Arsenal has shown a “big, big difference” between then and now

After taking 24 hours to digest yesterday’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester City, I’ve come to the decision that I agree with Bernd Leno’s assessment of where the Gunners are against the league’s top teams.

Leno told Arsenal.com, “On one hand we’re disappointed, but on the other we played a good game. We competed against City and at the end you can see that the gap was very small. I think when you compare the first game after the lockdown, how we played here and lost 3-0 without any chances and how we played today, there’s a big, big difference.”

Now, is Arsenal ready to compete for the Premier League title this season? Probably not, however, I think Mikel Arteta and his squad have proven they can compete with the big boys for a spot in the top four. In Arsenal’s last seven matches v Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea combined, the Gunners are five wins and two losses. That’s a pretty impressive record. Not only that, the Gunners did not roll over and play dead after Raheem Sterling scored the game’s only goal for Man City on Saturday. They kept their composure and their spirit, and they fought until the final whistle.

Now, is there room for improvement? You bet.

First, the Gunners need to become more creative offensively. Pierre-Emerik Aubameyang has scored only one league goal this season, and that goal was on September 12th. As a team, Arsenal has scored only eleven goals in eight matches this season.

So, now that Arteta and his staff seem to have the defensive heading in the right direction, their focus needs to go to the offense. Will the insertion of Thomas Partey into the starting XI help revitalize Arsenal struggling ability to score goals? One can only hope. Arsenal needs to begin scoring goals, and when given clear scoring opportunities, our guys have to find the back of the net.

Saturday’s defeat is only a bump in the road. The Gunners now head into a long stretch of games, including the beginning the Europe League group stages on Thursday. Games will come fast and thick, and at the same time we’ll begin to answer some of the the current question marks surrounding our club.

Can we start to score more goals?
Will our defense continue to improve?
Will Runarsson prove to be a solid #2 keeper?
Is our squad deep enough to get us through the season’s demanding list of fixtures?
And, will Ozil ever play again for the Gunners?

Hang on Gooners, we’re in for a fun, yet wild ride through the 2020-2021 season!

Cheers, and stay healthy and safe!

Gunner1953