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Arsenal’s Premier League victory over Manchester City on Sunday was a huge psychological uplift for Mikel Arteta’s men, leaving the Gunners and Tottenham Hotspur joint-top and Liverpool just three points behind in a tight top four.
Arsenal’s encounter with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday was largely forgettable, but Mikel Arteta’s men will not care.
Arsenal end Manchester City hoodoo
Even though the 2023-24 campaign is eight gameweeks in, the encounter in North London was billed as the league’s most anticipated fixture — a meeting between observers’ pre-season Premier League title challengers.
For any neutral, the pre-game wish was an Arsenal triumph, even if it meant the Gunners had to end a 12-game losing run against Pep Guardiola’s men.
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23:30 - 08.10.2023
Arsenal vs Man City: A special victory — Arteta hypes 12-game jinx-breaking win
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praises his team performance in their victory over Manchester City.
Despite the absence of Bukayo Saka, Guardiola’s side were there for the taking. A rarity for the Spaniard, who has masterminded three consecutive league successes and claimed a historic treble last term.
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19:45 - 05.10.2023
FOOTBALL Arsenal invincible slams Mikel Arteta for his use of Bukayo Saka, admits he is ‘worried’ about sensation’s recent injury issues
Ljungberg promoted Bukayo Saka to his u23s set up in 2018, and is the one who recommended then-head coach Unai Emery to promote Saka to the first team.
Without the suspended Rodri or long-term absentee Kevin De Bruyne, none of City’s midfield options provided the control of the Spain international or match-winning quality of the Belgian. This was Arsenal’s time.
However, they had to overcome the dreaded mental block, seemingly evident in the game’s opening half-hour, where they rode their luck.
The Gunners had Declan Rice’s goal-mouth clearance to thank, Nathan Ake’s poor finish and David Raya’s dallying not costing them after Julian Alvarez almost scored fortuitously after pressuring the goalkeeper.
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When the game seemed to be petering out into a forgettable bore draw, Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal raised the roof at the Emirates.
Four substitutes combined for Arsenal’s winning goal, highlighting the Gunners’ strength in depth and the Cityzens’ drop-off in quality replacements, a weakness already pointed out by Pulse Sports before the campaign started.
READ MORE - Premier League: Can Mikel Arteta's Arsenal pain propel team to the title?
The upshot of Sunday’s victory over Manchester City leaves Tottenham Hotspur in an unfamiliar position. Ange Postecoglou’s men broadly have an identical record with their North London rivals, but they sit atop the Premier League standings because of a super goal tally than the Gunners — 18-16.
For a side that had only been at the top of the Premier League table for a cumulative 72 days before the weekend, Spurs enjoy that luxury for a fortnight until the ninth gameweek. Three points separate the league’s top four and comprise two recent champions, a worthy contender and a table-topping outfit punching above their weight.
Can Manchester City be dethroned?
Guardiola’s men are the side to beat. The Citizens tend to start slowly and blow the competition out of the water in the campaign's second half.
This season’s start was undoubtedly different — until Rodri’s dismissal precipitated a mini wobble — and the Spanish midfielder’s return should bring about the team’s stability. Nevertheless, there is a continued feeling that this City iteration lack the depth or match-winning quality of previous seasons.
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20:10 - 23.09.2023
Rodri enters Premier League hall of shame after speedy red card
Rodri's red card against Nottingham Forest sees him enter the Premier League hall of shame with an unwanted record
The European champions’ transfer dealings were delayed, and the departure of Ilkay Gundogan has left a hole in the Manchester club’s midfield.
Matheus Nunes has Premier League experience, but the Portugal international is adapting to Guardiola’s methods. While Mateo Kovacic’s ball-carrying quality is unquestionable, and his knack for evading pressure is admirable, the Croatian lacks the box-crashing and match-winning ability of Gundogan.
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City also have the small matter of the FIFA Club World Cup in December, even if they are expected to miss one matchday (round 18 against Brentford just before Christmas). That could be two games if round 17’s encounter with Crystal Palace in mid-December — a few days before their Club World Cup semi-final clash in Jeddah on December 19 — does not take place.
It could leave Guardiola’s men playing catch-up by their return for Boxing Day’s action, even if City are familiar with turning the screw in the second half of the season.
History also counts against them, as no side has ever won four Premier League titles in succession. Arteta’s troops will be lying in wait.
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Are Arsenal primed to end title drought?
Last season was upsetting, and then some. Arsenal led most of the campaign before falling off in the final weeks, allowing Guardiola’s men to secure a third consecutive crown.
The response to that dispiriting failure was attacking the transfer window with purpose, beefing up a squad that relied heavily on its best XI in 2022-23. Jurrien Timber’s knee injury should keep out the Dutch international until the New Year, while Kai Havertz is yet to find his feet at the Emirates.
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Be that as it may, the German scored at Bournemouth in round seven and set up Martinelli’s winning goal on Sunday. Havertz’s versatility could benefit Arteta’s men this season.
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08:48 - 09.10.2023
Arsenal vs Manchester City: 3 pillars of Arteta's victory over Guardiola
Beating Pep Guardiola is never easy, but these three things helped Arteta overcome his old mentor for the first time in the Premier League
However, Declan Rice’s impact in North London has been instant. The England international not only has Premier League experience, but his addition helps to mitigate Thomas Partey’s susceptibility to injuries and the Ghanaian’s Africa Cup of Nations participation at the start of 2024.
Despite observers still unconvinced by Arsenal’s start to the season, Arteta’s men remain unbeaten after eight games, and their wont to find the back of the net late on means they can never be discounted until the final whistle. What happens when they finally hit their stride?
Last year’s runners-up could become champions again for the first time since 2004. But are we sleeping on Jurgen Klopp’s Reds?
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Can Klopp’s Liverpool firepower sustain a title challenge?
Liverpool were the biggest threat to Man City before Arsenal’s ascent in the last 18 months. The Reds’ summer was disturbed after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, thus forcing a midfield revamp.
This meant Wataru Endo arrived from Stuttgart in mid-August, but the German has opted to ease in the Japanese, with Alexis Mac Allister deputising as Liverpool’s deepest midfielder. That solution is far from ideal for the Reds, just as much as their reliance on their attack to keep bailing them out.
It seems like Mohamed Salah’s start to the season is not getting the attention it deserves, with the Reds legend’s nine goals plus assists tied with Erling Haaland.
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The forward has undoubtedly been pivotal to a side that have had to come from behind to win three of their five victories (Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers) this term. But there are doubts about its sustainability.
Admittedly, Liverpool possesses match-winning firepower, a quality that should see them defeat most sides in the Premier League; however, the Reds’ acceptance of chaos over control could count against them this season.
Postecoglou’s Spurs transformation
If anyone offered Tottenham first place at this stage before a ball was kicked, the Lilywhites would have taken it.
Appointing Postecoglou brought a promise of brave, attacking football to a side whose play lacked guts under the previous three permanent head coaches. However, few expected this swift transformation this early into the new regime — possibly even the manager, whose ideas have taken time to germinate in previous jobs.
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Doubts about Spurs were not just an upshot of a new group needing to absorb a different modus operandi but also because of the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich just before the commencement of their season at Brentford.
Despite the 2-2 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium, Postecoglou’s imprint on the side was unmistakable, and their desire to dominate games has continued over the opening rounds.
A sustained title challenge depends on James Maddison’s form, Son Heung-min’s resurgence after last season’s dip and making the most of no European football this term, and it remains to be seen where Spurs’ best start since 1960-61 takes them.
There would be schadenfreude if Tottenham expectedly lose first place, but the target was never title contention this season, but a return to the Champions League. That would be a success, regardless of external noise and anticipated derision from rival fans.
Two-horse races have been the norm in England’s top flight for several seasons, with the 2013-14 season and the 2015-16 campaign involving three sides.
Man City and Arsenal were recognised as the league’s dominant teams before this term began. But Spurs surprisingly lead the Premier League table after eight weeks, with Klopp’s Reds within touching distance.
Even though this year was foreseen as another tussle between Guardiola and Arteta, we might witness something even better.
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