on to what the press said before the game, noting that the “Curtain-raiser can offer clues but it is no reliable pointer to a season – its winners have not landed the title since 2018.” That was the Guardian’s statement. But then one might reply, all such runs end sometimes.
The stress journalists put on everything being unknown is overwhelming. Whatever happened to journalists who confidently told us ManC were going to win everything all the time forever? Well, the Guardian admitted that Arsenal were “heavy favourites” to win – the first club to retain the Shield since the 1930s. But the impression given is that this was chance and luck. Nothing to do with some good play, good tactics and good team selection by Arsenal.
And ok if that is how it is to be played by the media, I don’t care. I will watch and enjoy while others find excuses. Mikel Arteta is the longest-serving manager in the League, and rightly deserves to be so. Long may he continue.
Oh yes, and there may be a few more transfers in the last couple of weeks of the window, and who knows what wonders they may bring. It is being said, for example, Arsenal are in discussions with Bayer Leverkusen concerning Jarell Quansah who plays as a centre-back. Could be…
And that is just the start, for we will now see the difference between trying to buy players who can help a club get out of a hole and buying players who can make the next title that little bit more certain.
“They don’t have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here. I am extremely happy. I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and when we have the possibility, we will resolve that. And that’s it,” he said.
As for the media trying to whip up panic that Arteta has not signed a new contract he said, “my will, certainly, is to be here and I am very happy here. My feeling from the club is the same one. That is why everyone is doing things in a really organic way.”
So yes the boss should re-sign and we might sign Jarell Quansah as there are still spaces in the squad. Arteta also said “I am really happy with the ambition of the club. There is zero question about that. We have shown that in the manner we have tried to act.” Which makes the journalists’ search for negativity even harder and harder.
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Within such a great overall display by the whole squad, the individual highlight for me was Odegaard’s trick putting Donnemara on his arxx for the third goal.
I remember Kanu doing it to the keeper in a European game in front of the North Bank at Highbury.
Within such a great overall display by the whole squad, the individual highlight for me was Odegaard’s trick putting Donnemara on his arxx for the third goal.
I remember Kanu doing it to the keeper in a European game in front of the North Bank at Highbury.