Hope springs eternal for Arsenal 2.0?

Towards the end of Sunday’s North London Derby telecast on NBCSN, commentator Arlo White questioned, “Is this the beginning of Arsenal 2.0. Is Arsenal back? At that point in time, I thought that yes this is the reboot of the Arsenal Football Club. After several seasons of doom and gloom, we have paid our dues and are ready to fight for our place among the big boys. In three weeks our lads have risen from 20th to 10th place in the Premier League. We have won four straight matches in all competitions, including three shutouts in those four games. We have found a new goalkeeper, a new right fullback, a better defensive duo in front of Aaron Ramsdale. We have a healthy Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is beginning to find his scoring boots, while the youngsters (Tierney, Smith Rowe, Saka, Gabriel and Odegaard) are making big time contributions.

Was the win over Tottenham Hotspur hugely gratifying, amazingly delicious and a delight for sore soccer eyes? Yes, it was – times a million! However, as good as Sunday was to watch and to feel really good about our club and our manager, we need to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Sunday’s performance showed our club can show character, determination and a strong will to win. Their first half performance v Spurs was among the best 45 minutes of football I have seen the Gunners play in a long time. However, there was a little let down in the second half, especially during those first 20 minutes after the halftime break, but the lads hung tough, hung on and deserved the win.

Can this Arsenal squad play to this level on a consistent basis? That’s where I have the most questions. Can Mikel Arteta get his squad to play this spirited again on Saturday at Brighton and Hove, and then regroup following the upcoming international break to face Premier League foes Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Watford? Those are all very winable matches, and we need those points to stay in the race for a European spot in 2022.

If Brighton and Hove wins today v Crystal Palace, the Seagulls will be top of the heap in the Premier League table come today’s final whistle. Ben White’s former club will be no easy pushover for Arsenal, especially on the road in Brighton.

Again, Arteta will have a healthy squad to choose from. Granit Xhaka is currently the only Arsenal player to be on the injury list. Thank goodness the talented Albert Sambi Lokonga is ready to step off the bench to replace the veteran Swiss midfielder this weekend.

Hope springs eternal, but fools rush in…so Gooners, do enjoy the euphoria of Sundays’ NLD win but remain cautious. Let’s see if this terrific run of four consecutive wins continues.

One can only hope!

Cheers.

Gunner1953